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Their song had just gone to No. 1 on the Christian rock charts. And they'd recently won a Dove Award for Best Hard Rock Album of the Year.

So why was Pillar, one of the hottest rock bands around, in danger of breaking up? Because they knew they might lose their lead singer any day, that's why.

Rob Beckley, Pillar's front man, has been serving in the U.S. Army Reserve. When he got a call last winter summoning him to duty in Afghanistan, he started packing his bags. And the band figured it was all over.

"You can't just hire a fill-in lead singer," says Pillar's bass player, Kalel. "You can find a substitute drummer or guitar player, but if Rob gets called, that's it."

But Rob—who had recently gotten married—was ready to go.

"I'm a soldier first," he says. "If you're not willing to go when they call, then why sign up in the first place? I just have faith that I'm where I'm supposed to be, and I don't worry about stuff. Everybody else on the planet worried about it more than me."

Including Kalel.

"I was just thinking about what we could do to keep things going, how I would have to go get a job," he says. "But the hardest thing was to see Rob go through this. Being on the road is hard enough when you're a newlywed, and then to have to go overseas for six months …."

Their worries didn't last long. The Army called back two hours later and said the plans had been changed; Rob would not have to go to Afghanistan after all. Rob was put on notice, nonetheless: He could have gone to war at any time. But that's no longer a possibility; Rob's term of service with the Reserve recently came to an end.

Rob is used to the military life. His father was an Army Command Sergeant Major. When his dad was training to become a drill sergeant, he would use Rob as a test subject. Discipline was part of Rob's life when he was growing up, and it still is today.

Rob says his military background also helps him serve God—in the Lord's army.

"On a spiritual level, we're soldiers for Christ," he says. "In the Army, you learn the discipline of rolling your socks the right way, getting your bunk squared away, making sure you're on schedule. It's the same way in our relationship with Christ—you have to be disciplined, not just do it when you feel like it."

Some of the songs on Pillar's second CD, Fireproof (Flicker Records), include military imagery. On "Echelon," Rob sings, "Like a green beret we will lead the way into battle, so have no fear … set shop at the top of the Rock."

It makes sense that Pillar's loyal fans are known as The Underground Army. Pillar says they're all one big happy family.

"The Underground Army is also our prayer team," Pillar says on its website. "We want the Underground Army to be a tight family who not only lifts Pillar up in prayer, but each other."

You can enlist at pillarmusic.com.

Copyright © 2003 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
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