In addition to medics, psychologists and dentists, the U.S. Army also equips their soldiers with a spiritual tool who goes wherever they go... a chaplain.
KXXV's Brooke Bednarz spoke with the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team chaplain who has been offering spiritual support for our Fort Hood soldiers the past nine months in Kuwait.
Chaplains are vital to every unit in the Army, especially while on deployment, to help keep their soldiers ready and resilient.
“We’re there to talk with them, we’re there to encourage them, to be that counselor, to be that person that is fighting in their corner," Maj. Aprill Bright, the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team chaplain, said.
Although Maj. Aprill Bright doesn’t carry a weapon, she is still a soldier and as chaplain for the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, she too has been deployed to Kuwait for the last nine months.
“No other civilian pastor can come into Camp Buehring and do what we do. We can be a pastor to that person that’s in that foxhole,” Maj. Bright added.
While deployed to Camp Buehring, chaplains offer weekly services to the entire post.
“We’re with them every day, all day. The difference in a civilian and a civilian church, you’re gonna see your pastor maybe on Sunday, Wednesday, or you gotta make an appointment through the week. It’s total access to us whenever the soldiers need us,” Maj. Bright said.
The Greywolf Brigade has accomplished an assortment of missions while in the Middle East, ranging from combat to global partner training exercises.
“Spiritually, you need somewhere where you can connect to, somewhere you can vent, somewhere where you can just be yourself and be comfortable in the skin that you’re in.” Cpt. Michael Hermes a licensed minister of the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team said.
So, chaplains, of all religious backgrounds, offer spiritual guidance and care for their fellow soldiers to offer peace of mind as they head off to serve our country.
“Just be able to pray with them and let them know, hey, everything’s okay. You have people who love you here, you have people who love you in the rear, and most of all God loves you... and so what more do you need? He’s already equipped you, so go ahead do what he’s called you to do,” Cpt. Michael Hermes added.
When chaplains return home from deployment, they resume spiritual care of their soldiers on Fort Hood.
While on a Care to Caregiver retreat during this nine-month deployment, the Greywolf Brigade and battalion Unit Ministry Teams had the chance to be baptized in the Jordan River.
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