Enter any military unit (but especially an aviation one) and you’re likely to find the bathroom stalls stuffed with reading materials.  In some cases you might find laminated copies of aircraft emergency procedures; in others, it might just be generic left over magazines ranging from Guns and Ammo to Newseek; in almost all cases you’ll find copies of the most recent safety publications.  (In years past, various levels of adult magazines could be found in most fighter units.  That practice has largely, though not entirely, faded away).

A US Army Chaplain’s team composed of Chaplain (Capt) Jason Hohnberger and his assistant Sgt David Cavazos recently took advantage of the traditional practice:

Holy Crap: Chaplain’s Thought of the Week, where Bible verses and inspirational messages are posted on the doors of bathroom stalls, is just one of the many creative programs run by this holy team.

That’s not the only thing the team does:

To get the word out about what they offer, Hohnberger and Cavazos use a fun and effective advertising campaign. Folded paper “table tents” with humorous quotes like “Chuck Norris’ beard wants you to go to the chapel” are placed on tables at the dining facility. Flyers featuring Hohnberger’s head on a muscular body advertise an “insane workout with the chaplain.”…

Another program offered is “Holy Smokes” in which the chaplain conducts a Bible study by fireside next to a smokers’ hut. Free cigars are offered, though anyone may attend, not just smokers.

The objective is admirable:

The campaign’s intent is to make the chaplain and his serves [sic] more approachable and less intimidating…

“I hope the campaign helps, but I hope making fun of me demonstrates that I am approachable.”

As noted many times in the past, the US Army is fighting the plague of suicide in its ranks, and an approachable support system (absent “stigma”), which includes the Chaplaincy, is one of the Army’s goals.

Chaplains and Chaplain assistants put their lives on the line in the US military to help support the religious freedom of hundreds of thousands of US (and other) troops around the world.  Chaplain Hohnberger and Sgt Cavazos have a unique take on that mission, and it seems to be serving them — more accurately, the troops they serve — well.