Article August 11, 2014 Issue

Divine protection at the artillery range

Steven Jareo

When I joined the United States Army, I turned to Christian Science as never before. Probably at no other time in my life had I relied on understanding my spiritual status as the image and likeness of God as much as at Infantry Officer Candidate School (OCS), held at Fort Benning, Georgia.

My six months of OCS were very successful. I was elected president of my class and, significantly, named to head the Honor Council, which enforced a carbon copy of the rigorous West Point Honor Code. I graduated in September at the head of my class. I also learned how to tolerate 100-degree south Georgia heat.

I joined the Christian Science group on post, which consisted of 12 soldiers and the senior Christian Science chaplain. Services and discussions were held Sunday afternoons. These services became cherished moments of calm and spirituality for me, in the midst of the Army’s unfamiliar universe.