Shadow box

I am enjoying retirement after fifteen years in the Air Force, and twenty-seven years as a Southern Baptist pastor in Missouri, Ohio and Illinois.

While in the service I considered myself to be a military career person, and looking to complete at least twenty if not thirty years, and retiring at the ripe old age of fifty. June of sixty-three was only six months away, and I had to make an important career decision: To re-up for six more years, or to follow my desire to becoming a chaplain. Facing my two options, and taking all things into considerations, I (my family of four and I) decided to accept my discharge coming up in June, and attend college, and seminary and upon completion of both I would have met the qualifications necessary to becoming an air force chaplain. I completed college and seminary in seven years

Now, at the age of forty-one, I applied for the chaplaincy. The age cutoff for a Chaplain was thirty-seven, but because of having fifteen year of prior service they waved the age factor, but they cut back the chaplains quota for all branches of service. The irony of it all was that my S/Sgt rank was frozen at the time I got out of the service, and after qualifying for the chaplaincy I felt the cold north wind once again.

Smith, George, SSgt