Book Description

he Reserve Components of the Armed Forces of the United States play a vital role in our National Defense efforts. Reserve units and personnel of all branches of the military have proven their mettle during the first two decades of the 21st Century, not only protecting the Homeland, but also deploying an untold number of times to multiple theaters of combat, fighting our nation’s battles overseas so that we do not have to fight them at home. We have pursued a long and costly, but necessary, campaign to ensure the freedom and safety of the ones we love. Now, we are well into the third decade of this century, and while members of the Reserve Components are still being deployed on operational missions, a greater emphasis is being placed on resetting the force and preparing for the next military challenge to be faced by our nation. This shift of emphasis means a greater focus on training, and that’s where this book of devotionals comes in. Annual Training is a ritual, a rite of passage, and a challenge for the drilling member of the Reserve Components. It means two or more weeks away from home and loved ones, and it means conducting rigorous, challenging, and, from time-to-time onerous, training, operations, and equipment maintenance. Annual Training can simultaneously be both the highlight of the training year, as well as a thorn in the side of a Service Member. It is an event to be anticipated and also dreaded in just about equal measures. Annual Training is a unique experience which can only really be understood by someone who has "been there and done that.” The purpose of this book is simple: to provide daily devotionals from the Christian Bible for troops attending Annual Training. Depending on the Reserve Component one is assigned to and the location where it is conducted, an Annual Training period can be 14, 15, or 17 days long. Reserve Component units that train overseas can be on duty for as much as 21 days. To split the difference, this book provides 17 days of devotionals. Please note that I have chosen to use the King James translation of the Scriptures in this book for several reasons. First, the King James Bible has historically been the most commonly used translation among Protestants. In addition, the New Testaments provided to troops by the Gideons are usually in the King James Version and so this book will complement their efforts. Finally, according to the American Bible Society, the King James text is in the public domain, which resolves any copyright issues over its use in this book. Feel free, however, to read the focal passage of each day’s devotion in the translation of the Bible that best suits your needs. Some of the included devotionals will have a military theme, but not all of them do. However, all of them do have a basis in Scripture and in the tenets of the Christian faith. I trust that they will encourage and sustain the reader during the trials and triumphs of Annual Training. Every blessing, Chaplain Otis Corbitt