WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Eagle Scout Association on Wednesday presented Auxiliary Bishop F. Richard Spencer with its prestigious Outstanding Eagle Scout Award. The award honors Eagle Scouts who have achieved extraordinary success in professional and civic life, and serve as “Scouting’s finest examples of good men.” Bishop Spencer was one of fifteen men who received the award during an evening ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Upon receiving the Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, Bishop Spencer said, “Earning the Eagle Scout badge was a tremendous achievement for me as a teenager. Tonight’s recognition was not an achievement but an acknowledgement that I have continued to live the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Today, as Bishop, I embrace the call of Jesus Christ to be his Apostle with a duty to God, to Country, to others and to self. There is no other higher calling than to be a Disciple of Jesus with the award of Eternal Life. I am thankful for this recognition.”
Bishop Spencer achieved the rank of Eagle as a boy scout growing up in Sylacauga, Ala. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in law enforcement and spent eight years on active duty in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Officer before entering seminary to become a priest for service to the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He earned a Master of Education degree in counseling, a Master of Divinity, and a pontifical degree in sacred theology before returning to active duty as a U.S. Army chaplain.
While on active duty, Bishop Spencer served in Korea, Bosnia, Egypt, the Pentagon during 9/11, and Germany. He deployed to Iraq five times and served on two deployments to Afghanistan. Bishop Spencer earned the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal(3 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (6 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Iraq Combat Medals, and the Korean Service Medal. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge for specific combat actions in Iraq, 2004.
Bishop Spencer was ordained a bishop in 2010 and retired from the Army Reserves in 2014 at the rank of colonel. He currently serves His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, as his Episcopal Vicar for U.S. Military Installations in Europe and Asia.
