US Army Chaplain (1Lt) Daryl Thul has been supporting the National Guard Soldiers who have been working 24/7 on flood duty in Minot, North Dakota.  He’s made a special effort to meet the spiritual needs of the night shift, which is often sleeping during traditional religious service times.

So he preaches a Protestant service 0245.

Attendance is good because Thul, and his assistant, Pfc. Matthew O’Brien, take the service to the troops.

“I go to the soldiers and airmen for them to get their faith,” Thul said. “I do a Protestant service. I’m not here to proselytize. I’m here to help them worship.”

Thul has an interesting perspective on preaching to the troops:

“Children get the watered-down version,” he said. “We should teach adults the whole message. As chaplain, I can give the same message as in a church. The difference is, the highest rating in the church is PG. In uniform, I can give that story an R rating. I’m able to use the entire spectrum of Bible stories.”

US military operations around the globe often work on a 24-hour schedule.  That a Chaplain would go out of his way to minister in the wee hours of the morning is a testament to the spiritual support the US military tries to provide for its troops, no matter where (or when) they are.