Medical Cadet Corps To Be Revitalized Across the Adventist Church
Medical Cadet Corps presenters and leaders from the Adventist World Church, North American and Inter-America during the special training session held in Levittown, Puerto Rico, April 30 to May 3, 2018. Photo by World Service Organization
May 14, 2018 | Levittown, Puerto Rico | Deena Bartel-Wagner/IAD Staff
A historic meeting for the revitalization of the Medical Cadet Corps (MCC) program took place during a special training session held in Levittown, Puerto Rico, from April 30 to May 3, 2018. The meeting provided special training for MCC officers who are currently involved in the program across the North American and Inter-American divisions, as well as initiate other leaders who are interested in reviving the MCC in their regions.
“The MCC program originally helped Adventist servicemen serve according to their conscience,” said Dr. Mario Ceballos, director, World Service Organization–General Conference (WSO-GC). MCC cadets are trained and equipped to provide spiritual comfort, and other services such as first aid during emergency situations, explained Ceballos.
“In today’s world, many countries no longer have a draft, and although we never know when world events could lead to a reinstatement of conscription, it is best to prepare our young adults,” said Ceballos. MCC training also equips cadets, ages 17 and older, to serve in their local communities in times of disaster. “Their assistance during these types of events fosters goodwill with local residents and provides help in time of need.”
History of MCC
The Medical Cadet Corps was originally launched on Jan. 8, 1934 on the Union College campus in Lincoln, Nebraska, under the leadership of Everett Dick, a professor at union and a World War I veteran. The training was the same as that of medics in the U.S. Army, and included close-order drill, Army organizational structure, physical training, military courtesy, camp hygiene, litter drill, and first aid.
From left to right: Mario Ceballos, director of World Service Organization, General Conference, Hiram Ruiz, director of WSO-Inter-America, Ivan Omaña, associate chaplaincy ministries director for North America, and Darold Bigger, retired Rear Admiral of the U.S. Navy. Photo by World Service Organization
The army soon recognized the value of soldiers who had received this type of training and often placed them in positions of leadership and authority within their unit.
The vision of training young men for non-combatant service caught on and other Adventist colleges adopted the program. At the 1939 Autumn Council held in Lincoln, Nebraska, military medical training was discussed, and attendees watched a demonstration drill by the cadets. As a result of these meetings, the General Conference voted to adopt the plan of military medical training. It was named the Seventh-day Adventist Medical Cadet Corps (SDAMCC).
During the recent training week, overseen by the world church’s Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries, MCC officers attended presentations on MCC Operations and Organization, Senior Military Leadership Protocol and Ethics with Dr. Washington Johnson, assistant director, WSO-North American Division, and Rear Admiral Darold Bigger, U.S. Navy-Retired, discussed the qualities of executive leadership and flag officer etiquette.
Pastor Dionisio Olivo, WSO-Atlantic Union Conference, shared lessons and the challenges that the MCC program has faced and overcome.
MCC in Inter-America
Pastor Hiram Ruiz, WSO–IAD also shared the experiences and contributions of MCC groups in the Inter-American Division since the MCCs were established in the 1950s and even decades after the organization was deactivated and was kept running regionally.
Leaders discuss strategies during recent training session in Puerto Rico. Photo by World Service Organization.
“We cannot deny the need to protect our youth and develop in them a willingness to serve in their communities,” said Ruiz, who led the MCC in Mexico while serving as youth ministries leader at Montemorelos University.
“This is all about retaking the ministry that will allow many countries to show the face of the church full of compassion in service while it prepares young people to serve in natural disasters, in civic events, all opening the door for others to learn about the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” explained Ruiz.
Ruiz said that Montemorelos University had been running the MCC training since 1950s up to 2013 after the MCC was deactivated in North America in 1972. Groups in Colombia, Venezuela, and other countries in Inter-America continued running on their own to provide assistance in the community, with the exception of the church in Puerto Rico, which has been successfully running the MCC program since 1951, explained Ruiz.
Longest running MCC in Puerto Rico
Pastor David Sebastian, WSO–Puerto Rico Union Conference and Major General of the SDA MCC Puerto Rico division, said that the MCC has been recognized by the island’s Centro Medico Hospital, State Emergency Management Office, by International sporting events such as World’s Best 10K, Several Mental Health government agencies, the Red Cross, and others, for their contribution throughout the decades to assisting the community and most recently following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria on the island.
David Sebastian, director of WSO-Puerto Rico leads the longest running MCC in Inter-America and trains young people into the MCC group on the island every week. File photo by Libna Stevens/IAD
Numerous media outlets provided positive coverage about the work of the MCC cadets in Puerto Rico.
The MCC unit in Puerto Rico sees an average of 200 cadets enrolled in the 17 training schools from basic training, fist responder, community service, school of instructors, and more training.
“Even though young cadets are not called to serve in the military, the effort of this organization moves with more emphasis in the spiritual life, civic life, community service to assist in the well-being of communities, after natural disasters and other situations serving selflessly,” said Sebastian.
The MCC groups meet regionally every week in Puerto Rico among its four church region fields and meet annually for additional training under the leadership of the union, or major church region, in Puerto Rico, said Sebastian.
MCC leaders in East Puerto Rico train young people on a Sunday at the Adventist school in San Juan, Puerto Rico. File Photo by Libna Stevens/IAD
MCC upcoming plans in Inter-America
Reviving the MCC will offer more opportunities for the young people in churches throughout Inter-America, said Ruiz. A dozen leaders traveled from countries in the IAD for the special MCC training and implementation will follow during the next six months in Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, and other islands across the Caribbean, said Ruiz.
“We are excited because our territory is ready to embrace and revitalize the Medical Cadet Corps program,” said Ruiz, who said that the church’s executive body took an action to revive the Cadets across Inter-America recently. “Every year we face more and more crises and we do have resources to give support to the community in case of disasters.”
The three-day training also included logo and uniform decisions, as well as a Flag Officers Grade Ceremony.
For more information regarding the Medical Cadet Corps, visit worldserviceorganization.org