Conference 2010

1-4 November 2010. It is the 20th anniversary of our very first meeting as a task force. Our numbers have grown over the 20 years and there are stories to tell. Save the date.

Comments Regarding the Retreat

“This has been an extraordinary week of laughter and learning.” Sharon Freeto

“I was tired of padding around Patmos….here I received the nourishment – the meat and potatoes – to walk spiritually as a woman of grace and a woman for leadership.”

“This was one of the most peaceful, nurturing experiences I have ever had. I was blessed by tremendous togetherness and quiet solitude. Thank you!”

“Renewal, Affirmation, Reconnection and the presence of God were all in this place and with these sisters. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to renew and relax. God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.” Gwen

“The experience was wonderful. Terri’s input was fabulous – it fed and challenged me. I loved seeing old friends and I made new ones.” Kathy Shindel

“I wanted to take this opportunity to thank WUIM for this retreat. The timing of being able to meet with fellow sisters who are making this journey was perfect! Thanks for all the encouragement, prayer, support and mentorship. Being able to share and receive has truly had a healing impact.” Gloria Bun

“I value the fellowship of this week - the opportunity to reflect on life, God, ministry and profession.”

“I gained information and encouragement that are essential to this stage of my process. As I move from the Candidate Program into my journey towards active duty, this time, fellowship and insight was invaluable. It helps me get out of stuck places.” Jessica Werner

Late Fall 2009 - Spring 2010

Promotions –
Ch Donnette Boyd to Lt Col
Ch Kristina Coppinger to Maj
Ch Rochelle Binion to Capt
Ch Michelle Law-Gordon to Capt
Ch Leigh Batts to Capt
Ch Carita Brown to Capt
Ch Brandy Brown to Capt

Deployed
Elaine Henderson
Cherri Wheeler/Rochelle Coles – same place
Sarah Schecter
Lucinda Valenti

Prayers and Praise

From Ch, Lt Col Elaine Henderson, a praise, for her mom doing so well after having gone through surgery for cancer.

For Ch, Col Cherri Wheeler, a prayer and praise, for her deployment ministry and 7-month “Eagle” leadership.

For Rev. Sarah Shirley, a praise, for completing Intermediate Chaplain Course at Maxwell and for her mom’s hip surgery recovery. Sarah commends Ch, Capt Jamie Martin is doing a fantastic job as Pastoral Care Chaplain at NGB/HC, serving the men and women of the ANG Readiness Center and providing support to ANG chaplains and chaplain assistants in the field.

For Ch Linda Olson (micktink@mac.com) and her family, continued prayer and encouragement. “We have moved to Travis (AFB, CA). We are grandparents of Livia Helen born 4 April 2009 who shares her home with 4 year old brother Caleb and Mom & Dad. It's great to be living close to them and we see them almost weekly to babysit”. Pray for her husband, Mickey, Steve (Mickey's brother with cancer) and Sadie (Mickey's mom who is 95 and just slowly wearing out) and his dad, Lou who is 9and caring for his wife.

For Amber L. M. Kiesel, prayer and praise that she came on Extended Active Duty Aug 1, 2009 & is serving in her first assignment at Eglin AFB, FL. Her husband couldn't move with her and still resides in Denver. Her elderly father is living with her and she’s caring for him. Sept 30, 2009 was her second year wedding anniversary!

For Ch, Capt Sarah Schechter, a praise for her deployment ministry at Al Udeid and prayers for her ministry in the Jewish community and throughout the military community. In May, Sarah will attend the Jewish military chaplain's conference in Atlanta! Sarah submited an article on Passover for the San Antonio Express-News; am a featured story in this month's Reform Judaism Magazine http://reformjudaismmag.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=1566, and an article of mine on Basic Trainees and Homesickness was just published in the Jewish Journal for Pastoral Care, Zeek.

For Ch Valenti, continued prayers, Lucinda Valenti’s Dad, Col. (Retired) Rodney Cox, Ph.D, died Jan 29, 2010 – she came home early from overseas. “I am still over here in the mountains of Afganistan and will be until July. I will come home and go immediately to Arlington to inter my dad. If anyone is around the D.C. area on July 23 there is going to be an awesome funeral at Arlington-my dad was a retired AF 0-6, Silver Star winner, Chief of Security Police in Europe and one of the founders of CCAF and oh yeah-a pretty awesome Dad, too!”

Here is link to his Memorial Page: http://www.mem.com/ContentDisplay.aspx?ID=18634655


Pray for Ch Rhonda Cushman’s son, Michael's medical problems. “He is still dealing with a complex situation requiring daily care at home and frequent visits to various specialists or to the hospital for surgical procedures. My mother, Amy Foust, died suddenly on January 20th of this year. She taught me everything I needed to know about unconditional love. We miss her terribly. I just completed an interim ministry at Pughtown Baptist Church in Pennsylvania, and just began s the chaplain at the Philadlephia Protestant Home. Meanwhile, I'm finishing up my fourth unit of CPE at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia. Looking forward to having a more sane schedule when that is completed. So I can breathe, and grieve, and garden. Still Wing Chaplain at the 111th FW in Willow Grove. Soon to welcome a third chaplain to our team. Thanks for keeping us connected.”


Pray for Ch, 2Lt Jessica Reynolds, a Chaplain Candidate endorsed by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, who will serve at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. She will serve with Ch, Maj Josephine Pinkney this summer. Her e-mail is jrey622@aol.com if you want to welcome her to our numbers.

From Ch, Maj Leslie Janovec, continued prayer. “I’m a couple of months out from completing ACSC. Graduation will be in June. It’s been an exciting year for me in class, and I have met the most wonderful people here! Jon and I will be heading to Columbus, MS. for our next assignment. I have the honor of having been selected to serve as the wing chaplain there. I’m excited, humbled, and eager to begin this new chapter.”

From Ch, Capt Kathy Scott, praise and prayer. “Yes, we had a baby on November 18, 2009!!! Thus the reason I couldn't attend the conference last year. Sophia Maria Scott was 9 lbs 4 oz, don't worry, that large of baby didn't pass through the regular channel, I ended up with a c-section (not as planned, but praise God for a healthy baby and mom!). Also update, I will be PCSing to Shaw AFB in September. A new adventure on the other side of the continent!

From Ch, Lt Col Elaine Henderson, January 2010
Life at Dover is awful, awesome and an honor. I am happy to say that Ch Sherrol James is here. It took almost 3 weeks for me to see her though. The first week I was here, my head was spinning 360 degrees. Now I have settled into a rhythm. My primary responsibilities involve meeting the families of our Fallen at the brand new Center for the Families and then escorting them to the flight line to observe the Dignified Transfer of their fallen loved one back to American soil. If you want to check it out, the website is www.mortuary.af.mil. The other part of my job involves, of course, the staff working at the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operation Center (AFMAO) – which is no longer a part of Dover now. A year ago it became an entity unto itself. This experience is not exactly like sitting in my comfy office in Springfield. Our schedule is driven by the arrival of airplanes at all hours of the night and day. Sherrol has been stationed here before and is very glad that AFMAO is not on her plate this time! ;->

"F.R.O.G."

I was told a story about a woman in the hospital who was near death when an area Chaplain came to visit her. This Chaplain was a very young woman with very long hair. She listened to the woman who was ill and left her a small gift for comfort. It was a tiny ceramic frog. The patient later told her friend about the beautiful young Chaplain who had visited her.

The friend was so impressed with how much her friend had improved and felt the need to talk to the young Chaplain. In her search to find this Chaplain, she was repeatedly reassured that the chaplains who visited here are never very young and that there was never a woman that fit the description given. Upon returning to visit her friend in the hospital, a visiting nurse entered the room and noticed the ceramic frog. As she held the little frog, the nurse made the comment: "I see you have a guardian angel with you." We asked why she made that comment and we were informed that the frog stood for:

(F) Forever (R) Rely (O) On (G) God.

Ch, Maj Gen. Lorraine K. Potter

FACEBOOK Invite

If you want to join FACEBOOK, I have started a group for us. Please “Friend” me and put comment “WUIM” and I will send you an invitation to join WUIM on FACEBOOK. It is a closed group and my personal page is also closed EXCEPT to friends so I have to approve you to be my friend and join the group. You can find me by searching my civ e-mail “rehohio@yahoo.com”

Ch, Lt Col Oledia Bell

Sisters in Ministry,

I greet you with Jesus' joy. Thank you for the opportunity to serve and become more involved in WUIM. Elaine God bless you with the specialized ministry at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operation Center (AFMAO) and the comfort you bring to families of our deceased warriors. Many of us have been on the sending end of the process from the AOR, but I for one, have not walked those dreaded steps with a mother or a father receiving their child back from war for burial.

John and I are preparing for a PCS move in April to assume Wing Chaplain duties at Ellsworth. We are looking forward to working with Airmen and their families at another ACC base.

Ch, Capt Ashley Bell

I currently serve as a Hospice/Palliative Care Chaplain for the VA in Murfreesboro, TN and we're "revamping" our hospice unit. Much grace is needed our way to have the wisdom, funding, and resources to implement the awesome ideas people have to make our unit a "homey" place for our Veterans who are terminal. Being the hospice chaplain, I'm working on developing our "Bereavement Program", to which I'm thrilled to be a part of since I have a deep rooted love for this area of ministry. I've only worked at the VA for 9 months, so learning the staff and their gifts, as well as, tapping into available resources is a challenge, and yet a growth experience to continue to become the woman of God that I'm daily being called to be.

The embedded prayer request is that Alvin C. York Hospice/Palliative Care unit is best suited with an aesthetically pleasing environment that promotes a dignified and honorable death of the hospice patients and of a healing growth in mind, body, and spirit in their families lives, as well as, in the staff that serves them. The second part to the request, is that I'll be resourceful, creative, energized, and integrate the most promising tools to those bereaved to promote a spiritual and emotional well-being.

However, a great praise report, after only being at the VA for nine months, I've been able to make 4 proposals to implement The C.A.R.E. Channel as part of patient/family viewing on most of our TVs. The ($11, 600) funding came through two-weeks ago and what a huge blessing!!! I feel so blessed to be a part of such a receptive group of people who want the best for our Veterans, being one myself, I can appreciate it to the utmost.

As an Air National Guard Chaplain at the 118th in Nashville, TN, I have a wonderful chapel team that loves to serve others, even if it's in the food service line in the dining facility, as they did this past weekend. Or if it's taking a golf-cart through the rain to security force posts, to give out Bibles, devotion books and candy, to get them through the shift! Our Chapel Staff were sad to see Ch, Lt Col Ronald Lowery, move up in the world but proud to announce his promotion to Colonel soon and his new position as the Assistant to the Air National Guard USAFE Command. Our 'Acting" Wing Chaplain, Ch, Lt Col Stan Campbell is serving in Ramstein, Germany for the next 4 months and this is his second tour within the past year and a half. I'm proud to say that I've been blessed to be surrounded by loving, compassionate and eager people who are energized to serve our great God in serving others. That's my praise to share with you in order that
you're blessed the same.

On my knees now so I can stand later,

Ch, Capt Ashley Bell

Ch, Maj Gen Lorraine K. Potter (ret)

The military women at The Towers (where I live) just put together a display for the community of pictures and a few momentos. There are 28 women veterans here from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and to the present (I am the most recently retired and youngest). We had mainly framed pictures and a few collages. A 5X7 photo or a framed collage 11X14 is just right and easy to display. A short biography covering military service was put together for folks to read (24 of 28 women here participated). It was a big hit!

Team Defined

By Ch, Col Cherri S. Wheeler

Together Executing and Advancing the Mission

Together: Team equals all members assigned to a particular staff or organization working together toward a common goal or mission. A team concept includes eliminating all single points of failure by having multiple members on a staff trained on specific duties and tasks. A team concept also allows for “all hands” call to help in large projects, when mission requirements out source manning and when events dictate. No member of the team should take offense when help is offered; nor should anyone take it as a personal affront to their abilities. All team members need to be cheerful givers and receivers of help. It is about working together!

Executing: There are multiple ways to execute most tasks; the primary person of responsibility usually will have the choice of how their projects are run; however, the "boss" must have latitude to dictate Courses of Action (COAs). This should not be perceived as micro-managing, rather, as setting acceptable parameters. The parameters could be associated with timelines, costs, persons involved, etc… Remember, the boss has a strategic view whereas the project officer has either an operational or tactical view; the views are different! Executing the mission is the end in which the team needs to strive.

Advancing: Advancing the mission includes doing those things that are mission related and not doing those things that are not mission related. To advance the mission means that everything a team undertakes should have a connection to the unit’s overall mission. Taskings come from many avenues and before anyone invests valuable time and resources to them an evaluation should be conducted to determine how the tasks fit in with the organization's overall mission. Once it is determined that a task is mission related, it is imperative that the team advance s it along. "Get 'er done, get 'er gone!" should be the mantra.

Mission: The mission of the organization is the keystone everything. If the organization has not defined its mission or team members do not know or understand the organization's mission then the organization is failing. It is the organization's leaders' responsibility to cast the organization vision; the members of the organization help define the mission; all must ensure the mission is executed on time, on target.

Can you articulate your organization's mission statement? What tasks do you perform daily, weekly, monthly that contributes to your organization's mission? What tasks do not contribute to mission accomplishment? When members of an organization come together executing and advancing the mission they become a team and they can accomplish anything.
Are you part of a team?

Remembering and Honoring Those Who Positively Influence Our Lives

Ch, Col Cherri Wheeler
There is nothing like a significant event in one's life to create an excuse to reflect on the journey taken. This has been the case for me as I prepare to pin-on Colonel in a few short weeks. It is hard to fathom that I have actually been commissioned for 25 years, active duty for over 20 years. It seems so short a time ago that I was a 2 Lt Chaplain Candidate.

As I started to reflect on my journey as a chaplain it caused me to remember the many "saints" who have influenced my life. I sat back on a slower weekend and began to reminisce on my military career assignment by assignment. It was amazing how long the list became of the many people who can take the credit and maybe the blame for my success. From the late Fr Heffernan at my first assignment at Lowery AFB as a Chaplain Candidate to MSgt (ret) Jacky King (Peterson) and SMSgt Michael Gardner (Pope) who taught me about generosity and professionalism. To Chs Paul Evans, Mickey Bell, Dave Bena, and Ron Kelling (Minot) who allowed me to mature as a preacher and chaplain in my first assignment; they gave me permission to be as energetic and creative as I desired. Then there were those who were peers and associates who were great for a sanity check, those include "The Cool Women in Charge" (Pope), Kathy Payne and Mary Ellen White (Peterson), Bobby Grigsby and Cliff Piercy (USAFA). Finally, there were the Commanders and Chiefs who mentored me directly and indirectly, to include Brig Gen Darren McDew, Col John Bonapart, Col Debra Gray, Chief Scott Turner, Chief Patty Gray, and Chief Herb Hanson to name but a few. This list is a rather small sampling but these men and women represent the best the Air Force has produced in the last 25 years.

In my reflections I began to see common threads weaving through my life tapestry. Of the saints who have influenced my life, they all made themselves available to me. In other words they showed me hospitality. Second, they gave me a job to do and trusted me to get it done. Third, these gracious people accepted me for who and what I was (warts, red-head and all.) Fourth, they were ready and willing to laugh and cry with me no matter what. Fifth, they told me what I needed to hear, not necessarily what I wanted to hear. Sixth, the influential ones practiced what they preached, that is, they modeled leadership and character principles that I wanted to emulate. Seventh, regardless of their religious persuasion, they respected my religious traditions. Eighth, they found the balance between getting the mission done on time and on target with having a fun time doing it. Ninth, when hard truths had to be communicated to the rank and file they found a way to "speak the truth in love." Finally, of these influential people, they loved what they do every day for God and country and this love was evident even on the hard days.

If I am to be a person who becomes influential in others lives I must remember the attributes listed above. But more than that, I must practice them. Dear Abby and other advice columnist have coined the phrase, "pay it forward." If I want to be a leader who finishes well, I must pay forward the great gifts I have received over the last 25 years. I must honor those wonderful mentors and friends by emulating them. I can only pay back by paying forward, by being a positive influence on those lives God puts in my path. My prayer is that I will take time to remember my mentors and honor them by practicing what they taught me.

Ch, Major Myrtle Bowen

God has opened another opportunity for me to serve in the US Air Force - Air National Guard. For three years, I successfully served as in the IMA Chaplain Program at Dover AFB, in Dover, Delaware. Followed by eight exciting, fulfilling and informative years, wherein I served with the 166 AW/HC Delaware Air National Guard in New Castle, Delaware. As of 13 September 2009, I no longer serve in Delaware. On Monday, 14 September 2009, I joined the 113th which is the District of Columbia Air Nation Guard unit. Truly, I thank God for the opportunity to serve closer to home and the Nation's Capital Region Area! I solicit the prayers of my Sisters as I begin a new assignment in the Chaplaincy!

Ch, Lt Col Jan McCormack (ret)

I have a new title at Denver Seminary - Director of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling. AND we now have a Certificate in Chaplaincy (14 enrolled in 1st offering) and a DMin in chaplaincy approved!! Chaplaincy is rapidly becoming a “brand” of Denver Seminary! Larger classes including on web cam. Worked with David C. Cook to publish 5 pieces of curricula for lay counseling in Haiti in English, French, Creole. Still working on turning Denver Seminary into an ACPE training site. Denver Seminary CISM and ICISF Crisis Intervention teams have been busy with Haiti and will have a hosting an ICISF Spiritual Care Conference to train clergy and therapists for crisis/disaster response 16-20 August 2010. And I am working on a 2nd Motorsports weekend for the seminary – drag racing and cart racing events.

TRIPS: Hawaii-family; 9-24 April – APC in IL and CAPS and ACPE in KS; 5-7 May – MCA and Dedication of Chaplain Schools in SC; Family graduations in May; 25th wedding anniversary cruise to Fr Poly Isles and Bora Bora 18 July – 8 Aug; ABC Church Women’s Conference speaker – Aug 19-20 in MI; Family wedding – in Oct AND finally she’ll be with us at WUIM in NOV!

Destiny

Ch, Capt Ruth N. Segres ©

A woman of promise
You are destined to be great.
Some call it karma.
Others call it fate.

You are graceful and elegant
Considerate and kind.
Your movements are purposeful.
You are regal and refine.

You are wise and sensitive
Care for all who is around.
You can walk with dignitaries
And never loose your ground.

Your presence is felt by all
When you enter a place.
Your inner strength is felt
Because you fill the space.

Your presence fill
Any place you enter.
You may be in a corner
But you become the center.

A woman of promise
You are destined to be great.
Some call it karma.
Others call it fate.

You are destined to get ahead.
You are a leader by design.
You are competent and ambitious.
You are of a rare kind.

You are savvy and posed.
You are beautifully arrayed.
You make intentional decisions
And not easily swayed.

A woman of promise
A great destiny awaits.
Some call it karma.
Others call it fate.