Air Force chaplains serve to keep Airmen fit to fight

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Michael Dorsey
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN --  For those who think chaplains deploy with the sole responsibility of running church services on Sunday, think again. Their purpose stretches beyond the confines of a chapel.

Whether it is a worship service, choir practice, counseling sessions, Bible study, or just a visitation to a work center on base, when it comes to pinpointing the reasons why the chapel staff provides all these services and programs at a deployed location, one thing is clear: people are at the core of their mission.

“Freedom of religion is a basic tenet of our Constitution and that freedom doesn’t end at our shores,” said Chaplain (Capt.) Christopher Conklin, one of six chaplains at this forward-deployed location.

The chaplains help preserve people’s First Amendment right to freedom of religion by offering a variety of worship services including Catholic Mass; Protestant contemporary, traditional and gospel worship services; Jewish Sabbath observances; and Islamic worship.

“We’re spiritual creatures and we don’t want troops to forget about or ignore the spiritual aspect of their lives,” said Chaplain (Capt.) Larry Kittle. “The goal of the chaplain service is to be a visible reminder of the holy.

“We need to be mentally and physically ready for the mission," he said. "We also need to be spiritually ready. If you’re not spiritually ready, then you’re only half a Soldier. Chaplains are here to aid in spiritual readiness. We’re lacking all the tools to carry out our mission if spiritual readiness is ignored.”

Chaplains here said they know their mission is big business. They realize the magnitude of their jobs — but they said they like it that way. It offers each Airman, Soldier, Sailor and Marine deployed here or transiting through an opportunity to explore religion in the best way possible.

Sometimes that may mean taking to the streets and bringing their services to Airmen.

Standing guard at her post, Airman 1st Class Regina Greenhill, of the 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, was working a typical 12-hour shift on Ash Wednesday, but that didn’t keep her from observing that day.

“A chaplain came out to bless us,” Airman Greenhill said. “We had a chaplain start a Bible study for us. He worked around both times for midshift and day (shift) so we’re all able to go.

“I think a chaplain is one of the most important people we can have on the front lines,” she said. “(Chaplains are) always there to listen, and to help you in time of trouble. People who are religious need guidance, and that’s what the chaplain is there for.”

Then there is the unfortunate and unexpected.

When a "final alarm" ceremony was held at the base fire department honoring a fallen comrade, fellow firefighter Staff Sgt. Ray Rangel who died in Iraq, a chaplain was there, delivering comforting words.

“He exemplifies the ideals of service before self,” Chaplain Kittle said of Sergeant Rangel during the ceremony.

Regardless of religious preference, chaplains are a fixture in every aspect of military operations, armed with a passion for spiritual peace and constitutional freedom.

While Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Terese Erickson, chief of chaplains here, said she knows her staff of 10 chaplains and assistants work to make a difference for those who are deployed, she also knows the key to success of the chaplain staff is leadership.