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"...
a rewarding ministry to the men and women who protect lives and defend
freedom."
Every minister knows that the
men and women who serve in the Armed Forces need God's strength and guidance.
They sometimes face horrors that shake their faith. Their trial can also be
their greatest opportunity to strengthen their faith. Being a military
Chaplain is thus a very rewarding ministry. Many ministers, however,
are not aware of the true service they can render in the National Guard.
I began as a Medical Officer and have
been a Chaplain in the United States Army and Indiana Army National Guard
since 1987. I have had many powerful moments where I was present as a
soldier's soul opened to God's grace. I worked with soldiers fighting
flood and hurricane, building peace in Kosovo and Bosnia.and dealing with
grief in a makeshift morgue after an airliner crash,
As the Lord promised, I am a much
richer man than when I began. The faith, courage and dedication of
"my" soldiers have inspired me. They and the Army taught me a
lot about myself, gave me powerful tools to use in my civilian ministry, and
helped me to become a better man. As Guard colleagues have remarked several
times, "... and besides all the great moments, they pay us to do this."
If you want to know more, you can contact me, the State Chaplain, for
information on Chaplaincy in the Indiana National Guard.
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An ordained minister can obtain a direct commission as a Chaplain / First
Lieutenant in the National Guard. He or she now takes Chaplain Officer
Basic, either by correspondence or in residence to the be promoted to
Captain. Those currently in seminary can enter the Guard as a Second
Lieutenant, Chaplain Candidate. Once ordained, he or she becomes a
Chaplain.
Most new Chaplains begin as
Battalion Chaplains, with about 600-700 men and women in their care.
You help the command meet soldiers' religious needs, whether for services,
counseling or special religious practices. Your services and prayer
sessions may be attended by one soldier or by hundreds.
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Good Chaplains get out with the soldiers. When the soldiers see you,
they invite you to join in their training. I've flown in helicopters,
gone on night patrols, "comanded" a tank (a trained soldier drove
it, thank goodness) rapelled off of towers and walls, blown demolition
charges (I made some pretty big holes in the ground), built flood walls and
attached loads to the bottom of hovering helicopters. Click here to see another page about what
I've experienced as a Chaplain in the National Guard.
You are also part of the
Commander's staff. Here you can learn many management and
leadership skills that will help you in your civilian ministry. You also get
to know some very fine people from many walks of life. I've learned
much about the day to day concerns of ordinary Americans, things I seldom
hear when I'm in my civilian ministry.
As you gain experience the Army
increases your responsibility. You will become a Brigade
Chaplain. You will still minister to soldiers, but you will also
supervise and mentor the next generation of Chaplains entering our ranks.
The units make allowances for your work as a
civilian minister. On weekend drill, you can still be at your Church on
Sunday morning. Parishes help their minister have time to be a
Chaplain, and the Army helps you have time to be a minister.
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As a military chaplain I know that I am trying to walk
in big shoes. The graveyard of my religious community is dotted with
flags honoring our members who served as Chaplains in World War I, World
War II and Korea. One of them, Fr. William Staudt, is shown at right saying
mass in the jungle of New Guinea in World War II. Our recent Chaplains have included Ken
Schroeder, Louis Schmidt, Gene Schnipke and John Scrode
Chaplains leave us a solid legacy of courage and
commitment. Chaplains work hard to be of service to those who risk and
sometimes give everything to keep evil off the shores of our great country
and to preserve democracy so that it can still shine as a light to the rest
of the world.
I am trying to do my part, as did my father and his
father before me. I seldom feel that I measure up, but it has been a
privilege.
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I've achieved more than 20 years of service. On completion of 20 good
years, a Chaplain is guaranteed a pension and important health care
benefits. I am a Catholic priest, so that pension will be a big help to
my religious community as I get older. Our retired Chaplains of all
faiths often say how these and other benefits like space available travel and
low cost medical insurance are a big help to them and their families.
I know all ministers already
have too much to do, but this important ministry can fit into a minister's
outreach. You will probably find that some members of your church are
in the National Guard or Reserves. If you want to know more, you can
contact me, the State Chaplain,
for information on Chaplaincy in the Indiana National Guard. We can put
you in touch with Chaplains of other faiths, like Chaplain Ebb, shown at left
with the head Imam of Tuzla during his deployment to Bosnia. We can arrange
for you to spend a day with one of us as we participate in training and
minister to the troops. You can also learn things that will help you
minister to the Guard and Reserve families in your Church.
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Here are two of Indiana's finest. When this picture was taken, both
were members of the 1-152 Infantry Battalion mobilized to Kuwait and Irag.
Sergeant Arvin, Chaplain Assistant, is on the left. Chaplain LTC Sherar
(right) is back in Iraq with our 76th Brigade in the largest Indiana National
Guard deployment since World War II. In the last 5 years Indiana Guard
Chaplains and Assistants have served in Homeland Security, Iraq, Kuwait,
Afghanistan, Bosnia and Kosovo. They are creating another chapter of
courage and service to God and Country.
I have had the privilege of working with both
these men. SGT Arvin is a dedicated Chaplain Assistant who doubles the
Chaplain's outreach. Chaplain Sherar was a solid pillar of God's strength for
our soldiers at a makeshift morgue following an Airliner crash in Roselawn
Indiana. He also served a tour in Bosnia..
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The 38th Infantry Division got the call to assist the National Guard of
Mississippi two days after Hurricane Katrina roared through the Gulf
States. We accomplished in three days what is normally supposed to take
two weeks. We disconnected from our families and civilian lives,
gathered soldiers, equipment and vehicles and began our 32 hour drive
south. Less than one week after the Hurricane, we were in Mississippi
giving organized assistance.
Here are the Chaplains and Chaplain Assistants who
volunteered to support our troops in this great effort. They performed
typical chaplaincy tasks for our soldiers, doing services, giving counsel and
helping soldiers realize that they were living the Gospel message of the Good
Samaritan. In addition they also baptized, rescued people from burning
vehicles, escorted families back to their homes and ministers back to their
churches, moved equipment, passed out countless bottles of water and
"MRE" rations and got very little sleep. Besides myself, they
are Chaplains Golden, Mansfield and Nedza and Assistants Martin, Avery,
Russell & Chaplin.
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