So help me God: Barksdale gets calling for prayer breakfast

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Megan M. Ward
  • 2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  More than 300 members of the Barksdale community came together to recognize the National Prayer Breakfast Jan. 4 at the Stripes Enlisted Lounge. 

The National Prayer Breakfast is an annual event held on the first Thursday of February in Washington, D.C. Frank Carlson, a former U.S. Senator, hotel magnate Conrad Hilton and Southern Baptist evangelist Billy Graham founded the breakfast. 

This year, the Air Force deputy chief of chaplains, Chaplain (Brig. Gen) David Cyr, was the guest speaker at Barksdale's prayer breakfast. Chaplain Cyr emphasized the importance of faith and prayer in military life. 

"Every generation has the responsibility to be watchmen on the walls of world freedom," he said. "It just so happens it's our turn at bat and I would ask each of them to be faithful to that calling. We all raised our hand when we came in the military and said 'so help me God' and promised to carry out our nation's business in terms of keeping the peace and promoting the peace at home and abroad. So, I would just ask them to be faithful during their time on the watch." 

Although they go unnoticed, there are a lot of Airmen that work behind the scenes to ensure the attendees have a place to celebrate their faith without fear of persecution.
"It takes three months of planning and coordinating with various agencies," said Staff Sgt. Steven Beasley, 2d Bomb Wing non-commissioned officer in charge of chapel readiness. "We find a guest speaker and coordinate the guest speaker's travel. We have logistic plans to follow for getting the breakfast food, scheduling the facilities and things like that. There's a lot of stuff that goes into making the hour and a half event a success." 

Barksdale has hosted this event every year since it's creation in 1953. Attendee Helen Black was at the first prayer breakfast and said that it's only improved over the years. 

"This is one of the best ones we've ever had and I think it's because of the way the nation is now," she said. "Praying is the answer to the things we have going for us. So each of us must continue to pray and I wish that everyone in the country could have heard the message delivered this morning. It was wonderful." 

The first breakfast took place in 1953 with President Dwight D. Eisenhower presiding over the ceremony. Since then, the breakfast has expanded to include several U.S. cities, a few foreign countries and military bases throughout the world---including Barksdale.
Over the years, there have been many guest speakers at the event in Washington, D.C. to include Singer/Songwriter Bono, Mother Theresa of Calcutta and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole. 

Chaplain Cyr has travelled all over the country, even overseas, to be the honored guest speaker at prayer breakfasts on multiple military bases. He says it's a humbling experience to be able to touch the lives of so many Airmen. 

"I think I get more out of it than they do," Chaplain Cyr said. "I go away strengthened and exhilarated in my spirit, seeing their earnestness, their commitment, their compassion, and willingness to sacrifice so much and that they would risk their very lives to take care of our nation's business. I wouldn't miss this for the world." 

The prayer breakfast commemorates the diversity of America. It's an annual event that brings together Americans of different faiths with one common belief---the importance of prayer. For more information on the National Prayer Breakfast, or other religious events, contact the chapel staff at 456-2111.