Category Archives: Chaplain

Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center to Open

Along with being the National Day of Prayer, May 6 is also set to see the opening of the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center.

As a result of base realignment and closure (BRAC), the services were directed to consolidate their Chaplain training facilities.  Fort Jackson, SC, will serve as the single location at which all military Chaplains will be trained, though it appears that each service will retain separate training courses.

Chaplain (Col.) Steven Keith will be the commandant of the Air Force Chaplain Corps College at Fort Jackson, as well as the director of the AFCC itself.

The Need for Chaplains in Combat

A local paper documents the upcoming return to combat of a Catholic Priest and US Army Chaplain.  The article focuses on details from Chaplain (Maj) Brian Kane’s prior tour in 2005, and several of the anecdotes highlight the strong need for Chaplains in the US military.

The men went to the Al Anbar province at Al Asad airbase in western Iraq. Due to the shortage of priests, Kane spent the year traveling more than 5,500 miles by helicopter or convoy. He visited small bases that didn’t have a Catholic priest and small field hospitals, hearing confessions, saying Mass and counseling anyone who wanted to talk…

In one of the more interesting stories, he would ultimately Read more

Chaplain’s “Changing of the Stole” in Iraq

A “change of command” is a process in which a military unit publicly sees its leadership change from one person to another.  The 1st Infantry Division, or “Big Red One,” recently saw a “time honored tradition” in a similar ceremony when a new division Chaplain assumed his duties.

Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Timothy Mallard, division chaplain for the 1st Inf. Div., donned the stole, which bears the names of the head chaplains for the division since the Balkans.

The changing of the stole ceremony is based on the Old Testament Read more

Navy Seal, Now Army Chaplain, Ministers in Iraq

US Army Chaplain (Capt) Geoffrey Whitaker, the garrison Chaplain at COB Marez, Iraq, took a unique path to the Chaplaincy.  He was originally a Navy SEAL; in 2003, he fell during a helicopter speed rope and crushed his skull.  Doctors gave him a 10% chance of survival, with far less a chance he’d ever recover.

He rejoined his SEALs within 12 months.

He said he owes his recovery to the thousands of people praying for him around the world.  Read more

Obama Praises Military Chaplain

During a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer a few weeks ago, President Obama spoke once again of his family’s position regarding attending church regularly, or “joining” a particular church.  In one of the more underreported comments, he singled out a military Chaplain for strong praise:

We love the chapel up in Camp David. It’s probably our favorite place to worship because it’s just family up at Camp David. There’s a wonderful chaplain up there who does just a great job.

It is rare enough for a military officer to get such stark praise Read more

McChrystal Addresses Easter Service

A sunrise Easter service, which may trace its tradition back to the early 1700s, was celebrated at Fort Stewart, Georgia, with a unique speaker.

It turns out General Stanley McChrystal, who is currently the commander of US military forces in Afghanistan, has a brother who is a retired Colonel…and Chaplain. 

Marne Garden ushered in Easter morning with a message from Chaplain (Col.) Scott McChrystal (Ret.), that God is alive.  Read more

Army Chaplains Host Spiritual Fitness Runs

In an effort to combine physical and spiritual fitness, some Army Chaplains have hosted “spiritual fitness runs:”

Spiritual fitness runs look like other organized brigade runs and include stretching, warm-up and cool-down periods, but add the benefit of the chaplain’s message at the end.

In the referenced article about Fort Stewart, the brigade Chaplain, Chaplain (Capt) David Clark, spoke at the end of the run on the importance of knowing “the mission of our supervisor” as well as being aware of people so they can offer help, while also being willing to accept help when necessary.

The Chaplain’s message combined a spiritual paradigm and a military application, a perspective military Chaplains are often uniquely equipped to provide.

Via the Army Chaplaincy blog.

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