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Six Generations: 3

[…]enemy positions, thus allowing his men to move to cover.” His words to “Doc” Jackson seem clearly intended to keep “Doc” and the other platoon members focused on Joe Roberts for the few moments that he engaged the enemy. Jon, thinking only about his men and acting on their behalf, perished when the enemy returned his fire. When word of the fight reached back to Cu Chi base camp, an incredible thing happened. The battalion scout platoon was just back from an operation for rest and recuperation. Their leader was a close friend of Jon and a West Point classmate […]

Six Generations: 2

[…]a situation that was easily tolerated by the members of Company G-1, though it could have been viewed by some as fraternization. There was never any pressure to participate and Jon’s leading of these Bible study groups was personable yet scholarly and professional…and after duty hours. It would have been hard for anyone to find anything worth criticizing in the arrangement. The group usually met once during the week, in the evening, down in the basement of the cadet barracks where the quiet atmosphere supported a discrete study of the Bible. Participants, including members of the company other than Plebes, […]

Six Generations: 1

[…]others…and if called to do so, dying for others. While on earth, believers want to seek first His Kingdom, to be a disciple and to help others become disciples. When those are our priorities, all other necessary and needful things in life are generously provided (see John 16:33). But when other things push God and His priorities aside, then one’s perspective becomes temporal and shallow–well-meaning as it may be. When compared to an eternal perspective on life, all other perspectives simply pale and fade into insignificance. Jon Shine’s perspective on life was eternal. He surely thought and felt earthly, temporal, […]

Time, Talent, Treasure: Academies

[…]and retreats, mission trips and mission trips. Abundant portions of fellowship, food and fun freely flow through the ministry settings of USNA’s Maranatha Mansion and USMA’s Fellowship House. Tom Austin, Bryan Burt, and their USAFA and USCGA counterparts’ collective ministry efforts rely heavily on their faithful teams of volunteers to make ministry happens. Such “force multipliers,” as Tom calls them, are also long serving, such as Dr. R. David and Mary Ann Hampton, whose fifteen years of service includes the USMA OCF tenures of Mike Tesdahl and Barry Willey, as well as Tom. These dedicated team members of active duty […]

Soldiers of Faith: Washington

[…]concluded that the realm of the talents of the commander included virtue of the army and national feeling, he missed the chance to capture by historical example a general that embodied such moral force in action. George Washington was a great commander because he acted upon his personal moral convictions, which resulted in his entire Army being victorious against an opposing force that, by all accounts, should have beaten them. Much has been written about Washington the hero, Washington the commander, and Washington the President. Unfortunately, historians have often missed the mark on why Washington possessed such strong qualities of […]

Man of the In-Between

[…]I write these words, I glance up at the wall above my computer–and smile. There are no sheepskins there. But there is a faded Ranger school diploma and an old set of Vietnamese jump wings. And pictures of young men. Hal Moore said it best, “We were soldiers once–and young.” We were soldiers for a lot of reasons. One of them was the “bully syndrome.” Many years ago, as a young boy in a cozy little neighborhood in central Washington state, I learned a valuable lesson. Our neighborhood bully, Jimmy C., would never stop throwing dirt clods and using strong-arm […]

OCF in Space

[…]a seven-month period in 2009-10, four — count ’em — four OCF members were in space, three of whom piloted consecutive Space Shuttle missions! In November 2009, CAPT Barry Wilmore, USN, flew Atlantis in an eleven-day mission where he and fellow crew members delivered critical spare parts to the International Space Station. And the ISS’s Expedition 22 Commander? OCF member COL Jeff Williams, USA, who was in space 167 days from September 2009 until the foillowing April. Endeavour‘s February 2010 mission, taking parts for an observation deck and a new room for the ISS, was piloted by Col Terry Virts […]

Making the ‘no greater love’ sacrifice

[…]life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Four WWII chaplains, who had studied and served together, put into practice one February morning in 1943 what they preached. They gave their lives so others might live. The USAT Dorchester was a converted troop ship taking 902 souls from New York to war in Europe via Greenland. Anyone who’s ever been aboard a troop ship as a passenger, with troops huddled in every nook and cranny of the ship, knows it’s not a Princess Cruises excursion! The sights and smells of huddled humanity aren’t soon forgotten. One day out of Greenland, a torpedo […]

Operation Iraqi Freedom

[…]tough not to just say, “God.” I think I have a different perspective on Operation Iraqi Freedom than most people: slightly higher from an F16 cockpit at 28,000 and slightly lower from on my knees in prayer. I’m still praising God for the opportunity to spend five months in the Middle East, both for the most publicized conflict of our day, and to witness the wonders He was working at Prince Sultan Air Base, where I was living. Shortly after we arrived, someone questioned why this part of the world never seemed to calm down from all these wars and […]

Members: Cast your vote now for OCF Council

[…]Eligible OCF members are encouraged to vote in the election. Members qualified to vote will need their voting ID (your OCF membership number, found on the address label of your September COMMAND magazine) and voting password (your ZIP code). Vote for as many as five candidates. Members who cannot/prefer not to vote online can contact Susan Wallis at the OCF home office for a hard copy ballot: (800) 424-1984 or [email protected]. Read more about each candidate below (listed in alphabetical order), or click here if you are ready to vote.   LtCol Hezekiah Barge, USMC  Education: Florida A&M, 1991, BS […]

Service Separations

[…]you simply go through, or something you grow through. The choice is yours. I’d like you to meet a couple of people. The first is Wendy Woeful. Wendy’s husband has just left for a six month cruise, and nothing is going right for Wendy. The kids have turned into monsters; the household appliances have mutinied — breaking down left and right; the neighbors have all turned sour, and even the dog has left home! Weeping Wendy can’t understand it. Why isn’t her husband at her side where he belongs! Then all her troubles would be over! The other person I’d […]

Share this spiritual gift with your teen

[…]“stuff” filled our moments, leaving less and less time to talk, to laugh, to just be together. Our family first heard about Father-Teen Adventure (FTA) during Leavenworth Week at Spring Canyon (SC) in 2001. A few years later I was looking for an opportunity to grow closer to the Lord, closer to my son, and to offer to Brian a special time for us to share. We reserved two spots for the second summer session and coordinated ground transportation to SC through the OCF web site. (The packing list was very helpful, too!) Father-Teen Adventure is not just for fathers and […]

Professional Perspectives for Senior Officers

[…]family, responsibilities that will increase with continuing promotions. “Senior Officer” may seem an ambiguous term. We have chosen to define it starting at the rank of lieutenant colonel or commander because of the command opportunities and decision-making positions available to officers of such rank. We expect your new experiences will be similar to all those who have gone before you. The increased expectations placed upon you will be manifested in more independent decision making and in broader and deeper organizational or command responsibilities. The issues you will identify and address will be increasingly complex and difficult. The environment in which […]
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A day in the life of OCF

[…]Holy Spirit working through hard-working men and women, those OCF members who are the hands and feet of Christ, reaching out in His love no matter where they are.    0500 As another workday commences, the sweet-smelling incense of fervent prayer is offered up to the Lord from coast to coast. USCGA cadets are praying in Chase Hall chapel. In Kentucky and Washington state, and countless locales in between, alarms go off and knees hit the floor: “You alone are the giver of life. Fill and empower us…” Tom and Jean Schmidt, Fort Leavenworth. On this crisp Kansas morning, with […]

How Should a Christian Live?

by COL Mike Tesdahl, USA (Ret.) This recent discussion, which took place online between a West Point Cadet and COL Mike Tesdahl, provides food for thought for young Christians as well as for those who are trying to be a resource. Letter From a Cadet (via email) To whom this may concern (I think it may be someone called Papa T?): I’m not really sure why I am writing this. Actually, as I write I am scratching my head wondering what I am doing, but I feel strangely led to do it, so here I am. I grew up in […]

What Works for New Officers?

by LTC J. Randy Carey, USA (Ret.) > PDF format 1. Seek FELLOWSHIP with other Christians. Without fellowship you become a lone ranger and are in danger of becoming extinct. Your light will go out. Seek a local OCF representative. (See your chaplain’s bulletin board.) TIP: Before you head to your first assignment, call OCF at 1-800-424-1984 so you can contact an officer who is an OCF member where you are going. 2. Do not forsake ACCOUNTABILITY. You are known by the company you keep. Find a brother or sister in Christ and keep each other walking the talk. Go […]

Therefore We Will Not Fear

[…]antiaircraft fire was heard. We became alert and listened. The new men looked at me; they had not been in an air attack yet. I answered their questioning looks by saying, “We had better get downstairs.” Quickly I blew out the candle, tucked it inside my shirt, and hurried for shelter. We crouched in a little clothes locker directly under the stairs, considering that to be the safest place that could be found in the building. No sooner had we crowded into the locker than, “Boom!” a five hundred pound bomb hit the house on the right. “Boom!”a bomb that […]

Heroes

[…]soldiers and they will take care of you. Talk to them. Show interest in them. Take notes if you need to, but get to know your people personally. Soldiers don’t want you as a friend; they want you to be their leader. Train hard. Lives may depend on how hard you train your soldiers. Do a drill one extra time rather than one less time. Get to know your senior NCOs. These guys have seen and done it all–twice. Expect the best from them. Learn to work closely with them. Show yours soldiers you will do everything you ask them […]

Two Greedy Institutions

[…]COL Al Shine, USA, Ret & COL Don Snider, USA, Ret. It was Thursday of a very intense and exciting week at White Sulphur Springs where we had been focusing on the role of the Christian officer (or officer-Christian) in his or her profession. Through Paul’s letter to the believers at Colossae, God challenges us that “just as we received Christ Jesus as Lord,” we are called to “continue to live in him.” This means that if we are military officers, we are to continue to live in Christ in the role of military officer. But we also have other […]
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