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FORT LIBERTY, N.C. - The Fort Liberty Religious Support Office hosted a Religious Leadership Summit at the Iron Mike Conference Center on April 10, 2024. The RSO welcomed several religious leaders, helping organizations and community leaders in the larger Fort Liberty area to participate in a scenario-based exercise to strengthen problem-solving skills, preparedness, and partnerships.
“This Religious Leadership Summit was a second iteration of an innovative plan from the RSO to make intentional and meaningful connections with the religious communities outside the Fort Liberty gates,” said the Fort Liberty Garrison Chaplain, Col. James Foster. “The intent was to exercise our civilian counterparts in a small emergency management scenario where we might have to pull together and provide ministry and care to a significant part of our communities on and off the installation.”
Garrison Commander Col. John Wilcox and Chaplain Col. (retired) Ran Dolinger, a pastor, mentor, and civil leader, were guest speakers during the Summit.
“How do you plan for something that you don’t know is going to happen?” asked Dolinger. “A common goal is a good start and we will be known as people of faith by how we act in emergencies.”
There was a networking reception with coffee and pastries for over 100 participants before breakout sessions from notional scenarios based on a historical electrical substation attack and power outage. Two substations in Moore County, N.C., were vandalized with a small arms fire, and nearly 4,000 people lost power on December 3, 2022. Lack of replacement parts and lead times resulted in a four-day mass power outage.
Hospitals, fire and police stations, and critical support systems relied on generators. The weather during the power outage dropped below seasonal norms and froze at night. Government agencies enforced a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. The FBI opened an investigation and offered an award of $75,000 but made no arrest.
The breakout groups for the Religious Leadership Summit included:
• Retired Senior Chaplains, “Greybeards”
• Active Duty Chaplain sections and Unit Ministry Teams
• National Guard UMTs
• Reserve UMTs
• Regional religious organizations
The Summit helped educate, connect, and equip Fort Liberty and surrounding communities to better serve and support Service Members, Family members, Veterans, and DOD Civilians in times of conflict and crisis.
“We have gained a lot of lessons learned and received a lot of great feedback in addition to establishing more connections,” said Foster. “We will continue to connect and stretch our counterparts as we build teams and networks of mutual religious support for the great Soldiers of Fort Liberty.”
The Fort Liberty RSO team encouraged all the participants to attend a community lunch held every second Wednesday of the month at the Iron Mike Conference Center to stay engaged with current events on and off the installation.
A chaplain-led program, Operation Helping Hands, is another program the Fort Liberty RSO team shared during the Summit, which helps assist Soldiers and Families who are in need.
“Soldiers who need this one-time gift should contact their unit chaplain,” added Foster.
| Date Taken: | 04.12.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.12.2024 13:50 |
| Story ID: | 468446 |
| Location: | FORT LIBERTY, NC, US |
| Hometown: | FAYETTEVILLE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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