By Roseline Twagiramariya
Staff writer
Whether you are a lion or a gazelle, you better be ready when the sun comes up. Whether you are the gazelle trying to outrun the lion to save your life or the lion that must catch the gazelle to feed her cubs, you must be ready, you must be brave and you must believe in yourself.
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| Chaplain (Col.) Clarke McGriff speaks at Waybur Theater to Co. C 1/46th Inf. McGriff spoke to Cadets about his time in the Army and shared inspirational stories about Army history during the talk. Photo by Ryan Stone |
McGriff, recently appointed command chaplain of the Training and Doctrine Command at
With more of than half their LTC training completed and one week until graduation, the message couldn't come at a better time.
“This profession is not for the weak at heart,” McGriff said. “If you are going to join the ranks, you must be brave.”
He also thanked the Cadets for their first brave decision which was deciding to wear an Army uniform.
He pointed out that so few have chosen to do so out of “the 300 million people who call themselves Americans.”
While bravery has been an important part of his success, McGriff made sure the Cadets understood it was not enough by itself. One must also be balanced.
He said a Soldier’s uniform has two sides. The left represents the U.S. Army and signifies a collective unit in which the Soldier has his respective role. The right side includes the name and represents the individual wearing that uniform.
“You have to take the time out for yourself, your family and your education,” McGriff said. “It is when both sides of the uniform are combined that you truly become Army strong.”
For Charlie Co.’s Justin Pascale, the message by McGriff was important because he talked about values he models his life after.
“It was an extremely motivating message because he was encouraging us all to keep doing what we are doing,” Pascale said.
Last but not least, McGriff told the Cadets they must be blessed.
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| Co. C 1/46th Inf. Cadets listen as Army Chaplain (Col.) Clarke McGriff discusses the tools that will help them become successful Soldiers. Photo by Ryan Stone |
McGriff also talked about his life and the journey that led him to a career as a chaplain. As a husband and father of four, he also used the three Bs to help guide him in life.
McGriff added that by making the decision to serve the country, Cadets were now blessings to the people whose liberty and rights they protect.
“Never have so few given so much for so many,” McGriff said.
He told Cadets they must believe in something and, most importantly, believe in themselves. He thanked them for making the choice to be at LTC.
“I salute your decision to be here,” he said. “What you choose today will impact and determine tomorrow.”
Cadet Stephanie Solomon, a student at the