Army coping with shortage of chaplains

Army coping with shortage of chaplains
By Andrea Stone - USA TODAY
Posted : Wednesday Feb 6, 2008 9:38:24 EST

Army Maj. Paul Hurley journeyed four days by convoy, aircraft and helicopter to reach the remote outpost in Iraq near the Syrian border where 50 U.S. soldiers hunkered down in November 2006. He was the first Roman Catholic priest to visit in 6 months.
“It was a very profound experience (to) visit soldiers who are facing their mortality every day,” Hurley recalls. He celebrated Mass and heard confession from a dozen Catholic soldiers before leading Thanksgiving prayers for the base.
Hurley belongs to a dwindling flock of chaplains whose mission to support soldiers and their families has been strained by the demands of war and a shortage in their ranks. The Navy and Air Force usually recruit enough religious leaders, but the Army, which expects chaplains to be able to do everything soldiers do except carry a weapon and now relies heavily on reserve units, is hurting for spiritual aid.
Chaplains are trained to help servicemembers of all religious faiths — or none. Among denominations, though, Roman Catholic chaplains are the most scarce, a reflection of a nationwide priest shortage. There are no imams to minister to a growing number of Muslims in the Army Guard and Reserve. The California and New York National Guard, which have a larger proportion of Jewish soldiers than other states, could use more rabbis, says Army Guard Maj. Timothy Baer, who recruits chaplains.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/gns_chaplainshortage_080205/

Next month I will begin training to become a Chaplain. No, I'm not joining the military. I'm doing it so that I can be of better service right here in my home town.

Last month I met with a group of Chaplains working for a hospital in Altimonte Springs Florida. They wanted to know more about PTSD and what they could do for people suffering from it. Knowing it does not come from one source but many, they wanted to learn all they could. While my focus has always been PTSD from combat, the other causes of PTSD have not been overlooked. From the tornadoes striking with vengeance last night, to floods and other natural disasters, people will be affected by PTSD. From the shootings at the mall last week to the returning forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, trauma comes.

Chaplains are supposed to be non-denominational. They are not supposed to be crossing the line between offering spiritual help and guidance with evangelizing for their own faith. This I totally agree with considering Christ began one church and God began one world. I totally support the other religions and the other beliefs because God created man with the free will to choose their own form of worship. For me it is a matter of treating the individual with the spiritual calling they already have. The Chaplains in the military are failing their calling by evangelizing the wounded and taking advantage of their pain.

Back home, there is a dyer need for trained Chaplains to comfort the veterans and their families as well as other survivors of traumatic experiences. The members of the clergy are very behind on their mission when it comes to members of their own communities they should be reaching out to. I've talked to several Pastors who are in fact interested in learning more about PTSD, but most of them show their disinterest when their eyes glaze over. They fail to see the connection with the fact most who develop PTSD see the event as God had abandoned them. There is a spiritual wound that comes and going back to recorded time, this wound cuts deeper than any weapon.

The PTSD rates are at epidemic proportions already and they are only going to increase as the years go on. In the numbers we see there are also families that will be suffering as well. Everyone in this country needs to mobilize to face this head on before we regret we did not act fast enough or strong enough for their sake.