A few US troops from the 173rd Airborne Brigade deployed to the Ukraine joined in the local celebration of Epiphany in January. As the official US Army article explained:

Epiphany…marks the baptism of Jesus in the Orthodox Church. Believing that on this day water becomes holy and is imbued with special powers, Ukrainians cut holes in the ice of lakes and rivers, often in the shape of the cross, to bathe in the freezing water. Participants…symbolically wash away their sins from the past year, and to experience a sense of spiritual rebirth.

SFC Michael Taylor took a dip, but will probably demur next time: 

“This is one opportunity that I am glad I got to take, but I don’t think I will be doing this again. Once in a lifetime.”

Being part of the US military opens up opportunities to see and do new things around the world, including things that may align with one religious faith or another (like deployments to Israel).  For adherents, these may mark “once in a lifetime” opportunities for a unique faith experience unavailable to many back home in the US — all expenses paid by Uncle Sam.

While there is certainly plenty of office work and deployments to combat zones, there may yet be some legs in the modified adage “Join the Military, See the World…”

Photo caption: Paratroopers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade pose for a photo…before dipping in freezing cold water in celebration of Epiphany day in Vereshchytsya, Ukraine.  (US Army photo by Staff Sgt. Adriana Diaz-Brown, 10th Press Camp Headquarters)

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