Soldiers take time to participate in National Day of Prayer at FOB Salerno

Photo By Capt. Eric-James Estrada | U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Terry Gardner, senior enlisted adviser for the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, takes a moment to reflect and gather his thoughts in prayer as part of the National Day of Prayer at the base chapel on Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, May 4.  

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, AFGHANISTAN

05.04.2012

Story by Spc. Eric-James Estrada 

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division Public Affairs

KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Soldiers deployed to Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, participated in the National Day of Prayer, a day chosen by Congress, when people are encouraged to turn to God in prayer and meditation.

National Day of Prayer is an annual day of observance held on the first Thursday of May. It’s a tradition that dates back to the first Continental Congress and was formalized by law in 1952 as an annual day of observance.

“The National Day of Prayer is a long-lasting tradition within the United States since before even our founding, starting back in 1775 with the first Continental Congress,” said U.S. Army Maj. Kenneth Bolin, chaplain for the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division. Bolin hails from Manlius, Ill. “It is a day dedicated to praying not just for personal request, but also for the overall common good.”

Many people are unaware that such a day exists when the nation as a whole is provided the opportunity to unite in prayer, regardless of religion and be thankful for their current blessings and seek help for the challenges to come in peoples future.

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Teresa Diggs, S-4 NCOIC for 725th Brigade Support Battalion (Airborne), Task Force 4-25, hailing from Raleigh, N.C., was grateful for the event.

“I think that it’s just great for people to serve the Lord,” Diggs said. “This is just a great moment. I’ve been in the service for a while and this is the first time I’ve ever heard of a national prayer day. This was something to definitely be a part of. The prayers were awesome. The leaders and the speakers, everything was good and I was really touched by it.”

For the soldiers serving in the Spartan brigade, it is but a fracture of time that they give up to find solace and guidance during their mission here in Afghanistan.

“What we are doing in Task Force Spartan is dedicating just a small amount of time today to praying for our new leaders, both civilian and military,” Bolin said. “In a few days, we’ll actually go up in helicopters and we will pray across out battle space, not only for our own soldiers, but also for the Afghan civilians that live in the villages that we are here to support.”

• Date Taken: 05.04.2012
• Date Posted: 05.08.2012 00:25
• Story ID: 88065
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, AF
• Hometown: RALEIGH, NC, US