I once attended a promotion ceremony of a very accomplished Chaplain. It was not his accomplishments that impressed me but the genuine way he attributed all his success to the mentorship he received. He acknowledged that, over the years of his life, he received a helping hand from leaders, fellow Chaplains and 56Ms, and especially his grandmother who raised him right, despite his circumstances. From … Continue reading Finding Mentorship
Let’s face it. Getting to your first duty is overwhelming both for you and for your family. It might be your first time actually dealing with Soldiers right out of CHBOLC, or it will be your first time dealing with Soldiers as their Chaplain. The most important thing is to relax and appreciate the journey. After all, the only way to eat a whale is … Continue reading When You First Get to Your Unit
The following advice was a response from CH (CPT) Jeremy Rhoades to the question: “What do you do when you first arrive at a New Duty Location as a Chaplain?” RELATIONSHIPS Be a Team Player. Build a positive working relationship with your peer BN chaplain teams. Be willing to learn from them, and be aware that there will be senses of competitiveness and non-team playing … Continue reading Seasoned Advice from a Seasoned Battalion Chaplain
It was refreshing to hear that my Squadron Commander wanted to keep all our meetings to less than an hour. This was in contrast to the previous SCO who encouraged the rehearsal brief to the brief (and sometimes the rehearsal for the rehearsal…and on and on). Regardless of what kind of Commander you may have, there are a few things to keep in mind for … Continue reading The Command & Staff Meeting
From The Art of Pastoring: Contemplative Reflections by William C. Martin The more eloquent words are, the more they may obscure the Word,for the Word does not need eloquence, to accomplish its work. The [Chaplain] is a simple person.She gains by giving.He leads by being. Observations: Yours is a difficult, impossible, frustrating, and spirit-killing profession if practiced without simplicity and freedom.Practiced with simplicity and freedom … Continue reading Thought 81 – The Chaplain
The Running Estimate board developed by CH (CPT) Daniel Kim and SPC Matt Wagner, Religious Affairs Specialist, during a rotation at JMRC to track UMT activities During an operation you may have heard the term: Running Estimate. What’s that you ask? No, it is not estimating your ability to pass the next PT test. According to ADP 5-0 on the Operation Process, a Running Estimate … Continue reading Developing Your Running Estimate
I am not a PT Stud. I’m good enough to hang with my fellow support type personnel which, let’s be honest, they are not typically PT Studs either. But none of these are viable excuses not to be visibly involved with PT across the formation. Now being an Officer, and being the Chaplain type Officer can be an easy excuse not to show up for … Continue reading The Ministry of PT
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