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F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. - They assist when possible, and
are always ready to listen to people's problems and provide
spiritual guidance. They help Airmen whenever they can and work to
boost the morale of service members and their families.
Chaplains exist to protect service members' constitutional right
of freedom of religion.
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Capt. James Calledo, chaplain, 90th Missile Wing Catholic priest, gives a sermon during a Catholic Mass Jan. 25, 2014, at the High Plains Chapel on F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Malcolm Mayfield)
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"That goes for any faith group," said Chaplain (Maj.)
Gary Coburn, 90th Missile Wing deputy wing chaplain. "If I
can't perform something, if I can't provide it myself then,
I can provide for it-- meaning I get someone else. It's to
protect your freedom of religion."
Chaplain (Capt.)
James Calledo, 90th MW Catholic priest, recently arrived on
base and, like all chaplains, he is qualified to counsel the
base populous regardless of their religion affiliation.
"Chaplains are the ones who are supposed to take care of
the spiritual needs of Airmen," Calledo said. I'm a Catholic
priest for the Catholic population of F.E. Warren, but I'm a
chaplain for all."
Day-to-day, chaplains have a
variety of tasks they complete-- from unit visitation and
advising leadership on spiritual matters, to their normal
religious duties. A large portion of what they do involves
working with people in the Warren community that seek the
chaplains' council.
"Not all Airmen would come to me
seeking spiritual guidance," Calledo said. "More often than
not, [Airmen] come here with problems regarding work or
their personal lives."
Chaplains are available whenever people need someone to talk to
and listen to their problems, he said.
"I believe our goal is
to boost the morale of Airmen," Calledo said. "That's our role. We
make ourselves available for them especially during moments of
crisis and difficulties."
Outside of counseling, chaplains
work with the organizations and leadership across the base.
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Capt. Robert Tilley, 90th Missile Wing Protestant chaplain, talks with a congregation member after the Protestant Contemporary service Jan. 25, 2014, in the Chapel Activities Center on F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. A portion of what chaplains do involves counseling service members and their families. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Malcolm Mayfield)
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"On a day-to-day scale, chaplains do a lot of unit
visitation, getting to know commanders, first sergeants and
the [Airmen] themselves," Coburn said.
Chaplain
assistants help with keeping the chaplains focused on their
mission and allowing them to focus on the base populous.
"We
couldn't get our job done without them," Coburn said. "They
do a lot of administrative work, a lot of the things that
keep the chapels operating, which free us up to do other
things such as counseling and meeting people's spiritual
needs."
Chaplain assistants sometimes directly assist
Airmen and help create a bridge between the rank gap.
"Many times a young airmen first class might be
intimidated to come and talk to a major who's a chaplain,"
Coburn said. "There have been times to where I have had a
chaplain assistant talk with Airmen and others who would
open up with the chaplain assistant before they would open
up to me."
Chaplain assistants provide Airmen another
avenue they can use to get help.
"[Personnel and
their families] can be assured there is someone who will
listen to them unconditionally and with total
confidentiality," Calledo said. "That's one way we can boost
the morale of Airmen."
By U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Malcolm Mayfield
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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