Table of Contents INTRODUCTION... 7 CHAPTER ONE... 10 HOOAH!!... 10 CHAPTER TWO... 15 ARE YOU MOTIVATED?... 15 CHAPTER THREE... 19 VICTORY STARTS HERE... 19 CHAPTER FOUR... 23 YOU RE FLAPPIN IN THE WIND... 23 CHAPTER FIVE... 27 YOU RE ALL ATE UP... 27 CHAPTER SIX... 30 DON T GO THERE... 30 CHAPTER SEVEN... 33 STAY IN YOUR LANE... 33 CHAPTER EIGHT... 36 DON T CHEAT YOUR BODY... 36 CHAPTER NINE... 39 SAY IT AIN T SO... 39 CHAPTER TEN... 42 PUT SOME SHINE ON THOSE BOOTS... 42 CHAPTER ELEVEN... 47 DON T FORGET THE EDGE DRESSING... 47 4
CHAPTER TWELVE... 50 TREE AND NINER?... 50 CHAPTER THIRTEEN... 53 I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I WANT MORE OF IT... 53 CHAPTER 14... 61 HOW DOES THAT HELP PRIVATE JONES?... 61 CHAPTER 15... 63 BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT... 63 CHAPTER 16... 66 YOU ARE SQUARED AWAY... 66 CHAPTER 17... 69 JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN... 69 CHAPTER 18... 72 KEEP IT SHORT CHAPLAIN... 72 CHAPTER 19... 75 AS YOU WERE PLEASE... 75 CHAPTER 20... 79 SMOKED LIKE A CHEAP CIGAR... 79 CHAPTER 21... 83 SALUTE THE COLORS... 83 CHAPTER 22... 88 SIR/MA AM, IT S YOUR MASTER RELIGIOUS PROGRAM... 88 CHAPTER 23... 91 5
HERE WE GO AGAIN SAME OL STUFF AGAIN... 91 CHAPTER 24... 94 IF IT AIN T RAININ, WE AIN T TRAININ... 94 CHAPTER 25... 97 YOU RE RUNNING A SHAKY OPERATION... 97 CHAPTER 26... 100 KUWAIT, IRAQ, AGHANISTAN... 100 CONCLUSION... 107 6
INTRODUCTION No experience in life matches that of the United States Army. The Army environment produces a unique flavor that no other organization on the planet can equal. Over two hundred years of existence have formed traditions, nuances, standards, and modes of operation that accomplish the mission of this great organization with success. The Army demands certain dress, behavior, and methods which seek to standardize every element of life so that people of all cultures from across the fruited plain can operate under the stress of combat with universal understanding. The individualistic tendencies of civilian life have little place in the United States Army. The Army creates its own environment. One of the most colorful aspects of this unique environment Army is the Army vocabulary. The Army vocabulary reduces complex thoughts to their most common denominator with a comical demeanor. Often without thought to proper grammar, the bottom line for Army vocabulary is: Does it communicate the message with effectiveness and simplicity? In combat situations and in high pressure training, nobody cares about proper English, or whether or not it hurts somebody s feelings. The thought must be conveyed quickly. Lives are at stake, 7
and the private from Brooklyn must be able to understand the order given from the California corporal without hesitation. Army vocabulary transcends all racial, educational and social barriers. Anybody who has been around the Army for a short time understands, You re all ate-up. Whether a person is black, yellow, white, green or in between, the simplicity of this statement shoots straight at the issue. The college educated Army doctor as well as the new recruit fresh from high school catch the essence of this message without delay. This concise phrase communicates disorganization and sloppy preparedness to Bubba from Texas as well as Joe from Jersey. As I made my transition from being a Pentecostal minister from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area of Texas to becoming an Army chaplain, my first stop was a three month stay at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for the Chaplain Officer Basic Course. I soon realized that these people spoke a unique language based upon positive motivation and attitude. The Ft. Jackson culture pivoted around a term that I had never heard before. This new word which soon became second nature to my vocabulary was, HOOAH!! The meaning of HOOAH greatly depends upon its context, but the root meaning implies motivation 8
and a positive attitude. We will explore more meanings of HOOAH in chapter one, but the crux of the meaning, being positive motivation and attitude, supplies the inspiration for this book. Successful Army living requires a discipline only found with those who are motivated and have a positive outlook on life. Good soldiers carry a HOOAH in their soul that expresses itself in everything they do. Thus, I intend to explore and impart to you positive spiritual motivation through the pages of this book, THE HOOAH FACTOR! Paul compares Christian living to the life of a soldier. Soldiers must stay motivated and maintain discipline with a victorious attitude. This book was written during my off time over a course of 15 years of military ministry. My prayer for you is that these experiences from an Army chaplain will supply you with insights that put a HOOAH in your soul and victory in your life. 9
CHAPTER ONE HOOAH!! HOOAH almost defines itself. When pronounced enthusiastically and from down deep inside, HOOAH conveys its intended meaning. As discussed in the introduction, HOOAH has no specific definition. It promotes motivation, a positive outlook, and a good attitude. The context of the use determines the actual meaning of the word. An Airborne paratrooper always makes a fine example for an Army illustration. A soldier has an anvil worth of weighty gear on his back. He is flying a few thousand feet up in the air knowing that he has to jump out of a perfectly good airplane when the signal is given. Any sane person would evaluate the possibilities of something going wrong and going to meet his Maker before his scheduled appointment. If he thinks too long about the possibilities of failure, he will surely sabotage a successful jump. He must generate a positive outlook which minimizes failure and focuses on success. The Airborne soldier quickly focuses on how well trained he has been up to this point. Surely those who have prepared him up to this point really know what they are doing, he reassures himself. He then thinks about the excitement of being up in the air and 10