“Why the marching and the yelling?” When people ask me why we train the way we do at ALERT—all the marching, inspections, yelling, and uniforms—I say “discipline.” Paul talks about disciplining his body (1 Corinthians 9:27), and yet he also recognizes that “by the grace of God I am what I am,” (1 Corinthians 15:10 ESV). We can impose discipline on the men which creates fertile ground for them to work on their own lives, but the real work of transformation comes from Christ. We teach reliance on God and give a framework for what a disciplined life looks like, but it is a personal choice to turn that knowledge into action. It is up to each man whether he will place his active trust in God through actions and a new mindset of self-discipline. So why the marching and yelling? For discipline, but discipline aimed at Christ-centered transformation.

Sincerely,
Lieutenant Charles O’Neal | Unit 50
ALERT Basic Training Executive Officer