I am Getting Old!

Shortly after my graduation from High School in 1984 I enlisted in the United States Army.  I served on Active Duty for three years is such exotic places as Fort Polk, Louisiana.  I returned home and spent the next few years in the Massachusetts Army National Guard.  After a short break in service, I went back in and was released from service in 2004, the year I was ordained, with 12 1/2 years in the service.  I have often thought of going back in and finishing my 20!

A few weeks ago I received an email saying that Orthodox Chaplains in the military are at a critical low and sometimes troops will go an entire deployment without seeing a priest or receiving the sacraments.  I find this unacceptable!  Back when I was a young impressionable person, it was an Army chaplain that put me back on the right path and the last four years I was in I was a chaplains assistant.  The chaplain is extremely important.  A chaplain is a chaplain for all not just his/her faith group but when needed you service your own denominational population.

So I started thinking I could get in shape, round is a shape but not one my Uncle Sam is looking for right now, and go back on Active Duty, serve a few years and retire with a pension.  I would then be able to go to a small mission parish and not have to worry about if they could pay me or not.  Oddly enough there is an Orthodox Priest chaplain who recruits Orthodox clergy for the Army, so I called him.  Well low and behold, I AM TOO OLD!  Wow did that hurt!

One needs to be able to complete 20 years of service by the time one reaches 62, or one needs to be commissioned by the age of 45.  Yikes, I turn 45 on June.  The paper works takes about a month to a month and half and the board only meets 4 times a year and the next time they meet is the end of March.  That means my stuff would need to be in by March 1st, not going to make it.  So I am too old.  This is the first time I have been told I am too old to do something.  Wow, it still hurts…  LOL

But all is not lost, I am in a conversation with some folks in the National Guard.  I guess you can be old and be in the Guard!  I need to loose some pounds, which is a good thing anyway, and get in shape, other than the one I am in, again a good thing.  So watch these pages for more on that.  In the mean time I need to find my walker so I can take my feeble self to Church!