Base chaplain epitomizes Air Force diversity

  • Published
  • By Jo Adail Stephenson
  • Space and Missile Systems Center Public Affairs
LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) --  Sept. 11, 2001, inspired her to join the military, and her father was the reason she joined the Air Force. Now, the Air Force’s first female rabbi, Chaplain (Capt.) Sarah Schechter, is here serving Airmen of all religious faiths.

“Clearly, supporting our troops was the best way to help our country,” Chaplain Schechter said. “The experience has gone above and beyond my expectations.”

Her father, who is also a rabbi, served as an Air Force chaplain and recently celebrated the 45th anniversary of taking his oath of office.

“He has always spoken in glowing terms about his experience in the Air Force, so it just seemed obvious that I would join the same branch of service,” she said. But at the same time, her career change will entail differences.

Chaplain Schechter said in the civilian sector, a rabbi serves mostly Jews, while as a chaplain in the military, it is the complete opposite.

“You join (the military) because you want to be present for that small number of Jews who are here and you want to be there for everyone else as well,” she said. “We are joined together in the military as a family. We are a community that extends beyond all borders because our military presence is throughout the world. And it is our shared loved for this country that creates a powerful bond.”

For Chaplain Schechter, the most rewarding parts of being a military chaplain are job satisfaction, being there for those she serves and the military lifestyle.

“Job satisfaction is largely tied to how well you work with your supervisor and how well you get along with your team,” she said. “I like to call the people I work with ‘the chaplain dream team.’ They are a super group of people who I really trust. We have incredible respect for each other. … We are there for each other, and we are there to capitalize on each other’s strengths for the benefit of the community.”

Military chaplains are not only spiritual leaders but also serve as a clearinghouse for information and referral services at the base.

Chaplains assist servicemembers with the unique challenges of military life: permanent changes of station, deployment, certain types of family stress unique to the military lifestyle, marital issues, depression, etc.

“Since military chaplains are part of the military, we can easily relate to what they are going through and provide comfort and encouragement,” she said. “It’s an incredible privilege. It’s a privilege beyond words to be that someone who people feel they can come to in their times of pain and in their times of joy. We’re there to be a support in sad times and to be present for them in their times of celebration.”

Chaplains also serve as “consultants” to their unit commanders, said Chaplain Schechter, who serves 11 units as well as the Jewish community at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

A chaplain can give the commander a good sense of the pulse about how people are doing, about morale and if there is anything he or she needs to know to improve the team “climate.”

But being a chaplain is not just a job, which is why Chaplain Schechter said she enjoys the military lifestyle.

“It’s a very unique lifestyle. It’s a 24/7 job. You are never off duty,” she said. “As chaplains, we have our struggles as well. We need to be able to respond with grace under fire. …The more you know yourself and have a sense of who you are -- what your strengths and weaknesses are -- the better you are able to be present for others.”

Taking the oath of office was as powerful as taking her wedding vows, Chaplain Schechter said.

“I feel sorry for anyone who will never experience (taking the oath of office),” she said. “For those of us who have taken the oath, we know the power of saying those words, the connection that we feel with our country and the dignity that comes with this job. I can’t imagine doing anything else. It is wonderful to feel like you are in the right place for you. That’s what I feel here. I’m grateful to be part of the fabric that makes up the military and all its diversity.”