Chaplain School (Part 2)

It has been a while since last posting and that is more due to my laziness and wanting to have a bit of a social life. As someone with a significant amount of Navy experience, I am still finding the entire course frustrating but there have been some rays of hope over the last few weeks. First of all was the ethics mini-course we received. A Professor of Military Ethics from the Naval Academy came up and essentially gave us his semester class in three days. A bit fast, but extremely helpful, informative and interesting. We finish up the basic course on Friday and then move into the advanced stuff. Hopefully that will shed more light on military ministry than we have been getting. Most of our course work covers basic Navy knowledge and is frustrating to sit through after living the life for 11 years.

Next week we get to participate in Amphibious training which is a fancy way of saying we will be learning how to serve in a Marine Battalion. That has the promise of being a fun and interesting week. We first wear the combat utility uniforms on Friday to make sure are not completely hosed up wearing the uniform. We get to do obstacle courses and such and leave Newport for the field for the week living in tents and such. That in itself may be quite interesting as I am pretty sure there are a number of the class that have never camped out or done orienteering.

Following the week in the field, we get all the training that earns us certifications in pre-marital counseling and suicide assistance, etc. Those are the useful tools I have been longing for. First I just have to survive the basic Navy courses for a few more days. I also get to tour a sub on Thursday. That will be interesting for a number of reasons especially as I am an Ensign with Gold Dolphins. I am sure there will be some puzzled looks from the crew of the lucky submarine we get to tour.

Newport continues to be a great place to come for the summer. I have been able to get out a few times despite the 12 hour days of power point classes (there has to be a better and more humane way to teach us). Got to go along cliff walk and see the mansions that this area is famous for. The amount of money that has been poured into this area is staggering when you see the homes on the cliffs of Newport. This is my third time doing the walk and the first time I actually got some photos. Now I have proof I was up here in the summer. I am going to a polo match on Saturday. Haven't ever done that and I am looking forward to the experience.

I guess I should actually look over the stuff for tomorrow's test and quit procrastinating.

Chaplain School (Part 1)

Now that the first week is almost complete, I can sit down a reflect a bit on what the school is like. It has a great deal of redundant information this week as the instructors and curriculum attempt to ease the new military members into a fleet command. There are still some very annoying remnants of Officer Development School such as standing behind our chairs after every single break awaiting permission to sit back down. This one has been quite irritating, but I am just playing along with the game trusting that there is a purpose I may never quite understand behind the requirement. The Gunnery Sergeant is one of the funniest men I have ever met yet still locked on and as hard as anyone could imagine for a Gunnery Sergeant.

I will say that my classmates are a great group of individuals that should all succeed as Navy Chaplains. The class has a good mix of those going on Active Duty, Reserve Duty and Chaplain Candidates like myself. There are also about a quarter of us with prior service of some form. This mix of experience along with the breadth of faith groups represented make for enriching conversations and debates. I had the privilege of accompanying a Rabbi on his grocery shopping tonight ahead of Sabbath tomorrow. It was a valuable learning experience that doesn't drop into the lap of everyday Christians. We both discussed our faith openly and honestly attempting to learn from each other. I am convinced that after hour experiences such as that are far more valuable than following the curriculum in the school house. The instructors are also very open and agreeable to allowing the free discussion in the classroom to guide the course as that also enhances our learning to be Navy Chaplains.

Next week looks to be a way to dig deeper into the Chaplain way of doing things and also into the military aspect of the job as it stands in relation to religions of peace. We also get to begin our stream of overnight and day long field trips. We will eventually get a chance to tour a submarine. That should be quite a trip as I haven't been an Ensign on a submarine in a long time and I am actually looking forward to the odd stares I will get from the crew seeing a submarine qualified Ensign with a cross on his left collar. I may actually spend more time explaining that to the tour guide than getting an actual tour. It will be especially interesting if we tour a LA class boat, but we will see when that comes around.

New Beginnings

The whole becoming a Chaplain idea didn't really take hold until this week as I actually put on my uniform with the Ensign bars. This was a shock after seeing myself in photos as a Lieutenant Commander just slightly more than a year ago. Now I am starting it all over again at the bottom and learning a new specialty in the Navy. I know the submarine training will serve me well, but that warfare training will bring some frustration as well. I expect the Navy to operate in a certain way, the way I was trained, and it seems to not be that way in the Chaplain corps. The most frustrating aspect is the lack of any urgency in getting things accomplished, especially crucial paperwork for getting me ready for school. I got a call the day I left to come up here requesting certain things they discovered I needed to submit (again I might add) that day. Hard to do when you are on the road and frustrating knowing they have had a year to get the information. The second frustration comes from something I did once as a leader in the Navy, add time buffers to requirements. We have to report at 0715 tomorrow and the school is essentially across the street from where we are all staying. Simple enough, leave right at 0700 to get there on early and turn in the mound of paperwork they need before 0715. Well, I get a phone message today that we have to meet at 0630 to make the 2 minute walk together and make sure no one is late. Treat people with a lack of trust and that is what you tend to get, hence why I attempted time buffers only once in my career. Others tend to do that and there is never any need to take away personal responsibility from people. Enough of that rant. Regardless, I am excited about the next 7 weeks.

Dejavu

Last night as I iron uniforms for the first time in 18 months I had a strong sense of dejavu. The last time I got so many uniforms ready at the same time was almost 16 years ago when I was under severe time constraints to have uniforms inspection ready for a gunnery sergeant in NROTC. I chuckled frequently as I thought back to those days while ironing my uniforms. Secondly, the last time I put on a uniform for active duty I was a LCDR in the submarine force. Now, I am an ENS again back in the initial training phase for a Navy career. I am almost certain this set of schools will be less mentally challenging than the whole nuclear pipeline, but it will still be rewarding. I sat amazed at the whole loss of rank thing last night. All this just to follow God. I am not the only one to do this, I remind myself, and I know the end result is what is important.

On another note, a good friend that is out of the Navy but in the reserves was just recalled involuntarily for duty in Iraq. He is excited about the challenge of working plans at Camp Victory, but I still wish him success and safe travels over the next 400+ days. As more and more people I know are sent over there, the warrior mentality kicks in for me and I feel slighted that I am not over there using my skills. It is hard to see your brothers in arms go into harms way while you are stuck stateside. We always wanted to be on deployment and the pointy end of the spear while on the boat, and this is no different. Military personnel want to be with their brethren when they are in danger as we so often relied on each other.

Montreat Rocks

I finished two weeks of ministry during the first two weeks of the Montreat Youth Conferences in Montreat, NC. This is an amazing time during which hundreds of Presbyterian high school youth from around the country descend on the sleepy town. The conferences have a fairly set schedule with energizers, music and a keynote speech each morning followed by two small group sessions, I was there to lead one of those, worship every evening and then discussions with their home churches to close out the day. The youth are focused around a biblical theme that attempts to challenge them to live out their faith in the world. I have attended in many capacities over the years and am really grateful for the opportunity to continue my participation every year. It is a tiring and rewarding experience. They youth are phenomenal and are allowed to just be who they are and the staff are an amazing group of people as well. I am amazed at the number of close friendships forged every year in such a short time.

This year was especially interesting as I actually performed on stage for a portion of keynote both Tuesdays. I have not been on stage to act in almost 20 years, so it was quite a thrill to participate in that way this year. The experience has me wanting to come back sometime as a keynoter or even the preacher once I am out of seminary. I think it would be a powerful experience to deliver a message to a group of youth eager to make their mark on the world. The amazing thing about the audience is that by the end of the week, most of the youth have dropped all their walls and are ready and willing to listen to what people have to say. They see a glimpse of what the body of Christ means and maybe some of them go out and try to live that life outside the gates of Montreat.

Now that I am back from that mountain paradise, I have to deal with packing for my Chaplain training that I depart for on Thursday, get an AC unit fixed, get the car in the shop, complete some scholarship applications and try to get some sleep and relaxation before school starts. I plan to make entries every week from Newport, Rhode Island but we will see how that goes.

An Adventure Filled Year or so

It is really interesting and quite amazing for me to sit back and look at what all has happened over the last 15 months in my life. I started off 2007 as a department head on a submarine in Pearl Harbor and today I sit as a Navy Chaplain Candidate who just completed his first year of seminary. So a quick tour of this period:
Terminal Leave and a trip to Kauai (First time after over 6 years in Hawaii)
Learned to surf (The day before I left the island for good)
Traveled across country
Found out I got into Duke (I left Hawaii no knowing where I would eventually live)
Lived with the parents for a summer
Sold two houses and bought one
Spent two weeks at Montreat Youth conferences
Participated in the Duke Youth Academy for Christian Formation
Began Seminary
A year of Volunteering at the UNC Children's Hospital
Two trips to LA for ordination requirements
Re-commissioned as an ENS in the Chaplain Candidate Program (From an O-4 in the Sub force)
Ran a Marathon (My 5th)
Preached my first sermon ever
Taught a confirmation course for my internship
Participated as a Chaplain candidate in a commissioning ceremony
Visited my home church in Hawaii for ordination requirements

Now I know many people have much more happening in their lives, but for someone who had the Navy routine governing my life and really limiting everything to what happens on the ship that we can't discuss, this is a huge change in life. I am back off to Montreat again tomorrow to work with those amazing High School kids for two weeks starting the cycle again. I am amazed at what has happened in my life over the last year or so and can't wait to see what happens in year two of this journey of mine. I knew it would be something special and amazing to pull me away from the submarine force and it has not disappointed.

Travelling Adventures

What a long day. You know it is not going to be good when you arrive at the airport and your flight status shows a delay of 2 hours and that is only tentative. Apparently there was some problem with the plane while still on the mainland and the plane hadn't left two hours before my scheduled flight. When I got to the kiosk it said see the agent. I see her then get really worried. She complains about no available flights and disappears for at least 10 minutes. She comes back and says my two options are: 1) Fly out at 9:30 to Salt Lake City and then on to Cincinatti and then to Raleigh arriving 8 hours later than scheduled, or 2) Leave Honolulu at 3:42 the next morning arriving in Raleigh 10 hours later than scheduled. I chose option one as I had already checked out of my hotel and had turned in the car. Delta also waived the fee for the extra bag and gave me some money for dinner. Needless to say, it was a long day.

It was a great week seeing and talking to many old friends. It was odd going back to Hawaii as a visitor. I haven't done that since 1995 and my Midshipman cruises. I did get to play golf and acquire the obligatory sunburn due to my own stupidity as I am losing my hair and need a hat now. I got all the necessary things done while out there and now am one step closer to the goal of ordination in two years. Time to get some sleep.