Category Archives: Chaplain

Chaplain Promoted to LtCmdr. Twice.

Chaplain (LtCmdr) William Dorwart has a fascinating story.  He enlisted in the Navy in 1967, then left and obtained a Masters in Dividnity at Notre Dame. He then rejoined the Navy as a Chaplain in 1985 and left again in 1991 to serve a civilian ministry role.

To help meet the shortage of Catholic chaplains, he returned to the Navy in 2008, 41 years after he originally enlisted.  He started again as a Lieutenant, and was finally promoted, for the second time, back to LtCmdr.

It’s an odd career path, but even now Chaplain Dorwart hopes to continue to serve in military ministry, if an age waiver is granted.

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Chaplain with PTSD Serves as Counselor, Model

US Army Chaplain (Maj) David Trogdon is serving his fourth combat tour — this time, officially diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Now he helps minister to those who may be struggling as well:

He knows from experience the corrosive effect of repressing anger and anxiety. His return to war this year after three tours is motivated, in part, by a desire to show fellow troops that mental trauma can be tamed.   “Sometimes I get asked, ‘Does it bother you that people know you have PTSD?’ Read more

Chaplain Messenger of Hope in Christ to US Military

An official Army article highlights US Army Chaplain (Capt) Samuel Rico, currently deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Chaplain Rico says his motivation is simple:  It’s his faith:

“My motivation is, ultimately, be a messenger of the hope that is in Christ where we have eternal life and the prospect of preparing people who someday will have God as their reward in the afterlife,” Rico said.

There is a place for faith in Christ in the military, and Chaplain Rico proudly proclaims the integration of his faith and profession — which gives other Christians in the military the courage to do the same.

Every chaplain in the US military is ultimately an ambassador of his faith, whatever that may be.  That is, after all, the entire reason for having chaplains in the military.

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Jewish Chaplain Considers Messianic Jews

The issue of US military chaplains being Messianic Jews boiled over several years ago.  Ultimately, the Navy decided that a Messianic-Jewish chaplain-candidate had to wear the Christian cross as a religious symbol, rather than the Jewish tablets he wanted.  He chose to resign instead, and no one else has stepped forward to continue the controversy.

Still, there are Messianic Jews within the military, and Chaplain David Frommer wrote about his experiences while deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, when he discovered that one of the half-dozen Jews in his congregation was Messianic.

one of the Jewish civilian contractors arrived with a personal box of Havdalah supplies, prepared to conduct the service on his own in the room across the hall. He was one of my favorite congregants and had enthusiastically participated in all the services and classes I had offered…“It’s so Read more

Chaplain Highlights Shortage of Catholic Priests

Chaplain (Capt) Joel Panzer, a Catholic priest who has served in the US Army for the past five years, recently made a push with fellow Catholic leaders to encourage priests to become military chaplains:

By doing so, he hopes to reverse a rising shortage of priests in the military.

About a quarter of the soldiers in the Army are Catholic, but only about 6% of the Army’s chaplains are Catholic priests.

All military branches combined have just Read more

US Military Supports Jewish Holidays at Sea

Jews in Green highlights the annual push by Kosher Troops to provide “High Holiday package shipments” to Jewish US military personnel around the world.

In the testimonials, there’s a telling thanks:

I want to let you know that your Passover packages arrived on the USS Gonzalez yesterday.  None too soon! We had a challenging Passover, because many of our supplies did not arrive in time…Our Jewish Sailors…were facing the remaining Passover day without foods Kosher for Passover.

Then your packages arrived yesterday. What a blessing Read more

US Military Chaplain Museum Seeks Modern Memories

A local article from the South Carolina paper The State, reprinted at Stars and Stripes, highlighted the Fort Jackson, SC, US Army Chaplain’s Museum.

The U.S. Army Chaplains Museum at Fort Jackson has artifacts dating back to the earliest days of the chaplain corps, which was founded by an act of the Continental Congress in 1775. George Washington appointed the first chaplains.

The article notes the museum is specifically seeking Read more

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