Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
At age thirty-four, David McElwain was recruited into a Navy Reserve unit near Battle Creek, Michigan. A friend, who was already in the Reserve unit, knew of an opening and knew of just the right man to fill it! David was an ordained minister and was serving the congregation of a church in Michigan.
Among the requirements of becoming a Chaplain included being an ordained minister or having performed in a similar field such as counseling. Once he became a Navy Reservist, he went on to Chaplain's School at Newport, Rhode Island.
This is a school for entry level persons provided by the US Navy. Here, new people learn to be Navy Officers and the entire rank structure of the branch. They learn how to write and route paperwork so that things happen. A US Marine Gunnery Sergeant was assigned to each class to teach physical conditioning, drill and ceremonies, wear of the uniform, and marching -among other things.
In a time frame of about 9 months, training including the school and additional learning opportunities took place. Since no employer is sure how things will work out for any employee, long assignments are uncommon. David's first assignment was for two years only and he was sent to Guam. He was a married man and his wife, a nurse, accompanied him on this assignment.
The work on Guam was administering to the needs of the US Navy and Marines assigned to Naval Base Guam. This base was home for five large ships which served various duties in the area.
David took advantage of an opportunity to tour the island. He got the first hand looks at the mass of tunnels dug and covered up by the Japanese so as to protect themselves in WWII.
US forces became involved in an effort called Desert Storm while David was at Guam. The way that affected the men situated there was that they now delivered war inventories to pre-positioning sites so that the supplies could be picked up by oncoming units.
This first assignment provided David a real perspective of life in the US Navy and how best to fulfill his role in serving those he came into contact with. Towards the end of this, the person who actually directed his future -called a "detailer" knew that this Chaplain was required to serve aboard a ship.
The next move was to Mayport, Florida. This Naval Base is located near the Port of Jacksonville. David served first on an Aegis-class Cruiser. While the change of station and assignment is taking place, David and his wife are in the process of adopting children. He had to use up some leave time so they could travel to Costa Rica for introductions to four children. He made it clear to the adoption agency that he was likely to be deploying on sea duty at any time.
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