It is reported that 65% of veterans lose their faith in time of battle. Did you ever lose you faith and how did you regain it.

Sgt Joe LaBranche — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:27:54 -0500

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2016 9:29 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:29:00 -0500

I wouldn't say I lost mine. Just another perspective..

Response by MSgt Daniel Attilio made Mar 3 at 2016 9:38 PM

MSgt Daniel Attilio — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:38:29 -0500

Told Chaplain thank you but I'll put my faith in my EAAK this go round. They went to services and continued PM'ing weapons & vehicle.
Said my thanks and prayers after everything was over.

Response by GySgt John O'Donnell made Mar 3 at 2016 9:45 PM

GySgt John O'Donnell — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:45:34 -0500

It has been my experience that faith was stronger on the "field of battle", hence the adage "no such thing as a atheist in a fighting hole".
For me personally, there is a good chance that I would not be here today if not for the "Armor of God". That said, "church" (though I attend regularly) was not my primary focus, as was/is my personal spiritual relationship "in any clime or place". In God We Trust!!!

Response by SPC James Burkett II made Mar 3 at 2016 9:48 PM

SPC James Burkett II — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:48:50 -0500

That's a mixed question for me. I can say I never lost my faith in God bit I can say I my way. Before entering into the service I was a youth minister and after getting to Fort Hood I had became a media director for a local church but after returning from deployment I have not once went back to a church. In some ways it is in fear of the church bursting into flames. In the words of Five Finger Death Punch "I'm on the wrong side of Heaven and the righteous side of Hell" at least that's how it feels sometimes.

Response by SSG Trevor S. made Mar 3 at 2016 9:59 PM

SSG Trevor S. — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 21:59:08 -0500

I found a better grasp on mine. I'm not a firebrand but I do have inner faith.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2016 10:07 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 22:07:46 -0500

I had a waning faith through high school and my entry into the Marines. I actually ended up growing stronger in my religious beliefs while in Iraq. Some things require an explanation, and for me the easiest way to cope with the loss of close friends was to truly believe they were in a better place.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2016 11:05 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 23:05:57 -0500

I never really had "faith", I held a general belief that there was a God growing up. That was mainly because that's what people believed in were I grew up. My parents rarely took me to church.

That being said, my belief now is that there may or may not be a higher power.

After some terrible losses in Combat I did not believe there was a God, now I am unsure but haven't cared to search any deeper than that.

I do not believe in religions, and I do not believe that any man that walked this earth was God, nor do I believe they talked to god anymore than your modern preist or equivalent.

I would equate my faith to being lost somewhere that I do not want to be found.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2016 12:30 AM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 00:30:57 -0500

I didn't have any religious faith before deployment. Didn't have any after.

Response by TSgt Melissa Post made Mar 4 at 2016 1:28 AM

TSgt Melissa Post — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 01:28:50 -0500

I have never been in battle, but I have had battles in life. During those times, I find that I lean more on my faith than turn away from it. Without it, I don't know what I would turn to or how to get through a lot of things.

Response by Maj John Bell made Mar 4 at 2016 2:03 AM

Maj John Bell — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 02:03:20 -0500

As a pedestrian, my 12 year old son was hit by a car and killed. He didn't look both ways before he tried to cross the road. I blamed God. I am not a Catholic, but I had a strong liking of a Catholic Chaplain while I was at USNA. We sporadically kept in touch. I hadn't heard from him for almost five years since my son's death. He didn't give me the "mysterious ways" garbage or "Sam's with the angels". He said quite firmly: "God set out rules and God gave us free will. One of the rules is the body can only take so much trauma and recover, and Sam had the free will to look or not look both ways before he crossed the road. God does not arbitrarily sit around and decide who he will or will not save based on how much we love them. What kind of world would it be if God was capricious.? Grow up."

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2016 7:40 AM

CPO Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 07:40:25 -0500

It's difficult especially being out of your comfort zone, in harms way but I connect myself with other service members to remain focused and take care of all of us. While deployed they are my family ...

Response by SSG Ryan Moore made Mar 4 at 2016 8:06 AM

SSG Ryan Moore — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 08:06:53 -0500

Does losing faith that the Army is no longer an institution of growing and learning from your mistakes to a zero tolerance Army count??

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2016 8:17 AM

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 08:17:55 -0500

When you become accustomed to the Army treating its Soldiers a certain way, you place your faith in the hope that if you are ever in need of that same treatment it will happen. When the time comes and it doesn't happen, you lose your faith in the Army doing the right thing. You don't get it back. You try to maintain the minimum standard you can in order to reach the end. The country has lost its way and the military has lost its way. The only hope now is that it doesn't get worse.

Response by SSG Donald Mceuen made Mar 4 at 2016 8:30 AM

SSG Donald Mceuen — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 08:30:20 -0500

It got worse and i am working on it at this time of my life..

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2016 8:55 AM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 08:55:30 -0500

I have had my doubts, questions, but watching an IED go off and one of our guys walk away from the blast without an injury... to this day, my guys and I still talk about it... I had bullets hit near my head, a rocket bounce of my trailer, etc... too much coincidence possibly. Either way it was not my time and my belief is the Lord needs me here for something greater than I know. While my relationship with him is a train wreck, on my own doing, he is always faithful.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2016 11:54 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 11:54:52 -0500

I lost my faith when I returned home to a disaster. I felt that I had been left, when I trusted Him to keep my family safe and sound while away. I was sorely disappointed, and have struggled to get over it.
I realize that I was let down by a person, but it doesn't feel that way internally.