Columbus pastor to be placed in Ranger Hall of Fame

Jeff Strucker immediately joined Calvary Baptist Church in Columbus as lead pastor upon his retirement from the Army in 2011. He will be inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame on June 28. CBC/Special

COLUMBUS — Jeff Struecker, current lead pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Columbus, will be inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame June 28 in Marshall Auditorium at Fort Benning. 

Struecker served in the 75th Ranger Regiment for ten years before becoming a chaplain in the Airborne and Ranger Units. During his military career he took part in multiple operations, earning commendations for valor in combat and service for the U.S. Army. 

After ten years of service in the 75th Ranger Regiment, Strucker became a chaplain to the men and women of the Airborne and Ranger units. CBC/Special

Those operations include the invasion of Panama from late December 1989-January 1990, Operation Desert Storm, Black Hawk Down in Somalia, and others in more than a dozen combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the 75th Ranger Regiment, Struecker served in rank from private to platoon sergeant. During that time he also competed in and won the David L. Grange Best Ranger Competition in 1996. 

Commitment made in Somalia

"The Ranger Hall of Fame is a list of my heroes," Struecker said. "I'm beyond honored to be counted among this group of American warriors."

While in Somalia, Strucker made a life-changing commitment to serve Christ. That decision led to his commissioning as a chaplain. The Calvary pastor served in that role for the second half of his military career. 

To be inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame, Rangers must be deceased or have been separated or retired from active military service for at least three years. Also, inductees must have served in a  Ranger unit in combat or be a successful graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger course. 

Struecker earned his Ph.D. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also holds several other earned and honorary degrees. 

Additional reporting by Alan Smith,  Communications Arts pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Columbus.