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Feb 6, 2012 - 5:49:45 PM |
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Chaplains Play Critical Role for Troops, Bloggers Told
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg, Emerging Media Directorate, Defense Media Activity
Jun 26, 2009 - 9:07:37 PM
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Blackanthem Military News
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| Photo taken by US Navy MC1 Bane |
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Army active and reserve chaplains are playing a critical and strategic role in Iraq, said a U.S. Army chaplain serving with Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq.
"Our troops are working tirelessly and selflessly to create a trusted and viable Iraqi security force," U.S. Army Maj. William Steen, a chaplain assigned to MNSTC-I, said to bloggers during a DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable June 23. "However, the work, family separation and the long hours all take their toll on our troops."
Steen discussed how the military is helping these soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines cope with the physical, mental, and emotional stress while deployed in Iraq.
Chaplains are playing a critical role in today's military by providing forward-deployed troops more than religious support. They are providing relational enhancement training to strengthen marriages and families; pre- and post-deployment training; and suicide-prevention training to name a few.
"The wear and tear on the troops manifests itself in many ways. We commonly refer to those things as combat stress. In this era of persistent conflict, as we are facing an unprecedented demand upon all our volunteer force, both service members and their families, their need for support and care is greater than it has ever been," said Steen.
He added that these chaplains are filling the roles that are left behind when battalions are deployed downrange.
"There are significant numbers of reserve chaplains who are serving extended tours of active duty, to do rear-garrison support," said Steen. "When a brigade combat team goes downrange ... those families are left with out adequate care and coverage."
The reserve chaplains are providing a significant ministry for these families, the chaplain said.
"I think the Army has really stepped up to the plate, in terms of providing billets for those reserve chaplains," he added.
Another area that chaplains are assisting servicemembers downrange is through suicide prevention standdowns. Steen discussed their recent standdown at MNSTC-I in which they briefed an estimated 1,500. He believes this type of support has had an overwhelming success in terms of its effectiveness and reception on the part of servicemembers, said Steen.
"We've had a couple of specific situations where that training here has made a difference, both on the part of people who ... recognized in themselves symptoms enough to reach out. And then on the part of people being more sensitized to those around them," the chaplain said.
He added that while preventing suicides is a big problem that won't go away easily; he added that this type of effort has spoken volumes. "I think it is making a difference," he added.
While chaplains are providing the caring support to the servicemembers, he added that other past coalition troops who have served with them, such as the British and the Australians are amazed at the genuine support provided by U.S. citizens.
"They are absolutely stunned by the number of care packages that we get and the volume of freewill donations that are just the sheer expression of support for our citizens. They can't believe it. They can't believe that our citizens do that," said Steen.
(Adapted from an American Forces Information Service news article)
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