FORT STEWART, Ga. - As community members from the Marne Division continue to graduate from Master Resiliency Training, the Third Infantry Division held the Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield Spiritual Resiliency Luncheon at Club Stewart, Oct. 13.
"Resiliency, as studied in the Army, is being able to bounce back from certain setbacks," Staff Sgt. Keith Wright, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team chaplain assistant, explains. "When you're faced with hard times, [spiritual resiliency] is how to bounce back spiritually. Whatever your faith or religious background may be, the stress or hard time is combated with that spiritual resilience."
Community leaders, Soldiers and Family Members enjoyed an afternoon of a buffet line self-served lunch. Club Stewart's Grand Ball Room welcomed guests with a prelude from the 3rd Inf. Div. Band, decorated round tables and a warm, midday meal.
Third Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Robert "Abe" Abrams extended his gratitude to the guests for attending the luncheon and introduced guest speaker Chap. (Col.) Barbara K. Sherer, assistant commandant, U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School.
Chaplain Sherer is an ordained Presbyterian minister and a member of Cimarron Presbytery. She has written publicized articles and is a co-author of a thriller series called Eden Thrillers. She said she felt a sense of honor to have been asked to speak at the luncheon.
"I thought it was an incredible honor to be asked to speak to the Marne Division," she shared. "I knew it was going to be a lot of fun because there are great people here, some old friends, some who I sort of knew and wanted to get to know better, and I had the opportunity to make new friends. I was honored to come and that honor has been extended into the great joy and fun in sharing this time with you."
Chaplain (Col.) Sherer enlightened the community about spiritual resiliency.
"Resilience is that ability to come back and spring back to whatever should be normal for you," she said. "The loneliness can really hamper that. It's hard to mold your life back to something that's worth living for when you feel like you're totally wrong in the process. . . You're not alone, get back in the game and get on with the mission. Rock of the Marne."
Following Chap. (Col.) Sherer's reflection on spiritual resiliency, Maj. Gen. Abrams presented her with a Rocky's plaque gift.
The luncheon concluded with the singing of the Marne Song and the Army Song.
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