Team Eglin celebrates National Day of Prayer

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. LuCelia Ball
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  More than 200 people gathered Feb. 6 to celebrate prayer and spiritual diversity while sharing breakfast at the Eglin Officers' Club.

The observance on military installations is an extension of the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. The history of the National Prayer Breakfast started in 1953, when it was established by members of the Senate and House prayer groups and President Eisenhower. The purpose was to bring together leadership to affirm the moral and spiritual values upon which the Nation is founded.

After the food was served, Chaplain (Col.) Richard Elliott, 96th Air Base Wing Chaplain, welcomed the crowd, followed by the performance of the National Anthem by the Eglin Voices of Harmony and an invocation by Dr. Maqsuud Mohammad, Eglin's Muslim lay leader.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate our nation's 54th annual anniversary of this observance," said Chaplain Elliott. "We've created a prayerful environment that binds us together today in our spiritual faiths."

Chaplain (Capt.) Chris Reeder, an Eglin Protestant Chaplain, then led a prayer for the nation, followed by a scripture reading by Mrs. Susan Huberty, the base's Catholic Parish coordinator.

Chaplain Elliott then introduced the event's guest speaker, Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Charles Baldwin, the Air Force Chief of Chaplains. The topic of Chaplain Baldwin's speech was "iGod meets iNeeds through iPrayer," an analogy of the power of prayer in modern times.

"Today is a tremendous opportunity for all of us to come together to talk about the spiritual power to overcome these challenging times," Chaplain Baldwin said. "Prayer is very real and connects all people. It is available to every citizen on this planet, from urban sprawl to the remote corners of the earth."

After the Chaplain's speech, the observance ended with the singing of a hymn by all attendees and a benediction delivered by Mrs. Wendy Snyder, Eglin's Jewish lay leader.