Letter: Memorial Day Is a Day to Remember and to Give Thanks for All Our Blessings

As the President Obama addresses the new graduates of our military academies, he sounds a note of moral responsibility to address the challenges of terrorism abroad, and insists that 26,000 sexual assaults against their own fellow service people must be stopped. 

Public pressure has been building on this issue, particularly with the revelations that officers in charge of investigating such violations have themselves been implicated, with their allegations of their own abuse. The President stated that if our armed forces are to be creditable than this nemesis of abuse in their authority roles must desist immediately as morale factors are critical in our armed forces. 

No armed force can function without moral, physical, and mental discipline.  There always will be a small percentage that need additional discipline, and my experience in training with the llth Airborne Division, in basic training, is that valuable lessons of survival and uplift are critical to command decisions that involve duty, honor, and country. 

Our own family has a strong military component in that U.S Navy Captain, Eric Jabs, and Captain Kathleen Jabs, a pioneer graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, with an extensive global military experience, in their own family still model values of church affiliation, family values, academic excellence, and physical exercise. Yet, they  have to monitor many in the military who require models of both excellence and discipline. 

According to recent reports the lack of proper diets  and exercise programs in our schools, has led to national obesity issues, and coupled  with the lack of sexual social discipline could even evolve into national security issues. King David, was a top military leader of ancient Israel, but like others in high command fell into adultery, yet, David with the help of Nathan, got back on the track and wrote the immortal 51st Psalm which spoke of both repentance and amendment of life. This is a great example for all officers who aspire to the stress and loneliness of higher command. With spiritual help, an officer can increase the power of resistance. 

However, let it be said as strongly as possible that in my experience viewing recent officer candidates at the National War College in Washington, D.C., and in observing the troops leaving for Afghanistan, right here in Columbia, that while flaws have to be addressed, and they are, the basic fitness of our troops who must change from the civilian life styles, to the discipline of military life styles is generally accomplished with much success. 

In the final analysis, as I visited with our son, Commander of the Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center, and viewed his work and responsibilities over a lengthy career of 28 years in such global  areas, as Africa, Iraq, Central America, and Afghanistan, and importantly, knowing that in addition to a full shelf of military strategy and history, is a copy of Dr. Martin Luther, and a copy of why a soldier can also serve his Lord. Former Chairman of the Chief of Staff John Vessey stated that a true officer knows that courage is really faith over fear, and the Bible is right in the midst of all the other books so that a Roman Battalion Commander,  called the Centurion, who when he saw the suffering of many in the Roman campaigns, now saw how Jesus Christ died, and that gave this officer a vision for the rest of his life. 

Dr. Albert Jabs

Lexington, S.C.