Father’s Day: Part 3 The Military Shaping of a Father

How do you tell someone about God as Father if they’ve never known a good father, a self-sacrificing father, an unconditionally loving father, a protector father, a provider father, a compassionate father, a father who shows you how to do all the things life calls a child to do before he or she walks into independence?

Highlands Insider, over the last few weeks, has shared the story of a good father and a father who fights for his children. It would be remiss, on this 250th Fourth of July celebration, to not include the story of one of our local fathers who is also a military father, another story to encourage families as they grow through the challenges they face.

Billy Graham said, “If you want to change someone’s life, tell a story.”

You might know Ali Bagci from Cookeville Regional Medical Center, where he has worked for the last 22 years as an Ancillary Analyst Supervisor who oversees support for cardiology and radiology information systems and special procedures in the endoscopy lab. Maybe you know him from his service on Cookeville City Council and his appointed seat on the Cookeville Planning Commission.

Possibly, you knew his parents, Cemil and Sarah Bagci. His mother, Sarah, taught in Monterey for 30 years. His father, Cemil Bagci, taught Robotics and Kinematics in Mechanical Engineering at TTU. Bagci explained his father, internationally renowned for his work, was approached by George Lucas to advise on robotic movement, particularly R2D2. Lucas honored his father with the line, “Tell your uncle if he gets a translator, be sure it speaks Bocce,” spoken by Beru Whitesun Lars, Luke’s aunt.

While that is a fantastic family story, Ali recalls a simpler story that best describes how his father, a former member of the Turkish military, began his first shaping, one that would set a foundation for military and community service.

“As young boys, Dad would spade the garden by hand while we followed behind, breaking up the clods of dirt with hoes. One day we asked, ‘Dad, why don't we just get a tiller?’ Without missing a beat, he said, ‘Why do I need a tiller when I have three boys?’” Bagci said.

“It was his way of teaching us that hard work wasn't something to avoid. It was something that built character. That lesson has stayed with me throughout my life. Even today, it's still difficult for me to ask someone else to do something that I'm capable of doing myself. My father taught me that leaders should never expect others to do work they aren't willing to do themselves.”

Bagci graduated from Cookeville High School and attended TTU, but his decision to join the military came at a time when his father faced health challenges.

“My father encouraged me to consider military service, but the defining moment came in the late 1980s when he began experiencing serious health issues,” Bagci said. “I remember having to carry him into the house and call an ambulance. Seeing the man I had always depended on suddenly need my help made me realize it was time to grow up.”

The decision to enlist in the Navy at 21 years old was part of that growing-up decision.

“I had probably matured enough by this point to actually make a mature and principled decision,” Bagci said. “That experience, combined with my father's encouragement, led me to join the military. I wanted to serve my country, challenge myself, develop discipline, and become someone my family could depend on.”

It began his second shaping.

Opportunities don’t often come without challenges that grow us beyond where we are. It did the same for Bagci.

“The military pushed me physically, mentally, and emotionally, teaching me that most limits are self-imposed and that perseverance often separates success from failure,” Bagci said.

The military also developed the importance of teamwork.

“During Operation Desert Storm, the pace of flight operations was relentless, with sorties launching and recovering around the clock. As members of the squadron, we all stepped in wherever we were needed. Because I was already ordnance certified, Gunner recruited me to help load aircraft in addition to my regular duties. Job titles mattered less than the mission. We were one team with one purpose.”

A team that works well together is better able to face tough challenges.

“The tempo was so intense that supervisors sometimes had to pull sailors off the flight deck for safety,” Bagci said. “Working on a carrier flight deck, especially at night, demanded complete focus, discipline, and trust in one another. Those experiences taught me that teamwork, perseverance, and commitment to the mission are what overcome even the toughest challenges. It also developed my leadership skills and taught me that if you stumble, you get back up. You learn from your mistakes, adapt, and keep moving forward. That mindset has stayed with me throughout my career.”

“The military gave me the opportunity to travel the world, experience different cultures, and work alongside one of the most diverse groups of people imaginable. We didn't judge each other by race, color, creed, or religion,” Bagci said. “We judged one another by character, commitment, and whether we could accomplish the mission together. That's where I learned that our strength comes from unity and shared purpose.”

After completing his service, Bagci returned to Cookeville, finishing his college degree with the G.I. Bill.

“The GI Bill I used required both a financial investment during my first year of service and a commitment to complete my enlistment. Having made that investment, I believed it would have been irresponsible not to use that benefit,” Bagci said. “After transitioning to the active reserves, I went to work for a software company while attending college. The GI Bill eased the financial burden, allowing me to build both my education and my career. It was an investment that paid dividends for the rest of my life.”

Bagci and his wife, Michelle, have been married 27 years. Being the husband who loves his wife as himself, as described in Ephesians 5, is a goal of Bagci’s.

“I believe my greatest strength as a husband, father, and leader is my relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is through His example that I strive to lead my family.”

“We have one child, our son Reagan, whom we call our miracle child. For more than ten years, we endured the heartbreak of unsuccessful pregnancies. Through prayer and God's grace, He blessed us with Reagan,” Bagci said. “The greatest joy of being a father is the special bond I share with my son, the tremendous responsibility of raising him, and the unconditional love I have for him.”

Shapings and refinings come with their own challenges. The Bagci family is no different from other families. All families face challenges. St. Augustine, in City of God, said the only difference between a believer and a non-believer is not the challenges they face, for they all face challenges. It’s with whom they walk through those challenges. The Bagci family has chosen to walk through their challenges relying on faith in God.

In 2023, their son, Reagan, faced a health challenge that led them to St. Jude’s Hospital.

“The policies at St. Jude’s Hospital at the time created additional hardship for families like ours, placing tremendous pressure on parents to comply with covid vaccine requirements by making separation from loved ones the only alternative,” Bagci said.

Through diligent research, the family chose not to take the vaccine, which separated Bagci from his wife and son for nine months while his son sought treatment.

“There are times when you make a decision, you need to be steadfast. That’s probably part of that character that was instilled in me at a young age and was reinforced in the military,” Bagci said. “Sometimes you just have to endure hardship to stand up for what you believe. That was also part of the commitment to my family. If I would compromise on something I felt strongly about, what else would I be willing to compromise on?”

“It was a hardship,” Bagci admits, yet it was hardship with an important lesson.

“Reagan was watching. He knew what I believed, but more importantly, he was watching to see whether my convictions would hold when they came at a personal cost. That experience reminded me that children learn far more from what we do than from what we say. I hope Reagan saw that integrity sometimes requires sacrifice and that our family would seek to remain faithful to our convictions while trusting God through one of life's hardest seasons.”

Bagci said, “The greatest legacy my father gave me wasn't only military discipline but also character. My mother taught me compassion. The military refined both, and I've spent my life trying to pass those same values on to my son.”

Joining the military, Bagci said, was “one of the best decisions I ever made. The military taught me that service doesn't end when you take off the uniform. Our communities invest in us, and we have a responsibility to give back. Whether through my career, volunteer work, or serving on the City Council, I've tried to honor that commitment.”