The Air Force Chaplaincy is a unique ministry that offers a variety of opportunities of helping people. I have been active duty now for over 25 years and find it a very fulfilling experience, yet one that is filled with challenges. The Catholics have a term "Secular Priest" that refers to a priest who is not attached to an order. While I know I am taking the term out of context, the phrase "secular priest" seems to fit Chaplaincy ministry. While we are representatives from our individual denominations and have opportunities for spiritual ministry, we usually do quite a bit of secular style counseling, and find ourselves operating in the semi-religious realm on a regular basis. 

 

The Chaplaincy exists for deployment and our true reason for existence is found when the military deploys to other locations. If it were not for the chaplains there would be severe lack of religious opportunity when our milary members are facing thier highest of stress levels that including injury and the death of their friends.

 

During Desert Shield and Desert Storm I deployed to Saudi Arabia. Of all my military ministry this was the most fulfilling and intense. For the first three months of that time I was on only Protestant chaplain for our base of 1500. I conducted three services each Sunday, a General Protestant Service, a Pentecostal/Black Gospel Service, and an Informal evening service. I also had a Sunday School Class and a couple of Bible studies during the week.

 

I found that while some service members leave their faith back home, a large number cling to it desperately in times of crisis. During the first part of our deployment one of our F-111s which carried a pilot and a weapons officer, crashed in the desert. A group of about 50 people were sent out to the crash site to pick up personal belongings and mark body parts. I went with them to offer moral support and counsel. I was not a pretty scene, the one jet was reduced to small pieces of rubble spread out over a one-half by one mile area. After that rough job, I found I had quite a bit of counseling with the workers as they tried to deal with the sights and smells of that day. Counseling when deployed is not usually in an office, but in a variety of locations around the base. We spent most of our day just visiting around the base. It was not uncommon to find someone crying or otherwise obviously hurting.

 

Once the war started I offered a midnight communion service for the flyers. We were blessed not to loose planes in combat, but the flack and missiles were real. On the second night of the war I went to "life support" to see the flyers off. I was surpised to sense a bit of hostility. Some did not want the chaplain there reminding them of death. After a few nights I think I became accepted as another good luck charm, as the planes kept coming back.

 

Since Desert Storm I have been deployed to Oman and Kuwait.  The Kuwait deployment was with the army, and I was the "Post Chaplain." I lead a team of seven Army Chaplains, and it was a very interesting and fulfilling experience.

 

Counseling is a big part of a chaplains Job. I would guess that a third to a half of our time is spent trying to help people in that way. One of the big differences between chaplain counseling and pastoral counseling is that often people are sent by commanders and first sergeants to see the chaplain. We deal with every kind of issue, and often with people who are non-religious.

 

There are a variety of bases and many different types of ministry. At my first base we had a family chapel, a hospital chapel and a student chapel. The base was a training base and had over 5000 student airmen there at all times. A lot of our work there was to help young airmen who where away form home for the first time learn to deal with themselves and the Air force.

 

I have had a variety of very special times in the Chaplaincy. At my first assignment I remember one young man especially who came to me who wanted to become a Christian. I had been a pastor for 7 years but had never and someone come to my office just to become a Christian.

 

I was stationed at Oklahoma during the Oklahoma City bombing incident. I did not take part directly in the rescue efforts, but I was involved in counseling and working with groups who were returning form the site. Their work of recovering broken bodies of men women and children was a heart breaking job. One young Father I counseled told me that when he went home and looked at his son, he couldn't stop crying. He wondered what was wrong with him, that a man should be so weak.

 

The year of 1995-6 was unique for me in that I attended the Air Forces - Air Command and Staff College. Four chaplains a year are sent to this school which has nothing to do with the Chaplaincy, but rather is a school of War theory, tactics, and staff leadership. I did not have an active ministry there, but had the opportunity to experience the training that many officers who will be Air Force leaders experience. I also learned a lot about military principles which I hope to turn into a book of a spiritual nature. My only ministry there was to start my home page. I often followed themes that followed our schooling, or if not, I try to deal with every day issues.

 

Chaplains are accepted into the military through their denomination. If you are interested, you should contact your local church or district headquarters. Minimum requirements are a college degree and a three year seminary or equivalent degree

 

On thing you should know is that the services are quite different. If you have a serious interest, I suggest you check them out so that you find the most compatible with your ministry interests. . If you got to seminary, or are in seminary, look into the seminarian program. It would provide some experience, and can be financially beneficial as you go into the service.

 

Any specific Questions, feel free to ask.  ChaplainD@chaplaind.com