Photo By Maj. William Carraway | Major General Joe Jarrard, Adjutant General of the Georgia Department of Defense...... read more read more
Subscribe
The Georgia Department of Defense marked a transfer of spiritual leadership during a changing of the stole ceremony at the Clay National Guard Center Friday. The ceremony also marked the retirement of State Chaplain Col. Michael Summers following 24 years of military service.
“Chaplain Summers began his career in 1993,” Noted Maj. Gen. Joe Jarrard, Adjutant General of the Ga. DoD. “It is bittersweet, but we are very blessed that his time in uniform resided her in Georgia for a period of time. We are very proud of his service.”
Chaplain Summers served as the state chaplain for nearly four years. He has served in the Active Army, Tennessee and Georgia Army National Guard and is a veteran of three mobilizations, most recently to Afghanistan.
The incoming State Chaplain, Lt. Col. Blair Davis, is a 20-year veteran of the Georgia Army National Guard who deployed to Afghanistan in 2015 as the commander of the 139th Chaplain Detachment.
“We are blessed to have Chaplain Blair Davis here to accept the role of state chaplain,” said Jarrard. The Adjutant General also thanked Chaplain Brig. Gen. K. Edward Brandt, senior Army National Guard chaplain and U.S. Army deputy chief of chaplains for the National Guard for attending the ceremony.
During change of command ceremonies, it is traditional for the outgoing commander to transfer the unit’s guidon or colors to the incoming commander, symbolizing their transfer of authority. Similarly, the changing of the stole symbolizes the transfer of spiritual leadership. Chaplain Capt. Jon Pirtle, master of ceremonies, described the significance of the stole.
“The stole is a cloth which hangs from the neck of a clergyperson as an emblem of service which yokes the senior chaplain to the service of his chaplains, religious affairs specialists and every faith group represented in the Ga. Department of Defense,” said Pirtle. “It is also the emblem of responsibility for the faithful execution of the spiritual mission of the entire Chaplain Corps to every service member, family member and employee of the Ga. DoD.”
During the ceremony, Master Sgt. Rory Smith, senior enlisted religious affairs specialist for the Ga. DoD, presented the stole to Summers. Major General Jarrard then transferred the stole from Summers to Davis, symbolically transferring the mantle of responsibility to the new state chaplain.
“Thank you, General Jarrard, for the confidence you have expressed in me,” said Davis after the transfer of the stole. “I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to represent the men and women of the Georgia National Guard.”
At the conclusion of Davis’ remarks, Pirtle read the order officially retiring Chaplain Col. Summers from the Army National Guard. Maj. Gen. Jarrard presented the Legion of Merit to Chaplain Summers, then presented his wife, Morissa Summers, with the Georgia Commendation Medal. Then representatives from Ga. DoD commands presented Summers with mementos of his service and fond wishes for his future.
Chaplain Summers offered words of gratitude and farewell and recalled pivotal events of his career.
“I am very thankful to commanders I have had who inspired me with their vision along the way,” noted Summers. “And I couldn’t have been the chaplain that I have been without the dedicated, qualified and inspired enlisted religious affairs specialists. I thank you.”
While he has retired from the Georgia Army National Guard, this is not the end of Summers’ service. He will continue to serve as the minister for the Leavenworth Kansas Church of Christ.
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.22.2017 01:41 |
| Story ID: | 231213 |
| Location: | MARIETTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 599 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Changing of the Stole Marks Transition of Spiritual Leadership for the Ga. DoD, by MAJ William Carraway, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
