Part of ACCTS' mission is helping to develop Christian military leaders. A key ministry in this mission is teaching cadets and junior officers to view their military careers as a calling from God and learning how to integrate their faith with their military service. Waterloo to World War II (W2WWII), a tour of western European battlefields that teaches leadership and faith lessons, is an annual ACCTS program for this purpose.
In March, two US Military Academy cadets and two British military cadets participated in W2WWII. Visiting over 30 historic sites in Belgium and France, they explored battlefields, trenches, tunnels, cemeteries, and towns where they discussed the military, political, physical, and spiritual aspects of what happened at each place. They reviewed strategic, operational, and tactical lessons, and discussed Just War theory as they explored the deeper human and spiritual aspects of warfare and leadership through the stories of those who had made a difference at each site. Afterward, one participant noted:
"I came on this trip to better understand the power of faith and the effect it has on people, to help me in my future career in the military. But to my delight I found my own faith and have come to some realizations about humanity and how we need faith to explain the things we do and decisions we make." 
The ACCT tour leader explained, "
When you look at the whole picture of a battle or campaign from a Christian perspective, you can readily see how God can use anyone from a lowly private to the most senior commander to change the destiny of countries and empires and work out His plan for history. We looked at stories of individuals whose initiative or inaction, courage or cowardice, diligence or laziness, trust or doubt, faithfulness, fear or obedience, turned the tide at a critical moment and literally won or lost wars and kingdoms. We also talked about the imperative of good character and challenged each cadet to consider which qualities they saw in different leaders that they wanted to emulate as they develop in their own leadership substance and style."
Despite the name - it was only 130 years from Waterloo to World War 2 - the group visited sites spanning over 1200 years of history. More than half of the stops were tied to British history, so it was an added blessing to have the British cadets along. They added a perspective and personal interest that injected energy and relevance to the places they stopped, and their interaction with the U.S. cadets resulted in a lot of laughs as the group discovered different and often-humorous ways to express the same idea.
"This was a great group of cadets who quickly bonded together, and we were extremely thankful that the U.K. cadets were able to join us, thanks to a connection with MMI, our U.K. ministry partner."
The terrible carnage, personal loss, and waste of war hit hard at several places. This gave the group a perfect setting to talk about the Biblical view of war and its ultimate cause, sin. The trip was an occasion for deep reflection on the necessity of faith in the transcendent Truth of a loving, purposeful God in order to make sense of the chaos of history, and of the hope we can have in Christ.
The ACCTS leader concluded, "T
hese four young cadets are at a stage in their lives when they will make many decisions that will determine the direction of the rest of their lives. They will also soon be leading young men and women who will be trusting in their leadership and character. It is my hope that all Waterloo to World War II participants will recognize the importance of integrating their faith into their careers as military leaders. They saw how human nature exhibited itself, but how they can also make a significant difference, especially as they follow Christ's example as the perfect leader."
