It is said that members of the Armed Forces “cross the Rubicon” when they are sworn in and commit to a cause greater than themselves. A grateful nation’s response sets aside one day each year to say, “Thank you!”
Join us as we discuss what it means to be a veteran and how you can provide needed support to those who have served with honor and distinction.
It is said that members of the Armed Forces “cross the Rubicon” when they are sworn in and commit to a cause greater than themselves. A grateful nation’s response sets aside one day each year to say, “Thank you!”
Join us as we discuss what it means to be a veteran and how you can provide needed support to those who have served with honor and distinction.
VETERANS DAY:
The Salute of Millions
Ric Shields (00:00):
Welcome to the DoorWays® Ministry Network podcast. I'm so glad you've joined us on this podcast. I'm your host, Ric Shields, and the director of the DoorWays® Ministry Network.
(00:17):
This podcast is being released just a few days before Veterans Day of 2023. In order to pay tribute to our Armed Forces veterans, who better for me to speak with than a retired member of the military. I'm pleased to have my friend Ken Revell joining with me on this podcast. Colonel Revell retired about five years ago after serving for nearly 29 years as a US Army chaplain. Ken, thank you for your service, and thanks so much for joining us.
Ken Revell (00:45):
Ric, I tell you what a privilege and a delight, and thank you for having me on the program. I truly consider this an honor to even try to speak on behalf of veterans and what they mean to all of us, and myself included.
Ric Shields (00:59):
Well, we met nearly 35 years ago while you were a student at Oral Roberts University. It seems you had completed a portion of your internship at Christian Chapel in Tulsa where I was the associate pastor, and you were one of the counselors in what we called the Straight from Heart Counseling Center. Is that, do I get that right?
Ken Revell (01:16):
That is absolutely correct, and I tell you, I felt like those are some really fond memories that I have there. And just even having the opportunity to work at Christian Chapel and I consider Christian Chapel kind of the apprentice program and had a lot to do with my spiritual formation in terms of ministry and how do you take everything that you've learned in seminary and begin to apply it in real life situations. And Christian Chapel afforded me that opportunity, and I'm eternally grateful for that. It made me aware of how practical our faith has to be, and particularly now in such challenging times.
Ric Shields (01:59):
I still remember the day when you and our pastor’s secretary, Jane Elliott, were talking about what you would do following your graduation with a master’s degree in theology and missions from ORU. Jane's husband, Bob, had retired from the Air Force several years earlier. He was considering participating in a program to recruit chaplains for the Armed forces. What happened that day to help you head that direction?
Ken Revell (02:23):
You know, I reflect back on that and I can't remember all the events, but I'll tell you that day, Jane, she was very just, she was very animated as a secretary, and in that discussion, she talked about have you thought about armed forces? And I hadn't thought about it. And she said she knew a person by the name of Jim Ammerman, and really Jim Ammerman was the linchpin, but she was, she kind of greased the scales. And I think she claims me as one of her, she was the recruiter of me to the military army.
(03:01):
I do remember portions of that conversation. I also remember you stepping out of your office, and I don't know which part of the conversation you latched on, but you kind of looked at me and if my memory serves me correctly you said something along the lines, you'll be great as a military chaplain.
(03:22):
And then you <laugh> and then you said another statement. You said, well, if you don't like it, Ken, you can just always do three years and you can get out <laugh>. That's right. I remember that. And I think I kind of went into that the army with that mindset.
(03:38):
But the linchpin was a guy named Jim Ammerman. Jim Ammerman was a spirit-filled chaplain, loved the Lord, animated the presence of God. And in seminary the military was, I had no desire to join the military. But once I met Jim, and Jim shared his testimony of how many folks that he had led to the Lord, and particularly some key generals. And I think he was in line to perhaps become the chief of chaplains at some point. I didn't know all that till after the fact, but his testimony was kind of the hook line and sinker that got me into the military. And kind of from there, my trajectory was already decided.
(04:22):
And I <laugh>, I went to Anna, my wife at the time, and said, Hey, what do you think about me being a military chaplain? And she just said something along the lines, whatever the Lord tells you to do, do it. I'm game.
Ric Shields (04:34):
You've had some pretty interesting assignments over the years. If I read it correctly, you started as a battalion chaplain, then a brigade chaplain, a deputy command chaplain, and retired as a command chaplain. I noticed that you were stationed in several different bases and installations throughout the United States with your final assignment ending up in Hawaii. You know that all of us are very, we realize how tough an assignment that had to be <laugh>, but you were deployed to Uzbekistan, Kuwait, and Iraq. What do you think was your favorite assignment over the years?
Ken Revell (05:06):
It's a toss-up between Fort Benning and Fort Bragg. Fort Benning – I had some of the greatest ministry experiences because that was a paratrooper unit that I worked with. And paratroopers really like chaplains. They want those chaplains on those aircraft. And at Fort Bragg, I was sent to Jump Master School which is a school which trains you in airborne operations; how to get soldiers in and out of the aircraft safely. And it's a whole, it's about a three week intense course that you go through, and then you perform a number of parachute landing jumps successfully, and they train you on basically how to, how to get your soldiers ready from A to Z on airborne operations and how to do it safely, get them out of there safely and prayerfully with no injuries or any of that happening.
Ric Shields (06:03):
And it's only after reading your bio that I learned some things about you that you never shared with me. You've received several awards over the years, but the two that struck out to me are the Bronze Star Medal and the Legion of Merit Medal. Now, these are very distinguished medals to be awarded. Why have you not mentioned these to me?
Ken Revell (06:20):
Well, I doubt if you find a lot of military people who talk about their medals. That's awards are something that you love to get them, you’re flattered that you've been recommended for them, and you are grateful that you have them. But usually that's not where you build your tent, really. You know what you feel like, man, I'm really flattered, but did I really deserve that? You know, they write it up and you accept it and you're happy about it, and you are happy that they're happy with you <laugh>.
(06:48):
But when it comes to broadcasting it, you have some reservations because you want to always project that you want to be impressive, but you are really not impressed with yourself. You know yourself too well, <laugh>, and you just thank God that people can see greatness behind your imperfections. So that's probably why it never got mentioned a lot.
Ric Shields (07:08):
Veterans Day is just around the corner. Ken, what do those of us who've never served in the armed forces need to know about that special day? And while you're at it, maybe you could tell us the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day, because I think some people are confused about that.
Ken Revell (07:22):
Veterans Day. It really relates to all persons who wore the uniform no matter how long the short their careers were. If they had that uniform on and they lifted their hands. And I still remember a lot of the swearing in it says, I do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of officers appointed over me according to regulations and uniform code of military justice. So, help me, God.
(07:57):
That creed is so special. And every veteran who's raised their right hand and crossed that Rubicon, that kind of tells you that that person was committed to a cause that was greater than himself, and that constitutes the veteran.
(08:15):
When we talk about Memorial Day, it's the, we focus really on the persons that have given their last full measure of devotion. They never took the uniform off. And many commanders have; they carry index cards. I don't know if they still do, particularly if they lose a soldier. They have records in their minds. They carry those soldiers that they have lost, particularly in the combat operation, in their hearts. And I think forever and sometimes even now as I'm talking, I'm a little teared up. You just remember those things and you realize that's they're really the blood and treasure of America. And so, we salute them all.
Ric Shields (08:58):
Thank you, Ken.
(08:59):
Let me take a moment to remind our listeners that we appreciate their feedback. Let us know if we're providing the kind of content that's helpful to you by dropping me an email at info@DoorWays dot cc. And if you have an idea for a guest or a topic, let me know and we'll work at incorporating that topic or that guest into our podcast schedule.
(09:17):
My name is Ric Shields, and I'm joined on this episode with Ken Revell, a friend for over 35 years, and a retired colonel who served for nearly 29 years as a chaplain in the US Army. Ken, what does it mean to you to be a veteran?
Ken Revell (09:32):
When I consider being a veteran, I see that as a time honored, a special time in my life that I will never, ever, ever forget. And I'm often reminded of something that I used to pray in a lot of my prayers at promotion ceremonies and events and graduations. I would tie in something, and you might've heard it, and I, and I'll just quote it because it kind of codifies the essence of soldiering. And it's a quote that goes like this. It's the soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet who has given us freedom of speech. It's the soldier, not the campus organizer who has given us the freedom to protest. It is the soldier, not the lawyer who has given us the right to a fair trial. It is the soldier, not the politician who has given us the right to vote. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is often draped by the flag and even allows the protester to burn the flag.
(10:35):
When I think of soldiering, I think that's probably the center of gravity. When we start talking about a country, a nation, that's such an honorable position, and you carry that in your heart. And so, I think in my mind, that's what being a veteran friend means to me, just to honor the country, a constitution, and the commit to the defense of that constitution. It just, it is a, a purpose that's hiding yourself and something that you, you feel there's a sense of fulfillment about it, and that you get to represent America.
Ric Shields (11:11):
You served as a chaplain. And before recording this podcast, you shared with me the Army Chaplain Mission statement. And I was impressed by its simplicity while being stuck with the gravity of all the things that encompasses. The three points of the mission statement are simply this. Number one, nurture the living. Number two, care for the wounded. And number three, honor the fallen. Now, those three items seem to be a huge assignment. How do you accomplish all of them?
Ken Revell (11:39):
Well, I tell you a lot of it, you have a good team on the ground, but nurture the living really has to do with everything we do to build resilience, health, strength, morale within soldier, whether it is through religious services, prayer breakfasts. We do a lot of retreats, family retreats, marriage retreats, all kinds of gatherings, deployment briefings, redeployment briefings, all of that. We would categorize that into nurture the living.
(12:12):
The care for the wounded is those who get wounded on a battlefield and in hospitalization ministry. Both of those areas are things that we try to attend to. It is that wounded warrior, whether those wounds are visible, such as a someone suffering from a missing limb or a person that may have some invisible wounds such as post-traumatic stress syndrome or some other type of injury. And we try to provide pastoral care, visitation, intervention you know, or even in areas where there's drug or alcohol abuse, usually chaplains and other helping agencies put a safety net around that soldier or that family member. And that constitutes that whole thing about how do you care for the wounded.
(13:06):
And of course, the other one that to honor the fallen that is near and dear to all of our hearts because we realize those who wear the uniform, they really lay their lives down for a nation and, and they live that out. And you want to give them the highest possible rendering of honors and salute because it could have been you involved in all of that.
(13:33):
And so, there's a huge, the Chaplain Corps has a huge team on the ground with all kinds of expertise. There are chaplains who have several masters (degrees). Some are trained in family life ministry, some are trained in finance where they basically help run the budget of the installations. Some have degrees in clinical pastoral education, which specializes in hospitalization, visitation, and just covering the whole gamut of needs of a person.
(14:07):
And then of course there's the memorial services and, and how we make contact with a person once they get the message that their loved one has died in combat. And, we do our best to honor the dead and get our arms around that family. And there's a whole team in that entire approach.
(14:25):
So, in terms of the broad sweep of things, we've just got a great, great team on the ground. And there's, it's never a one man show. It's a, the effort comes from an assortment of helping agencies that really help us to honor that soldier, to bless that soldier, to bring that soldier back to life or to put back to help that family. The prayer is always that God would mend things bigger than they are broken.
Ric Shields (14:51):
What is an important thing that you'd like to share with our listeners to help them better understand our veterans?
Ken Revell (14:59):
What I would share with you, just off the cuff, just me thinking out loud, veterans are, we have a little bit complicated creatures. In other words, the visible wounds, everybody gravitates towards those because you see them when you got missing limbs or arms or legs or disconfigurement. There's a lot of compassion that comes from the population because they care for them. What is hard to see is the invisible wounds, what comes from post-traumatic stress or even traumatic brain injuries. Those are kind of invisible. And part of that is, is on the soldier, particularly if the soldier decides to hold on to that baggage that hurts or whatever's going on the inside. Now the Army and all the helping agencies have done a great job trying to help them to reach out. We are going to reach out, but also for them to reach out.
(16:00):
And so, what I would say to those who are really trying to get a better handle on soldiers, if you know of a soldier who is struggling with things like suicide or post-traumatic stress, there is a crisis line that you can give to them. Or if it's a family member, you may call the, that line yourself. It is called the Veterans Crisis Line. It's a 24/7 operation. And that number is 988 option 1. So, if you just dial 988 and just pause for a second, and then option 1, you will get an empathetic counselor on the phone. And they will basically connect with you, and they will also have a lot of questions that they can ask you to get a, to get a feel for where you are and who you're trying to help and what the situation is. So that would be something that I would recommend.
(17:06):
The other thing that you could do when it comes to reaching out is something called the Wounded Warrior Program. And the Wounded Warrior Program, you can certainly donate to that. And let me just give you that number a couple of times. If you want to contact the Wounded Warrior Program to donate, you can dial area code 855-448-3997. Again, the Wounded Warrior program, if you want to call for, to make a donation, that number is 855-448-3997. And that's a way to help them. And what that helps you to do is if a soldier begins, or a veteran shows you an invisible wound that you cannot see, and instead of you just feeling totally overwhelmed, or if you know the person you have a friendship or connection with that person, you can certainly call the crisis hotline. Or you, if you want to make a donation, you can call the Wounded Warrior Program.
(18:13):
So actually, it's a pull, it's a push pull method. We ask soldiers to reach out. We try to do everything in our power for veterans to reach out where they feel more relaxed in terms of sharing. But it also gives you something that you can refer them to in addition to your friendship to him or her or whoever's going through a difficult time with a wounding inside.
Ric Shields (18:39):
Ken, would you be willing to conclude our time with a word of encouragement for our veterans and then pray for those who've heard this podcast and may be struggling with their reentry into civilian life?
Ken Revell (18:52):
Oh, absolutely. I'd be more than happy to do that. What an honor. In terms of encouragement, I want to say to all the veterans or if you are a family member of a veteran. First, I want to just say thank you for your service. You are definitely America's blood and treasure. You are honored, you are loved, and we can't repay you for what you have done, what you have experienced, the price you've paid. And so, I want to, the first thing, you have my salute, and you have the salute of millions of Americans who appreciate your service.
(19:27):
The second thing I would say to veterans, if you are struggling with PTSD or dramatic brain injury or some other struggle, that crisis help line that 988 number option one. I talked to them last night because I just wanted to test the system to see what they would get.
(19:48):
You're going to get a caring voice on the other side of that line, and they are not going to just listen to you, but they're going to size up and start trying to figure out ways to help you and to get you help and to take some of the struggle off of you.
(20:04):
And let me just close, I guess just in a prayer for all of you who have served in our veterans. Lord Jesus, I just speak your life over our veterans. We are grateful for their service. We ask you to heal the wounds, help navigate them through their struggles, and pour out all that you are and the chasms of life that they face, and all who are grasping for hope and strength and life.
(20:33):
God, we pray that you would be more than enough for all of them. Heal their wounds, lift them up, be their light, and I just speak all that you have for them, that you love them deeply, profoundly, profusely. And God, you got them. And I pray that in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, God bless our veterans. Amen.
Ric Shields (20:57):
I'd like to say thanks again for listening, and I hope you found this podcast to be helpful for you, for a friend, or for someone you love. Please feel free to share it with others.
(21:07):
If you'd like for someone to pray for you, drop me a note at info@DoorWays dot cc. I'll pray for you, and I'll share your note with others who will pray and believe for God to work on your behalf.
(21:19):
Until next time, I hope you'll sense the presence of the Father, the love of Jesus, and the grace of the Holy Spirit in your heart, your home, and in your spheres of relationship and influence in the days ahead. Amen.