The following article was submitted by Chaplain (CPT) Will Alley, who is the Chaplain for the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.  This battalion has been deployed to Mosul, Iraq since December 12, 2008.

September is usually one of my favorite months of the year because it is the start of football season. I am a huge football fan, and love every aspect of both the college and NFL game. This year, however, football has an extra bonus in that the start of the season also ushers in the last few months of this deployment. For me, looking forward to the weekend games make the weeks and months seem to go by quicker. So far, this has been true for the month of September, and I can-not believe it is almost over.

Football is as close to a universal unifier as I have found in the military. No matter what age, rank, or background, many soldiers follow a team or two, and generally enjoy the game. This leads to some good conversation, a little bit a smack talking, and seems to take soldiers’ minds off of the every day routine. As I make my rounds to the Joint Secu-rity Stations (JSS) each week, I make sure I bring the weekend’s score with me incase our soldiers want to know how their team did. Various football teams have also shown their support to the Warhorse Battalion by donating #38 jerseys to be hung in the Battalion Headquarters hallway. The number 38 is symbolic of 3-8 CAV, and it really special to see them line the walls outside of the conference room for all to see. My hope is that our sol-diers will see these jerseys and be reminded that many people back home support us and keep us in their thoughts and prayers.

Another reason I love football is the similarities between football players and soldiers. There are many parallels between the two as both emphasize training, discipline, mental/physical toughness, and teamwork. To be successful, both must have a good work ethic, a desire to be the best in at their position, and have a resiliency that helps them get back up when they have been knocked down. There is a reason football coaches use military metaphors when trying to motivate their athletes, and military leaders use athletic meta-phors when trying to motivate their soldiers.

As a Christian, I find it incredible that the Apostle Paul uses both athletes and soldiers as examples for Christian living. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul talks about the armor of God in the context of spiritual warfare, and even Jesus uses a Roman Centurion as the model of faith in all of Israel in Matthew’s Gospel. In his letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul says:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who com-petes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
– 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (NIV)

Whether we are soldiers, athletes, or Christians, there are goals set for us to accomplish. Paul equates life as a race, and that the way we run the race is just as important as how we finish. Just as a soldier accomplishing his or her mission, and an athlete competing in an athletic contest, it is not enough for us to just go through the motions in life. We must train ourselves to know and do what is right, and how to live our life in order to obtain the “crown that will last forever.” As every football team starts off September with the Cham-pionship trophy in mind, we have the chance to start each day with our eyes set on an eternal relationship with God as our ultimate prize.