Posted in Military Family, Military Marriages, tagged air force, air force wife, armed forces, army, army chaplain, army wife, Bible, chaplain, christian, deployment, Elisabeth K. Corcoran, god squad, how to save a marriage, Jesus, marine, marine corps, marine wife, military deployment, military families, military family, military homecoming, military marriage, military reunion, national guard, navy, navy wife, religion, religious, saving a marriage, soldier, spiritual, troubled marriage, veteran, veterans, warriors on July 19, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Found a great article on the struggles of marriage that will speak to every military couple. She does a great job of sharing practical tips and reinforces the fact that being a Christian does not exempt you from marital problems.
Hats off to Elisabeth K. Corcoran for the excellent advice. Enjoy the article.
Posted in Military Marriages, Suicide Prevention, Veteran Resources, tagged ACE, air force, annual training, armed forces, army, army suicide levels, army suicide rates, army suicide training, Ask Care Escort, chaplain, christian, current events, Department of Defense, deployment, DOD, faith, families, family, friends, god squad, health, home, hotline, marine, marine corps, medicine, mental health counselor, mental-health, military, military families, military family, military life, military marriage, military one source, military suicide rates, national guard, national suicide prevention lifeline, navy, news, peer counseling, pentagon issues, post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, reintegration, reunion, soldier, suicide, suicide hotline, suicide prevention hotline, veteran, veteran suicide rates, veterans, warriors on July 12, 2012| 4 Comments »
Chaplains are pretty busy during Annual Training season in the National Guard. Tuesday I gave another suicide prevention class. It’s a requirement that Soldiers get the presentation at least once a year. The training focuses on the magnitude of the problem, how common issues can drive anyone to the point of despair, and that everyone can watch out for your battle buddy.
While many try to pin the Army suicide issue on multiple deployments, the majority of issues that drive people to suicide are common issues: failed relationships, financial difficulty, and legal woes. These are typical factors that we see in the civilian population, at schools, in factories, and even in the church. PTSD is a factor in military suicide, but it is not the top issue that Time magazine or other media outlets want you to believe.
The fundamental issue to remember is that everyone can save a life. You probably survived a breakup, be it in high school, college, or at work. You probably understand what it is like to bounce a check or have a tough time making your paycheck last the entire month. We are all in the same boat. We all have the life experience necessary to help people at risk of suicide.
Remember and apply ACE: Ask, Care, Escort.
If you believe that someone is at risk of suicide, ask him/her about the problem. Find out what is going on in the person’s life. Directly ask if he/she is thinking about suicide. Care by listening to the issue. Find out what is causing the pain and suffering. Why is the Soldier upset? Finally, escort the Soldier to a resource. That can be a chaplain, a medic, a counselor, an NCO, a friend, or a family member.
Don’t leave the person alone. Make sure that he or she gets help. It is okay to call a suicide hotline or wake up a supervisor, just don’t ignore the warning signs.
You don’t have to be a mental health counselor to apply ACE. You don’t have to be an expert. But you can practice these basic steps in suicide first aid. Do your part to reduce suicide and help your friends.
If you need immediate assistance these suicide hot lines are always available:
Military One Source – 1.877.995.5247 or National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1.800.273.TALK (8255).
Posted in Devotions, Military Family, tagged 2 timothy 1, air force, air force mom, apostle paul, armed forces, army, army mom, Bible, Bible lesson, Book of Acts, chaplain, Christ, christian, Christianity, deployment, deployments, devotional, devotions, Eunice, faith, families, family, friends, front, god, home, Jesus, Jesus Christ, love, marine mom, military, military families, military family, military mom, missionary journey, mom's day, mother day, mother's day, mother's day devotion, mother's day devotional, national guard, navy, navy mom, New Testament, Paul, religion, religious, reserve, single parent, soldier, spiritual, spirituality, squad, theology, Timothy, Timothy's mom, veteran, veterans, warriors, woman of faith, women of faith on May 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Moms play a critical role in every family. They raise us, nurture us, love us, demonstrate the right way to live, and make gigantic sacrifices for us. We owe them an incredible debt. Now consider the additional responsibilities of being a military mom.
Military moms act as a single parent during deployments. Their work load doubles when duty calls a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine overseas. They endure hardship, long hours, little rest, and loneliness. They sacrifice time and comforts to make life better at home. A military mom keeps the family together while times are tough and a loved one is deployed.
The Bible shows us a great example of motherly love and action in Acts 16:1-2. “Paul came to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethern at Lystra and Iconium.”
Timothy was a remarkable and talented young man. He was highly recommended by the local church leaders. His mom, Eunice, had done such a good job raising and teaching her son that Paul wanted to take him on his missionary journey. Think about this accomplishment. Her work at home made this young man ready to enter the ministry of the early church and reach the world for Jesus Christ.
She was a strong woman of faith as was her mother (2 Timothy 1:5). But Eunice was unique in that she was able to pass this faith along to her son. This was no small feat since Timothy’s father was not a believer. It also required extra work since it was usually the father’s job to teach the sons and the mother’s job to teach the daughters. Perhaps there were times when she felt too exhausted from all the work of the day to spend time with her son. But she would not give up in her responsibilities. She was faithful and willing to do the extra work. Praise God that Eunice made time to teach her son Timothy!
Be mindful of Eunice and her tremendous example from scripture. Think about her loving sacrifice of time and how it changed her family and ultimately the world. Consider how moms have made time for us and how we should respond with our own families. May God give you the faith, the vision, and the strength of Eunice as we celebrate mothers across America.
Posted in Military Family, Veteran Resources, tagged active duty, air force, armed forces, armed forces day, army, current events, deployment, god, god squad, marine, marine corps, memorial day, military, military appreciation, military appreciation month, military families, military family, military personnel, military spouse, military spouse appreciation, military spouse appreciation day, military wife, military wives, national guard, national military appreciation month, navy, politics, reserve, reserves, soldier, squad, ve day, veteran, veteran organization, veterans, warriors on April 30, 2012| Leave a Comment »
May is National Military Appreciation Month. This important month honors, remembers, and recognizes all military personnel and their families. The month includes VE Day (8th), Military Spouse Appreciation Day (11th), Armed Forces Day (19th), and Memorial Day (30th).
This month we all have an opportunity to stop and reflect on those who have served throughout our history, those who currently serve, and their families. There are several ways to help celebrate the month. Take time to thank a veteran for his or her service. Send a care package to someone who is currently deployed. Donate money or time to a veteran organization. Pray for a military family.
During the course of our nation’s history, over 90 million Americans have answered the call to serve in the armed forces. Let us celebrate their devotion and the many sacrifices that they have made on our behalf.
God Squad 
Sailor and Airman killed in ‘Batman’ shooting
Posted in Military Family, News & Commentary, tagged air force, aurora shooting, batman shooting, century 16 theater, chaplain, current events, military families, military family, navy on July 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »
A sailor and an airman were among those killed in a theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., early Friday, family members and military officials confirmed Saturday.
The parents of Cryptologic Technician 3rd Class John Larimer, 27, released a statement that Navy officials notified them about midnight that their son was one of those killed. Navy officials also confirmed his death on Saturday. The family said Larimer’s brother Noel is working with the Navy to bring his body home to Crystal Lake, Ill.
Larimer joined the Navy in June 2011 and had been stationed in Aurora since October 2011, the Navy said.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Jesse Childress, 29, a reservist and cyber systems operator, also died in the attack, DoD officials said. Childress, who was single and had no children, joined the service in January 2002, DoD said.
Both were assigned to units based at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo.
In addition, an airmen and a sailor were among the 59 injured in the shooting at the Century 16 theater complex, about five miles from Buckley, shortly after midnight Friday. The injured sailor was treated at the scene and released; the nature of the sailor’s injuries is unknown. Three other sailors escaped unharmed.
All five sailors were attached to Navy Information Operations Command, Colorado. That command falls under the Navy’s cyber command and the U.S. 10th Fleet.
“The Navy and the Air Force are working with the families of these service members to ensure they have the care and attention they need,” read the statement, released Friday.
“This tragic event has affected everybody here at Buckley Air Force Base and our local community friends and neighbors,” base commander Col. Daniel Dant said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of each and every loved one. All military or their families affected can receive assistance through our base services. Please contact the base chapel 720-847-4631 if you or a loved one need assistance due to this event.”
James Holmes, 24, has been named in media reports as the man in custody in connection with the mass shooting, which occurred at a premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora.
The Pentagon’s statement said Holmes never served in any branch of the military.
In addition to those killed, 59 people were wounded after the gunman set off a gas canister and started shooting about 30 minutes into the film.
By Jeff Schogol and Mark D. Faram – Staff writers
Posted : Saturday Jul 21, 2012 12:00:50 EDT
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Please pray for the military and civilian families who lost loved ones during this tragic event.
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