Celebrating Your Service: Faith, Family, Country
WANT TO GO?
- What: “Celebrating Your Service: Faith, Family, Country”
- When: Thursday, Feb. 1, 6 p.m.
- Where: Camp Shelby, Dalton Hall
- Free tickets: Visit Celebrating Your Service
WCU honors the military with “Celebrating Your Service”
William Carey University's Office of Military Engagement invites the military community and the public to a Feb. 1 event at Camp Shelby – “Celebrating Your Service: Faith, Family, Country.”
The guest speaker will be retired U.S. Army Ranger Jeff Struecker, who served in Somalia during a civil war. In the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, the 24-year-old sergeant and squad leader was assigned to Task Force Ranger as a part of the 75th Ranger Regiment. During the battle, Struecker led a three-vehicle convoy through intense fire to bring a private severely wounded in a fall from a Black Hawk helicopter back to base.
Struecker was awarded the Silver Star. His actions in Mogadishu were featured in the movie, “Black Hawk Down,” which received four Academy Award nominations.
A soldier’s witness
Struecker also served as a U.S. Army chaplain. As part of his story, he will share his Christian witness with the audience.
“If you’re living your life simply looking for comfort and convenience, you will never become the warrior that God created you to be,” Struecker says.
“God is sending us to go out and to impact the world for Jesus. In fact, the holy spirit punched me in the face and helped me realize, Jeff, your job as a Christian soldier is not just to prepare warriors to meet the enemy. It's to prepare them for eternity.”
Dr. Brett Golson, WCU vice president of spiritual development, helped organize the event.
“Jeff is true patriot and a passionate follower of Christ. His message is the Carey message—Faith, Family, Country. I am proud he will be our speaker for the William Carey University Office of Military Engagement’s event this year,” Golson said.
“Celebrating Your Service” will be held at Camp Shelby’s Dalton Hall on Feb. 1. The event starts at 6 p.m. Maps are available at the South Gate and signs will point to the venue. Admission is free, but seating is limited. To reserve tickets, visit Celebrating Your Service.
About Jeff Struecker
At age 18, Jeff Struecker enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman. He retired as a chaplain with more than 22 years of active service. In 2017, he was inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame.
Struecker served for 10 years in the 75th Ranger Regiment in positions from private to platoon sergeant. While serving in this unit, Struecker won the David L. Grange Best Ranger Competition in 1996. He taught ROTC at the University of Louisville and was recognized in 1998 as the US Army ROTC, Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. Jeff spent his final 10 years in the U.S. Army serving as a chaplain in Airborne and Ranger units.
His combat experience includes the invasion of Panama, Operation Desert Storm, Black Hawk Down in Somalia, and more than a dozen combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Struecker has been awarded many medals for valor in combat and service in the U.S. Army.
Struecker holds a Ph.D. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., along with several other earned and honorary degrees. He is lead pastor of 2 Cities Church in Columbus, Ga. He is an award-winning author with five books in print. He and his wife, Dawn, have five children and four grandchildren.
Questions? Call (601) 318-6115.
Celebrating Your Service: Faith, Fami...
Date and Time
Thursday Feb 1, 2024
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM CST
WANT TO GO?
- What: “Celebrating Your Service: Faith, Family, Country”
- When: Thursday, Feb. 1, 6 p.m.
- Where: Camp Shelby, Dalton Hall
- Free tickets: Visit Celebrating Your Service
Location
Dolton Hall
1490 14th Street
Hattiesburg, MS 39407
Fees/Admission
Free tickets
Questions? Call (601) 318-6115.
Website
