Spiritual Boot Camp
FOR U.S. ARMED FORCES RECRUITS
May 16-18, 2025
The Retreat at Center Hill Lake, Smithville, TN.
1. PURPOSE:
This program is to help prepare incoming recruits to the U.S. Armed Forces to understand and appreciate the importance of spirituality and faith in their transition to military service.
Entering the military is one of the most important turning points in a young person’s life which often determines the trajectory for rest of his or her future. As they begin their training regimen new recruits will encounter culture shock, temptations and a bewildering array of choices which can undermine their religious teachings and beliefs about Jesus Christ as savior. This program is a preventive effort by bringing Active Duty Christians from each Service Branch alongside recruits as mentors to share their experiences, knowledge of military culture, and describe how faith and church involvement both impacts and is impacted by their military experience.
2. GOALS:
a. Introduce incoming recruits to the cultural and spiritual aspects of military life as means to ground them in their faith throughout their military career
b. Let recruits see the role faith and spirituality play in preparing them as warriors
c. Recruits see how military members express their faith and what challenges recruits can experience
d. Establish mentoring relationship between recruits and veteran military Christians
3. LESSONS:
a. Battle Ready: The Christian and War
b. A Warfighter Looks at Spiritual Armor from
c. ‘We Band of Brothers:’ Importance of Christian, Church & Family Relationships
d. Fit to Fight: Developing the Warrior’s Spiritual Resiliency
e. Spiritual Vectoring: Managing Transitions & Finding Peace
f. These topics align with the AMEN Military Ministry Vision of Building the Love of God in
the Heart of the Warrior using material from books including God’s Word for Warriors by
Dr. Tom Seals (USMC), Spiritual Battle Rattle Edited by Ed Linebaugh (Army) and Under
Orders by Chaplain William McCoy (Army) in addition to discussion groups, interactive
events, and reflective materials.
4. FORMAT:
A Friday evening through Sunday morning retreat for a maximum of 50 participants.
Contracted date is 16-18 May 2025 at The Retreat at Center Hill Lake, Smithville, TN.
5. COSTS:
To be determined based on selection of retreat facility, travel expense for presenters, books & supplies. Cost prorated per individual attendee with fundraising sponsorship requests made to churches and individuals to help offset cost per attendee.
6. PUBLICITY:
Make known through notices to AMEN Ministry Key Man network, articles in Christian Chronicle, Christian college web site boards, and to Armed Forces Recruiting Districts in TN area
7. FACILITATOR:
Host and lead facilitator is AMEN Ministry Director Dennis Saucier, Ch, Lt Col, USAF (Ret) who has 20 years of active-duty service as a chaplain and over five years as a Pastoral Care Program Facilitator for the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps. Veteran members from each Service Branch will be recruited as guides for their respective recruits.