Navy Veteran Shornden McCloud Recounts Intricate Journey to Point 27

Looking backward, it’s easy to pinpoint the progression of unlikely benchmarks guiding Shornden
McCloud’s journey toward Point 27.

Point 27 Director US ARMY (Ret.) Col. David Dodd says, “Point 27 Georgia Outreach Coordinator
Shornden McCloud has outfitted hundreds of first responders, Veterans, members of the Armed Forces,
and their family members with God’s Word engraved on Shields of Strength necklaces.  He is
outstanding in all ways.  His story is one everyone should know.”

Military Service Not Happenstance
In September, 1992– a Master Chief Master-at-Arms, Surface Warfare Specialist–after 22 years and 9
months of active military service, McCloud retired. That career was kickstarted by what McCloud describes as a “strong ‘suggestion’” from an unlikely source.

“In December 1969, I was a high school dropout with no direction; so, a juvenile court judge suggested(?) I join the Navy. So, I did. I was 17.”

McCloud would serve aboard seven ships and five shore duties, including a three-year tour of duty at the NATO Naval Air Station in Sigonella, Sicily. His five deployments included stints in the West Pacific and Alaska, and: “In 1971, I deployed with the USS White Sands ARD-20 (USS Apache-ATF-67 and the Trieste), to the Marianas Trench, where we participated in the recovery of a KH-9 Hexagon payload. This mission remained classified until September 2011,” he said.

“In 1975, I deployed with the USS Denver LPD-9 to the West Pacific for nine months. This deployment included: our participation in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon; our response to the Mayaguez Incident (which was concluded before we arrived) and our humanitarian service to the Eniwetok clean up. This was the most memorable deployment of my 22-year naval career. “

McCloud’s rating of Master-at-Arms is the law enforcement branch of the Navy. And this background led McCloud to his second career of service.

On to Law Enforcement Instruction
He recounts: “On January 03, 1993, I became a Law Enforcement Instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. It was part of the Treasury Department then, but in 2022, it merged into The Department of Homeland Security. I was assigned to the Physical Technique Training Department where we instructed all aspects of physical techniques, to include: arrest techniques, Use of Force, use of intermediate weapons, self-defense techniques, physical fitness, CPR/Trauma, etc.

“In 1998, I helped to develop the Police Bicycle Training Program and was involved in providing the course around the country for the next ten years. This included training Park Rangers in Cades Cove, Tennessee, and Yosemite National Park.

“In 2002, I was assigned to the Marine Division where we instructed all aspects of Marine Law Enforcement, to include: aids to navigation, chart interpretation, non-compliant vessel tactics, vessel intercepts, maritime search and rescue, etc.

“In 2003, I was assigned to the Driver’s Division where we instructed all aspects of law enforcement driving, to include: emergency vehicle operations, non-emergency vehicle operations, high center gravity vehicles operations, skid control, pursuit driving, the PIT Technique and motorcade operations.

“In 2017, I had the pleasure of coordinating a class at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Roswell, New Mexico. We provided advanced training for international law enforcement professionals from Bulgaria, Kosovo, Romania and Slovakia.

“I retired on December 31, 2018, as a senior instructor with 25 years of service.”

Time to sit back and enjoy in retrospect his accomplishments of military and law enforcement service? Hardly! It was then that a critical new chapter of service opened for McCloud with Point 27. All those years and experience had carved in McCloud a soul-set that would soon embrace the mission of Point 27.

Primed for Point 27
As director of Northside Baptist Church Men’s Ministry and the Safety Team, in Brunswick, Georgia, McCloud would be presented with exceptional opportunity to change lives with the Word of God.

“I attended the National Christian Church Protectors Conference in 2021,” McCloud said. “During this conference, Colonel Dodd gave his Point 27 presentation. It immediately struck a chord with me. I spoke with him quite a bit at the conference and when I got home, the Men’s Ministry I lead decided to (partially) purchase and provide [Thin Blue Line] dog tags to the local city, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. We also provided firefighter dogs tags to the local city and state fire departments.

“Colonel Dodd then reached out to me to see if I would be interested in being a Point 26 representative. I was very pleased to accept and I have been providing law enforcement, firefighter, military, and scripture dog tags since then. I have been able to provide dog tags to local, city, county, state, and federal agencies in over ten states.

“Our church is located next to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. It is responsible for providing training to uniformed officers, criminal investigators, and Special agents from over 90 different federal law enforcement agencies. We are extremely grateful, that we are able to support these young men and women by telling them about the Point 27 mission and provide them with dog tags.

“While I enjoy providing dog tags to agencies of all sizes, it is the individual veterans, of peacetime and
all wars, I encounter who continue to inspire me. While all the recipients are appreciative of the conversation and dog tags, the veterans of WWII, Korea and Vietnam are especially appreciative; lots of hugs and tears. Their wives are also very supportive and appreciative.”

McCloud says, “I pray that I will be able to spread the message of Point 27 for many years to come.” McCloud lives with his junior high school sweetheart and wife of more than 50 years, Connie, in Brunswick, Georgia. They have two grown children, who he says grew up as Navy brats, living in five states and overseas in Sicily; and nine grandchildren.