FORT BENNING, Ga. (Nov. 20, 2014) -- A Soldier stood on the side of the lake for hours trying to catch a fish, but no fish came. The Soldier didn't scream, get mad or give-up. Instead, he just stood there embracing the moment. How many times have you tried to reach out to your battle buddy and they didn't want to listen?
On Oct. 24, 2014, three Soldiers from 1st Battalion 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division spent their morning at Lake Oliver Marine 'fishing with God'.
"Taking the Soldiers away from Kelley Hill gives them a chance to relax and loosen up," said Capt. Oyedeji Idowu, the Chaplain for 1st Bn. 10th FA Regt., 3rd ABCT, 3rd ID. "By doing this, it allows me to talk to them and do a little mentoring."
Idowu said, "I'm trying to take one Soldier from each battery, sit down with them, and relax to see what they know about Army life and what it means to them."
Idowu provided them with tools they can use to support one another.
"Just spending three hours with the Soldiers meant a lot to me. They were able to open up and share their perspective on life, the Army and the stress they go through," said Idowu.
"I noticed real quick that the Soldiers were able to slow down and were happy to take part in the fishing trip," said Spc. Braden Lindsey, the chaplain's assistant, assigned to 1st Bn. 10th FA Regt., 3rd ABCT. "The time spent building morale with fellow Soldiers was an excellent change of pace."
They started the day off by casting out fishing lines and talking about some past fishing experiences they had with family back in their hometowns,he added.
The Soldiers all agreed that this is a good way to help renew the strength of every Soldier. They discussed life and shared some experiences, accomplishments and challenges they encountered since joining the Army, he said.
"The chaplain and I really got to know the three Soldiers during this time," said Lindsey.
Lindsey believes it gave an excellent experience on leadership, which is influencing Soldiers through motivation and inspiration.
Toward the end, a Soldier approached Idowu and said, 'Chaplain this has been the best experience since I've been on Kelley Hill these past two and half years.'
"Although, no one caught any fish, I was able to give those [Soldiers] some clarity of why the Army does things a certain way and still acknowledge some of their concerns," said Idowu.
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