An Army article notes the importance of the military Chaplaincy to basic trainees at Fort Jackson:

Each Friday night, the 187th Ordnance Battalion classroom is filled with coffee, cookies, Bibles and smiling Soldiers. This weekly Fortress Coffeehouse service is one of the many ways that chaplains appeal to the needs of Soldiers-in-training at Fort Jackson.

The efforts by the Chaplains certainly seem appreciated by the Soldiers in training:

Pvt. Joshua Soiffer, Company A, 187th Ordnance Battalion, said that coffeehouse time is a comforting way to end a hard week.

“This is my fourth week here and I come to get away from life in the barracks, to spend time with fellow Soldiers and folks who love Jesus.”

Like the religious support teams in many locations, Chaplain (Capt) Jerry Wagner and his team work with volunteers to help run the base’s widely popular programs.

At [Chaplain (Capt) Hyun] Ha’s service each Sunday, he has 15 ushers and a 45-member choir that is accompanied by a pianist, guitarist and drummer. When he stands to give his sermon, he addresses his 300-member congregation, which is fully executed and attended by the battalion’s BCT Soldiers…

“Sometimes after service, I have a line of 30 Soldiers outside of my office. I share my experience with them, how I felt humiliated in training, and they share their issues with me,” [Ha said]…

“We work together as a unit ministry team with Cadence International and local volunteers to make this an engaging time for the Soldiers,” he said.

Regardless of how things may seem to get “easier” over the years, basic training remains one of the most challenging life events trainees experience, and military Chaplains are there to help them through.