Patrick B. Lawless (seated on the right)
is a native of Worcester, Massachusetts. Mr. Lawless attended Akron University where he attained a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. He served in the Republic of Viet Nam as a military advisor to four Vietnamese Maintenance units. Other duty assignments included Commanding Officer of a Direct Support Maintenance Unit in Heilbronn, Germany and Commander of an Equipment Reclassification Unit in Seoul, Korea.

While serving as the post commander of the US Army Logistical Support Activity in Long Island, NY, Mr. Lawless graduated with a Summa Cum Laude Degree in Philosophy from Molloy College in Rockville Center, New York.

After leaving the military, he was hired as a computer applications trainer for a Facilities Engineering program. His training areas included Japan, Korea, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy.

Presently he works as the Training Coordinator for computer applications training at the United States Coast Guard Headquarters, in Washington, D.C.

His Army awards include: Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Viet Nam Service Medal with 3 bronze stars, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Republic of Viet Nam Campaign Medal, Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation, and the Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation

Mr. Lawless currently lives in Springfield, VA and attends Grace Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA.

Chaplain James R. Fisher (seated on the left)
was born in 1954 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The son of an Air Force Officer, Chaplain Fisher has lived in a variety of locations both in the United States and overseas. In 1976 he graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University at Blacksburg, Virginia, earning a B.S. degree in Industrial Arts Education. North Park Theological Seminary, Chicago in 1981, awarded the Master of Divinity degree to him. In 1993 he received a Master of Sacred Theology degree in Ethics from Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Connecticut.

He was ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church in June 1983. He has served civilian congregations in the Appalachian Mountain communities of Jonesville and Wallens Creek, Virginia, as well as ministering as a home missionary in the Yupik Eskimo village of Mountain Village, Alaska, on the Yukon River delta.

Chaplain Fisher served as an Air Force Reserve Chaplain from February 1981 until November 1983. He was then commissioned as a Naval Officer in December 1983. After attending Naval Chaplains School in Newport, Rhode Island, he served as ship’s chaplain aboard USS SURIBACHI (AE-21), home ported in Leonardo, New Jersey. Traveling to California he simultaneously served two chapel communities at Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, as well as Battalion Chaplain for Schools Battalion. His second tour with Marines included ministry with 2nd Battalion/5th Marines, 2nd Battalion/7th Marines and 1st Tank Battalion, each of 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California. Chaplain Fisher then attended Naval postgraduate studies at Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Connecticut, and studies military ethics. After PG studies he was assigned to Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, as the Assistant Command Chaplain. From there he was assigned as the Command Chaplain of USS ESSEX (LHD-2), San Diego, California. For his Washington, D.C. tour Chaplain Fisher served as the Deputy Chaplain of the Coast Guard. Chaplain Fisher is presently assigned as the Deputy Director of the Naval Chaplains School.

His Navy awards include: the Pluralism and Leadership awards from Chaplain School, Kuwaiti Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi), Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (five stars), Southwest Asia Medal (Marine emblem, two stars), US Coast Guard Team Award, National Defense Medal, the Navy Fleet Marine Force Ribbon, the Battle E Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Achievement Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal (three stars) and the Meritorious Service Medal.

In 1977 he and Lori were married. They have three sons, Jacob, who is studying Arabic and International Affairs at the University of Illinois, Caleb, who is a senior at Portsmouth High School, and Josiah, who is on the soccer team at Portsmouth High School. As hobbies Chaplain Fisher enjoys camping, hiking, playing trombone with swing bands and riding his Harley motorcycle.