Ishmael Mwilima, formerly of Fork, was commissioned Chaplain (First Lieutenant) in the United States Army on December 12, 2014.  He also received his US citizenship the week before.  Ish, as he is more informally known, was a ministry apprentice at the Pee Dee Baptist Association of Dillon.  He lived with Pastor and Mrs. James Orr of Fork.
Chaplain Mwilima is originally from Arusha, Tanzania in east  Africa and came to the United States when he was seventeen.  He studied at Fruitland Bible College of Henderson, NC.  During this time he sat at the back of a third grade class to learn English.  He then transferred to North Greenville University to study.  It was here that he was classmates with Jacob Orr and met Pastor James Orr then Director of Mission for the Pee Dee Baptist Association.  
Ish worked for the association for two summers and preached at a number of local churches.  After graduating North Greenville he obtained his Master degree while attending Southwestern Theological Seminary  in Fort Worth, Texas. He has maintained his ties to the area.  
Funds for his dress blues uniform were provided by Pyerian Baptist Church of Floyd Dale, SC.  He is now posted to Pennsylvania for further training.