Famed American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Martin Luther the Reformer is one of the most extraordinary persons in history and has left a deeper impression of his presence in the modern world than any other except Columbus."
10th Combat Aviation Brigade Soldiers were afforded the rare opportunity to celebrate Luther's life and the 500-year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation on location in Wittenberg, Germany on May 26-27.
"Without Luther there would be no America," said Maj. Charles Scott, chaplain for Task Force Falcon, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (LI). "That might seem like an overstatement, but I don't think it is. Taking Soldiers on this Leader Professional Development event provided the opportunity to show the link from Europe to America; how Luther and the other Reformers who followed influenced our American founding principles."
Some of the first settlers of America were Protestant Reformers. They sought religious liberty, freedom from state enforced religion and the ability to practice worship according to their own dictates. Martin Luther, who posted his "95 Theses" on the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517, began the questioning of a unified religious and political society. This act built momentum over time and, in conjunction with the ideals that went along with the Reformation's movement, effectively laid the groundwork for the United States' formation.
Scott said he developed the trip in hopes of showing Soldiers and their families just how much the world has changed in 500 years and the impact leadership can have on shaping the future.
"The amount of courage that Luther and other Reformers demonstrated was staggering," Scott said. "Many paid the ultimate price for what they believed. True leadership takes courage."
For Soldiers and their Families who attended, the message Scott had honed in on resonated and being able to physically visit a location with such historical significance was a privilege they won't soon forget.
"The LPD was a great way to go back into history and rediscover how Martin Luther unknowingly led a movement of reformation to the Lutheran Church as we know it today," said Staff Sgt. Esse Agnegue, a chaplain assistant with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade.
Approximately 50 people participated in the two-day trip. They were able to tour the Wartburg Castle in Eisenach, the home a national exhibition titled "Luther and the Germans," which commemorates the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, and the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, where Luther's "95 Theses" was posted.
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