The Voice for Chaplaincy - Chartered by Congress - Serving Since 1925
Weekly Newsgram - June 28th , 2017
photo by Robin Trimarchi

Army Chaplain Inducted Into Ranger Hall of Fame
   Chaplain Jeff Struecker will be in the 2017 class inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort Benning, Georgia. Chaplain Struecker is currently serving as the lead pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Columbus, Ga, having retired from active service in 2011.
  
  Chaplain Struecker's career was unique for chaplains. He originally enlisted in the Army at the age of 18 in 1987. He served for ten years as a Ranger and was present at the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. In that significant conflict, he led the 3-vehicle convoy that returned to the base. His role was emphasized in the film, Black Hawk Down, as he was portrayed by Brian Van Holt.
 
   Completing his enlistment after obtaining a Bachelor's degree in 2000, Chaplain Struecker returned to the force after graduation from seminary and served with Ranger units as their chaplain until retirement. In addition to Mogadishu, he served in Operations Just Cause, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom.
 
   Struecker was nominated for the Hall of Fame by Chaplain Mark Winton, the chaplain for the Airborne Ranger Training Brigade. The Hall of Fame was formed to honor and preserve the spirit and contributions of America's most extraordinary Rangers. The members of the Ranger Hall of Fame Selection Board take particular care to ensure that only the most extraordinary Rangers are inducted, a difficult mission given the high caliber of all nominees. Their precepts are impartiality, fairness, and scrutiny (from marines.togetherweserved.com).
 
  In an interview with the Columbus Ledger-Examiner, Struecker was asked about the impact of the Battle of Mogadishu on his decision to become a chaplain. He indicated that he had been a strong Christian from before his entry into service and that, "My faith gave me this sense of peace. For most of those 18 hours, I was fairly certain that I was gonna die and everyone around me was gonna die. I watched some guys who were really struggling with the idea of eternity. They were ready to fight. They, I think, were probably prepared to pay the cost with their life. But they weren't ready for 'what happens after I die?' and literally didn't know the answers to those questions."
   Congratulations Chaplain Struecker for this honor bestowed on you and for serving faithfully as a chaplain for life.

Lyman Smith
Executive Director



DVA
VA Mental Health Care to Former Members with Other Than Honorable Discharges

The Department of Veterans Affairs has released formal plans to provide emergency mental health care to former service members with OTH discharges. Secretary Shulkin stresses his top clinical priority is "suicide prevention". To this end the new plans permit former service members to seek urgent care in a VA emergency department, a Vet Center, or through the Veterans Crisis Line. Effective July 5th, all VHS medical centers will be prepared to offer emergency stabilization services and if the condition is determined to be related to uniformed service, make the former member eligible for ongoing coverage. 

Veterans in crisis should call the Veterans Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 and press 1 or test 838255. 

Press Release
Chaplains Jan McCormack and Lyman Smith with MCA Poster at APC Meeting
Military Chaplains Association presents at Association of Professional Chaplains Annual Conference

The MCA Director of Research, Chaplain Jan McCormack, hosted a seminar for military and Veterans Affairs chaplains and friends attending the APC Annual Conference in Houston this past week. The event provided opportunity to discuss Professional Military Chaplaincy and interact with other organizations, chaplains, Endorsers, and friends supportive of chaplaincy to military members, both currently serving and those who have completed their service. The MCA was also included in the poster presentations to further advance the role of chaplaincy in our nation's uniformed services.  

Annual MCA Awards and 
National Executive Committee Members

Please make your nominations now for our Annual Awards and NEC. 

Each year we present three awards to deserving individuals who represent the values and principles we embrace and advance as an organization. The three are:

The National Citizenship Award - presented to an individual or individuals  who make a significant contribution in public service and who support the values and needs of our nation's military members and their families.

The G, William Dando Volunteer Service Award  - Our award for volunteer service is named for Chaplain Dando and honors one of our members who exemplifies a life long commitment to sacrificial service.

The David E. White Leadership Award - Presented by the Military Officers Association of America to a chaplain wit a  lifetime commitment and  vision for Joint service, inter-agency collaboration, and overall ministry professionalism.

We also elect four new members to our NEC each year seeking to have all segments of our membership represented on our governing board. 

Please send your nominations and supporting reasons to [email protected]. Nominations will be received through June 30. Thank you. 


Religion and Spirituality:
The Impact on Chaplains

MCA National Institute 2017
October 23 - 26, 2017
Newport News, Virginia


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If you missed the June 21st  edition of the Newsgram    click here
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