"Interestingly, although the chaplain has to be an ordained representative of an acknowledged faith group, the Chaplain Assistant does not have to be religious at all. We've worked with all kinds of Chaplain Assistants: religious and non-religious, Christian and non-Christian, ministry-minded and non-ministry-minded, personable and stand-offish, good and bad, male and female." ~ Military Ministry: …
Unexpected Partners
“Ministry can take many shapes. Some chaplains work in a chapel environment. Some chaplains never preach from behind a pulpit. They might serve communion from the tailgate of a Hummer or a truck….” ~ Military Ministry: Chaplains in the Twenty-First Century (page 187) There hadn’t been a chaplain at the small FOB during the three years …
Do You Need a Mentor?
One of the ways to avoid getting into trouble is to establish accountability measures and allow key people in your life to hold you answerable for what is morally right, and what is helpful in your career. It is important to establish professional and spiritual mentoring relationships. We all need someone we can turn to …
Driving Up the Mountain
I was a chaplain with an infantry battalion that was conducting field exercises in Yakima, Washington. While visiting our soldiers at remote locations, I asked my Chaplain Assistant if he would go up and over the mountain instead of taking the road around it. He agreed, but soon stopped and said he couldn’t go further …
Funeral for a Clock
After I completed the Army Chaplain Basic Course, my first assignment was with a medical unit. While participating in a field training exercise at Camp Parks in California, I met with the First Sergeant one day, and he told me that one of his Soldiers died. When I asked who the soldier was, he told …
Military Chaplain Guide 