Fort Bliss Monitor

Team Bliss participates in National Prayer Breakfast

Sgt. Michael Garrett
Monitor Editor

Soldiers gather most weekday mornings to improve their physical fitness. However, Tuesday morning many Soldiers gathered at The Centennial Club to observe the National Prayer Breakfast and improve their spiritual fitness.

The National Prayer Breakfast is a post-level event held across the Army to set aside time to remember the importance of prayer.

After a welcome from the Fort Bliss Chief of Staff Col. Harry Bloomer, scripture was read to those present. Staff Sgt. Leah Senty, 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, read from Genesis in Hebrew and then read the translated text in English. Chaplain (Capt.) Dawud Agbere, 31st Combat Support Hospital chaplain, spoke in Arabic from the Qur’an, before reading the text to the Soldiers in English.

After the reading of the scripture the United States Sergeants Major Academy Choir preformed during the breakfast.

The guest speaker for the event was retired Chaplain (Col.) John W. Brinsfield, historian, United States Chaplain Center and School.

Brinsfield started by telling the Fort Bliss air defenders how grateful he is for their service. While he was in Saudi Arabia (Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm) he fell under six Scud attacks, said Brinsfield. He said that he watched one of the Scuds as it was shot down by a Patriot missile.

“That Patriot missile was like a lightning bolt of God’s judgment,” Brinsfield said.

Brinsfield spoke to the troops about the importance of maintaining one’s faith and continuing in prayer during the hard times of one’s military career. He gave examples of Soldiers maintaining their faith through dire circumstances. He also shared a story of how Gen. George S. Patton encouraged his men to pray during World War II.

“He told his men ‘With prayer we cannot fail,’” Brinsfield told the crowd. Patton ordered a training letter to be issued on prayer and had a prayer for better weather written for his Soldiers and ordered 250,000 copies be distributed among the troops. Within days the rain that hampered Patton’s advance cleared and his troops went on to victory.

“Too many times prayer is used as a last resort,” Brinsfield told the Soldiers, “it needs to be used first.”



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	February 10, 2005

	Team Bliss participates in National Prayer Breakfast Sgt. Michael Garrett Monitor Editor Soldiers gather most weekday mornings to improve their physical fitness. However, Tuesday morning many Soldiers gathered at The Centennial Club to observe the National Prayer Breakfast and improve their spiritual fitness. The National Prayer Breakfast is a post-level event held across the Army to set aside time to remember the importance of prayer. After a welcome from the Fort Bliss Chief of Staff Col. Harry Bloomer, scripture was read to those present. Staff Sgt. Leah Senty, 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, read from Genesis in Hebrew and then read the translated text in English. Chaplain (Capt.) Dawud Agbere, 31st Combat Support Hospital chaplain, spoke in Arabic from the Qur’an, before reading the text to the Soldiers in English. After the reading of the scripture the United States Sergeants Major Academy Choir preformed during the breakfast. The guest speaker for the event was retired Chaplain (Col.) John W. Brinsfield, historian, United States Chaplain Center and School. Brinsfield started by telling the Fort Bliss air defenders how grateful he is for their service. While he was in Saudi Arabia (Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm) he fell under six Scud attacks, said Brinsfield. He said that he watched one of the Scuds as it was shot down by a Patriot missile. “That Patriot missile was like a lightning bolt of God’s judgment,” Brinsfield said. Brinsfield spoke to the troops about the importance of maintaining one’s faith and continuing in prayer during the hard times of one’s military career. He gave examples of Soldiers maintaining their faith through dire circumstances. He also shared a story of how Gen. George S. Patton encouraged his men to pray during World War II. “He told his men ‘With prayer we cannot fail,’” Brinsfield told the crowd. Patton ordered a training letter to be issued on prayer and had a prayer for better weather written for his Soldiers and ordered 250,000 copies be distributed among the troops. Within days the rain that hampered Patton’s advance cleared and his troops went on to victory. “Too many times prayer is used as a last resort,” Brinsfield told the Soldiers, “it needs to be used first.”