Article January 4, 2010 ISSUE

an officer's prayers in the war zone

BY ROB NOFSINGER

AS A CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST and a former officer in the Marine Corps who has completed two deployments to Iraq, I've had many opportunities to directly witness the effectiveness of prayer in a war zone.

There are so many challenges in need of healing in a combat situation. And in many ways there is no such thing as a "typical" deployment. Each situation is unique depending on the person, specific location, unit, mission, and ever-changing circumstances of the "enemy." On the other hand, there are some standard challenges that face every person involved in a prolonged deployment in a combat zone.