Chapter 4
The Shepherd's Four Roles
Dr. Anthony Randall emerges as a multifaceted force for good-a 24-year Army veteran who served as Ranger, master parachutist, and chaplain. Beyond his military credentials, he holds advanced divinity degrees, entrepreneurial experience, and martial arts mastery. Yet the shepherd's crook in his office best symbolizes his calling, representing his ministry philosophy: serving as shepherd to a flock through four essential roles-pastor, priest, prophet, and person.
Anthony's journey to becoming a chaplain was unexpected. In 1999, he was a young airborne Ranger who loved parachuting as a jumpmaster. With West Point behind him and Special Forces ahead, his dreams were derailed when his retina detached during a training jump. Initially angry at the Army and God, he left military service for corporate success. Then came the pivotal moment-waking at 2 a.m. laughing in his sleep, he asked his spiritually discerning wife if the Holy Spirit had spoken to her. Indeed, she'd received a message that Anthony should return to military service-not as an engineer but as a chaplain, shocking anyone who knew him as a young lieutenant.
Anthony and his wife embraced God's calling without hesitation, sacrificing financial security by selling everything and moving to Denver for seminary. Despite reducing their income from six figures to under $20,000, they never missed a bill payment-"God always provided." After seminary, Anthony deployed to Iraq for fifteen months, followed by six more deployments with special operators.
His pastoral role manifested in unexpected ways, like when a tough-as-nails special operator attended just one chapel service during his fifteenth deployment. Months later, the operator revealed that a single scripture from Psalm 31:15-"My time is in Your hands"-had become his lifeline during solo missions, transforming his fear into faith.
As a prophetic voice, Anthony spoke truth to power regardless of rank-"I don't care if you're a private or a four-star general." During the Ferguson riots, when the Gospel Service building at Fort Benning was closed for renovations and no one would help the predominantly Black congregation find worship space, Anthony merged his majority-white contemporary service with the historically Black congregation. Rather than alternating worship styles, they integrated their bands and co-taught sermons from rocking chairs on stage, creating a powerful visual of racial reconciliation.
Anthony processes his own trauma by honoring the eighteen friends he lost in combat, dedicating private moments each month with a cigar and bourbon to remember them. His authenticity as a person, not just a chaplain, creates the intimate community that draws warriors close under his gentle guidance. Throughout his deployments, Anthony relied on the shield of faith, praying words his father taught him from Second Kings, which protected him from multiple close calls with death.
Anthony's greatest gift is knowing exactly what his warriors need-pastor, priest, prophet, or simply person-showing them they are worthy of joy not because of who they are, but Whose they are.
Chapter 5
Prayer in the Cockpit
Lieutenant Commanders Christopher and Angela Baker, a husband-and-wife aviator duo in the US Navy, share not just their call sign "Shake 'n' Bake" but also their deep faith and prayers for soldiers below. Their paths to becoming pilots couldn't have been more different-Chris entered the Navy after a chance conversation at an "International Beers of the World party," while Angie faced numerous rejections before finally transferring from the Air Force to the Navy.
Military life kept the Bakers separated, with Angie flying in Hawaii while Chris was stationed in Washington. During combat missions over Afghanistan, both experienced the power of prayer. Chris had a transformative experience during SERE training when, placed in excruciating pain by interrogators who mockingly suggested he ask God for relief, he prayed silently and felt the pain instantly vanish.
Both pilots relied on prayer during high-risk missions-Angie when taking incoming fire over Afghanistan or when losing an engine over Japan, Chris during night operations. They prayed not just for each other but especially for ground troops below, whom they could see engaged in firefights. In a touching moment, Angie shared with special operators that the "eyes in the sky" were covering them in prayer, which deeply moved the warriors.
While flying separate missions over Afghanistan, they unknowingly operated in the same airspace-each praying intensely for the other's safety. Angie faced incoming fire despite being told her altitude would keep her safe, making split-second decisions while praying for guidance. During a twelve-hour mission off Japan when her plane lost an engine over water, she found peace knowing they were in God's hands regardless of outcome.
For these elite naval aviators, prayer helps them "recage the gyros"-aviation terminology for reestablishing orientation. Chris explains that prayer helps him "stay grounded" and "focus on what's important to get the mission done." Just as pilots rely on gyroscopes for orientation, the Bakers rely on God as their fixed position, their true north. These decorated naval aviators, entrusted with classified technology and human lives, found that by focusing on faith first, they could execute their crucial missions without fear, knowing their loved ones and fellow warriors were in God's hands-eyes in the sky covered by the ultimate watchful eye of their Heavenly Father.
The Bakers remain committed to raising their children with strong faith and teaching them about prayer's power-that sometimes prayers are answered immediately, sometimes not, but God's plan always unfolds beautifully.
Chapter 6
Combat Medicine and Divine Calm
US Army Combat Medic Jessica Harris possessed exceptional calm and capability in medical emergencies, with a dry wit that could make patients laugh even in dire circumstances. Though eager to serve in combat, her deployment requests were repeatedly denied while she watched friends deploy without her. When finally assigned to Iraq in 2008 as senior medic for the 1-303 Cavalry Regiment, the gravity of her responsibility hit her just before departure.
Alone in a bathroom at Fort McCoy, she broke down crying-the only time during her service-as she contemplated her duty to keep an entire unit of young soldiers alive. Two medic friends had already been killed in Iraq, intensifying her fears of freezing under pressure despite years of training. In that moment of vulnerability, she turned to God in desperate prayer, asking for the courage to step up when needed, clinging to the Combat Medic Prayer she kept tucked in her Army Bible.
When Jessica's courage was tested six months into her deployment, God answered her prayers. Responding to a unit hit by an explosively formed projectile (EFP), Jessica raced toward the scene where she could see flashes of small arms fire. After a quick prayer for preparedness, she approached the wounded despite initial orders to stay in her vehicle.
Upon reaching the casualties, Jessica found three severely wounded soldiers, one with a head injury and another with his hamstring blown out. The Texas National Guard soldiers were shocked to see a female medic, prompting Jessica's humorous response: "You don't have your own medic, this is what you get!" Though her hands shook as she reached for morphine, a wave of calm suddenly washed over her after administering it-"like I'd given myself morphine"-which she recognized as God's presence. Her training kicked in perfectly as she moved fluidly between patients while her squad secured the area and even removed a streetlight to allow helicopter evacuation.
Reading her Bible while deployed in the Middle East gave Jessica profound perspective, connecting ancient biblical battles to her present location. She struggled with faith questions when good people died, including friends killed in Afghanistan and others lost to injuries or suicide after returning home. Though initially angry and questioning why God would allow such losses, Jessica's faith grew stronger over time.
She came to view her military experiences as "a great gift" that changed her perspective on life's purpose and value. While she still wrestles with why such tragedies happen, her faith assures her of eventual reunion with lost friends: "Through faith in God, I know that I'm going to be reunited with those friends again. I'll see God. I'll see them. We'll all be Home." God prepared Jessica her entire life to be at the right place with the right skills when wounded warriors needed her-an angel in a helmet reassuring her fellow soldiers, "I've got this."
Chapter 7
Surviving the Hanoi Hilton
Captain Charlie "Plumber" Plumb, a Naval Academy graduate and Top Gun fighter pilot, had flown 74 successful combat missions over Vietnam when his F-4 Phantom was shot down near Hanoi in May 1967-just five days before completing his tour. Captured and imprisoned for 2,103 days, Plumb endured brutal torture but found spiritual freedom through secret worship.
After his F-4 Phantom was hit by a surface-to-air missile, Charlie ejected near Hanoi while farmers shot at his descending parachute. Landing waist-deep in a rice paddy, he was surrounded by villagers with farm tools in a scene he likens to "a Frankenstein movie." Taken to a French-built prison with cells too small for American frames, Charlie endured immediate torture, his wrists permanently scarred by tight manacles. Despite this ordeal, Charlie found comfort in faith: "I knew for sure there was a plan, that God was in control." When interrogators challenged him-"Why do you continue to call on your God? Don't you realize your God has forsaken you?"-their taunts only strengthened his convictions.
Despite his strong faith, Charlie's physical torture in solitary confinement was unbearable. Though the military code required POWs to provide only name, rank, and serial number, Charlie eventually broke under torture, leaving him consumed by guilt-a psychological prison worse than his physical one. "I didn't want to go home after the war," he confessed. "I thought I'd go to some other country and change my name. I didn't want anyone to know how I'd failed."
His breakthrough came unexpectedly when he discovered a wire coming through a rat hole in his cell, making cricket sounds-a potential communication from another prisoner. After an hour of internal debate, Charlie finally tugged at the wire protruding from his cell wall. This simple action connected him to Lieutenant Commander Bob Shumaker, who diagnosed Charlie with "prison disease"-blaming others, self-pity, and feeling helpless. Bob's cure was simple yet profound: "Keep the faith, baby!"-not just faith in God, but in yourself, country, and flag.
When transferred to the "Hanoi Hilton" with 56 other prisoners, Charlie found community despite terrible conditions. As a trained chaplain, he led secret worship services with a makeshift cross and altar they could quickly hide. The men staged a hunger strike to obtain a Bible, which guards confiscated after just 36 hours-but not before men copied portions onto toilet paper using bamboo quill pens.
For three consecutive Christmases, Charlie and fellow POW Danny Glenn created secret religious art despite certain punishment. First, a brick-dust Nativity scene, then a toilet-paper mosaic Christmas tree-both discovered and destroyed by guards who forced the men outside naked. For their third Christmas, they created shadow puppets of the Nativity using cigarette-candle light, celebrating early on December 22 with carols before discovery.
Charlie's final key to survival came through forgiveness. Bob Shumaker's wisdom via wire communication-"Anger does more harm to the vessel it is stored in than on the subject on which it's poured"-helped Charlie overcome his rage. Guided by his mother's philosophy that "to be offended you have to accept that offense," Charlie chose forgiveness over anger and guilt. After repatriation, he continued his Navy flying career for 31 years, earning numerous decorations including the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts. Charlie attributes his survival to three principles: attitude, the power of choice, and the knowledge that "no one flies alone."
Chapter 8
When Warriors Come Home Broken
Sarah Verardo has supported her husband Mike from their teenage years through his military service and devastating injuries. After Mike enlisted in the Army following 9/11, he joined the 82nd Airborne and deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. In April 2010, Mike was hit by two IEDs just fourteen days apart-the second catastrophically blowing off his left leg, most of his left arm, and burning 30% of his body. Though he flatlined multiple times during medevac, Mike survived.
Before Mike's deployment, Sarah viewed war risks as binary-either coming home or not coming home-never considering the "middle ground" wounded warriors inhabit. After the first blast threw him thirty feet, he chose to return to his unit despite heavy casualties (65% received Purple Hearts). On his first patrol back, he stepped on a Russian land mine the Taliban had rigged with homemade explosives, causing catastrophic injuries that left him "very seriously injured, expected dead on arrival."
Before proposing, Mike gave Sarah a Bible, telling her their purpose was to focus on "holiness not happiness" and get each other to heaven. This foundation sustained them through Mike's polytraumatic injuries requiring over 100 surgeries and years of therapy. When the Army medical board determined Mike "could not effectively evade live fire," crushing his hopes of continuing as a paratrooper, Sarah stepped in.
During Mike's three years of hospitalization, she'd walk the halls talking to God about how much more her husband could endure-especially when he'd wake from anesthesia screaming for his medic, believing he was back in Afghanistan. Through it all, Sarah clung to Romans 8:28, trusting God was "knitting all these incidents together for the greater good."
After moving to Rhode Island in 2013 for Mike's recuperation, he attended Mass daily, finding the strength to kneel despite his physical limitations. The VA's bureaucratic shortcomings created additional hardships-Sarah learned to pack Mike's wounds from YouTube videos and once had to duct-tape his broken prosthetic leg while waiting for a replacement.
By 2017, while pregnant with their third daughter, Sarah noticed Mike couldn't tell left from right. Neuropsychological evaluations revealed his traumatic brain injury was more severe than previously understood. On April 24, 2019-nine years to the day after his medevac-Mike underwent a twelve-hour surgery with doctors suggesting Sarah bring their children to say goodbye. Distraught, Sarah prayed repeatedly, "Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord fulfills His promises to her," finding peace in knowing "whatever happened was supposed to happen."
In October 2019, Michael had a heart attack that Sarah feared would take his life, yet he pulled through once again. When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, Sarah had to tell Michael, who was devastated and wished he could help. This inspired Sarah to take action, founding Save Our Allies to rescue Americans and allies in war zones. She also created a suicide prevention program and The Independence Fund to help wounded veterans.
Sarah embraces the one-sided nature of their relationship, seeing it as mirroring God's unconditional love. Despite missing the Mike she once knew, she finds strength in faith: "I feel covered in the Holy Spirit... God is telling me, it may not be okay right now, but it will be okay." Their family thrives on faith, with their three girls loving Jesus in a joyful home. Sarah's tremendous strength in managing nonprofits while caring for her family stems from her unwavering faith, making her "a walking angel among us."
Chapter 9
Healing the Invisible Wounds of War
Command Sergeant Major Tom Satterly, a highly decorated Delta Force special operator, faced his greatest battle after retiring from the Army. Despite his elite career spanning from the Battle of Mogadishu to the capture of Saddam Hussein, Tom's hardest fight came after service, when he would hold a gun to his head monthly, begging his wife Jen to let him take his life.
Jen and Tom founded the All Secure Foundation in 2017 to help special operators and their families heal from war trauma. Named after the radio call signaling that threats have been eliminated, their nonprofit serves thousands of families by addressing PTS through a holistic approach to body, mind, and spirit healing. During her years working alongside special operators, Jen recognized patterns of anger, anxiety, depression and isolation-symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress that affected not only the warriors but their families who often suffer from secondary PTS.
Jen and Tom realized that while treatments could address the body and mind, true healing required restoring the spirit through faith. Working with warfighters, Jen discovered many had abandoned their faith due to moral conflict. One young Ranger told her, "I'm going to hell anyway. So, it doesn't really matter what I do the whole rest of my life," believing his actions in war had condemned him. Many warriors struggled with the "Thou shalt not kill" commandment, not understanding the distinction between murder and warfare.
Tom's heaviest burden was moral injury. During combat, he operated robotically: "You train so hard so that you don't have to think. If you pause and think, you might end up dead." The damage came afterward, in the pause: "Then you, yourself, become the monster that you have to attack. You have to be a monster to fight a monster sometimes." His healing required tackling anger and alcohol before reconnecting with God. The crucial step was self-forgiveness. "Jen said to me, 'If Jesus can forgive, why can't you?'" This challenged Tom: "Why am I the holdout here? Why am I the guy that doesn't forgive people, when Jesus does it?"
A brain injury specialist provided crucial answers-Tom's brain had sustained significant damage, worse than a pro football player with twenty seasons. The doctor accurately listed Tom's symptoms: sleeplessness, rage, and saying things he didn't mean to say. Most relieving was learning that over-the-counter supplements could help treat his PTS. Understanding that Tom was physically injured-like having a broken limb that could heal-became foundational to their approach.
Prayer transformed Jen and Tom's healing journey. In their darkest moments-after horrific fights or when Tom put a gun to his head-Jen found Jesus was the only one she could turn to. The more she prayed, the more peace replaced her constant fear. Tom's healing accelerated too-after Jen's prayers, he would apologize within minutes instead of days. Tom admitted, "I was a monster. I hated myself," but through prayer and self-forgiveness, he found a way to love himself through Jesus, which allowed him to love others.
Holidays were particularly difficult for Tom, who admits ruining many Christmases. Unable to access the joy others felt, he experienced jealousy, resentment, and survivor's guilt-thinking about fallen comrades while watching people open presents. The turning point came when they centered Christmas on Christ-placing a portrait of baby Jesus in their living room, putting a manger beneath the tree, and focusing on giving rather than receiving.
Jen struggled with Tom calling her his "savior," feeling burdened by the pressure to fix him mentally, physically, and spiritually. When Tom found God, this pressure lifted. Jen embraced Howard Storm's analogy: rather than jumping into the water to rescue a drowning person, be a lighthouse on shore. With Jesus as their true Savior, their home transformed.
Chapter 10
The Legacy of Warriors' Faith
These remarkable stories reveal a profound truth: faith is not merely a comfort in wartime but often the decisive factor in survival, recovery, and purpose. From Tim Karcher's humor in the face of devastating injury to Charlie Plumb's secret worship services in the Hanoi Hilton, these warriors demonstrate how spiritual resilience transforms suffering into meaning.
What emerges most clearly is that faith in combat zones isn't abstract theology but practical survival. When Jessica Harris felt supernatural calm wash over her while treating wounded soldiers, or when Jeremiah Wilber experienced "soul stillness" amid firefights, they weren't engaging in philosophical exercises-they were receiving tangible divine assistance precisely when they needed it most.
Perhaps most striking is how these warriors' faith continues to sustain them long after the physical battles end. Tom Satterly's journey from suicidal despair to healing through forgiveness, Sarah Verardo's unwavering support of her catastrophically wounded husband, and Anthony Randall's ministry to fellow veterans all demonstrate how faith provides not just momentary courage but lifelong purpose.
These accounts challenge our culture's increasingly secular perspective by revealing that even in our technological age, with advanced weapons and communications, warriors still find their ultimate strength in spiritual resources that have sustained soldiers for millennia. The shield of faith described in ancient texts proves remarkably effective against modern threats-both physical and psychological.
What these warriors teach us transcends military application. Their testimonies reveal universal truths about human resilience, the power of community, and the transformative impact of believing in something greater than oneself. Whether facing literal combat or metaphorical battles, we can all learn from their examples of courage, forgiveness, and unwavering faith that refuses to surrender even in life's darkest moments.
As one veteran put it, "In the foxhole, there are no atheists-not because fear drives us to God, but because in our most vulnerable moments, we recognize the truth that was always there: we are never truly alone."
