WEBVTT 00:07.949 --> 00:10.500 I commissioned on July the 1st 00:11.000 --> 00:14.750 2022 . I once heard that the Navy 00:14.789 --> 00:18.440 still allows older guys to be chaplain . 00:18.450 --> 00:21.950 At age 57 . I happened to be 57.5 . At 00:21.959 --> 00:25.760 that moment , it's been a very humbling 00:25.770 --> 00:28.079 process . Being one of the oldest guys 00:28.090 --> 00:30.090 to ever commissioned . According to 00:30.090 --> 00:32.270 Hartland Career Center where my 00:32.279 --> 00:35.110 recruiter was out of , she said you are 00:35.119 --> 00:38.060 the oldest non Catholic to ever 00:38.069 --> 00:40.709 commission in the Navy . She says now 00:40.720 --> 00:42.819 there's Catholics that have done it 00:42.830 --> 00:45.052 much later than you and they're some of 00:45.052 --> 00:47.163 my heroes , they've done it in 67 and 00:47.163 --> 00:50.939 68 . So how does it feel ? I feel like 00:50.950 --> 00:53.061 it's a perfect season of ministry for 00:53.061 --> 00:56.849 me because I no longer 00:56.860 --> 01:00.330 have much to prove all I'm here for 01:00.569 --> 01:03.509 is to assist and bring hope into our 01:03.580 --> 01:06.370 battalion . When I first met chap , it 01:06.379 --> 01:08.435 was basically a trial run as we were 01:08.435 --> 01:10.157 heading up to the mountains of 01:10.157 --> 01:12.212 Bridgeport , California for mountain 01:12.212 --> 01:14.550 exercise . One tack 24 seeing a six 01:14.559 --> 01:18.470 year old man uh at 8000 ft . I was 01:18.480 --> 01:20.730 pleasantly surprised he rose to the 01:20.739 --> 01:23.099 occasion and demonstrated his true grit . 01:23.319 --> 01:26.010 I had no idea how significant the role 01:26.019 --> 01:28.241 of the religious ministry team would be 01:28.241 --> 01:31.949 here in Kana , the Palawan and 01:31.959 --> 01:34.510 the incredible people of the Federated 01:34.519 --> 01:37.239 States of Micronesia . They're deeply 01:37.250 --> 01:41.069 religious and many of them have a 01:41.120 --> 01:43.569 kinship with me being a follower of 01:43.580 --> 01:45.636 Christ . One of the things that I've 01:45.636 --> 01:47.930 enjoyed about my part of the mission is 01:47.940 --> 01:51.709 that I literally get to go and meet 01:52.120 --> 01:54.529 business owners , government leaders , 01:54.660 --> 01:57.510 uh school teachers , uh local fishermen 01:58.269 --> 02:01.580 and just the community . Our role is 02:01.589 --> 02:04.370 not only meeting people , it's building 02:04.379 --> 02:06.489 relationships . He's not one to just 02:06.500 --> 02:08.500 stand behind a pulpit , stay in the 02:08.500 --> 02:10.444 office . He is out and about . And 02:10.444 --> 02:12.278 that's where he's been extremely 02:12.278 --> 02:14.444 effective for K wanted 24 in the local 02:14.444 --> 02:16.556 community . Where was the host nation 02:16.556 --> 02:18.778 most in need ? That's where he inserted 02:18.778 --> 02:20.944 himself and found an opportunity for K 02:20.944 --> 02:22.889 wanted to actively engage with the 02:22.889 --> 02:23.190 community to make a difference .