I have been at FT Jackson SC for about three weeks now where I have been attending the Chaplain's Basic Officer Leadership Course. The first three weeks of CIMT have been a refresher of military common soldier skills (Land Nav, NBC, NIC, First Aid, Commo, etc.) for many prior service and brand new experiences for our non prior counterparts. So far the school has been a mix of field exercises and class room time where we have been acclimated to the army's culture and the challenging...read more

• Post Comment

It has been a very exciting week. I have just returned from Scottsdale AZ where I attended CAST with chaplains, chaplain assistants, and candidates. Uncle Sam provided great hospitality and the folks at the Doubletree Hotel were very gracious. I got some great mentorship from CH COL Leech, who is the senior chaplain of the 4th ESC in San Antonio TX. I even met a fellow pentecostal minister who was an experienced chaplain. CH CPT Ruiz shared with me a powerful testimony of his ministry in Iraq...read more

• 1 Comment

It has been a very busy year so far! It has been four months since the beginning of the new year and I have been going crazy with all of the demands of my graduate school program and the preparations for attending three months of impending army training. I am about to be promoted to First Lieutenant any day now and I have been very busy packing up my apartment and moving things into storage so I can cut back on expenses and focus on my "army summer."...read more

• 1 Comment

Hooah! It has been a remarkable year, full of challenges, triumphs, blood, sweat, and tears. I know that if we could avoid the storms we would, but we do not have that luxury. The storms, tests, and trials make us or break us. Without them we would not be the soldiers that we are today. I have concluded my first year of service with my unit and it has been my honor to know these men and women. It is humbling to be the lowest ranking officer in the unit and to sit in staff meetings with high...read more

• Post Comment

I'm so excited that my second year in the army (as an officer) is coming to a close and many new and exciting challenges await me in 2011. On the civilian side I am furthering my training in seminary and ordination preparation. On the military side, I have just passed my APFT and I am pleased that my scores are on par with some of the younger soldiers. Early in the new year I have a promotion quickly approaching where my butter bar will change to a silver one, and few...read more

• 2 Comments

As a new lieutenant and a new chaplain in the making, I am quickly learning the ropes of leadership and its ups and downs. An old army chief once told me that you meet good people and you meet some not so good people in the military. I do my best to lead by example and to not take myself too seriously. I truly value my senior officers who have taken the time to mentor me and square me away, all while observing good and bad leadership. One can truly learn from both...read more

• Post Comment

Chaplain Candidate Requirements To be eligible for this program, you must: Obtain an ecclesiastical approval from your denomination or faith group. Educationally, you must: Possess a baccalaureate degree of not less than 120 semester hours (College seniors can apply before completion of their undergraduate program). Be a full-time graduate student at an accredited seminary or theological school. Be a U.S. citizen or...read more

• 1 Comment

I'm honored to be back in the U.S. Army after a 14 year absence. I am working with soldiers again while providing religious/spiritual support to them and their families. I recently spent nearly a month at the NTC at Ft. Irwin and it was my privilege to work with an awesome Unit Ministry Team and provide support and counseling for soldiers. Army life is tough and soldiers need someone to talk to now and then, and I am greatful for the chance to be a Chaplain and be their...read more

• Post Comment