From September 11, 2001 to 2021, from the start of the Global War on Terror, the Invasion of Afghanistan and later Operation Iraqi Freedom has put the US Military through a lot of combat without much of a rest, or upgrading their equipment. Also during this time the George W Bush and the Barack Obama administrations decided to remove chaplains from the military. The effort started in the late part of Bush’s 2nd term and was hastened during Obama’s terms.
The Chaplain of a unit is essentially the counselor of those troops that are struggling with their duty and other personal issues. They also provide Religious services weekly for troops on base and in the field.
When you take away this resource what do you have left to address issues in the unit?
Obama’s administration required Chaplains to send their sermons and bulletins to JAG, military lawyers, to approve of them. Christian Chaplains were hassled when they prayed, “In Jesus’ name.” There were members of Congress and the Pentagon who were seriously considering to remove Chaplains altogether and just hire contractors to do this essential work.
Now civilians are shocked to hear 22 Vets commit suicide every day. According to the wife of Tom Satterly, Jen Satterly of All Secure Foundation on the Shawn Ryan Show, said it’s roughly twice this number at 44 Vets per day.
Christian Warriors
When I, Publius Jr, served my Tour of Duty I really wasn’t scared of much. Since I got out of the military and got my degree at college I’ve become more scared. I rely more on my faith to get me through the days than when I served. Hearing about how Veterans have struggled outside of their service I seriously prayed for some high profile Veteran to come along and lead as openly Christian as possible and lead Veterans who might consider suicide and be led to the freedom and solace offered by Jesus Christ.
Then along comes Shawn Ryan. A real “Billy Badass,” who starts up his podcast and YouTube Channel, the Shawn Ryan Show. He’s a former Navy SEAL and CIA Contractor. He has a company called Vigilance Elite which has cool tactical stuff and then he starts having videos about how he has anxiety in public and how to find a good therapist. This perks my attention.
My time at the VA Minneapolis in the mental health department, diagnosed with depression, I feel often of being managed, and this guy is giving out real advice that seemed helpful. I have shared his advice in the following article I posted some time ago. “If You Know a Veteran Ask Them How They are Doing Then Say Its Okay to Get Help.”
In fact I’ve posted a number of his interviews on this website like the one with Tu Lam who he discussed the repercussions of the US Military pull out in August 2021.
He’s not the only Christian Warrior who has been on his show. There’s too many to list here, but I’ll highlight two others who are very memorable, John Lovell who created The Warrior Poet Society, and former Navy SEAL and now a US House Representative from Arizona Rep Eli Crane.
Other Christian Warriors
John Lovell felt the call to Christ during his Basic Training on his way to being a US Army Ranger. It is a three part interview. His call comes about 32:15 minute mark into the video below. Prior to that he talks about his childhood, getting sent to boarding school and not being serious about school or life in general. After a year of college he decided to go into Special Forces about a year before 9/11.
Rep Eli Crane is a former Navy SEAL Sniper, founder of Bottle Breacher and he is a different kind of US Representative for Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District.
He is in a Shawn Ryan Show Episode prior to his first term election Episode #25. His faith statement comes at 1 hr 31 minutes into the video below. Rep Eli Crane says a lot of our troubles in our country come from our cultural decay and it is a spiritual problem.
A Little Bit about My Army Service & My Faith
I, Publius Jr, am a US Army Veteran who served in the late 1980s under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. I was different after I came out of the military than when I went in. I never saw combat but I encountered something that gave me nightmares off and on for about 16 years. It was hard to get family and friends to understand what I went through; often times I was accused of deserving the treatment I got in the Army, again from many who have never served in the military.
My Christian Faith was always around and while the Methodist upbringing never touched upon who the Holy Spirit was, my faith was the bedrock that got me through US Army Basic Training and Fire Support Specialist Job School at Ft Sill Oklahoma, and later through my service to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (3rd ACR) at Ft Bliss Texas which is just west of the El Paso Texas Airport.
When I got to my duty station in Headquarters Platoon of Howitzer Battery 1st Squadron of the 3rd ACR. The Master Sergeant at my unit, before a new First Sergeant arrived a month later, said that soldiers can go one of 3 ways when they get to their first duty station. They can go super religious or they go super bad and get into drugs alcohol and carousing. The third way was somewhere “in between.” I was between the Super Religious and the “in between.” I tried reading the King James Bible I got in the 3rd grade Sunday School but Psalms and the book of Job were hard reads for me. I went to church a few times at Ft Bliss but I didn’t like the Chaplain and they had contemporary music instead of organ music and the acapella choir like Ft Sill’s Quarry Hill’s Chapel (run then by Chaplain Rick Mathis). I still don’t like contemporary music at church it’s not really reverent in my opinion it’s just noise that repeats one line over and over a bazillion times for tens of minutes.
I went on 3 deployments, twice to the National Training Center at Ft Irwin California near Barstow and the Mojave Desert in 1989, and once to West Germany in September to October 1988 on a NATO exercise called REFORGER (REturn of FORces to GERmany). West Germany felt like Wisconsin except better cars and everyone spoke German. Some other time I’ll describe the issue that resulted in 16 years of off and on nightmares.
Lead and Shepherd by Example
Is Shawn Ryan, John Lovell, or Rep Eli Crane pastors? No. Will they be at some time in the future? One never knows. However right now the best way to bring people to Jesus Christ and his teachings is by the man or woman next to you. Giving your testimony of how you came to Christ to someone who looks like their bottom just dropped out on their life, or praying with them for hope, or just comforting them in their time of need brings more to Christ than some sermon by a Preacher.
I, Publius Jr, like to profile Christians in American History during the month of December. I picked Shawn Ryan not because he has one of the top 5 podcasts in the country but he was an answer to a prayer I had some time ago. He’s only going get more bold and open on his Christian Faith. He’s not going to be a doormat either. John Lovell is a joy to listen to, even if you’re not a Veteran, and Rep Eli Crane is a model of what a Representative should be. If any of them are reading this article, thank you for your service…some day we might meet. ~~ Publius Jr.