RED CLOUD GARRISON SOUTH KOREA - Col. Larry 'Pepper' Jackson, USAG-RC commander, once said it is our primary function as Soldiers and American citizens to make a positive impact on our Korean neighbor's lives to implement the Good Neighbor Program for all Soldiers and Family members in Warrior Country. The program's intent is to accomplish Jackson's intent, and much more, by allowing Soldiers to volunteer to do community service in Korea.
Maj. Fredrick Garcia, Warrior Country chaplain, was recognized June 2 for his outstanding efforts in being a good neighbor to the faculty and staff of Shin Heung College. The ceremony recognized Garcia for teaching Effective Communications to the faculty members of Shin Heung College, and helping them become certified.
"My role is, and always has been, to be a good neighbor as a Soldier, and as a chaplain, representing the USAG-Red Cloud command and the Good Neighbor Program, which is a commander's program, so I represented Col. Jackson himself as a good neighbor to the Korean community and to Shin Heung College."
Garcia began teaching at Shin Heung College in November 2008 when he met Dr. Sung Hyun Kang, member of the Shin Heung College faculty. After Kang and Garcia discussed their religious beliefs, Kang explained to Garcia that Shin Heung College is a Christian School. Garcia and Kang began planning an Effective Communications class in which Garcia could assist Kang in teaching the class to the faculty members at the college.
"Chaplain Garcia and I started planning for this class around Thanksgiving," Kang said. "I do not think any of this would have been possible without his help."
"I am amazed how humble the Korean people are," Garcia said. "Dr. Kang told me that I would be teaching a few professors, but I did not expect to be teaching those with doctorates. I only have a master's degree. They were so kind and eager to hear what I had to say about effective communications. This is my fourth time being in Korea. I absolutely love it here and the Korean people. Each time I have always tried to be involved in the community, whether speaking at a Korean chapel or just being a friend to the Korean people."
Garcia went on to say he wanted to make an impact on the professors because they gave him an opportunity to teach.
"We should love our neighbors as ourselves," Garcia said. "As a chaplain and a Christian my responsibility is to love my neighbors as myself and by doing so I am not only fulfilling my Christian values but also the mandate God gave me to love my neighbors as myself."
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