CS 08.10 - CCIIP Raptor Flight Recap

I would like to share with you a video I created for my CCIIP flight,the Raptors, led by Chaplain, Major Bill Dickens. All of the members of the Raptor Flight are included and I am very grateful to each of those who took the time to be interviewed for this project. Although there was over an hour of video from the interviews and hundreds of photos what you will see below expresses our experience from the members of the Raptor Flight.

I would also like to recognize our mentor Ch. Dickens for being an invaluable resource for us as Chaplain Candidates as he invested in us with purpose. Finally, although not featured in any of the interviews, I would like to also thank MSgt Patricia Ayres. MSgt Ayres gave of her time and energy to make much of this trip possible often giving beyond her responsibilities so that the trip would be a success. I'm sure I will continue to post more about my experiences through COT, CCC and the CCIIP but for now, let's roll the video...

CS 08.9 - Don't Get Stuck on Stupid!

Wow, what a summer... once again, so much has happened since my last post. Nearly one month later and I have completed my USAF Chaplain Candidate Internship, taken a wonderful vacation with my family at the beach as well as starting work again with the world's largest evangelical university and leader in online education as the Supervisor for Admissions Consultants.

Before I share more recap of the summer with you however, I thought it best to keep my commitment and post the devotional that I had promised. This devotional stems from a message offered to the Chaplain Candidate Course students from class 08A but I have adapted it for a broader audience here.

I'm sure that in your life, as has been the case in mine, there have been times in which you had seemingly lost hope or simply become frustrated with your place in life. Perhaps you wondered if there was a point feeling as though you had seemingly lost your direction. I'd like to share with your three key words you can easily remember that will help impress the following Biblical principles on you.

1. Remember
2. Recall
3. Rely

I'm not normally one who goes for alliteration but, it seems to work here. Take a moment to read through Lam 3:19-27 then follow along with me through the following.

It's so easy to remember all the reasons for your pain, frustration, and overall loss of hope when you are in the midst of a tough time in life. Moreover, it's even easier to sit down and have a pity party for yourself while you wallow in sorrow enjoying your misery. Doesn't it seem to come as nearly second nature to a number of people? You know what I'm talking about. There seems to one in every crowd. The person who is unnecessarily needy, aimless in life or just enjoying the low spot in life because it allows them to draw the attention of others. Well, here in verses 19-20 of this passage we see the writer doing just that--remembering. But he is allowing his soul to be downcast as a result.

However, although the author is remembering the root of the feelings he does not end there. The remembrance turns into recall of how past circumstances have been orchestrated and what the outcome was in verses 21-23. He does not get stuck on the past but begins to move forward as he recalls the faithfulness of God time and time again. God's mercy is truly new every morning and the author recognizes that God's faithfulness is not dependent upon anything he has done but solely upon God's character.

Finally, in verses 24-27, having remembered his pain and affliction, recalling God's faithfulness, He is able to rely upon the Father and move forward!

This summer I was shared a story of a three star General who was giving a media briefing (see the video inset) after hurricane Katrina and just prior to hurricane Rita. During his briefing the reporters kept addressing the past--all of the frustrations that the public was dealing with after Katrina. The General reminded the reporters that the purpose of this briefing was to move forward and get information out to the public about what was about to happen. He encouraged them not to get stuck on stupid. In other words, he didn't want them to get so wrapped up in the past that they could not move forward and help those who were in the path of this new hurricane. Immediately following his comments, what was the first question from one of the reporters? He wanted to compare this storm to the last storm. Immediately the General points out that the reporter was stuck on stupid.



The point I'd like to make is, "Don't Get Stuck on Stupid. Remember, Recall & Rely."

It's entirely too easy to get stuck on stupid while getting caught up in the frustration, stress, pain and merely the ebb and flow of life and forgetting the faithfulness of God. I would like to simply challenge you to follow the heart of the author of Lamentations.

Remember why you are feeling what you are feeling.

Recall that God has been faithful throughout generations. His faithfulness is not dependent upon you or anything you do. Simply put, God is faithful.

But do not let it end there. Take action. Rely upon God's faithfulness.

It is in remembering and recalling that there is renewed hope found in a faithful Father. He will continue to carry you through the difficult times and allow you to find joy once again. Don't get stuck on stupid.

CS 08.8 - Been a While

So, it's been several weeks again between posts. So much has happened! I've graduated from the CCC (Chaplain Candidate Course) and have already visited several bases on the CCIIP Tour (Chaplain Candidate Intensive Internship Program). Please feel free to check out the photos I've posted by clicking the link at the top of the page. Immediately following this post I'm going to add a devotional thought that I shared with my squadron during CCC.

Where have I been, you ask. Immediately following CCC I drove from Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, AL to Robins AFB in Warner Robins, GA. During our stay at Robins we visited the flight line and the shops where they work on the F-15's as well as visiting the AF Museum (see photos).

I then experienced my first C130 flight to Patrick AFB in Cocoa Beach, FL where we had several briefings about the various missions of that base including both the space and rescue mission. The Airmen at Patrick are top notch and we all had a great experience there meeting the PJ's from the 920th Rescue Squadron as well as the various others from the 45th Space Wing who support the Space Mission. While in Cocoa beach I also visited Ron Jon's Surf shop, did PT on the beach in the morning, as well as take a deep sea fishing trip (where I caught a baracuda).

Leg three of the trip started again with a C130 flight to Homestead ARB (where I'm writing this from) which is just south of Miami, FL. This base is unique because it is a Reserve Base. It had previously been an active duty base and was nearly closed for good following the 1992 hurricane Andrew. The ministry setting here is unique because the base is comprised entirely reservists. I was blessed to go on visitation twice to the Equipment Maintenance Squadron with Chaplain Fink. On my second round of visitation he asked me to take the lead since I had been before. This was a great time as we got to know some of the Airmen serving in the various shops as well as how they support the Mako's, F16's, to which the base is home.

From Homestead we will be traveling to Charlestown AFB, SC and will be traveling on a C17. This will be yet another new experience as the C17 is a large Airlift aircraft. Just to give you an idea of how large a C17 is I should mention that it is able to house 10 Hummers within its cargo bay.

Keep your eyes peeled for new pictures. My ability to connect to the internet has been very unstable so I am not always able to post as often as I would like. However, I will tell you that this is a trip of a lifetime and I am blessed to be able to be a part of this experience. My flight commander/mentor, Ch. Dickens is an incredible man who serves as the reserve wing chaplain at Wright Patterson AFB, OH. Our Chaplain Assistant, Patricia "Trish" Ayres is an incredible asset to the Squadron as well. I look forward to telling you all more about them as time progresses. I have been able to learn much merely by observing them both in action as they lead us though this tour.

CS 08.7 - I Made It!

Graduation never quite meant so much as it did today. I've squeaked by in elementary, middle, and high school not to mention my undergrad where I exceeded the minimum GPA by about .01 (if I remember correct). Now that I've been working on my master's degrees I've finally been succeeding, even getting several "A's"!

However, I took my first test at Commissioned Officer Training only to find that I missed two too many questions. Having been fed information as though I was trying to take a drink from a fire hose on full blast I was overwhelmed with information and attempted to pass that test in my own strength. Yes, I admitted it--the Chaplain Candidate was relying on self. I know better than this. As a result I was placed on SMS (essentially academic probation). The following week was filled with even more information to learn, pressure and stress of knowing that if I didn't attain the minimum level on the next test I would have to complete a cumulative exam in order to graduate.

I once heard John Maxwell say, "Life is full of flat squirrels who couldn't make a decision." The decision I needed to make was to start relying on God again. I realized I had been doing things solely out of my own strength and began to once again rely upon God for my strength as well as the support of my flight. There were several of my flight members who really encouraged me and kept me accountable in my studies. Not only that, I am also grateful to everyone back home who were praying for me. It took some time but I recalled the verse I had placed on our morale board: "Tune your ears to wisdom & concentrate on understanding" Proverbs 2:2.

I felt great taking this exam. I was fully prepped and ended up only getting two questions wrong! After the test was reviewed several Officer Trainee's challenged one of the questions I had gotten wrong and as a result we were all credited for that one yielding me a 98% as a final grade!

So, there's always a lesson--right? I think it's pretty obvious... Who are you relying on? I'm not suggesting that Christianity is or should be a crutch. I fully believe that my responsibility was to study and do my part yet, I wasn't relying upon God to assist me. I had left Him out of the picture for test #1. What have you left God out of? Who do you rely upon? Where do you get your strength , peace, rest, sanity, and security? If you're not really sure please feel free to drop me a line, I'd love to talk to you more about this.

CS 08.6 - 5K Run

So much has happened since my last post but I wanted to quickly make a post this morning. I just finished the 5K and made it in 28:57. My personal goal was to make it under 35 minutes with a stretch goal of 30 minutes. I paced most of the way with Lt. Mullins, Lt. Bird and Lt. McCrae (seen with me here). We’ve got an awesome flight! There’s an incredible amount of teamwork as we drive toward winning with excellence through discipline. I’ll post some more later about the field exercises we went on this week and when I get access to a public internet connection I’ll post some photos as well.

As a side note, I also passed my second exam with flying colors!!!! I only got two questions wrong and after official evaluation they gave me credit for one of the questions finalizing my score at a 98%.

CS 08.5 - Red Cross

It’s summer time and man is it Hot here in Alabama. I’m told that summer is when the Red Cross is typically short on blood supply. COT Class 08-04 held a blood drive today and many of us decided to donate. In the picture above is Lt. Marc Mallone and I. Lt. Mallone is our Flight Social Officer and was assisting the Red Cross with the blood drive.

CS 08.4 - The Airman's Creed

I am an American Airman.

I am a Warrior.

I have answered my Nation’s call.

I am an American Airman.

My mission is to Fly, Fight, and Win.

I am faithful to a Proud Heritage,

A Tradition of Honor,

And a Legacy of Valor.

I am an American Airman.

Guardian of Freedom and Justice,

My Nation’s Sword and Shield,

Its Sentry and Avenger.

I defend my Country with my Life.

I am an American Airman.

Wingman, Leader, Warrior.

I will never leave an Airman behind,

I will never falter,

And I will not fail.

CS 08.3 - Changing of the Guard

Montgomery has historically been a place of change. On December 1, 1955 Mrs. Rosa Parks was on her way home from work and decided to do nothing. That is, she decided to remain seated toward the front of the bus. Mrs. Parks said, “If you want to be respected for your actions, then your behavior must be above reproach. If our lives demonstrate that we are peaceful, humble, and trusted, this is recognized by others.”

Above is a picture of most of my flight that ran the Assault Course on Tuesday. Thursday we experienced a Change of Command ceremony in which the staff here at OTS gave us the charge of the class (COT Class 08-04). We were also upgraded to third class status which means that over the weekend we are given Base Privileges (allowed to travel anywhere on outside the OTS Campus but still on Maxwell AFB). Today we had a Hall Call in which our Squadron handed out awards for the highest Athletic, Academic and Overall best flight of the week. My flight, KILO Flight, won two of the three—Academic and overall best average scores. Over the weekend we’ll be spending a lot of time studying for our second major academic test. A lot has changed in the past week.

So what’s the connection to Rosa Parks? Simply this, I am an officer in the world’s greatest Air Force! As such, among my duties is to uphold the core values of the USAF. The first core value of the Air Force is “Integrity First.” The AFOATS manual on character says that integrity first is “an unfaltering devotion to honesty, truthfulness, doing one’s duty, and doing what’s right.” As Kilo has been working to hone our communication and leadership skills and work cooperatively toward the same end we have found success in living out integrity and simply doing what is right even when it’s not easy. We have been encouraging each other to rise to the next level and have plans to continue to succeed.

Personally, all of this ties into my faith as well as my service to country. One person can make a huge difference as part of a team working to make a greater impact. I’m incredibly proud to be a part of Kilo Flight. We are a strong, confident, and positive group of leaders who desire to win, strive for excellence and greater discipline. As part of this awesome team I must remember that I need to personally do my part of living out Integrity First.

This core value is not something that should be left to Airmen or even other military members—it should be embraced by all of us. Imagine what your family, community, church family, or team at work would be like if we all began to embrace Integrity First. Imagine if there were more Rosa Parks in the world. I have the pleasure of serving alongside some incredible men and women who just may very well become the next Rosa Parks. Some are commissioned to be Doctors, Nurses, PA’s, JAG and chaplains. I can’t wait to see where this journey will take each of them and what kind of impact they will have on our incredible country.

The question now is—how about you? Are you prepared for a changing of the guard? Are you willing to take responsibility and live a life that puts integrity first? Are you another Rosa Parks?

CS 08.2 - Assault Course

One week down and things are still moving along. It’s so hard to keep up with all the events of the past week. Essentially we wake up at about 0400 to prepare to head out for PT (Physical Training) at the PT Pad. We have to line up in formation and size up before marching over to workout. Monday morning we had to take the PFB (Physical Fitness Baseline) at 0500. This consisted of one minute of pushups, one minute of crunches and a mile and a half run. These three things combined with the wait measurement provide a baseline score for the Assessment later in the month as well as assess whether or not you could participate in the Assault Course.

Having passed the PFB, I was able to go through the Assault Course. This course was made up of various obstacles that needed to be traversed. From the parallel bars seen here (if my picture loaded remotely), and performing a low crawl in the sand like you see in the movies to monkey bars over water. In this picture you see me in the background and Lt. Mullins, my temporary wingman, in the foreground. We ran the course together encouraging each other and our flight to raise the bar and make it through the course without giving up.

Though this was a physical event we spend most of our day in the flight room learning about USAF leadership principles. On Saturday morning we had our first exam which I passed as well. The next exam is going to be on Monday, 09 Jun. I believe this is going to be a tough one. I’m going to have to spend most of my weekend studying and preparing for the exam.

I hope to share more later. I am learning a lot not only about leadership but also about myself. If this post is successful I plan to post a bit more often and post much shorter snippets perhaps some day shots here and there.

Please continue to pray for me and my family.

CS 08.1

Here I sit in Atlanta, teetering on the edge of the unknown. In just about an hour or so I will be making the final leg of my trip to begin Commissioned Officer Training which will be followed by the Chaplain Candidate Course and then a four week Chaplain Candidate Intensive Internship Program. Though I'm sure that at some point this summer I'm going to have a sense that time has flown by, at the moment I see that there is a long haul in front of me.

While I have an idea of the big picture, it's the details that have me a bit on edge. However, I know that I have a BIG God who is able to sustain me. I have been thinking about Paul's words to the Corinthians in chapter 9 of I Corinthians. He said, "I beat my body and make it a slave..."(27). My goal is to be among the best in my class while honoring God in the process. In order to accomplish that goal I know that I will need to continually be challenged physically while keeping myself prepared mentally and spiritually for the journey ahead.

So, what's with the title for this post? I'm planning to keep up on my journey and thought the easiest way was to keep the title simple. CS 08.01 is simply an abbreviation for Chaplain Series 2008 First Post. Again, the plan is to be able to follow up giving a glimpse into life as a Chaplain Candidate but, we'll see how the summer rolls.

CCIIP - Chaplain Candidate Intensive Internship Program

The latest and greatest from the USAFR Chaplain Candidacy Program is CCIIP. I recently learned that I am going to be part of this new and exciting program summer 2008. Essentially, this is an intensive internship tour which "will involve visits to five different bases (Robins, Patrick, Homestead, Eglin, Charleston), several different MAJCOMS, and one Combatant Command. [I will have the opportunity to] see and experience many different missions of all three components of the Air Force (Active Duty, Reserve, and Air National Guard), and [I] will experience the ministries of several different Chapel staffs. One of the exciting aspects of the tour is that we are planning to fly on AF Reserve aircraft—most likely C-17s and C-130s--from base to base."

I'm extremely excited about this portion of my training. As you may know, there is not a very high demand for active duty Protestant chaplains. However, I'm simply trusting God to continue to lead through this experience and direct my family to the place He has chosen for us.