Photo By Spc. Armani Wilson | Capt. (Chaplain) Tim Hadley, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry, 2nd...... read more read more
"Jumping out of an aircraft is the great equalizer. It doesn't matter how smart, fit, or tactical you are; gravity does not care. Everyone gets ripped out of the door at 130 mph, and regardless of what anyone tells you, no one does it gracefully.”
Meet Capt. Tim Hadley, a chaplain assigned to the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, in Waterloo, Iowa, and a recent graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne School at Fort Moore, Georgia.
“Two weeks in a row of ten-hour days make you feel prepared to jump out of the door. No amount of preparation could prepare a person for when you begin to roll down the runway. Butterflies, excitement, nerves, and nausea all rush up at the same time,” Hadley reflected.
Hindered by an old high school football injury, Hadley faced challenges in joining the military. Despite repeated attempts, it wasn't until after 9/11 that the barriers to his enlistment were removed. However, by then, Hadley's priorities had shifted towards his young family, though his aspiration to serve lingered. Throughout the next decade, the Hadley family volunteered with the Iowa National Guard (IANG) Youth Program, served at Yellow Ribbon events, and offered assistance to Gold Star families.
While working as the principal at Oelwein High School, a conversation with a local IANG recruiter revealed the possibility of serving as a chaplain. After discussions with his family and praying over the decision, Hadley accepted a direct commission into the IANG as a chaplain at 38 years old.
“I was a principal and pastor before joining the Guard. My congregation went from 90 people on Sunday morning to 900 all the time now that I’m a battalion chaplain. I love serving my local church but having the impact on all these people is great,” Hadley remarked.
Throughout the next couple of years, Hadley worked as a mentor in-person and online, leveraging social media to create content and speak to audiences within his community, battalion, and beyond. Around that time, the recruiting office offered an incentive that allowed Soldiers an opportunity to attend the U.S. Army’s Airborne School if they referred enough leads to join the Guard.
“Before I became a principal, I was a history teacher for 10 years. One of my favorite units to teach was always WWII, specifically Operation Market Garden. My grandfather was in the Navy during that time and he talked about the Airborne Paratroopers they carried. They were the fittest guys on the ship and always ready to go,” Hadley remarked, “As a chaplain, I feel called to do hard things, complete difficult soldier tasks… be able to have shared experiences with the Soldiers I serve with.”
With that in mind, he excelled at gathering leads and eventually was awarded the Airborne School slot. However, his journey to becoming Airborne-qualified came with some obstacles. Upon his arrival at Fort Moore in March 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the school, and he had to pack his bags and return home.
“I really thought that was the end of my dream.”
Regardless, Hadley remained persistent, and after three years of waiting, he got the news he wanted to hear. Going to Airborne School on short notice at 42 years old left Hadley with some trepidation, but he stayed committed to his dream. Three weeks and five jumps from a high-performance aircraft later, Hadley finally earned his Airborne wings.
“Resilience is key. If you can be resilient, and if you commit to something, you can do it. I really want to tell the story that the Guard makes promises and keeps them,” he said. “Every day is a leap of faith. I don’t know what it is in life that you need to ‘Hook Up’ and ‘Shuffle to the Door’ towards, but I’m here to encourage ya, and if I can pray for you, definitely reach out.”
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.28.2024 13:37 |
| Story ID: | 464889 |
| Location: | JOHNSTON, IOWA, US |
| Hometown: | OELWEIN, IOWA, US |
| Hometown: | WATERLOO, IOWA, US |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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