Wally

Navigator Base Director at Ft Hood

Military

When I was a teenager, I saw the movie The Rock Staring Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery. Immediately I knew that I wanted to be a Navy Seal just as I saw in the movie! However, as I continued through my high school days, I felt God speak to me, “I never made you to be a trained killer.” So I thought, “why not save lives instead?” From there in 2004 I continued my way to college and elected for their Army ROTC course where after a year they asked if I would be interested in being a Nurse in the Army. In my head I was like, “Forget you! I wanted to be a Navy Seal and you want make me a Nurse?!” But I kept an open hand knowing He no longer wanted me to pursue the Navy Seal route. I gave it up to God and long story short, I was awarded a full-ride Nursing scholarship through the ROTC. This meant that when I graduated, I would practice nursing as a commissioned United States Army Officer. Well in 2005, as a cadet, I received an Airborne school slot at Fort Benning, Georgia where I met Alan Taylor and Rusty Bean both who were with the Navigators. In a quick four weeks they modeled for me time in God’s word and serving our Nation’s Soldiers. Rusty also connected me with my first mentor whom his dad had discipled back at Fort Cambell and who now lived 30 min from me in the OKC metro area. His name was Michael, and he became my first mentor and invested his life into me while I continued through my 2nd year of college. I graduated and commissioned in 2009 and served 4 years of active duty as a Registered Nurse on a Medical Surgical Ward, a Behavioral Health Case Manager, and a Nurse Instructor at WBAMC Ft. Bliss El Paso, TX. I left active duty in 2013, but later came back in to the Army Reserves as an Engineer Officer. I am currently a Major working with the 75ht Innovation Command.

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Ministry

As I mentioned, I met the Navigators in 2005. Michael met with me about 3 hours every week and taught me how to get into God’s word on a daily basis. He also taught me how to study it and modeled memorization for me. Eventually I started leading my own small group. Before he PCS’ed (changed duty stations), he sent 10 of us out in groups to go and lead our own bible studies in our respective places. So my friends and I led a bible study near my college for the next 4 years. In 2007 Rusty and Alan brought a Navigator team to Ft. Bliss, and so when I commissioned I wanted to make sure I got Ft. Bliss as my first duty assignment. I still remember my Nurse Brigade Counselor (who submits our top choices for duty assignment) saying, “If you want Ft. Bliss, you are going to get it! No one wants to go there!” Ft Bliss is desert and boarders one of the most dangerous cities in the world, Juarez. You can understand her bewilderment. But I wanted to go where I knew men could train me in my walk with Christ. I landed in Bliss in 2009 and hit the ground running leading bible studies all the while working a 13 night shift as a med surg Nurse. Rusty and Alan become my next two mentors for the next 6-10 years! They discipled me, modeled for me, taught me, put up with me, loved on me, but most of all pointed me to Jesus! During this time, I grew a heart to also invest my life in to Soldiers. And so on June 9th, 2012 after much prayer, I heard God’s call from a morning quiet time in His word to follow Rusty and Alan. This meant to me getting out of the Army and becoming a Navigator! I love my Spiritual lineage. From Dawson Trotman, to Harve Osland, to Jim Downing and Jim Webster, to Cecil Bean, to Michael, Rusty, and Alan, and then to me. Of course it all started with Jesus! I loved the idea of reaching and investing my life into the next generation. And I loved the idea that Soldiers could carry not just a rifle, but the word of God also, and could be sent all over the world impacting other Soldiers and Nations for the cause of Christ! In Jan of 2017 I became a full-time Navigator representative where I led the Ft Bliss ministry for 2 years.