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Service members pledge their lives to the service of
others; while some serve their country for a few years
proudly and then move on as civilians, some devote their
entire lives, others pay in blood and go home physically or
emotionally wounded, while some give their lives. Chaplains
are service members who work to take care of those who are
called to serve, it’s their job to reinforce the spiritual
mettle of those who spend long months away from home and
deal with the daily stress that comes with holding a spot
with the world’s crisis response force.
Lt. Cmdr.
James Myers, a Pennsville, N. J., native, devoted his life
to the service of God, Corps and his country, and has always
worked toward supporting and taking care of others.
Throughout his 36 years of service, Myers never stopped
being a leader to his congregation or to the Marines under
his guidance. He’s currently serving as the chaplain of the
15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and continues to lead and
teach those around him.
“When I was a cadet at the
Citadel, I got to see the different branches of service,”
said Myers. “My father was in the Navy and my uncle was a
pilot, but I didn’t know which branch of service I wanted to
be a part of until I met with all the different branches.”
Myers could have followed the example set by his father
and joined the Navy, or let his love of aviation move him
toward the Air force, but unexpectedly Myers felt compelled
to join the United States Marine Corps.
“I noticed
something different about the Marines,” said Myers. “Marines
are a different breed, and I was really impressed with the
way the officers and staff non-commissioned officers cared
for those under them; actually taking the time to understand
them, getting to know them personally, and with that,
building the bond that separated them from the others.”
Myers set his mind on being a pilot after deciding on
joining the Marines. Myers graduated and became a Marine
aviator after getting the opportunity to go to flight
school.
“I loved every minute of my time being a
pilot,” said Myers. “Sometimes it was hard to believe I was
being paid to do the things I was doing.”
During his
time as a pilot from 1981 until 1987, Myers was passionate
about taking care of Marines. After leaving the Marine
Corps, he remained passionate about taking care of others
and felt called to serve in a different manner. This time
from behind a pulpit, he worked as a pastor for 12 years
influencing and bettering the lives of those around him.
“In 2008, my wife introduced me to a Navy article about
the need for chaplains,” said Myers. “I prayed about it, and
thought it through and ended up calling the recruiter. He
said there was a place for a guy like me. So in 2008, I came
back into the service with the Chaplain Corps.”
Myers got
a chance to see the world and experience a whole new side of
the military while working on multiple deployment rotations.
“I always loved getting to be a part of something like
this,” said Myers. “The MEU is as good a snapshot of the
military as you can ask for. It allows Marines and Sailors
to see almost all of our core components working together in
unison, and it can be a real learning and growing experience
for all those involved. I couldn’t be happier being a part
of it.”
Myers always goes above and beyond his call
of service. With men and women like him watching over the
Marines and Sailors with the 15th MEU, our service members
will not only be physically and mentally ready for the
upcoming deployment, but spiritually ready and resilient to
take on any and all challenges they may face.
By U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jacob Pruitt
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2017
The U.S. Marines
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