Photo By Terrance Bell | Chaplain (Col.) Terry W. Austin, guest speaker, discusses service to others during the...... read more read more
FORT LEE, Va. (Feb. 28, 2018) -- Serving others is a powerful weapon for promoting change in today’s society, said the guest speaker during the annual National Prayer Breakfast at the Lee Club Friday.
Chaplain (Col.) Terry W. Austin, command chaplain, Military District of Washington, encouraged a packed house of attendees to embrace “paying it forward” as a means to enrich the lives of others.
“We are in the serving business,” he said, drawing a connection between his profession and military service in general. “Because of our military affiliation, we all serve the Constitution of the United States … . You and I have committed ourselves to defending our great country. We don’t ‘work’ so much, but we serve a lot.”
Austin’s message was heard by roughly 300 people including Brig. Gen. Rodney Fogg, Quartermaster General, and other members of the CASCOM and installation leadership team. The U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Lee’s Religious Support Office hosted the event.
Austin, who at one time served with Chaplain (Col.) Terry E. Romine, the installation chaplain, spoke for roughly 30 minutes, delivering a speech full of anecdotes and scripture accompanied by a folksy wit. On the principal subject, he said the advice of a senior officer upon taking a new position earlier in his career with a special operations unit provided a stark clarification.
“He took his finger and poked my chest about four or five times and said words to me that I shall never forget,” Austin recalled. “He cleared things up for me quickly. He said, ‘You just remember, there’s nothing special about you. It’s about the unit you’re about to serve.’”
Austin conceded he was not unique “because any other chaplain available could take my place. I was just the one blessed to serve that special unit and the great men and women that make it up.”
To further make his point, Austin recounted the actions of four chaplains of different faiths who were among those aboard the Army Transport Dorchester while the ship headed toward Greenland in 1943. The vessel came under German attack and quickly began sinking.
Subsequently, pandemonium set in, but “those chaplains were hope in despair and light in darkness,” said Austin, stating they offered prayers, calm reassurance and even their life jackets to the men aboard amid the chaos.
“They simply tried to ease the suffering because they knew they were blessed,” he said of the chaplains’ sacrifices.
The four were among the 674 men who lost their lives during the tragic event. They were posthumously awarded a special medal for heroism. Austin said the noncombatants’ exploits were the highest orders of selfless service – “It’s not about us,” he said. “It’s about being blessed to serve others.”
The four chaplains’ story is one of valor and an illustration of one’s obligation to pass on his or her good fortune, Austin noted.
“One of the lessons I get out of this story is when you have been blessed, be sure to be a blessing to others … You just might lose your blessing if you’re not going to share it.”
Austin went on to relate other stories of achievement and heroism – all based around the framework those serving are doing so because they offer unique skills and attributes – a blessing in its own right – that puts them in position to “pay it forward.”
Additionally, knowing the contributions of those in the past serves as an inspiration to redouble efforts.
“I, like you, am in debt to those who have crossed my path,” he said. “It showed me how blessed I am to serve. Because of this knowledge, I owe a debt I really can’t pay, but I can learn from the many examples of service and continue to pay off the debt to those who influenced me … .”
Prior to Austin’s speech, members of the chaplaincy led the audience in prayers for service members, their families and the nation.
Entertainment included Linda Clark singing her rendition of “God Bless America” and the 392nd Army Band.
National Prayer Breakfasts are annual events at U.S. military bases all over the world. They are spin-offs of a national event that gained the participation of President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. All presidents have taken part since then.
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 02.28.2018 16:51 |
| Story ID: | 267620 |
| Location: | FORT LESLEY J. MCNAIR, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 'Pay it forward' -- chaplain emphasizes service to others during prayer breakfast, by Terrance Bell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
