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ENCOURAGING  FAITH  ,  SUPPORTING  SOLDIERS 


THE  UNITED  STATES  ARMY  CHAPLAINCY 


1975-1995 

PART   ONE  bt^_r"H     foJo 

by  P*^^y 


John   W.    Brinsfield    ,    Jr. 


OFFICE   OF   THE   CHIEF  OF  CHAPLAINS 
DEPARTMENT   OF   THE  APMY 
WASHINGTON    ,    D.C.     1997 


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Dedicated  to  all  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants,  and  civilian 

staff  members  who  served  God  and  Country  during  the  Golden  Age  of 

the  Army  Chaplaincy  :  they  performed  missions  of  grace  and 

encouragement  for  soldiers  throughout  the  world  with  great 

success 


And  those  who   lead   the  many  to  righteousness   will   shine   like    the 
stars   forever  and  ever. . .Daniel    12:3 


The  story  of  the  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy  is  one  of 
spiritual  dedication  and  selfless  service  by  chaplains,  chaplain 
assistants,  and  civilian  staff  members  of  all  denominations  and  faith  groups. 

It  is  a  privilege  for  me  to  commend  to  you  this  history  of  one  of 
the  oldest  branches  of  the  Army  and  of  the  men  and  women  who  served  in  it 
from  the  end  of  the  Vietnam  Conflict  to  the  end  of  the  Cold  War. 


DONALD  W.  SHEA 

Chaplain  (Major  General)  USA 

Chief  of  Chaplains 


FOREWORD 


A  trained  historian  and  active  duty  chaplain,  John  Brinsfield  has  written  a  volume 
that  will  engage  any  reader  interested  in  the  United  States  Army's  epic  journey  from  Vietnam 
to  Force  XXI.  In  this  creative  process,  he  has  splendidly  chronicled  the  defining  events 
which  precipitated  major  changes  within  the  Army  from  1970  to  1993.  Within  this  tableau, 
he  has  embedded  the  human  issues  with  which  the  Army  and  the  Chaplain  Corps  contended. 
The  reader  will  gain  a  greater  perspective  of  how  the  Army  confronted  the  issues. 

Only  within  this  detailed  Army  setting  can  Chaplain  Corps  history,  responses  and 
initiatives  be  understood  and  appreciated.  As  one  who  thought  he  knew  somewhat  of 
Chaplain  Corps  policy,  I  found  that  John  had  much  to  teach  me.  Even  when  specific  events 
and  initiatives  are  not  new  to  the  reader,  they  are  placed  in  a  new,  insightful  perspective. 

Many  other  areas  of  this  volume  provide  an  important,  yet  easily  forgotten  reminder 
of  how  the  Chaplain  Corps  has  continually  responded  to  Army  needs.  For  example,  in 
response  to  racial  unrest  and  drug  abuse  in  the  early  1970s,  chaplains  established  the  first 
Human  Relations  Council  in  U.  S.  Army  Europe  to  address  these  problems.  Or  how  in  that 
same  period,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  designed  and  directed  the  implementation  of  48 
programs  to  address  the  religious,  moral  and  morale  needs  of  the  Army.  Various  of  these 
initiatives  became  pilot  programs  for  the  Army  as  a  whole.  The  many  other  significant 
accomplishments  of  the  past  twenty-five  years  you  should  read  for  yourself 

This  volume  will  inform  even  the  historically  minded  reader  about  the  human,  policy, 
doctrinal,  and  constitutional  challenges  the  Army  faced  from  1970  to  1995. 


WAYNE  E.  KUEHNE 

Chaplain  (Colonel)  USA 

Director 

Plans,  Policy  Development,  and  Training  Directorate 

Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 


PREFACE 


This  is  the  seventh  volume  in  the  History  of  the  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy  series. 
The  guidelines  for  these  serial  histories,  originally  conceived  by  Chaplain  (Major  General) 
Gerhardt  W.  Hyatt  in  1973,  were  described  in  the  Preface  to  Parker  C.  Thompson's  The 
United  States  Army  Chaplaincy  from  Its  European  Antecedents  to  1 791.  which  was  the  first 
volume  in  the  series.  The  specific  areas  to  be  included  in  the  histories  were: 

a.  Major  national  or  Army  eras  in  chronological  order. 

b.  Anecdotal  material,  somewhat  in  the  "war  story"  tradition  of  Chaplain  (Major 
General)  William  R.  Arnold's  Soldiers  of  God,  published  in  1945. 

c.  The  religious  and  political  climate  peculiar  to  each  period. 

d.  Specifics  of  chaplains  in  their  work  and  organization. 

e.  Uniforms,  pay,  and  the  place  of  chaplains  in  the  military. 

f.  Attitudes  and  behavior  influenced  by  theology. 

g.  And,  above  all,  primary  source  material  for  study  and  use  by  active  duty 
chaplains  stationed  away  from  "the  great  wealth  of  libraries." 

Needless  to  say,  this  was  a  tall  order  even  by  Chaplain  Hyatt's  exacting  standards. 
With  respect  to  this  current  effort,  inclusion  of  all  of  these  items  was  made  even  more 
complicated  by  the  fact  that  there  was  no  comprehensive  history  of  the  U.S.  Army  from  1975 
to  1 995  available.  There  were  a  few  organizational  and  campaign  histories  in  print,  but  in  the 
main  a  history  of  the  Army  during  this  period  had  to  be  constructed  so  that  the  Chaplain 
Corps  history  could  be  related  to  it. 

In  order  to  attempt  to  meet  these  goals,  and  to  give  some  coverage  not  only  to  senior 
chaplains  but  also  to  those  at  the  battalion  and  brigade  levels,  a  "top  down"  and  "bottom  up" 
approach  was  selected.  The  first  part  of  the  history  would  deal  with  plans,  policies,  doctrinal 
and  organizational  issues  from  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  perspective.  The  second 
part  would  deal  with  religious  support  for  soldiers  at  the  unit  level  with  particular  emphasis  on 
deployment  missions.  There  was  some  overlap,  but  primarily  each  part  stuck  to  its  theme. 

Since  reports  on  the  history  of  the  Chaplain  Corps  itself  were  mostly  episodic,  much 
of  the  material  had  to  be  reconstructed  from  oral  interviews  supplemented  by  annual  reports, 
newsletters,  and  other  primary  source  documents.  The  result  was  one  of  the  first  histories  of 
the  Amiy  and  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  since  Vietnam. 


-Vll- 


In  addition  to  the  guidelines  for  the  serial  histories,there  were  special  themes  which 
were  incorporated  into  this  volume  which  helps  account  for  its  length.  Among  these  were  the 
Chief  of  Chaplains'  Total  Chaplaincy  Goals,  the  history  of  special  chaplain  programs  which 
became  pilot  programs  for  the  Army,  the  history  of  diversity  in  the  Chaplaincy,  the  history  of 
the  Constitutionality  Case  of  1979-1986,  the  history  of  the  Chaplaincy  in  Reserve 
Components  and  the  growth  toward  a  fully  integrated  Total  Army,  and  the  contributions  of 
the  Chaplaincy  during  combat,  peacekeeping,  and  humanitarian  operations. 

The  single  major  impression  or  thesis  which  emerged  from  four  years  of  research  and 
reflection  was  that  the  Army  Chaplaincy  performed  singular  and  even  heroic  work  during  this 
twenty  year  period  in  helping  the  Army  with  the  dramatic  transformation  in  the  military  which 
occurred  after  Vietnam.  As  long  as  the  courage,  morale,  ethical  conduct,  and  spiritual 
strength  of  the  American  soldier  remain  important  elements  for  readiness,  the  Army 
Chaplaincy  can  never  be  regarded  as  marginal.  Seven  Chiefs  of  Chaplains,  supported  by  the 
finest  Chaplain  Corps  in  the  world,  anticipated  and  met  challenges  for  the  finest  soldiers  in  the 
world,  serving  in  the  finest  Anny  in  the  world.  That  is  what  this  story  is  about. 


-vni- 


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT  S 


To  say  that  this  history  of  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy  since  the  end  of  the 
Vietnam  War  reflects  the  product  of  many  contributors  is  an  understatement.  Eleven 
different  authors  ,  ten  of  them  chaplains,  provided  written  materials  for  incorporation 
into  this  interpretive  study.  More  than  200  individuals  gave  taped  ,  written,  or 
telephone  interviews  ;  18  staff  members  and  volunteers  assisted  with  administrative 
details,  and  six  word  processing  experts  helped  produce  the  first  draft  manuscript  of 
approximately  1,100  pages  for  staffing.  Of  these  235  individuals,  only  two  had 
official  taskings  .  All  the  rest  responded  voluntarily  to  help  reconstruct  and  preserve 
the  record  of  religious  ministry  to  soldiers  and  family  members  since  1975  by 
chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  from  more  than  100  faith  groups.  Each  contribution, 
great  and  small,  was  essential;  all  were  deeply  appreciated. 

At  the  risk  of  unintentional  omission  ,  some  individuals  must  be  acknowledged 
for  their  extraordinary  support.    Chaplain  (Major  General)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman 
and  Chaplain  (Major  General)  Donald  W.  Shea  ,  Chiefs  of  Chaplains  from  1990  to 
the  present,  were  the  fathers  of  the  project  .  Four  former  Chiefs  gave  generously  of 
their  time  to  read  and  correct  various  parts  of  the  history  :  Orris  Kelly  ,  Kermit 
Johnson  ,  Patrick  J.  Hessian  ,  and  Norris  Einertson  .  Additional  readers  included  a 
number  of  retired  chaplains  who  reviewed  short  sections  of  the  manuscript. 
Chaplains  Charles  Kriete,  Harold  Lamm,  Edward  O'Shea,  Richard  Tupy  and  Joseph 
Beasley  were  in  this  number.  Special  appreciation  is  due  to  General  H.  Norman 
Schwarzkopf  for  reading  a  portion  of  the  Desert  Storm  Chaptenand  to  Lieutenant 
General  John  Yeosock  for  granting  a  lengthy  interview  which  illuminated  many  of 
the  strategic  and  ethical  issues  in  the  Gulf  War. 

Most  of  the  staff  members  in  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  were  asked 
to  help  with  interviews,  administrative  resourcing  and  advice.  In  addition  to  the  senior 
chaplains  who  supported  the  project,  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  G.T. 
Gunhus,Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains.  Chaplain  (Colonel)  Timothy  C.  Tatum,  Chaplain 
(Colonel)  Wayne  E.  Kuehne,  Chaplain  (Colonel)  Charles  D.  Camp,  Chaplain 
(Colonel)  John  J.  Kaising,  Chaplain  (Colonel)  Henry  E.  Wake,  and  Chaplain 
(Colonel)  George  Pejakovich  among  them,  the  civilian  staff  enabled   communication 
and  resourcing  requirements  to  meet  the  demanding  two  year  milestone  schedule.  Ms. 
Bess  E.  Ballard,  Ms.  Patricia  M.  Jennings,  Ms.  Jody  A.  Dunning,  Ms.  Betty  P.  Smith, 


IX 


Ms.  Charlotte  M.  Able,  Mr.  Roger  W.  Able.    Ms.  Marie  S.  Walker  .  Mr.  Kelvin  D. 
Davis.  Ms.  Barbara  Breyfogle  and  Mr.  Robert  L.  Parlette  worked  hard  to  meet  every 
request.  Their  assistance  was  invaluable. 

Among  the  contributors.  Chaplain  (Colonel)  John  C.  Scott  .  USA  (Ret.).gave 
generously  of  his  time  and  e.xpertise.  His  historical  recollections,  critiques.and 
wisdom  were  irreplacable.  Other  contributors,  advisors  and  researchers  included  Dr. 
William  Hourihan,  Chaplain  (Captain)  Barbara  Sherer,  Master  Sergeant  Michael 
Swingler,  Chaplain  (Captain)  Kristi  Pappas,  Chaplain  (Major)  Mary  Pitts. Chaplain 
(Major)  Marvin  Mills,  USAR.  Chaplain  (Lieutenant  Colonel)  O.Wayne  Smith, 
Chaplain  (Major)  Jere  Kimmell,  Chaplain  (Colonel)  Robert  Vickers,  Chaplain 
(Colonel)  Gary  Councell,  Chaplain  (Colonel)  Robert  Hutcherson,  Chaplain  (Colonel) 
Calvin  Sydnor  III,  and  Ms.  Kim  Casey. 

The  administrative  support  staff ,  largely  from  the  Fort  Belvoir  Chapel 
Community  ,  contributed  the  resources  and  the  personal  assistance  necessary  to 
operate  the  central  Chaplain  History  Project  Office  at  that  installation.  Chaplain 
(Colonel)  Gary  Sanford,  Chaplain  (Lieutenant  Colonel)  Cecil  Ryland,  Chaplain 
(Major)  Kirby  Weimer,  Chaplain  (Major)  Martin  Applebaum,  Chaplain  (Captain) 
Robert  Loring,  Mr.  Mike  Brown,  Mrs.  Liz  Brown,  Sergeant  First  Class  Dean 
Wakefield,  Sergeant  First  Class  Marion  Lemon,  Sergeant  First  Class  Sarah  Tillman, 
Staff  Sergeant  Rosanna  Noel,  Sergeant  Randy  Schwantes, Specialist  Valerie  Ofoma, 
PFC  Jerry  Peebles,  PFC  Adam  Dowlen,  and  PFC  Mike  Levesque  helped  do 
everything  from  requisition  funds  to  move  furniture.  Others  who  helped  with  different 
xeroxing,  proofreading,  correcting,  indexing  and  research  support  missions  included 
Ms.  Kim  Gromniak,  Ms.  Anet  Springthorpe,  Mrs.  Marietta  Branson,  Miss  Cindee 
Brinsfield  ,  Ms.  Christine  Rainwater,  and  Mrs.  Beth  Wilson. 

The  four  individuals  who  had  most  to  do  with  the  tlnal  form  of  the  book 
included  Chaplain  (Colonel)  William  Hutliam,  Deputy  Director  of  the  Chaplaincy 
Services  Support  Agency,  and   Chaplain  (Colonel)  Gilbert  H.  Pingel, succeeding 
Deputy  Director  in  1995,  who  read  ,  staffed,  corrected  and  approved  each  chapter. 
Mrs.  Linda  Holmes,  Executive  Assistant,  Customer  Service  Supervisor  for  the  Church 
Growth  Institute,  Forest,  Virginia,  worked  for  1 8  months  to  input  and  edit  1 5  of  the 
16  original  chapters  and  to  prepare  index  entries.  Mr.Michael  Hobson,  Writer-Editor, 


Directorate  of  Combat  Developments,  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School, 
performed  much  of  the  final  editing  based  on   staffing  comments.  They  were  all 
indispensable  in  achieving  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  historical  goals  and  in  being  key 
contributors  to  the  book. 


Chaplain  (Colonel)  John  W.  Brinstleld,  Jr. 

Principal  Author  and  Special  Project  Officer 

U.S.  Army  War  College 


XI 


Xll 


CONTENTS 

PART  ONE 

Page 

Title  Page  i 

Dedication  ii 

Letter  from  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  iii 

Foreword  by  Chaplain  Wayne  E.  Kuehne               v 

Preface  vii 

Acknowledgments  ix 

Table  of  Contents  xiii 

List  of  Illustrations  xv 

PART  ONE  :  Meeting  Challenges  to  the  Army 

and  to  the  Chaplaincy  xvii 

Chapter  I     The  Reformation  and  Modernization 

of  the  Army  after  Vietnam,  1970-1984     1 

Chapter  II    The  Hyatt  Years:  Expanding  the 
Chaplaincy's  Vision,  Competence  and  Influence, 

1971-1975  23 

Chapter  III   The  Kelly  Years:  Religious  Leadership 
and  Support  during  Modernization,  1975-1979        61 

Chapter  IV    The  Johnson  Years:  Reaffirming 
the  Identity  of  the  Chaplaincy,  1979-1982  113 

Chapter  V   The  Hessian  Years:  Bringing 
the  Chaplaincy  on  Line,  1982-1986  159 

Chapter  VI    The  Einertson  Years:  Addressing  Needs 
and  Managing  Resources,  1986-1990  229 

Chapter  VII   The  Zimmerman  Years:  Supporting  and  Sustaining 
Soldiers  on  Rapid  Deployment  Missions,  1990-1994    301 


Chapter  VIII  The  Shea  Years:  Dedicated  Service 

in  a  New  World,  1994-1995  357 

Appendix  A  :  History  of  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center 
and  School  by  Dr.  William  Hourihan 

and  Mr.  Michael  W.  Hobson  393 

Appendix  B  :  Historical  Milestones  in  the  Army  Chaplaincy 

by  Chaplain  Marvin  Mills,  USAR  427 

Appendix  C  :  Chaplains  and  Chaplain  Assistants 

at  Work  443 

Glossary  473 

Bibliography  475 

Index  487 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

PART   ONE 


PAGE 

Chaplain  R.R.  Stevens  and  82nd  Airborne  Soldier     Frontispiece 

Chaplain  (Maj .  Gen.)  Donald  W.  Shea  ill 
Chaplains  of  the  IV  Corps--Vietnam           xviii 
Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Gerhardt  Hyatt  22 

Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Orris  E.  Kelly  60 

Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Kermit  D.  Johnson  112 
President  Jimmy  Carter,  Chaplain  Kermit 

Johnson,  and  Chaplain  Robert  Bendick  116 
Chaplain  Professors  at  West  Point  (1971-1984)   135 

Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Patrick  Hessian  158 

Sergeant  Major  Charles  J.  Durr,  III  178 
President  Reagan:  Unknown  Soldier  Dedication    192 

Sergeant  Major  Joseph  A.  Pino  194 

Sergeant  Major  James  Schonefeld  227 

Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Norris  Einertson  228 

Establishment  of  Chaplain  Corps  Regiment  232-235 

Sergeant  Major  Douglas  Carpenter  240 

Total  Army  Liaison  Teams  298-299 

Chaplain  (maj.  Gen.)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman  300 
Chaplains  John  C.  Scott  and  Timothy  C.  Tatum    310 

Sergeant  Major  Oliver  "Irish"  Corbett  314 

Sergeant  Major  Thomas  J.  Prost  315 
President  Bill  Clinton  and  Chiefs  of  Chaplains  334 

Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Zimmerman  and  Staff  335 

Presentation  of  UMT  of  the  Year  Award  335 

Chaplains  Raising,  Lieving,  and  Zimmerman  344 

Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Donald  W.  Shea  356 
Chaplain  Albertson  and  Specialist  Moore:Haiti   366 
Chaplains  Kuhlbars,  Madden,  and  Lloyd:  Haiti    367 

Honors,  Awards,  and  Retirements  1995  379 

Chaplains  Shea,  Kuehne,  and  Gunhus  380 
Sergeant  Major  Elmer  Castro  and  Chaplain  Shea 

at  Arlington  National  Cemetery  384 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS:  CONTINUED 

Page 

Chaplain  School  Buildings  at  Forts  Hamilton  and 

Wadsworth  392 

Chaplain  Center  and  School  Commandants  396 

Chaplain  Officer  Advanced  Course,  1980  399 

Chaplain  School  at  Ft.  Monmouth  and  Commandants  404 

Chaplains  Sirotko,  Cook,  and  NCO  Academy  406 

Division  Chaplain  Course,  1989  406 

Chaplains  James  Robnolt  and  Bernard  Lieving  407 

Ms.  Nella  Hobson  and  Chaplain  John  Patrick  409 

Command  Sergeant  Major  Aaron  Gibson  410 

Command  Sergeant  Major  Oscar  L.  Crumity  411 

Ground  Breaking  at  Ft.  Jackson  for  a  new  School  414 
Advanced  Course  List  of  Duties  of  Chaplains 

Compiled  by  Chaplain  Peter  Christy  415 

Chaplains  Telencio,  Quinn,  Gunhus,  and  Pejakovich  421 

Chaplains  and  Assistants  at  Work  443-472 


Photo  credits:  Ms.  Nella  Hobson  and  PAO  Staff  at  Ft.  Jackson; 
Sergeant  Major  Elmer  Castro,  Master  Sergeant  Michael  Swingler, 
Chaplain  Barbara  Sherer, Chaplain  Rick  Kuhlbars,  Ms.  Jody  Dunning, 
and  Ms.  Charlotte  Able  and  staff  at  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains;  U.S.  Army  War  College  Library  and  Photo  Lab;  Military 
History  Institute  Photographic  Collection,  Carlisle  Barracks;  and 
donations  from  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Corps  members  around  the 
world. . . 


PART  ONE 


MEETING  CHALLENGES  TO  THE  ARMY  AND  TO 

THE  CHAPLAINCY 


"And  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord  saying,  'Whom  shall  I 
send,  and  who  will  go  for  us?'  Then  I  said,  'Here  am  I!  Send 
me.'"  Isaiah  6 


Chaplains    of   the   IV  Corps 

with    Chaplain    (Major  General)    Francis   L.    Sampson,    Chief  of 

Chaplains,    in   Vietnam,    February,    1969. 

Fourth    from   left    in    the   front   row    (kneeling)    is   Chaplain   Gerry 

Gerfell,    the    IV  Corps    Chaplain. 

Fourth   from    the   left    in    the  middle  row  is   Chaplain   Sampson.    To 

his   right    is    Chaplain   Morris   Einertson,    future    17th    Chief  of 

Chaplains .    Fifth   from    the   left    on    the    top   row  is   Chaplain  Matthew 

A.    Zimmerman,    future    18th    Chief  of  Chaplains .    To  his   left,    in    the 

center   of   the    top  row,    is   Chaplain   Donald  W.    Shea,    19th    Chief  of 

Chaplains .       These   chaplains    ,    with    other   Chiefs,    became    the 
architects    of  religious    support   for   the  Army  during   the   quarter 

century  following  Vietnam. 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  REFORMATION  AND  MODERNIZATION 

OF  THE  ARMY  AFTER  VIETNAM 

1972-1984 


"The  soldier's  heart,  the  soldier's  spirit,  the  soldier's  soul  are  everything. " 

General  George  Marshall 


"At  the  time  of  greatest  institutional  crisis  immediately  after  Vietnam,  the  Army  was  obliged  to 
fundamentally  change  its  character. ..Army  reform  centered  primarily  on  ideas  and  people  rather 
than  on  machines.... " 
Brigadier  General  Robert  Scales 


Long  before  the  Vietnam  War  was  over,  it  was  apparent  that  the  Army  was  suffering  from 
a  loss  of  spirit  and  purpose.  From  Vietnam  to  Germany  morale  in  the  Armed  Forces  dropped  to  a 
point  which  posed  a  danger  for  even  the  minimal  completion  of  most  military  combat  and  training 
missions.  Desertion,  drug  abuse,  racial  unrest  and  a  loss  of  trust  in  the  national  leadership 
contributed  to  what  some  observers  called  "the  disarray  and  disintegration  of  the  American 
military."' 

The  loss  of  support  for  the  Vietnam  War  was  rooted  in  the  nature  of  the  conflict  itself  A 
high  tech  American  intervention,  without  clear  strategic  goals,  attempted  to  defeat  a  successful  rural- 
based  peoples'  revolution.  The  introduction  of  conventionally  equipped  expeditionary  forces  and 
the  application  of  massive  fire  power  could  not  destroy  popular  support  for  the  insurgents  and  only 
increased  anti-Americanism  both  in  Southeast  Asia  and  in  other  places  around  the  world.  An  old 
military  maxim  states,  "The  longer  a  war  continues  the  more  barbaric  it  becomes."  As  the  Vietnam 
War  dragged  on  from  five  to  ten  years,  it  degenerated  from  an  effort  to  protect  an  enclave  of 
democracy  to  a  orgy  of  destruction.  Young  service  men  sent  to  protect  America  from  the 
Communist  menace  found  not  John  Wayne  heroics  but  free  fire  zones,  body  counts,  a  massacre  at 
My  Lai,  and  the  bombing  of  population  centers  —  the  long,  dismal  array  of  atrocities  that  many  felt 
were  the  result  of  an  inept  American  strategy  in  Vietnam.  The  immersion  of  credulous  G.I.s  in  this 
dehumanizing  experience  was  one  of  the  fundamental  causes  of  the  upheaval  within  the  Armed 
Forces." 

In  such  a  demanding  combat  environment,  the  soldiers  needed  a  just  cause  to  support.  It  was 
clear  that  the  administration  of  President  Lyndon  Johnson  had  failed  to  provide  a  convincing 
explanation  and  justification  of  the  American  involvement.  Simplistic  rhetoric  like  "fighting  for 
democracy  in  Vietnam"  or  "halting  communist  aggression,"  though  not  without  some  element  of 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


INTRODUCTION 


truth,  was  inappropriate  to  the  complex  situation  faced  in  Southeast  Asia.^  The  Johnson 
administration  had  never  expected  to  become  engaged  in  a  protracted  ground  war  in  Asia  on  such 
a  scale.  Even  when  the  involvement  deepened,  it  attempted  to  keep  the  war  limited,  a  war  without 
full  mobilization  of  the  home  front  and  without  a  hated  enemy.  But  in  such  a  situation  the  continued 
killing  and  continued  criticism  had  a  profound  impact  on  the  spirit  and  morale  of  both  the  nation  and 
those  serving  in  its  armed  forces. 

In  December  1967  General  William  Westmoreland  reported  to  President  Lyndon  Johnson 
that  the  war  in  Vietnam  was  being  won:  "Expect  increased  success  in  1968,"  he  told  the  President. 
However,  in  February  of  1968  during  the  Tet  holidays,  the  Viet  Cong  launched  a  21 -day  offensive 
throughout  Vietnam  to  include  attacks  on  34  provincial  towns  in  64  districts,  on  all  major  cities  in 
the  south,  as  well  as  attacks  on  the  American  Embassy  and  MACV  Headquarters  in  Saigon,  which 
contradicted  General  Westmoreland's  estimate,  to  put  it  mildly.  Even  though  American  and  South 
Vietnamese  forces  destroyed  80%  of  the  Viet  Cong  military  during  Tet,  the  magnitude  of  the  attacks 
fed  the  anti-war  sentiment  in  America  and  seriously  eroded  General  Westmoreland's  credibility.  The 
Tet  offensive,  moreover,  resulted  in  33,000  civilian  casualties  (killed  and  wounded)  and  more  than 
one  million  new  refugees.  In  Saigon  alone  9,580  dwellings  were  destroyed.  To  many  in  America 
it  seemed  that  the  policy  in  Vietnam  was  simplistic,  blind  and  bloody. 

With  little  prospect  of  winning  a  speedy  victory,  the  question  of  the  morality  of  the  war  in 
Vietnam  increasingly  engaged  the  attention  of  the  American  people.  In  1969  Professor  Richard  Falk 
of  Princeton  said  that  "the  use  of  high-tech  weapons  in  Vietnam  was  a  crime."  Professor  Adam 
Bedau  of  Tufts  wrote  that  "the  Vietnam  War  amounted  to  genocide."  Dr.  Michael  Waltzer  of 
Harvard  wrote  that  the  whole  Vietnam  experience  was  a  war  crime.  Others  saw  a  fundamental 
erosion  of  integrity  throughout  senior  American  civil  and  military  bureaucracies. 

Even  the  civilian  churches  in  America  questioned  whether  chaplains  should  be  supporting 
the  war  and  whether  they  were  being  prophetic  in  their  ministries.  The  Presbyterian  Church  report 
put  it  this  way:  "The  Church  and  its  Chaplains  must  be  keenly  sensitive  to  the  erosion,  exploitation, 
or  softening  of  its  witness."  The  report  of  the  Episcopal  Church  was  more  to  the  point: 

Our  commission  strongly  endorses  the  necessity  for  a  ministry  to  the  military 
community,  but  a  ministry  for  which  both  priestly  and  prophetic  roles  are  stressed. 
The  Chaplain  ministers  to  people  wherever  they  are  found,  but  the  Chaplain  is  also 
the  public  voice  of  conscience  who  introduces  a  self-critical  dimension  within  all 
institutions.  His  responsibility  therefore  is  to  ask  the  difficult  moral  question, 
whether  this  particular  kind  of  participation  is  allowable  from  a  Christian  moral 
prospective.  The  dilemma  is  whether  the  Military  Chaplaincy  can  ask  these 
questions,  given  its  dependence  on  the  military  structure. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


INTRODUCTION 


Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  a  United  Methodist,  was  the  Fourth  Infantry  Division  Chaplain  in 
Vietnam  from  July  1969  to  July  1970.  Chaplain  Kelly  felt  that  one  of  his  most  important  functions 
as  a  chaplain  was  to  help  his  men  deal  with  problems  of  conscience  such  as:  "How  can  I  kill  in  a  war 
I  don't  believe  in,  to  destroy  a  person  I  do  not  have  any  understanding  of?"  Kelly  wrote,  "I  do  not 
believe  that  the  Chaplain's  position  is  to  uphold  or  disprove  the  administration's  position  on  war  or 
politics.  I  consider  myself  a  spiritual  advisor  to  the  soldier  to  help  him  with  questions  of  conscience. 
The  soldier  must  make  up  his  own  mind  as  a  free  agent.  The  Chaplain  becomes  a  facilitator  by 
helping  the  soldier  clarify  the  issues  and  make  his  own  decisions."'* 

In  June  of  1 969  President  Richard  Nixon  announced  the  beginning  of  the  withdrawal  of 
American  forces  from  Vietnam.  In  that  same  year  Chaplain  Major  General  Francis  Sampson,  the 
Army  Chief  of  Chaplains,  visited  Vietnam.  Chaplain  Sampson  noted  problems  with  drug  and 
alcohol  abuse  among  American  soldiers.  A  number  of  initiatives  then  followed  in  the  Chaplain 
Corps  to  respond  to  the  drug  and  human  relation  problems  in  the  Army,  because  at  heart  they  were 
spiritual  problems. 

From  1969,  when  the  withdrawal  began,  to  1973  when  the  final  cease  fire  was  signed  in 
Paris,  the  number  of  incidents  involving  crime,  rebellion  and  drug  abuse  mushroomed  among 
military  personnel  worldwide.  For  example,  from  1966  to  1971,  the  five  peak  years  of  Vietnam 
involvement,  the  Army  desertion  rate  increased  nearly  400%.  During  the  same  period  the  desertion 
rate  for  the  Armed  Forces  as  a  whole  jumped  300%  from  8.4  to  33.9  per  thousand.  The  Army's  1971 
rate  of  73.5  per  thousand  was  three  times  as  great  as  the  highest  Korean  War  levels  and  even 
surpassed  the  World  War  II  maximum  of  63  per  thousand  during  1944.  In  making  such  comparisons 
it  is  important  to  keep  in  mind  that,  unlike  those  of  World  War  II,  most  Vietnam  Era  desertions  did 
not  take  place  under  fire  ~  indicating  that  service  men  took  off  not  because  of  danger  but  because 
of  disgust  with  American  policy  and  leadership.  Annual  Army  desertion  and  AWOL  rates  in  1971 
were  the  highest  in  modem  history:  17  AWOL's  and  7  desertions  for  every  one-hundred  soldiers.^ 

Drug  abuse  levels  in  Vietnam  were  higher  than  in  any  other  location  in  the  world.  Over  half 
the  soldiers  in  Vietnam  tried  marijuana  at  least  once  and  nearly  14%)  smoked  it  every  day.  In  a 
survey  of  more  than  4,600  men  in  the  25th  Infantry  Division,  the  4th  Infantry  Division,  and  the  173d 
Airborne  Brigade,  nearly  10%  of  the  soldiers  claimed  to  have  used  either  heroin  or  opium  on  a  daily 
basis.  Forty-four  percent  of  the  men  contacted  said  they  had  tried  at  least  some  type  of  narcotic  while 
in  Vietnam,  35%o  reported  trying  heroin,  and  20%  said  they  had  become  addicted  while  in  Vietnam.* 

Another  major  factor  contributing  to  soldier  unrest  was  the  nature  of  military  service  itself 
in  Vietnam.  The  oppressive  conditions  of  enlisted  duty  repeatedly  sparked  defiance  and  internal 
opposition.  Racial  discrimination,  the  most  pervasive  and  damaging  of  these  grievances,  caused 
particularly  widespread  unrest  among  black  servicemen.  Given  the  large  and  steadily  mounting 
percentage  of  non-whites  within  the  ranks,  discriminatory  conditions  inevitably  led  to  frequent  black 
rebellion.    Maintenance  of  officer  privilege  and  of  a  repressive  punishment  code  were  constant 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


INTRODUCTION 


irritants  to  enlisted  people  and  led  to  resistance. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  severe  incidents  occurred  at  Camp  Baxter  near  the  demilitarized 
zone  in  Vietnam  in  1971 .  After  a  period  of  "intermittent  demonstrations,  a  couple  of  killings,  secret 
meetings  and  threats,"  the  camp  was  virtually  in  a  stage  of  siege.  A  major  racial  clash  occurred  at 
the  base  which  left  at  least  one  black  soldier  dead.  When  the  military  police  were  called  in  after  the 
riot  they  discovered  that  many  soldiers  were  carrying  illegal  arms  and  that  both  blacks  and  whites 
had  assembled  secret  arms  caches  of  ammunition,  grenades,  and  machine  guns  to  defend  themselves 
fi-om  fiirther  attack.  At  the  March  1971  funeral  for  the  black  riot  victim,  200  black  soldiers  staged 
a  black  power  demonstration.  In  a  very  real  sense  the  American  Army  was  fighting  on  two  fronts, 
one  against  the  Vietnamese  guerrillas  in  the  jungles  and  the  other  against  embittered  militants  within 
its  own  ranks.  The  strain  of  black  resistance,  influenced  no  doubt  by  reports  of  similar  unrest  back 
home  in  America,  was  nevertheless  a  key  factor  in  crippling  U.S.  military  capabilities  in  Vietnam.' 

Unfortunately  many  of  these  clashes  led  to  the  deaths  of  service  members  by  the  practice  of 
"fi-agging,"  as  in  placing  a  grenade  in  or  near  a  soldier's  cot  at  night  to  kill  him.  By  July  of  1972,  as 
the  last  American  troops  were  leaving  Vietnam,  the  total  number  of  such  incidents  had  reached  551, 
with  86  soldiers  dead  and  over  700  injured.  In  effect  these  were  the  casualty  figures  for  the  Army's 
"other  war"  in  Vietnam,  its  battle  with  the  insurgents  in  its  own  ranks. 


United  States  Army  -  Europe 

By  1970,  when  Congress  repealed  the  Gulf  of  Tonkin  Resolution,  the  U.S.  7th  Army  in 
Europe  ,  even  with  its  distinguished  World  War  II  history,  had  been  depleted  for  the  purpose  of 
supplying  officers,  experienced  non-commissioned  officers,  materiel  and  money  for  the  U.S.  war 
machine  in  Southeast  Asia.  In  some  respects  the  300,000-man  American  force  in  Germany  was  less 
an  Army  than  an  armed,  savage  mob  of  New  World  Visigoths.^  Standards  had  collapsed,  morale  was 
a  farce,  and  discipline  in  many  of  the  units  resembled  something  very  close  to  anarchy. 

The  crime  statistics  involving  U.S.  soldiers  in  Germany  at  this  time  were  staggering.  In  1971 
an  average  of  5,100  American  service  members  were  charged  with  a  crime  each  month.  In  1970-71, 
3,000  black  soldiers  were  charged  with  crimes  against  other  service  members  or  against  German 
civilians.  A  number  of  gang  rapes  were  reported  throughout  Germany.  In  July  of  1971  in  the  town 
of  New  Ulm,  eight  soldiers  kidnaped  a  16-year-old  German  girl  and  gang  raped  her.  The  following 
weekend  American  soldiers  committed  eight  additional  assaults.  Firemen  in  the  town  refused  to 
respond  to  a  blaze  in  the  barracks  for  fear  of  being  beaten.  A  month  later  15  soldiers  raped  two  girls 
camping  beside  the  Danube.  In  Stuttgart,  100  soldiers  armed  with  knives  and  stones  fought  German 
police  for  5  hours  in  what  was  described  as  the  city's  bloodiest  fighting  since  World  War  II.  In 
Wiesbaden,  15  teenagers-all  children  of  American  soldiers-first  beat  up  a  German  man  tending  his 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


INTRODUCTION 


garden,  then  battered  two  local  utility  workers.  When  the  police  arrived,  only  by  drawing  their  guns 
could  they  drive  away  200  counter-attacking  American  high  school  students.' 

Part  of  the  Vietnam  bequest  was  an  increase  in  drug  addiction.  As  the  epidemic  spread  to 
Europe,  hashish  became  as  common  in  many  units  as  cigarettes  or  chewing  gum.  An  enterprising 
soldier  could  earn  $100,000  a  year  by  driving  to  Munich  once  a  month  and  buying  wholesale  a  load 
of  hashish  which  merchants  sold  in  planks  3  inches  wide  and  a  quarter  inch  thick.  After  returning 
to  his  unit  and  carving  the  planks  into  grams,  the  entrepreneur  could  peddle  each  gram  for  $1  to  $2. 
Some  soldiers  smoked  more  than  100  grams  per  month,  "lighting  up  with  a  compulsive  frequency 
of  a  Marlboro  Man."'"  Rarely,  if  ever,  had  a  modem  fighting  force  been  as  consistently  high  on 
drugs  as  the  American  Seventh  Army.  In  one  artillery  unit  at  New  Ulm,  for  example,  authorities 
estimated  that  50%  to  80%  of  the  1 ,600  enlisted  men  were  stoned  on  duty,  and  half  of  them  also  used 
hard  drugs. 

Another  cancer  eating  at  the  Army's  vitals  was  racial  hatred.  Many  black  soldiers  felt  like 
second  class  citizens.  Although  14%  of  the  Army's  enlisted  troops  were  black  in  1971,  the  officer 
corps  remained  97%  white.  Blacks  and  whites  often  segregated  themselves  in  the  barracks  which 
became  tinder  boxes  of  tension.  Graffiti  were  as  ubiquitous  on  Army  posts  as  on  New  York  subway 
walls:  "kill  whitey;  black  is  beautiful;  KKK,  get  the  niggers." 

In  the  summer  of  1 97 1  Chaplain  Matthew  Zimmerman  was  assigned  to  Hanau,  Germany,  as 
the  Division  Artillery  Chaplain  for  the  3rd  Armored  Division.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  recalled  that 
Hanau  was  known  to  the  soldiers  as  the  "arm-pit  of  race  relations."  Fights  between  white  and  black 
soldiers  in  the  barracks  were  almost  hourly  occurrences.  When  a  black  soldier  was  killed  in  Hanau, 
Chaplain  Zimmermann  recalled,  several  of  the  soldier's  friends  grabbed  a  white  soldier  and  held  him 
out  of  a  top  story  window  by  his  ankles.  When  they  dropped  him  on  his  head  he  was  killed. 

The  military  police,  in  Hanau,  referred  to  two  armies  in  the  town:  a  day  army  and  a  night 
army.  During  the  night  there  were  constant  fights  between  armed  military  policeman  and  soldiers 
as  well  as  a  war  between  black  soldiers  and  the  German  police.  In  1971  and  1972  there  were  more 
Army  memorial  services  in  Germany  than  there  were  in  Vietnam,  a  condition  which  reflected  the 
high  crime  rate  and  the  tensions  between  black  and  white  service  members. 

Much  of  the  hostility  which  existed  between  the  black  and  white  soldiers  was  due  to  a  lack 
of  knowledge  and  appreciation  of  black  culture.  White  soldiers  frequently  made  fun  of  Afro  hair- 
styles and  the  combs  that  black  soldiers  carried.  Black  music  likewise  seemed  to  irritate  the  white 
soldiers.  Segregation  was  by  choice  in  most  of  the  barracks.  Indeed,  the  condition  of  the  soldiers 
in  the  barracks  was  not  unlike  the  atmosphere  of  gang  warfare  in  many  of  America's  larger  cities. 

Chaplain  Kermit  Johnson,  who  was  assigned  to  Germany  in  the  same  period  of  time,  recalled 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


INTRODUCTION 


that  many  commanders  desperately  sought  black  chaplains  to  help  with  the  racial  problems  just  as 
they  sought  chaplains  in  general  to  help  with  drug  and  alcohol  abuse  problems.  Many  of  the  soldiers 
in  Germany  had  served  in  combat  units  in  Vietnam.  It  has  been  estimated  that  many  of  those  soldiers 
in  Germany  who  had  served  previously  in  Vietnam  were  undergoing  symptoms  of  Post  Traumatic 
Stress  Disorder.  Tragically,  alcohol  abuse  frequently  complicated  the  symptoms  of  PTSD. 
Chaplains,  therefore,  frequently  had  to  deal  with  soldiers  who  had  complex  symptoms  not  only  of 
depression  but  also  of  substance  abuse. 

Many  chaplains  and  assistants  responded  with  "new"  programs  to  help  their  commanders 
with  a  variety  of  problems.  In  Germany,  Drug  Abuse  Treatment  Centers  were  set  up  in  most  major 
units.  The  chaplains  in  Hanau  set  up  a  human  relations  council  in  1971,  the  first  council  of  its  type 
to  be  established  in  Europe.  Chaplain  Matthew  Zimmermann  was  elected  the  first  President.  In 
addition  to  their  work  in  drug  and  alcohol  abuse  prevention  and  on  human  relations  councils,  which 
were  designed  to  help  diffuse  racial  tensions  and  to  promote  the  education  and  appreciation  of 
diverse  minority  cultures  in  the  Army,  chaplains  also  began  coffee  house  ministries  to  give  soldiers 
a  less  stressful  place  to  spend  their  leisure  time.  Likewise,  in  Heidelberg  ,  Chaplain  Al  Ledebuhr, 
the  U.S.  Army  Europe  Chaplain,  promoted  a  series  of  Racial  Harmony  Workshops  for  chaplains  in 
order  to  help  them  train  for  their  important  ministries  of  counseling  across  racial  lines." 


The  Continental  United  States:  Fort  Hood 

As  was  the  case  in  many  military  communities  in  Germany,  units  training  in  the  United  States 
had  similar  problems  in  morale,  racism,  and  alcohol  and  drug  abuse.  As  an  example.  Fort  Hood, 
Texas,  had  so  many  difficulties  with  drugs  that  the  soldiers  renamed  the  post  "Fort  Head."  After  the 
1968  Democrafic  National  Convention,  an  organization  of  Black  Panthers  began  to  demonstrate  at 
Fort  Hood  for  increased  representation  in  the  command.  Black  power  symbols  were  seen  in  many 
of  the  barracks.  Since  the  Army's  Equal  Opportunity  Program  was  just  beginning,  chaplains  and 
chaplains  assistants  were  the  de-facto  Equal  Opportunity  representatives  in  their  units. 

In  a  sense  there  was  real  racial  warfare  at  Fort  Hood.  Buildings  were  burned  down  at  night; 
shotgun  battles  took  place  in  the  streets;  anyone  shouting  a  racial  slur  stood  in  jeopardy  of  his  life. 
On  the  entire  post  there  were  very  few  black  chaplains.  Chaplain  Joel  Miles,  a  Christian  Methodist 
Episcopal  Chaplain,  worked  hard  to  help  resolve  some  of  the  racial  problems,  as  did  his  colleagues. 

Many  of  the  complaints  that  black  soldiers  made  were  rooted  in  the  fact  that  the  Army  was 
simply  not  integrated.  In  the  post  exchange  there  was  an  absence  of  products  used  by  black  soldiers 
and  family  members,  items  such  as  combs  suitable  for  Afro  hairdos  for  example.  There  were  few, 
if  any,  visible  black  leaders  and  little  attention  to  black  culture.  One  early  innovation  came  with  a 
gospel  music  service  instituted  by  the  chaplains  and  facilitated  by  a  chaplain  assistant.  Sergeant  Bob 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


INTRODUCTION 


Bonner,  who  was  an  accomplished  musician.  As  was  the  case  in  many  military  environments  music 
seemed  to  help  bridge  the  gap  between  hostile  groups. 

By  1972  at  Fort  Hood,  the  commanders  of  the  1st  Calvary  Division  and  the  2nd  Armored 
Division  had  encouraged  the  formation  of  a  Black  Officers  Association  for  discussion  of  problems 
that  black  officers  faced  on  the  post.  Likewise  various  black  officers  would  mentor  each  other  to 
bring  issues  of  discontent  to  the  attention  of  the  Army.  As  a  further  gesture  of  affirmation  for  the 
black  community,  several  experiments  in  black  music  and  worship  were  conducted  at  Fort  Hood. 
Chaplain  Tom  McMinn,  the  III  Corps  Chaplain,  had  become  aware  of  a  black  gospel  service 
movement  sponsored  by  Chaplain  John  Paul  Monk  at  Fort  Carson,  Chaplain  Roy  Plummer  at  Fort 
Lewis,  Washington,  and  an  even  earlier  one  sponsored  by  Chaplain  Leroy  Johnson  in  Germany. 
Chaplain  McMinn  wanted  to  attempt  the  same  type  worship  experience  at  Fort  Hood.  Two  of  his 
black  chaplains.  Chaplain  Elvemice  Davis  and  Chaplain  Irving  Jennings,  both  began  services  in  their 
divisions  with  intentional  appeal  to  black  soldiers.  Chaplain  Davis  began  a  service  of  gospel  music 
to  invite  soldiers  to  sing  the  familiar  hymns  they  were  accustomed  to  sing  at  home.  Chaplain 
Jennings  began  what  was  known  first  as  a  "Black  Service"  in  the  2nd  Armored  Division  in 
September  of  1974  with  an  intentional  appeal  to  black  soldiers.  Eventually  Chaplain  Davis'  Black 
Gospel  Choir  joined  Chaplain  Jennings'  Black  Service.  This  effort  was  an  attempt  to  help  black 
soldiers  cope  with  an  Army  not  yet  integrated  and,  in  many  respects,  still  hostile  to  black  culture  by 
focusing  their  energies  and  attention  on  a  common  bond  of  worship  and  fellowship.  By 
strengthening  one  another  morally  and  spiritually,  the  black  soldiers  were  better  able  to  serve  in  a 
still  maturing  multi-cultural  environment.  Before  the  year  was  out.  Chaplain  James  Russell  was 
leading  yet  another  black  gospel  service  at  Fort  Bliss,  Texas. 

By  1974,  even  though  the  Army  as  a  whole  had  experienced  severe  problems  in  morale,  a 
loss  of  purpose,  and  problems  of  racism,  sexism  and  open  rebellion,  the  Chaplain  Corps  had 
contributed  Human  Relations  Counsels  in  Vietnam,  Europe,  and  in  the  Continental  United  States. 
From  1970-71  there  was  a  major  push  in  race  relations  by  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains. 
Black  chaplains  were  intentionally  recruited  and  affirmative  action  plans  were  set  in  place  so  that 
a  representative  number  could  be  selected  for  advanced  schooling  and  appropriate  assignments. 
Within  two  years  there  were  65  black  Army  chaplains  on  duty,  about  three  percent  of  the  Corps. 
This  was  an  increase  but  still  short  of  the  Chiefs  15  percent  goal.  Throughout  the  continental 
United  States  38  installations  opened  Drug  Rehabilitation  Programs  and  by  June  of  1971  the  Office 
of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  had  assigned  82  chaplains  and  81  chaplain  assistants  to  be  trained  in  the 
Army  Drug  Dependency  Program  as  counselors  for  soldiers.'" 

In  July  1973,  four  months  after  the  last  U.S.  Army  chaplain  left  the  Republic  of  Vietnam, 
Chaplain  Gerhardt  Hyatt,  the  Chief  of  Army  Chaplains,  wrote: 

Commanders  are  requesting  Chaplains  to  develop,  in  their  units  and  on  their  post  a 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


INTRODUCTION 


more  rewarding  quality  of  life.  This  demand  is  testimony  to  the  magnificent  effort 
we  had  made  in  meeting  the  challenges  of  past  years.  A  successful  religious  program 
throughout  the  Army  can  only  be  achieved  to  the  degree  that  we  are  able  to  establish 
and  maintain  open  communication,  shared  input  to  the  decision  making  process, 
quality  pastoral  performance,  and  personal  responsibility.  Such  a  climate  is 
necessary  if  we  are  to  meet  the  pastoral  needs  of  the  modem  soldier.  I  am  confident 
we  will  accomplish  the  mission.'^ 

Chaplain  Leonard  Stegman,  formerly  the  USARV  Staff  Chaplain,  wrote  as  well: 

The  survival  of  the  Army,  and  also  of  our  nation  as  a  whole,  is  becoming  more  and 
more  dependant  on  highly  visible  and  morally  motivated  leaders.  The  problems 
faced  by  our  commanders,  now  and  in  the  months  to  come,  will  test  their  patience, 
ingenuity  and  ability  to  the  limit.  Deeply  involved  in  these  problems  are  the 
activities,  aspirations,  and  desperation  of  the  men  under  their  care.  From 
conversation  with  countless  commanders  I  know  they  are  desperately  seeking  help 
to  fulfill  their  responsibilities.  I  know  they  are  looking  to  us,  their  Chaplains,  as 
never  before  to  be  their  support  in  the  difficult  area  of  human  relations  and  for 
spiritual  and  moral  leadership.  In  this  crisis  we,  as  Chaplains,  can  be  real  performers 
or  duds.  We  can  gain  all  or  lose  all  for  the  image  of  the  Chaplaincy  for  the  next 
generation.''' 

Even  in  an  Army  in  disarray  and  with  some  units  at  the  point  of  disintegration,  the  Chaplain 
Corps  sought  largely  on  its  own  initiative  to  develop  programs  and  a  ministry  of  counseling  and 
presence  to  reestablish  a  sense  of  purpose,  morale  and  public  esteem  in  the  rank  and  file  of  the  Army. 
The  Chaplain  Corps  was  the  first  to  respond  to  many  of  the  drug  and  human  relations  problems.  As 
the  Army  entered  its  formal  reformation  and  modernization  process  in  the  decade  of  the  70s,  the  U.S. 
Army  Chaplaincy  followed  suit  to  help  meet  the  Army's  spiritual  needs. 


Reduction  In  Force,  1972-1976 

One  of  the  catalysts  which  led  to  the  reform  and  modernization  of  the  Army  in  the  decade 
of  the  1970s  was  the  reduction  in  size  of  American  military  forces  at  the  same  time  that  the  Soviet 
Union  was  increasing  its  total  military  strength.  In  1972,  wearied  by  a  ten-year  war  that  produced 
more  than  360,000  American  casualties  (57,000  of  whom  were  fatalities)  the  United  States  Congress 
directed  a  reduction  in  military  forces.  Coupled  with  a  withdrawal  from  Vietnam,  a  re-deployment 
of  troops,  and  a  redistribution  of  war  materiel,  the  demobilization  of  the  Army  proceeded  to  a  point 
below  pre-Vietnam  war  levels  a  decade  before.  The  total  strength  of  the  Army  declined  from 
1,124,000  in  1969  to  81 1,000  in  1973.  In  organization,  it  declined  to  thirteen  divisions,  six  in  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


INTRODUCTION 


United  States  and  the  remaining  seven  scattered  from  Europe  to  Korea  with  separate  brigades  in 
Alaska,  Panama  and  BerHn. 

In  order  to  reduce  the  total  force  by  300,000,  the  Army  instituted  early  release  programs  and 
general  discharges  for  the  convenience  of  the  government.  These  "reductions-in-force"  or  "RIF's," 
produce  immediate  morale  problems,  skill  imbalances  in  many  critical  military  specialties,  unit 
shortages  and  a  decline  in  trained  strength  and  readiness.  For  example.  Chaplain  Kirby  Weimer, 
serving  at  Fort  Hood,  Texas,  during  the  reduction,  recalled  that  many  field  grade  officers  would 
receive  a  RIF  notice  on  one  day  and  return  48  hours  later  with  an  enlisted  rank.  Particularly  hard  hit 
were  Army  helicopter  pilots,  thousands  of  whom  who  had  been  trained  at  Fort  Rucker,  Alabama,  and 
Fort  Wolters,  Texas,  during  the  Vietnam  War,  deployed  to  a  combat  zone,  and  returned  to  the  United 
States  to  face  an  early  retirement.  Although  many  military  leaders  conceded  that  the  reduction  of 
Army  strength  was  not  unexpected  and  saved  the  national  defense  budget  more  than  5  billion  dollars 
from  1968  to  1973,  they  wondered  what  such  a  reduction  would  ultimately  cost  in  training  and 
readiness." 

At  the  same  time  the  United  States  defense  establishment  was  reducing  its  strength,  the 
Soviet  Union  had  increased  its  combined  military  forces  to  4.6  million  or  double  that  of  the  United 
States.  In  1972  the  Soviet  Union  produced  and  deployed  1,527  intercontinental  ballistic  missiles 
(ICBMs)  as  opposed  to  1 ,054  in  the  United  States  inventory.  Likewise  the  Soviet  Union  produced 
and  deployed  935  long-range  bombers  capable  of  carrying  nuclear  weapons  as  opposed  to  430  long- 
range  bombers  in  the  United  States  Air  Force.  It  was  apparent  to  the  leaders  at  the  highest  echelons 
in  the  Pentagon  that  the  commitment  of  United  States  forces  in  Europe,  Panama  and  Korea  required 
planning  for  multiple  contingencies. 

Recruitment  for  the  military  service,  in  the  aftermath  of  Vietnam,  was  a  fiustrating  task.  The 
draft  had  ended  in  1972,  and  few  high  school  graduates  were  willing  to  join  the  new  "volunteer 
Army."  As  a  result,  the  military  forces  reluctantly  accepted  markedly  lower  quality  soldiers.  Forty 
percent  had  no  high  school  diploma  and  41%  in  the  early  70s  were  category  FV,  a  mental  aptitude 
grouping  of  the  lowest  order.  The  lower  standards  for  induction  forced  the  Army  to  lower  its 
standards  for  discipline  and  training.  Even  so  the  ranks  of  the  young  men  willing  to  wear  the 
uniform  continued  to  thin. 

By  1974  the  Army  was  20,000  soldiers  below  authorization  and  missed  its  re-enlistment 
target  by  1 1%."'  In  the  period  from  1972-1974  the  combat  arms  units  were  14%  short.  Manning  and 
training  shortfalls  combined  to  make  only  4  of  13  active  component  Army  divisions  ready  for 
combat.  The  All  Volunteer  Army  had  yet  to  take  a  recognizable  and  professional  form,  for  the  job 
of  the  soldier  in  the  early  70's  was  thankless  as  well  as  frustrating.  By  1973  a  Harris  Poll  revealed 
that  the  American  public  ranked  the  military  only  above  sanitation  workers  in  relative  order  of 
respect." 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


10  INTRODUCTION 


Visions  of  Resurgence:  The  Reformation  of  the  Army's  Spirit 

On  June  30,  1972,  General  Creighton  W.  Abrams  replaced  General  William  C. 
Westmoreland  as  the  Army  Chief  of  Staff.  General  Abrams  was  determined  to  prepare  the  Army 
of  the  70s  to  meet  its  world-wide  military  mission:  "You  have  got  to  know  what  influences  me.  We 
have  paid,  and  paid,  and  paid  again  in  blood  and  sacrifice  for  our  unpreparedness.  I  don't  want  war, 
but  1  am  appalled  at  the  human  cost  we  have  paid  because  we  wouldn't  prepare  to  fight,"  General 
Abrams  told  his  subordinates."  Abrams  recognized  that  one  of  the  key  elements  in  any  initial  reform 
of  the  Army  would  be  to  restore  a  sense  of  patriotism,  integrity,  honesty  and  devotion  to  duty  to  the 
dispirited  leaders  of  the  post  Vietnam  period.  He  stressed  the  values  and  the  discipline  that  would 
have  to  be  instilled  in  what  was  to  be,  in  effect,  a  new  Army. 

In  July  of  1973,  at  the  Annual  Command  Chaplains  Conference,  General  Abrams  addressed 
the  chaplains  on  the  subject  of  reform  and  modernization:  "The  Army  is  and  always  will  be,  people. 
Our  people  are  really  good.  It  is  a  rare  man  that  wants  to  be  bad,  but  a  lot  of  men  are  not  strong 
enough  to  be  good  all  by  themselves,  and  a  little  help  is  enough.  It  does  not  make  any  difference  if 
they  are  officers,  non-commissioned  officers,  or  in  the  lower  ranks.  It  does  not  make  much 
difference  where  they  come  from.  If  we  have  faith  in  them  and  encourage  them  and  keep  standing 
for  the  right  ourselves,  the  Army  will  get  back  into  the  shape  the  country  needs  and  has  to  have.  You 
have  got  to  get  down  with  them,  and  roll  up  your  sleeves  and  get  in  among  them,  all  ranks.  They 
have  got  to  feel  that,  they  have  got  to  know  that,  and  when  they  do,  there  is  notliing  they  can  not  get 
done  and  get  done  well. ..This  has  got  to  be  a  living,  breathing,  everyday  effort."''*  Before  Abrams' 
tenure  as  Chief  of  Staff  was  cut  short  by  his  death  from  cancer  in  1974,  he  had  instilled  a  new  spirit 
of  renewal  in  the  Army's  senior  leadership.  He  had  convinced  them  that  reform  was  not  only 
possible,  but  had  already  begun."" 


OPERATION  STEADFAST:  TRADOC  AND  FORSCOM 

In  fiscal  year  1973,  the  United  States  Army  began  its  most  sweeping  reorganization  in  ten 
years.  Dubbed  Operation  STEADFAST,  the  reorganization  of  the  Army  sought  to  realign  the  major 
Army  commands  in  the  Continental  United  States  on  a  functional  basis.  Headquarters  U.S. 
Continental  Army  Command,  or  CONARC,  situated  at  Fort  Monroe,  and  headquarters  U.S.  Army 
Combat  Developments  Command,  or  CDC,  based  at  Fort  Belvoir,  VA,  were  discontinued.  Their 
successor  organizations,  the  U.S.  Army  Training  and  Doctrine  Command,  or  TRADOC,  and  the  U.S". 
Army  Forces  Command,  FORSCOM,  received  the  realigned  missions  on  July  1.  TRADOC 
assumed  the  Combat  Developments  Mission  from  CDC,  the  CONARC  individual  training  mission, 
and  command  from  CONARC  of  the  major  Army  installations  in  the  United  States  that  housed 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


INTRODUCTION  1 1 


Army  training  centers  and  Army  branch  schools.  FORSCOM  assumed  CONARC's  operational 
missions:  the  command  and  readiness  of  all  divisions  and  corps  in  the  continental  United  States  and 
the  installations  where  they  were  based."' 

As  part  of  General  Abrams'  vision  of  resurgence  in  military  values  and  professionalism, 
preparedness,  effective  organization,  and  modernized  weaponry,  the  United  States  Army  Training 
Doctrine  Command  would  accept  the  responsibility  for  training  the  Army  of  the  fiiture.  The  United 
States  Army  Forces  Command,  established  (as  was  TRADOC)  by  the  Department  of  Army  on  July 
1 ,  1973,  accepted  the  mission  of  continued  tactical  training  and  operational  deployments. 

General  William  DePuy,  the  first  commander  of  TRADOC,  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  general  officers  in  the  United  States  Army.  With  World  War  II  experience  fighting  the 
Germans  in  Normandy  as  well  as  a  strong  conviction  developed  over  an  entire  career  that  the  Army 
must  "train  as  it  fights,"  General  DePuy  dominated  the  process  of  institutional  metamorphosis  in  the 
early  years  in  training,  doctrine  and  leader  development. 

As  its  first  order  of  business,  TRADOC  began  a  fundamental  reformation  of  Army  training. 
Adopting  General  DePuy's  simple  and  direct  maxim,  "an  Army  must  train  as  it  fights,"  training 
reform  began  by  pushing  young  officers  out  of  the  classroom  and  into  the  field.  Instead  of 
concentrating  on  training  schedules,  the  Army  refocused  itself  to  train  to  a  standard,  preferably  one 
based  on  necessary  combat  skills.  The  "Systems  Approach  to  Training"  was  developed  on  the 
proposition  that  even  the  most  complex  combat  maneuver  could  be  subdivided  into  a  series  of 
discreet  individual  tasks.  Each  task  would  have  set  conditions  and  a  measurable  standard  by  which 
soldier  skills  would  be  evaluated  and  to  which  the  soldiers  would  be  held  accountable."  In  order 
to  test  the  readiness  of  soldiers  and  units  to  perform  their  tasks,  the  Army  training  and  evaluation 
program,  or  ARTEP,  appeared  in  1975  and  became  the  principle  vehicle  for  measuring  training 
readiness. 

In  order  to  give  units  a  realistic  but  bloodless  war  game  in  which  to  practice  their  tactical 
skills.  Major  General  Paul  Gorman,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Training  at  TRADOC,  developed 
a  training  method  for  using  integrated  laser  technology  which  could  be  attached  to  all  weapons  from 
rifles  to  tank  guns.  The  United  States  Navy  had  already  adopted  such  a  "Star  Wars"  approach  to 
training.  In  the  TRADOC  ground  war  adaptation,  remote  control  cameras  could  record  video 
coverage  of  a  battle  area  giving  combat  units  immediate  feedback  on  how  well  they  had  done  in 
simulated  combat  situations.  Eventually  this  laser  approach  to  training  culminated  in  the  creation 
of  the  National  Training  Center  (NTC)  at  Fort  Irwin,  California,  hi  a  vast  exercise  area,  the  multiple 
integrated  laser  engagement  system  (MILES)  permitted  combat  units  to  be  pitted  against  each  other 
in  relatively  free  play,  force-on-force  engagements.  The  success  of  the  NTC  was  the  result  of  not 
so  much  its  technology,  but  of  its  effect  of  its  real  world,  real  time,  no  nonsense  combat  simulation 
on  how  the  Army  prepares  units  for  war.^^ 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


12  INTRODUCTION 


Doctrinal  Reform:  How  to  Fight 

The  fourth  Arab-Israel  War  which  began  on  October  6,  1973.  jolted  the  Army  out  of  its 
doctrinal  doldrums  and  forced  it  to  face  the  reality  that  its  method  of  fighting  risked  obsolescence. 
Israeli  experience  made  it  clear  to  the  Americans  that  the  modem  battlefield  had  become  enormously 
lethal.  Whereas  a  World  War  II  tank  required  an  average  of  1 7  rounds  to  kill  another  tank  at  a  range 
of  700  meters,  by  1973  tanks  required  only  2  rounds  to  kill  at  1,800  meters.  The  American  TOW 
missile  used  by  the  Israelis  could  kill  with  almost  a  90%  probability  out  to  a  range  of  3,000  meters. 
To  small  unit  commanders  the  realities  of  this  precision  revolution  meant  that,  "what  can  be  seen  can 
be  hit,  and  what  can  be  hit  can  be  killed.""''  If  the  Americans  hoped  to  defend  Europe  against 
overwhelming  Soviet  numbers,  evolutionary  changes  in  training  and  doctrine  would  have  to  close 
the  gap  on  the  Soviet  Army.  A  ten  year  lag  in  development  of  conventional  combat  capabilities 
while  fighting  in  the  jungles  of  Vietnam  would  have  to  be  made  good  by  quick  and  thorough 
revolution. 

General  DePuy  dealt  skeptically  with  those  who  looked  at  the  development  of  doctrine  as  a 
scholastic  exercise.  "Doctrine,  or  the  method  of  war  an  Army  employs,"  noted  DePuy,  "doesn't  work 
unless  it's  between  the  ears  of  at  least  51%  of  the  soldiers  who  are  charged  to  employ  it."-'  DePuy 
also  had  an  almost  obsessive  desire  to  break  the  Army  from  its  Vietnam  malaise  and  get  it  moving 
again. 

Beginning  in  late  1973,  General  DePuy  hosted  a  year  of  meetings  with  branch  commandants, 
allies,  and  the  Air  Force.  He  demanded  that  a  new  doctrinal  manual  be  written  in  simple  English. 
He  personally  wrote  much  of  the  1976  version  of  Field  Manual  100-5,  which  sought  to  define  the 
fundamentals  of  land  warfare.  He  wanted  to  give  the  field  a  practical  guide  on  "how  to  win  the  first 
battle  of  the  next  war."  The  Fulda  Gap  Region  of  the  German  border  became  a  familiar  prospective 
battlefield.  The  October  '73  war  became  the  model  for  the  first  battle:  short  lived,  exhausting,  and 
terribly  destructive  to  both  sides.  If,  like  the  Israelis,  the  American  Army  expected  to  fight  out- 
numbered and  win,  it  had  to  exploit  every  advantage  accruing  to  the  defender  in  order  to  hit  the 
enemy  first  and  with  great  precision.  FM  1 00-5  reflected  the  value  that  both  the  Israelis  and  the  U.S. 
Army  placed  on  the  liberal  use  of  suppressive  fire  power  to  paralyze  an  enemy  momentarily  before 
maneuvering  against  him. 

The  new  doctrine  in  Field  Manual  100-5  stressed  an  "  Active  Defense"  in  which  division 
commanders  would  quickly  shift  six  to  eight  battalions  to  repel  a  Soviet  attack  of  twenty  to  twenty- 
five  battalions.  Using  "battle  calculus,"  which  identified  enemy  targets  to  be  eliminated,  division 
commanders  would  re-set  their  defenses  after  the  first  battle  to  defeat  the  additional  follow-on  Soviet 
echelons. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


INTRODUCTION  13 


As  soon  as  it  was  published.  Field  Manual  1 00-5  became  the  most  controversial  doctrinal 
statement  in  the  history  of  the  American  Army.  |  A  chorus  of  objections  came  principally  from 
outside  TRADOC,  the  most  discordant  from  outside  the  Army.  Criticism  centered  on  the  manual's 
preoccupation  with  the  effects  of  weapons  and  exchange  ratios  and  a  perceived  return  to  the 
American  fixation  on  fire  power  and  attrition  warfare  rather  than  the  maneuver-centered  focus 
traditionally  attributed  to  modem  armies. 

Lieutenant  General  Donn  A.  Starry,  in  command  of  the  Army's  V  Corps,  charged  with 
defending  the  Fulda  Gap  in  Germany,  was  one  of  the  first  to  publicly  question  the  utility  of  the 
tactics  in  Field  Manual  100-5.  General  Starry  particularly  did  not  like  the  math.  Facing  him  across 
the  inner  German  border  were  at  least  four  Soviet  and  East  European  tank  armies  arrayed  in  three 
enormous  echelons  of  armor,  infantry,  and  artillery.  Starry  had  neither  the  forces  nor  the  time  to 
reset  the  defense  before  being  overwhelmed  by  second  and  third  echelons  even  if  he  could  defeat  the 
first  echelon.  In  addition,  the  Soviets  had  increased  their  missile  strength  dramatically  in  the  early 
'70s.  From  1968  to  1973  the  Soviet  Union  had  added  727  intercontinental  ballistic  missiles  to  its 
inventory  and  more  than  500  short-range  ballistic  missiles.  The  Soviets  likewise  had  the  largest  tank 
army  in  the  world  and  the  largest  in  their  country  since  World  War  II.  With  a  personnel  cap  of 
780,000  imposed  by  Congress  on  the  strength  of  the  United  States  Army,  organized  into  thirteen 
divisions,  it  was  clear  that  the  Soviet  threat  would  have  to  be  offset  by  continued  teclinological 
development  in  weaponry  and  continued  doctrinal  development  in  tactics  and  leadership. 


Technology  and  the  AirLand  Battle 

From  1977  to  1981,  a  period  that  coincided  with  the  administration  of  President  Jimmy 
Carter,  the  Soviet  Union  continued  its  buildup  of  what  was  already  the  largest  military  force  in  the 
world.  In  1977,  when  President  Carter  made  the  decision  to  cancel  the  production  of  the  Bl  bomber, 
the  Soviets  were  building  one  similar  Backfire  Bomber  every  12  days,  each  one  having  a  range  of 
5,100  nautical  miles.  In  that  same  year  the  Soviet  Union  had  675  medium  and  heavy  bombers  to  the 
United  States'  414.  The  Soviet  Union  was  producing  or  testing  8  new  intercontinental  ballistic 
missiles  each  year  and  by  1980  had  a  total  of  300,  from  a  starting  point  of  75  in  1962.  In  1977  the 
Soviet  Union  added  1,000  new  medium  range  missiles,  and  by  1980  had  200  of  these  deployed  in 
Eastern  Europe.  In  1977  the  Soviet  Union  had  1 ,400  strategic  missile  launchers  in  Eastern  Europe, 
1,000  of  which  were  re-loadable.  The  Soviets  also  had  produced  93  missile  submarines  by  1981 
with  a  range  extending  to  any  part  of  the  United  States  from  either  the  Atlantic  or  the  Pacific  Oceans. 

In  order  to  offset  this  huge  buildup  in  Soviet  weaponry.  Secretary  of  Defense  Harold  Brown 
supported  a  policy  of  increasing  the  technological  advantage  in  U.S.  weaponry.  Secretary  Brown 
wrote,  "the  military  balance  between  the  United  States  and  its  allies  and  friends  on  the  one  hand  and 
the  Soviet  Union  and  the  states  subordinated  to  them  on  the  other  is  not  nearly  so  unfavorable  as  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


14  INTRODUCTION 


denigrators  of  U.S.  military  capability  have  been  proclaiming  for  the  last  few  years;  but  it  is 
precarious  enough.  The  United  States  must  not  fail  to  take  advantage  of  the  advantages  that  it 
has — economic,  political,  ideological,  or  any  other  and  among  all  these,  the  United  States 
technological  advantage  is  one  of  the  most  important  and  valuable.""*  There  were,  of  course, 
alternatives  to  a  reliance  on  increasing  technology.  For  example,  the  United  States  could  have 
doubled  the  number  of  military  personnel  under  arms  to  approach  Soviet  levels.  It  could  have 
increased  defense  procurement  budgets  by  50%  in  order  to  compete  with  the  Soviets  in  quantities 
of  equipment.  It  could  have  substituted  the  purchase  of  allied  military  equipment  for  much  of  the 
U.S.  military  production.  However,  none  of  these  options  would  have  been  economically  acceptable 
to  the  American  people. 

Instead  Secretary  Brown  and  his  Pentagon  planners,  including  Mr.  William  J.  Perry,  Under 
Secretary  of  Defense  for  Research  and  Engineering  in  the  Carter  administration,  made  the  decision 
to  recommend  monumental  increases  in  the  quality  of  weapons  available  for  American  military 
forces.  General  Abrams  had  already  called  for  new  weapons  initiatives  in  tank  production,  air 
defense  artillery,  and  other  vital  areas.  But  the  main  strategic  problem  Secretary  Brown  and  Mr. 
Perry  had  to  deal  with  during  the  Carter  years  was  to  offset  the  idea  of  a  nuclear  exchange.  The 
Soviet  Union  did  not  believe  the  United  States  and  its  NATO  allies  would  fight  a  nuclear  war  or 
could  win  one  if  they  did.  Since  the  Soviets  out  numbered  the  NATO  forces  in  conventional  units, 
the  temptation  for  them  to  attack  in  Europe  seemed  to  Mr.  Perry  and  to  his  boss.  Secretary  Brown, 
to  be  growing.  The  solution  was  the  "offset  strategy" — to  use  the  U.S.  advantage  in  technology  to 
make  up  for  the  Soviets'  huge  numerical  advantage  in  weapons  and  men. 

This  concept  also  reflected  deeper  assumptions  about  the  attitude  of  Americans  toward 
defense  in  the  wake  of  Vietnam.  American  young  people  and  their  parents  would  not  countenance 
another  draft.  That  alternative  was  not  politically  feasible.  Nor  would  the  Americans  wish  to  pay 
for  an  attempt  to  match  the  Soviets  tank  for  tank  and  soldier  for  soldier.  Instead,  the  American  force 
multiplier  would  be  high  technology.  This  was  a  centrist  way  to  answer  charges  that  the  Democratic 
Party  of  the  Carter  years  was  soft  on  defense  without  bursting  the  budget  or  imposing  sacrifices  that 
could  not  be  sustained.  It  was  a  way  to  prevent  politics  from  undermining  defense." 

Concomitant  with  the  Department  of  Defense's  emphasis  on  high-tech  weapons  development, 
there  was  a  sharp  evolution  in  doctrinal  thinking  at  the  tactical  level.  This  was  prompted  in  part  by 
the  debate  on  the  Active  Defense,  which  General  DuPuy's  1976  FM  100-5  had  outlined;  but  it  was 
also  a  result  of  new  tactical  concepts  and  concerns.  Just  as  with  the  Active  Defense,  the  new 
doctrine  was  a  product  of  a  wider  historical  current  of  the  time.  It  too  sprang  in  large  degree  from 
the  thinking  and  influence  of  one  man.  General  Starry,  who  succeeded  General  DePuy  as  TRADOC'S 
Commanding  General  in  July  1977.  This  new  doctrine  came  to  be  called  AirLand  Battle. 

General  Starry,  a  major  contributor  to  the  earlier  Active  Defense  doctrine  while  Commandant 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


INTRODUCTION  15 


of  the  U.S.  Armor  School,  examined  its  assumptions  in  the  field  during  1976  -  1977  as  V  Corps 
Commander  in  Europe.  From  that  experience  he  brought  to  TRADOC  a  close  appreciation  of  the 
powerful  Soviet  second  and  follow-on  echelons  beyond  the  main  battle  front.  Whatever  the  success 
of  a  skillfiil  Active  Defense,  the  numerical  superior  follow-on  echelons  would  at  some  point  prevail 
by  sheer  numbers  and  roll  over  the  defenders  to  secure  victory.  Starry's  concept  of  the  major  Central 
Battle  fought  by  the  corps  and  division,  analyzed  functionally,  suggested  and  clarified  the 
requirement  for  U.S.  forces  to  fight  a  deep  battle  simultaneously  with  the  main  or  close-in  battle. 
Thus  could  U.S.  forces  disrupt  the  enemies  echelon  line-up,  throw  off  his  time  table,  and  prevent 
defeat.-^ 

Tactical  nuclear  planning,  to  provide  a  ready  option  to  deter  or  counter  Warsaw  Pact  Forces 
if  directed  by  national  command  authority,  was  an  aspect  of  the  planning.  Deeper  cooperative 
planning  with  the  Air  Force  accompanied  this  work,  and  by  late  1979  planners  were  developing  joint 
concepts  for  deep  interdiction  and  for  operations  upon  an  integrated  conventional-nuclear-chemical 
battlefield.  The  integrated  battlefield  was  a  concept,  however,  larger  than  those  options  alone.  The 
concept  called  for  integrated  AirLand  Operations  and  integrated  maneuver  and  fire  support;  it 
presented  a  larger  total  battlefield  vision  extending  from  the  U.S.  rear  area  forward  and  deep  into  the 
enemy  rear. 

This  planning  in  1979-1980  went  forward  in  a  changing  national  political  climate,  as  the 
perceptions  of  the  Carter  administration  about  the  state  of  U.S.  military  readiness  vis-a-vis  the  Soviet 
Union  and  the  unstable  Third  World  underwent  sharper  vision.  The  year  1 979  marked  twin  foreign 
policy  defeats  for  the  United  States:  the  Soviet  invasion  of  Afghanistan  and  the  opening  of  the 
Iranian  hostage  crisis. 

In  late  1980,  the  ideas  of  the  integrated  battlefield  were  developed  further  and  refined  in  the 
concept  of  an  extended  battlefield.  This  view  possessed  not  only  distance,  but  time  and  resource 
dimensions.  Publication  of  this  concept,  retitled  AirLand  Battle  by  Headquarters,  TRADOC, 
followed  in  March  1981. 

Following  publication  of  the  revised  FM  100-5,  the  concept  of  AirLand  Battle  was  sanctioned 
as  the  Army's  fighting  doctrine  for  the  decade  ahead.  Adjusted  in  1 986  to  clarify  and  expand  the  idea 
of  the  operational  level  of  war,  to  put  into  better  balance  the  offense  and  defense,  and  to  highlight 
the  synchronization  of  the  close,  deep,  and  rear  battles,  AirLand  Battle  furnished  a  revitalized 
doctrine  for  the  future. 


Threat  Responses 

The  reform  and  modernization  of  the  Army  in  the  decade  of  the  1970s  was  driven  not  only 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


16  INTRODUCTION 


by  the  lessons  of  Vietnam  but  also  by  the  perception  of  the  Communist  threat  at  that  time.  From 
1945  to  1975  the  United  States  Government  had  embraced  several  Counter  force  Strategies  which 
constituted  what  some  geo-political  historians  later  called  "Cold  War  I."  These  strategies  included 
the  containment  of  Russian  expansion  as  espoused  by  Ambassador  George  Keenan  and  the  Truman 
Doctrine  from  1945  to  1953.  The  containment  policy  was  effected  by  such  actions  as  the  Berlin 
AirLift  ,  support  for  Greece  and  Formosa,  implementation  of  the  Marshall  Plan  and  the  formation 
of  the  North  Atlantic  Treaty  Organization.  The  Korean  War,  likewise,  was  an  effort  to  contain  the 
expansion  of  Russian  Communism  in  Asia  through  what  was  perceived  at  the  time  as  an  Asian 
satellite  government. 

From  1954  to  1961  John  Foster  Dulles,  Secretary  of  State  in  the  Eisenhower  Administration, 
had  urged  a  massive  retaliation  or  "brinksmanship"  policy  which  guaranteed  retaliation  of  land- 
based  missiles  in  the  event  of  a  general  nuclear  war.  The  "flexible  response"  policy  of  the  Kennedy 
Administration  included,  in  the  extreme,  the  assured  destruction  of  25  percent  of  Soviet  cities  and 
100  per  cent  of  all  major  Soviet  military  targets.  Nevertheless,  the  flexible  response  policy  likewise 
dictated  a  more  limited  intervention  into  Vietnamese  and  Russian-Cuban  affairs. 

With  the  promulgation  of  the  Nixon  Doctrine  in  1969,  the  policy  of  the  United  States 
became  that  of  a  "sufficient  deterrent."  The  growth  of  detente  and  treaty  limitations  agreements  with 
the  Soviet  Union,  to  include  the  Salt  Agreement  of  1972  and  the  limitation  of  strategic  offensive 
arms,  froze  the  land-based  missiles  deployed  by  the  United  States  at  1 ,054  and  those  deployed  by 
the  Soviet  Union  at  1,618.  The  Nixon  Detente  was  relatively  short  lived  in  light  of  the  Soviet 
Union's  intervention  in  Angola  and  Afghanistan. 

"Cold  War  11"  began  in  the  Carter  Administration  and  witnessed  a  growth  in  United  States 
defense  expenditures  from  $89  billion  in  1976  to  more  than  $1 18  billion  in  1979.  These  funds  were 
to  effect  the  reorganization  and  technological  modernization  of  the  All  Volunteer  Army  to  provide 
a  defense  establishment,  in  Secretary  Brown's  terms,  "capable  of  winning  two  and  a  half  wars"  in 
any  world-wide  scenario. 

In  addition  to  a  competition  between  the  United  States  and  the  Soviet  Union,  which  in  1 973 
Premier  Chou  En  Lai  of  China  had  called  the  cause  of  "world  intranquility  and  an  age  of  great 
disorder,"  there  was  also  a  mushrooming  of  revolutionary  activity  in  the  Third  World.  In  a  sense 
there  had  always  been  a  draining  of  mineral  resources  from  Third  World  countries  to  industrialized 
countries.  Indeed,  by  1980,  if  all  of  the  countries  of  the  world  had  sought  to  achieve  the  same 
standard  of  living  as  was  then  in  effect  in  the  United  States,  most  of  the  earth's  mineral  resources 
including,  iron,  manganese  and  petroleum  would  have  been  exhausted  in  eight  years.'"*  Nevertheless", 
the  poverty  imbalance  between  older,  affluent  nations  of  the  industrialized  West  and  "emerging" 
Third  world  nations  with  access  to  advanced  military  technology  was  troublesome. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


INTRODUCTION  17 


In  January  of  1980,  Secretary  of  Defense  Harold  Brown  wrote:  "the  particular  manner  in 
which  our  economy  has  expanded,  means  that  we  have  come  to  depend  to  no  small  degree  on 
imports,  exports  and  earnings  from  overseas  investments  for  our  material  well-being.  A  large  scale 
disruption  in  the  supply  of  foreign  oil  could  have  as  damaging  consequences  for  the  United  States 
as  the  loss  of  an  important  military  campaign,  or  indeed  a  war."  This  concern  was  one  motivation 
behind  the  1980  formation  of  a  Rapid  Deployment  Force  which  could  be  sent  quickly  to  any  part  of 
the  globe  where  American  interests  were  endangered;  a  threat  that  was  now  seen  asa  product  as 
much  from  the  Third  World  instability  as  from  Soviet  expansionism.  International  economic 
disorder,  in  short,  could  almost  equal  in  severity  the  threat  to  America  from  the  Soviet  military 
build-up.  Since  the  widening  gap  between  rich  countries  and  poor  countries  was  likely  to  increase 
the  frequency  of  Third  World  revolutions,  the  outlook  was  for  a  very  busy  Rapid  Deployment  Force 
in  the  decades  following. 

Regardless  of  their  variety  of  institutional  forms  of  government,  most  of  the  new  countries 
in  the  Third  World  had  one  common  political  characteristic:  the  gradual  awakening  and  activation 
of  the  masses  regardless  of  whether  they  were  yet  participating  formally  in  their  own  governmental 
processes.  This  was  the  essence  of  the  worldwide  democratic  revolution  which  was  beginning  to 
spread  rapidly  in  the  1970s.  This  political  revolution  was  reflected  each  day  in  newspaper  reports, 
as  evident  in  the  following  headlines  from  the  New  York  Times: 

Black  Protests  Mounting  in  South  Africa  (May  16,  1973) 

World  Gypsies  Resist  Genocide  by  Assimilation  (June  18,  1971) 

Rhodesia  Guerrillas  Double-time  to  Polls  (March  11,  1980) 

Teheran  Students  Demand  Role  in  University  Control  (February  21,  1979) 

Shaw  Quits  Iran  for  Indefinite  Stay  (January  17,  1979) 

Somoza  Yields  Post:  Flies  to  United  States  (July  18,  1979) 

New  regimes  and  leaders  had  begun  purposefully  to  exploit  the  mass  media  to  the  utmost  in 
order  to  mobilize  popular  support  for  their  revolutionary  programs.  "It  is  true,"  stated  President 
Nasser  of  Egypt,  "that  most  of  our  people  are  still  illiterate.  But  politically  that  counts  far  less  than 
it  did  20  years  ago.  Radio  has  changed  everything.  Today  people  in  the  most  remote  villages  hear 
what  is  happening  everywhere  and  form  their  opinions.  Leaders  cannot  govern  as  they  once  did. 
We  live  in  a  new  world. "^^ 

In  essence,  then,  the  history  of  the  United  States  Army  in  the  1970s  was  characterized  by 
recovery  from  the  Vietnam  War,  by  reduction  in  size,  by  the  creation  of  an  all  volunteer  force,  and 
by  reorganization  and  modernization  to  meet  evolving  national  defense  requirements.  These 
requirements  included  nuclear,  conventional,  and  counter-insurgency  defense  plans  which  were 
global  in  their  geographical  extent.  The  organizational  reform  of  the  Army,  of  the  All  Volunteer 
Army,  included  the  formation  of  the  United  States  Forces  Command,  United  States  Army  Training 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


INTRODUCTION 


and  Doctrine  Command,  Reserve  Readiness  Regions,  and  a  varied  force  structure  to  include  light 
divisions  as  well  as  heavy  armored  divisions.  The  development  of  what  became  known  as  "The 
Army  of  Excellence,"  in  the  1980s  did  not  escape  public  attention.  Morale  among  the  soldiers  was 
high  by  the  mid  1980s.  A  1986  Army  survey  of  its  personnel  found  that  about  72  percent  of  the 
officers  agreed  with  the  statement  that  military  service  "is  an  experience  one  can  be  proud  of" 
Almost  55  percent  of  the  enlisted  members  polled  also  agreed. 

And  if  polls  were  any  indication,  the  military  became  a  more  respected  institution  with  the 
public.  In  1984,  63  percent  of  Americans  surveyed  in  the  Gallop  Poll  said  they  had  "a  great  deal" 
or  "quite  a  lot"  of  confidence  in  the  military,  ranking  second  —  after  church  and  organized 
religion — among  10  American  institutions.  The  turn  about  was  nothing  short  of  remarkable.  The 
military  outranked  the  United  States  Supreme  Court,  banks,  public  schools,  newspapers.  Congress, 
television,  organized  labor  and  big  business.  A  Harris  Survey  of  July  1989  found  that  Americans 
had  more  confidence  in  the  military  than  they  had  in  the  medical  community  or  even  in  the  Supreme 
Court. ^'  Fifteen  years  of  modernization  and  training  had  revitalized  the  Army's  spirit  and  had 
replaced  the  "lost  decade"  in  Vietnam  with  a  new  Army  of  Excellence. 


INTRODUCTION \9 

ENDNOTES 

1 .  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)Orris  Kelly,  30  March  1994  and  Chaplain  (Col.) 
Cecil  Currey,  USAR  Retired,  30  June  1994. 

2.  David  Cortright,  Soldiers  in  Revolt,  (New  York:  Anchor  Press/Doubleday,  1975),  p.  154. 

3.  Guenter  Lewy,  America  In  Vietnam  (New  York:  Oxford  University  Press,  1978),  p.  430. 

4.  Rodger  R.  Venzke,  Confidence  in  Battle,  Inspiration  in  Peace  (Washington:  Office  of  the 
Chief  of  Chaplains,  1977),  p.  164-165. 

5.  David  Cortright,  Soldiers  in  Revolt,  p.  1 1 . 

6.  /Z7/V/.,  pp.1 1-43. 

7.  Ibid.,  p.  43. 

8.  Rick  Atkinson,  The  Long  Gray  Line,  (New  York:  Pocket  Books,  1989),  p.459. 

9.  Ibid.,  p.  459. 
\0.  Ibid.,  p.  461. 

1 1 .  Personal  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Matthew  Zimmerman,  21  March  1994. 

12.  Henry  F.  Ackermann,  He  Was  Always  There:  The  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Ministry  In  The 
Vietnam  Conflict,  (Washington,  D.C.:  Office  of  The  Chief  Chaplains,  1989),  p.  202. 

U.  Ibid.,  p.  2\4. 

14.  Rodger  R.  Venzke,  Confidence  In  Battle,  Inspiration  In  Peace,  p.  169. 

15.  Department  of  the  Army  Historical  Summary:  Fiscal  Year  1972.  (Washington,  D.C.:  Center 
for  Military  History),  1974,  p.  iv. 

16.  Robert  H.  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  (Washington,  D.C.:  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Staff,  1993), 

p.7. 

M.Ibid.  p.7. 

n.Ibid 

19.  Henry  F.  Ackermann,  He  Was  Always  There,  p. 214. 


I 


20    INTRODUCTION 

20.  Robert  H.  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  p.  7. 

21 .  John  L.  Romjue,  Prepare  the  Army  for  War,  (Fort  Monroe,  Virginia:  Office  of  the  Command 
Historian,  United  States  Army  Training  and  Doctrine  Command,  1993),  p.  5. 

22.  Robert  H.  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  p.  12. 
23.//^/t/.,  p.  21. 

24.  Ibid.,  p.  10. 

25.  Ibid.,  p.  12. 

26.  Harold  Brown,  "Technology,  Military  Equipment,  and  National  Security,"  Parameters,  Vol. 
8,  No.  1  (March  1983)  p.  26. 

27.  Charles  Lane,  "Perry's  Parry,"  The  New  Republic,  June  27,  1994,  p.  22. 

28.  John  L.  Romjue,  Prepare  The  Army  For  War,  p.  55. 

29.  L.  S.  Stavrianos,  The  World  Since  1500,  (Englewood  Cliffs,  New  Jersey:  Prentice  Hall, 
1982),  p.  512. 

30.  Ibid.,  p.522. 

31.  The  Army  Times,  "Fifty  Years  of  Military  Life,"  Volume  51,  Number  6,  (1990)  p.  165. 


21 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  HYATT  YEARS 

EXPANDING  THE  CHAPLAINCY'S  VISION, 

COMPETENCE  AND  INFLUENCE 

Before  the  Vietnam  War  ended  it  was  apparent  that  the  Chaplain  Corps  would  be  challenged 
in  many  different  ways  to  help  meet  the  human  needs  of  the  Army.  Whereas  historically  the  Army 
had  been  totally  mission  oriented,  personnel  and  personal  management  issues  demanded  increased 
attention  after  Vietnam.  Chaplains,  often  with  little  support  from  their  civilian  ecclesiastical 
counterparts,  had  to  be  innovators  cnid  visionaries  for  a  new  world  of  ministry.  ( liapkun  Gerhardt 
Hyatt,  formerly  the  MACV  Chaplain  in  Vietnam,  was  selected  to  lead  the  Chaplaincy  during  this 
challenging  period. 


MILESTONES: 

Innovative  programs  from  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  to 
redirect  the  Chaplaincy  and  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  Army. 

Emphasis  on  Installation  Chaplains  as  the  key  to  quality  soldier 

ministry. 

First  Reserve  Advisor  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains. 

Organizational  Development  and  Clinical  Pastoral  Education 

expanded 

Chaplains  serve  on  Drug  and  Alcohol  Abuse  Prevention  Teams. 

Emphasis  on  minority  recruitment. 

First  female  chaplain  commissioned  for  active  duty  in  the  Army. 

First  Gospel  Services  in  the  U.S.  for  soldiers. 

Personal  Effectiveness  Training  sponsored. 

Chaplain  Service  School  Instructors  assigned. 

Chaplain  Assistant  MOS  reviewed  for  quality  improvement. 

Creation  of  the  Chaplain  Center  and  School  at  Fort  Wadsworth. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


23 


24 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

The  Army  Chaplaincy: 
Designing  Ministries  to  Meet  the  Army's  Needs 


You  have  got  to  gel  with  them,  and  roll  up  your  sleeves  and  get  in  among  them,  all 
ranks... a  little  help  is  enough. 

General  Creighton  W  Abrams 
Chaplains  Conference  on  Ministry  to  Soldiers 


The  Crucible  of  the  Seventies 

Chaplain  Gerhardt  W.  Hyatt  was  promoted  to  Major  General  on  August  3,  1971,  by  General 
William  C  Westmoreland,  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army.  General  Westmoreland  had  been  the  senior 
commander  in  Vietnam  during  the  most  difficult  phase  of  that  war.  The  same  day  Hyatt  was 
promoted,  he  was  appointed  the  thirteenth  Chief  of  Chaplains  of  the  United  States  Army  by  President 
Richard  Nixon.  Chaplain  Hyatt's  four-year  term  as  leader  of  the  Chaplaincy  paralleled  a  period  of 
unprecedented  turbulence  and  unrest  in  the  Army  and  in  the  nation.  The  country,  the  churches  and 
society  in  general  found  themselves  in  a  crucible  of  changing  values,  conflicting  ideologies  and  the 
apparent  disintegration  of  many  traditional  values  in  American  life 

Senator  J.  William  Fulbright  of  Arkansas  reflected  upon  the  social  turmoil  in  the  United  States 
when  he  addressed  the  staff  and  students  at  Westminster  College  on  November  2,  1974  It  was  an 
important  speech  that  highlighted  the  conditions  of  that  period.  His  remarks  reminded  those  who 
heard  them  of  apocalyptic  prophesies.  He  summarized  the  angst  and  hopelessness  that  seemed  to 
permeate  the  times.  Paramount  to  his  concerns  was  what  he  referred  to  as  the  looming  economic 
crisis.  Inflation  was  rising  steadily.  OPEC  nations  were  strangling  the  economies  of  most  other 
nations  of  the  world  with  profiteering  from  their  oil  production.  As  a  result  of  the  Yom  Kippur  War 
(October  1973),  prices  of  oil  on  the  international  market  rose  more  than  200  percent.  Fulbright 
echoed  the  words  of  President  Gerald  Ford  that  inflation  threatened  to  "destroy  our  country,  our 
homes,  our  liberty."' 

In  addition  to  economic  issues,  Americans  faced  the  usual  national  security  dilemmas.  The 
Cold  War  continued  unabated.  The  military-industrial  complex  was  busy  churning  out  weapons  and 
supplies  to  fend  off  the  multi-faceted  Russian  threat,  or,  if  necessary,  to  destroy  it.  In  October  1973 
the  war  between  the  Arabs  and  the  Israelis  resulted  in  heavy  Israeli  casualties  as  well  as  in  economic 
chaos.  The  ubiquitous  fear  of  another  Arab-Israeli  conflict  was  ever  present.  At  the  same  time  the 
tentacles  of  communism  were  reaching  deeper  into  the  Western  hemisphere.  Sentiment  for  revolution 
was  growing  in  Iran  and  in  many  other  nations.  The  following  newspaper  headlines  of  the  seventies, 
highlight  some  of  the  fierce  issues  that  affected  the  lives  of  almost  all  citizens  in  one  way  or  anothef' 

June  1 7,  1 972  Five  men  break  into  Watergate 

June  17,  1972  Navajo  Indians  gain  control  of  the  Bureau  of  Indian  Affairs 

July  13,  1972  Paris  Peace  Talks  on  Vietnam  resume 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  25 


January  22,  1973  Supreme  Court  says  states  cannot  interfere  with  abortion  during  the 

first  six  months  of  pregnancy 

January  24,  1973  Court  orders  desegregation  of  schools  in  Memphis 

February  1 1,  1973  First  National  Women's  Political  Caucus  ends  in  Houston 

February  21,  1973  Senate  establishes  federal  security  force  at  airports 

February  27,  1973  200  armed  Indian  supporters  control  Wounded  Knee 

October  10,  1973  Vice  President  Agnew  resigns 

October  30,  1973  House  committee  meets  to  consider  impeachment  of  Nixon 

March  7,  1974  Numerous  indictments  in  Watergate  investigation 

August  9,  1974  President  Nixon  resigns 

September  8,  1974  President  Ford  pardons  Nixon 

It  would  be  hard  to  imagine  such  a  short  period  of  time  filled  with  so  many  world-shaking 
events.  Trouble  spots  occupied  the  attention  of  foreign  policy  and  military  strategy  experts 
throughout  the  nation. 

Conditions  in  the  churches  were  no  less  tempestuous,  for  divided  public  opinion  during  the 
closing  years  of  the  Vietnam  War  had  savaged  the  unity  of  many  mainline  denominations  Many 
church  leaders  were  vocally  opposed  to  the  war  and  insisted  that  the  chaplaincy  was  no  longer  a 
viable  ministry  option  for  them.  On  May  17,  1968,  a  unanimous  vote  was  cast  by  500  members 
attending  the  American  Jewish  Congress  to  terminate  the  military  chaplaincy  '  This  was  but  the 
prelude  of  similar  challenges  to  come. 

The  Winter  Edition  of  FOCUS,  the  United  Church  of  Christ  Youth  Magazine,  illustrated  this 
situation.  There  appeared  a  feature  article  entitled  "An  honest  letter  to  the  not  yet  drafted,"  by 
The  Reverend  Ralph  Weltge,  Secretary  for  Young  Adult  Ministry  in  the  United  Church  of  Christ. 
Among  other  things,  Weltge  stated,  "Put  in  plain  terms,  you  are  young  and  vulnerable,  and  they'll  use 
a  military  gang-bang  to  rape  your  mind  Boot  camp  is  really  the  American  version  of  Chinese 
'thought  reform'""*  He  continued,  "As  they  work  you  over,  you  may  perceive  the  contradiction 
between  military  training  and  what  you  learned  back  home  in  church,  and  want  to  talk  to  the  chaplain. 
Beware  of  him!  After  attending  his  compulsory  'character  guidance  lectures'  you  may  already  suspect 
his  incompetence  -  at  least  to  counsel  you  on  the  problem  of  Christian  conscience.'"  Weltge  went 
on  forcefiilly  to  recommend  that  soldiers  and  those  about  to  be  conscripted  should  consider  applying 
for  conscientious  objector  status"  Though  the  article  did  not  represent  all  UCC  leadership,  it  did 
portray  the  strong  feelings  of  some  leaders  of  that  denomination  and  others. 

During  the  years  1971-75,  several  denominations  wrestled  with  the  issue  of  providing 
chaplains  for  the  military.  Some  came  close  to  withdrawing  support  for  the  Chaplaincy  altogether  and 
recalling  chaplains  they  had  already  endorsed.  Meetings  were  held  between  denominational  leaders 
and  their  chaplains  to  try  to  make  decisions  on  this  matter.  Unfortunately,  many  of  the  more  radical 
ecclesiastical  leaders  had  never  served  in  the  military  and  therefore  had  very  little  understanding  of 
what  a  chaplain  did  Some  saw  the  chaplain  as  a  cheerleader  for  war  or  one  who  was  so  controlled 
by  the  command  that  he  could  not  take  independent  ethical  or  moral  positions. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


26 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

The  American  Civil  Liberties  Union,  in  a  joint  study  with  The  United  Church  Of  Christ, 
produced  a  document  entitled,  "The  Abuses  of  the  Military  Chaplaincy  "''  The  author  defined  "abuse" 
as  any  structure  or  activity  of  the  Chaplaincy  that  does  not  tend  to  further  free  exercise  of  religion. 
The  claimed  abuses  included  the  Army  setting  standards  for  selection  of  chaplains,  screening  of 
chaplains  by  a  military  board,  establishment  of  denominational  quotas  for  chaplains,  performance  of 
military  fLinctions  by  chaplains;  precedence  of  General  Protestant  worship  services  over 
denominational  services;  Human  Self  Development  programs,  and  command  relationships  such  as  the 
chaplain  serving  on  the  commander's  staff.  There  was  little  in  the  life  of  the  chaplain  that  the  study 
did  not  interpret  as  abuse 

At  approximately  this  same  time  Professor  Harvey  Cox  of  Harvard  University  wrote  a 
controversial  book.  The  Military  Chaplain:  From  a  Religious  Mihtary  to  a  Military  Religion.  In 
response  to  Chaplain  Ray  Strawser's  recommendation  to  purchase  the  book  for  the  staflF,  the  Chief 
of  Chaplains  wrote  him  a  note  stating,  "Forget  it!  We've  had  experts  try  to  sabotage  us!  It's  an  effort 
to  salve  their  own  conscience  for  their  own  inadequate  effectiveness  in  their  ministry  and  divert 
attention  from  the  utter  bankruptcy  of  their  philosophy"'*  It  was  apparent  that  the  Chaplaincy  was 
under  attack  from  several  directions  and  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  on  occasion,  had  a  yen  to  strike  back. 


A  Canadian  -American  Chief 

Chaplain  Gerhardt  W.  Hyatt,  son  of  a  noted  minister  and  missionary,  was  bom  in  Melford, 
Saskatchewan,  Canada,  on  July  I,  1916.  Hyatt  graduated  from  Concordia  College  in  Canada, 
Concordia  Seminary  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  George  Washington  University  (Master  of  Arts).  He 
also  received  the  honorary  Doctor  of  Divinity  Degree  from  Concordia  Seminary  in  1969.  He  was 
ordained  in  the  Lutheran  Church  -  Missouri  Synod  in  1944  and  installed  as  pastor  of  Our  Savior 
Lutheran  Church,  Raleigh,  North  Carolina.  In  June  1945  he  entered  the  Army  as  a  chaplain  while  still 
a  Canadian  citizen.  He  became  a  United  States  citizen  in  November  of  that  same  year. 

Chaplain  Hyatt  served  in  numerous  field  and  staff  positions  around  the  world.  One  of  his  first 
assignments  was  to  a  transportation  battalion  which  became  a  part  of  the  historic  Task  Force  Smith 
during  the  Korean  War.  The  Army  had  little  emphasis  on  readiness,  and  the  task  force  entered  Korea 
without  adequate  support.  Among  other  deadly  lessons,  they  found  that  the  2.5  inch  bazooka  did  not 
work  and  discarded  it.'^  The  contacts  Hyatt  made  and  the  challenging  experiences  he  had  during  that 
period  prepared  him  for  many  fliture  assignments. 

In  his  next  combat  tour,  during  the  Vietnam  War,  Chaplain  Hyatt  served  as  the  command 
chaplain  for  the  Military  Advisory  Command-Vietnam  (MACV)  In  a  very  unusual  following 
assignment  for  that  time,  he  was  detailed  for  a  three-year  tour  with  th'^  Office  uf  the  Deputy  Chief 
of  StaflF  for  Personnel  in  the  Pentagon.  Later  he  became  the  Director  of  Personnel  for  the  Chaplaincy, 
and  then  served  as  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains  under  Chaplain  (Major  General)  Francis  Sampson.  In 
total,  Chaplain  Hyatt  worked  in  the  Pentagon  for  12  years  before  he  became  Chief  of  Chaplains  All 
of  these  experiences  in  the  field  with  soldiers  as  well  as  in  high  level  staflF  positions  provided  excellent 
preparation  for  the  demands  that  faced  him  and  the  Chaplaincy  in  the  Seventies. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  27 


Hyatt,  His  StafTand  Their  Challenges 

Chaplain  Hyatt  was  in  many  ways  a  very  reticent  man,  yet  he  became  one  of  the  most 
influential  figures  the  Chaplaincy  ever  produced  His  strengths  lay  in  several  areas  important  for  the 
fijture  of  the  Chaplaincy.  He  was  not  merely  a  theoretician  He  knew  the  Army  well  from  his  service 
at  all  echelons  and  in  a  wide  variety  of  assignments  He  was  masterful  in  relating  to  top  generals  and 
other  Pentagon  officials.  Some  said  that  Hyatt  could  achieve  more  with  a  handshake  than  others  could 
through  years  of  staff  work  Much  of  that  resulted  from  his  12  years  in  the  Pentagon  before  becoming 
Chief  of  Chaplains,  and  his  associations  with  young  officers  who  themselves  later  became  general 
officers. 

Chaplain  Hyatt  had  the  managerial  brilliance  and  foresight  to  surround  himself  with  highly 
effective  chaplain  staff  officers  Though  Hyatt  was  a  quiet  and  conservative  individual,  he  had  no  fear 
of  innovation  and  encouraged  his  staff  to  think  new  thoughts  and  try  new  programs  '"  Among  the 
innovative  members  of  his  staff  were  Chaplains  Orris  Kelly  (his  Executive  Officer),  Charles  Kriete 
(Director  of  Plans,  Programs  and  Polices),  and  Edward  O'Shea,  Richard  Tupy,  Richard  Martin,  and 
a  host  of  others  who  served  as  action  officers.  He  also  enjoyed  the  support  of  his  Roman  Catholic 
deputies.  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Aloysius  J.  McElwee,  1971-1973,  and  Chaplain  (Brigadier 
General)  Thaddeus  F  Malanowski,  1974-1978. 

Chaplain  Hyatt,  perhaps  better  than  any  other  chaplain  of  his  time,  understood  the  Army  as 
a  system  and  wanted  the  Chaplaincy  to  be  an  integral  part  of  the  system.  He  wanted  to  help  the  Army 
address  the  severe  problems  it  faced  and  at  the  same  time  demonstrate  the  professionalism  of  the 
Chaplaincy.  The  programs  developed  by  his  staff  were  in  large  measure  responses  to  emerging  needs 
and  the  mission  to  help  the  Army  respond  to  them." 

Chaplain  Charles  Kriete,  Director  of  Plans,  Programs  and  Polices,  shepherded  most  of  the 
innovative  programs  implemented  during  the  Hyatt  years.  Many  of  these  were  not  new  creations,  but 
rather  adaptations  of  existing  activities  that  already  were  being  tested  in  some  form  either  in  the 
civilian  community  or  in  the  military  The  genius  of  Chaplain  Kriete  and  his  staff  was  in  their  ability 
to  envision  the  metamorphosis  of  these  programs  and  activities  into  shapes  and  forms  that  would 
meet  the  unique  needs  of  the  Army  as  a  system  at  that  time.  The  demand  for  chaplain  ministry  to  the 
institution  was  overwhelming.  Chaplain  Hyatt  was  exactly  the  kind  of  leader  needed  for  the  uncertain 
times  between  1973  and  1975,  and  he  gathered  around  him  the  right  kind  of  staff  officers  to 
implement  his  vision  to  enhance  the  respect  of  the  military  for  the  Chaplaincy  and  thereby  enable  it 
to  become  a  more  professional  branch.  The  programs  Hyatt  and  his  staff  implemented  lasted  through 
the  Seventies  and  beyond. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


28 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

Institutional  Stress  and  Change 

It  has  already  been  noted  that  the  Army  (as  well  as  the  nation)  was  suffering  a  "Post 
Traumatic  Stress  Disorder."''^  Some  feared  the  Army  was  falling  apart.  The  Vietnam  War  had  left 
deep  psychological,  social  and  spiritual  scars  that  were  festering  and  slow  to  heal.  Additionally,  the 
war,  or  at  least  the  times  themselves,  spawned  a  plethora  of  other  symptoms  reflecting  the  disquiet 
of  those  years.  Some  of  these  problems  related  directly  to  the  Army.  This  was  especially  true  of  the 
Draft.  As  early  as  1969,  President  Nixon  had  established  a  panel  to  develop  plans  to  end  the  draft 
and  move  toward  an  all  volunteer  Army." 

Conscription  did  not  end  until  June  1973,  with  the  tinal  induction  of  Private  Dwight  Stone 
of  Sacramento,  California.  For  the  first  time  since  1948,  the  military  services  would  be  composed 
completely  of  volunteers.  The  concept  of  the  modern  Volunteer  Army  or  VOLAR  was  bom.  New 
incentives  were  needed  to  attract  young  men  and  women  to  the  Army  Less  stringent  standards,  better 
living  and  working  conditions  and  the  provision  for  beer  in  the  barracks  were  some  of  the 
innovations.  Kitchen  Police  (KP)  was  seen  as  a  strong  negative  inducement;  and,  therefore,  the  Army 
began  hiring  civilians  to  perform  those  and  other  mundane  duties  Many  of  the  changes  did  improve 
the  quality  of  life  of  soldiers  and  did  help  in  reaching  recruitment  goals.  Some  of  the  changes, 
however,  did  not  last  very  long — one  of  those  was  beer  in  the  barracks.  Soldiers  actually  wanted 
discipline  and  rigorous  training.  That  was  the  reason  many  enlisted.  Some  felt  instead  they  were 
being  coddled  and  not  challenged.  It  was  a  time  of  uncertainty  for  both  soldiers  and  the  Army 
leadership.  High  rates  of  drug  abuse  and  misconduct  were  prevalent  in  the  continental  U.S. 
(CONUS)  and  in  Europe  and  these  exacerbated  the  seething  problems  involved  in  moving  fi-om  war 
to  peace. 

In  early  1973  there  were  still  a  few  chaplains  in  Vietnam.  The  war  was  quickly  moving  toward 
closure  for  the  United  States,  but  toward  an  uncertain  fiature  for  citizens  of  South  Vietnam.  The  last 
chaplain  serving  in  Vietnam  left  the  war  zone  in  March  1973.  No  chaplains  served  in  Vietnam  after 
that  date.''' 

Before  his  retirement.  Chaplain  (Major  General)  Francis  L.  Sampson,  the  former  Chief  of 
Chaplains,  approved  a  Five  Year  Program  for  Fiscal  Years  1973-77."  This  excellent  document 
outlined  where  he  saw  the  Chaplaincy  at  that  time  and  placed  continued  emphasis  on  the  traditional 
fijnctions  of  Chaplain  Corps'  ministry,  training,  and  administration.  It  was  an  important  document  that 
basically  stressed  "business  as  usual."  The  plan,  written  in  1970-71,  could  not  envision  the  dramatic 
changes  in  emphasis  that  would  be  required  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  period  for  which  it  was  written. 
New  challenges  faced  the  Chaplaincy  and  new  means  of  management  would  be  required. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  29 


Pastors  for  the  Total  Army  Community 

Upon  assuming  the  oflFice  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Chaplain  Hyatt  issued  a  document  with 
48  projects  in  eight  areas  that  he  determined  needed  to  be  addressed  for  the  benefit  of  the  total  Army. 
At  the  Command  Chaplain  Conference  in  July  1974,  Hyatt  said  the  following  regarding  his  Five  Year 
Planning  Guidance; 

The  premise  on  which  the  objectives  of  the  Five  Year  Planning  Guidance  are  based  is  that  the 
parish  ministry  is  at  the  heart  of  the  chaplaincy.  We  are  professional  pastors  and  we  have  a 
total  ministry  to  the  entire  community  Perhaps  more  than  anyone  else,  we  can  provide  the 
leadership,  personal  openness  and  acceptance,  and  professional  expertise  which  commanders 
need  in  order  to  have  a  positive  and  healthy  environment,  a  climate  of  moral  responsibility, 
and  a  community  of  openness  and  trust."" 

That  document  was  refined  in  FY  75  and  published  as  "Objectives  for  the  Seventies."'^  The 
eight  major  areas  listed  in  the  guidance  were: 

Religious  Services 
Religious  Education 
Pastoral  Concerns 
Human  Self  Development 
Administration  and  Financial  Management 
Professional  Development 
Management  and  Procurement 
Research  and  Development. 

Each  major  area  was  broken  out  into  its  various  elements,  and  a  detailed  schedule  listed  all 
that  was  to  be  accomplished  in  each  component.  In  September  1974,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  issued 
a  Memorandum  entitled  "Army  Stewardship  Concept."  This  document  specified  two  main  objectives 
"(1)  Reciprocal  and  collaborative  relations  between  chaplains  at  all  levels  and  (2)  A  commitment  to 
action  rather  than  reaction."  The  Plan  included  Key  Result  Areas  such  as  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's 
Planning  Guidance  The  Key  Result  Areas  were  basically  the  eight  areas  previously  specified  in  the 
"Objectives  for  the  Seventies  "'"  They  were  intended  to  be  measurable  so  that  effective  evaluation 
could  be  applied  and  the  Chaplaincy  would  be  able  to  determine  at  any  time  how  much  had  been 
accomplished 

The  management  processes  established  by  Chaplain  Hyatt  provided  the  means  by  which  new 
programs  could  be  introduced  into  the  Chaplaincy  to  meet  the  changing  needs  of  the  Army.  They  also 
established  the  fi"amework  and  the  philosophy  under  which  the  Chaplaincy  would  operate  for  the  next 
decade  or  more.  At  the  heart  of  Chaplain  Hyatt's  strategy  was  his  conviction  that  installation 
chaplains  were  the  key  leaders  for  implementing  ministry  for  soldiers  and  family  members.  The  best 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


30 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

senior  chaplains  should  be  found  at  installation  level,  he  believed,  and  quality  ministry  would  follow.        | 

Soldier  and  Family  Support 

Hospital  Ministry 

Clinical  Pastoral  Education  (CPE)  began  in  earnest  in  the  Chaplaincy  in  the  1960s  as  a  result 
of  the  efforts  of  Chaplains  Thomas  Harris  and  John  Betzold  who  coordinated  the  program  with  the 
Office  of  the  Army  Surgeon  General.  As  a  result  of  Chaplain  Harris'  creativity  and  excellent  staflF 
work,  not  only  did  he  gain  acceptance  for  the  CPE  program,  but  he  also  succeeded  in  receiving 
approval  for  a  chaplain  to  teach  medical  ethics  and  doctor  patient  relationships  as  a  member  of  the 
staff  of  various  Army  Medical  faculties.'^  Initially  CPE  training  and  ministry  was  carried  out  only  in 
hospital  settings.  It  was  soon  recognized,  however,  that  the  skills  learned  had  a  much  wider 
application.  Chaplain  Hyatt  envisioned  CPE  being  used  in  many  other  areas  of  the  military 
community.  In  FY  72-73,  he  approved  a  concept  for  the  development  of  a  Community  Model  CPE 
program  at  Fort  Benning,  Georgia,  and  at  Fort  Knox,  Kentucky,  pioneered  by  Chaplain  Robert  Crick 
and  by  Chaplain  Thomas  R.  Smith.'"  The  Community  Model  required  CPE  students  to  take  one 
quarter  of  training  in  each  of  the  following  areas:  Basic  Training  Brigade,  Family  Chapel,  Post 
Stockade,  and  the  Post  Hospital.  This  broad-based  training  enabled  chaplains  to  serve  in  a  wide 
variety  of  assignments  whereas  the  medical  model  essentially  prepared  chaplains  only  for  the  narrower 
hospital  ministry.  Later  in  the  seventies  the  community  model  was  eventually  broadened  and  training 
was  provided  at  Forts  Benning  and  Hood. 

By  1973,  seventy-five  chaplains  had  completed  one  year  of  CPE  training.  Chaplain  Hyatt  saw 
value  in  CPE  for  all  chaplains  He  saw  it  as  a  means  of  extending  skills  and  enhancing  ministry.  He 
declared  that  he  wanted  every  chaplain  to  have  at  least  one  quarter  of  CPE  training.-'  In  order  to 
carry  out  this  objective  he  announced  that  he  would  establish  CPE  training  centers  at  14  CONUS 
installations,  five  Major  Army  Medical  Centers,  and  three  Overseas  locations.  During  this  period  of 
growth  the  Chaplaincy  also  began  training  CPE  students  for  the  higher  level  of  CPE  Supervision. 
This  meant  that  chaplains  could  then  provide  supervisory  training  for  other  chaplains.  This  was  very 
intense  training  and  produced  highly  qualified  mentors.  Walter  Reed  Army  Medical  Center  was  the 
first  Army  center  to  be  granted  accreditation  for  training  supervisors,  by  the  civilian  Association  of 
Clinical  Pastoral  Educators. 


Family  Life 

Interest  in  Family  Ministry  had  been  growing  since  the  end  of  the  Vietnam  War.  In  the 
Modern  Volunteer  Army  more  soldiers  were  married  than  ever  before  and  the  need  for  ministry 
increased  significantly.  Some  chaplains  received  graduate  training  in  family  life  ministry  at  the 
American  Institute  for  Family  Relations  ( AIFR),  in  California.  Family  Life  Ministry  programs  began 
in  the  early  1970s  at  such  places  as  Forts  Campbell,  Ord,  and  Sill.  These  programs  normally  provided 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  3 1 


full-time  ministry  in  counseling,  parenting,  and  education. 

The  US.  Army  Chaplain  Board,  recognizing  the  need  for  greater  emphasis  on  Family  Life 
Ministry,  designated  one  of  its  staff  members  in  1974  to  specifically  focus  on  this  area.""  Another 
major  area  of  need  for  ministry  and  emphasis  was  to  Asian  spouses  and  their  family  members.  Many 
soldiers  who  had  served  in  the  Far  East  returned  with  Asian  spouses  who  were  isolated  and  alone  in 
their  new  environment.  It  was  a  critical  ministry  often  provided  by  the  chapel  team  to  help  integrate 
foreign  spouses  into  their  new  community.  One  entire  edition  of  the  A//7/7a/y  Chaplains  Review  was 
devoted  to  the  need  for  this  ministry." 

At  the  end  of  the  war  in  Vietnam,  many  former  Vietnamese  soldiers  and  citizens  fled  the 
conquering  hordes  of  North  Vietnamese  invaders.  Some  escaped  to  neighboring  nations  and  many 
eventually  made  their  way  to  the  United  States.  It  was  decided  that  ministry  should  be  provided  to 
families  and  individuals  under  American  control.  A  refugee  camp  was  established  by  Department  of 
the  Army  at  Fort  Chaffee,  Arkansas  Assigned  to  provide  special  ministry  were  three  Roman  Catholic 
and  four  Protestant  Chaplains,  three  Vietnamese  speaking  Protestant  Missionaries,  three  civilian 
Catholic  Priests,  and  a  Buddhist  Monk.  Four  Army  chaplains  also  ministered  to  Vietnamese  refugees 
on  the  Island  of  Guam."'' 


Drug  and  Alcohol  Abuse  Prevention 

Another  legacy  of  the  War  in  Vietnam  was  the  gargantuan  and  pervasive  problem  of  drug 
abuse.  It  was  clearly  a  major  symptom  of  the  times.  Its  cost  in  terms  of  dollars  and  manpower  were 
enormous.  On  July  17,  1971,  President  Nixon  called  for  an  "urgent  and  immediate"  program  to  deal 
with  the  escalating  problem  of  drug  abuse."'  In  response  to  the  President's  message,  the  Army 
published  DA  Circular  600-85  "Army  Alcohol  and  Drug  Abuse  Prevention  and  Control  Program." 
Drug  and  Alcohol  Prevention  Teams  were  established  throughout  the  Army.  Chaplains  served  on 
most  of  these  teams  as  pastors,  counselors  and  moral  leaders. 

Chaplain  involvement  in  drug  and  alcohol  ministry  has  a  long  history,  perhaps  first  receiving 
Chief  of  Chaplain  emphasis  after  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Sampson's  visit  to  Vietnam,  July  1 1  to  August 
8,  1969.  Following  Chaplain  Sampson's  visit  to  Southeast  Asia,  he  directed  that  the  Army  chaplains 
conduct  day-long  training  workshops  throughout  the  Army  on  drug  and  alcohol  abuse  as  part  of  the 
chaplain's  monthly  training  program  for  the  third  quarter  of  that  fiscal  year."* 

Chaplain  Delbert  Gremmels  wrote  the  justification  for  the  chaplain  spaces  on  the  drug  training 
teams."'  The  Army  recognized  the  skills  chaplains  possessed  and  accepted  Gremmel's  proposals. 
Chaplains  were  highly  successful  in  providing  ministry  to  those  addicted  and  in  the  development  of 
strategies  and  ministries  aimed  at  prevention.  This  action  was  important  to  the  success  of  the  drug 
teams  It  also  provided  the  basis  for  retaining  many  chaplain  spaces  that  would  otherwise  have  been 
lost  during  the  Army  reducfion  in  force.  During  1973-74,  seventy-eight  chaplains  worked  with  eighty- 
one  drug  teams.""  As  other  personnel  were  trained  in  drug  counseling  and  prevention,  the  chaplains 
played  a  lesser  roll.  They  did,  however,  remain  active  in  ministering  and  providing  support  in  the  drug 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


32 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

abuse  milieu. 

In  1973,  Chaplain  Orris  Kelly  became  the  first  Executive  Officer  in  the  Oflfice  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains.  One  of  the  first  tasks  assigned  to  him  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  was  to  work  with  Brigadier 
General  Robert  Gard,  fi-om  the  Office  of  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel,  to  develop  methods 
for  dealing  with  the  serious  problem  of  drug  abuse.  They  met  with  many  experts  in  the  field  and  with 
Congressional  Staff  personnel.  One  of  the  major  objectives  was  to  develop  a  training  program  for 
drug  counselors.  Chaplain  Kelly  was  assigned  the  duty  to  study  and  identify  an  institution  where  such 
training  could  be  done.  He  recommended  Yale  University,  because  of  the  excellent  training  it 
provided,  even  though  it  had  only  recently  canceled  its  ROTC  program  in  reaction  to  the  Vietnam 
War  "'  Chaplain  Kelly's  involvement  was  a  natural  evolution  fi-om  his  leadership  in  the  area  in 
Vietnam,  and  while  serving  in  the  Plans,  Programs  and  Policies  Division  of  the  Oflfice  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains.^" 

Chaplain  involvement  in  drug  ministry  consumed  much  of  almost  every  chaplain's  time.  It  was 
uppermost  on  every  commander's  mind  and  took  high  priority  in  the  chaplain's  workload.  The  effort 
was  rewarded  by  success  in  helping  individual  soldiers  combat  their  addictions  and  won  widespread 
respect  for  the  abilities  of  chaplains.  The  old  stereotypes  of  chaplains  as  inept  "Chaplain  Stainglass," 
or  overiy  pious  "Father  Mulcahey,"  were  quickly  fading  away.  As  non-chaplain  personnel  became 
trained  and  competent  in  drug  prevention  and  treatment,  the  chaplaincy  let  others  take  the  lead.  By 
the  early  1980s,  there  were  only  four  chaplains  remaining  who  were  directly  involved  in  drug  ministry. 


Muhi-cultural  Programs 

Toward  the  end  of  United  States  involvement  in  Vietnam  (late  1960s  -  early  1970s),  American 
society  was  seething  in  racial  unrest.  What  happened  in  civilian  communities  was  true  of  the  Army 
as  well.  The  morale  of  many  units  was  seriously  degraded.  Chaplains  had  long  been  involved  in  race 
relations  ministry  through  counseling,  training  and  race  relations  councils.  Now  a  strenuous  effort 
would  be  required  to  meet  this  challenge. 

Since  the  initiation  of  the  All  Volunteer  Army,  the  presence  of  minorities  in  the  Army  steadily 
increased.  The  number  of  blacks,  for  instance,  nearly  doubled  immediately  after  1973.  The  same  was 
true  of  other  minorities,  especially  Hispanics.  The  face  and  the  color  of  the  Army  was  changing 
dramatically.  That  was  not  the  issue.  The  problem  was  that  many  soldiers  were  not  yet  ready  for  this 
transition. 

In  December  1972  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  convened  a  conference  of 
distinguished  black  leaders  to  assist  in  meeting  the  needs  of  minority  soldiers  and  the  recruitment  of 
black  chaplains.  As  a  result  of  that  meeting,  a  goal  was  established  to  have  15%  of  the  chaplaincy 
comprised  of  black  chaplains.^'  It  was  felt  that  this  would  ensure  the  ability  to  equitably  assign  black 
chaplains  wherever  needed  to  provide  special  ministries  and  reduce  tensions.  Although  that  lofty 
numerical  goal  was  never  met,  it  did  serve  to  highlight  the  emphasis  placed  on  soliciting  chaplains  to 
meet  the  changing  ethnic  composition  of  the  Army.  The  special  recruitment  effort  did  result  in  an 
increase  to  65  black  chaplains  with  similar  increases  for  other  minorities.^^ 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  33 


In  FY  73-74,  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  sponsored  a  Gospel  Music  workshop,  and 
underscored  special  programs  for  Martin  Luther  King  Day,  Black  History  Week  and  other  significant 
cultural  events 

The  Chief  of  Chaplains  Five  Year  Program  for  FY  74-78  addressed  the  problem  of  race 
relations.  "The  Army  chaplaincy  must  bring  to  bear  the  resources  of  religious  faith  and  work  within 
this  framework  to  alleviate  the  situation.  "^^  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  also  called  for  the  initiation  of 
ministries  of  human  relations  to  accelerate  "the  integration  of  cultural  and  racial  resources  into 
existing  programs."  Special  conferences  for  black  chaplains  were  convened  to  hear  their  needs  and 
concerns.  Throughout  FY  1974,  Race  Relations  and  Multi-cultural  Workshops  were  held  in  various 
places  with  21 1  chaplains  in  attendance.  In  his  March  1974  Newsletter,  Chaplain  Hyatt  wrote: 

The  Army  has  set  out  to  win  the  battle  against  racial  discrimination.  This  commitment 
is  clear  in  programs,  plans  and  training  developed  and  used  world-wide...  All  human 
beings  must  be  freed  from  those  personal  and  institutional  abuses  which  rob  life  of 
meaning  and  fulfillment.^^ 

Gospel  services  proliferated  to  almost  every  CONUS  and  overseas  installation  as  a  means  of 
meeting  both  religious  and  cultural  needs  of  black  soldiers  and  their  family  members.  The  history  of 
the  Black  Gospel  Service  is  not  fully  known/*  but  it  is  possible  that  the  first  modern  Army  Gospel 
Service  was  held  by  accident  in  Kaiserslautem,  Germany,  in  1968.  Chaplain  Leroy  Johnson  formed 
a  black  concert  choir  to  sing  on  Armed  Forces  Radio  Network,  and  later  toured  Europe,  singing  at 
"gospel  services.""  In  CONUS,  the  first  Gospel  Service  was  held  (by  Chaplain  John  Paul  Monk)  at 
Fort  Carson,  where  racial  tensions  between  soldiers  and  the  civilian  community  ran  high. 

Chaplain  Roy  Plummer  initiated  a  very  successfijl  and  highly  recognized  program  of  Black 
Gospel  Services,  in  1973-74,  at  Fort  Lewis,  Washington  When  he  was  first  assigned.  Chaplain 
Plummer  was  told  that  he  was  too  young  and  too  black  to  conduct  the  main  Protestant  service  at  the 
9th  Infantry  Division  Chapel.  Some  white  parishioners  began  to  leave  the  chapel.  Subsequently,  a 
black  member  of  the  congregation  began  to  invite  as  many  African  American  soldiers  and  family 
members  as  possible  to  attend  the  service.  In  less  than  one  year  the  congregation  was  too  large  to  fit 
into  the  chapel.^*  At  about  this  same  time,  at  the  urging  of  Chaplain  Tom  McMinn  at  III  Corps, 
Chaplain  Irving  Jennings  began  to  conduct  Black  Gospel  Services  at  Fort  Hood,  Texas.  Chaplain 
James  Russell  followed  suit  at  Fort  Bliss.  As  with  the  service  at  Fort  Lewis,  the  Gospel  Services 
were  the  most  heavily  attended  and  certainly  the  most  enthusiastic  of  any  services  held  on  posts. 

The  focus  on  the  needs  of  black  soldiers  was  clearly  essential.  It  soon  became  apparent, 
however,  that  the  problem  was  much  larger.  Other  minorities,  racial,  cultural  and  religious,  also 
needed  special  ministries.  Chaplain  W.  E.  Smith,  a  Reservist  and  professor  at  Brigham  Young 
University,  was  prophetic  when  writing: 

Sooner  or  later,  trends  which  appear  in  American  life  are  felt  in  the  military — whether 
these  trends  are  sociological,  political,  economic  or  religious.  The  current  trend  which 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


34 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

reinforces  concepts  of  pluralism  and  sanctity  of  the  individual  is  no  exception.^' 

Focused  emphasis  was  being  placed  on  meeting  the  needs  of  black  soldiers,  there  was  also  an 
increased  awareness  of  the  needs  of  Hispanic  soldiers  and  their  dependents.  Special  cultural  programs 
centered  around  special  historical  or  religious  events  began  to  find  their  way  into  parish  programs  and 
the  general  military  community.  Additionally,  religious  groups  other  than  Judeo-Christian  began  to 
clamor  for  recognition.  Special  arrangements  were  made  to  accommodate  religious  and  dietary  needs 
of  Muslims  and  others.  Recognition  of  gender  (female)  as  a  minority  category  was  also  coming  to  the 
forefront.  Plans  were  already  being  laid  to  meet  this  challenge. 

This  new  perspective  on  pluralism  led  to  the  development  of  a  broad  emphasis  on  Multi- 
cultural ministry.  One  of  the  chief  architects  of  the  new  programs,  a  young  chaplain  named  Matthew 
A.  Zimmerman,  was  assigned  to  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.""  Chaplains  met  annually  to 
identify  needs  both  of  minority  chaplains  and  their  constituents,  to  recommend  initiatives  and  to 
evaluate  the  success  of  ongoing  programs  New  policies  were  developed  to  address  inequities  and 
to  ensure  that  every  soldier  was  treated  with  dignity  and  respect. 


Transforming  the  System: 
Personal  Effectiveness  Training 

The  Army  that  returned  fi"om  Vietnam  was  in  disarray.  Morale,  discipline  and  leadership  were 
at  an  extremely  low  point  and  sinking  deeper.  Army  leaders,  especially  noncommissioned  officers  and 
junior  officers,  were  reluctant  to  enforce  rules  and  to  maintain  high  standards.  Over  800  reported 
"fi'aggings"  and  other  threats  to  life  and  limb  immobilized  many  of  the  leaders  who  were  positioned 
to  correct  these  very  problems.""  Young  officers  and  sergeants  were  sometimes  afraid  to  enter  soldier 
work  or  living  areas  for  fear  that  they  would  be  attacked  either  verbally  or  physically.  Soldiers 
continually  challenged  the  authority  of  their  leaders.  In  many  instances  it  was  difficult  to  determine 
who  the  real  leaders  were 

Chaplain  Hyatt  gave  a  highly  eftective  speech  at  the  Infantry  School  on  the  subject  of 
leadership  and  why  soldiers  do  not  reenlist.  He  stressed  the  need  for  proper  treatment  of  soldiers. 
Reports  of  the  speech  reached  General  Abrams,  the  Chief  of  StaflFof  the  Army,  who  passed  on  the 
report  to  Lieutenant  General  Bernard  Rogers,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  StaftTor  Personnel  (DCSPER).''" 

In  August  1973,  General  Rogers  asked  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  asked  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 
for  assistance  in  working  out  a  program  to  increase  leadership  effectiveness  of  junior  officers  and 
noncommissioned  officers."  Chaplains  were  chosen  because  of  their  training  in  problem-solving, 
counseling  and  communication  skills.  These  were  the  skills  needed  to  build  trust  and  confidence  in 
junior  Army  leaders.  A  team  of  chaplains  worked  with  social  scientists  at  Fort  Bliss,  Texas,  to 
develop  what  would  be  called  "Personal  Effectiveness  Training"  (PET).  The  PET  program,  while  not 
mandatory,  was  implemented  at  almost  all  CONUS  installations.  PET  training  consisted  of  workshops 
and  seminars  which  provided  skills  and  experience  in  communications,  counseling  and  effective 
leadership.  Graduates  of  these  programs  returned  to  their  units  and  practiced  the  new  abilities  with 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  35 


the  soldiers  under  their  command  or  supervision 

Chaplain  Albert  Ledebuhr,  US  Army  Europe  (USAREUR)  Command  Chaplain,  requested 
that  Clinical  Pastoral  Education  (CPE)  trained  chaplains  be  assigned  to  the  European  Command  in 
order  to  form  counseling  teams  to  assist  with  the  implementation  of  the  PET  program. '*'*  These 
counseling  teams  conducted  workshops  throughout  the  command  Their  seminars  had  two  main 
emphases:  1 )  to  train  officers  and  NCOs  to  be  more  efficient  and  responsive  in  understanding  and 
meeting  needs  of  their  soldiers,  and  2)  to  acquaint  participants  with  practical  techniques  and  methods 
of  counseling/" 

The  PET  program  contributed  to  a  restoration  of  confidence  and  leadership  at  the  middle 
management  level  of  the  Army.  Social  scientists  from  the  Office  of  the  Surgeon  General  were  very 
impressed  with  the  program  and  expressed  an  interest  in  engaging  in  future  projects  with  the 
Chaplaincy.  In  1974  the  PET  program  was  highly  rated  by  commanders  in  the  field.  The  decision  was 
made  at  the  US  Army  Training  and  Doctrine  Command  that  PET  should  be  included  in  the  Program 
of  Instruction  for  all  Drill  Sergeants.  As  non-chaplains  were  trained  in  the  PET  skills,  chaplains 
turned  over  responsibility  for  the  program  to  the  commanders,  but  remained  available  to  assist  in 
instruction  and  in  consultation/"' 


Organization  Development  and  Parish  Development 

In  1970  relations  between  the  races,  particularly  black  and  white,  were  severely  strained.  The 
Secretary  of  Defense  requested  improvements  in  communications  between  the  races  as  a  means  of 
alleviating  the  problem  The  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  contracted  with  the  National  Training 
Laboratories  (NTL)  to  begin  an  extensive  and  intensive  training  program  in  human  relations  and 
interpersonal  dynamics  Several  chaplains  attended  strenuous  training  sessions  at  the  NTL  training 
facility  at  Bethel,  Maine  In  1971-72,  nearly  100  chaplain  advance  course  students  participated  in 
Human  Relations  training.  At  the  same  time,  similar  training  also  was  being  conducted  on  19 
CONUS  installations.^'  Dr.  Cy  Mill,  NTL  consultant,  stated  that  Army  chaplains: 

Have  power  at  their  command  which  is  rarely  used,  the  power  of  the  church,  power 
of  their  position  as  representatives  of  right  and  justice,  power  of  their  individual 
personalities,  and  power  to  limit  the  extent  to  which  they  will  accede  to  the 
restrictions  which  bind  other  branches  of  the  service.** 

Another  innovative  program,  known  throughout  the  Chaplaincy  and  the  Army  as 
Organizational  Development,  had  its  roots  in  new  instructional  approach  mandated  by  TRADOC  and 
implemented  at  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  School  in  1968-1969.  In  an  effort  to  focus  training  on  the 
tasks,  skills,  and  attitudes  chaplains  needed  to  perform  their  religious  support  duties.  Chaplain  Charles 
Kriete,  Director  of  Curriculum  development.  Chaplain  Richard  Tupy  and  Chaplain  Edward  O'Shea 
applied  a  TRADOC  Systems  Engineering  process  to  identify  tasks  and  then  design  a  curriculum  to 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


36 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

support  task  specific  training.'*'  By  dividing  the  Advanced  Chaplains  Course  into  small  groups. 
Chaplain  Ed  O'Shea  observed  that  "reality  teaching  was  done  in  a  real  way.""'  Chaplain  Chet 
Lindsey,  the  Chaplain  School  Commandant,  approved  the  initiative. 

As  part  of  the  instructional  revolution  at  the  School,  Chaplain  Ed  O'Shea  introduced  an 
instructional  method  called  the  Group  Process  Plan.  The  GPP  was  not  only  a  small  group  learning 
process  but  also  a  problem-solving  technique."  Chaplain  Kriete  thought  it  could  be  described  as 
"task-oriented  sensitivity  training.""  "It  was  this  plan,"  Chaplain  O'Shea  later  recalled,"  which  gave 
birth  to  Organizational  Development.  In  fact.  Colonel  Morton,  the  first  Commandant  of  the  Sergeant 
Majors  Academy,  which  was  organized  at  Ft  Bliss  in  1971,  had  visited  the  Chaplain  School  earlier 
and  determined  that  the  Academy  would  utilize  the  GPP  as  its  teaching  methodology.  Chaplain 
Harold  Lamm  and  I  were  commissioned  to  spend  three  weeks  at  Ft.  Bliss  introducing  the  process  to 
the  staff  and  training  the  faculty  in  its  use.""  Chaplain  John  Scott,  who  served  as  the  first  chaplain 
appointed  to  the  Sergeant  Majors  Academy,  may  have  been  among  the  first  chaplains  in  the  Army  to 
transition  to  the  Organizational  Development  program. 

The  purpose  of  Organizational  Development  was  to  enable  participatory  management  and 
decision-making  Chaplains  and  laity  at  all  levels  worked  together  to  set  goals,  improve 
communications  and  enhance  relationships.  Major  stress  was  placed  on  the  process  used  and  the 
development  of  interpersonal  skills  rather  than  on  a  quantifiable  end  product.  Heavy  emphasis  was 
placed  on  the  effect  of  interpersonal  relations  and  human  dynamics  on  decision-making  in  the  Army. 
Chaplain  leaders  felt  that  effective  ministry  included  being  in  touch  with  one's  own  feelings  as  well 
as  those  of  the  chapel  team  and  other  constituents.  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  appointed  Chaplain 
Edward  O'Shea  to  serve  as  his  senior  project  officer  for  the  implementation  of  Organizational 
Development  programs  to  be  conducted  at  17  posts  by  the  end  of  1975.^^  O'Shea  was  highly 
qualified  and  an  enthusiastic  proponent  of  this  movement.  Much  of  the  success  of  the  program  was 
due  to  his  skill  and  leadership 

Chaplain  Hyatt  viewed  the  chaplaincy  as  a  "decentralized  non-system. "  He  wanted  input  from 
post  chaplains  and  commanders  and  in  turn  sought  to  empower  them  to  provide  ministry.'' 
Consultants  were  used  to  gain  information  and  identify  resources  to  meet  those  needs 

At  Fort  Bliss,  Texas,  Chaplain  Trevor  Turner,  the  installation  staff  chaplain,  gathered  his 
twenty  or  so  chaplains  together  for  several  days  to  learn  how  to  apply  the  methods  of  organizational 
development.  Civilian  leaders  under  contract  with  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  facilitated  the 
sessions.  Chaplains  began  by  identifying  their  own  strengths  and  weaknesses.  They  then  looked  at  the 
needs  of  the  religious  community.  As  a  result  of  these  meetings,  chaplains  learned  not  only  how  to 
relate  more  effectively  with  each  other,  but  also  how  to  organize  and  implement  programs  to  meet 
the  actual  needs  of  their  parish. 

The  experimental  programs  were  highly  successful  and  in  1 974  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  decided 
to  eliminate  the  outside  consultants  and  rely  on  his  own  chaplains  to  provide  Organizational 
Development  training.  Consequently,  OCCH  established  a  "Green  Suit"  network  of  12  chaplain 
trainers.'^  This  cadre  traveled  throughout  the  Army  providing  new  resources  to  chaplains  on  the  posts 
to  help  them  develop  proactive  ministries  in  their  commands,  units  and  chapels.  They  also  served  as 
personal  consultants  to  the  installation  staff  chaplain. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  37 


Organizational  Development  continued  to  be  used  as  a  tool  to  increase  the  effectiveness  of 
chaplains'  pastoral  and  prophetic  ministry.  In  1974,  four  interrelated  goals  were  specified:  1 )  to  assist 
chaplains  to  evaluate  their  leadership  styles,  2)  to  develop  alternatives  to  traditional  programming 
and  development,  3)  to  assist  in  the  creation  of  an  open  work  environment,  and  4)  to  aid  in 
emergence  of  proactive  rather  than  reactive  approaches  to  ministry." 

In  1974,  the  Chaplaincy  changed  the  name  of  its  program  from  "Organizational  Development" 
to  "Parish  Development."  The  purpose  of  the  change  was  to  allow  for  the  incorporation  of  a 
theological  underpinning  and  perspective.'*  It  had  been  felt  by  some  that  the  program  up  to  that  point 
had  been  too  "secular"  and  it  needed  a  distinctively  theological  imprint  on  it.  The  same  "green  suit" 
network  provided  the  impetus  and  the  training  for  the  new  endeavor  Two  pilot  programs  were 
established.''  The  program  at  Fort  Leonard  Wood  was  led  by  Chaplain  Eugene  Allen,  and  the 
program  at  Fort  Myer  by  Chaplain  William  Martin  The  Mid-Atlantic  Association  for  Training  and 
Consulting  (MATC),  provided  training  for  chaplains  and  assistants  and  in  1981  they  began  training 
consultants  to  work  with  parishes  on  a  regular  basis. "^^ 

The  same  general  principles  used  by  Organizational  Development  were  incorporated  into 
Parish  Development.  The  significant  difference  was  that  the  focus  was  specifically  on  improving 
parish  life.  By  1981  almost  every  Army  installation  had  established  a  Parish  Council  through  which 
planning  and  coordinating  of  activities  was  accomplished.  In  establishing  the  program  using  chaplain 
leaders,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  wrote  that: 

Our  ultimate  goal  is  to  be  able  to  do  for  ourselves  what  we  currently  have  others 
doing  for  us.  We  want  to  develop  chaplains  who  can  assume  the  role  of  consultants 
to  installations  other  than  their  own,  and  serve  as  internal  consultants  on  their  own.*' 

One  effect  of  reemphasizing  the  role  of  the  chaplain  as  religious  leader,  as  in  the  Parish 
Development  program,  was  to  identify  an  area  of  Chaplain  Corps  autonomy  at  the  DA  Staff  level. 
Chaplain  Hyatt  wanted  the  Army  to  understand  that  chaplains  had  a  distinct  contribution  to  make  as 
religious  leaders  and  advisors  to  commanders  in  the  areas  of  religion,  morals  and  morale.  As  a  result 
of  his  valued  relationship  with  General  Abrams,  Chaplain  Hyatt  was  placed  on  Abrams'  personal  staff 
Other  senior  commanders  soon  followed  suit  and  added  their  staff  chaplains  to  their  personal  staff 
organizations." 


Management  by  Objectives  for  Results 

In  1970,  at  approximately  the  same  time  that  Organizational  Development  was  being 
introduced  to  the  Chaplaincy,  a  parallel  management  device  was  being  developed.  Chaplain  Clifford 
Keys,  Director  of  Management  at  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office,  determined  that  new  methods  were 
necessary  for  moving  the  Chaplaincy  into  the  future.  Management  by  Objectives  for  Results  (MBOR) 
became  the  new  model  of  management.  Peter  Drucker  and  George  Odiorne  had  introduced  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS 


method  in  the  business  world." 

MBOR  used  many  of  the  techniques  of  Organizational  Development  and  Parish  Development 
and,  therefore,  it  was  seen  as  a  complementary  effort.  It  was  a  goal  setting,  participatory  management 
process  that  envisioned  the  chaplains  and  laity  working  together  as  a  team  at  every  level  of  the 
institution.  Chaplain  Hyatt  stated  that  MBOR  "enables  a  united  effort  in  accomplishing  the  work  of 
ministry  in  chapel/unit/parish  setting.  It  opens  the  door  to  eflFective  communications  "*^  MBOR 
required  the  definition  of  the  Chaplaincy  or  parish  mission,  clarification  of  roles,  establishment  of 
goals,  identification  of  indicators  to  determine  effectiveness,  result  oriented  objectives,  action  plans 
and  feedback. **' 

MBOR,  in  various  forms,  remained  the  management  process  used  throughout  the  seventies, 
eighties  and  into  the  early  nineties  It  could  be  questioned  whether  the  innovations  of  the  seventies 
would  have  occurred  without  these  procedures  in  place. 


Values  and  the  Human  Self  Development  Program 

The  initial  concept  for  the  Human  Self  Development  Program  arose  in  the  late  1960s  or  early 
1970s.  Bits  and  pieces  began  to  make  their  way  into  the  system  until  a  full  fledged  program  was 
installed  in  1973.  The  official  program  was  established  under  AR  600-30.''*  In  preparing  for  the  new 
program  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Newsletter  announced  the  following  definition: 

The  Human  Self  Development  Program  is  an  Army  wide  coordinated  human  relations 
program.  The  word"human"  is  used  to  emphasize  we  are  not  to  manipulate  persons 
as  though  they  are  "things  "  The  word  "self  emphasizes  dignity,  responsibility  and 
personal  worth  of  human  beings.  The  word  "development"  suggests  processes  rather 
than  perfection  as  a  goal.*^ 

The  focus  of  the  program  was  on  the  whole  person.  It  was  to  address  people  problems  and 
was  implemented  at  the  local  installation  or  the  small  unit  level.  Chaplains  and  other  officers 
participated  in  the  instructional  aspects  of  the  effort.  The  U.S.  Army  Training  and  Doctrine 
Command  specified  that  two  hours  of  training  in  Human  Self  Development  were  required  for  all 
recruit  soldiers  in  Basic  Combat  Training  and  for  those  in  Advanced  Individual  Training  Films  and 
other  resources  were  provided  by  the  US  Army  Chaplain  Board.  The  major  goals  of  the  program 
were  to: 

(1)  Maintain  positive  social  values 

(2)  Increase  personal  responsibility 

(3)  Prevention  as  well  as  rehabilitation 

(4)  Alternatives  to  drugs  and  alcohol  abuse,  racial  bias  and  AWOL 

(5)  Positive  teaching  about  America's  past  and  fiiture 

(6)  Emphasis  on  personal  uniqueness  and  self-fijlfiUment."* 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  39 


Human  Self  Development  Councils  were  established  at  unit  and  installation  levels  to  deal  with 
human  relations  problems  arising  locally  Provisions  were  made  in  the  Chief  of  Chaplains'  Five  Year 
Program  for  development,  staffing  and  printing  of  resource  materials/'^  Much  of  this  work  was  done 
by  the  US  Army  Chaplain  Board 


Religious  Education 

Throughout  much  of  the  history  of  the  Chaplaincy,  religious  education  was  carried  out  by 
chaplains  and  lay  leaders.  The  first  civilian  Director  of  Religious  Education  (DRE)  was  hired  by  the 
Army  in  Germany  in  1956.™  There  was  a  slow  but  steady  increase  in  numbers  until  the  early  1970s. 
The  Chief  of  Chaplain's  annual  report  states  that  by  1974  there  were  87  DREs  in  the  Army  and  the 
number  was  increasing  DREs  were  originally  hired  "as  a  way  of  assuring  quality  control  and 
professionally  trained  leadership  in  the  chapel  religious  education  program."'''  Professional  religious 
educators  were  also  used  as  resource  persons  for  the  total  religious  program  and  often  were  members 
of  the  senior  chaplain's  staff"  During  the  mid-1970s  the  major  emphasis  was  on  improving  the  quality 
of  religious  education  Teacher  training  programs  were  developed  and  the  DREs  played  a  crucial  role 
in  that  project 

Jewish  Lay  Leadership  Training  was  established  in  1973  as  a  direct  result  of  the  growing 
shortage  of  Jewish  chaplains  in  all  military  services  In  many  places  the  only  way  Jewish  services 
could  be  provided  was  through  the  use  of  trained  lay  leaders  if  they  were  available  The  Department 
of  Defense  Armed  Forces  Chaplain  Board  published  "A  Jewish  Program  and  Resource  Guide  For 
Lay  Leaders  in  the  Armed  Forces  of  the  United  States."^*  Training  was  provided  on  a  regional  basis 
to  interested  and  qualified  Jewish  personnel  in  that  area  The  National  Jewish  Welfare  Board  granted 
certification  for  the  faith  group  to  ensure  their  objective  standards  were  satisfied.  Jewish  Lay 
Leadership  was  highly  successful  particularly  on  smaller  installations  and  units  where  no  chaplain  was 
available.  Jewish  chaplains  often  became  circuit  riders  providing  professional  services  on  a  rotating 
basis.  In  the  interim.  Lay  Leaders  provided  ministry  and  leadership. 


Female  Chaplains 

Women  were  playing  a  more  prominent  role  both  in  society  and  in  the  military  in  the  early 
years  of  the  1970s.  The  Women's  Liberation  Movement  was  in  fiill  swing.  Congress  was  debating  the 
Equal  Rights  Amendment  (ERA)  and  women  everywhere  were  ascending  to  positions  hitherto 
forbidden  to  them.  The  Army  anticipated  the  passage  of  the  ERA  and  began  making  plans  for  fijll 
integration  of  women  into  the  Army.  The  fact  that  the  amendment  was  not  passed  in  1970,  did  not 
deter  the  Army  from  moving  ahead  with  its  own  plans  With  the  dissolution  of  the  Women's  Army 
Corps,  female  soldiers  were  being  integrated  into  the  Army  in  new  and  challenging  ways. 

The  ending  of  the  Draft  was  accompanied  by  a  shortfall  in  accessioning  male  soldiers.  At  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


40 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

same  time,  a  study  revealed  that  more  women  with  generally  higher  qualifications  could  be  recruited 
at  less  expense  The  Womens'  Armed  Services  Act  of  1948  had  limited  the  number  of  women  to  2% 
of  the  total  force,  and  only  10%  of  that  2%  could  serve  as  officers/"  Now  the  way  was  clear  for  more 
women  not  only  to  volunteer,  but  to  be  recruited.  In  1972  only  one  out  of  every  50  soldiers  recruited 
was  female,  but  in  1973  that  figure  climbed  to  one  out  of  every  16.  Since  then,  the  number  of  women 
in  the  Army  has  remained  at  approximately  1 1%  of  the  total  force. 

Seminary  enrollment  of  women  had  escalated  during  the  last  years  of  Vietnam  More 
denominations  were  recognizing  the  ordination  of  women.  It  was  time  to  consider  commissioning  the 
first  female  chaplain  since  the  Civil  War.  In  1864,  Mrs  Ella  Hobart  was  selected  by  her  unit,  the  First 
Wisconsin  Regiment  of  Heavy  Artillery,  to  be  its  chaplain.  She  was  a  leader  in  the  Religion- 
Philosophical  Society  in  Illinois  and  was  not  ordained  Although  she  served  with  her  unit  for  several 
months,  possibly  in  combat  at  Fort  Stevens  near  Washington  in  1 864,  she  was  denied  a  commission 
by  Secretary  of  War  Edwin  M  Stanton'^  No  female  chaplains  had  served  since  that  time. 

Chaplain  Charles  Kriete,  Director  of  Plans,  Programs  and  Policies,  recommended  to  Chaplain 
Hyatt  that  a  woman  be  commissioned  as  a  chaplain.  Chaplain  Hyatt  agreed.  The  Navy  had  a  female 
chaplain  and  the  Army  needed  to  get  on  board  as  well.  The  first  denomination  to  respond  with  a 
woman  candidate  was  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  (AME).  The  Chaplaincy  approved 
The  Reverend  Alice  M  Henderson,  an  ordained  AME  minister,  to  be  the  first  female  chaplain.^'  In 
choosing  Chaplain  Henderson,  the  Chaplaincy  met  two  of  its  affirmative  action  goals,  for  Chaplain 
Henderson  was  also  black.  Chaplain  Henderson  was  sworn  into  the  Army  on  July  8,  1974,  at  U.S. 
Forces  Command  Headquarters  in  Atlanta.  She  completed  Basic  Chaplain  Training  and  was  assigned 
to  the  426th  Signal  Battalion  at  Fort  Bragg,  North  Carolina.  She  later  remarried  and  became  Chaplain 
Alice  Henderson  Harris.  Approximately  one  year  later  another  AME  chaplain,  Betty  Pace,  was 
commissioned  an  Army  Chaplain. 

The  early  years  were  not  always  kind  to  women  chaplains  They  constantly  felt  that  they 
needed  to  "prove"  themselves  and  justify  their  ministry.  Sometimes  they  were  greeted  with  hostility 
by  soldiers,  commanders  and  other  chaplains.  On  occasion  they  were  "paraded"  before  the  troops  and 
the  press  which  perhaps  created  false  expectations.  Chaplain  Janet  Horton  wrote  that  they  were 
sometimes  expected  to  be  "the  Star  Spangled  Barbie  Doll"  or  "Wonder  Woman,  Marilyn  Monroe  and 
Tina  Turner,  all  rolled  into  one."^*  Some  of  the  early  pioneers  paid  a  heavy  price  in  paving  the  way 
for  their  successors  Many  were  not  selected  for  promotion  and  were  released  from  active  duty. 
Those  who  followed  were  more  successful 


Chaplains  In  Service  Schools 

The  ministry  of  chaplains  as  instructors  in  Army  service  schools,  at  West  Point,  at  the  U.S. 
Army  War  College  and  other  locations  in  the  1970s  was  the  result  of  the  need  at  the  end  of  the 
Vietnam  War  for  a  new  approach  to  moral  leadership  training  in  the  Army.  The  My  Lai  massacre  of 
March  1968,  and  the  resulting  Peers  Inquiry  of  March  1970,  underscored  the  failure  of  thirty  officers 
and  senior  noncommissioned  officers  in  Task  Force  Barker  of  the  American  Division  to  model  and 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  41 


enforce  standards  of  conduct  in  Vietnam.  While  this  incident  may  not  be  representative  of  the  total 
Vietnam  experience,  the  wide  publicity  generated  by  the  tragedy  at  My  Lai  called  into  question  the 
type  of  training  enlisted  soldiers  and  officers  received  in  the  laws  of  warfare  and  professional  military 
ethics. 

For  two  hundred  years,  from  1775  to  1975,  Army  Chaplains  had  been  expected  to  assist  the 
commander  with  training  soldiers  in  moral  conduct.  General  George  Washington  had  ordered  the 
soldiers  of  the  Continental  Army  to  march  to  worship  services  in  brigade  formation,  under  arms,  and 
to  pay  close  attention  to  the  sermons  that  chaplains  delivered.  During  the  Civil  War,  chaplains  were 
required  by  Army  regulation  to  "report  to  the  colonel  commanding  the  moral  and  religious  condition 
of  the  regiment,  and  such  suggestions  as  may  conduce  to  the  social  happiness  and  moral  improvement 
of  the  troops.""  Throughout  its  long  history,  the  Army  had  always  assumed  that  chaplains  would 
teach  morality  to  enlisted  soldiers,  but  not  necessarily  to  ofTicers  who  were  assumed  to  be 
"gentlemen."'"  In  the  course  of  World  War  II,  and  subsequently  in  Korea,  and  during  the  war  in 
Vietnam,  chaplains  conducted  thousands  of  Character  Guidance  classes  for  soldiers  around  the  world. 
At  the  end  of  the  Vietnam  War,  the  scope  of  the  chaplain  teaching  ministry  expanded  to  include 
officer  as  well  as  enlisted  soldier  instruction. 

On  21  January  1971,  General  William  Westmoreland,  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army,  directed 
Major  General  Franklin  M.  Davis,  Jr ,  Commandant  of  the  U.S.  Army  War  College,  to  study  the 
moral  and  ethical  climate  of  the  Army  and  the  leadership  qualities  required  for  the  decade  of  the 
1970s/'''  Among  studies  considered  was  the  Peers  Inquiry,  directed  by  Lieutenant  General  William 
Peers; 

The  findings  of  this  study  surprised  and  in  some  cases  shocked  many  of  the  Army's 
senior  leaders  In  general,  it  discovered  that  the  majority  of  the  Officer  Corps 
perceived  a  stark  dichotomy  between  appearance  and  reality  of  the  adherence  of 
senior  officers  to  the  traditional  standards  of  professionalism.  Instead,  these  officers 
saw  a  system  that  rewarded  selfishness,  incompetence,  and  dishonesty."" 

As  a  result  of  the  Army  War  College  studies  and  the  concerns  of  the  Army  Chief  of  Staff, 
courses  in  ethics,  leadership,  and  professionalism  were  initiated  in  Army  service  schools,  at  West 
Point,  and  at  the  War  College  itself  Chaplain  Charles  Kriete  attended  the  War  College  in  1974-1975, 
and  in  1975  he  was  assigned  as  the  first  chaplain  to  serve  on  the  faculty."'  Other  chaplains  who  served 
on  the  faculty  included;  Chaplains  Edward  O'Shea,  Donald  Davidson,  Timothy  Tatum,  John 
Schumacher,  Thomas  Norton  and  John  Brinsfield."" 

Chaplain  Hyatt  recognized  that  if  the  moral  climate  of  the  Army  was  to  change,  it  would  have 
to  be  done  at  least  in  part  through  the  kind  of  training  officers  and  noncommissioned  officers  received 
at  their  Service  Schools.  Chief  among  his  concerns  was  that  some  stress  be  placed  on  ethics  and 
moral  leadership.  He  coordinated  at  Department  of  the  Army,  at  the  Major  Commands,  and  with  the 
commandants  of  the  Schools  themselves  for  the  placement  of  chaplains  on  the  faculty  of  all  the 
Service  Schools.  His  efforts  were  rewarded. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


42 


THE  HYATT  YEARS 


Chaplain  Benjamin  Price  was  one  of  the  first  chaplains  to  serve  as  an  instructor  in  a  Service 
School — at  the  Armor  School,  Fort  Knox,  Kentucky.  Chaplain  Benjamin  Smith  was  appointed  as 
director  at  the  Defense  Race  Relations  Institute,  Patrick  Air  Force  Base,  Florida.  This  was  a  highly 
visible  and  critical  position  and  indicated  great  respect  for  Chaplain  Smith  and  for  the  Chaplaincy. 
These  appointments  had  been  preceded  by  earlier,  temporary  assignments,  of  chaplains  to  a  few 
Service  Schools.  Chaplain  Thomas  McMinn  had  been  assigned  to  the  Command  and  General  Staff 
College  to  teach  the  Law  of  Land  Warfare,  among  other  leadership  subjects,  in  the  1960's;  and 
Chaplains  Benjamin  Smith  and  Harold  Lamm  served  as  instructors  during  the  Vietnam  War  at  the 
Civil  Affairs  School.'' 

By  1974  fourteen  chaplains  were  regularly  assigned  to  the  faculties  of  Service  Schools.  Most 
taught  moral  leadership,  ethics,  counseling,  and  human  relations.  Chaplain  Donald  Clark  was  assigned 
as  a  branch  chief  at  the  School  for  Administration  at  Fort  Benjamin  Harrison.  The  Sergeants  Major 
Academy  was  established  at  Fort  Bliss  in  1973.  A  chaplain  assignment  was  requested  by  DCSPER 
to  help  develop  the  curriculum,  the  course  objectives  and  instructional  methodology.  Chaplain  John 
Scott,  for  example,  served  as  Director  of  Leadership  and  Management  at  the  Sergeant  Majors 
Academy  and  was  responsible  for  fifty  percent  of  the  specified  curriculum.*^  A  list  for  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  of  the  chaplain  instructors  and  the  Service  Schools  to  which  they  were  assigned  included:*' 


U.S.  Army  Institute  of  Administration 
Air  Defense  Artillery  School 
Armor  School 
Command  and  General  Staff"  College 

Field  Artillery  School 
Infantry  School 

Academy  of  Health  Sciences 
Sergeants  Major  Academy 
USAIMA 

Quartermaster  School 
USAS/TCFS 
Transportation  School 
The  Army  War  College 
Defense  Race  Relations  Institute 


Chapla 
Chapla 
Chapla; 
Chapla: 
Chapla 
Chapla 
Chapla 
Chapla 
Chapla 
Chapla 
Chapla 
Chapla 
Chapla 
Chapla 
Chapla 
Chapla 


n  Donald  Clark 
n  Jerry  Autry 
n  Richard  Matthew 
n  Don  Adickes 
n  Roland  Day 
n  Harold  Davis 
n  Meredith  Standley 
n  William  Bander 
n  David  Polhemus 
n  John  Scott 
n  Michael  Rogers 
n  John  Pearson 
n  Archie  Roberts 
n  Rueben  Askew 
n  Charles  Kriete 
n  Benjamin  Smith 


At  the  Army  War  College,  Chaplain  Charles  F  Kriete  wrote  a  brilliant  paper  for  the  Strategic 
Studies  Institute  entitled,  "The  Changing  Moral  Dimension  of  Strategy."  In  1977  Chaplain  Kriete 
became  the  Commandant  of  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School.  He  later  returned  to  the 
War  College  and  taught  strategy  and  military  history  until  his  retirement  in  1983.*'' 

Service  School  instructors,  while  under  the  direct  control  of  the  commandant,  received 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  43 


chaplain  technical  supervision  from  the  Staff  Chaplain  at  TRADOC.  The  Chief  of  Chaplains 
maintained  a  keen  interest  in  the  selection  and  performance  of  instructors  In  1974  and  1975,  Service 
School  chaplains  attended  conferences  sponsored  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  to  provide  materials  and 
guidance  for  improving  moral  leadership  and  ethics  instruction  and  to  ensure  standardization  in  course 
materials  Chaplains  had  an  opportunity  to  learn  from  each  other  as  well  as  from  the  resource  persons 
provided  by  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains. 

One  of  the  most  popular  and  highly  publicized  Chaplain  Service  School  Instructors  was 
Chaplain  Jerry  D.  Autry  who  served  at  the  U.S.  Army  Air  Defense  Artillery  School,  Fort  Bliss, 
Texas  Chaplain  Autry  not  only  taught  counseling  and  ethics  at  the  ADA  School,  he  also  volunteered 
to  help  preach  at  the  Center  Chapel.  He  wrote  weekly  articles  for  the  Fort  Bliss  newspaper,  played 
championship  racquetball,  and,  with  his  wife  Jackie,  was  active  in  a  multitude  of  chapel  programs. 
In  1975  Chaplain  Autry  wrote  an  article  for  the  Military  Chaplains  Review  in  which  he  observed: 

There  are  twenty-three  service  schools  in  the  Army  plus  national-level  senior  service 
schools  and  academies  which  trained  over  240,000  students  last  year  Because  of 
numbers  alone,  the  opportunities  for  the  chaplain's  ministry  in  this  environment  are 
staggering.  The  chaplain,  as  an  image-builder,  is  performing  a  service  that  will 
enhance  the  ministry  of  all  chaplains  in  the  field.  From  my  perspective,  therefore, 
every  chaplain  benefits  from  the  service  school  chaplain's  ministry." 

As  a  chaplain  who  had  been  awarded  the  Silver  Star  for  heroism  in  Vietnam,  Chaplain  Autry's 
perspective  was  important.  So  too  were  the  ministries  of  teaching,  leadership  and  responsibility 
modeled  by  all  chaplain  service  school  instructors. 


Conscientious  Objection 

In  the  decade  of  the  seventies  there  was  a  growing  number  of  soldiers  seeking  to  be  classified 
as  Conscientious  Objectors.  Much  of  the  impetus  for  this  came  from  disapproval  of  the  waning 
Vietnam  War,  and  the  disenchantment  many  denominations  felt  with  the  Army.  Many  church  groups 
actively  provided  information  to  soldiers  on  how  to  apply  for  that  status.  The  Department  of  the 
Army  faced  a  mountain  of  applications  from  soldiers,  and  the  sincerity  of  many  was  questioned. 
Because  of  the  massive  applications  and  questionable  motivations,  the  Army  leadership  considered 
removing  Conscientious  Objection  as  a  basis  of  separation  from  the  military.  Chaplains  were  to  be 
part  of  the  review  process.  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  did  not  agree  with  this  proposed  policy  and 
officially  and  strongly  nonconcurred  with  the  proposal."*'  Chaplain  Hyatt  saw  the  legitimate  role  of 
the  chaplain  as  a  confidant  and  as  a  pastor,  not  as  one  who  approved  or  disapproved  applications.*' 
He  encouraged  chaplains  to  be  active  in  providing  ministry  to  those  who  were  struggling  with  matters 
of  conscience. 

The  Department  of  the  Army  established  a  Conscientious  Objector  Review  Board  in 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


44 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

Washington  to  examine  appeals.  The  Military  District  of  Washington  provided  chaplains  to  participate 
in  these  regularly  scheduled  Board  meetings.  Chaplains  Franklyn  Holley  and  Edward  Gaffhey  were 
the  original  chaplain  members  of  the  Board.**  The  volume  of  appeals  was  so  great  that  later  Chaplain 
Matthew  Zimmerman,  an  action  officer  in  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Office,  and  others,  spent  at  least 
one  day  each  week  at  Board  deliberations. 


Chaplain  Assistants 

A  severe  shortage  of  chaplain  assistants  existed  in  the  early  1970s.  At  the  same  time  the  Army 
was  in  the  process  of  reclassifying  many  soldiers  who  were  serving  in  other  specialties.  The  Women's 
Army  Corps  (WAC)  which  previously  had  basically  a  single  occupational  specialty  for  its  members, 
was  being  integrated  into  the  rest  of  the  Army.  Consequently,  in  1972-73  the  Chaplain  Assistant  MOS 
(71M)  was  opened  up  to  members  of  the  WAC.  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  agreed  to  the  proposal  with 
the  stipulation  that  women  be  assigned  only  to  TDA  units.""  He  did  not  fee!  that  the  time  was  right 
for  women  to  be  integrated  into  combat  units.  The  first  WAC  to  be  awarded  the  Chaplain  Assistant 
MOS  was  Specialist  Lorraine  Daleshal  After  completing  chaplain  assistant  training,  she  was  assigned 
to  Fort  McClellan,  Alabama,  which  had  previously  been  the  home  of  the  Womens  Army  Corps.''^ 

In  1973-74  reclassification  continued  throughout  the  Army.  The  difficulty  for  the  Chaplaincy 
was  that  many  soldiers,  mostly  male,  who  were  being  reclassified  as  chaplain  assistants  did  not  know 
what  duties  were  expected  of  them.  This  problem  was  exacerbated  by  that  fact  that  many  being 
reclassified  were  in  higher  grades  and  had  neither  the  experience  nor  the  knowledge  to  lead 
subordinate  chaplain  assistants.  Additionally,  they  occupied  grades  that  normally  would  have  been 
available  for  career  progression  to  those  who  had  been  serving  in  the  specialty.  This  degraded  the 
morale  of  many  long  term  chaplain  assistants. 

Chaplain  assistants  were  anxious  to  improve  their  professional  training  and  stature.  Training 
in  Church  Business  Administration  was  offered  to  numerous  chaplain  assistants /"  It  was  to  the 
advantage  of  both  the  enlisted  personnel  and  the  Chaplaincy  to  offer  this  training  Assistants  were 
facing  greater  and  greater  competition  for  promotion  Professional  training  such  as  in  Church 
Administration  would  enable  them  to  remain  competitive.  The  Chaplaincy  and  chapel  programs 
benefitted  through  the  increased  skills  and  competencies  of  the  assistants. 

A  task  force  was  formed  in  1974  to  study  the  MOS  71M  and  prepare  recommendations  for 
the  Chief  of  Chaplains.  Among  the  suggestions  offered  by  the  committee  were  the  following:'** 

-  Prepare  new  job  descriptions  that  would  adequately  reflect  the  duties  of  chaplain  assistants. 

-  Explore  paraprofessional  roles  for  assistants  (e.  g.  precounseling  &  church  administration) 

-  Determine  training  needed  to  enhance  the  career  field 

-  Explore  certification  in  Church  Business  Administration 

Chaplain  Marvin  Hughes  was  instrumental  in  drafting  plans  that  would,  in  time,  turn  the 
chaplain  assistant  MOS  into  a  professional  service. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  45 


The  United  States  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School 

As  a  consequence  of  Operation  STEADFAST,  the  reorganization  of  the  Army  in  CONUS, 
decisions  were  made  to  collocate  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  School  and  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain 
Board.*"  General  William  DePuy,  Chairman  of  the  Interservice  Training  Review  Board  (ITRB),  and 
Chaplain  Will  Hyatt  were  two  of  the  key  leaders  involved  in  the  process. 

One  of  Chaplain  Hyatt's  dreams  was  to  have  the  Chaplain  School  located  on  an  installation 
where  it  could  stand  alone  and  have  the  distinctiveness  it  deserved.  His  vision  was  a  small  post  where 
the  School  would  be  the  main  occupant  and  all  the  flinctions  of  the  post  would  revolve  around  the 
institution.  On  6  March  1973,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  proposed  to  the  Assistant  Chief  of  Staff  for 
Force  Development,  that  the  activities  of  the  Chaplain  School  relocate  to  Fort  Wadsworth,  Staten 
Island,  New  York,  from  Fort  Hamilton,  in  Brooklyn,  New  York.  The  School  had  many  different 
homes  over  the  years  Fort  Hamilton  was  one  of  the  longest  site  locations  since  the  School  had  been 
located  there  in  the  early  1960s.  Chaplain  Hyatt  fijrther  proposed  that  the  School's  name  be  changed 
to  the  United  States  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School.  It  would  become  a  total  academic  complex. 
It  would  house  the  School,  the  Museum,  and  a  proposed  "Institute  for  Family  Life  and  Human 
Relations."'*' 

The  name  of  the  school  was  changed  at  the  beginning  of  FY  73,  but  the  actual  move  did  not 
take  place  for  another  couple  of  years.  Formal  approval  and  announcement  to  Congress  occurred  on 
19  July  1974  and  the  move  was  completed  by  the  end  of  September  1974  The  United  States  Army 
Chaplain  Board,  a  Field  Operating  Agency  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  located  at  Fort  Meade,  was 
collocated  with  the  School  in  1975.  The  United  States  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  now  had 
finally  found  the  home  it  had  sought  for  many  years 

Chaplain  Hyatt  wrote  in  his  Information  Letter  that  "While  the  move  is  a  mere  four  miles  long, 
it  is  the  culmination  of  our  dream  to  provide  a  professional  home  for  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy."'^ 
The  four  miles  from  Fort  Hamihon  to  Fort  Wadsworth  included  the  length  of  the  Verazanno  Bridge. 
The  footing  of  one  end  of  the  bridge  was  on  Fort  Hamilton,  while  the  other  footing  was  on  Fort 
Wadsworth.  Little  could  Chaplain  Hyatt  know  that  five  years  later,  in  1979,  the  School  would  move 
again.  This  time  to  Fort  Monmouth,  New  Jersey.  Moreover,  in  1993  another  move  would  be 
announced  to  relocate  the  school  to  Fort  Jackson,  South  Carolina. 


The  Reserve  Components 

The  Reserve  Components  were  continually  gaining  stature  during  the  seventies.  It  was 
obvious  that  they  would  be  critical  to  the  success  of  any  fijture  ground  war.  Reserve  officers  were 
being  assigned  active  duty  tours  as  staff  officers  at  Department  of  the  Army  and  at  Major  Army 
Commands.  In  1974,  Chaplain  Elmer  G.  Smith  was  the  first  Reserve  Chaplain  to  be  assigned  to  the 
Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  as  Reserve  Advisor  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.  Chaplain  Theo  D. 
Holland  was  the  first  Army  National  Guard  Chaplain  assigned  to  a  like  position.'* 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


46 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

In  1974  a  new  Table  of  Distribution  and  Allowances  (TDA)  was  developed  for  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  Office  and  approved  by  the  Army  Staff.  Chaplain  Hyatt  had  tried  for  several  years  to  gain 
approval  for  a  Reserve  General  Officer  for  his  staff  The  1974  TDA  authorized  one  brigadier  general. 
Later  Chaplain  Herman  A.  Norton,  professor  of  Church  History  at  Vanderbilt  University,  was  chosen 
as  the  first  Brigadier  General,  USAR,  in  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.** 


Army  Reorganization 

In  1 973  the  Army  was  in  the  throes  of  a  complete  reorganization  The  Continental  Army 
Command  was  divided,  as  a  major  part  of  Operation  STEADFAST,  into  two  new  commands: 
Training  and  Doctrine  Command  and  Forces  Command.  The  emphasis  of  the  Army  was  on 
decentralization.  It  was  not  merely  an  attempt  to  modernize,  but  also  to  tailor  the  Army  for  a  future 
with  less  manpower  and  fewer  resources 

One  example  of  how  quickly  change  came  occurred  in  Panama.  In  July  1974,  the  U.S.  Army 
Southern  Command  (SOUTHCOM)  was  relieved  as  a  major  command  and,  after  57  years,  became 
a  subordinate  command  of  FORSCOM  "'"  During  that  same  period  of  time  (February,  1974) 
Secretary  of  State  Henry  Kissinger  met  with  Panama's  Foreign  Minister  to  renegotiate  the  Panama 
Canal  Treaty.""  On  18  September  1974,  Hurricane  "FIFI"  caused  a  national  disaster  in  Hondouras. 
Nearly  100,000  people  needed  medical  assistance.  U.S.  Army-South's  role  "shifted  from  surveying 
to  rescue  and  assistance  "'""  USARSO  became  an  early  prototype  for  regional  support  in  an 
operation  other  than  war. 


Deployments  during  Crises 
The  Republic  of  Turkey:  Ministry  on  the  Margins  of  Diplomacy  1974-75. 

How  long  will  we  be  stuck  in  Turkey  with  no  mission?  Trees  don  7  live  that  long! 

Specialist  Dan  Taylor 
Chaplain  Assistant 
Sinop,  1975 

In  1 974- 1 975,  U.S.  soldiers  were  deployed,  with  chaplain  support,  on  four  continents  and  in 
a  variety  of  threat  situations  worldwide.  Divisions  and  brigades  of  forward-  deployed  forces  were 
important  deterrents  in  the  Cold  War  era.  For  a  brief  time,  a  small  contingent  of  troops  in  Sinop, 
Turkey,  captured  the  attention  of  the  Department  of  Defense,  the  Congress,  and  the  President  of  the 
United  States.  The  issue  was  whether  the  southern  flank  of  NATO  would  survive. 

Sinop  was,  in  1974,  a  picturesque  Turkish  town  with  a  population  of  approximately  15,000 
located  on  the  Black  Sea.  Its  name  was  derived  from  the  ancient  Greek  city  of  Sinop,  the  home  of 
Diogenes,  the  Skeptic  philosopher,  and  later  of  Marcion,  the  Christian  heretic.  In  1974  its  value  to 
NATO,  and  therefore  to  the  United  States,  lay  in  its  close  proximity  to  a  number  of  Soviet  defense 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  47 


installations  and  launch  sites,  1 75  miles  north  in  Russia  and  in  the  Southern  Ukraine.  The  official 
designation  for  the  joint  US. -Turkish  intelligence  station,  located  on  the  top  of  a  hill  overlooking  the 
town  of  Sinop,  was  TUSLOG,  Det  4,  or  Turkish-United  States  Logistics  Group,  Detachment  4.  The 
soldiers,  sailors,  and  airmen  stationed  there,  whose  numbers  fluctuated  from  165  to  more  than  200 
intelligence  analysts  and  linguists,  simply  called  it  "Diogenes  Station."""  The  mission  of  the 
intelligence  personnel  at  Sinop  was  to  monitor  all  Soviet  microwave  and  radio  transmissions  of 
interest  to  Turkey  and  the  United  States  as  allies  in  NATO  lime  Magazine  and  The  New  York  Times, 
among  other  news  media,  ran  extensive  stories  on  the  American  bases  and  posts  in  Turkey  including 
"the  four  intelligence  gathering  sites:  Sinop,  Golbasi,  Karamursel,  and  Diyarbakir,  located  roughly 
in  an  arc  from  Istanbul  to  Ankara.'"^ 

The  physical  appearance  of  Diogenes  Station  was  a  dead  giveaway  that  it  was  an  intelligence 
station.  On  perhaps  fifty  acres  of  ground  there  were  twenty  buildings  including  a  chapel  (one  of  the 
few  permitted  by  the  Turkish  government),  an  officer's  club,  an  NCO  club,  a  mess  hall,  several 
barracks  buildings,  a  gymnasium,  a  post  exchange  with  a  short  order  grill,  a  headquarters  building, 
and,  behind  two  barbed  wire  fences,  several  buildings  covered  with  antennae  and  satellite  dishes. 
Moreover,  a  large  "water  tower"  occupied  a  portion  of  ground  near  some  Byzantine  ruins  on  the 
north  side  of  the  post.  It  was  the  only  "water  tower"  in  Turkey  with  an  elevator. 

Morale  support  for  military  and  civilian  personnel  at  the  station  was  as  good  as  might  be 
found  at  any  isolated  post  Mail  was  irregular  because  there  was  no  radar  at  the  airport,  but  at  least 
once  each  month  there  were  letters  and  packages  from  home.  The  two  chaplains  on  the  post,  the  only 
Army  chaplains  in  Turkey,  ran  a  comprehensive  religious  program  including  Protestant  Bible  studies, 
choir  practice,  two  worship  services  each  Sunday,  daily  Roman  Catholic  Mass,  bus  tours  to  the  Seven 
Churches  of  Revelation  archeological  sites  in  western  Turkey,  and  a  ministry  to  the  Turkish  Boys' 
and  Girls'  Orphanages  in  downtown  Sinop 

Counseling  ministry  under  these  circumstances  was  exceptionally  critical.  Family  problems 
occurring  some  8,000  miles  away  in  the  United  States  and  the  serious  communication  difficulties  in 
calling  home  depressed  many  soldiers.  Alcohol  consumption  for  many  was  an  almost  daily  ritual  and 
was  often  excessive  Chaplain  Chester  R.  StefTey,  the  Protestant  Chaplain  and  Chaplain  Charles  D. 
Logue,  the  Catholic  Chaplain,  worked  long  hours  in  1974  to  assure  that  every  service  member,  male 
or  female,  had  the  opportunity  to  talk  to  a  chaplain  everyday.  "The  coffee  pot  is  always  on  in  the 
chapel,"  and  "There  are  no  strangers  here,  only  friends  we  have  not  met,"  were  two  common  slogans 
the  soldiers  often  heard  as  they  passed  the  chapel. 


The  Poppy  and  Oil  Issues 

In  May  1974,  the  Turkish  government  announced  a  resumption  of  support  for  farmers 
planting  poppies  for  the  production  of  legal  medicinal  opium. '"^  Although  the  production  of  opium 
was  very  important  to  the  manufacture  of  morphine,  and  promised  to  relieve  some  of  the  pressure 
on  Turkey's  economy,  it  was  also  a  violation  of  a  1962  agreement  with  the  United  States  by  which 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


48 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

the  Kennedy  Administration  and  Congress  had  guaranteed  $35  million  in  annual  grants  to  Turkey  if 
cultivation  of  poppies  were  curtailed.  Experience  with  the  international  drug  trade  convinced  many 
U.S.  lawmakers  that  "legal"  opium  quickly  turned  into  heroin  on  the  black  market.  The  U.S.  State 
Department  recalled  U.S.  Ambassador  William  B.  Macomber,  Jr.,  to  discuss  the  "poppy  issue,"  and 
threatened  to  withhold  $20  million  in  development  aid  for  Turkey  in  retaliation  for  this  breach  of 
understanding  between  the  two  governments.  Representative  Charles  B.  Rangel  of  New  York  warned 
that  current  law  required  the  President  to  cut  off  all  foreign  aid  of  any  sort  "to  countries  not 
cooperating  in  the  curb  of  international  drug  tratfic."  ""' 


The  Invasion  of  Cyprus 

On  January  28,  1974,  General  George  Grivas,  one  of  the  key  leaders  who  had  helped  Cyprus 
achieve  independence  from  Great  Britain,  died  at  the  age  of  75.  If  General  Grivas  had  been 
remembered  only  as  a  hero  in  the  independence  movement,  there  could  have  been  a  simple  state 
funeral  with  appropriate  demonstrations  of  national  respect  and  grief  However,  General  Grivas  had, 
in  his  later  years,  championed  the  cause  of  the  unification  of  Cyprus  with  Greece  This  position  was 
opposed  by  the  independence-minded  government  of  Archbishop  Makarios  as  well  as  one-third  of 
the  population,  more  than  100,000  of  whom  were  Cypriot  Turks. 

On  July  16,  after  trading  blows  with  the  government  for  weeks,  a  faction  of  the  Cypriot 
National  Guard,  led  by  Greek  officers,  overthrew  the  government  of  Cyprus  and  installed  Nikos 
Sampson  as  the  new  President.  Archbishop  Makarios  took  refiige  at  first  on  a  British  airbase,  then 
in  Malta,  and  finally  in  London.  President  Nixon  was  advised  that  the  safety  of  the  3,200  Americans, 
including  tourists,  could  not  be  assured. 

Before  Washington  had  time  to  react,  Turkish  Premier  Ecevit  ordered  a  fijll-scale  invasion 
of  Cyprus.  Citing  the  obvious  violation  of  the  1960  treaty  (which  established  Cyprus  as  an 
independent  state),  by  President  Sampson  and  his  "Union  with  Athens"  party,  Ecevit  moved  to 
establish  "a  federation"  government  which  would  respect  the  rights  of  the  Turkish  minority  on 
Cyprus.  On  July  20,  Turkish  aircraft  bombed  the  airfield  at  Nicosia  as  a  precursor  to  an  air,  sea  and 
land  invasion  of  40,000  Turkish  troops.""  In  Athens,  Brigadier  General  Dimitrios  loannides  mobilized 
120,000  Greek  troops  and  threatened  war  with  Turkey. 

On  Cyprus  the  Turkish  invasion  was  overwhelming.  Within  48  hours  Turkish  forces  had 
seized  one-third  of  the  island,  approximately  200  square  miles  of  territory.  After  intense  negotiations 
with  the  United  States,  Great  Britain,  Greece  and  Turkey,  a  cease  fire  was  declared  on  July  22.  Two 
days  later  President  Sampson  of  Cyprus  resigned,  replaced  by  President  Glafkos  Clerides  who  had 
pledged  to  negotiate  an  acceptable  long-term  solution  to  the  problems  on  Cyprus 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  49 


The  United  States  Congress  Acts 

As  the  problems  concerning  Cyprus  were  being  reported  in  the  world  press,  the  U.S.  House 
of  Representatives  faced  the  question  of  a  request  from  Turkey  for  an  increase  in  military  aid.  The 
Turkish  government  had  just  paid  $52  million  for  modernized  arms  from  U.S.  defense  industries. 
They  requested  an  additional  $173.7  million  in  aid  and  the  right  to  purchase  $230  million  worth  of 
tanks  and  spare  parts  for  heavy  equipment 

On  September  19,  Senator  Thomas  Eagleton  introduced  legislation  in  the  U.S.  Senate  to  cut 
off  all  foreign  aid  to  Turkey  and  to  delay  the  delivery  of  military  equipment  the  Turkish  government 
had  already  purchased  In  spite  of  the  President's  plea  against  it,  the  US.  House  of  Representatives 
voted  its  approval  on  September  25,  by  a  margin  of  307  to  90,  with  the  provision  that  the 
implementation  of  the  legislation  would  be  delayed  until  December  15,  1974,  in  order  to  give  the 
President  time  to  negotiate.'"* 

Reaction  in  Turkey  ranged  from  anger  to  outrage.  Twenty-five  thousand  Turkish  students 
organized  a  protest  march  in  Istanbul.'"'  Students  burned  the  American  flag  in  the  streets.  The 
Turkish  government  almost  immediately  began  purchasing  arms  from  West  Germany  and  the  Soviet 
Union.  As  a  preface  to  an  agreement  between  the  Soviet  Union  and  Turkey,  the  Soviets  extended 
$700  million  to  Turkey  to  build  a  steel  mill  and  two  power  stations.  On  July  25,  1975,  Turkey 
announced  that  the  validity  of  the  Turkish-American  joint  defense  treaty  was  void.  All  military 
activities  on  some  26  bases  would  cease  on  July  26.  Only  the  NATO  base  at  Incirlik  would  remain 
in  mission  status,  and  that  base  would  be  under  strict  Turkish  scrutiny.  The  7,000  American  military 
personnel  could  remain  in  country,  but  the  post  exchanges  would  be  closed,  no  Army  Post  Office  mail 
would  be  allowed  into  Turkey,  and  all  international  Christmas  mail  would  have  to  arrive  in  Turkey 
by  September  1,  1975.""  In  effect,  American  soldiers  in  Turkey  had  no  mission  except  to  wait.  For 
the  American  military  it  was  to  be  proverbially  "a  long,  hot  summer." 


Ministry  to  Those  Who  Wait 

In  the  summer  of  1 975,  Lieutenant  Colonel  John  Norris,  the  commander  of  Diogenes  Station, 
had  present  in  his  command  approximately  165  soldiers  With  the  interruption  of  the  installation's 
mission  for  most  military  personnel,  with  the  exception  of  the  military  police  company  which  was 
hardly  larger  than  a  platoon,  the  challenge  for  Lt.  Col.  Norris,  his  two  staff  chaplains,  CWO  Tom 
Stephen  and  the  company  commander,  1st  Lieutenant  Dan  Puckett,  was  how  to  keep  the  troops  busy 
so  that  boredom,  irritation,  and  depression  did  not  become  major  morale  problems. 

Compounding  the  difficulty  of  having  no  mission  and  no  job,  the  soldiers  at  Diogenes  Station 
were  also  subject  to  constant  harassment  by  some  of  the  more  radical  elements  in  the  town  of  Sinop 
at  the  bottom  of  the  hill.  One  MP  standing  gate  guard  duty  said  that  serving  at  Sinop  reminded  him 
of  a  potential  "Custer's  Last  Stand,"  with  165  soldiers  surrounded  by  15,000  unhappy  Turks. '"  The 
hostility  of  some  of  the  townspeople  went  beyond  mere  unhappy  expressions.  Late  July  1975,  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


50 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

main  water  pipe  which  carried  all  of  the  potable  water  up  the  hill  to  the  Americans  was  mysteriously 
broken  in  multiple  places.  Since  the  pipe,  made  of  terra  cotta  clay,  ran  for  seven  miles  to  a  river  south 
of  town,  repair  took  weeks.  Moreover,  due  to  multiple  death  threats  against  the  Americans,  Lt.  Col. 
Norris  put  the  town  off" limits  not  only  to  individuals,  but  to  vehicular  traffic.  In  effect,  the  soldiers 
had  no  bath  or  laundry  water,  no  water  to  drink  or  use  for  coffee,  and  no  water  to  flush  the  bathroom 
facilities  Since  food  could  not  be  transported  through  the  gate  from  the  town,  the  soldiers  ate 
hamburgers  and  drank  Pepsi  Colas  from  the  Post  Exchange  warehouse. 

At  the  same  time  the  food  and  water  were  being  curtailed,  the  Turkish  workers  who  had  run 
the  Army  motor  pool  and  the  mess  hall  declared  a  strike  for  higher  pay.  Negotiations  with  the  Turkish 
labor  union  seemed  to  be  linked  to  discussions  at  a  much  higher  level  concerning  the  future  of  the 
base  itself  The  American  troops,  deprived  of  many  comforts,  including  mail  and  even  water  with 
which  to  brush  their  teeth,  dug  latrines,  ate  hamburgers  and  waited. 

Chaplain  Charles  Logue,  the  senior  Army  chaplain  at  Sinop,  devised  a  number  of  activities 
to  assist  soldiers  with  their  boredom  Nightly  seminars  on  Turkish  history  and  the  religion  of  Islam 
were  presented  in  the  chapel  as  a  way  to  defuse  hostility  toward  the  Turkish  people  who  remained 
NATO  allies  in  spite  of  the  treaty  and  labor  union  disputes.  Discussion  groups  met  to  devise  ways 
in  which  soldiers  could  help  one  another  cope.  Worship  services,  Bible  studies  and  counseling 
continued  daily 

The  last  week  in  July,  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield  arrived  from  Fort  Bliss,  Texas,  to  replace 
Chaplain  Steffey  whose  tour  had  been  completed  Chaplain  Brinsfield  was  the  last  officer  to  enter 
Turkey  before  the  closure  of  the  bases  In  essence  his  deployment  was  a  comedy  of  errors.  When  he 
landed  at  Ankara,  he  was  told  by  the  Army  liaison  officer  to  write  his  family  a  letter  using  Turkish 
stamps  since  mail  through  APO  channels  had  been  shut  off.  After  a  trip  of  400  miles  in  an  Army  van, 
sometimes  along  the  Turkish  Black  Sea  coast  where  there  were  no  speed  limits,  guard  rails  or  at  times 
paved  roads,  he  arrived  at  Sinop  to  find  three  messages  from  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office  The  first 
was  sent  to  him  in  Atlanta  where  he  had  been  on  leave  It  instructed  him  to  return  to  Fort  Bliss.  The 
second  message  was  sent  to  John  F.  Kennedy  Airport  in  New  York,  telling  him  his  deployment  had 
been  canceled  The  third  had  been  sent  to  Rome,  Italy,  instructing  him  to  contact  Fort  Bliss.  After 
all  three  messages  had  missed  him  by  minutes,  the  decision  to  let  him  stay  at  Sinop  was  easy.  Chaplain 
Brinsfield  began  eating  hamburgers  with  his  troops  and  prepared  for  a  13  month  tour."'^  The 
deployment  gave  contemporary  meaning  to  the  old  observation,  "They  also  serve  who  only  stand  and 
wait."'" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  51 


Systems  Issues: 
Chief  of  Chaplains  on  the  Commanders  Personal  Staff 

Chaplain  Hyatt,  after  some  discussion  among  other  staff  members,  was  placed  on  the  personal 
staff  of  the  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army,  General  Creighton  W.  Abrams.""*  Hyatt's  task  was  to  advise 
General  Abrams  on  matters  of  religion,  morals  and  morale  to  help  the  commander  better  accomplish 
his  mission.  This  was  a  significant  step  and  one  that  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  hoped  every  commander 
and  every  chaplain  would  emulate.  Prior  to  this  time  chaplains  generally  served  on  installations  under 
the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel  or  the  Director  of  Personnel  and  Community  Activities 
(DPCA).  The  problem  with  this  arrangement  was  that  it  sometimes  put  the  post  chaplain  at  a 
disadvantage  in  competing  for  resources  and  personnel.  Additionally,  the  chaplain  had  no  direct 
access  to  the  commander.  If  the  installation  DCSPER/DPCA  was  fair-minded,  he  would  see  that  the 
chaplain  received  his  equitable  share  of  resources  and  was  fairly  represented  to  the  commander. 
Unfortunately,  this  was  not  always  the  case. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  significant  arguments  for  this  new  staff  arrangement  was  that  the 
commander  was  responsible  for  the  religious  program  and  moral  welfare  of  the  command.  The 
chaplain  was  his  representative  in  these  areas.  Without  direct  access  to  the  commander,  the  chaplain 
could  not  effectively  manage  that  responsibility.  Additionally,  chaplains  were  protected  by  regulation 
and  law  in  the  area  of  privileged  communication  There  were  things  that  had  to  be  discussed  only  with 
the  commander.  Chaplain  Albert  Ledebuhr  worked  hard  both  in  Europe  and  in  CONUS  to  have 
chaplains  placed  on  the  commander's  personal  staff  Later  he  reflected  that  many  of  the  significant 
accomplishments  of  the  Chaplaincy  would  have  been  impossible  without  that  relationship."' 

The  reorganization  of  the  Army  after  Vietnam  had  other  impacts  on  the  Chaplaincy.  A  major 
effort  was  undertaken  in  what  was  called  MOGA  (Management  of  Grade  Authorization).  The  Army 
wanted  to  bring  its  TOE  and  TDA  authorizations  in  line  with  its  TAADS  (The  Army  Authorization 
Document  System)  documentation  This  had  not  been  the  case  before,  but  now  the  Army  was  faced 
with  decreased  manpower  and  increased  missions.  The  Army  needed  6,000  spaces  in  order  to 
increase  the  size  of  divisional  forces.  The  Chaplaincy  in  that  round  lost  66  spaces  with  eight  colonel 
spaces  downgraded  "*■ 

More  bad  news  was  ahead.  The  Army  wanted  to  reduce  the  Chaplain  Branch  strength  from 
1,465  to  1,370  by  1976.  The  question  was  how  that  would  be  accompHshed.  The  Army  was 
considering  a  Reduction  in  Force  (RIF)  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  wanted  to  take  the  reduction  in  the 
least  painfial  way  for  his  chaplains  and  their  families.  He  decided  he  would  meet  the  requirement  by 
limiting  the  number  of  accessions  and  releasing  chaplains  who  were  not  selected  for  promotion  for 
the  second  time."'  Chaplain  Marvin  Hughes  labored  intensively  to  protect  every  position  possible. 
He  doggedly  followed  every  attempt  to  reduce  the  chaplaincy  and  succeeded  in  keeping  the  reduction 
well  below  the  projections 

Chaplain  Richard  Tupy,  personnel  systems  staff  officer,  developed  a  new  computerized 
method  for  use  in  personnel  management.  The  system  paralleled  the  Army's  grouping  of  Specialty 
Skill  Identifiers  (SSI)  and  Additional  Skill  Identifiers  (ASI).  These  identifiers  would  indicate  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


52 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

special  training  and  experience  a  chaplain  had  in  a  specific  field.  One  example  of  an  SSI  was  that  of 
a  Clinical  Pastoral  Education  Supervisor.  Very  few  chaplains  possessed  an  SSI.  On  the  other  hand, 
almost  all  chaplains  held  ASIs,  such  as  training  managers,  fiands  custodians,  and  manpower 
management  specialists. 


Evaluation: 
Gaining  Confidence,  Admiration  and  Respect 

It  is  not  possible  to  evaluate  the  successflilness  of  all  the  programs  of  the  Hyatt  era,  but  it  is 
clear  that  cumulatively  his  period  was  a  watershed  of  change.  Though  much  of  what  resulted  from 
his  leadership  was  pure  reaction  to  pressing  needs  rather  than  planned  design,  Hyatt  transformed  a 
scraggly  corps  of  individualists  into  a  cohesive,  professional  and  highly  competent  Chaplaincy. 
Among  the  chief  instruments  he  used  in  reaching  this  goal  were  Organizational  Development  and 
Management  by  Objectives  for  Results  Chaplain  Hyatt  and  his  staff  demonstrated  that  management 
was  a  ministry,  indeed  one  on  which  all  others  may  depend. 

In  his  farewell  letter  Chaplain  Hyatt  wrote  to  the  chaplains: 

You  have  expanded  your  ministry  to  encompass  more  than  I  ever  dreamed  could  be 
done  in  such  a  short  time.  You  have  gained  the  confidence  of  the  whole  Army,  the 
admiration  and  respect  of  the  Congress  and  the  gratitude  of  the  citizens  of  this  nation 
and  the  members  of  the  religious  community...  You  have  found  methods  of  opening 
doors  into  people's  individual  lives  to  improve  the  spiritual  quality  of  their  sojourn  on 
this  earth.  And,  you  have  had  the  courage  to  minister  to  the  Army  and  its  power 
structure...  I  am  grateful  to  God  for  every  day  He  has  given  me  to  be  Chief  of  such 
noblemen  in  His  Kingdom  .My  heart  will  always  be  in  the  Chaplaincy  of  the  United 
States  Army."* 

Upon  his  retirement  from  the  Army  on  July  29,  1975,  Chaplain  Hyatt  became  the  President 
of  Concordia  College  in  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  and  later  spearheaded  a  multi-million  dollar  fiand  raising 
drive  for  the  Lutheran  Church,  Missouri  Synod.  He  died  while  on  a  trip  to  Washington,  DC,  in 
August  1985.  Chaplain  Orris  Kelly,  his  successor  as  Chief  of  Chaplains,  stated  simply,  "Chaplain 
Hyatt  stood  head  and  shoulders  above  his  contemporaries  as  a  visionary  leader.  He  was  one  of  the 
finest  and  most  efficient  Chiefs  in  the  history  of  the  Chaplain  Corps.""'' 


THE  HYATT  YEARS 53 

ENDNOTES 

1.  As  cited  in  The  National  Obsen>er,  November  16,  1974,  pp  17-18. 

2.  Thomas  Leonard,  et.  al.  Day  by  Day:  The  Seventies  1970-75  (New  York,  NY.:  Facts  on  File 
Publications,  1985),  I,  iff. 

3.  As  cited  in  The  New  York  Times,  May  18,  1968,  p  Al  ff. 

4.  The  United  Church  of  Christ,  FOCUS,  Winter  Edition,  1970,  p.3. 

5.  IhiJ.,pA. 
6  Ihid.,pJ. 

I .  Randolph  N  Jonakait,  "The  Abuses  of  the  Military  Chaplaincy,"  ACLU  Reports,  New  York, 
May  1973. 

8.  Note  from  Chaplain  Gerhardt  Hyatt  to  Chaplain  Ray  Strawser,  October  19,  1971    Copy  in  the 
Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

9.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col )  Charles  Kriete,  USA  Ret ,  October  12,  1994. 

10.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen.)  Orris  Kelly,  USA  Ret ,  March  30,  1994. 

II.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  Kriete,  USA  Ret.,  October  12,  1994. 

12.  Personal  interview  and  review  of  literature  with  Ms.  Anet  Springthorpe,  R.N.,  Psychiatric 
Nurse,  July  19,  1995. 

13.  The  Army  Times,  Editors,  Fifty  Years  of  Military  Life  -  1940-1990,  (Washington,  DC: 
1990),  p.44. 

14.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  ^«/7Ha////^/onca//?^v/^M',  July  1,  1973  to  June  30,  1974, 
p  Iff 

15.  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Five  Year  Program,  FY  1973-1977,  p.  Iff. 

16.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Annual  Historical  Review,  FY  75,  pp.53,  54. 
17  Ibid. 

IS.  Ibid,  p.2] 

19.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Orris  E.  Kelly,  USA  Ret.,  March  30,  1994. 


54 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

20.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  .4///H/a////i7or/ca/^gv/eM-,  July  1,  1972  -  June  30,  1973, 
pp.41. 


21   Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaphms  Annual  Historical  Review,  July  1,  1974  -  June  30,  1975, 

pp74-75. 

22.  Ibid. 

23.  See  the  Military  Chaplains  RevieM',  Winter  1976. 

24.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  ^/7/;Ha////5/o/-/ca/7?t?v/eH',  July  1,  1974  -  June  30,  1975, 
p.34. 

25.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chap\ams  Annual  Historical  Revien',  July  1,  1973  -  June  30,  1974, 
p.32. 

26.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Historical  Review,  July  1  to  September  30,  1969,  p.  30. 

27.  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Harold  Lamm,  USA,  Ret.,  January  1 1,  1984. 

28.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains /l«/»/fl////.s7or/6a//e<?v/e?H',  July  1,  1973  -  June  30,  1974, 
p.59. 

29.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Orris  Kelly,  USA  Ret.,  March  30,  1994 

30.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  Kriete,  USA  Ret.,  October  12,  1994. 

31.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chap\ains  Annual  Historical  Review,  July  1,  1972  -  June  30,  1973, 
p.65. 

32.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  ^/;//»o////.y/t»/7ca//^t'i7£'M',  July  1,  1973  -  June  30,  1974, 
p.34. 

33.  Ibid.,  p.37. 

34.  Ibid.,  p.34. 

35.  Ibid.,  p.38,  39. 

36.  There  are  references  to  a  service  conducted  by  a  black  freedman,  informally,  the  "assistant 
chaplain,"  for  other  freed  slaves  at  the  Union  (U.S.)  Hospital  in  Newport  News,  Virginia,  daring 
McClellan's  Peninsula  Campaign  of  1862.   See  the  reports  by  Chaplain  William  Meech,  1862, 
Rare  Book  Section,  Chaplain  Corps  Museum 

37.  Interview  with  Chaplain  Leroy  Johnson,  USA  Ret.,  July  12,  1994. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS  55 


38.  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Roy  Plummer,  July  5,  1994. 

39.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Wilford  E.  Smith  (USAR),  "Pluralistic  Developments  in  America  as  They 
May  Influence  The  Military  Chaplaincy,"  M//7flrv'  Chaplains  Review,  Summer,  1974. 

40.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  became  the  Army's  18th  Chief  of  Chaplains  in  1990. 

41.  "Fraggings"  involved  soldiers  throwing  or  planting  hand  grenades  to  explode  or  kill  their 
leaders.  Though  not  a  frequent  occurrence,  it  did  happen  occasionally  in  Vietnam. 

42.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  Kriete,  USA  Ret.,  October  12,  1994. 

43  Office  of  the  C\\i&i  oi  C\\?i'()\&ms  Annual  Historical  Review,  July  1,  1973  -  June  30,  1974, 
p. 45. 

44.  Ihid.,  p.46-47. 

45.  Ibid.,  p  46-47. 

46.  Office  of  the  C\\\Qi  o^  C\\di^\?im?,  Annual  Historical  Review,  July  1,  1974  -  June  30,  1975, 
p.29. 

47.  Cecil  D  Lewis,  "A  History  of  Parish  Development,"  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Fall  1981, 

p.7. 

48.  Ibid.,  p. 8. 

49.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  Kriete,  22  December  1995. 

50.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Ed  O'Shea,  22  December  1995. 
SX.Ibid. 

52.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  Kriete,  US  Army  War  College,  4  January 
1996 

53.  Personal  letter  from  Chaplain  (Col )  Edward  L.  O'Shea,  USA-Ret.,  to  Chaplain  (Col  )  Gilbert 
H.  Pingel,  USACSSA,  9  December  1995. 

54. //)/(/.,  p.ll. 

55.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  Kriete,  USA  Ret.,  October  12,  1994. 

56.  Cecil  D.  Lewis,  "Parish  DQVQ\oi^menX,"'  MiUtaiy  Chaplaitis  Review,  Fall  1981,  p  7, 


56 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

57.  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  July  1,  1974  -  June  30,  1975,  p.41. 


58.1hid.,p]3 

59.  In  1978,  a  similar  program  to  train  chapel  activity  specialists  for  organizational  development 
was  also  established. 

60.1hid,p\4. 

61   OCCH,  Information  Letter,  DACH-AM  (276),  March  1,  1975 

62.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  Kriete,  4  January  1996. 

63.  Peter  Drucker,  Practice  of  Management ,  1954,  and  George  Odiorne,  Management  by 
Objectives,  1965. 

64  As  cited  in  Cecil  D.  Lewis,  "Parish  Development,"  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Fall  1981, 

p.47. 

65  Ibid.,  pp.48-50. 

66.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Annual  Historical  Review,  July  1,  1973  -  June  30,  1974, 
p.75. 

67.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Animal  Historical  Review,  July  1,  1972  -  June  30,  1973, 
p.  Iff. 

68.  Ibid.,  pp.75-76. 

69.  Ibid ,  p. 78. 

70.  Edward  J.  Horan,  "Directors  of  Religious  Education  Positions  in  the  Development  of  the 
Army:  A  State  of  the  Profession  Report,"  Department  of  the  Army,  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains,  June  11,  1990. 

IX.Ibid. 

72  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Annual  Historical  Review,  July  1,  1973  -  June  30,  1974, 
p  119 

73.  The  Army  Times,  1990,  Fifty  Years  of  Military  Life,  1940  -  1990,  (Washington,  DC.)  p.  102. 

74.  Herman  A.  Norton,  Struggling  for  Recogiution,  the  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy,  1791  - 
1865,  (Washington,  DC:  Department  of  the  Army,  1977),  p. 86. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS 57 

75  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Annual  Historical  Review,  July  1,  1974-June  30;  1975,  p. 35. 

76.  Janet  Y.  Horton,  "Women  in  the  Chaplaincy:  New  Challenges  and  New  Life",  Military 
Chaplains' Review,  Winter  1981,  p  27  flf. 

77  War  Department,  Revised  United  States  Army  Regulations  of  1861,  (Washington,  DC. : 
Government  Printing  Office,  1863),  p. 507. 

78.  The  exception  was  the  ministry  of  chaplains  as  Professors  of  History,  Geography  and  Ethics  at 
the  United  States  Military  Academy  from  1814-1893.  Even  so,  these  chaplain-professors  taught 
cadets  moral  philosophy  in  class,  the  regular  officers  were  taught  through  sermons  and  by 
example. 

79.  Department  of  the  Army,  US  Army  War  College,  Leadership  for  the  I970's,  (Carlisle 
Barracks,  Pennsylvania:  USAWC,  July  1,  1971),  p.  iii.  Copy  on  loan  from  Chaplain  (Colonel) 
Thomas  McMinn,  USA  Ret.,  Anniston,  Alabama. 

80.  Quotation  from  Admiral  Thomas  Moorer,  The  Chaplain,  Spring  Quarter,  1973,  p.  12. 

81 .  In  the  Department  of  Corresponding  Studies. 

82.  From  1976  to  1995. 

83.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Harold  Lamm,  USA  Ret.,  January  11,  1984. 

84.  Office  of  the  C)^\Qi  oi  Ch^A&ms,  Annual  Historical  Review,  July  1,  1973  -  June  30,  1974, 
p.48. 

85.  Ibid. 

86.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  Kriete,  USA  Ret.,  October  12,  1994. 

87.  Jerry  D.  Autry,  "The  Chaplain  in  the  Military  Service  S)C\ioo\,"  Military  Chaplains  Review, 
Spring,  1975,  p.  19. 

88.  Office  of  the  chief  of  Chaplains  ^///7Ma////5/o/-/ca//?t?v/eM',  July  1,  1972  -  June  30,  1973,  p. 53. 

89.  Ibid.,  p.55. 
90. /A/c/.,  p  58 
91./Z>/(/.,  p.l43. 

92.  McClellan  News,  October  23,  1972,  Fort  McClellan  Alabama,  p.4. 


58 THE  HYATT  YEARS 

93.  Office  of  the  Chief  of:  Chaplains  Annual  Historical  RevieM,  July  1,  1973  -  June  30,  1974, 
p  119. 

94.  Ibid.,  p. \20. 

95  OCCH,  DACH-PP  Information  Paper,  December  31,  1975,  p.27.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps 
Archives. 

96.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Annual  Historical  Review,  July  1,  1972  -  June  30,  1973, 
p.78. 

97.  OCCH  Information  Letter,  DACH-AM  (270),  September  1,  p.l. 

98.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  ^/?««o////5tor/ca/7^<?i7^H',  July  1,  1973  -  June  30,  1974, 
p.ll. 

99.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains /l/?/»/a////.y/o/-/cfl/;?<?v/VM',  July  1,  1974  -  June  30,  1975,  p.  1 
flf. 

100.  US  Army  Forces  SOUTHCOM,  HQ,  193rd  Infantry  Brigade,  Annual  Report,  January  1, 
1974  -  October  31,  1974,  p.  IX-1 

101.  Ibid.,  p.  II-5.  Note:  In  1977,  President  Jimmy  Carter  and  Panama's  Omar  Torrijos  signed 
the  Panama  Canal  Treaty  giving  Panama  sovereignty  and  control  of  the  Canal  at  noon  on 
December  31,  1999. 

102.  Ibid. 

103  Information  concerning  Sinop's  history  in  1974-76  comes  from  the  New  York  Times 
Company,  The  New  York  Times  Index,  New  York  1975,  pp  2419-2473,  and  from  the  personal 
recollection  of  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  who  was  assigned  as  the  Protestant  Chaplain  at 
Sinop  from  July  1975  to  August  1976 

104.  Hie  New  York  Times,  July  29,  1975  as  cited  in  The  New  York  Times  Index,  1975,  p.  2471 . 

105.  The  New  York  Times,  May  7,  1974,  as  cited  in  the  Index,  1974,  p.  2419 

106.  Ibid. 

107  The  New  York  Times,  July  20,  1 974,  as  cited  in  the  Index,  p.  540. 

108.  The  New  York  Times,  October  10,  1974 

109.  The  New  York  Times,  January  26,  1975. 


THE  HYATT  YEARS 59 

110.  IJie  New  York  Times,  August  25,  1975. 

111.  Personal  Recollection  by  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield,  Protestant  Chaplain,  Sinop,  Turkey, 
1975-1976 

\  12.  Ibid. 

113.  Attributed  to  the  seventeenth  century  English  poet,  John  Milton. 

1 14.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col  )  Harold  Lamm,  USA  Ret.,  January  11,  1984. 

1 15.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Albert  Ledebuhr,  January  23,  1984. 

116.  Otfice  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  ^///;/w///M7o/7ca//?fv/^vf,  July  1,  1974  -  June  30,  1975, 
p.49. 

Wl.Ihid. 

1 18.  Office  of  the  Cliaef  of  Chaplains  Annual  Historical  Review,  July  1,  1975  -  June  30,  1976, 
p.5 

119.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Orris  Kelly,  USA  Ret.,  March  30,  1994. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  KELLY  YEARS: 
RELIGIOUS  LEADERSHIP  AND  SUPPORT  DURING 

MODERNIZATION 

1975-1979 

"One  of  our  dilemmas  is  thai  our  knowledge  is  about  the  past,  hut  our  decisions  are 
about  the  future.   We  have  so  few  precedents  to  guide  us  through  these  kaleidoscopic  times.  So 
much  has  happened:  two  global  wars,  nuclear  fission,  population  explosion,  cybernetics,  Freud, 
Stravinsky,  Picasso,  lonesco,  moon  landings,  Telstar. . .  and  an  assassinated  President.    These, 
along  with  a  list  of  other  events  from  our  recent  past,  tend  to  convey  not  only  a  sense  of  change, 
but  of  loss  —  the  sound  of  a  door  .shutting  to  the  past. 

To  say  we  are  caught  between  a  past  that  is  much  different  from  the  present,  and  a  future 
that  we  know  will  be  immeasurably  different  from  both  —  is  common  place.    We  are  slowly 
realizing,  however,  that  one  age  has  ended,  but  the  new  one  has  not  yet  begun.  " 

Chaplain  (Major  General)  Orris  E.  Kelly 
Chief  of  Chaplains,  1976 


MILESTONES: 

Institution  of  a  Professional  Development  Plan  for  the  Chaplaincy 

Forward  Thrust  Doctrine 

First  Chaplain  faculty  member  assigned  to  teach  at  the  Army  War  College 

Management  by  Objectives  for  Results 

Chaplain  Assistants  renamed  Chapel  Activity  Specialists 

Parish  Development  Program 

History  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  (5  volumes)  published 

First  Reserve  Chaplain  assigned  to  the  staff  of  the  Army  Reserve 

Component  Personnel  Center 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter  61 


62  THE  KELLY  YEARS 


Ministry  to  the  Institution  and  to  the  People 

Chaplains  have  looked  after  the  Army 's  spiritual  welfare,  hm>e  championed  our  soldiers ' 
human  needs,  have  set  the  moral  tone  for  the  Army...  They  have  always  been  there  when  we 
needed  them. 

General  Bernard  W.  Rogers 
Chief  of  Staff,  USA,  1977 

In  the  mid-70s  many  nations  in  the  world  were  experiencing  major  political  and  military 
realignments  as  old  alliances  broke  down  and  new  ones  arose  from  the  ashes  In  April  of  1975, 
Saigon  fell  to  North  Vietnamese  forces  as  Congress  denied  further  military  aid  to  previous  South 
Vietnamese  allies.  The  aftershocks  of  the  war  in  Vietnam  were  powerflil  and  often  disruptive  in 
American  society  and  in  the  armed  forces  The  USSR  signed  a  twenty-five  year  pact  with  Vietnam, 
thus  essentially  ending  North  Vietnam's  old  confederacy  with  China.  China's  Mao  Tse-tung  died  in 
1976,  opening  the  possibility  for  new  relationships  with  the  West.  In  1978,  the  United  States 
announced  full  diplomatic  relations  with  the  People's  Republic  of  China. 

President  Jimmy  Carter,  elected  in  1976,  had  made  several  important  international  diplomatic 
initiatives.  Talks  between  the  United  States  and  Russia  on  nuclear  ground  testing  resulted  in  a  treaty 
in  1976  which  for  the  first  time  included  on-site  inspections  of  facilities  In  another  part  of  the  world, 
signs  of  progress  also  surfaced.  President  Anwar  Sadat  of  Egypt  visited  Israel  in  1977,  marking 
the  first  visit  by  an  Arab  leader  since  the  founding  of  the  nation  of  Israel  in  1948  In  1978  talks 
between  Anwar  Sadat  and  Menachem  Begin,  hosted  at  Camp  David  by  President  Carter,  resulted 
in  the  drafting  of  a  proposed  peace  treaty  for  the  two  Middle  East  countries 

President  Jimmy  Carter  warned  on  the  domestic  front  that  the  energy  crisis  in  the  United 
States  could  bring  on  a  national  catastrophe  He  suggested  handling  this  crisis  with  the  force  and 
resolve  of  a  military  operation  He  fijrther  announced  that  within  five  years  American  ground  troops 
would  be  removed  from  Korea  Overcoming  Congressional  opposition,  he  signed  the  Panama  Canal 
Treaty  which  would  end  United  States'  control  of  the  Panama  Canal  on  December  31,  1999.  Carter, 
seeking  to  assuage  the  unrest  in  America,  granted  pardon  to  most  Vietnam-era  draft  dodgers.  Each 
of  these  decisions  had  far  reaching  implications  for  soldier  morale  as  well  as  for  the  allocation  of 
Army  resources. 

Trouble  also  was  brewing  in  the  Western  Hemisphere.  Sandanista  guerrillas  attempted  to 
overthrow  the  Nicaraguan  government.  A  military  junta  seized  control  of  Honduras,  while  at  the  same 
time  the  200th  coup  in  1 58  years  took  place  in  Bolivia.  Cuba,  although  no  longer  a  major  threat  in 
the  Western  Hemisphere,  deployed  military  advisors  to  Angola. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 63 

Adjusting  the  Army  Structure 

Geographically,  the  United  States  Army  was  oriented  toward  Europe  throughout  the  decade 
of  the  seventies.  Since  the  Cold  War  showed  no  signs  of  thawing,  the  Army  had  to  be  prepared  to 
engage  the  Soviet  Bloc  at  a  moment's  notice.  The  major  concern  of  the  1970's  in  the  Army,  therefore, 
was  Readiness. '  The  Army  announced  that  it  must  be  prepared  to  wage  war  in  more  than  one 
geographical  area  at  a  time  To  make  a  swift  transition  from  peace  to  war,  there  could  be  no 
substitute  for  soldiers,  units  and  equipment  capable  of  immediate  deployment  to  Europe,  or  other 
trouble  spots  in  the  world. 

It  was  not  an  ideally  prepared  Army  As  late  as  1979,  readiness  remained  a  thorny  problem. 
Serious  male  personnel  shortages  led  to  expanded  roles  for  women  However,  the  combat  exclusion 
policy  prohibited  the  assignment  of  women  farther  forward  than  brigade  level.  In  1979,  only  four  of 
the  ten  CONUS  divisions  were  deemed  ready  for  overseas  deployment."  The  Army  busily  reshaped 
its  forces  as  best  it  could  for  a  changing  battlefield  As  a  result  of  battles  in  the  Middle  East,  American 
defense  plans  placed  new  emphasis  on  highly  mechanized  and  armored  divisions  The  Army  was 
transitioning  from  a  21  division  to  a  24  division  force  (16  active  and  8  National  Guard).  Army 
strength  reached  790,000  in  1975;  and,  in  spite  of  new  missions,  decreased  to  less  than  770,000  by 
1980. 

The  Army  continued  to  adjust  to  current  conditions  and  plans  to  meet  future  contingencies. 
The  STEADFAST  reorganization  to  address  serious  command  and  control  problems  was  nearing 
completion.  The  former  Continental  Army  Command  was  divided  into  the  Training  and  Doctrine 
Command  (TRADOC)  and  Forces  Command  (FORSCOM).  General  William  DePuy,  the  first 
commander  of  TRADOC,  provided  a  new  focus  for  the  Army.'  DePuy's  vision  was  to  "win  the  first 
battle  of  the  next  war."  He  placed  heavy  stress  on  combat  developments,  doctrine  and  organization 
and  viewed  Army  Training  Centers  as  crucial  to  the  Army's  fliture.  Under  the  leadership  of  General 
DePuy  and  his  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Training,  Major  General  Paul  F.  Gorman,  TRADOC 
embarked  on  a  Systems  Approach  to  Training  (SAT).  This  required  soldiers  to  train  to  established 
Army  standards  and  to  have  that  training  regularly  evaluated  and  reinforced  Each  part  of  training  was 
to  be  sequential,  building  on  previous  steps  This  emphasis  also  required  that  there  be  a  solid  link 
between  Army  doctrine  and  the  training  soldiers  received.  As  part  of  this  new  process  the  Army 
introduced  the  Army  Training  and  Evaluation  Programs  ( ARTEP).  The  ARTEP  was  a  performance 
oriented  program  for  collective  training.  Included  in  SAT  was  the  Skill  Qualification  Test  (SQT)  to 
indicate  individual  soldier  proficiency/  Also  during  this  time,  the  Department  of  the  Army  and 
TRADOC  undertook  a  study  of  officer  training.  The  study  called  RETO,  the  Review  of  Officer 
Education  and  Training,  under  the  direction  of  Brigadier  General  Benjamin  Harrison,  involved  every 
part  of  every  officer's  training  and  resulted  in  a  major  overhaul  of  Army  training  programs. 

TRADOC  placed  great  emphasis  on  strengthening  force  and  firepower  in  the  Army's  divisions. 
Division  '86,  a  test  program  with  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  at  Fort  Hood,  Texas,  fi"om  1977  to  1979, 
resulted  in  a  restructuring  of  Army  divisions.  The  new  heavy  division  required  more  mechanized  and 
armored  equipment  and  more  people.  This  stretched  the  resources  of  the  Army  to  the  limit.  Each  of 
the  changes  in  Army  organization,  doctrine,  and  training  transformed  the  way  the  chaplaincy  was 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


64 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

organized  and  trained  as  well. 

Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne,  following  the  force  structure  issues  carefully  from  the  Office  of  the 
Chief  of  Chaplains,  paid  a  visit  to  Fort  Hood  to  discuss  the  assignment  of  chaplains^  Chaplain  Billy 
Ingram  from  the  1  st  Calvary  Division  and  Chaplain  Joseph  Stock,  who  was  the  Assistant  Division 
Chaplain  of  the  1st  Armored  Division  at  Fort  Hood  during  the  period  the  restructuring  experiment 
was  taking  place,  noted  that  commanders  had  long  requested  assignment  of  chaplains  to  battalions. 
The  restructuring  of  the  division  provided  the  opportunity  to  accomplish  that.  This  concept  of 
forward  positioning  for  chaplains  became  in  1978  the  Forward  Thrust  Doctrine  of  the  Chaplaincy. 
Chaplain  Stock  recounted  that  assigning  chaplains  to  the  most  forward  units  accomplished  several 
goals.*  It  identified  the  chaplain  with  the  unit.  It  put  the  chaplain  on  the  commander's  staff.  It  allowed 
the  chaplain  the  opportunity  to  provide  more  meaningfiil  coverage  to  the  unit,  more  counseling  and 
more  services  tailored  to  the  unit's  needs.  Both  the  units  and  the  religious  support  teams  benefitted 
from  the  new  arrangement. 


Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  Chief  of  Chaplains 

General  Bernard  Rogers,  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army,  wrote  an  article  in  the  Militaiy 
Chaplains  RevieM'  entitled  "The  Challenges  of  the  Chaplaincy."^  General  Rogers  set  out  a  summons 
for  the  next  four  years.  He  listed  four  difficulties  faced  by  chaplains: 

1.  Providing    spiritual    guidance    in    a    pluralistic    society — cooperation    without 
compromise. 

2.  Providing  for  human  needs — finding  proper  balance  between  spiritual  and  secular 
duties 

3.  Providing  a  moral  framework  for  the  military  community — if  the  officer  corps  is  to 
be  the  "conscience  of  the  Army,"  that  is  doubly  true  for  chaplains. 

4.  Getting  out  from  behind  the  pulpit  and  immersing  himself  in  every  facet  of  the  military 
community. 

It  was  into  this  challenging  type  of  environment  that  Chaplain  Orris  E  Kelly  had  stepped  to 
become  the  Army's  fourteenth  Chief  of  Chaplains.  Chaplain  Will  Hyatt  retired  from  the  Army  on  July 
29,  1975 — on  the  200th  Anniversary  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy.  Chaplain  Kelly,  formerly  Hyatt's 
Executive  Officer,  was  promoted  from  Colonel  to  Major  General  on  July  1,  1975,  by  General  Walter 
T  Kerwin,  the  Vice  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army.  He  assumed  the  office  of  Chief  of  Chaplains  on 
August  1,  1975 

Chaplain  Kelly,  a  native  of  Montrose,  Kansas,  graduated  from  Kansas  Wesleyan  University. 
Upon  graduation  he  entered  the  Army  as  a  second  lieutenant  infantry  officer.  He  served  as  a  line 
officer  in  1945-46.  After  his  discharge  from  the  Army  he  entered  Garrett  Theological  Seminary  in 
Illinois,  and  graduated  in  1953.  In  June  of  that  year  he  was  ordained  a  Methodist  minister.  Chaplain 
Kelly  reentered  the  Army  as  a  chaplain.  He  served  at  Fort  Leonard  Wood,  in  Japan,  at  Fort  Riley,  at 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 65 

the  Chaplain  School,  in  Germany,  in  Vietnam  and  at  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  as  Director 
of  Plans,  Programs  and  Policies  and  later  as  Executive  Officer.  He  graduated  from  the  Army  War 
College  resident  course  in  1973* 

In  his  first  letter  to  the  chaplains  in  the  field,  Chaplain  Kelly  emphasized  servant  ministry.  This 
became  a  major  theme  of  his  leadership.  He  wrote: 

The  Eternal  Word  of  God  provides  direction  with  new  goals  and  purposes  so  that  we 
can  place  rapid  change  and  crises  in  His  perspective  as  concerned  loving  human 
beings.  We  are  part  of  a  ministry  that  provides  faith  and  meaning  for  life  as  people 
seek  to  cope  with  their  human  conditions.  May  God  guide  our  eflForts.' 

While  Chaplain  Hyatt  had  been  a  planner.  Chaplain  Kelly  was  an  architect  and  builder. 
Generally  Hyatt  was  most  comfortable  in  the  world  of  ideas,  and  Kelly  was  most  at  home  in  the  world 
of  people.  On  numerous  occasions  Kelly  reminded  the  chaplaincy  that  the  chaplain's  best  work  is 
always  done  with  people  in  meaningful  relationships'"  This  philosophical  insight  formed  the 
background  for  some  of  Chaplain  Kelly's  greatest  innovations  and  achievements:  Forward  Thrust, 
Family  Life  Ministry,  Ministry  of  Presence,  and  Management  by  Objectives  for  Results. 

Chaplain  Kelly  was  gratefiil  for  the  excellent  structure  laid  by  his  predecessor.  He  saw  his 
mission  to  build  on  that  foundation,  to  refine  it,  implement  it  and  give  it  continuity  throughout  the 
Army."  Many  of  Hyatt's  ideas  were  still  in  their  infancy  and  needed  to  be  brought  to  fijll  maturity. 
Since  Orris  Kelly  was  a  part  of  the  origin  and  development  of  those  plans  and  programs,  it  was  logical 
that  he  should  see  them  through  to  completion.  Besides  that,  his  mission  was  to  prepare  the 
chaplaincy  for  a  very  difficult  future,  to  enhance  the  professionalism  of  chaplains  and  chaplain 
assistants,  and  to  be  a  prophetic  voice  to  the  leadership  of  the  institution  in  which  chaplains  serve.  His 
agenda  was  a  broad  one  that,  if  successful,  would  provide  a  solid  basis  for  broader  and  more 
meaningfiil  ministry  in  the  Army. 


Organizational  and  Systems  Ministry 

Many  challenges  faced  the  Army  in  the  years  1975-79.  The  Army  was  reorganizing,  or  as 
Chaplain  Kelly  described  it,  "redefining  itself"'"  It  was  preparing  for  a  smaller,  more  mobile  and  more 
lethal  force.  It  was  also  adapting  to  an  all  volunteer  force  and  adjusting  to  economical,  sociological 
and  cultural  changes.  The  chaplaincy  felt  the  impact  of  every  transition  the  Army  made. 

One  of  the  first  and  most  threatening  challenges  proposed  by  the  Department  of  Defense 
(DOD)  in  late  1975  called  for  a  reduction  in  the  officer  corps  of  4,400  officers.  The  objective  was  to 
go  back  to  the  level  that  existed  prior  to  the  war  in  Vietnam.  Originally  the  DOD  decreed  that  the 
reduction  would  come  from  other  than  line  officers.  Under  the  proposal  the  chaplaincy  stood  to  lose 
up  to  600  chaplain  positions.  If  that  happened,  the  chaplaincy  would  be  reduced  by  more  than  one 
third  of  its  professional  officers.  Chaplain  Kelly  was  concerned  about  the  threat  and  told  Chaplain 
John  Scott,  his  staff  action  officer,  that  he  could  not  accept  a  reduction  of  over  100  chaplains,  he 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


66 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

would  be  able  to  compromise  for  a  loss  which  amounted  to  less  than  one  hundred. 

In  December  1976,  the  Secretary  of  Defense  revised  the  total  reduction  to  1,100  officers. 
Further  negotiations  between  OCCH  and  the  Army  Staff  in  1977  resulted  in  a  reduction  of  only  84 
chaplains.  Some  senior  generals  insisted  that  no  cuts  should  be  taken  from  troop  units  (TOE). 
Chaplain  Kelly  argued  that  to  take  all  cuts  from  installations  (TDA)  would  seriously  cripple  the  ability 
of  chaplains  to  provide  ministry  on  installations  worldwide  A  compromise  was  reached  that  took 
some  reductions  from  each  category.  The  reductions  were  as  follows:'^ 

TTHS  -3 1  (Trainees,  Transients,  Holdees  and  Students) 

TDA  -21  (Table  of  Distribution  and  Allowance) 

TOE  -12  (Table  of  Organization  and  Equipment) 

Non  Divisional  TOE  -20 

Total  -84 

By  a  stroke  of  good  luck,  the  reduction  came  at  a  most  appropriate  time.  Because  the 
Chaplain  School  was  changing  the  Advanced  Course  to  two  21 -week  TDY  courses  from  a  39-week 
PCS  course.  Chaplain  Henry  Hilliard  determined  that  only  half  the  current  number  would  be  needed 
in  the  student  account  (TTHS).  This  meant  that  thirty-one  spaces  were  no  longer  needed.  Thus,  the 
actual  reduction  involved  only  53  spaces,  well  below  Chaplain  Kelly's  direction  to  Chaplain  Scott. 


Defining  Ethics 

The  Army  struggled  with  many  ethical  questions  in  the  mid  1970s.  Chaplain  Kelly  described 
the  movement  to  implement  ethics  training  as  slow  and  ponderous  "The  Army  was  feeling  its  way 
in  ethics  after  Vietnam.  The  whole  country  was  confused  about  who  we  were.  The  Army  had 
difficulty  defining  who  we  were  but  there  was  a  strong  feeling  among  Army  commanders  to  get  back 
to  ethics  "'^  Army  leadership  showed  a  deepening  interest  in  the  factors  influencing  ethical  decision- 
making The  Army's  interest  was  how  these  factors  impacted  on  organizational  leadership  and  the 
ethical  dimensions  of  leadership.  Kelly  pointed  out  that  one  of  the  best  indicators  of  the  Army  interest 
could  be  seen  in  the  increased  hours  of  instruction  included  in  the  Command  and  General  Staff 
College  curriculum.  He  wrote: 

Progress  has  been  made  in  raising  the  consciousness  of  decision-makers  But  much  more 
needs  to  be  done  ...  Chaplains  must  be  in  the  forefront  of  those  who  influence  the  ethical  dimensions 
of  military  life  and  mission. 

Commanders  at  all  levels  of  the  chain  have  a  right  to  honest,  courageous  and  responsible 
advice  when  the  effects  of  their  decisions  go  far  beyond  an  immediate  pragmatic  result. '^ 

Chaplain  Kelly  understood  the  expertise  many  chaplains  had  in  the  field  of  ethics.  Some  of 
these  chaplains  taught  at  service  schools,  but  there  were  many  others  in  troop  units  and  on 
installations  who  were  concerned  about  ethics  in  the  Army.  Some  senior  officers  felt  that  the 
chaplaincy,  because  of  its  professional  training,  should  be  the  proponent  for  ethics.  Chaplain  Kelly 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 67 

resisted  and  finally  refused  that  role  since  it  would  appear  to  be  just  another  chaplain  program  and 
have  no  real  impact  on  the  Army.  He  felt  that  Army  command  leadership  should  be  responsible  and 
the  chaplains  could  lend  their  support.'*"  However,  he  did  make  Ethics/Moral  Integrity  a  matter  of 
priority  for  the  chaplaincy.  He  wrote  the  following  as  a  challenge  to  all  chaplains: 

We  ought  to  be  the  definers  and  proclaimers  of  ethics  and  morality  ...  I  believe  we 
should  be  committed  to  help  create  within  the  Army  an  atmosphere  of  ethical  and 
moral  consideration  based  on  personal  integrity  which  facilitates  responsibility. '^ 

The  emphasis  on  ethics  involved  many  different  activities.  Chaplain  instructors  were  already 
teaching  ethics  at  most  service  schools.  Perhaps  most  significant  was  the  selection  of  Chaplain  Joseph 
Beasley  to  teach  in  the  Department  of  History  at  the  U.S.  Military  Academy  in  1971 .  A  graduate  of 
the  University  of  Chicago,  among  other  institutions.  Chaplain  Beasley  was  the  first  chaplain  instructor 
assigned  to  the  Academy  in  the  twentieth  century.  Arriving  at  West  Point  shortly  after  compulsory 
chapel  was  abolished.  Chaplain  Beasley  found  a  ready  cadet  audience  for  his  courses  in  history,  world 
religions,  and  ethics.  He  was  soon  one  of  the  most  popular  lecturers  at  the  Academy,  where  he 
remained  as  a  permanent  Associate  Professor  until  he  retired  in  1980.  His  course  on  the  "History 
of  Western  Ethics"  looked  first  at  classical  ethical  theories  and  at  the  application  of  those  theories  "to 
evaluate  and  understand  moral  problems  concerning  race,  poverty,  politics  of  dissent,  the  sanctity  of 
life,  war  and  international  relations."'*  Chaplain  Beasley  believed  in  teaching  principles  rather  than 
rules,  "not  to  convert  cadets,  but  to  help  them  understand  our  predicament." 

At  the  U.S.  Army  War  College  ,  Carlisle  Barracks,  Pennsylvania,  Chaplain  Charles  Kriete, 
who  was  assigned  as  the  first  chaplain  faculty  member  in  1975-1976,  dealt  with  such  weighty  subjects 
as  the  moral  dimensions  of  strategic  planning.  After  two  years  of  brilliant  work  at  the  War  College, 
Chaplain  Kriete  was  selected  to  be  the  Commandant  of  the  US  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School 
at  Fort  Wadsworth,  New  York.  Chaplain  Ed  O'Shea,  who  was  assigned  to  the  faculty  in  1977,  taught 
a  number  of  outstanding  officers  who  led  the  Army  in  the  1 990s.  Among  the  members  of  the  Army 
War  College  Class  of  1978  were  future  Generals  Gordon  Sullivan,  Binford  Peay,  Gary  Luck,  and 
John  Shalikashvili.'"' 

The  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  (OCCH)  wanted  ethics  to  be  considered  in  everything 
chaplains  did  and  directed  that  their  ethical  responsibilities  be  clearly  stated  in  the  revised  Field 
Manual  16-5,  The  Chaplain.  Additionally,  OCCH  sponsored  annual  seminars  on  ethics.  In  April 
1976,  the  first  seminar  was  held  at  the  Chaplain  School.  Attendees  included  newly  designated 
commanders  (Lieutenant  Colonels  and  Colonels),  chaplains,  staff"  and  line  officers  and  resource 
persons.""  The  purpose  of  the  meetings  was  to  help  sensitize  new  commanders  to  ethical  dimensions 
of  leadership,  and  to  learn  from  them  and  each  participant  what  other  ethical  areas  needed  to  be 
explored 

Chaplain  Kelly  viewed  ethics  as  a  means  of  ministering  to  the  institution.  This  instrumentality 
involved  prophetic  ministry.  It  consisted  of  two  distinct  emphases;  support  and  confrontation. 
Chaplains  should  encourage  commanders  and  the  system  to  make  decisions  based  on  moral  principles 
which  contribute  to  the  welfare  of  the  soldier.  When  such  decisions  were  made,  the  chaplains  should 


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68 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

afFirm  and  support  them.  In  those  rare  instances  where  ethical  principles  and  soldier  welfare  were 
disregarded,  the  chaplain  must  have  the  moral  courage  and  fortitude  to  speak  out  to  commanders 
against  injustice  as  did  the  prophets  of  old  Only  when  chaplains  exercised  this  ministry  of  integrity 
could  they  hope  to  fulfill  their  calling  as  God's  representatives  to  the  soldier  and  the  Army. 

During  this  period,  the  department  of  the  Army  transferred  $300,000  to  U.S.  Army,  Europe 
to  support  a  Chaplain  Quality  of  Life  Program.  The  funds  were  used  to  conduct  Values  Clarification 
workshops  to  assist  soldiers  who  were  wrestling  with  their  own  values.  The  program  was  highly 
successful  in  spite  of  strong  criticism  later  from  some  chaplains,  commanders,  and  a  few  members  of 
Congress  who  viewed  the  program  as  a  tool  of  secular  humanists  to  conflise  the  values  of  our 
citizens. 


Korea: 
The  Panmunjom  Ax  Attack 

On  August  18,  1976,  two  U.S.  Army  officers  were  savagely  murdered,  and  nine  other  UN 
Command  personnel  injured  at  Panmunjom,  Korea,  when  they  were  attacked  by  thirty  North  Korean 
guards  wielding  axes,  ax  handles,  and  metal  pipes.  The  two  officers  were  the  first  fatalities  in  the 
Joint  Security  Area  since  the  1953  Armistice."'  Had  the  killings  taken  place  somewhere  along  the 
border  other  than  at  the  truce  site,  they  might  have  been  listed  as  one  of  many  serious  violations  of 
the  Armistice  Agreement.  Occurring  where  they  did  and  in  such  a  flagrant  manner  as  to  be  witnessed 
by  photographers,  they  caused  extreme  indignation  and  a  massive  demonstration  of  power  by  the 
United  States  forces." 

The  United  Nations  Command  soldiers  were  supervising  and  providing  security  for  five 
Korean  service  corps  personnel  trimming  a  poplar  tree  when  the  attack  occurred  "''  Early  in  August, 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Victor  S.  Vierra,  the  U.S.  Army  Support  Group-Joint  Security  Area  (USASG- 
JSA)  Commander,  had  decided  that  the  branches  of  the  40-foot  Normandy  poplar  tree  near  the 
Bridge  of  No  Return  obstructed  line-of-sight  visibility  between  the  UN  Command  Post  and 
Observation  Post  (OP)  5  Captain  Arthur  G.  Bonifas,  1st  Lieutenant  Mark  T.  Barrett,  and  ROK 
Army  Captain  Kim  Moon  Hwan  took  five  U.S.  enlisted  soldiers,  three  KATUSA  personnel,  and  five 
workers  to  the  site  at  1030  hours  on  August  18  to  cut  some  of  the  tree  branches  back.^* 

As  the  tree-pruning  detail  began  work,  a  party  of  nine  North  Korean  soldiers  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  Pak  Choi  arrived  in  a  truck.  Lieutenant  Pak  ordered  Captain  Bonifas  to  halt  the  trimming. 
The  UN  Officer  refused,  and  the  work  continued.  Approximately  20  additional  North  Korean 
soldiers  arrived  at  the  scene.  Lieutenant  Pak  then  "threatened  death  if  the  activity  was  not  halted."" 
Captain  Bonifas,  believing  these  statement  were  mere  threats,  ordered  the  trimming  to  resume  and 
turned  to  observe  the  workers. 

Lieutenant  Pak,  insulted  and  ignored  in  front  of  his  troops,  yelled  "Chook  yo!"  (Kill!),  and 
kicked  Captain  Bonifas,  signaling  an  all-out  attack  by  the  North  Korean  soldiers.  As  the  enemy 
troops  swung  clubs,  metal  pipes,  pick  handles  and  axes  seized  from  the  work  party,  both  Captain 
Bonifas  and  Lieutenant  Barrett  received  mortal  injuries.    For  four  minutes,  showing  remarkable 


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THE  KELLY  YEARS 69 

restraint,  the  work  force  attempted  to  break  contact,  extricate  their  members  and  evacuate  the  area. 
Captain  Bonifas'  body  was  recovered  and  the  UN  party  withdrew  by  truck  and  jeep."^  No  shots  were 
fired  by  the  UN  forces  although  all  combatant  troops  were  armed  with  pistols  "^ 

Upon  hearing  of  the  incident  while  on  a  trip  to  Japan,  General  Richard  Stillwell,  Commander 
in  Chief  of  the  United  Nations  Command,  returned  angrily  to  South  Korea.  On  August  19  the  Joint 
Chiefs  of  Staif,  in  coordination  with  the  Commander,  US  Forces  Korea,  declared  DEFCON  3  for  all 
U.S.  military  units.'** 

At  Camp  Greaves,  South  Korea,  Chaplain  Robert  Hutcherson  was  informed  that  there  had 
been  fighting  in  the  JSA  area  and  that  he  should  implement  the  chaplain  alert  plan.  Chaplain 
Hutcherson  visited  Camp  Kitty  Hawk,  the  garrison  area  of  the  troops  involved  in  the  JSA,  but  was 
able  to  get  no  closer  because  the  JSA  had  been  sealed  off"'' 

On  August  19,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Vierra  asked  Chaplain  Hutcherson  to  prepare  for  a 
memorial  service  the  next  day  at  Kimpo  Airport  in  Seoul  Chaplain  Hutcherson,  Chaplain  Bill  Harris, 
the  Third  Brigade  Chaplain,  2nd  Infantry  Division,  and  Chaplain  John  Weyand,  who  provided 
Catholic  coverage  for  the  Third  Brigade,  planned  two  services  The  first  was  conducted  under  the 
wing  of  a  C-130  aircraft,  which  was  to  fly  the  bodies  of  Bonifas  and  Barrett  to  Japan,  on  the  morning 
of  August  20,  by  General  Stillwell  and  Chaplain  Hutcherson  The  second  service  was  conducted  at 
Camp  Kitty  Hawk  by  General  Stillwell,  Chaplain  Weyand,  and  Chaplain  Hutcherson.  Chaplain  Harris 
was  at  the  second  service  and  joined  the  other  two  chaplains  in  visiting  with  soldiers  after  the 
ceremony.^" 

Captain  AG.  Bonifas,  33,  and  Lieutenant  M.T.  Barrett,  25,  were  both  married.  Each  received 
the  Purple  Heart,  the  Bronze  Star  with  "V"'  device,  and  an  ROK  award  for  heroic  sacrifice.  Bonifas, 
on  the  selection  list  for  major,  was  promoted  posthumously.  He  was  buried  with  fijll  military  honors 
at  West  Point,  Barrett  at  Charieston,  South  Carolina.  Their  deaths  brought  the  number  of  Korean- 
based  US  military  personnel  killed  in  action  since  the  July  1953  Armistice  to  51." 

Following  the  US/ROK  shift  to  DEFCON  3  on  August  19,  the  North  Koreans  went  to  "a 
wartime  posture"  the  same  day,  the  first  time  since  1953  both  sides  had  placed  their  forces 
concurrently  in  an  advanced  readiness  condition.'"  General  Richard  Stillwell,  seething  at  the  incident 
and  all  of  its  results,  was  convinced  that  the  UN  Command  could  not  tolerate  denial  of  its  legitimate 
rights  in  the  JSA  or  DMZ  His  plan  "to  cut  the  damn  thing  down"  (the  poplar  tree)  was  dubbed 
Operation  Paul  Bunyan,  and  it  quickly  received  both  JCS  and  Presidential  approval  in  Washington." 

On  President  Ford's  orders,  in  the  early  morning  hours  of  August  21  a  110-man  UN 
Command  task  force  cut  down  the  infamous  poplar  tree.  During  the  hour-long  operation,  Guam- 
based  B-52  bombers  and  F-11 1  fighter-bombers  flew  overhead  while  a  300-man  US-ROK  Quick 
Reaction  Force  hovered  in  helicopter  gun  ships  South  of  the  DMZ.^^  Several  artillery,  aviation 
infantry,  and  armor  units  fi"om  the  2nd  Infantry  Division  were  in  direct  support  of  the  task  force. 
Before  the  day  was  over.  President  Kim  Il-sung  of  North  Korea  sent  a  message  of  "regret"  which  was 
accepted  by  the  UN  Command  on  August  22.^' 

Chaplain  Hutcherson,  who  had  moved  in  convoy  on  August  21  with  his  driver,  PFC  Walter 
Altic,  PFC  John  Davis,  and  KATUSA  Sergeant  Bae  Jae  Buk  toward  Panmunjom,  recalled  providing 
ministry  to  troops  "who  were  thoroughly  frightened,  anticipating  incoming  artillery  fire  from  North 


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70 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

Korea  at  any  moment"^*'  Fortunately  no  fire  was  exchanged.  "My  only  contact  with  other  chaplains 
during  those  days  was  with  Chaplain  Paul  Forsberg,  2nd  Infantry  Division  Chaplain,  and  with 
Chaplain  John  Kowski,  Eighth  Army  Chaplain,"  Hutcherson  said.  "Chaplain  Kowski  was  a  great 
mentor  during  this  time,  offering  advice  and  giving  encouragement  to  a  thoroughly  frightened 
battalion  UMT.  He  and  Chaplain  Forsberg  were  both  real  assets  to  me  at  the  time."^^ 

After  the  tree  was  cut  down,  and  some  degree  of  normalcy  was  restored  to  the  area,  public 
affairs  officer  made  the  statement  that  no  chaplains  were  visible  during  or  after  the  incursion  into 
Panmunjom  to  cut  down  the  tree.  Both  Chaplains  Kowski  and  Forsberg  were  quick  to  state  that 
Chaplains  Harris,  Weyand  and  Hutcherson  were  exactly  where  they  were  supposed  to  be,  doing 
exactly  what  they  were  trained  to  do.'*  General  Stillwell  had  nothing  but  positive  impressions  of  the 
chaplains'  activities,  their  calm  ministries  of  encouragement  to  the  living  and  respect  for  the  officers 
who  had  given  their  lives  for  continued  peace  in  Korea. 


Affirmative  Actions 

The  pluralistic  reality  of  American  culture  was  increasingly  expressing  itself  in  diverse  ways 
in  1975.  The  clamoring  of  many  groups  for  recognition  and  status  was  finally  bringing  results  in  the 
courts  and  in  society.  Women  could  no  longer  be  ignored  as  equal  partners  in  the  workplace, 
especially  the  Army.  Minority  soldiers  including  Black,  Hispanic,  Asian  American,  Native  American 
and  others  also  were  seeking  to  be  recognized  as  full  members  and  equal  partners.. 

The  religious  climate  in  America  was  also  changing.  It  was  no  longer  just  the  "Big 
Three" — Protestant,  Catholic  and  Jewish.  Now  Buddhists,  Muslims,  Sikhs  and  a  host  of  other  sects 
or  religions  were  clamoring  for  recognition  in  powerful  ways.  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  had  long  been 
concerned  about  these  issues  and  had  developed  plans  and  programs  to  address  them. 

In  the  mid  1970s  the  Army  began  to  develop  Affirmative  Action  Plans  (AAP)  to  ensure  that 
each  soldier,  regardless  of  race,  religion,  ethnic  origin  or  gender,  was  treated  with  dignity  and 
equality.  In  1976  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  submitted  his  first  AAP  to  the  Office  of  the  Deputy  Chief 
of  Staff  for  Personnel.  The  Plan  focused  primarily  on  recruiting  minority  and  female  chaplains.  By  the 
end  of  September  1976  there  were  82  blacks,  14  "other"  and  4  women  in  the  chaplaincy.  By  the  end 
of  FY  1979  the  numbers  had  increased  to  1 12  blacks,  33  "other"  and  9  women.  The  AAP  submitted 
for  1979  called  for  12.8  %  black  (180),  1.2  %  Hispanic  (17),  and  .05  %  women.  The  target  for 
women  had  already  been  exceeded." 

Affirmative  Action  activities  did  not  end  with  a  plan.  The  chaplaincy  instituted  several 
programs  designed  not  only  to  increase  awareness  of  the  need,  but  to  stimulate  actions  to  correct 
injustice  and  unfairness.  To  keep  the  need  before  the  chaplaincy,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  directed  that 
the  AAP  be  a  top  inspection  priority  for  members  of  his  staff  visiting  MACOMs  and  installations..*" 
He  established  Minority  Ministry  Conferences.  Initially  these  conferences  involved  only  black 
chaplains.  They  provided  a  forum  in  which  these  chaplains  could  express  their  frustrations  and  their 
needs  and  hopes  for  the  future  of  ministry  in  the  Army.  Later  the  conferences  were  expanded  to 
include  all  minorities,  as  well  as  Caucasians,  to  address  systemic  issues  and  make  recommendations 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS T\_ 

to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains. 

The  Minority  Ministry  Conference  in  1979,  under  the  leadership  of  Chaplain  Donald  Clark 
was  typical  The  theme  was  "A  Clear  Message  for  Changing  Times."  The  objectives  of  the  workshop 
were  to  develop  action  plans: 

-  To  enhance  recruitment  of  minorities 

-  To  address  priority  concerns  of  minorities 

-  To  address  issues  of  supervision.^' 

The  United  States  Army  Chaplain  Board  produced  two  recruiting  films  in  1976  for  recruiting 
minority  chaplains.  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  also  let  a  contract  to  produce  "A  Handbook  for  Minority 
Chaplains."^" 

The  few  female  chaplains  in  the  Army  also  needed  support  to  deal  with  institutional  and 
personal  biases  they  faced  in  their  new  role.  Chaplain  Kelly  was  sensitive  to  these  needs  and 
established  a  female  network  under  the  supervision  of  Ms.  Ida  Butcher,  a  staff  person  in  OCCH.  A 
special  women's  conference  was  held  each  year  for  several  years.  Later  it  met  concurrently  with  the 
Minority  Chaplain  Conference  and  finally  was  merged  into  the  Minority  Ministries  Conference. 
Sexism  workshops  sponsored  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  were  held  on  TRADOC  and  FORSCOM 
installations  to  deepen  awareness  and  sensitivity  to  sexist  behaviors.'*^ 

Religious  groups,  particularly  Muslims,  were  pressing  for  recognition  by  the  Armed  Forces 
Chaplain  Board  so  that  they  could  endorse  a  chaplain  for  active  duty  Because  of  dietary  restrictions 
several  religious  groups  appealed  for  separate  rations. ^^  Many  of  these  and  other  requests  required 
staffing  within  the  chaplaincy  A  plethora  of  new  and  unfamiliar  religions  were  appearing  in  America 
and  in  the  Army.  The  Army  was  not  adequately  prepared  to  deal  with  the  new  requirements  presented 
by  these  groups.  Consequently,  OCCH  commissioned  a  study  to  produce  a  handbook  on  less  familiar 
religions.^'  Chaplain  Matthew  Zimmerman  was  the  OCCH  point  of  contact  for  the  study  Eventually 
two  Department  of  the  Army  Pamphlets  were  produced  and  distributed  to  commanders  and  chaplains 
in  the  field 


Relocation  of  the  Chaplain  School 

In  1975  the  proposed  relocation  of  the  Chaplain  School  became  a  serious  matter  of 
consideration.  In  anticipation  of  the  move,  the  Army  Chaplain  Board  left  Fort  Wadsworth  for  Fort 
Meade,  Maryland,  in  September  1975 

Two  simultaneous,  though  not  supporting,  actions  had  had  serious  implications  for  the 
Chaplaincy  The  first  was  that  the  Army  wanted  to  close  single  mission  posts  The  Chaplain  School 
was  the  only  activity  at  Fort  Wadsworth;  and  therefore  it  fit  that  criteria.  Chaplain  Kelly  did  not  agree 
with  Chaplain  Hyatt's  dream  of  the  Chaplain  School  positioned  on  its  own  post  and  therefore 
supported  the  relocation  *  His  requirements  were  that  the  School  be  located  near  a  large  urban  area 
where  institutions  of  higher  learning  would  be  available  for  chaplain  professional  educational 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


72 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

purposes.  His  recommendation  was  to  relocate  either  to  Fort  Monmouth,  New  Jersey,  or  Fort 
Devens,  Massachusetts 

The  second  major  action  was  prompted  by  the  House  Appropriations  Committee,  which 
raised  a  question  about  consolidating  the  separate  Army,  Navy  and  Air  Force  Chaplain  Schools  into 
one.  The  "InterService  Training  and  Review  Organization"  (ITRO)  was  established  by  DOD  to 
explore  the  feasibility  of  the  consolidation  recommendation.''^  Chaplain  Edward  O'Shea  represented 
the  Chief  of  Chaplains.  None  of  the  Services,  particularly  the  Army,  favored  the  proposal  to 
consolidate  or  to  collocate.  The  Army  Chaplaincy  felt  it  had  the  most  to  lose  under  the  proposal.  A 
summary  of  arguments  presented  by  the  Army  included  the  following: 

The  environment  in  which  ministry  took  place  diflFered  with  each  Service  (  Army  foxhole  vs. 
Navy  battleship).  The  level  at  which  chaplains  were  assigned  differed  (maneuver  battalion  vice  Air 
Force  base)  and  the  length,  intensity  and  curriculum  differed  as  well  At  that  time  the  Army  had  a 
one  year  resident  Advanced  course  versus  a  few  weeks  for  Navy  and  Air  Force.  The  Army  had  its 
own  school  staffed  and  run  by  chaplains.  That  was  not  entirely  true  of  the  Navy.^* 

After  hearing  all  the  arguments,  the  ITRO  recommended  that  the  Army  relocate  within  the 
Army  and  the  other  schools  remain  where  they  were.*'  On  March  25,  1977,  the  Office  of  the 
Secretary  of  Defense  recommended  to  Congress  that  the  Chaplain  School  relocate  internally  within 
the  Army  and  informed  Congress  that  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  preference  was  to  move  either  to  Fort 
Monmouth  (his  first  choice)  or  Fort  Devens.'**  Several  other  locations  were  suggested,  but  they  did 
not  meet  Chaplain  Kelly's  criteria.  Chaplain  Kelly  related  that  Fort  Rucker  had  a  strong  desire  for  the 
School  to  move  there  A  wealthy  individual  in  a  neighboring  town  oflFered  to  purchase  all  the 
fijmishings  to  make  the  School  a  first  class  institution  if  it  would  relocate  to  that  installation.  Chaplain 
Kelly  refused  the  oflFer.  " 

Meanwhile,  the  Army  was  struggling  with  the  decision  to  move  the  Chaplain  School.  The 
Army  selected  Fort  Monmouth,  but  political  considerations  continually  delayed  the  final  decision  and 
announcement  for  several  more  months.  When  the  Congressional  representatives  from  New  York 
(particularly  Staten  Island  and  Brooklyn)  heard  about  the  proposed  move  to  New  Jersey,  they  became 
indignant.  Staten  Island  wanted  to  retain  the  school,  while  the  Brooklyn  delegation  wanted  to  move 
it  back  to  Fort  Hamilton 

When  he  learned  that  the  final  announcement  of  the  move  to  Fort  Monmouth  was  imminent, 
Chaplain  John  Scott  called  Chaplain  Roy  Peters,  the  Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  School,  to  alert 
him.  Chaplain  Peters  decided  to  move  his  advance  party  to  Fort  Monmouth  immediately  following 
the  announcement.  He  relocated  them  the  day  the  announcement  was  made."  That  action  was 
perhaps  in  part  responsible  for  preventing  a  reversal  of  the  decision.  A  few  days  after  the  public 
announcement,  one  of  the  New  York  Congressmen  arranged  for  a  meeting  with  Chaplain  Peters  and 
the  Secretary  of  the  Army,  at  Fort  Drum,  in  upstate  New  York  His  apparent  intention  was  to  try  to 
force  a  reversal  of  the  Army  decision.  When  he  learned,  however,  that  Chaplain  Peters  had  already 
relocated  some  of  his  staff,  the  Congressman  decided  that  he  was  fighting  a  battle  he  could  not  win. 
Peter's  move  was  bold,  and  his  timely  action  proved  to  be  successful.  The  move  of  the  School  to  New 
Jersey  was  completed  by  the  end  of  1979, 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 


The  Chaplain  as  a  Member  of  the  Commander's  Staff 

When  Chaplain  Hyatt  became  a  personal  staff  officer  to  the  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army,  he 
saw  this  relationship  as  a  possibility  for  all  staff  chaplains.  Chaplain  Kelly  shared  his  predecessor's 
vision  and  sought  consistently  to  accomplish  that  goal.  He  viewed  the  subjugation  of  the  chaplain 
under  another  staff  section  as  preventing  the  Chaplaincy  from  having  its  rightful  status  and 
influence. 

When  the  Army  announced  the  CONUS  Installation  Management  Study  (CIMS),  Chaplain 
Kelly  saw  it  as  an  opportunity  for  change  The  revision  of  Army  Regulation  5-3  "Installation 
Management"  was  unacceptable  to  Chaplain  Kelly  since  it  did  not  place  the  chaplain  on  the 
installation  commander's  personal  staff  nor  did  it  provide  for  a  separate  staff  office.  Chaplain  Kelly 
met  with  Major  General  Ursano.  They  agreed  to  incorporate  Chaplain  Kelly's  requirements  in  the 
revised  AR  5-3  '''  This  was  a  very  sensitive  issue  at  Department  of  the  Army  as  Chaplain  Scott 
learned  when  he  made  his  first  coordinating  visit  to  a  high  ranking  civilian  in  the  Army  Management 
Office.  He  was  greeted  with  open  and  vociferous  hostility.  It  was  only  through  the  intervention  of  a 
high  ranking  military  officer  that  a  rational  discussion  became  possible.  A  few  people  at  Department 
of  the  Army  did  not  like  chaplains  and  would  attempt  to  prevent  any  favorable  action 

It  was  later  decided  that  AR  5-3  would  be  combined  with  AR  10-10  and  that  the  Department 
of  the  Army  would  not  direct  how  field  commanders  should  organize  their  staffs.  The  Army 
distributed  AR  5-3  on  July  25,  1977  While  it  did  not  dictate  organizational  structure,  it  did  give 
"typical  examples"  showing  the  chaplain  as  a  personal  staff  officer.'^  While  it  was  not  all  Kelly 
wanted,  it  was  at  least  the  proverbial  foot  in  the  door.  The  chaplaincy  would  have  other  opportunities 
to  address  this  subject 


A  Hymn  Of  Blasphemy? 

The  Armed  Forces  Chaplain  Board  identified  the  need  for  a  new  Armed  Forces  Hymnal  for 
religious  services.  Several  contract  musicologists  recommended  hymns  and  other  worship  aids  for 
inclusion  in  the  hymnal.  The  intent  was  to  provide  materials  that  would  be  useful  to  a  wide  variety 
of  religious  groups.  One  of  the  hymns  selected  became  a  matter  of  strong  contention  with  civilian 
church  leaders  and  Congressmen. 

"It  Happened  on  a  Friday  Morning,"  or  Hymn  #286,  was  viewed  by  many  people  as 
blasphemous.  Chaplain  Kelly  estimated  that  his  office  alone  received  over  45,000  letters  on  this 
subject.  Just  responding  to  the  volume  of  letters  required  an  exorbitant  amount  of  time.''  The 
question  was,  however,  what  to  do  with  the  hymn.  Some  people  wanted  to  excise  the  hymn  from  the 
book.  One  chaplain  did.  Chaplain  Kelly  wrote  to  Representative  W.  C.  Daniel  that  the  hymn  was 
widely  respected  and  reflected  the  pluralism  and  religious  diversity  in  the  United  States.  He  also 
stressed  that  because  of  that  diversity  the  hymnal  offered  broad  choices.""  The  Armed  Forces 
Chaplain  Board,  composed  of  the  three  Chiefs  of  Chaplains  resisted  any  drastic  action.  The  AFCB 
did  not  want  to  be  put  into  the  position  of  being  told  what  could  be  included  in  its  book  of  worship. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


74 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

Questions  of  free  exercise  must  be  balanced  with  those  of  propriety.  It  was  finally  agreed  that  the 
hymn  would  be  removed,  but  only  with  the  publication  of  a  new  issue. 


Chaplain  to  the  Cadets 

Civilian  ministers  served  on  the  staff  of  the  United  States  Military  Academy  at  West  Point  for 
over  one  hundred  years.  Various  Chiefs  of  Chaplains  for  many  years  desired  to  assign  military 
chaplains  to  that  prestigious  institution  In  the  1977  time  period,  following  considerable  turmoil  at 
the  Academy,  the  Army  considered  a  number  of  changes.  Chaplain  Kelly  determined  that  it  was  a 
propitious  time  to  recommend  the  assignment  of  military  chaplains  to  replace  their  civilian 
counterparts. 

Chaplain  Kelly  discussed  the  possibility  of  making  this  change  with  General  Bernard  Rogers. 
With  General  Rogers'  approval  Kelly  went  to  the  Academy  to  talk  to  General  Andrew  Goodpaster, 
the  Superintendent  of  the  Academy.  After  some  discussion  General  Goodpaster  agreed  to  go  half 
way  with  Chaplain  Kelly.  The  Academy  would  have  50%  civilian  chaplains  and  50%  military."  This 
change  broke  precedence  with  over  a  century  of  Military  Academy  history.  The  agreement  included 
the  provision  that  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  would  nominate  potential  chaplains  for  the  Academy  and 
the  Superintendent  would  make  the  final  selection.  A  Roman  Catholic  chaplain  was  assigned  almost 
immediately  to  minister  in  the  Catholic  Chapel  which  was  owned  by  the  Catholic  Archdiocese  of  New 
York.  Chaplain  Colin  Kelly  III,  son  of  a  famous  World  War  II  hero,  was  the  first  Protestant  Army 
Chaplain  to  be  assigned  under  this  agreement^* 

During  the  same  time  period,  Jewish  leaders  desired  to  construct  a  Jewish  Chapel  at  West 
Point.  President  Jimmy  Carter  had  a  vital  interest  in  this  project  and  met  with  Chaplain  Kelly  and  a 
Jewish  fijnd  raiser  to  inaugurate  the  program  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  committed  the  Chaplaincy  to 
assign  a  Jewish  chaplain  to  West  Point  upon  completion  of  the  chapel." 


Selection  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 

Since  the  1950s,  a  pattern  had  evolved  that  for  each  two  Protestant  Chiefs  of  Chaplains  there 
was  one  Roman  Catholic  Chief  Merit  was  not  the  sole  determinant  Denomination  was  also  a  factor. 
Lieutenant  General  DeWitt  Smith,  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel  (DCSPER),  questioned 
whether  this  policy  was  appropriate  or  if  it  was  discriminatory.** 

The  Office  of  the  Judge  Advocate  General  examined  the  precedent  and  determined  that  it  was 
in  fact  discriminatory.  The  decision  that  ensued  determined  that  selection  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 
should  be  made  solely  based  on  merit.  However,  it  was  also  allowed  that  denomination  could  be 
considered  as  a  factor,  but  not  a  deciding  criteria.  The  Vice  Chief  of  Staff,  a  Roman  Catholic  layman, 
agreed  with  the  decision. 

The  civilian  Roman  Catholic  leadership  was  upset  by  the  legal  opinion.  They  had  a  strong 
desire  to  have  a  senior  Catholic  chaplain  in  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  and  the  decision 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 75 

meant  that  that  situation  might  not  always  be  true  in  the  fijture.  They  feh  they  were  downgraded, 
especially  when  a  Protestant  deputy  was  selected  to  serve  with  a  Protestant  Chief.  As  a  result  of  the 
change,  two  Protestant  chaplains  in  a  row  served  as  Chiefs  of  Chaplains,  and  each  had  a  Catholic 
deputy 

Cardinal  Cooke,  Military  Vicar,  and  head  of  the  Military  Ordinariate,  expressed  grave  concern 
about  the  change  in  policy.  He  expressed  his  sentiments  in  a  pastoral  letter  to  Catholic  Army 
chaplains: 

While  I  recognize  that  the  Protestant  Chaplain  selected  for  Deputy  is  an  outstanding 
minister,  I  was  very  disturbed  at  the  major  shift  in  policy  which  this  selection 
represents  In  light  of  this  development,  I  have  requested  Archbishop  Ryan  and  the 
staff  of  the  Military  Ordinariate  to  conduct  a  thorough  review  of  the  current  situation 
of  our  Catholic  Chaplains  in  the  Armed  Forces  and  the  denominational  balance 
portrayed  in  leadership  positions,  especially  in  the  Army  Chaplaincy.*' 

Archbishop  Joseph  T.  Ryan,  Coadjutor  Bishop,  met  with  the  Secretary  of  the  Army,  Mr. 
Clifford  Alexander,  the  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Army,  and  the  DCSPER  to  determine  leadership 
positions  occupied  by  Catholic  chaplains  In  order  to  correct  the  perceptions  that  not  enough  senior 
Catholic  chaplains  served  in  senior  leadership  positions,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  agreed  to  fill  one  of 
the  three  Colonel  positions  in  his  office  with  a  Catholic  Chaplain.  Chaplain  John  J  Cunniffe  reported 
to  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  in  early  January  1979  to  serve  as  a  Special  Projects  Officer  to 
research  the  Catholic  issues  under  discussion."" 

Within  one  year  Chaplain  Patrick  J.  Hessian,  a  Catholic,  was  promoted  to  Brigadier  General 
and  selected  to  become  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains  Four  years  later  he  received  a  promotion  to  Major 
General  and  became  the  sixteenth  Chief  of  Chaplains. 


Doctrine 

The  Army  during  the  1970s  began  to  look  at  how  it  operated  on  the  battlefield.  New  doctrine 
concerning  the  composition  of  divisions  and  corps  came  into  existence.  The  AirLand  Battle  concept 
was  established  which  focused  on  the  massing  of  forces  and  high  mobility  on  the  battlefield  It  was 
time  for  the  chaplaincy  to  review  and  revise  its  operational  doctrines  as  well  in  order  to  support  the 
changes  made  by  the  Army. 

Chaplain  Kelly  initiated  the  doctrine  of  Forward  Thrust  for  the  Chaplaincy.  During  the  war 
in  Vietnam,  and  after,  chaplains  were  assigned  at  brigade  level  and  provided  coverage  to  battalions 
Battalion  Commanders  wanted  their  own  chaplains,  not  merely  someone  who  provided  coverage  as 
possible.  Chaplain  Kelly  also  felt  that  chaplains  ought  to  be  assigned  close  to  the  troops.  He  therefore 
emphasized  that  chaplains  be  assigned  to  battalions  in  order  to  be  more  effective  in  dealing  with 
people."  Chaplain  Kelly  met  with  General  Donn  Starry,  commander  of  TRADOC,  and  won  his 
approval  to  move  ahead  with  the  concept.''^  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne  and  other  members  of  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


76 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

Combats  Developments  Directorate  (USACHCS)  presented  the  written  doctrine  for  Forward  Thrust 
to  Chaplain  Kelly  on  December  8,  1978.  It  was  forwarded  to  TRADOC  and  approved  for 
implementation.  Chaplain  Kuehne  went  to  the  major  Army  centers  to  brief  the  new  doctrine  and  its 
implementation  in  the  revision  of  TOEs. 

In  Europe  in  the  mid  to  late  1970's,  the  major  emphasis  was  on  "Interoperability."  While  the 
concept  initially  involved  weapons  systems  and  troops,  the  chaplain  programs  also  became  involved. 
The  objective  was  "to  relate  USAREUR's  religious  program  to  the  Bundeswehr  and  Federal 
Republic's  civilian  clergy."'''  This  was  in  effect  a  continuation  of  policies  that  Chaplain  Ettershank 
and  earlier  staff  chaplains  had  implemented  in  building  relations  with  their  German  counterparts.  The 
chief  obstacles  in  Interoperability  for  chaplains  was  the  barrier  of  the  language  used  to  conduct 
religious  services. 


Upgrading  Field  Grade  Positions 

As  part  of  its  reduction  process,  the  Army  also  initiated  a  program  to  downgrade  many  officer 
positions.  Most  of  these  actions  took  place  during  "TDA  Scrubs."  This  meant  that  garrison  positions 
were  most  vulnerable.  Since  most  chaplain  field  grade  authorizations  were  in  garrisons,  they  suffered 
disproportionately.  Additionally,  many  commanders  adopted  the  philosophy  that  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  would  assign  field  grade  chaplains  even  though  they  were  not  authorized.  Consequently 
many  commanders  offered  up  chaplain  positions  for  reduction  rather  than  line  positions.  By  1975, 
even  though  the  Program  Budget  Guidance  allowed  over  100  colonel  positions,  there  were  only  53 
authorized  in  official  TAADS  documents.  Because  the  Army  was  moving  toward  allowing  only  those 
positions  authorized  in  ofScial  documents  to  be  filled,  the  chaplaincy  was  threatened  with  a  reduction 
of  over  50  colonel  positions  and  proportionate  numbers  of  other  field  grade  positions. 

The  Chief  of  Chaplains  tasked  his  staff  to  determine  what  could  be  done  to  salvage  chaplain 
field  grade  strength.  This  important  issue  involved  more  than  appearances.  Loss  of  the  authorizations 
would  seriously  affect  supervision  and  career  advancement.  Thus,  it  was  not  only  a  technical  issue, 
it  was  a  morale  issue  as  well. 

After  extensive  coordination  with  the  office  of  the  DCSPER,  Chaplain  Scott  drafted  a  letter 
for  the  DCSPER's  signature.  Major  General  Joseph  P  Kingston,  the  Assistant  DCSPER,  signed  the 
letter  and  distributed  it  to  all  MACOMs.  The  letter  addressed  the  shortage  of  chaplain  field  grade 
authorizations  as  a  result  of  TDA  scrubs  and  other  manpower  actions.  He  provided  an  exception  to 
the  Standards  of  Grade  Authorizations  and  stated  that  chaplain  grades  would  not  be  counted  against 
other  field  grade  levels  He  asked  commanders  to  align  chaplain  grades  with  those  contained  in  the 
Program  Budget  Guidance.  As  a  result  of  the  outstanding  staff  work  by  Chaplain  Jerry  Autry  at 
FORSCOM,  and  Chaplain  Max  Wilk  at  TRADOC,  by  the  end  of  1977  the  figures  stood  as  follows:** 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 


77 


Colonels 

Lieutenant  Colonels 

Majors 

August  1975 

53 

174 

391 

December  1977 

90 

214 

891 

By  1 980,  US AREUR  succeeded  in  upgrading  its  field  grade  positions  to  a  level  where  the 
chaplain  authorization  documents  reflected  the  total  for  the  Army  allowed  by  the  Program  Budget 
Guidance. 


The  United  States  Army  Chaplain  Board 

The  Army  Chaplain  Board,  under  the  direction  of  Chaplain  Wendell  Wright,  received  a  new 
mission  statement  from  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.  The  Board's  mission  would  be  to  execute  programs, 
collect  and  disseminate  information,  provide  consulting  services  and  assist  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  in 
developing  concepts  of  ministry  *'  Among  its  many  responsibilities  were  research  and  development, 
religious  education,  parish  development,  family  life  ministry,  production  of  films  and  publication  of 
the  Military  Chaplains'  Review. 

The  Board  also  took  a  leading  role  in  developing  activides  for  the  Bicentennial  of  the  Chaplain 
Corps  which  was  celebrated  on  July  29,  1975.  Among  actions  taken  were  hosting  a  formal  dinner, 
sponsoring  a  hymn  contest  and  designing  a  commemorative  plate  depicting  the  history  of  the 
chaplaincy. 

The  Military  Chaplain  Review,  established  by  Chaplain  Hyatt,  had  several  editors  during  the 
decade  of  the  1970's:  Chaplains  John  Hoogland,  Joseph  Galle,  and  Rodger  Venzke  The  quarterly  was 
distributed  to  all  chaplains,  to  military  and  civilian  libraries,  and  to  chaplains  in  the  Navy  and  the  Air 
Force.  It  was  consistently  rated  highly  by  chaplains  of  all  Services. 

Production  of  films  under  the  leadership  of  Chaplain  David  Boyce  reached  a  high  level  of 
excellence.  In  1976  ninety-three  percent  of  all  chaplain  films  (447  out  of  481)  appeared  on  the  Army's 
"Hit  Parade"  list.**  Films  were  obtained  through  the  creative  efforts  of  the  Board  as  well  as  from 
commercial  sources 

In  July  1976,  a  Religious  Resource  Center  (similar  in  purpose  to  the  Army  Chaplain  Board), 
was  established  in  Munich,  Germany.  Its  mission  was  "to  provide  advanced  professional  leadership 
and  training  to  support  the  command's  religious  program.'""'  The  first  director  of  the  Center  was 
Chaplain  Donald  K.  Adickes.  The  USAREUR  Religious  Bookstore  was  moved  to  Munich  to  be 
collocated  with  the  Religious  Resource  Center 


Administration 

The  Army  began  using  new  financial  methods  for  planning  and  budgeting  that  greatly 
increased  the  resources  available  to  the  chaplaincy.  The  program  that  "most  directly  affected  chaplains 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


78 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

was  the  Army's  first  multicominand  and  multifunctional  computer  system  (BASOPS).  BASOPS 
became  the  major  process  for  delivering  Congressionally  authorized  and  appropriated  dollars  for 
commanders'  religious  programs."'"  The  fijnds  available  to  the  religious  program  quadrupled  as  a 
result  of  the  BASOPS  system 

Chaplain  input  into  the  Planning,  Programming,  Budgeting  and  Execution  System  (PPBES) 
began  with  the  Command  Master  Religious  Program  (CMRP).  This  document  included  all  aspects 
of  chaplain  ministry,  training  and  facilities/"  Information  in  the  CMRP  was  based  on  information 
provided  by  posts,  camps  and  stations  in  each  MACOM  Program  money  made  available  to  the  Chief 
of  Chaplains  during  the  period  1975  to  1979  is  reflected  in  the  following  chart: 


Fiscal  Year 

Amount 

$5,235,000 

$6,490,000 

p72 

$1,117,000 

$7,262,000 

$7,821,000 

$8,274,000" 

Chapels  had  existed  in  the  Army  since  the  days  of  General  George  Washington  ("The  Temple 
of  Virtue"  at  Newburgh,  New  York,  first  used  in  February  1782).'^  The  oldest  active  chapel  was 
located  at  West  Point  (1837).  Eleven  chapels  built  before  1900  were  still  in  use.  Of  953  chapels  in 
the  inventory,  323  were  "temporary"  structures  built  during  World  War  II.  Chapel  construction  was 
a  high  priority  for  the  Chaplaincy.  It  was  time  to  begin  replacing  temporary  buildings.  During  the 
1970s  the  Army  constructed  an  average  of  two  new  chapels  per  year.'^  If  that  rate  persisted,  it  would 
take  more  than  150  years  to  replace  all  the  temporary  structures  In  1976  a  program  of 
standardization  of  design  was  developed  to  ensure  that  construction  conformed  to  Army 
requirements.  In  1979  a  chapel  design  guide  was  distributed  to  the  field. '^ 

Chaplain  Timothy  Tatum  in  1978  wrote  an  article  on  the  advantages  of  computers  which 
triggered  the  beginning  of  the  age  of  automation  for  the  Chaplaincy  Later  Tatum  was  assigned  to 
the  OCCH  and  tasked  with  the  development  of  a  reporting  system  for  the  Chaplaincy.  His  automated 
information  management  plan  was  called  the  Chaplain  Administrative  Religious  Support  System 
(CARRS)."  This  system  allowed  the  chaplaincy  to  begin  managing  information  in  the  same  way  the 
rest  of  the  Army  did  and  to  prepare  it  for  the  21st  century. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 79 

Chaplain  Personnel 

Under  the  direction  of  two  Directors  of  Personnel,  Chaplains  Harold  Lamm  and  Clifford 
Weathers,  the  Chaplaincy  entered  into  an  era  of  automation  and  new  techniques  for  managing 
chaplains  worldwide  Part  of  the  change  was  in  the  use  of  ASI  and  SSI  as  management  tools.  The 
definition  of  identifiers  for  the  new  management  process  began  with  Chaplain  Richard  Tupy.  The  final 
recording  of  identifiers  and  implementation  of  the  program  was  completed  by  Chaplain  Henry 
Hilliard  As  chaplains  were  trained  in  specific  skills,  the  information  was  verified  and  transferred  to 
DACH  where  appropriate  notations  were  entered  into  personnel  records  Although  the  Chaplaincy 
was  never  managed  exclusively  by  ASI/SSI,  the  information  was  helpful  in  matching  chaplains 
assigned  with  skills  required. 

A  major  improvement  in  chaplain  evaluations  came  through  a  change  to  the  regulation  on  the 
Officer  Evaluation  Reporting  System  Chaplain  Tupy  staffed  a  proposal  to  encourage  inclusion  of 
a  chaplain  supervisor  in  the  rating  chain.  When  approved,  this  allowed  chaplains  for  the  first  time  to 
be  involved  in  rating  other  chaplains  It  also  ensured  that  a  perspective  on  ministry  was  included  in 
the  report. 

During  the  downsizing  of  the  Army,  the  chaplaincy  was  forced  to  manage  year  groups  for  the 
first  time  This  management  included  controlling  the  number  of  people  brought  on  active  duty  to 
ensure  that  year  groups  were  somewhat  symmetrical  and  that  promotion  opportunity  remained 
essentially  equal  for  all  chaplain  personnel.'* 

The  personnel  composition  of  the  chaplaincy  began  to  change  perceptibly  during  the  late 
1970's.  Part  of  the  change  was  due  to  a  general  reduction  in  the  Department  of  the  Army  Some  of 
the  change  resulted  fi-om  shortages  in  some  faith  groups,  and  some  occurred  as  a  result  of  new  faith 
groups  represented  in  the  Army. 


Denominational  Distribution 


Year 

Protestant 

Catholic 

Jewish 

( 

Orthodox 

TOTAL 

1975 

1154 

288 

27 

0 

1469 

1976 

1160 

265 

27 

0 

1452 

1978 

1162 

247 

22 

9 

1440 

1979 

1164 

240 

22 

8 

1434 

The  distribution  chart  for  1975-1979  indicated  a  total  reduction  of  35  spaces.  More 
significantly,  the  trend  of  losses  in  the  Catholic  category  was  pronounced — a  reduction  of  48 
chaplains  in  five  years.  That  was  only  the  beginning  of  a  major  downturn  in  the  number  of  priests 
available  in  the  Army  The  loss  of  five  Jewish  chaplains  also  was  indicative  of  a  growing  shortage  of 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


80 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

rabbis  One  can  see  also  that  the  shortages  of  some  faith  groups  meant  more  chaplains  for  other 
groups,  particularly  Protestants  At  this  time  the  rule  of  thumb  was  one  chaplain  for  each  100,000 
civilian  constituents  whhin  a  particular  denomination."  Denominations  that  had  less  than  100,000 
members  banded  together  to  form  umbrella  organizations  such  as  the  National  Association  of 
Evangelicals.  The  military  chaplaincy  attempted  to  mirror  the  civilian  population  in  its  faith 
representation. 

The  increasing  shortage  of  Roman  Catholic  chaplains  was  of  great  concern  to  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains.  He  assigned  Chaplain  John  J.  Cunniffe  to  DACH  to  do  a  special  project  on  chaplain 
shortages  in  the  Army.""  The  study  included  all  chaplains,  but  was  specifically  aimed  at  priests. 
CunniflFe  compiled  an  83 -question  survey  that  was  completed  by  240  Protestant,  207  Catholic  and 
7  Jewish  chaplains  The  results  of  the  survey  were  used  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  to  develop  policies 
and  programs  aimed  at  recruiting  and  retaining  Catholic  chaplains. 

Heavy  emphasis  was  placed  on  education  in  the  Army  and  in  the  Chaplaincy.  Many  officers 
felt  that  to  be  competitive  for  promotion  they  must  be  continually  involved  in  professional 
development  courses.  The  Chaplaincy  also  stressed  education  not  solely  as  a  means  of  career 
progression,  but  as  an  enhancement  for  ministry.  Many  chaplains  were  involved  in  full  time  and 
nonresident  military  or  civilian  education. 


CHAPLAIN  EDUCATION  PROGRAMS 


Year 

Chaplain 

Military 

Civilian 

Nonresident* 

Strength 

Schools 

Schools 

Students 

1976 

1465 

104 

28 

1827 

1977 

1452 

173 

19 

1817 

1978 

1440 

166 

18 

N\A 

1979 

1434 

123 

24 

1317 

*lncludes  Reservists 

The  chaplaincy  identified  141  positions  that  were  validated  as  requiring  special  advanced 
civilian  education.  Each  year  some  chaplains  were  trained  to  fill  some  of  these  positions.  Since  a 
normal  tour  of  duty  was  three  years,  a  person  would  be  trained  for  each  position  every  three 
years.  The  following  identifies  some  of  the  positions  for  which  chaplains  were  trained  between 
1976  and  1979;'*' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 


CIVILIAN  GRADUATE  EDUCATION 

Discipline  FY  76       FY  77       FY  78       FY  79 


Religious  Education 

1 

1 

3 

0 

Pastoral  Counseling 

24 

12 

13 

19 

Church  Management 

1 

1 

1 

0 

Educational  Psychology 

1 

0 

0 

4 

Homiletics 

0 

2 

1 

0 

Cultural  Foundations 

1 

1 

0 

0 

Education  General 

0 

0 

1 

1 

Motion  Picture 

0 

0 

0 

1 

Production 

Comptrollership 

0 

0 

0 

1 

Educational  Technology 

0 

0 

0 

1 

TOTALS  28  17  19  27 

Other  disciplines  not  listed  above  included  Audio  Visual  Education,  Social  Psychology, 
Experimental  Psychology  and  Instructional  Psychology. 


Miscellaneous  System  Issues: 
Exchange  Program  with  Columbia 

The  Army  maintained  oificer  exchange  programs  with  many  different  nations  In  1978  the 
Army  wanted  to  establish  such  a  program  with  Colombia,  South  America.*"  Staff  officers  in  the 
Pentagon  felt  that  exchanging  chaplains  might  be  the  way  to  begin  that  program.  One  of  the  points 
in  favor  of  that  view  was  that  Colombia  was  a  strongly  Catholic  nation.  Contacts  started  between  the 
two  armies  and  some  preliminary  plans  were  made.*^  Chaplain  John  Scott  was  appointed  as  the  Chief 
of  Chaplains  liaison  officer. 

Problems  began  to  arise  when  the  Colombians  discovered  that  they  did  not  have  sufficient 
funds  to  underwrite  the  program  Additionally,  there  was  a  diflFerence  of  opinion  as  to  how  chaplains 
should  be  assigned.  The  United  States  wanted  Colombian  chaplains  and  ours  to  be  assigned  to  units 
so  that  all  soldiers  could  benefit  from  the  exchange.   Chaplains  of  both  countries  would  provide 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


82 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

direct  ministry  to  the  soldiers  of  the  host  army.  The  Colombian  Army,  on  the  other  hand,  wanted  to 
assign  their  chaplains  to  the  School  of  the  Americas  at  Fort  Benning,  Georgia,  where  ministry  would 
be  provided  to  their  own  or  other  Hispanic  soldiers  attending  the  school  That  arrangement  was  not 
satisfactory  to  the  United  States.  Since  no  funds  existed  in  Colombia  for  the  program,  negotiations 
were  curtailed.  An  opportunity  was  missed  that  might  have  enriched  both  nations. 


A  Five  Volume  Chaplain  History 

Before  his  retirement.  Chaplain  Hyatt  directed  that  a  history  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  be 
produced  for  the  200th  Anniversary  in  1975.  Chaplain  Kelly  observed  that  Chaplain  Hyatt  had  a  great 
sense  of  history  and  wanted  the  work  of  the  chaplaincy  to  be  preserved  He  also  wanted  to  ensure 
that  his  accomplishments  were  chronicled  for  future  chaplains."^  The  work  began  in  1973  and  was 
completed  in  1979.  A  total  of  five  volumes  was  produced.  The  Government  Printing  OflFice  printed 
1,500  copies  which  were  distributed  to  MACOMs,  installations,  military  and  civilian  libraries  , 
seminaries  and  universities.  ^^ 

Authors  and  titles  of  the  volumes  were: 

From  Its  European  Antecedents  to  1791:  The  United  Stales  Army  Chaplaincy, 
by  Chaplain  Parker  C.  Thompson. 

Struggling  for  Recognition:  The  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy  1791  -  1865, 
by  Chaplain  Herman  A.  Norton  (USAR). 

Up  From  Handymen:  The  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy  1865  -1920, 
by  Chaplain  Earl  F.  Stover. 

77?^  Best  and  The  Worst  of  Times:  The  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy  1920  -  1945, 
by  Chaplain  Robert  L.  Gushwa. 

Confidence  in  Battle,  Inspiration  in  Peace:  The  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy  1945  -1975, 
by  Chaplain  Rodger  R.  Venzke. 


Fees  For  Chaplain  Services 

The  Department  of  the  Army  Inspector  General  received  an  inquiry  in  FY  1976  regarding  fees 
charged  by  chaplains  for  performance  of  religious  rites  and  sacraments  ^^  Chaplains  on  some 
installations  were  charging  for  their  own  services  as  well  as  those  of  other  chapel  personnel.  In  some 
instances  persons  also  were  charged  a  rental  fee  for  use  of  the  chapel  or  religious  facility.  Chapel 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 


organizations  on  some  installations  also  published  fee  schedules  that  were  given  to  persons  requesting 
services  such  as  weddings. 

The  Chief  of  Chaplains  established  a  policy  that  no  fees  would  be  paid  to  chaplains,  chaplain 
assistants,  or  paid  for  the  use  of  facilities.  Fees  required  to  pay  for  a  civilian  organist,  or  for  janitorial 
services,  were  to  be  paid  either  by  the  individual  requesting  the  services  or  from  the  Nonappropriated 
Fund*' 

The  Proposed  Civilianization  of  the  Chaplaincy 

In  1976,  there  was  a  limited  movement  aimed  at  changing  the  Chaplaincy  from  military 
chaplains  to  civilian  chaplains.  The  movement  was  initiated  by  the  United  Church  of  Christ  in 
response  to  its  unhappiness  with  the  war  in  Vietnam.  Other  denominations,  such  as  the  United 
Methodist  Church,  also  raised  the  issue  at  a  later  date.**  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  did  not  perceive  this 
as  a  major  threat  since  it  would  have  been  economically  impossible  for  churches  to  bear  the  expense 
of  a  civilian  chaplaincy  The  Wisconsin  Evangelical  Lutheran  Synod  had  tried  using  civilian  chaplains 
in  Vietnam  and  in  Europe  with  very  limited  success  Transportation,  logistics,  access  to  military 
personnel  and  personal  support  needs  made  it  almost  impossible  to  provide  effective  ministry, 
particularly  in  a  combat  environment.  This  issue  arose  again  in  1979  in  a  court  case  questioning  the 
Constitutionality  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy. 


Futurism 

Planning  ministry  for  the  future  became  a  high  interest  item  for  the  chaplaincy  The  world  was 
changing  at  a  rapid  pace  and  it  was  necessary  to  think  about  how  ministry  would  look  ten  to  twenty- 
five  years  later  Several  workshops  were  held  in  the  late  1970s  to  help  chaplain  leadership  plan  for 
changes. 

From  May  9  to  11,  1977,  a  "Future  Ministries  Workshop"  was  held  at  Newark,  New  Jersey. 
The  concept  for  the  conference  originated  with  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  but  the  sessions  were 
conducted  by  the  Chaplain  Board  under  the  supervision  of  Chaplain  Wendell  Wright.  The  goal  of  the 
workshop  was  "identifying  and  planning  for  fijture  ministries  in  the  military  chaplaincy."*'  Five 
modules  were  presented  by  guest  resource  leaders: 

Ethnic  Pluralism  and  Future  Forms  of  Ministry  —  by  Dr.  Grant  Shockley 
Parish  Pli4ralism  and  Future  Forms  of  Ministry  —  by  Bishop  Paul  Moore 
Social  Issues  and  Future  Forms  of  Ministry  —  Sister  Rosemary  Duncan 
The  Religioning  Process  and  Future  Forms  of  Ministry  —  by  Dr.  Earl  D  C  Brewer 
Spiritual  Discipline  and  Future  Forms  of  Ministry  —  by  Dr.  John  E  Biersdorf 

The  data  gained  from  the  workshops  often  became  a  part  of  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  Goals  and 

Objectives 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


84 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

Chaplaincy  Ministry  to  Soldiers  and  Their  Families: 
Chief  of  Chaplain's  Management  Philosophy 

As  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Chaplain  Kelly  accepted  all  of  Chaplain  Hyatt's  management  concepts, 
but  he  also  expanded  them  and  gave  them  his  own  twist.  After  his  first  year  in  office  he  encapsulated 
his  philosophy  of  management  as  it  affected  relationships  at  MACOMs  and  what  he  expected  from 
management  practices  in  the  field  These  principles  found  their  way  into  almost  everything  the 
Chaplaincy  did  during  those  years.  His  management  philosophy  consisted  of  six  guidelines  for  relating 
to  MACOMs '" 

1  Lfnderskinding  our  Purpose  and  Environment .   To  minister  in  ways  that  fulfill  our 
vocation  and  expand  its  meaning  and  purpose. 

2  Determining  our  Responsibilities.  Avoid  overlapping  and  conflict 

3.  Reflecting  MACOM  Areas  of  Freedom .  DACH  will  not  impose  arbitrary  decisions. 

4.  Fulfilling  Responsibilities.  Listening  to  each  other. 

5.  Exercising  Authority  and  Resolving  Conflicts.  Solutions  based  on  mutual  respect  and 
constructive  conflict. 

6.  Management  Style.  Free  to  enable,  nurture  and  empower. 

In  order  for  chaplains  to  be  able  to  perform  ministry  effectively.  Chaplain  Kelly  stated  the 
goals  for  supervisory  management.  Every  chaplain  should  be: 

-  assigned  clear  responsibilities 

-  given  the  opportunity  to  sponsor  significant  ministry 

-  allowed  the  freedom  to  fail 

-  encouraged  to  use  unique  creative  gifts  of  God's  grace.*" 

Leadership  and  effective  chaplaincy  are  synonymous  Chaplain  Kelly  developed  a  model  of 
leadership  that  he  emphasized  strongly  wherever  he  met  with  or  spoke  to  chaplains  Leadership  in  his 
view  consisted  of  three  interlocking  circles: 

The  first  circle  (Professional  Core)  represented  who  the  chaplain  was  as  a 
professional.  The  Relationship  circle  represented  what  those  relationships  meant  as 
a  personal  role  The  third  circle  indicated  how  one  understands  and  operates  within 
the  system  (Army)  Each  of  these  was  related  to  the  other  and  impacted  on  the  other. 
Without  all  three,  ministry  would  not  be  complete. 

The  goal  of  Kelly's  management  was  to  provide  as  many  tools  as  possible  to  all  chaplains  so 
that  they  could  do  their  ministry  efficiently  and  professionally  One  of  the  main  processes  he  used  was 
Management  by  Objectives  for  Results.  He  also  sought  to  incorporate  long  range  planning  into  his 
management  process.  He  felt  that  eight  years  of  continuous  programming  ought  to  be  done  in  order 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 85 

to  provide  continuity  and  to  impact  the  system.'^  Anything  less  than  that  would  prove  ineffective. 


Management  by  Objectives  for  Results  (IMBOR) 

Although  the  concept  of  MBOR  was  introduced  during  Chaplain  Hyatt's  tenure  as  Chief  it 
did  not  come  to  fruition  until  Chaplain  Kelly  succeeded  him.  The  first  official  use  of  MBOR  in  the 
Army  Chaplaincy  began  in  1976.'^'  Within  fifteen  days  of  assuming  the  position  of  Chief  of  Chaplains, 
Chaplain  Kelly  distributed  his  "Chief  of  Chaplains  Four  Year  Planning  Guidance  (FY  77-79)."'* 
Included  in  the  guidance  were  the  goals  and  objectives  that  resulted  from  negotiations  at  installations 
and  the  MACOMs  that  were  passed  forward  to  OCCH.  All  of  the  guidance  was  discussed  also  at  the 
Annual  Command  Chaplains'  Conference  MBOR  was  seen  as  a  decentralized  and  participatory  form 
of  management.  Each  MACOM  and  installation  was  fi^ee  to  modify  the  guidance  to  meet  its  own 
specific  needs  Management  was  by  planning  at  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  level,  by  objectives  at  the 
MACOM  level,  and  by  results  at  the  installation  level 

The  purpose  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Planning  Guidance  was  to  provide  "information  and 
guidance  toward  common  goals  for  ministry  in  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy."''  The  guidance  consisted 
of  three  parts:  the  Total  Army  Goals;  general  directions  to  the  Major  Commands  including  which 
programs  will  be  monitored  by  OCCH;  and  the  OCCH  Key  Results  Areas  (KRA). 

The  Total  Army  Goals  formed  the  basis  for  Chief  of  Chaplains  planning.  In  1978  The  Total 
Army  Goals  were: 

THE  READINESS  GOAL  prepare  the  Total  Army  for  rapid  transition  to 

combat 

THE  HUMAN  GOAL  provide  highly  eflFective,  morally  responsible 

personnel 

THE  MATERIEL  GOAL  develop,  field,  maintain  balanced  war  fighting 

capabilities 

THE  STRATEGIC  DEPLOYMENT  GOAL         improve  deployment  capability 

THE  FUTURE  DEVELOPMENT  GOAL  improve  equipment,  concepts,  technology 

THE  MANAGEMENT  GOAL  use  resources  more  efficiently 

The  Chief  of  Chaplains  eleven  Key  Results  Areas  in  FY  1978  were:  Religious  Sen>ices; 
Pastoral  Concerns;  Religious  Education:  Professional  Development;  Research  and  Development; 
Administration  and  Management;  Manpower  a)id  Procurement;  Women's  Issues;  Chaplain  Support 
Activities;  Force  Development  and  Manpower  Management;  and  Reser\'e  Components.^ 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


86 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 


Each  KRA  consisted  of  a  description,  a  list  of  objectives  with  resources  needed,  a  method  of 
evaluation,  the  point  of  contact  and  the  Army  Goal  to  which  the  KRA  related.  An  example  of  the 
KRA  IV,  "Professional  Development,"  follows" 


Professional  Development 

Provides  an  integrated  system  for  the  professional  development  of  active  duty  and  reserve 

component  chaplains,  staff  specialists,  enlisted  assistants,  and  DA  civilians. 

Objectives: 


1 .  To  ensure  that  all  AERB  chaplain  spaces  are  reflected  by  code  on  TAADS  by  30  Sept. 

1978. 

OCCH  Resources:  50  hours;  $1,000.00 

Evaluation:  Project  Completed.      POC:  Ch  Jernigan 

2.  To  insure  that  TAADS  reflects  all  chaplain  positions  by  SSUASL 
OCCH  Resources:     50  hours,    $1,000.00 

Evaluation:  Current  files  completed  by  30  September  1978         POC:  Ch  Hilliard 

3.  To  provide  support  and  professional  assistance  to  the  Academic  Board,  USACHCS, 
M  ACOMs  and  installations  on  the  implementation  and  evaluation  of  the  Professional 
Development  Plan. 

OCCH  Resources:    275  hours;  $20,475.00 

Other  Resources:      380  hours 

Evaluation:  Implementation  and  improvements  to  the  Professional  Development  Plan. 

POC:  Ch  Scott 

4.  To  develop  a  plan  for  improving  the  supervisory  process  for  chaplain  personnel  within 
the  Army  structure  at  all  supervisory  levels  through  the  conduct  of  two  OCCH 
sponsored  conferences 

OCCH  Resources:    1 50  hours;  $500.00 
POC  TED 

Evaluation:  Plan  completed  and  approved  by  Chief  of  Chaplains  by  30  September 

1978.  Potential  leadership  is  developed  in  all  career  stages  which  will  improve 

supervisory  skills  appropriate  to  the  needs  at  various  staff  levels.     POC:  Ch  Lamm 


MBOR  provided  the  means  by  which  the  chaplaincy  could  identify  (1)  what  needed  to  be 
done,  (2)  what  resources  were  required  and  (3)  how  successful  the  effort  was  It  identified  only  those 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 87 

few  critical  issues  that  needed  to  be  highlighted  rather  than  many  trivial  actions  required  to  perform 
ministry  in  the  field. 


Chaplain  Professional  Development  Plan 

One  of  Chaplain  Kelly's  greatest  achievements  in  his  leadership  as  Chief  of  Chaplains  involved 
the  enhancement  of  chaplain  professional  development.  The  Chaplain  School  was  under  the 
supervision  and  control  of  the  Training  and  Doctrine  Command,  and  the  Chiefs  of  Chaplains  had  little 
opportunity  to  influence  the  curriculum.  Both  other  professional  schools.  The  Judge  Advocate 
General  School  and  the  Academy  of  Health  Sciences,  enjoyed  more  autonomy  and  control 

Soon  after  assuming  the  position  of  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Chaplain  Kelly  requested  that 
Chaplain  Albert  Ledebuhr,  the  TRADOC  Staff" Chaplain,  arrange  a  meeting  with  General  DePuy,  the 
TRADOC  Commander  Chaplain  Kelly  did  not  expect  an  easy  time  in  convincing  the  commander  that 
he  needed  to  exercise  more  control  over  the  curriculum  at  the  School.  Within  six  minutes  after  Kelly 
began  his  presentation,  General  DePuy  agreed  to  his  recommendations  not  to  run  the  School,  but  to 
influence  the  curriculum.'"'  General  DePuy  understood  Chaplain  Kelly's  inability  to  lead  the  Chaplain 
Branch  without  some  influence  on  what  chaplains  were  trained  to  do 

Chaplain  Kelly  directed  his  Executive  Oftlcer,  Chaplain  Warren  Truer,  to  send  a  letter  to  the 
entire  Chaplaincy  requesting  ideas  for  organization  and  training  at  the  Chaplain  School.  The  responses 
received  resulted  in  a  "radical  piece  of  paper"'*''  that  later  formed  the  basis  for  the  Chaplain 
Professional  Development  Plan  (PDP)  An  Ad  Hoc  Study  Group  at  OCCH  composed  of  Chaplains 
Truer,  O'Shea,  Tupy,  Lamm  and  others  was  appointed  in  August  1975,  "to  collect  more  information, 
look  at  total  ministry  and  put  together  a  comprehensive  plan  covering  the  period  fi"om  commissioning 
to  retirement."'""  Chaplain  Kelly  wanted  maximum  involvement  in  developing  the  PDP  A 
"Strawman"  was  sent  to  the  field  and  suggestions  were  incorporated  into  the  plan.  The  PDP  was 
finalized  on  31  August  1976,'"'  with  implementation  set  for  July  1977.  A  copy  of  the  final  plan  was 
sent  to  General  Depuy  on  7  September  1976.  Chaplain  Kelly  included  a  list  of  the  significant  changes: 


Chaplain  Professional  Development 

-  C-20  Course. 

The  residential  portion  of  the  course  would  be  reduced  from  nine  to  six  weeks,  with 

additional  reading  requirements  transferred  to  the  field.  During  the  first  year  a  minimum  of 

four  hours  weekly  will  be  spent  in  the  field  in  peer  groups  with  a  training  supervisor  using  the 

actual  job  environment  and  tasks,  along  with  the  chaplain's  job  performance,  as  the  basis  for 

training. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


88 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

-  C-22  Course 
Will  be  reduced  significantly  and  two  courses  will  be  conducted  annually. 

The  course  will  focus  on  professional  development  and  be  tailored  individually  for  each 
chaplain.  It  will  also  include  an  assessment  process  prior  to  and  after  arrival  at  the  School 

Skill  training  will  be  done  through  "SSI/ASI  producing  short  courses"  in  place  of  the  en 
masse  skill  training  currently  provided. 

The  current  graduate  degree  program  will  be  eliminated  in  favor  of  accreditation  of 
USACHCS  courses  for  use  in  external  degree  programs  initiated  at  USACHCS  and  completed  at  the 
next  duty  assignment. 

-Chaplain  School. 

The  USACHCS  responsibility  will  broaden  While  still  concerned  with  residential  training,  it 
will  focus  more  attention  on  the  development  of  criteria  and  standards,  as  well  as  support 
material,  for  use  in  the  installation  program. 

Chaplain  Edward  O'Shea  was  charged  with  responsibility  for  implementing  the  program.  Upon 
his  reassignment  in  June  1977,  he  was  replaced  in  that  responsibility  by  Chaplain  John  Scott  who 
continued  the  implementation  process. 

The  assumptions  made  in  developing  the  PDP  included  the  following:'"' 

-  Spiritual  Development  is  a  major  concern  of  the  chaplain 

-  Pastors  and  parishioners  are  involved  together  in  ministry 

-  Major  emphasis  will  be  on  relationships 

-  Change  is  inevitable,  but  does  not  need  to  be  random 

-  Persons  are  effective  to  the  degree  of  their  awareness 

Leadership  formed  a  critical  center  for  the  Professional  Development  Plan  The  environment 
in  which  ministry  takes  place  was  characterized  by  the  leader's  ability  and  willingness  to: 

-  Provide  personal  support 

-  Be  receptive  to  the  ideas  of  others 

-  Expect  realistic  and  high  performance  of  persons 

-  Build  a  team 

-  Aid  others  in  doing  their  work 

-  Involve  others  in  decisions  that  affect  them'"' 

The  PDP  was  a  very  innovative  document  which  called  for  some  very  revolutionary  changes 
in  chaplain  education.  It  identified  four  specific  phases  of  training:  Basic  Training,  Advanced  Training, 
ASI/SSI  Training,  and  Continuing  Education  The  decision  was  made  that  training  provided  by  the 
chaplaincy  would  be  given  only  when  actually  required  by  a  chaplain  to  perform  current  or  imminent 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 


89 


duties.  The  Chaplain  Advanced  Course,  formerly  39  weeks  long,  was  shortened  to  21  weeks. 

The  Chaplain  School  Advanced  Course  was  modified  to  include  three  specific  phases.'"'*  The 
first  three  weeks  involved  self-assessment  Chaplains  identified  their  strengths  and  weaknesses. 
Several  psychological  instruments  were  used  to  accomplish  this,  and  resource  persons  were 
contracted  to  provide  leadership.  This  period  also  required  chaplains  to  develop  a  plan  for  working 
on  their  strengths  or  weaknesses  in  ministry  The  second  phase  required  chaplains  to  pursue  training 
in  the  areas  identified  in  the  self-assessment  plan  This  training  could  be  done  through  civilian 
seminaries  or  universities,  through  military  courses  and  in  some  cases  through  individually  self- 
directed  programs.  The  third  part  of  the  Advance  Course  training  centered  on  Army-required  military 
subjects.  The  School  interspersed  this  training  throughout  the  2 1  weeks 

The  Chaplain  Basic  Course  also  was  revised  Basic  training  consisted  of  three  parts:  the  Pre- 
commissioning  Phase,  the  resident  9  week  Basic  Chaplain  Course,  and,  lastly,  the  Installation  Training 
(Phase  III).  Part  time  training  would  be  done  for  the  next  two  years  on  the  installations  to  which 
chaplains  were  assigned  after  completing  the  course.  This  phase  of  training,  called  Phase  III  Training, 
comprised  the  most  innovative  part  of  the  PDP.  Each  new  chaplain,  after  graduating  from 
USACHCS,  attended  classes  conducted  by  experienced  senior  chaplains.  The  new  policy  required 
that  training  be  done  at  the  time  and  place  where  it  would  most  likely  be  used 

Chaplains  specifically  trained  to  become  training  managers  on  the  installations  were  identified 
by  the  ASI  7E.  A  training  program  was  developed  in  early  1977  at  the  Chaplain  School  by  Chaplains 
John  Snyder  of  USACHCS,  Gordon  Prout  fi"om  Fort  Carson,  Roy  Mathis  fi^om  Fort  Bragg  and  John 
Scott  representing  OCCH.  Chaplain  Mathis  had  been  using  a  similar  program  at  Fort  Bragg,  and 
provided  valuable  insights  to  the  committee.  Phase  III  training  on  installations  began  in  September 

Chaplain  Roy  Mathis  envisioned  the  7E  Trainer  as  an  orchestrator  of  training  rather  than  one 
who  conducted  all  the  training  himself  The  PDP  identified  many  skills  that  must  be  trained  at  the 
installation,  but  it  also  allowed  discretion  to  meet  local  training  needs.  At  Fort  Bragg,  in  one  eight 
month  period,  the  following  training  workshops  were  "orchestrated"  by  Chaplain  Mathis:'"* 


Marriage  and  Family  Counseling 

Race  Relations 

Rape  Crisis  Counseling 

Suicide  Prevention 

Drug  and  Alcohol  Counseling 

Serendipity  Groups 

Religious  Education 


-  Death  and  Dying  Classes 

-  Preaching 

-  Personal  Effectiveness  Training 

-  Child  Abuse 

-  Marriage  and  Family  Enrichment 

-  Mid-Life  Crises 


Chaplain  Frank  Jopp,  the  7E  Training  Manager  at  Fort  Carson,  Colorado,  had  four  to  six  new 
chaplains  under  his  supervision  for  Phase  III  training.  He  led  the  trainees  through  the  mandatory 
training  subjects  and  shared  his  own  chaplain  experiences  with  them.  Chaplains  were  provided  an 
opportunity  to  raise  questions  that  they  encountered  as  they  carried  on  their  ministry.  All  of  the 
chaplains  in  the  program  were  gratefiil  for  the  opportunity  to  learn  in  an  atmosphere  that  was 


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90 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

nonthreatening  to  them.  Brigade  supervisory  chaplains  retained  responsibility  for  providing  day-to- 
day training  and  guidance.  Where  the  system  worked  best,  the  Training  Manager  and  the  Supervisory 
Chaplain  established  a  collaborative  and  supportive  relationship. 

Training  managers  often  arranged  ad  hoc  on-site  training.  If  a  wedding  was  being  conducted, 
the  trainees  gathered  at  the  chapel  to  observe  a  military  wedding.  They  assembled  likewise  for  a 
funeral  or  for  other  special  occasions.  When  chaplains  accompanied  their  units  to  the  field,  they 
practiced  skills  such  as  conducting  field  services  which  they  had  learned  from  the  Training  Manager. 

All  chaplain  training,  whether  done  at  the  School,  on  the  installation,  in  hospitals  or  at  civilian 
centers,  became  a  part  of  the  all-encompassing  PDP.  Chaplain  Kelly  described  professional 
development  in  the  following  words: 

First,  chaplain  professional  development  at  its  best  involves  a  realization  that  learning 
and  development  take  place  over  a  wide  spectrum  of  activities.  It  is  not  confined  to 
formal  schooling,  but  occurs  as  we  interact  with  supervisory  chaplains,  commanders, 
peers  and  subordinates  in  each  assignment.  It  also  occurs  as  chaplains  grow  in  their 
understanding  of  the  needs  of  their  own  families  and  as  they  become  involved  with 
innovative  approaches  of  ministry  to  meet  the  specific  needs  of  our  troops  and  their 
families.  It  occurs  as  chaplains  learn  to  allow  time  for  rest  and  reflection  to  explore 
the  roots  of  their  own  faith.  Professional  development  should  occur  in  all  parts  of  the 
chaplain's  life  and  should  continue  throughout  his  or  her  life.  The  process  cannot  be 
merely  identified  with  the  development  of  any  one  set  of  skills  or  knowledge.  It  must 
involve  the  whole  person.'"' 

Chaplains,  often  by  virtue  of  their  calling  to  be  servants,  do  not  feel  that  they  can  be  away 
from  their  parishioners  for  too  long  a  time  and  without  good  reason.  The  Chief  of  Chaplains 
recognized  that  the  ongoing  nature  of  professional  development  required  permission  for  chaplains 
to  receive  training  each  year.  He,  therefore,  established  a  policy  that  every  chaplain  would  be  required 
to  have  a  minimum  of  two  weeks  TDY  each  year  for  special  training  or  a  theological  update  ""*  The 
Chief  of  Chaplains  did  not  prescribe  what  kind  of  training  would  be  received,  or  where.  He  simply 
stated  that  each  chaplain  should  comply  with  the  policy. 

Since  professional  development  included  all  training  received  by  chaplains,  there  needed  to 
be  a  means  of  assessing  the  effectiveness  of  the  training  and  to  make  recommendations  for  changes 
to  meet  new  needs.  An  Academic  Board  was  established  that  met  twice  annually  under  the  leadership 
of  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains  (Chaplain  Thaddeus  Malinowski  and  later  Chaplain  Kermit 
Johnson).  Membership  on  the  Board  consisted  of  chaplains  from  the  Chaplain  School,  the  field  and 
from  OCCH.  Three  civilian  consultants  involved  in  education,  spiritual  formation  and  psychotherapy 
served  as  members  of  the  Board.  Meetings  were  held  in  various  locations  in  order  to  observe  actual 
training  needs,  training  provided  and  to  forward  recommendations  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains. 


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THE  KELLY  YEARS 91^ 

Ministry  to  Families 

Training  chaplains  in  civilian  graduate  schools  for  family  ministry  began  in  the  early  1970s 
However,  specific  utilization  of  these  chaplains  in  positions  where  their  skills  could  impact  did  not 
begin  until  Chaplain  Orris  Kelly  became  Chief  of  Chaplains.  Chaplain  Kelly  noted  that  Family  Life 
Center  ministry  began  as  an  outgrowth  of  the  fact  that  chaplains  were  spending  50%  of  their  time  in 
counseling  families  and  individuals  '"''  Family  Life  Centers  were  established  on  several  installations 
to  provide  full-time  counseling  opportunities  by  qualified  chaplains  as  well  as  to  offer  educational 
programs  aimed  at  prevention. 

Not  all  commanders  approved  of  the  program.  Some  thought  chaplains  should  spend  all  their 
time  with  soldiers,  not  with  members  of  their  families.  One  commander  in  Panama  forcefully  opposed 
the  assignment  of  a  chaplain  to  family  life  ministry.""  He  failed  to  see  that  family  relationships  directly 
afTected  a  soldier's  morale  and  job  performance.  By  1977,  twenty-one  Family  Life  Centers  were 
located  on  installations  in  CONUS  and  "over  1 00,000  persons  were  being  impacted  by  their  ministry 
programs  every  year."'"  In  1979,  there  were  38  Family  Life  Centers,  and  nearly  70  chaplains  had 
been  trained  in  this  ministry."-  The  Chief  of  Chaplain's  goal  was  to  establish  ten  new  centers  in  FY 
1979. 

The  Army  was  beginning  to  identify  child  abuse  as  a  serious  problem,  just  as  it  was  in  civilian 
communities.  Department  of  the  Army  established  a  Child  Advocacy  Program  to  report  and  deal  with 
child  abuse.  The  Chaplaincy  supported  this  initiative  by  the  Army.  This  meant  increased  responsibility 
for  the  Family  Life  Center  Chaplains  Chaplain  Kelly  wrote: 

During  the  International  Year  of  the  Child,  as  proclaimed  by  the  United  Nations,  we 
can  capitalize  on  our  own  spiritual  heritage  to  touch  the  lives  of  people,  build  support 
systems  and  provide  proactive  and  problem  preventive  actions  through  our  family  life 
ministry."' 

Increased  emphasis  on  retreats  for  families  and  soldiers  added  a  flin  dimension  to  ministry. 
One-day  "Duty  Day  With  God"  retreats  were  held  throughout  CONUS  on  a  regular  basis.  These 
short  programs  were  generally  held  in  the  unit  area  or  in  one  of  the  installation  chapels  In  USAREUR 
and  Korea,  single  soldier  and  family  retreats  were  coordinated  by  the  command  and  conducted  in 
designated  religious  retreat  centers  In  1976  approximately  10,000  persons  attended  retreats  at 
Berchtesgaden.  Another  3,000  persons  participated  in  the  International  Pilgrimage  to  Rome."^ 


Clinical  Pastoral  Education 

Chaplain  Hyatt  had  established  a  policy  that  every  chaplain  should  complete  one  quarter  of 
Clinical  Pastoral  Education  (CPE).  Chaplain  Kelly  revoked  that  policy  when  he  became  Chief  of 
Chaplains  because  he  realized  that  not  every  chaplain  would  benefit  from  the  training.  Additionally, 
some  chaplains  opposed  CPE  training  on  theological  grounds.  Kelly  felt  that  every  chaplain  should 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


92 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

be  looked  at  individually  and  training  should  be  provided  to  help  those  interested  to  be  most  effective 
in  what  they  perceived  as  their  call  to  ministry.  Since  then,  the  Army  provided  training  only  on  a 
volunteer  and  "as  needed"  basis. 

There  was  also  a  perception  on  one  hand  that  CPE  was  the  "in"  thing  and  perhaps  a  road  to 
success.  On  the  other  hand,  CPE  chaplains  complained  that  they  were  not  being  considered  fairly  for 
promotion.  This  became  a  serious  problem  for  CPE  supervisors  who  served  in  repetitive  supervisory 
positions.  Some  commanders  did  not  understand  CPE  or  anything  that  was  not  a  part  of  the 
operations  system  and  therefore  rated  CPE  chaplains  lower  than  others."^  Several  years  of  hard  work 
by  staff  action  officers  in  OCCH,  particularly  Chaplains  Richard  Tupy  and  Henry  Hilliard,  led  to 
inclusion  of  an  appendix  in  the  Officer  Evaluation  Report  regulation  and  guidance  to  promotion 
boards  that  drew  attention  to  the  critical  need  of  this  ministry  in  the  Army. 

In  1976,  13  CPE  training  centers  operated  in  the  Army.  They  were  located  at  USACHCS, 
4  Medical  Centers  (Walter  Reed,  Brooke,  Fitzsimmons  and  Letterman),  7  CONUS  installations,  and 
one  in  USAREUR.  In  CONUS,  creative  ministry  was  being  introduced  at  Walter  Reed  Army  Medical 
Center,  by  Chaplain  Carl  Stevens.  Stevens  won  the  support  of  the  commander  and  began  working 
with  the  doctors  and  hospital  staff  to  provide  holistic  ministry  for  patients.  The  first  CPE  training  in 
USAREUR  was  held  in  September  1975,  at  the  Heidelberg  CPE  Center.  Five  students  completed  one 
unit  of  CPE  Training  Centers  were  also  established  at  Stuttgart,  Nuremburg,  and  Frankfurt,  where 
training  began  in  1976  Three  day  workshops  on  PET  were  also  conducted  throughout  USAREUR 
by  the  USAREUR  Chaplain  Counseling  Teams."* 

In  the  late  1970s,  Chaplain  Danny  Burttram  reported  to  OCCH  as  an  action  officer.  One  of 
his  major  challenges  was  to  evaluate  the  current  CPE  centers  and  determine  the  actual  training  needs 
of  the  system.  Until  his  assignment  at  OCCH,  general  supervision  was  provided  by  the  Chaplain 
School.  As  a  result  of  Burttram's  recommendations  several  centers  (including  those  at  two  Medical 
Centers)  were  closed.  The  Community  Model  CPE  became  the  main  means  for  training  chaplains  for 
other  than  hospital  ministry. 


Organizational  Development  and  Parish  Development 

Chaplains  first  used  Organizational  Development  under  Chaplain  Hyatt.  The  chaplaincy  was 
the  first  branch  in  the  Army  to  use  this  management  methodology.  Hyatt  recognized  that  chaplains 
often  avoided  administration  and  management,  yet  these  were  critical  to  making  ministry  work."' 
The  terms  Organizational  Development  and  Parish  Development  were  often  used  interchangeably 
even  though  there  was  a  different  focus  for  each 

The  effectiveness  of  the  program  caught  the  attention  of  Army  leadership  as  well  as 
commanders  in  the  field.  They  particularly  saw  the  value  in  terms  of  leadership  competencies  and  the 
team  concept.  General  Bernard  Rogers,  the  Chief  of  Staff,  saw  the  possibilities  of  OD  for  training 
officers  and  noncommissioned  officers.  He  adopted  the  program  and  renamed  it  "Organizational 
Effectiveness  (OE).""*  The  Army  established  an  OE  school  at  Fort  Ord,  California,  and  provided 
training  for  officers  and  noncommissioned  officers  for  many  years.  Chaplains  normally  served  on  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 93 

staff  and  faculty  of  the  School    Chaplains  Gaylord  Hatler  and  Cecil  Ryland  were  among  the  first  to 
be  trained  and  utilized  in  this  speciality. 


Ministries  on  the  Edge 
1975-1979 
Sinop,  Turkey:  The  Lost  Detachment 

When  Chaplain  (Major  General)  Orris  E.  Kelly  assumed  office  on  1  August  1975,  as  the 
Army's  14th  Chief  of  Chaplains,  most  of  the  attention  given  to  overseas  deployments  centered  on 
Europe  and  the  Pacific.  Yet  from  August  through  December  of  that  year  rather  dramatic  diplomatic 
initiatives  by  Secretary  of  State  Henry  Kissinger  helped  keep  Turkey,  on  the  southern  flank  of  NATO, 
securely  within  the  Western  alliance  When  Turkey  had  invaded  Cyprus  the  previous  year.  Congress 
voted  to  curtail  all  military  aid  to  Turkey.  In  retaliation,  the  Turkish  government  ordered  operations 
to  cease  on  most  of  the  American-Turkish  bases  The  American  soldiers  and  their  chaplains  at  Sinop, 
Turkey,  some  8,000  miles  away  from  the  United  States,  followed  the  developments  closely  in  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  as  the  newspapers  were  flown  in  from  Germany  For  a  week  they  felt  like  "a  lost 
detachment"  on  the  Black  Sea.  No  one  dreamed  at  the  time  that  it  would  be  eight  years  before  the 
issues  over  Cyprus,  Greece,  and  Turkey  would  finally  be  stabilized. 

President  Ford,  Senator  Mike  Mansfield,  and  Secretary  of  State  Kissinger  successfully 
persuaded  Congress  in  October  to  reconsider  its  position  on  aid  to  Turkey."'  The  terms  Congress 
set  for  the  agreement  included  allowing  Turkey  to  buy  up  to  $185  million  in  arms  "as  long  as  the 
cease  fire  in  Cyprus  held  "'""  On  December  12,  Secretary  Kissinger  and  Turkish  Foreign  Minister 
Ihsan  Sabri  reached  an  agreement  in  principle  in  Brussels  which  permitted  the  reopening  of  the  26 
joint  Turkish- American  bases.'"'  The  date  for  the  restoration  of  mission  status  for  the  bases  was  to 
be  determined  later. 


Christmas  on  the  Hill 

By  mid-December  the  people  of  Sinop  were  on  much  better  terms  with  the  soldiers  on  the  hill 
at  Diogenes  Station.  The  labor  disputes  between  the  Turkish  workers  had  been  resolved,  the  United 
States  had  agreed  to  supply  Turkey  with  arms,  and  there  was  free  movement  and  resupply  for  the 
installation.  As  a  sign  of  good  will,  the  Turkish  people  brought  30  Christmas  trees  to  the  Chapel  and 
a  truckload  of  evergreen  wreaths  to  decorate  the  post.  Christmas  dinners  were  served  in  the  town  by 
the  Mayor  of  Sinop  for  the  American  Commander,  Lt.  Col.  John  Norris,  and  his  staff.  Local  officials 
were  reciprocally  entertained  at  the  Diogenes  Station  Officers  Open  Mess  Club  (DOOM  Club)  on  the 
installation.. 

The  chapel  services  at  Christmas  featured  a  great  deal  of  cooperation  between  the  Protestant, 
Roman  Catholic,  Jewish,  and  Latter  Day  Saints  congregations.  Chaplain  Paul  Haefner,  a  Roman 
Catholic  chaplain  of  the  Franciscan  Order,  had  replaced  Chaplain  Logue,  who  was  reassigned  to  Fort 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


94 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

Hood,  Texas.  Both  of  the  Roman  Catholic  chaplains  played  key  roles  in  organizing  religious  support 
at  Sinop,  for  they  were  not  only  the  senior  chaplains,  but  also  the  personal  chaplains  for  Lt.  Col. 
Norris  who  was  Roman  Catholic 

In  order  to  present  a  special  Christmas  music  program.  Chaplain  Haefner  and  Chaplain 
Brinsfield  recruited  everyone  who  could  help  regardless  of  faith  group.  The  Christmas  choir  was 
comprised  of  Protestants,  Roman  Catholics,  Latter  Day  Saints,  and  some  soldiers  who  did  not  know 
what  they  were  The  choir  director.  Specialist  Tom  Harris,  was  Roman  Catholic.  The  pianist  was  a 
member  of  the  Jewish  congregation  who  volunteered  to  help  the  Christians  celebrate.  All  of  the 
Jewish  people  (four  in  number)  were  invited  to  the  Christmas  program,  and  all  of  the  Christians  were 
invited  to  celebrate  Hanukkah.  During  most  of  the  rehearsals  and  during  the  performance  itself,  the 
congregation  was  filled  not  only  with  American,  but  also  with  Turkish  friends  who  came  to  enjoy  the 
music. 

By  Christmas  week  the  chapel  was  fijlly  decorated.  A  cross  and  a  tablet  marked  the  door.  A 
statue  of  Mary  and  the  baby  Jesus  stood  just  inside.  Christmas  trees  lined  the  walls  and  the  front  of 
the  sanctuary.  Even  those  who  missed  their  families  came  to  the  Chapel  as  a  place  of  warmth,  love 
and  hope.  It  was  too  small  a  post  to  draw  hard  and  fast  denominational  lines;  and,  anyway,  there  was 
not  much  else  to  do. 

A  Tragedy  and  Support  on  Christmas  Eve 

Late  on  Christmas  Eve,  after  almost  everyone  except  the  MPs  had  gone  to  bed,  a  Red  Cross 
message  came  in  for  a  soldier  named  B.G.  The  Red  Cross  Officer  who  received  the  message  found 
Chaplain  Brinsfield  and  asked  him  to  notify  the  soldier  The  message  said  that  B.G.'s  wife  and  infant 
daughter  had  both  been  killed  the  night  before  in  an  automobile  accident  on  icy  roads  in  the  United 
States.  Chaplain  Brinsfield  and  Chief  Warrant  Officer  Crosson,  the  Red  Cross  Officer,  alerted  the 
pilots  at  the  nearby  airfield  for  an  emergency  flight  to  Istanbul.  Then  they  went  to  B.G.'s  barracks 
to  tell  him.  B.G.  was  in  deep  sleep,  but  after  he  understood  the  message  and  had  prayer  with  the 
chaplain,  he  went  to  the  chapel  to  try  to  call  his  in-laws  in  the  United  States.  "It  was  the  hardest  job 
I  had  to  do  in  the  chaplaincy,"  Chaplain  Brinsfield  recalled,  "for  we  walked  with  our  arms  around 
B.G.'s  shoulders  to  the  chapel,  past  the  statues  of  Mary  and  the  Infant  Jesus,  to  try  to  get  through 
on  the  phone.  B.G.  told  me  his  whole  family  was  gone.  He  was  an  orphan.  His  wife  and  daughter 
were  his  family." 

After  the  painfial  call  was  made,  B.G.,  Chaplain  Brinsfield  and  Mr.  Crosson  started  out  of  the 
chapel  to  get  a  duffel  bag  and  meet  the  pilots  for  the  flight  to  Istanbul.  There  was  about  an  inch  of 
snow  on  the  ground  and  the  night  was  totally  dark.  Nevertheless,  when  the  chapel  door  opened,  all 
of  the  soldiers  of  Detachment  4,  Diogenes  Station,  lined  both  sides  of  the  sidewalk.  They  came  to 
attention  as  B.G.  and  the  chaplain  walked  down  the  line.  Some  whispered  words  of  encouragement, 
some  saluted.  It  was  a  beautifial  tribute. 

Thirty  days  after  B.G.  left  on  emergency  leave,  he  returned  to  Sinop.  He  could  have  been 
stationed  in  the  States,  but  he  wanted  to  return  to  Diogenes  Station  because  "that's  where  my  friends 
were."  B.G.'s  courage  and  dedication  provided  a  clear  example  of  "the  stuff  our  soldiers  were  made 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 95 

of."  It  was  the  right  stuff. 


The  Women  of  the  Chapel:  Other  Ministries  of  Grace  and  Encouragement 

One  of  the  most  active  groups  in  the  chapel  at  Diogenes  Station  was  the  Women  of  the 
Chapel.  Perhaps  a  third  of  the  population  on  the  installation  was  comprised  of  female  soldiers,  and 
wives  of  civilian  contractors,  principally  from  the  Boeing  Company.  The  Women  of  the  Chapel  met 
weekly  to  sponsor  the  two  Turkish  orphanages,  plan  chapel  dinners,  recruit  people  for  religious 
retreats  and  tours  throughout  Turkey,  and  perform  other  ministries  involving  the  Chapel  Council,  the 
choirs,  and  worship.  Mrs.  Lois  Cole,  a  Boeing  spouse,  was  the  President. 

During  a  visit  to  the  Girls'  Orphanage  in  downtown  Sinop,  some  of  the  Protestant  women 
noticed  the  Turkish  children  slept  in  large  rooms  with  the  windows  open  and  with  but  one  blanket 
for  each  two  girls.  Even  though  the  girls  slept  together,  the  women  were  sure  they  must  be  cold. 
There  were  frequent  gale  winds  from  the  Russian  side  of  the  Black  Sea  which  blew  directly  against 
the  buildings  of  Sinop.  Plainly,  the  girls  needed  more  blankets. 

At  the  next  Chapel  Council  meeting  a  series  of  special  offerings  and  fund  raising  projects  were 
proposed  and  approved  to  buy  the  orphans  more  blankets.  The  Post  Exchange  fiarnished  all  the 
blankets  they  had  at  the  cheapest  price.  After  three  weeks  the  Women  of  the  Chapel  had  purchased 
30  blankets.  The  blankets  were  delivered  to  the  directors  of  the  two  orphanages  who  received  them 
with  polite,  but  puzzled  thanks. 

On  the  next  trip  downtown  the  women  visited  the  orphanages  to  see  how  the  children  were 
doing.  The  blankets  were  in  a  closet.  The  children  still  had  only  one  blanket  for  each  bed.  When 
asked  to  explain,  the  director  said  proudly,  "You  see  we  have  children  who  become  close  brothers 
and  sisters  even  though  they  have  no  real  family  here.  If  they  share  everything  including  their  blankets, 
they  must  think  of  their  brother  or  sister  as  they  think  of  themselves.  Also,  the  air  is  good  for  them. 
They  have  no  sickness."  The  Chapel  Council  and  the  chaplain  learned  a  great  deal  from  the 
Orphanage  Project. 


An  Unusual  Ministry  for  Turkish  Families 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Norris  was  anxious  to  extend  every  courtesy  to  the  Turkish  people  since 
part  of  his  mission  was  to  work  harmoniously  with  allies.  One  day  in  the  Spring  of  1976  a  Turkish 
man  came  to  Diogenes  Station  asking  for  a  priest  and  an  American  doctor  to  come  to  his  home  and 
removed  a  spell  which  he  thought  had  been  placed  on  his  daughter  She  had  become  paralyzed,  he 
said,  and  must  have  an  evil  spirit.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Norris  approved  the  request.  Chaplain 
Brinsfield  was  the  only  chaplain  on  post  so  he  and  Captain  Robert  Love,  the  Army  doctor,  rode  down 
into  the  village  to  see  the  man's  daughter.  Fortunately,  they  took  an  interpreter.  Chaplain  Brinsfield 
also  took  some  candles,  a  cross,  incense,  a  big  Bible,  a  robe,  and  a  prayer  book.  Although  he  was  not 
accustomed,  as  a  United  Methodist,  to  conduct  exorcisms,  neither  was  he  forbidden  to  try  somehow 


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96 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

to  heal  the  woman's  spirit.  Had  Chaplain  Brinsfield  been  more  experienced,  it  is  doubtful  that  he 
would  have  even  remotely  considered  such  an  attempt 

When  Dr.  Love  and  Chaplain  Brinsfield  reached  the  home,  they  found  ten  or  twelve  family 
members  and  neighbors  around  the  cot.  The  woman,  about  30  years  of  age,  refijsed  to  open  her  eyes. 
She  was  ftiUy  clothed  but  had  not  gotten  up  in  two  days.  Her  mother  told  the  interpreter  that  she  had 
gone  to  bed  when  her  father  forbade  her  to  marry  and  leave  home.  After  Dr.  Love  took  her  blood 
pressure  and  temperature,  he  decided  that  she  was  possibly  throwing  a  tantrum.  Accordingly,  he  told 
the  family  he  could  not  do  any  more  unless  she  could  be  transported  to  the  Diogenes  Clinic  for  blood 
tests. 

Next  it  was  Chaplain  Brinsfield's  turn  Given  the  circumstances  of  her  "illness"  and  recalling 
that  devout  Muslims  believe  that  Allah's  will  is  irresistible.  Chaplain  Brinsfield  set  up  a  big  brass  cross, 
put  on  a  black  robe,  set  fire  to  the  incense,  read  from  the  Prayer  Book  and  the  Bible,  spent  several 
moments  in  silent  (and  sincere)  prayer  for  the  woman,  her  family,  and  for  Dr  Love  and  himself  if 
anything  went  wrong.  He  told  the  interpreter  to  say  in  a  loud  voice,  "Woman,  Allah  wills  you  to  be 
happy!!!"  With  that,  the  exorcism  was  over.  The  woman  did  not  move,  but  the  Turkish  father  seemed 
very  thankfijl  and  pensive.  It  seems  that  it  was  not  the  daughter's  spirit  that  was  changed,  but  rather 
the  father's  Dr.  Love  and  Chaplain  Brinsfield  returned  to  their  "regular"  duties  with  the  hope  that 
things  would  turn  out  for  the  best. 

Two  days  later  the  Turkish  interpreter  brought  a  message  fi'om  the  town.  The  stricken  woman 
had  fully  recovered  after  her  father  promised  to  let  her  get  married.  When  Lt.  Col.  Norris  was  briefed 
on  all  that  had  take  place,  he  looked  at  Dr.  Love  and  Chaplain  Brinsfield  and  said  with  a  grin,  "I  had 
heard  that  the  people  in  Sinop  held  our  doctor  in  high  esteem.  Now  it  appears  they  have  added  our 
chaplains  to  their  list.  Thanks,  guys!"'" 


Athletics  and  a  Revival  for  Jesus 

As  the  summer  of  1976  approached,  many  of  the  soldiers  began  to  get  more  restless.  They 
had  been  sitting  "on  the  hill"  for  almost  a  year,  suffered  through  water  and  food  shortages,  irregular 
mail  deliveries  and  boredom.  A  renewed  interest  in  the  consumption  of  alcohol  was  creating  discipline 
problems.  At  one  time  there  were  at  least  nine  bars  set  up  in  the  clubs  and  in  the  barracks. 

Several  constructive  alternatives  were  proposed  to  the  Commander  by  the  Morale  Support 
Officer  and  the  Post  Chaplain.  For  some  reason,  Morale  Support  had  received  hundreds  of  colorfijl 
windbreakers  to  give  away  as  prizes  to  the  soldiers.  Therefore,  a  series  of  tournaments  featuring  a 
wide  range  of  competitive,  but  healthy,  sports  seemed  in  order.  The  Chapel  community  sponsored 
one  team,  the  Officers  Club  sponsored  another,  and  the  various  work  sections  sponsored  others. 
Activities  included  tennis,  basketball,  racquetball,  volleyball,  chess,  checkers,  soccer,  and  track.  The 
chapel  also  opened  a  coffee  house  with  freshly  baked  cookies  provided  by  one  of  the  female  chaplain 
assistants. 

The  highlight  of  the  sports  season  was  a  touch  football  tournament  The  DOOM  Club 
recruited  the  most  players,  including  an  excellent  pass  receiver.  The  Chapel  recruited  mostly  MPs  and 


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THE  KELLY  YEARS 97 

Navy  detachment  personnel  When  time  ran  out,  the  score  was  tied,  but  the  decision  was  given  to  the 
DOOM  Club  because  the  Chapel  had  committed  too  many  penalties! 

On  the  spiritual  side,  the  Chapel  Council  sponsored  a  revival  complete  with  altar  calls  and  any 
"old  familiar  hymns."  The  principle  text  for  the  week-long  meeting  was,  "You  must  be  born  again  " 
Sergeant  Jim  Little,  an  ordained  Lutheran  pastor,  shared  the  services  with  Chaplain  Brinsfield.'^^ 
Many  of  the  soldiers  enjoyed  the  experience  of  a  revival  on  an  isolated  site.  Five  MPs  were  baptized 
in  the  Black  Sea  in  a  reaffirmation  of  faith  ''^ 


Diplomatic  Fixes:  Turkey  Remains  in  NATO 

At  the  end  of  the  summer  of  1976,  replacements  arrived  for  both  Protestant  and  Catholic 
chaplains.  Most  of  the  soldiers  who  had  served  through  the  long,  hot  summer  of  1974,  and  winter  of 
1975,  left  before  or  with  the  chaplains. 

Negotiations  between  the  United  States  and  the  Republic  of  Turkey  dragged  on  for  3  years 
until  Sinop  was  restored  to  fijll  mission  status  in  1978.  In  Washington,  President  Gerald  Ford 
presided  over  the  200th  anniversary  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  While  soldiers  who  served 
at  Sinop  did  not  know  much  about  the  celebration  until  mail  finally  came,  they  had  performed 
exceptionally  meritorious  duty  for  their  country —  a  fitting  200th  Birthday  gift.  The  7,000  American 
military  personnel  in  Turkey  had  stood  watch  while  the  diplomats  repaired  the  NATO  alliance  and 
relationships  with  some  key  allies.  Like  their  counterparts  in  Korea,  Panama,  and  West  Germany,  they 
learned  the  meaning  of  "selfless  service."  Without  exception,  the  chaplains  who  were  there  said  it  was 
a  blessing  and  a  privilege  to  serve  with  them. 


Deaths  in  Guyana: 
Ministry  to  Medical  Personnel 

Chaplain  Terry  Dempsey  was  still  very  new  to  the  Army  when  he  reported  to  his  assignment 
with  the  44th  Medical  Brigade  at  Fort  Bragg,  North  Carolina,  in  June  of  1978.  He  knew  that  the 
medics  were  always  subject  to  deployment,  but  neither  he  nor  they  were  prepared  for  the  mission  they 
would  be  given  in  Jonestown,  Guyana,  just  before  Thanksgiving 

The  Reverend  Jim  Jones,  leader  of  the  People's  Temple,  had  moved  400  members  of  his 
congregation  fi^om  San  Francisco  to  a  remote  village  site  in  Guyana,  a  nation  on  the  northeast  coast 
of  South  America,  in  1977.'-'  The  People's  Temple,  with  a  total  aggregate  membership  of  10,000 
people,  had  been  active  not  only  in  evangelical  programs,  but,  according  to  reports  in  The  New  York 
Times,  had  been  active  in  Marxist  political  activism  as  well.'^*"  Indeed,  Mr.  Jones  viewed  Mao  Tse- 
tung  as  one  of  his  principal  heroes.'-' 

Ministering  to  many  economically  disadvantaged  families  in  the  Fillmore  section  of  San 
Francisco,  Jim  Jones  seemed  to  be  a  religious  and  political  messiah.  With  "hypnotic  charisma,"  Jones 
was  skillfijl  at  mobilizing  his  congregation  to  protest,  to  picket,  or  to  vote  as  a  bloc  on  many 


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98 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

municipal  issues.''* 

In  the  summer  of  1977,  however.  New  West  Magazine  printed  an  attack  on  Mr.  Jones, 
charging  that  he  "performed  spurious  miracles  that  were  outright  trickery,  that  physical  and  mental 
anguish  were  used  to  enforce  compliance  with  his  orders  and  that  members  were  encouraged  to  turn 
over  all  they  owned  to  the  Temple."''^  Mr  Jones  denied  all  these  allegations  The  District 
Attorney's  Oflfice  in  San  Francisco  could  find  no  chargeable  offenses,  but  almost  immediately  Mr. 
Jones  and  1,000  of  his  parishioners  applied  for  passports.'^"  The  Temple  was  moving  to  Guyana. 

After  more  than  400  of  these  people  had  departed,  and  after  8  months  with  but  a  few  letters 
to  their  relatives  in  the  United  States,  U.S.  Representative  Leo  J  Ryan  decided  to  make  a  trip  to 
South  America  to  inspect  the  village  of  "Jonestown."'"  On  November  19,  1978,  Mr.  Ryan  flew  to 
Georgetown,  the  capitol  of  Guyana,  where  he  met  with  Richard  Dwyer,  the  second  highest  official 
in  the  U.S.  Embassy.  Mr  Dwyer,  Mr.  Ryan,  and  17  staff  members  then  flew  to  Port  Kaltura  where 
they  got  a  truck  to  take  them  to  Jonestown. 

Met  by  Jim  Jones  and  assured  that  all  was  in  order,  Mr.  Ryan  and  his  party  toured  the 
commune  that  afternoon.  As  they  were  preparing  to  leave,  with  nine  sect  members  who  wanted  to 
go  with  them,  a  man  with  a  knife  rushed  toward  Mr.  Ryan  and  put  the  knife  to  his  throat.  The 
assailant  was  disarmed  by  Mr.  Ryan's  aides,  but  then  there  was  a  rush  by  the  diplomatic  party  to 
reach  the  airstrip  at  Port  Kaltura  as  more  hostile  sect  members  appeared 

As  the  group  of  28  arrived  at  the  airfield,  their  two  small  charter  planes  were  blocked  by  a 
flat-top  trailer  truck  pulled  by  a  tractor  from  the  Jonestown  commune.  As  the  party  began  boarding 
the  planes,  one  of  the  sect  members  accompanying  them  pulled  out  a  pistol  and  began  firing  into  the 
group.  More  armed  men  jumped  from  the  trailer-truck  and  began  firing.  The  tires  on  one  plane  were 
shot  out  and  flattened  Representative  Ryan  was  shot  in  the  face  and  killed  Four  other  staff" 
members  were  murdered,  and  nine  wounded  before  the  second  plane,  loaded  with  terrified  people, 
was  able  to  take  off"'" 

The  Guyanese  Government  promised  a  fijll  investigation  and  expressed  regret  over  the 
incident.  The  next  message,  however,  called  for  support  from  the  United  States.  One  settler  from 
Jonestown  had  walked  30  miles  to  report  a  mass  suicide  of  at  least  200  people  in  the  village. '^^ 

At  Fort  Bragg  the  44th  Medical  Brigade  was  alerted  on  November  2 1  to  prepare  for  a  medical 
support  mission  in  South  America  involving  US  citizens.  The  status  of  security  in  the  village  of 
Jonestown  was  unknown  It  would  be  assumed  that  there  were  men  in  the  woods  near  the  settlement 
who  were  armed  and  fanatically  dangerous.'^"* 

The  soldiers  of  the  44th  were  not  graves  registrafion  personnel,  nor  were  they  combat  troops. 
There  was  concern  among  the  medics,  as  they  prepared  to  depart,  that  they  might  be  under  fire  while 
they  were  trying  to  save  an  unknown  number  of  injured  American  citizens 

With  the  arrival  of  the  order  to  execute  the  mission,  the  soldiers  began  boarding  three  planes 
at  Green  Ramp,  the  site  for  deployments  at  Pope  Air  Force  Base  near  Fort  Bragg.  Chaplain  Demp.sey 
was  on  the  third  plane  which  developed  engine  trouble  and  was  forced  to  shut  down.  The  medics 
would  go  to  Jonestown  without  their  chaplain 

In  addition  to  his  frustration  at  being  left  behind.  Chaplain  Dempsey  was  concerned  about  the 
welfare  of  his  troops.  He  resolved  never  again  to  miss  a  chance  to  be  on  the  lead  plane. 


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THE  KELLY  YEARS 99 

For  a  week  the  medical  personnel  stayed  in  Jonestown  placing  bodies  in  body  bags.  There 
was  no  ambush,  but  more  than  300  people,  including  women  and  children,  had  committed  suicide 
rather  than  submit  to  whatever  imaginary  threat  Jim  Jones  had  persuaded  them  to  believe.  Poison  had 
been  placed  in  paper  cups  and  consumed  with  a  cheap  truit  punch.  Mothers  had  given  the  concoction 
to  their  children  first,  then  taken  the  rest  themselves.  Bodies  left  for  hours  in  the  sun  were  black  and 
bloated.  The  stench  was  everywhere 

When  the  medics  returned  to  Fort  Bragg,  Chaplain  Dempsey  visited  each  soldier  daily  to  help 
them  process  their  feelings  Horrible  experiences  bottled  up  inside  often  spelled  trouble  for  soldiers 
later  The  troops  spoke  of  finding  not  Bibles  but  Soviet  propaganda  in  Jonestown.  There  were 
decaying  bodies  of  children  and  babies  which  tore  at  the  hearts  of  the  soldiers  who  were  fathers. 
Chaplain  Dempsey  listened  to  every  word,  prayed  with  the  troops,  and  in  some  cases  formed  groups 
to  share  intentionally  their  experiences  and  their  support  for  one  another. 

Chaplain  Paul  H.  Vruwink,  the  1  st  Corps  Support  Command  Chaplain  at  Fort  Bragg,  and 
Chaplain  Philip  Silverstein,  the  Jewish  Chaplain,  lent  their  support.  Eventually  fewer  soldiers  needed 
to  talk;  the  nightmares  went  away.  Prayer,  presence,  and  time  had  done  their  healing  work  with  those 
who  had  performed  this  mission  of  sadness  and  mercy. 


Black  Gold: 

North  to  Alaska 

1977-1978 

Alaska,  called  "the  last  frontier"  in  America,  was  a  land  of  great  extremes;  first  among  the 
states  in  area,  last  in  population,  coldest  state  in  winter  and  potentially  richest  in  mineral  resources. 
One  of  the  nation's  biggest  bargains  since  1867  when  Secretary  of  State  William  H.  Seward  purchased 
it  from  Russia  at  less  than  two  cents  per  acre,  Alaska  a  hundred  years  later  was  a  region  of  gold, 
grizzlies,  and  oil."' 

Construction  on  the  $4  5  billion  Trans-Alaska  pipeline  project,  first  proposed  in  1969,  was 
finally  begun  in  1974  In  June  1977  oil  began  to  flow  from  Prundhow  Bay  on  the  Arctic  Ocean 
through  the  799-mile,  48  inch  hot-oil  pipeline  to  the  Gulf  of  Alaska  port  of  Valdez.'""  With  elevated 
prices  for  oil  in  1977,  Alaska  was  enjoying  an  economic  boom.  The  pipeline  was  a  state  and  national 
asset. 

The  mission  of  the  1 72nd  Infantry  Brigade,  whose  Deputy  Commander  was  Colonel  H. 
Norman  Schwarzkopf,  was  to  defend  Alaska  and  most  particularly  the  oil  pipeline.'"  The  4,500 
soldiers  of  the  1 72nd,  known  as  the  "Snowhawks,"  trained  in  the  winter  to  fight  as  ski  troops,  in  the 
summer  as  mountain  troops.  One  of  their  most  famous  yearly  exercises  usually  took  place  in 
February  and  was  entitled  appropriately,  "Operation  Jack  Frost.""* 

The  defense  of  Alaska,  as  conceptualized,  involved  more  than  one  infantry  brigade,  of 
course."'  The  Joint  U.S.  Alaska  Command,  headquartered  at  Fort  Richardson  near  Anchorage,  was 
commanded  by  a  lieutenant  general.  The  position  was  usually  filled  by  the  Air  Force  or  by  the  Army. 
The  land  force,  commanded  in  1977  by  Brigadier  General  Otis  Lynn,  was  U.S.  Army  Alaska 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


100 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

(USARAL)  and  had  its  command  headquarters  at  Fort  Richardson  as  well."''*'  Army  units  were  posted 
at  Forts  Richardson,  Wainwright  (near  Anchorage),  and  Greely  (at  Delta  Junction). 

Religious  support  for  the  soldiers  and  family  members  in  Alaska  was  managed  and 
coordinated  as  in  other  major  commands  (MACOMs)  Chaplain  Robert  B.  Howerton  was  the  US 
Army  Alaska  Command  Chaplain,  succeeded  by  Chaplain  Trevor  Turner  in  1978.  The  MACOM 
Chaplain's  Office  was  at  Fort  Richardson,  which  was  staffed  for  direct  religious  support  of  that 
installation  by  the  garrison  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  Among  the  chaplains  at  Fort 
Richardson,  supporting  the  MACOM  and  garrison  soldiers,  were  Chaplains  Irwin  Loud  (Methodist), 
David  Peterson  (Presbyterian),  John  Sittler  (Lutheran),  Leonard  Lee  (Baptist),  and  Martin  Fleming 
(Roman  Catholic).'^'  At  Fort  Wainwright,  over  the  course  of  two  years.  Chaplains  Clement 
Marcantonio  (Roman  Catholic),  Jimmy  L.  Young  (Methodist),  Don  L.  Gardella  (United  Church  of 
Christ)  and  Andrew  A.  Shimek  (Roman  Catholic)  covered  the  pluralistic  religious  needs  of  the 
garrison  and  particularly  of  the  222nd  Aviation  Company,  which  frequently  had  difficult  and 
dangerous  missions  flying  in  Alaska's  weather 

Fort  Greely,  technically  a  sub-post  of  Fort  Richardson,  was  the  home  of  the  172nd  Infantry 
Brigade  when  it  was  in  the  field  With  approximately  700  soldiers  and  400  military  families.  Fort 
Greely  was  105  miles  from  Fairbanks.  Located  at  Fort  Greely  were  the  Northern  Warfare  Training 
Center  (NWTC),  a  FORSCOM  activity  training  soldiers  to  operate  and  survive  in  Arctic  conditions, 
and  the  Arctic  Regions  Test  Center,  an  Army  Material  Command  activity,  which  tested  equipment 
such  as  the  Apache  helicopter  and  the  Multiple  Launch  Rocket  System  (MLRS)  for  dependability  in 
temperatures  of -40  and  -50  degrees  Fahrenheit. 

Support  for  the  soldiers  and  family  members  was  provided  at  Fort  Greely  by  a  small  garrison 
which  included  two  doctors,  two  dentists,  two  chaplains  and  one  JAG  officer  for  legal  matters. 
Chaplain  William  L.  Hufham  was  the  Protestant  chaplain,  and  Chaplains  Ken  J  Gilly  and  Alfred  S. 
Arvay  were  the  Roman  Catholic  chaplains  for  the  172nd  Brigade  from  1976-1978.'" 

The  religious  program  at  Fort  Greely  was  well  attended  by  the  command,  soldiers,  and 
families.  The  post  chapel  seated  350  people  and  supported  a  Protestant  congregation  of 
approximately  250  active  parishioners,  a  slightly  larger  Catholic  congregation,  and  a  combined  choir 
(at  times)  of  70  choir  members.  Jewish  support  for  holy  days  was  provided  from  Fort  Lewis, 
Washington. 

In  addition  to  the  worship  services,  choir  ministry,  Sunday  Schools,  and  Christian  women's 
and  men's  groups,  there  was  a  Soldier  Fellowship  scheduled  each  Friday  night  to  offset  the 
temptation  by  many  soldiers  in  the  remote  and  lonely  area  to  spend  the  evening  at  a  bar.  Chaplain 
Gilly  covered  many  of  the  field  exercises  conducted  by  the  172nd  Brigade,  while  Chaplain  Hufham 
provided  services  and  counseling  support  for  the  Test  Center  and  for  the  Northern  Warfare  Training 
Center  (NWTC).''*''  While  ministering  to  the  soldiers  in  the  NWTC,  Chaplain  Hufham  took  and 
passed  the  training  courses  in  winter  survival,  river  crossing,  glacier  traverse  techniques,  and 
mountain  climbing.''" 

The  dangers  of  living  in  Alaska  without  common  sense  survival  preparation  were  apparent 
daily.  Armored  vehicles  attempting  to  cross  rivers  on  ice  bridges  occasionally  fell  through  the  ice, 
drowning  some  soldiers  and  creating  serious  frostbite  for  others.  Avalanches  buried  troops  on  skis. 


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THE  KELLY  YEARS 101 

Aircraft  crashed  into  snow-covered  mountains  and  were  lost  until  the  Spring  thaw.  Drivers  ran  out 
of  gasoline  and  froze  to  death  in  their  vehicles.  Airborne  Rangers  from  Fort  Stewart,  Georgia,  while 
jumping  into  training  areas,  suffered  broken  legs  when  they  hit  the  perma  frost.  Even  at  the  Fort 
Greely  dump,  aggressive  black  and  grizzly  bears  could  be  a  hazard.'^' 

In  general,  however,  most  soldiers  found  their  tours  challenging  and  interesting.  Chief  of 
Chaplains  Orris  E.  Kelly,  Deputy  Chief  Thaddeus  Malanowski,  and  FORSCOM  Staff  Chaplain  Kermit 
D.  Johnson,  who  visited  Alaska  in  1977-78,  found  morale  high. 

Life  for  ministry  team  members  was  very  similar  to  that  of  frontier  preachers  a  hundred  years 
before  In  addition  to  their  normal  religious  support  duties,  many  chaplains  and  assistants  voluntarily 
assumed  jobs  to  make  positive  contributions  to  the  quality  of  life  at  their  posts.  Chaplain  William 
Hufham  at  Fort  Greely  was  the  Scoutmaster  and,  with  his  wife's  help,  supported  the  Bowling  League, 
the  Little  League  Baseball  Program,  and  the  activities  at  the  Youth  Recreation  Center  For  all  of  his 
work  beyond  normal  duty  requirements.  Chaplain  Hufham  was  named  military  "Man  of  the  Year"  for 
Alaska  in  1978  by  the  Commander,  U.S.  Army  Alaska.'''*  Such  efforts  were  always  commendable, 
but  they  also  underscored  the  valuable  assets  commanders  had  in  their  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant 
teams  in  support  of  soldiers  and  family  members  in  remote  locations. 


Retirement  and  Tribute: 
Realizing  the  Best  of  Times 

After  many  years  of  fruitful  ministry.  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly  retired  as  Chief  of  Chaplains  on 
June  30,  1979.  His  successor.  Chaplain  (Major  General)  Kermit  D.  Johnson  wrote  the  following 
tribute  to  Chaplain  Kelly: 

Chaplain  Kelly's  contributions  to  the  Army  and  the  chaplaincy  will  long  be 
remembered.  We  will  associate  his  name  with  the  Professional  Development  Plan, 
Management  by  Objectives  for  Results,  Family  Life  Centers,  Staff  and  Parish 
Development,  Division  Restructuring,  Phase  III  Basic  Chaplain  Training,  and 
Affrrmative  Action  and  Minority  Recruiting  This  partial  list  serves  to  remind  us  not 
only  of  his  leadership,  but  of  him  as  a  person,  his  sincerity,  warmth  and  openness.  He 
has  set  for  us  an  example  for  our  ministry  individually  and  together.'*^ 

Chaplain  Kelly  himself  was  optimistic  both  for  his  own  future  ministry  with  the  Division  of  Chaplains 
of  the  United  Methodist  Church  as  well  as  for  the  Army  Chaplaincy  as  a  whole.  He  noted  in  a 
forward  entitled,  "The  Best  and  the  Worst  of  Times,"  which  appeared  in  the  fall  issue  of  theM///7ary 
Chaplains  Review  : 

By  maintaining  our  trust  in  God  and  each  other,  by  cherishing  the  vision  of  what  we 
are  capable  of  becoming  and  by  cherishing  the  development  of  the  same  in  others,  by 
enjoying  life  long  intellectual  and  spiritual  growth,  by  cultivating  the  capacity  to  feel 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


102  THE  KELLY  YEARS 

and  express  love  and  joy,  tragedy  and  grief,  and  by  viewing  humanity  as  one  while 
respecting  diversity... tomorrow  [we]  might  be  able  to  say.  These  are  the  best  of 
times. '^* 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 103 

ENDNOTES 

1 .  Department  of  the  Army,  Historical  Summary  Fiscal  Year  1976,  (Washington,  DC:  1977), 
p5 

2.  Department  of  the  Army,  Historical  Summary  Fiscal  Year  1979,  (Washington,  DC:  1979), 
p5 

3.  John  L    Romjue,  Susan  Cadedy  and  Anne  W    Chapman,  Prepare  the  Army  for  War:  A 
Historical  Overview  of  the  Army  Training  and  Doctrine  Command  1973-1993,  (Fort  Monroe, 
Virginia:  1993),  p  7. 

4.  Ibid,  p.23. 

5.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Wayne  Kuehne,  June  16,  1995. 

6.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Joseph  Stock  (Ret),  November  15,  1994. 

7.  "The  Challenges  of  the  Chaplaincy",  by  General  Bernard  W.  Rogers,  Military  Chaplains 
/?fV7eH',  Fall  1977,  p.l-fF 

8.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains'  Historical  Review  1975-76,  p.  1 . 

9.  Ibid.,p.S 
\0  Ibid 

11.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Orris  E.  Kelly,  USA  retired,  March  30,  1994. 
n.Ihid 

13.  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  January  1,  1977,  p. 29. 

14.  Oral  Interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

15.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Historical  Review  1978-1979,  p.  19. 

16.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

17.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains //w/o/-/ca/7?ev/w  1975-1976,  p.22. 

1 8.  Joseph  H.   Beasley,  Implication  of  Teaching  Ethics:  The  West  Point  Experience,  (University 
of  North  Carolina  -  Chapel  Hill,  Ph.D.  Dissertation,  1985),  p.214. 

19.  Telephone  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Edward  O'Shea,  Fernandina  Beach,  Florida,  17  July 
1995.  Note:  Chaplain  Kriete  was  assigned  to  the  non-resident  Strategic  Studies  faculty.  Chaplain 


104 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

O'Shea  the  Personnel  Management  faculty  from  1977  -  1979. 

20. /A/cy.,p.23. 

2L  Lee  Suk  Bok,  The  Impact  of  US  Forces  in  Korea  (Washington,  D.C.:  National  Defense 
University  Press,  1987),  p.69. 

22.  U.S.  Forces  Korea,  Annual  Historical  Report,  1976-77,  p.  9    Declassified  December  31, 
1985.  Copy  in  the  Center  for  Military  History. 

23.  Lee  Suk  Bok,  Op.  cit.,  p.  69. 

24.  US  Forces  Korea,  Annual  Historical  Report,  1966-67,  p.  12.  Declassified  December  31,  1985. 

25.  US  Forces  Korea,  Annual  Historical  Report,  1976-77,  p   13. 

26.  Ibid. 

27.  JhiJ,  p.  15. 
2S./hiJ.,p.\6. 

29.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Robert  Hutcherson,  letter  to  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  January  24, 
1995.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

30.  Ibid 

31.  US  Forces  Korea,  Annual  Historical  Report,  1976-77,  p  15. 

32.  Ibid.,  p. \S 

33.  Ibid 

34.  Lee  Suk  Bok,  Op.cit.,  p.69. 

35.  Ibid.,  pp.69-70 

36  Chaplain  Hutcherson,  letter  to  Chaplain  Brinsfield,  January  24,  1995. 

37.  Ibid. 

38.  Ibid 

39.  Chief  of  Chaplains  Historical  Review  1978-1979,  p.  16. 

40.  Ibid,  p. U. 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 105 

4L  Ihid.^pAl. 

42.  Chief  of  Chaplains  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  1976,  p. 21. 

43.  Chief  of  Chaplains  Historical  Review  1975-1976,  p.27. 

44  Chief  of  Chaplains  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  1979,  p.l  1. 

45  Chief  of  Chaplains  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  1976,  p.22. 

46  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

47  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Historical  Review,  1975-1976,  p. 16 

48.  Ibid 

49.  Ibid,  p. \6. 

50.  Chief  of  Chaplains  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  1977,  p.  24. 

51 .  Oral  interview  with  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994 

52  In  later  years  this  action  came  to  be  known  as  "The  Midnight  Move"  of  the  Chaplain  School. 

53.  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  July  1,  1976,  p. 34. 

54.  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  January  1,  1978,  p.22. 

55.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

56.  Chief  of  Chaplains  Historical  Review  1975-76,  p.  44 

57.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

58  West  Point  graduates  who  have  served  in  the  Army  as  chaplains  include  Martin  Parks,  Curry 
Vaughn,  Thomas  McMinn,  Ed  Manning,  Colin  Kelly  III,  Samuel  Lamback,  Kermit  Johnson,  Scott 
Davies,  Michael  Raymo,  Charies  Debney  and  George  Pejakovich.  Chaplain  Joseph  Beasley 
taught  history  for  9  years.  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield  taught  history  there  for  4  years    Bishop 
Leonidas  Polk  was  a  graduate  but  served  later  as  a  Confederate  general. 

59.  Ibid   Chaplain  (Lt.  Col )  Marc  Abramowitz  raised  the  fijnds  for  the  Jewish  Chapel  at  West 
Point  in  the  early  1980's  and  was  the  Jewish  Chaplain  at  the  time  it  was  completed.  Chaplain 
Abramowitz  was  promoted  to  Colonel  before  his  retirement. 

60.  Ibid 


106 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

6L  Letter  from  Terence  Cardinal  Cooke,  Military  Vicar,  to  Catholic  Chaplains,  May  23,  1978. 
Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

62.  Letter  from  Archbishop  Joseph  T    Ryan,  to  Catholic  Chaplains,  November  8,  1978. 

63.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

64.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne,  December  16,  1993. 

65.  USAREUR  Chaplain  Annual  Historical  Review,  1977,  p. 402. 

66.  Chief  of  Chaplains  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  January  1,  1978,  p. 26-27. 

67.  Chief  of  Chaplains  Historical  Review  1975-1976,  p. 65. 

68  Chief  of  Chaplains  Active  Duty  Fact  Book  July  1,  1976,  p.  20. 

69.  USAREUR  Chaplain  Annual  Historical  Review,  1970-80,  p.  3 18. 

70.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gary  Councell,  Resourcing  the  Chaplaincy  in  the  Post-Vietnam  Years  1973 
thru  1993,  unpublished  directed  Army  War  College  Study,  p.  13. 

71.  Ihid.,p.\5. 

72  Change  of  Fiscal  year  from  July  1  to  October  1  (one  extra  quarter  in  1976) 

73.  Councell,  p.  D-1. 

74.  Parker  C.   Thompson,  Prom  Its  European  Antecedents  to  1791,  The  United  Slates  Army 
Chaplaincy,  (Washington,  D.C.:  Department  of  the  Army,  1978),  p. 207. 

75  Councell,  p. 35. 

76.  Ihid.,  p  36. 

77.  Ibid,  p.\9. 

78.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Harold  Lamm,  November  10,  1994. 

79.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

80  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Historical  Review  October  1.  1978  -  September  30,  1979, 
p.l5. 

81 .  Chief  of  Chaplains  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  January  1,  1978,  p.  8. 

82.  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Annual  Historical  Review,  1978-1979,  p.24. 


THE  KELLY  YEARS ^ 

83.  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Active  Duty  Fact  Boot:,  July  1979,  p.  16. 

84.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

85.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Historical  Review,  1975-76,  p.28. 

86.  Ibtd.,  p.33. 

87.  Ibid.,  p. 34. 

88  Oral  interview  with  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

89.  After  Action  Report,  "Future  Ministries  Conference,"  1977,  p.  1 .  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps 
Archives. 

90.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Historical  Review,  October  76  -  September  77,  p  15. 
91./A/£/.,p.24. 

92.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 
97,.  Ibid. 

94.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Historical  Review,  1975-76,  p.  19. 

95.  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Planning  Guidance,  FY  1978,  HQDA,  p.l. 

96.  Ibid 

97.  Ibid.,  pp.  111-6-111-7. 

98.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

99.  Ibid 

100  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Historical  Review,  1975-76,  p.24. 

101 .  Letter  from  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly  to  General  William  E.  DePuy,  DACH-PPD,  September 
7,  1976 

102.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Historical  Review,  1978-79,  p.  5 1-52. 
103.//)/6/.,p.52. 

104.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

105.  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  January  1,  1978,  p.23. 


108 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

106.  Roy  Mathis,  "The  'Seven  Echo'  Chaplain,"  Military  Chaplains  Review^  Summer  1978,  p. 94. 

107.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Historical  Review,  October  1978  -  September  1979,  p.  13. 

108.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

109.  Ibid. 
WO  /hid 
111  /hid 

1 12.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Historical  Review,  October  68  -  September  79,  p.  54. 

\\3  /hid.  p  55. 

1 14  USAREUR  Annual  Report,  1978,  p.387. 

115.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

1 16  USAREUR  Annual  Report,  1978,  p  385.  Copy  in  the  Center  for  Military  History. 

117.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Orris  E.  Kelly,  March  30,  1994. 

WS./hid 

119.  The  New  York  Times,  August  21,  1975,  as  cited  in  The  New  York  Times  Index,  1975,  p. 2471. 

120.  The  New  York  Times,  October  2,  1975,  as  cited  in  The  New  York  Times  Index,  1975,  p.2472. 

121.  I  he  New  York  Times,  December  12,  1975,  as  cited  in  The  New  York  Times  Index,  1975, 
p.2472. 

122.  Personal  memoirs  of  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield,  Protestant  Chaplain,  Sinop,  Turkey,  1975-76. 

123.  A  few  years  later  Chaplain  James  Little  came  on  active  duty  as  an  Army  Chaplain. 

124.  Note:  Baptisms  in  the  Black  Sea  seem  to  have  a  tradition  stretching  back  almost  2,000  years 
to  the  story  of  St.  Andrew's  baptisms  during  his  missions  to  Asia  Minor  (Turkey)  and  perhaps  to 
Scythia  (Russia).  Many  of  the  Army  chaplains  assigned  to  Diogenes  Station,  including  Chaplains 
John  Brinsfield  and  John  Stake,  continued  the  tradition  by  baptizing  Army,  Navy  and  Air  Force 
personnel  by  immersion  on  the  "American  beach"  near  the  installation. 

125.  The  New  York  Times,  November  20,  1978,  p.  A- 17. 
U6.  Ibid. 


THE  KELLY  YEARS 109 

127.  Ibid. 

128.  Ibid. 
\29. Ibid 
130.  Ibid 
\3\  Ibid 

132.  The  New  York  Times,  November  20,  1978,  p.l-ff. 
\ 3 3.  Ibid. 

134.  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Terry  Dempsey,  April  18,  1995 

135.  Martin  A.  Bachelier,  ed..  The  1979  Hammond  Ahnauac  (Maplewood,  NJ:  Hammond 
Alamanac  Inc.,  1978),  p. 355. 

\36.  Ibid. 

137.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  W.  L.  Hufham,  March  31,  1995. 

138.  H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  //  Doesn  't  Take  A  Hero  (New  York;  Bantam  Books,  1992), 
p.l98. 

139.  The  6th  Infantry  Division  in  Alaska  had  not  yet  activated  in  1978. 

140.  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Colonel)  William  L.  Hufham,  March  31,  1995. 

141 .  Charles  F  Kriete,  Commandant,  US  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  Ft.  Wadsworth, 
New  York,  US  Army  Active  Duty  Chaplain  Rosier,  October  1,  1978,  pp.  1-35.  Copy  on  loan 
from  Chaplain  (Col.)  Calvin  Sydnor,  TRADOC,  Ft.  Monroe,  Virginia. 

142.  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  William  L.  Hufham,  March  31,  1995. 

143.  Interview  with  Chaplain  Hufham,  March  31,  1995.  As  late  as  June  of  1993  the  Northern 
Warfare  Training  Center  was  requesting  their  own  chaplain  due  to  the  dangerous  field  training 
they  conducted. 

144.  Ibid. 

145.  Ibid. 

146.  Ibid 


110 THE  KELLY  YEARS 

147.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Annual  Historical  Review,  October  1,  1978  -  September 
30,  1979,  DA,  Washington,  DC,  p  4. 

148.  Military  Chaplains'  Review,  DA  Pam  165-1 10,  p  ii-iii. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  JOHNSON  YEARS: 
REAFFIRMING  THE  IDENTITY  OF  THE  CHAPLAINCY 

1979-1982 

Perhaps  the  central  issues  M'hich  dominated  the  three  years  Chaplain  Kermit  D.  Johnson 
was  Chief  of  Chaplains  centered  on  defining  the  Army  Chaplaincy  as  a  valid  and  legal  ministry 
to  soldiers  of  many  faiths  under  the  U.S.  Constitution  and  reaffirming  the  prophetic  role  of 
chaplains  in  the  Army.  Yet  there  were  other  pioneering  initiatives  during  this  period  as  well 
which  must  not  be  obscured  by  the  debates  that  evoked  national  publicity.  Chaplain  Johnson 
reminded  the  Corps,  throughout  his  tenure  as  Chief  that  "the  soldier  is  our  first  priority.  "  That 
one  theme  was  a  constant  not  only  in  the  Johnson  Years,  but  also  throughout  the  modern  history 
of  the  ministry  in  the  Army. 


Milestones: 


Defense  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  as  a  Constitutional  Ministry  to  Soldiers 

Strengthening  Chaplain  and  Chapel  Activity  Specialist  Teamwork 

Emphasis  on  Catholic  Chaplain  Recruitment 

Raising  the  Ethical  Consciousness  of  the  Army 

Affirmation  of  Multi-cultural  Ministries  for  a  Pluralistic  Army 

Initiatives  in  Homiletics,  Parish  Development,  and  Family  Life  Programs 

Mobilization  and  Army  Reserve  Coordination 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter.  1 1 3 


114 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

Ministries  of  Courage,  Commitment  and  Compassion 

Army  chaplains  are  an  essentia!  element  of  the  Army 's  morale  an<J  welfare  activities.  They 
administer  a  variety  of  programs  which  offer  soldiers  and  their  families  the  opportunity  for  religious 
worship  and  religious  activities.    This  is  the  primaiy  responsibility  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy. 

General  Edward  C.  Meyer 
Chief  of  Staff 
May  1982 


The  Cold  War  Heats  Up 

By  mid- 1979,  the  campaign  for  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States  already  was  picking  up 
momentum  The  race  was  between  the  incumbent  Democratic  President,  Jimmy  Carter,  and  his 
conservative  Republican  challenger,  and  former  Governor  of  California,  Ronald  Reagan.  This 
election  would  dramatically  change  the  direction  of  the  United  States,  for  it  marked  a  swing  toward 
a  harder  line  against  the  perceived  Communist  threat  world-wide.  This  profound  reorientation  would 
be  felt  in  international  affairs,  in  national  strategy,  and  would  subsequently  affect  both  the  Army  and 
its  Chaplaincy 

During  his  four-year  term  in  the  White  House,  President  Carter  had  begun  to  move  the 
country  toward  wider  social  programs  domestically  and  reduced  confrontationalism  in  foreign  affairs. 
He  placed  great  emphasis  on  human  rights  issues  around  the  globe  '  He  had  already  agreed  to  the 
new  Panama  Canal  Treaty  which  was  ratified  by  a  single  vote  in  1980."  His  policies,  like  those  of 
many  predecessors,  were  not  always  popular  with  the  American  public.  Many  citizens  expressed  deep 
concerns  about  the  combative  threats  of  the  Soviet  Union,  and  the  Communist  influence  in  Central 
America  Inflation,  high  unemployment,  and  skyrocketing  oil  prices  were  of  greatest  public  interest. 
Carter  had  sought  to  reduce  the  military  presence  in  Korea  and  Europe  but  without  success.  On  4 
November  1979,  a  mob  seized  the  American  Embassy  in  Tehran,  Iran,  and  held  66  Americans 
hostage.  A  rescue  attempt  five  months  later  ended  in  tragedy  in  the  desert  near  Tehran.^  The 
humiliation  of  American  citizens  and  the  country's  seeming  inability  to  do  anything  about  it,  played 
a  significant  role  in  the  election  campaign  and  perhaps  in  the  defeat  of  the  incumbent  first-term 
President. 

Few  of  the  current  policies  or  conditions  endeared  themselves  to  citizens  who  were  becoming 
more  conservative  politically  and  socially.^  The  Religious  Right  was  beginning  to  flex  its  muscle, 
particularly  the  Moral  Majority,  led  by  the  Reverend  Jerry  Pal  well.  It  came  as  no  surprise,  then,  that 
Jimmy  Carter  was  defeated  by  the  famous  actor  and  avid  conservative,  Ronald  W.  Reagan 

The  Reagan  Presidency  put  greater  stress  on  fighting  communism  and,  to  meet  that  objective, 
increased  spending  for  the  military.  In  Central  America  as  well  as  in  Europe  and  Asia,  the  Reagan 
administration  confronted  any  perceived  threat  to  United  States  sovereignty  or  to  the  equilibrium  of 
the  Western  hemisphere  Reagan's  main  concern  in  foreign  policy  was  to  contain  and  tame  the  Soviet 
Union.  He  saw  Communism  as  "godless  and  immoral."'  Army  Secretary  John  O.  Marsh,  Jr.,  defined 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  1 1 5 


the  Army's  mission  as  those  measures  necessary  "to  deter  any  threat  to  our  National  Interests  and, 
failing  deterrence,  to  fight  and  win  on  terms  favorable  to  the  United  States."* 

To  ensure  deterrence,  the  Army  began  a  monumental  program  of  modernization.  In  order  to 
man  and  equip  the  Army  to  fiiifiil  its  mission,  total  Army  allocations  rose  to  $82  billion  in  FY  1982. 
Among  the  many  considerations  and  expenditures  was  the  development  of  new  weapons  systems  and 
particularly  delivery  systems  for  nuclear  warheads.  These  initiatives  increased  the  anxiety  of  many 
Americans  who  were  fearful  of  nuclear  proliferation,  and  many  entertained  visions  of  a  nuclear 
holocaust.  Fears  increased  on  March  28,  1979,  when  an  accident  at  the  Three  Mile  Island  nuclear 
plant  in  Pennsylvania  released  15,000  gallons  of  heavy  water  from  its  core,  "causing  hundreds  of  fuel 
rods  to  melt  and  triggering  the  release  of  radioactive  isotopes  "'  Many  citizens  were  forced  to  move 
away  from  their  homes,  for  there  was  great  uncertainty  as  to  the  long  range  effects  of  the  disaster. 

The  Army,  moreover,  was  still  struggling  to  meet  recruiting  needs  following  the  cessation  of 
the  draft.  On  July  6,  1979,  the  Army  announced  that  it  would  accept  17  year  old  non-high  school 
graduates  in  order  to  meet  its  personnel  requirements  Problems  with  drugs  and  alcohol  abuse 
continued  to  plague  the  Army  as  did  a  high  rate  of  disciplinary  problems  among  soldiers.  In  spite  of 
that,  there  were  many  hopeful  signs  on  the  horizon  for  the  recovery  of  the  Army  following  the  still 
lingering  effects  of  Vietnam 


A  New  Chief  of  Chaplains 

On  2  July  1979,  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Kermit  D.  Johnson  was  promoted  to  Major 
General  and  appointed  Chief  of  Chaplains  by  Army  Chief  of  Staff,  General  Edward  C.  Meyer. 
Chaplain  Johnson  was  born  in  Minneapolis,  Minnesota.  In  June  1947,  he  entered  the  United  States 
Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  and  graduated  with  a  Bachelor  of  Science  degree  in  the  class  of 
1951.  He  was  commissioned  as  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  Infantry  After  completing  the  Infantry 
Officer  Basic  Course  and  Airborne  training,  he  was  assigned  to  the  82d  Airborne  Division,  Fort 
Bragg,  North  Carolina  He  later  served  during  the  Korean  War  as  a  platoon  leader  and  company 
commander  in  the  2d  Infantry  Division  In  October  1954,  he  resigned  his  active  duty  commission  and 
went  to  the  Orient  where  he  spent  two  years  as  a  lay  missionary.  In  1957,  he  entered  Princeton 
Theological  Seminary  and  graduated  with  a  Master  of  Divinity  degree  in  1960.  He  was  ordained  a 
minister  in  the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  USA  Reverend  Johnson  reentered  the  Army  as  a  chaplain 
and  was  assigned  consecutively  to  Fort  Benning,  to  Germany,  and  as  the  Post  Chaplain  at  West  Point. 
He  attended  Command  and  General  Staff"  College  in  1969,  after  which  he  was  sent  to  the  Defense 
Language  Institute  to  study  the  Vietnamese  language.  He  was  then  assigned  as  Senior  Advisor  to  the 
Vietnamese  Armed  Forces'  Chiefs  of  Chaplains.  He  graduated  from  the  Army  War  College  in  1976, 
and  became  the  United  States  Army  Forces  Command  Chaplain  (FORSCOM),  at  Fort  McPherson, 
Georgia.*  In  June  1978  he  was  promoted  to  Brigadier  General  and  appointed  Deputy  Chief  of 
Chaplains.  One  year  later  he  became  the  Army's  fifteenth  Chief  of  Chaplains. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top) 

President    Jinmy  Carter 

and  Chaplain   Johnson 

salute   fallen   soldiers 

from    the    Iran 

Rescue  Mission 

(Bottom) 

Chaplain   Robert   Bendick 

and  Chaplain   Johnson    visit 

soldiers   in    Italy 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  1 1 7 


Chaplain  Patrick  J.  Hessian,  a  Roman  Catholic  priest  (also  from  Minnesota),  was  promoted 
to  Brigadier  General  in  July  1979  as  well  and  became  Chaplain  Johnson's  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains 
Immediately  preceding  his  promotion  Chaplain  Hessian  had  served  as  the  Command  StatT  Chaplain 
for  U  S.  Army  Europe  and  Seventh  Army/* 


A  Salt  and  Pepper 
View  of  the  Chaplaincy 

The  Chief  of  Chaplain's  view  of  the  Chaplaincy  was  formed  out  of  his  own  experience, 
training  and  educational  pursuits.  His  view  of  the  Chaplaincy  was  in  response  to  what  he  determined 
were  the  two  basic  questions:  What  kind  of  Chaplaincy  do  we  want?  What  kind  of  chaplains  do  we 
want  to  be'^'" 

Previously  in  his  career.  Chaplain  Johnson  had  produced  several  important  studies  which 
impacted  on  his  analytic  vision  of  the  ministry  of  chaplains.  While  at  Command  and  General  Staff 
College  in  1969,  he  wrote  "A  Study  of  Various  Role  Expectations  for  the  US.  Army  Chaplain."  This 
was  a  valuable  work  on  role  identification  and  role  conflict  It  looked  at  how  roles  are  perceived  by 
commanders,  chaplains  and  endorsing  agents.  He  wrote  a  second  study  while  he  was  a  student  at  the 
US.  Army  War  College,  "Factors  Influencing  Job  Satisfaction  Among  Army  Chaplains,"  in  May  of 
1976.  Both  of  these  studies  provided  Johnson  insights  into  the  Chaplaincy  that  few  people  had.  As 
Command  Staff  Chaplain  at  Forces  Command,  he  assigned  his  deputy.  Chaplain  Paul  Forsberg,  to 
complete  a  command-wide  study  on  soldier  perceptions  and  expectations  for  the  Army's  religious 
programs.  More  than  4,500  soldiers  were  polled  with  14  key  survey  conclusions."  Among  these 
were  the  following  observations: 

1.  Young   soldiers  are  a  highly  diverse  and  mobile  group  seeking  identity  and 
independence 

2.  Young  soldiers  overwhelmingly  support  the  military  Chaplaincy  but  question  the 
chaplain's  understanding  of  their  religious  needs  and  problems. 

3.  Young  soldiers  will  rarely  be  found  in  the  traditional  chapel  setting.'" 

Chaplain  Johnson  brought  all  these  insights  to  his  position  as  Chief  of  Army  Chaplains. 

His  vision  for  the  fijture  was  a  Chaplaincy  that  operated  as  a  team,  not  one  in  which  the  senior 
chaplain  made  all  of  the  decisions  alone.  He  directed  the  Chaplain  Board  to  develop  models  for  team 
ministry.  Later  he  wrote  in  an  introduction  to  an  issue  of  the  Military  Chaplains  Review,  "we  have 
started  to  bring  people  to  workshops,  and  we  have  been  training  chaplains  and  chapel  activity 
specialists  and  lay  persons  together — like  salt  and  pepper  in  the  same  shaker."" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


1 1 8  THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 


Setting  The  Course  For  The  Future 

Three  weeks  after  his  installation  as  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Chaplain  Johnson  sponsored  his  first 
Command  Chaplain  Conference,  July  15-19,  1979.  The  theme  of  the  conference  was  "Reaching 
Today's  Soldier."  In  his  written  preface  to  the  meetings  Chaplain  Johnson  addressed  the  participants: 

As  1  enter  into  my  first  year  as  Army  Chief  of  Chaplains,  I  am  filled  with  gratitude  to 
God  for  the  outstanding  dedication  and  accomplishments  of  chaplains  throughout  the 
world.  Your  commitment  to  the  Church  and  to  the  Army  has  resulted  in  religious 
ministry  which  is  truly  spiritual,  professional  and  effective  I  am  proud  of  each  of 
you!  The  theme  for  our  conference  this  year  is  "Reaching  Today's  Soldier"  This  is 
a  highly  appropriate  theme  because  the  soldier  is  our  highest  priority  for  ministry  ... 
Ministry  always  begins  with  persons — not  programs.  There  is  no  substitute  for 
genuinely  caring  the  Spirit  continues  to  work  in  preparing  both  the  Chaplaincy  and 
young  soldiers  for  creative  encounters  in  ministry.  The  opportunity  awaits  our 
response.'^ 

Chaplain  Johnson  did  not  envision  any  immediate  policy  or  program  changes  during  his  first 
year  as  Chief  in  fact,  he  continued  all  the  major  programs  that  had  been  implemented  before  he  took 
office.''  He  favored  change  only  when  it  was  necessary  to  meet  the  needs  of  soldiers  and  the  system, 
not  simply  for  change  sake  His  view  of  the  Chaplaincy  was  that  it  was  an  ever-changing  institution 
with  challenges  to  be  met  by  chaplains  fiilly  empowered  as  preachers,  pastors  and  prophets  and  by 
chapel  activity  specialists  empowered  to  make  important  individual  contributions. 


Roman  Catholic  Issues 

The  first  major  issue  facing  the  new  Chief  of  Chaplains  was  the  concern  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  hierarchy  about  the  selection  of  the  third  consecutive  Protestant  Chief  of  Chaplains  The 
ecclesiastical  leaders  made  it  clear  that  their  displeasure  was  not  with  Chaplain  Johnson,  but  with  the 
system  that  failed  to  select  a  priest  and  with  the  impression  that  priests  were  not  receiving  equitable 
treatment.  The  perception  persisted  that  not  enough  Roman  Catholic  chaplains  were  being  selected 
for  high  level  staff  and  leadership  positions 

In  order  to  ameliorate  the  situation,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  met  with  Cardinal  Francis  Cooke 
in  New  York  and  later  wrote  to  the  Most  Reverend  Joseph  T.  Ryan,  Coadjutor  Archbishop  of  the 
Military  Ordinariate,  on  July  16,  1981.  He  pointed  out  that  he  was  prepared  to  assist  the  Military 
Ordinariate  in  recruiting  priests.  In  October  1979,  the  Army  had  1,434  chaplains  on  active  duty.'* 
There  were  only  242  Catholic  chaplains  on  duty  compared  to  the  desired  goal  of  506.  Chaplain 
Johnson  proposed  the  following  based  in  part  on  an  extensive  survey  of  Catholic  ministry  issues  by 
Chaplain  John  J    Cunniffe:" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  119 


►  An  enhanced  Chaplain  Candidate  Program 

►■  A  Catholic  chaplain  assigned  to  visit  all  Bishops  to  recruit  priests  for  the  Army 

►  A  raise  in  the  age  limit  for  incoming  Catholic  chaplains  to  age  50  (normally  age  32) 

►  A  continuation  on  duty  for  Catholic  chaplains  not  selected  for  promotion 

►  A  change  in  Army  Regulations  2 1 0- 1 6  and  210-50,  to  allow  priests  to  qualify  for  two 
bedroom  quarters 

►  Institution  of  a  Ministry  to  Priest  Program 

•-  Development  of  a  recruiting  brochure  to  be  mailed  to  42,000  priests  across  the 

nation  '^ 

Additionally,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  approved  the  design  of  a  "hometown  procurement 
program  for  catholic  Chaplains,  greater  use  of  auxiliary  and  contract  chaplains;  acceptance  of 
ordained  deacons,  if  approved  by  the  Military  Ordinariate;  and  an  educational  program  for 
commanders,  chaplains  and  laity  to  inform  them  about  the  severity  of  the  Catholic  shortage  and  its 
deleterious  impact  on  ministry  to  Catholic  soldiers  and  their  families."'* 

In  late  August  1979,  Chaplain  Johnson  and  his  Deputy,  Chaplain  Hessian,  made  a  video  tape 
that  was  distributed  to  the  field.  The  tape  conveyed  22  priority  issues  of  the  new  leadership  team.-" 
The  major  emphases  were: 

►■  The  need  for  collegiality  among  chaplains. 

*■  The  Roman  Catholic  priest  shortage  and  the  need  to  recruit  and  retain  more  Catholic 

chaplains. 

»■  The  need  to  shore  up  chapel  activity  specialist  job  satisfaction  The  71M  MOS  had 

one  of  the  lowest  retention  rates  in  the  Army  at  that  time.  There  was  a  need  to  show 
personal  interest  in  the  contributions  of  CAS  team  members. 

►  The  need  to  make  the  chaplain  more  visible  to  the  soldier. 

►  Enhancing  spirituality  as  the  "depth  dimension  of  our  lives." 
*■  Encouraging  training  of  the  laity 

►■  Recognition  of  the  importance  of  Management  by  Objectives  for  Results  (MBOR)  as 

the  means  of  "linking  programs  to  fijnding  " 

Most  of  these  priorities  had  been  noted  by  previous  Chiefs,  but  the  specific  circumstances 
surrounding  them  continued  to  present  new  challenges 


Prophetic  Witness  As  An  Ethical  Imperative 

Chaplain  Johnson  exercised  perhaps  more  personal  interest  in  ethical  and  political  matters  than 
any  of  his  successors.  This  was  evident  in  the  extent  of  his  discussions  of  Central  American  and 
nuclear  policy  issues  during  the  Reagan  Administration's  first  two  years.  His  prompting  in  these 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


120 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

matters  came  from  several  directions.  First,  he  had  a  deep  commitment  and  involvement  in  ethical 
issues  that  may  have  had  their  origin  in  the  Honor  Code  practiced  at  West  Point,  and  later  as  a  result 
of  his  theological  training  at  Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Secondly,  he  received  information  on 
conditions  in  Central  Ainerica  from  non-governmental  and  church  organizations  in  direct  contact  with 
missionaries  and  indigenous  persons  who  resided  there  at  the  time."'  Finally,  in  the  early  1980s  the 
churches  were  speaking  out  on  nuclear  warfare  and  reassessing  Just  War  theory  as  well  as  raising 
questions  concerning  United  States  counterrevolutionary  activity  against  the  Sandinistas  and  other 
Latin  American  insurgency  forces.  All  of  these  seemed  to  converge  and  propel  Johnson  to  take  strong 
positions  which  he  felt  to  be  correct  and  which  often  strained  relationships  with  those  who  disagreed 
with  him. 

An  example  of  Chaplain  Johnson's  openness  in  discussing  ethical  issues  impacting  on  national 
policy  appears  to  be  a  chance  meeting  with  the  former  Vice  President,  Walter  F.  Mondale.  On 
February  3,  1982,  the  two  men  were  on  the  same  Eastern  Airlines  Flight  1 85,  during  which  time  they 
discussed  several  topics  of  mutual  interest  Johnson  gave  a  handwritten  note  to  the  Vice  President 
while  continuing  with  his  tlight  Among  the  concerns  he  raised  with  respect  to  Administration 
policies  in  his  note  to  Mondale  were  the  following 

►  The  $25  billion  in  arms  sales  world-wide  by  American  companies. 

►  The  new  federalism  that  may  "encourage  inequity,  injustice  and  racism." 

►  The  rape  and  desecration  of  the  land  for  commercial  profit. 

►■  The  widening  gap  between  the  rich  and  the  poor.  "Trickle  Down  Economics    is 

precisely  opposite  to  the  Biblical  concept  of  Justice." 

►  Sponsorship,  support  and  perpetuation  of  military  dominated  regimes,  especially  in 
El  Salvador  and  Guatemala. 

►  Signs  that  we  are  considering  strategic  and  tactical  nuclear  warfare  as  possible  or 
viable. 

The  former  Vice  President  sent  a  two  page  response  to  Chaplain  Johnson  on  March  1,  1982.^^ 
He  thanked  Johnson  for  his  "very  thoughtftil  letter,"  and  concluded  by  stating,  "1  am  pleased  to  see 
that  someone  in  your  position  cares  so  much  about  the  direction  in  which  our  country  is  headed." 


A  Constitutional  Challenge 

The  relative  calm  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  was  abruptly  disturbed  on  November  23,  1979, 
when  two  Harvard  University  law  students  filed  a  lawsuit  challenging  the  constitutionality  of  the 
Chaplaincy  as  an  establishment  of  religion."'  The  action  producing  this  disruption  caused. the 
Chaplain  Corps  to  look  deeply  into  its  soul.  A  questioning  of  the  constitutionality  of  the  Army's 
religious  program  affected  the  Chaplaincy  for  several  years.  In  many  fundamental  ways  the  Army's 
spiritual  care  system  would  never  again  be  the  same. 

The  two  Harvard  Law  School  seniors,  Joel  Katcoff  and  Allen  M.  Wieder,  filed  suit  in  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  121 


District  Court  for  the  Eastern  District,  in  Brooklyn,  New  York.  Their  suit  against  the  Army  named 
Clifford  L.  Alexander,  then  Secretary  of  the  Army  et.  ciI.,  as  the  defendants.  The  suit  alleged  that  the 
Chaplaincy  violated  the  First  Amendment  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States.  The  shock  waves 
of  this  lawsuit  quickly  reached  the  most  remote  military  outposts  and  caused  chaplains  at  every  level 
of  the  Army  to  scrutinize  all  religious  programs  and  activities,  as  well  as  their  own  motivation  for 
ministry  in  the  military. 

This  was  the  first  time  the  constitutionality  of  the  military's  religious  program  was  questioned 
in  a  formal  legal  procedure  In  the  middle  of  the  19th  century  some  Southern  states  had  petitioned 
Congress  to  eliminate  chaplains.  These  "Memorials,"  were  not  acted  upon  favorably  by  the  Congress, 
consequently  they  were  never  introduced  as  cases  to  be  heard  in  court  Other  challenges  dealing  with 
state  support  for  religion  in  general  arose  periodically  and  were  decided  in  a  series  of  court  cases 
ranging  from  local  state  to  Supreme  Court  levels.'^ 

Initially  the  motivation  of  the  students  for  filing  their  suit  was  unclear.  Some  legal  officials 
felt  the  suit  was  initiated  to  impress  a  law  professor  or  to  get  classroom  credit  In  the  November  30, 
1979  issue  oi'  The  Han'ard  Crimson  both  Katcoff  and  Wieder  commented  on  the  case  but  aside  from 
observing  that  "The  state  should  not  take  money  from  its  citizens  to  support  religion,"  they  had  no 
comment  on  why  they  filed  the  suit  ■'  Joel  Katcoff  wrote  later: 

As  best  I  can  recall,  the  issue  first  came  up  after  Allen  Wieder  and  I  took 
Constitutional  Law  as  2L's.  The  existence  of  a  governmentally  financed  Chaplaincy 
appeared  to  us  to  be  inconsistent  with  the  principles  we  had  just  learned  in 
Constitutional  Law.  We  raised  the  topic  with  a  number  of  law  professors,  but  did  not 
get  a  satisfactory  justification  for  taxpayer  financing  of  religious  practice. 
Coincidentally,  Allen  and  I  were  doing  some  research  and  brief-writing  (on  non- 
constitutional  issues)  for  a  public  interest  organization  whose  director  was  a  visiting 
professor  at  the  Law  School  Perhaps  this  is  what  gave  us  enough  confidence  to  try 
to  be  litigators  despite  our  dearth  of  experience.  In  addition,  the  topic  itself  was 
sufficiently  interesting  to  drive  us  forward  during  the  third  year  of  law  school  and 
beyond,  notwithstanding  the  considerable  amount  of  work  involved."*^ 

There  may  have  been  one  other  factor  more  clearly  tied  to  the  Harvard  Law  School.  In  order 
to  graduate  from  Harvard  with  a  Doctor  of  Jurisprudence  (J.  D.)  Degree  rather  than  a  Bachelor  of 
Laws  (LL.  B  )  degree,  third  year  law  students  (3  L's)  had  to  present  a  research  paper  or  brief  to  the 
faculty  demonstrating  their  ability  to  contribute  to  the  academic  study  of  the  law  According  to  Tlie 
Hanwd  Crimson  (November  30,  1979)  and  the  Harvard  Lom'  Record  (December  7,  1979),  Katcoff 
and  Wieder  had  begun  research  on  the  Army  Constitutionality  issue  in  the  Spring  of  1979.-^  They 
reviewed  cases  and  opinions  by  Justices  William  Brennan  and  William  O.  Douglas  who  was  "on  the 
record  as  saying  the  Chaplaincy  is  unconstitutional "'"  They  corresponded  with  Chaplain  Cliff 
Weathers,  Director  of  Plans,  Programs  and  Policies,  Office  of  the  Army  Chief  of  Chaplains,  early  in 
the  Summer  requesting  the  number  of  chaplains  then  on  duty  and  other  seemingly  innocuous 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


122 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

information.  By  November  23  they  had  prepared  their  brief  and  filed  the  case.  Two  weeks  later,  in 
December,  they  secured  approval  by  the  Harvard  faculty  granting  "third-year  paper  credit  for  the 
brief"-' 

While  there  may  have  been  many  motives  for  challenging  the  constitutionality  of  the  Army 
Chaplaincy,  including  intellectual  curiosity,  there  was  at  least  one  clear  benefit  for  Joel  Katcoflf  and 
Allen  Wieder  Both  graduated  fi"om  Harvard  with  J.  D.  degrees  which  were  awarded  in  part  for 
approved  work  on  the  Army  case.  One  might  wonder  if  the  status  of  the  students  as  "aggrieved 
taxpayers"  was  not  overstated.  One  might  also  wonder  if  the  students'  legal  ethics  were  not  a  bit 
bizarre.  They  opposed  in  theory  the  tax  support  for  religious  activities  of  benefit  to  a  million  soldiers, 
but  they  accepted  indirect  Federal  tax  support  for  an  expensive  legal  case  which  dragged  on  for  6 
years  which  was  of  principal  benefit  to  only  two  ambitious  students. 


The  Argumentation 

The  plaintiffs  (Katcoff  and  Wieder)  in  the  1979  case  stipulated  that  the  Army  Chaplaincy 
violated  the  First  Amendment  to  the  Constitution:  "Congress  shall  make  no  law  respecting  an 
establishment  of  religion  or  prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof..."  The  official  court  document 
states: 

This  is  a  civil  action  for  declaratory  and  injunctive  relief  brought  by  federal  taxpayers 
challenging  the  constitutionality  of  the  United  States  Army's  religious  support 
program.  Plaintiffs  seek  (I)  a  judgment  declaring  that  the  Chaplaincy  program 
constitutes  an  establishment  of  religion  in  violation  of  the  First  Amendment  of  the 
United  States  Constitution,  and  (ii)  an  injunction  restraining  the  defendants  from 
approving  or  otherwise  providing  ftmds  or  support  in  any  respect  to  religious 
activities  in  the  Army.'" 

Allegations  of  unconstitutionality  included:  expenditure  of  government  fiands  for  chaplains' 
salaries,  for  religious  facilities,  programs  and  materials,  as  well  as  the  actual  conducting  of  religious 
programs,  religious  education  and  pastoral  care.  The  plaintitTs  stated  that,  "The  United  States 
government  by  design  and  appearance  lends  its  prestige,  influence  and  power  to  organized  religion 
by  granting  commissions,  rank  and  uniform  to  Army  Chaplains  ""  They  fijrther  alleged  that 
denominational  involvement  in  the  selection  of  chaplains  "constitutes  excessive  entanglement  between 
church  and  state."  Katcoff  and  Wieder  stated  that  rather  than  enhancing  the  free  exercise  of  religion, 
".  .  the  Army  Chaplaincy  program  serves  to  inhibit  that  free  exercise."''  This  argument  rested  on 
the  fact  that  chaplain  representation  did  not  include  every  possible  denomination  or  faith  group  — 
regardless  of  size  or  desire.  The  plaintiffs  also  cited  the  fact  that  the  commander,  not  the  chaplain, 
is  ultimately  responsible  for  the  Army's  religious  program  (Army  Regulation  165-20,  "Duties  of 
Chaplains  and  Commanders'  Responsibilities").  The  "fi'ee  exercise"  argument  did  not  play  a  major  role 
for  the  plaintiffs  in  future  proceedings     In  ensuing  months,  the  plaintiffs  would  argue  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  1 23 


Establishment  Clause  while  the  defendants  argued  the  Free  Exercise  Clause. 

In  place  of  the  current  Chaplaincy  system,  the  plaintiffs  advocated  an  "alternative  Chaplaincy 
program  which  is  privately  fianded  and  controlled."'^  The  students  presented  no  studies  or  other 
evidence  that  supported  their  contention  that  civilian  clergy  could  feasiblely  carry  on  military 
ministry  The  one  illustration  offered  (Wisconsin  Evangelical  Lutheran  Synod)  proved  to  be  highly 
unsuccessfijl  in  providing  ministry  to  soldiers  of  that  denomination  The  denomination's  own  leaders 
attested  to  the  insurmountable  problems  encountered  that  led  to  inconsistency  and  often  times 
ineffectiveness  in  providing  ministry.  Studies  done  by  the  Chaplaincy  and  other  denominational 
groups  all  pointed  to  the  impossibility  of  providing  effective  ministry  through  a  civilian  clergy 
program.  The  government  effectively  argued  that  the  military  environment  and  demands  on  clergy 
is  exceedingly  different  from  the  civilian  environment  and  pastoral  responsibilities  It  also  reminded 
the  court  that  civilian  clergy  serving  in  the  military  would  not  enjoy  the  protections  granted  to  military 
chaplains  under  the  provisions  of  the  Geneva  Conventions  regarding  treatment  of  prisoners  of  war 
and  detainees. 

The  lawsuit  included  one  hundred  and  twenty-three  interrogatories  and  requests  for 
production  of  documents  The  interrogatories  were  extensive  and  indicated  that  the  plaintiffs  had 
invested  considerable  effort  in  trying  to  understand  the  Chaplaincy  system.  Actually,  the  plaintiffs 
received  most  of  the  information  they  used  in  filing  the  suit  from  the  Office  of  The  Chief  of  Chaplains. 
Over  a  period  of  several  months  they  made  "Freedom  of  Information  Act"  (FOIA)  requests.  The 
materials  requested  were  not  unusual  and  it  was  assumed  they  were  intended  for  a  research  project 
at  Harvard  Law  School.  The  Chaplaincy  thus,  in  conforming  with  the  law,  provided  the  very 
documents  that  formed  the  basis  of  the  suit  against  it 

In  many  instances,  the  interrogatories  and  requests  for  reproduction  were  so  burdensome  that 
the  Army  could  not  reasonably  provide  the  documents  demanded.  To  provide  specific  answers  to 
each  interrogatory  would  require  the  Army  to  search  worldwide  for  information  that  in  many  cases 
was  decades  old  Interrogatory  #77,  for  instance,  requested  "a  detailed  description  of  the  Army's 
operation  of  devotional  programs  and  dissemination  of  religious  news  and  information  through  radio, 
TV  and  news  media  .  Produce  and  permit  plaintiffs  to  inspect  and  copy  the  transcripts  of  all  such 
devotional  programs"'^  The  government  delayed  its  response  for  almost  two  years  Finally,  materials 
were  provided,  but  for  only  about  one  third  of  the  requests  Other  answers  followed  at  later  dates. 

Responsibility  for  defending  the  government's  interests  resided  in  the  Assistant  United  States 
Attorney,  Mr.  Richard  P.  Caro  The  office  of  the  Judge  Advocate  General  of  the  Army  (OTJAG)  had 
primary  responsibility  to  represent  the  Department  of  Defense.  Colonel  Arnold  Melnick,  Lt.  Col. 
Scott  Magers,  and  Major  Roy  Dodson  initially  managed  the  case.  Major  Michael  J.  Nardotti,  Jr., 
(later  Major  General  and  The  Judge  Advocate  General  of  the  Army)  succeeded  Major  Dodson  in 
1981  The  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Major  General  Kermit  D.  Johnson,  assigned  Chaplain  John  C.  Scott 
to  be  his  agency's  representative  for  all  matters  related  to  the  court  case.  Chaplain  Scott  coordinated 
directly  with  the  Office  of  the  Judge  Advocate  General  (OTJAG)  to  determine  materials  and  support 
needed  to  defend  the  Chaplaincy.  A  task  force  established  in  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 
(OCCH)    included  Chaplain  Wayne  E.  Kuehne,  Chaplain  Sanford  Dresin  and  Chaplain  Ivan  Ives 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


124 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

(succeeded  later  by  Chaplain  James  Edgren)  Task  force  members  were  responsible  to  provide 
information  related  to  their  directorate  area  of  interest  in  response  to  allegations,  interrogatories  and 
requests  made  by  the  OTJAG.  Army  Reserve  Chaplains,  temporarily  called  to  active  duty,  conducted 
historical,  sociological  and  legal  studies,  and  literature  searches  Chaplain  scholars,  notably  Chaplain 
Cecil  Currey,  a  reserve  officer  and  professor  of  history  in  Florida,  devoted  weeks  to  culling 
documents  from  the  Library  of  Congress,  historical  archives  and  university  libraries  These  studies 
provided  an  important  perspective  on  the  Chaplaincy  Chaplain  Scott  analyzed  the  materials  provided 
by  the  task  force,  prepared  them  for  approval  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  and  forwarded  them  to 
OTJAG  to  become  a  part  of  the  government's  first  response  to  the  plaintiffs  in  January  1980.  The 
seventy-six  page  document  submitted  by  the  Army  outlined  the  history  of  the  Chaplaincy  from  its 
origins  It  also  provided  a  succinct,  but  extensive  and  articulate  summation  of  the  legal  basis  and 
current  statutory  authority  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy." 

Early  in  the  proceedings  the  government  also  raised  the  questions  of  "standing,"  and  "political 
interest."  They  argued  that  the  plaintiffs  "have  not  shown  requisite  personal  stake  in  the  outcome  of 
the  controversy  herein  to  grant  standing,  but  merely  rely  on  their  status  as  past  taxpayers."^*  The 
crux  of  the  issue  was  whether  or  not  the  plaintiffs  were  taxpayers  when  they  filed  suit.  The  plaintiffs 
responded  that  they  were  and  would  continue  to  be  taxpayers  That  answer  did  not  satisfy  the 
defendants  and  the  issue  remained  a  point  of  contention  until  the  case  ended  in  1986.  The  government 
sought  to  invoke  the  two  prong  test  ofFIast  v.  Cohen,  (a)  a  logical  link  between  taxpayer  status  and 
the  "legislative  enactment  attacked,"  and  (b)  "a  nexus  between  that  status  and  the  precise  nature  of 
the  constitutional  infringement  alleged.""  The  political  argument  cited  numerous  legal  opinions  that 
chaplains  have  "historically  been  viewed  to  be  authorized  by  the  First  Amendment  "'* 

The  legal  opinions  offered  by  the  government  identified  modern  examples  of  support  for  the 
Chaplaincy  and  the  interdependency  and  complementary  nature  of  the  two  clauses  of  the  First 
Amendment  (establishment,  and  free  exercise).^'  There  had  been  times  when  one  part  of  the  First 
Amendment  had  to  give  way  to  the  other  in  spite  of  appearances  of  conflict.  For  instance,  it  has  been 
considered  essential  to  provide  for  the  free  exercise  of  religion  for  soldiers — no  one  questioned  that. 
In  order  to  accomplish  that,  however,  there  may  have  been  the  appearance  of  a  violation  of  the 
Establishment  Clause.  The  government  contended  that,  like  any  other  citizens,  soldiers  are  entitled 
to  fi"ee  exercise  of  religion  The  means  by  which  the  Congress  has  decided  to  provide  for  free  exercise 
of  religion  is  the  military  Chaplaincy  The  government  also  argued  that,  "The  Institution  and 
Maintenance  of  the  Chaplains  Corps  is  Important  to  the  National  Defense,  and  is  a  Valid  and 
Necessary  Exercise  of  Congressional  War  Power  "^^  Government  attorneys  argued  that  the  Congress 
has  the  duty  to  raise  and  support  armies.  In  many  cases  courts  have  shown  deference  to  the  military 
because  of  its  unique  needs  Some  Supreme  Court  Justices  at  least  obliquely  implied  that  the 
Chaplaincy  would  pass  constitutional  muster  if  it  were  to  meet  the  free  exercise  needs  of  the  lonely 
soldier  at  an  isolated  outpost  The  defendants  also  argued  that  the  Chaplaincy  met  the  three  prong 
test  o^  Lemon  v.  Kiirlzman*^  Finally,  the  defendants  argued  that  the  plaintiffs'  claims  were  not 
"reviewable  by  this  court  because  the  substantive  questions  they  raise  constitute  political  questions 
under  the  standards  set  forth  in  Baker  v.  Carr"*'  It  was  argued  later  that  Congress,  as  an 
independent  arm  of  government,  is  not  subject  to  the  courts  in  these  matters.  The  Congress,  since 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  125 


1 775,  demonstrated  that  in  significant  and  minuscule  matters  it  continually  approved  and  monitored 
the  Chaplaincy.  It  fixed  manpower  ceilings,  authorized  pay,  appropriated  fijnds  for  programs  and 
facilities,  and  often  involved  itself  in  matters  regarding  the  welfare  of  a  single  chaplain  or  local 
religious  program. 


Rulings 
1980-1984 

During  the  remainder  of  1 980,  numerous  documents  were  submitted  to  the  Court  by  both  the 
plaintiffs  and  the  defendants  Much  of  the  maneuvering  revolved  around  the  questions  of  "Standing," 
"Production  of  Documents,"  and  requests  for  summary  judgment  by  the  plaintiffs  and  the  defendants. 
On  March  7,  1980,  Judge  Jacob  Mishler  conducted  the  first  hearing  of  the  case.  Joel  KatcoflF  argued 
that  there  should  be  no  military  chaplains  at  all — under  any  circumstances.  He  fijrther  argued  that 
civilian  churches  could  and  should  provide  this  service.  In  August  1980,  Judge  Mishler  published  his 
opinion.  He  supported  the  plaintiffs'  standing  as  taxpayers,  and  stated  that  the  court  did  have 
jurisdiction  to  review  the  case.  He  also  noted  that  sometimes  the  Establishment  Clause  must 
accommodate  the  Free  Exercise  Clause,  particularly  in  the  unique  military  environment  It  appeared 
ft^om  the  Judge's  comments  that  the  constitutionality  of  the  Chaplaincy  extended  only  so  far  as  it 
supported  the  soldier's  free  exercise  of  religion.  Whatever  went  beyond  meeting  free  exercise  rights 
was  subject  to  review  and  possible  prohibition.  Some  interpreted  that  to  mean  that  the  court  under 
this  rubric  could  evaluate  each  and  every  Chaplaincy  program  to  see  if  it  passed  constitutional 
muster.^'  If  it  did  not  meet  the  requirements,  it  would  be  disallowed  or  forbidden. 

Judge  Mishler's  ruling  caused  serious  concern  throughout  the  Chaplaincy.  There  were 
questions  about  whether  the  government  could  win  the  case  Worse,  some  felt  that  the  court  would 
now  become  involved  in  approving  programs  and  ministry  and  micro-managing  the  Chaplaincy  from 
the  dais.  This  did  not  happen,  but  the  potential  remained  a  clear  and  present  danger  as  far  as  the 
management  of  the  Chaplain  Corps  was  concerned. 

In  what  to  some  appeared  as  an  overreaction  to  the  Judge's  decision,  the  Chaplaincy  entered 
a  period  of  intensive  self-examination.  Everything  came  under  scrutiny.  The  Chief  of  Chaplains,  and 
particularly  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  did  not  want  to  do  anything  that  could  in  any  way 
strengthen  the  plaintiffs'  case 

As  the  Chaplaincy  began  to  prepare  for  fiature  legal  maneuvering.  Chaplain  Scott 
recommended  to  Chaplain  Johnson  that  a  strategy  conference  be  convened  to  include  experts  from 
all  levels  of  the  Chaplaincy  and  representatives  of  OTJAG.  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  approved  the  idea 
and  the  meeting  convened  at  Manressa  Retreat  House  in  Annapolis,  Maryland,  from  19-23  January 
19g]  44  Participants,  besides  active  duty  chaplains,  included  Reserve  Chaplains  David  Heino,  Israel 
Drazin  and  Cecil  Currey,  a  representative  from  the  Air  Force  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Office,  and  Major 
Dodson  fi"om  OTJAG.  Chaplain  Kermit  Johnson  attended  the  meeting  on  22  January.  The  agenda 
included  a  top  to  bottom  review  of  the  Chaplaincy  to  determine  what  was  constitutional  and  what 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


126 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

might  not  contribute  directly  to  meeting  the  free  exercise  needs  of  soldiers. 

The  Chief  of  Chaplains  wrote: 

The  court  challenge  to  the  Constitutionality  of  the  Chaplaincy  is  the  single 
most  critical  issue  facing  us  at  this  time.  The  future  of  the  Chaplaincy  rests  on  the 
outcome  of  the  case,  and  the  work  done  here  at  Manressa,  hopefijlly,  will  provide 
material  that  will  substantially  assist  us  in  influencing  decisions  made  by  the  court. 
However,  your  conference  goes  beyond  the  court  challenge  and  will  allow  us  to  take 
a  serious  and  in-depth  look  at  what  we  do  as  a  Chaplaincy  and  why.  It  should  provide 
this  office  with  data  for  fliture  directions  and  decisions.^' 

Chaplain  Johnson  also  challenged  the  group  to  develop  "a  zero-based  Chaplaincy."  His 
reference  came  from  the  Carter  presidency  in  relation  to  zero-based  budgeting.  This  emphasis  was 
part  of  the  total  Army  Staffs  deliberations  in  fijnding  what  was  necessary  "to  accomplish  the 
mission."  All  elements  of  the  Army  Staff  had  been  thinking  along  these  lines. ^''  For  the  Chaplain 
Corps,  Chaplain  Johnson  intended  the  term  to  refer  to  the  basic  ministerial  role  of  chaplains: 

The  freeing  aspect  of  this  [concept]  meant  that  we  did  not  have  to  be  bound  by  the 
past.  Because  of  my  emphasis  on  basic  ministry,  some  of  those  oriented  toward 
psychological  and  sociological  tools  felt  that  I  was  going  to  take  a  cudgel  to  these 
programs.  I  never  did,  and  I  never  intended  to;  I  only  wanted  to  restore  and 
emphasize  //r.v/  things  individual  contact  with  soldiers,  preaching,  worship,  care  of 
souls,  spirituality,  ethics."*^ 

Some  chaplains  did  not  understand  what  the  Chief  had  in  mind  by  the  term  "zero-based,"  but 
the  majority  did  realize  that  for  Chaplain  Johnson  "the  soldier  was  our  first  priority"  for  a  ministry 
that  was  both  pastorally  supportive  and  morally  challenging. 

Conference  participants  received  Issue  Papers  written  by  members  of  the  task  force.  These 
papers  proposed  answers  to  allegations  and  interrogatories  and  provided  a  basis  for  discussions  on 
varied  topics  In  spite  of  some  bias,  expressions  of  personal  interest,  and  differences  regarding  the 
nature  of  the  Chaplaincy  and  its  future  directions,  considerable  progress  was  made  in  developing 
positions  on  the  chaplain's  role  and  flinctions,  civilianization  of  the  Chaplaincy,  and  the  basic  elements 
required  for  a  viable  Chaplaincy  in  the  late  twentieth  century.  Many  of  these  ideas  were  later 
incorporated  into  court  documents  Although  Chaplain  Johnson's  objectives  for  the  meeting  were  not 
totally  met,  enough  was  accomplished  that  he  was  satisfied  with  the  results. 

Chaplain  Israel  Drazin,  an  Army  reservist  and  a  rabbi,  favorably  impressed  the  gathering  with 
his  legal  and  theological  expertise.  Upon  returning  to  the  Pentagon,  Chaplain  Scott  recommended  to 
Chaplain  Johnson  that  Drazin  be  called  to  active  duty  for  at  least  one  year  to  help  prepare  for  future 
developments  in  the  court  case.  Chaplain  Drazin  already  had  done  a  great  deal  of  work  on  the  case 
and  was  willing  to  give  it  his  fiill  attention.   Chaplain  Drazin  entered  active  duty  and  assumed  total 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  127 


responsibility  as  the  Chiefs  action  officer  upon  Scott's  reassignment  in  May  1982.  Thereafter, 
Chaplain  Drazin  was  responsible  for  representing  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  to  the  OTJAG. 
He  remained  in  that  status  until  the  conclusion  of  the  case  whereupon  he  was  selected  for  a  promotion 
to  Brigadier  General  and  appointed  one  of  two  Assistant  Chiefs  of  Chaplains  from  the  Reserve. 
Chaplain  Drazin  made  outstanding  contributions  to  the  defense  of  the  Chaplaincy  in  the  court  case 
and  in  other  issues  related  to  the  First  Amendment  that  arose  during  his  active  duty  period,  and  in 
matters  of  religious  practice  and  accommodation  of  religion  in  the  Army 

During  the  Spring  and  Summer  of  1981,  documents  from  both  plaintiffs  and  defendants 
flowed  in  and  out  of  the  courthouse  The  defendants  provided  answers  to  some  of  the  interrogatories 
and  continued  their  arguments  against  standing  for  the  plaintiffs  The  plaintiffs  sought  to  compel  the 
defendants  to  produce  all  the  documents  they  requested  In  the  meantime  significant  changes  had  been 
made  to  the  principals  in  the  case  Secretary  John  O  Marsh,  Jr ,  replaced  Secretary  of  the  Army 
Alexander;  Judge  Joseph  McLaughlin  replaced  Judge  Mishler,  Ms  Marilyn  Go  replaced  Mr  Caro 
as  the  Assistant  US  Attorney,  and  Major  Nardotti  replaced  Major  Dodson 

Major  Michael  Nardotti  worked  closely  with  Chaplain  Drazin  and  other  chaplains  in  1982. 
The  teamwork  between  the  JAG  officers  and  the  chaplains  was  outstanding.  Chaplains  Kermit 
Johnson,  Don  Shea,  John  Scott,  Wayne  Kuehne,  and  Israel  Drazin  had  produced  or  collected  an 
enormous  file  of  information  Major  Nardotti  xeroxed  every  reference  to  chaplains  in  the  statutory 
and  legislative  records  of  Congress — more  than  600  pages  of  historic  data.  At  times  there  were  slight 
disagreements  over  the  timing  of  arguments.  "By  1982  every  major  argument  was  already  on  the 
table,"  Major  General  Nardotti  recalled  in  1995.^*  "Some  people  wanted  to  ignore  the  standing 
argument  and  move  directly  to  the  free  exercise  argument,  but  we  had  to  challenge  the  standing  of 
the  plaintiffs  to  prevent  hundreds  of  other  potential  suits  by  students  or  others  across  the  country."^'' 
Eventually  the  chaplains  deferred  to  the  JAG  officers  who  actually  argued  the  case,  yet  both  sides 
agreed  that  teamwork  paid  off  when  the  work  load  was  so  large 

Debate  on  the  taxpayer  issue  also  continued  into  1982.  The  government  requested  a  dismissal 
of  the  case  and  the  plaintiffs  responded  with  a  motion  for  summary  judgment  In  response  to 
Chaplain  Kermit  Johnson's  personal  request,  five  general  officers  of  the  Army  provided  written 
statements  in  support  of  the  Chaplaincy  General  Edward  C  Meyer,  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army, 
presented  his  views  on  the  duty  of  the  Army  to  meet  the  religious  needs  of  soldiers.  He  stated  further, 
"Chaplains  have  credibility  with  soldiers.  Soldiers  know  that  Chaplains  share  their  common  bond  of 
personal  experience.  Perhaps  most  important  for  the  soldier  is  that  he  knows  the  chaplain  will  always 
be  there."  General  John  W.  Vessey,  Vice  Chief  of  Staff',  spoke  about  the  impossibility  of  civilians 
ministering  on  the  dangerous  battlefield.  General  Charles  W.  Bagnal,  Commanding  General  of  the 
101st  Airborne  Division  wrote,  "It  is  obvious  to  me  that  if  we  do  not  have  chaplains  in  the  Army  ... 
we  are  prohibiting  to  a  degree  the  free  exercise  of  religion...  we  must  never  lose  sight  of  this  as  we 
plan  and  execute  our  programs."  General  Frederick  J.  Kroesen,  Commander  in  Chief  U.  S.  Army 
Europe,  noted  that  "only  the  Army  Chaplaincy,  because  it  is  as  mobile  as  the  troops,  can  meet  our 
religious  support  needs."  Chaplain  (Major  General)  Gerhardt  W.  Hyatt,  USA  Retired,  stated  that 
no  civilian  clergy  had  ever  met  the  Army's  comprehensive  religious  needs  with  any  degree  of 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


128 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

success.^"  Chaplain  Kermit  Johnson's  affidavit  was  far  more  detailed  than  those  of  the  other  generals. 
He  outlined  the  history  of  the  Chaplaincy  program,  its  roots  in  Congressional  actions  and  the 
mechanisms  by  which  it  meets  the  free  exercise  of  religion  needs  of  soldiers  Major  General  Nardotti 
said  later  that  Chaplain  Johnson's  ability  to  persuade  these  general  officers  to  make  statements  in 
support  of  the  Chaplaincy  as  then  constituted  was  an  extremely  valuable  asset  for  the  government's 
case. 

On  June  8,  1982,  Judge  McLaughlin  conducted  a  short  hearing  that  basically  dealt  with  the 
plaintiffs'  request  to  take  depositions  from  the  five  generals  who  submitted  affidavits.  He  denied  their 
request.  On  November  3,  1982,  Judge  McLaughlin  conducted  another  hearing  to  address  Motions 
for  Summary  Judgment,  submitted  by  both  plaintiffs  and  defendants.  No  decision  was  rendered  until 
February  1,  1984  "  The  significant  conclusions  provided  by  Judge  McLaughlin  included: 

1 .  The  Chaplaincy  is  Constitutional."  He  went  on  to  say:  "In  its  present  form,  then,  the 
Army  Chaplaincy  is  a  constitutionally  permissible  means  to  a  constitutionally 
mandated  end  " 

2.  Decided  that  the  plaintiffs  do  have  standing". 

3.  Congress  has  repeatedly  fijnded  the  Chaplaincy. 

4.  The  founding  fathers  saw  no  inconsistency  between  the  First  Amendment  and  a  paid 
Chaplaincy.'^ 

5.  The  judge  also  noted  the  inability  of  the  Wisconsin  Evangelical  Lutheran  Synod  to 
provide  effective  ministry  during  the  Vietnam  War.  Civilian  ministry,  as  envisioned 
by  the  plaintiffs,  would  be  even  further  negated  without  the  substantive  military 
logistical  and  transportation  support  provided  by  the  Army  for  religious  support  to 
soldiers." 


Plaintiffs'  Appeal,  1984 

Katcoff  and  Wieder  were  displeased  with  the  determination  of  Judge  McLaughlin  They 
appealed  to  the  Second  Circuit  Court  for  a  reversal  of  McLaughlin's  decision.  A  panel  of  three  judges 
heard  the  case  on  October  29,  1984.  On  January  22,  1985,  the  decision  of  the  appeals  court  was 
published.'*  The  judges  determined  that: 

1.  The  plaintiffs  do  have  standing 

2.  The  Chaplaincy,  "viewed  in  isolation"  would  fail  to  meet  the  establishment  clause 
requirements  as  outlined  in  Lemon  v.Kurtzman.  "However,  neither  the  Establishment 
Clause  nor  the  statutes  creating  and  maintaining  the  Army  Chaplaincy  may.be 
interpreted  as  if  they  existed  in  a  sterile  vacuum."" 

3.  Deference  to  Congress  in  matters  pertaining  to  the  military  and  its  Chaplaincy  is  a  well 
established  and  legitimate  practice  '* 

4.  Free  Exercise  obligates  Congress  "to  make  religion  available  to  soldiers  who  have 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  1 29 


been  moved  by  the  Army  to  areas  of  the  world  where  religion  of  their  own 
denomination  is  not  available  to  them.  Otherwise,  the  effect  of  compulsory  military 
service  could  be  to  violate  their  rights  under  both  Clauses  of  the  First  Amendment  "'' 
5.  Assuming,  hypothetically,  that  such  a  program  (civilian  Chaplaincy)  could  be 

launched,  "it  would  be  constantly  teetering  on  the  brink  of  disaster.'"'*'  "In  short, 
plaintiffs'  proposal  is  so  inherently  impractical  as  to  border  on  the  frivolous.'"''  They 
further  stated  that  the  feasibility  of  a  civilian  Chaplaincy  "must  in  our  view  be  resolved 
in  favor  of  judicial  deference  to  Congress'  decisions  in  this  area."*'' 

Not  all  of  their  findings  were  favorable  to  the  Chaplaincy  "In  a  few  areas,  however,  the 
reasonable  necessity  for  certain  activities  of  the  military  Chaplaincy  is  not  readily  available  '""^  One 
of  the  examples  cited  in  the  decision  was  stationing  of  chaplains  in  large  metropolitan  areas  Because 
of  the  court's  hesitancy  in  this  area,  the  case  was  remanded  to  the  District  Court  to  "determine  if  some 
activities  are  constitutionally  permissible"*^  The  Court  also  determined  that  the  appellees  (Katcoff 
and  Wieder)  would  be  required  to  pay  the  costs  of  the  District  Court. 


Conclusion  with  Prejudice 

In  January  1986,  in  the  face  of  mounting  financial  costs,  Katcoff  and  Wieder  decided  to  drop 
the  case.  Eventually  the  government  agreed  to  their  action.  Although  Chaplain  Hessian  wanted  to 
see  the  case  through  to  its  conclusion,  he  eventually  acquiesced  to  Army  lawyers  and  agreed  to  their 
recommendation  to  allow  the  plaintiffs  to  drop  the  case  with  prejudice  On  February  7,  1986,  the 
Office  of  the  Staff  Judge  Advocate  General  informed  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  that  "On  31  January 
1986,  the  plaintiff  in  Katcoff  v.  Marsh  abandoned  his  lawsuit."*"'  More  than  six  years  had  passed 
since  the  case  was  filed  Although  many  questions  remained  unanswered,  at  least  the  court  answered 
the  basic  question  of  constitutionality  for  this  case 

During  the  six  year  period  of  Katcoff,  several  other  significant  cases  made  their  way  into 
other  courts  that  had  a  direct  relationship  to  the  Chaplaincy  In  Roslker  v.  Goldberg,  the  central  issue 
was  "deference."  The  suit  alleged  that  it  was  unconstitutional  for  the  government  to  require  only 
males  to  register  for  the  draft.**  Supreme  Court  Justice  Rehnquist  wrote,  "The  Court  has  made  it 
clear  that  even  our  most  fiindamental  constitutional  rights  must  in  some  circumstances  be  modified 
in  the  light  of  military  needs,  and  that  Congress'  judgment  as  to  what  is  necessary  to  preserve  our 
nafional  security  is  entitled  to  great  deference."  In  John  Garth  Murray,  et  al ,  v  Azie  Taylor  Morton, 
et  al  ,  the  plaintiflFs  alleged  that  the  paid  civilian  chaplain  in  the  House  of  Representatives  was 
unconstitutional.  The  District  Court  in  Washington,  DC  determined  that  the  plaintiffs  lacked  standing 
to  sue,  but  also  cited  the  deference  argument  as  reason  for  the  court  not  to  make  a  decision  in  the 
case.*^ 

The  negative  effects  of  the  challenge  to  the  constitutionality  of  the  Chaplaincy  were  few  and 
transient  The  threat  of  placing  all  Chaplaincy  programs  under  the  scrutiny  of  the  courts  caused  some 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


130 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

curtailment  of  programs  and  activities  and  some  temporary  stagnation  in  others  The  majority  of  the 
chaplains  in  the  field  continued  uninterrupted  in  the  performance  of  their  religious  duties.  Soldiers' 
free  exercise  rights  were  not  abridged  in  any  way. 

In  the  late  1970s,  the  Department  of  Defense  established  a  study  group  to  grapple  with  the 
problem  of  how  the  free  exercise  of  religion  could  be  respected  while  at  the  same  time  maintaining 
good  order,  discipline  and  morale  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne  represented  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains.  Committee  meetings  over  a  period  of  several  years  resulted  in  a  principle  of 
"accommodation."  The  thrust  of  this  policy  was  to  allow  free  expression  of  religious  beliefs  unless 
they  impinge  on  such  things  as  readiness,  good  order  and  discipline  The  local  commander  maintained 
authority  to  make  decisions  regarding  individual  situations  on  a  case  by  case  basis,  with  the  individual 
having  the  right  of  appeal  to  higher  headquarters  This  was  not  a  major  change  in  the  way  the  Army 
operated,  but  it  did  affirm,  on  a  policy  level,  the  right  of  soldiers  to  freely  exercise  their  religious 
beliefs. 

There  is  little  doubt  that  the  Chaplaincy  emerged  from  the  court  case  as  a  much  stronger 
structure  and  more  resolved  to  be  the  instrument  of  government  whereby  the  free  exercise  of  religion 
is  available  to  every  soldier.  There  were  several  positive  outcomes  of  the  case.  First,  it  forced  the 
Chaplaincy  into  a  healthy  self-examination.  It  placed  all  of  its  programs  and  activities  under  the 
microscope  The  Chaplaincy  eliminated  some  programs  that  did  not  contribute  to  free  exercise. 
Secondly,  it  required  every  chaplain  to  focus  clearly  on  providing  for  the  free  exercise  of  religion  as 
the  raison  d'etre  of  the  Chaplaincy.  It  furthermore  made  chaplains  conscious  that  they  must  avoid  at 
all  cost  any  excessive  entanglements  between  church  and  state,  or  any  perception  of  violation  of  the 
Establishment  Clause.  Thirdly,  it  made  clear  that  there  are  certain  vulnerabilities  to  the  Chaplaincy 
as  an  institution  There  also  may  be  limits  to  what  the  Chaplain  Corps  can  do  and  retain  protection 
under  the  Constitution.  While  the  threat  of  the  courts  evaluating  every  program  has  been  reduced, 
it  undoubtedly  will  surface  again  in  any  new  court  challenge.  The  future  of  the  Chaplaincy,  as  well 
as  its  past,  will  rest  squarely  on  the  support  and  good  will  of  Congress,  and  on  the  Chaplaincy's 
ability  to  remain  focused  on  providing  for  the  free  exercise  of  religion  for  soldiers  as  the  legal  basis 
for  the  existence  of  a  uniformed  ministry  in  the  military. 


Chaplaincy  Goals 

Chaplaincy  Goals  and  Objectives  for  the  fiscal  years  1983-1984  were  established  by  Chaplain 
Johnson  in  February  1981 .  The  future  direction  of  the  Chaplaincy  was  promulgated  in  the  "Chief  of 
Chaplain's  Guidance  to  MACOMs  and  Installations."  The  following  specific  priorities  were  declared:*''* 

1 .  Explore  means  of  enhancing  chapel  activity  specialist  job  satisfaction  and  career 
opportunity 

2.  Prepare  for  mobilization 

3.  Emphasize  recruitment  and  retention  of  Catholic  chaplains  and  ministry  to  Catholics 

4.  Reaffirm  religious  pluralism  in  the  Army 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  1 3 1 


5.  Provide  moral  and  ethical  impact  on  decision-making 

6.  Reach  the  unchurched  in  the  Army 

7.  Increase  soldier  contact  with  chaplains 

8.  Develop  closer  denominational  ties 

9.  Increase  dialogue  to  decrease  racism/sexism 

10.  Empower  lay  persons  for  ministry 

11.  Develop  programs  for  spiritual  formation  and  mission 

12.  Develop  a  Chaplain  Support  System  (ministry  to  pastors) 

13.  Expand  Family  Life  Ministry 

14.  Use  the  skills  and  education  of  chaplains  and  rely  less  on  outside  civilian  consultants. 

Each  of  these  priorities  was  critical  to  maintaining  the  strength  and  viability  of  the  Chaplaincy 
program.  Leadership  and  supervision,  particularly  at  the  middle  management  (brigade)  level,  had 
been  determined  to  be  one  of  the  weakest  links  in  chaplain  leadership.  The  U.S.  Army  Chaplain 
Academic  Board  reported  in  March  of  1 98 1  that  "there  was  nothing  in  the  Basic  or  Advanced  courses 
which  taught  a  chaplain  how  to  be  a  brigade  chaplain  or  how  to  supervise."'^''  Increased  training  in 
this  area  would  be  provided  by  the  Chaplain  School.  As  noted  elsewhere,  preaching  and  worship 
were  not  considered  high  priorities  by  many  commanders  and  their  chaplains.  Consequently, 
preaching  often  did  not  receive  the  attention  it  deserved.  Division  '86  ,  the  "heavy  division  doctrine," 
was  well  on  its  way  to  implementation.  It  would  be  a  larger  division  with  more  tanks,  armored 
personnel  carriers  and  other  equipment.  The  Chaplaincy  needed  to  make  changes  on  how  it  would 
operate  under  this  doctrine  on  a  modern,  highly  mobile  and  exceedingly  lethal  battlefield 

In  his  goals  for  fiscal  years  1984  and  1985,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  again  began  setting  the 
course  for  the  fijture.  His  major  emphases  were  on  Leadership  and  Supervision,  Homiletics  and 
Worship,  preparing  the  Chaplaincy  for  implementing  the  Army's  Division  '86,  and  how  religious 
requirements  would  be  integrated  into  the  new  Army  structure.™ 

President  Jimmy  Carter  introduced  the  concept  of  zero-based  budgeting  to  the  Congress  and 
to  the  American  people  Chaplain  Johnson  felt  that  the  Chaplaincy  could  use  this  concept  as  a  means 
of  prioritizing  missions  and  programs  that  the  Chaplaincy  wished  to  pursue.  His  notion  was  that  we 
should  not  just  continue  programs  because  we  had  always  done  so,  but  should  always  be  looking  for 
new  ideas  and  discarding  old  unworkable  ideas  and  programs  The  Katcoflf  case  helped  to  refocus  the 
Chaplaincy  on  those  ministries  that  were  clearly  within  the  purview  of  the  First  Amendment,  and 
provided  a  catalyst  to  discard  those  that  were  not  Chaplain  Johnson,  therefore,  used  the  First 
Amendment  as  one  measure  by  which  programs  or  policies  could  be  approved  or  disapproved. 


Defense  Officer  Personnel  Management  Act  (DOPMA) 

A  Defense  Officer  Personnel  Management  Act  Policy  (DOPMA)  was  implemented  on  1 5 
September  1981 .   DOPMA  amended  Title  10,  US  Code,  the  basic  laws  governing  the  Army  and 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


132 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

Department  of  Defense.  The  policy  created  a  single  promotion  system  for  all  field  grade  officers.  It 
replaced  the  old  duality  of  regular  Army  and  USAR  ranks."  The  Chaplaincy  was  one  of  the  nine 
"competitive  categories"  created  by  DOPMA  Chaplains  selected  for  promotion  to  major  were 
automatically  integrated  into  the  Regular  Army.  This  change  generally  meant  that  field  grade 
chaplains  could  serve  for  longer  periods  than  they  could  have  under  the  old  USAR  system. 

DOPMA  also  provided  the  opportunity  for  "selective  continuation"  in  three  year  increments 
for  chaplains  who  were  not  selected  for  promotion  to  either  captain  or  major  It  also  accorded  officers 
"continued  individual  promotion  consideration  and  eligibility  as  long  as  he/she  remains  on  active 
duty."''  The  continuation  policy  was  particularly  helpfijl  in  retaining  chaplains  for  shortage 
denominations  or  faith  groups. 

Along  with  the  changes  in  DOPMA,  the  Army  also  instituted  a  Combined  Arms  and  Services 
Staff  School  (CAS,)  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  Originally  there  was  space  for  only  eight  chaplains 
per  class,  but  this  was  later  expanded  and  all  chaplains  between  four  and  nine  years  of  active  duty, 
and  graduates  of  the  Chaplain  School  Career  Course  (C-22)  were  expected  to  attend.  The  course  had 
two  phases:  Phase  I,  a  120-hour  nonresident  preparatory  course,  and  Phase  II,  a  9  week  resident 
course."  The  course  focused  on  leadership,  management  and  tactical  subjects. 

Another  major  change  in  education  occurred  in  the  rewriting  of  AR  600- 101  It  "transferred 
to  the  various  Army  Schools  primary  responsibility  for  setting  educational  and  skill  standards"  for 
officers,  warrant  officers  and  enlisted  soldiers.'^  This,  in  eflFect,  meant  that  the  Chaplain  School  would 
have  greater  input  to  its  curriculum  for  chaplains.  It  also  meant  that  responsibility  for  training  chaplain 
assistants  would  be  transferred  from  the  Army  Administration  School,  to  the  US  Army  Chaplain 
Center  and  School. 


Ethical  Leadership  throughout  the  Army 

Concern  about  ethical  and  moral  behavior  has  been  a  part  of  Chaplaincy  history  from  the  very 
beginning.  Every  Chief  of  Chaplains  in  every  era  has  had  to  deal  forthrightly  with  this  issue.  All  did 
it  with  effectiveness.  With  the  conclusion  of  the  war  in  Vietnam,  the  wrenching  social  unrest,  the 
discussions  concerning  strategic  and  tactical  nuclear  warfare,  and  the  general  moral  disorientation  in 
the  United  States  in  the  late  1 970s,  setting  ethical  standards  became  more  crucial  to  the  Army  and 
to  the  Chaplaincy. 

The  Chief  of  Chaplains  was  himself  steeped  in  ethical  matters.  His  interest  in  institutional 
ethics  began  as  a  cadet  at  West  Point,  and  was  later  deepened  by  theological  and  philosophical  studies 
at  Princeton  Theological  Seminary."  By  the  time  Chaplain  Johnson  was  assigned  as  a  student  at  the 
Army  Command  and  General  Staff  College  (1969),  he  was  already  writing  on  ethical  subjects.  He 
continued  his  interest  in  ethics  during  every  assignment  he  had  in  the  Army  He  gave  a  major  addr-ess 
at  a  Chief  of  Chaplains  Conference  in  Europe  on  the  subject  of  ethics.  While  assigned  in  1974  as  Post 
Chaplain  at  Carlisle  Barracks,  home  of  the  Army  War  College,  he  wrote  an  article  for  Parameters, 
the  official  publication  of  the  War  College,  on  the  "Ethical  Issues  of  Military  Leadership."  The  article 
was  very  well  received  throughout  the  Army,  and  Chaplain  Johnson  received  many  accolades  from 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  133 


senior  officers  and  from  distinguished  civilian  ethicist  as  well.  Admiral  Hyman  G.  Rickover,  U.S. 
Navy,  told  Chaplain  Johnson,  "You  said  what  I've  been  trying  to  say  for  years."'* 

Likewise,  in  1974  Chaplain  Johnson  persuaded  Colonel  William  E  Rawlinson,  Director  of 
Personnel  Management  Studies  at  the  Army  War  College,  to  invite  a  series  of  distinguished  lecturers 
to  teach  12  modules  on  ethics  to  the  War  College  students  in  early  1975.  The  lecturers  included  Dr. 
Arthur  J.  Dyck  and  Professor  Ralph  B.  Potter  from  Harvard  University,  Dr  George  W  Petznick 
from  the  American  Medical  Association,  Chaplain  (Major  General)  Gerhard  Hyatt,  Chief  of 
Chaplains,  USA;  Monsignor  Joseph  A  Dunne,  Chief  of  Chaplains,  New  York  Police  Department; 
Mr.  Lewis  Van  Dusen,  American  Bar  Association,  and  Major  General  DeWitt  Smith,  Commandant 
of  the  U  S.  Army  War  College."  The  course  was  exceptionally  well  received  by  the  students  and 
faculty  alike   By  the  end  of  1975,  Chaplain  Johnson  was  widely  regarded  as  ''the  Army's  Ethicist." 

In  1978,  Chaplain  Johnson  wrote  an  article  for  the  Chaplaincy  magazine,  entitled  "Ethics  in 
the  Military."'^  He  pointed  out  that  the  Honor  Code  at  West  Point  was  a  time-honored  vehicle  for 
ethical  reasoning  but  that  it  was  limited  when  complex  issues  required  more  sophisticated  decision 
making  He  placed  himself  among  the  reasoned  forma  lists,  indicating  that  there  are  some  ethical 
considerations  which  are  always  important:  "it  means  certain  elements  of  actions  are  always 
intrinsically  right  or  wrong  in  themselves  " 

In  a  letter  to  Dr  Arthur  J    Dyck  of  Harvard  Divinity  School,  Chaplain  Johnson  declared: 

The  whole  ethical  area  is  so  very  important  So  many  matters  of  life  and  death  are 
before  us  precisely  at  a  time  when  theological  and  philosophical  bases  have  been  so 
thoroughly  eroded,  that  few  dare  speak  with  any  authority.  1  personally  believe  that 
unless  universals  exist,  we  have  absolutely  no  basis  for  making  ethical  judgements  and 
everything  is  up  for  grabs  " 

Johnson's  mission,  and  Dyck's  as  well,  was  to  "cut  through  this  relativistic  jungle  in  order  to  arrive 
at  a  more  human  or  humane  position.""" 

Chaplain  Johnson  advocated  that  the  commander  and  the  chaplain  should  act  as  an  ethical 
team.  "The  conclusion  of  all  this  might  be  expressed  in  theological  terms.  We  are  ultimately  driven 
to  a  feeling  of  weakness,  to  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  to  the  renewing  of  life,  to  the  grace  of  God  In 
my  scale  of  values,  ethics  proceeds  out  of  the  context  of  faith — and  it  is  my  belief  that  because  of  this 
faith,  every  chaplain  has  something  unique  to  contribute  to  ethics  in  the  military  ""' 

Chaplain  Johnson's  background  was  ideal  for  the  needs  of  the  Army  at  that  time.  The  Army 
Staff  was  struggling  with  the  question  of  defining  ethics  for  the  Army,  as  well  as  who  should  have 
proponency  for  ethical  training.  In  1980,  Chaplain  Johnson  wrote  to  the  Superintendent  of  West 
Point,  Lieutenant  General  Andrew  J.  Goodpaster,  on  the  subject  of  ethics  and  the  need  to  create  a 
course  at  the  Academy  on  professional  ethics.  General  Goodpaster  responded,  on  30  December  1980, 
by  thanking  Johnson  for  his  recommendations  *'  Shortly  thereafter,  a  "core  course"  in  ethics  was 
inaugurated  for  all  cadets  under  the  proponency  of  the  English  Department. 

The  Army  Staff"  continued  to  wrestle  with  the  meaning  and  relevance  of  ethics  in  the  Army. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


134 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

Chaplain  Johnson  wrote  a  memorandum  to  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel  (DCSPER), 
"Integrating  Values/Ethics  into  the  Army."*'  He  argued  for  a  definition  of  the  ethical  values  the  Army 
was  seeking  to  instill  in  young  leaders  "A  value  for  Army  leadership  is  selflessness,  but,  how  does 
a  personnel  and  recruitment  system  which  is  basically  entrepreneurial,  working  by  self-interest  and 
self-development,"  interpret  this  to  leaders'^  He  concluded  his  memorandum  by  stating; 

To  summarize,  if  values  and  ethics  are  to  mean  anything  in  the  Army, 
our  highest  leaders  must  articulate  what  those  values  are  and  the 
behavioral  modes  which  reflect  those  values.  Then  doctrine  developers 
need  to  incorporate  this  into  their  training  materials  for  the  Army  and 
throughout  the  schooling/training  systems,  appropriate  to  the  level  of 
learning  persons  Another  effort  should  be  directed  horizontally  and 
vertically  to  life  as  it  is  lived  in  the  units,  installations,  headquarters, 
families,  etc  ,  to  see  whether  articulated  values  square  with  operating 
values  Finally,  based  on  reality  feedback,  decisions  will  have  to  be 
made  and  remade,  as  to  whether  you  adjust  rhetoric  (stated  values)  to 
what  is,  or  change  what  is  (operating  values)  to  new  ways  of 
operating,  behaving,  or  doing  to  conform  to  a  value  you  are  willing  to 
pay  a  price  for."*^ 

Brigadier  General  Mitchell  of  DCSPER  wrote  a  note  saying  "This  is  the  most  insightfial  three 
page  paper  I've  yet  seen  in  this  building  (the  Pentagon)  ""*' 

Chaplains  throughout  the  Army  were  dealing  with  ethics  in  their  daily  ministry.  Some, 
particularly  Service  School  Chaplains,  were  involved  with  ethical  matters  on  a  daily  basis.  The 
Mililary  Chaplains  Review  during  the  Johnson  years  continually  published  articles  on  ethics.  In  his 
introduction  to  the  Spring  issue  in  1982,  Chaplain  Johnson  noted  that,  while  proponency  for  ethics 
in  the  Army  was  assigned  to  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff"  for  Personnel,  the  Combined  Arms  Center  also 
provided  leadership  in  this  arena.  Johnson  wrote,  "the  US  Army  Chaplaincy  role  in  the  area  of  ethics 
has  been  and  remains  that  of  providing  resources  and  inputs.""''  Articles  by  many  other  persons 
appeared  in  i\\Q  Military  Chaplains  Review,  including:  Vice  Admiral  James  B.  Stockdale,  Chaplains 
John  W  Brinsfield,  Donald  W.  Gover,  John  A.  Rasmussen,  and  Ross  B.  Jackson. 

Chaplain  Johnson's  personal  interest  in  professional  ethics  included  assigning  chaplains  to 
teach  ethics  throughout  the  Army  One  of  the  Chaplaincy's  most  compelling  lecturers  at  that  time. 
Chaplain  Joseph  H  Beasley,  was  teaching  the  history  of  ethical  and  religious  thought  at  West  Point. 
During  his  nine  years  at  the  Academy,  Chaplain  Beasley  had  developed  introductory  and  advanced 
courses  in  World  History,  the  History  of  Western  Ethics,  the  History  of  Western  Religious  Thought, 
and  the  History  of  Asian  Religions  He  also  was  one  of  the  most  popular  professors  with  both  cadets 
and  colleagues  in  the  Academy's  long  history.  More  than  300  students  signed  up  for  his  lectures  in 
ethics  which  had  to  be  held  in  the  North  Auditorium.  He  had  many  humorous  anecdotes  to  illustrate 
his  lessons.  During  the  serious  investigation  of  a  cheating  scandal  involving  more  than  100  cadets  in 
1976,  he  also  served  as  an  advisor  to  the  faculty  and  cadets  and  later  was  appointed  as  a  member  of 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


IVest  Point    Chaplain 
Professors : 

Chaplain   Joseph   Beasley 
Associate   Professor 
History  Department 
1971-1980 

Chaplain   John    W. 

Brinsfield 
Asst.    Professor 
History  Department 
1980-1984 


136 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

the  Superintendent's  Committee  on  Professionalism  and  Ethics.*^ 

When  Chaplain  Joseph  Beasley  announced  his  retirement  as  Associate  Professor  of  World 
History  at  the  US  Military  Academy  in  1980,  Chaplain  Johnson  approved  sending  not  one  but  two 
chaplains  to  replace  him.*"  Chaplain  Loren  Pugh,  a  Presbyterian,  was  already  in  the  History 
Department  at  West  Point  flinctioning  as  the  Course  Director  for  American  History  and  associated 
electives.  Chaplain  Pugh  had  been  named  to  succeed  Beasley,  but  Pugh  decided  that  he  did  not  wish 
to  remain  at  the  Academy  beyond  his  normal  tour.  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield  was  sent  then  from  the 
Chaplain  Advanced  Course  to  replace  Chaplain  Beasley. 

Chaplain  Brinsfield  reported  to  the  US  Military  Academy  in  July  of  1980.  He  was  assigned 
to  the  International  History  Division  to  teach  Worid  History,  under  the  direction  of  a  former  Rhodes 
Scholar  and  distinguished  professor.  Colonel  Paul  L.  Miles.  Brinsfield  eventually  developed  a  popular 
course  on  "The  History  of  the  Ethics  of  Warfare:  From  Plato  to  NATO."  Some  of  his  material  was 
later  introduced  into  the  curriculum  at  the  U.S.  Army  War  College  by  Chaplain  Don  Davidson,  whose 
own  work  and  book  on  the  churches  and  nuclear  deterrence  had  received  national  attention 

At  the  US  Army  Training  and  Doctrine  Command,  Chaplain  Max  Wilk  asked  Chaplain  Henry 
Ackermann  to  develop  a  series  of  workshops  in  teaching  methods  for  chaplains  assigned  as 
instructors  in  service  schools.  Ackermann  designed  workshops  ranging  from  the  strategies  for 
teaching  ethics  to  the  integration  of  audio  visual  support  in  the  classroom 

In  order  to  be  certain  that  chaplain  instructors  modeled  a  Multi-cultural  ministry.  Chaplain 
Johnson  assigned  Chaplain  Janet  Y.  Horton  to  be  the  first  female  facuhy  member  at  the  U.S.  Army 
Chaplain  School.  Chaplain  Horton  worked  for  Chaplain  Thomas  H.  Norton  in  Program  Development. 
Concurrently,  Chaplain  Donna  Weddle  was  assigned  to  teach  ethics  at  the  U.S.  Army  Engineer 
School  at  Fort  Belvoir,  Virginia,  and  in  1 982,  became  the  Chaplaincy's  first  female  chaplain  instructor 
in  an  Army  service  school.*' 

A  new  concern  in  ethics  began  to  arise  in  the  early  1980's  which  focused  on  biomedical  issues. 
In  1978,  Chaplain  Sanford  Dresin  had  introduced  an  elective  course  at  the  Chaplain  School  primarily 
for  chaplains  interested  in  serving  as  hospital  chaplains.  Chaplains  Jim  Travis  and  John  Rasmussen, 
both  in  the  Reserve  Component,  published  articles  on  medical  ethics  from  1980  to  1982  in 
professional  journals  By  the  end  of  1982,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  had  sent  two  chaplains  to  study 
ethics  at  civilian  universities,  one  at  Harvard,  and  one  at  Rice. 


Values  Clarification 

Chaplains  in  Europe  sought  to  meet  the  need  for  moral  and  ethical  training  through  the  Values 
Clarification  program.  The  program  was  officially  called  PET  II  The  University  of  Maryland  had 
received  a  contract  to  develop  lesson  plans  on  values  and  to  provide  five  teams  of  two  civilian 
instructors  each  The  teams  were  required  to  teach  classes  twice  each  week  with  30  students  in  each 
class.  More  than  5,000  soldiers  went  through  these  classes.  '" 

The  Chaplaincy  did  not  endorse  the  so-called  humanist  philosophy  of  those  who  developed 
Values  Clarification,  but  merely  adopted  the  effective  methodology  to  aid  soldiers  in  identifying  their 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  137 


true  values.  The  program  was  criticized  by  conservative  religious  and  political  leaders  as  being  a  form 
of  "secular  humanism  "  They  saw  it  as  a  threat  to  traditional  Christian  values.  Senator  Strom 
Thurmond  of  South  Carolina  was  one  of  those  who  objected  most  strenuously  to  the  program.  He 
objected  to  a  program  that  did  not  distinguish  "moral  from  nonmoral  value  issues,"  and  which  seemed 
to  encourage  ethical  relativism/"  Chaplain  Johnson  was  disturbed  because  the  Chaplaincy  was  being 
attacked  in  the  press  for  teaching  secular  humanism.'*"  He  felt  that  those  who  objected  did  not  know 
what  they  were  talking  about,  but  were  being  misled  by  some  of  their  staff  members.  He  requested 
a  meeting  with  Senator  Thurmond. 

During  their  meeting  at  the  Senate  Office  Building,  Chaplain  Johnson  responded  to  the 
Senator's  questions  and  pointed  out  that  one  reason  the  program  was  chosen  was  because  "it  is  not 
the  role  of  government  to  intervene  in  the  soldier's  political,  religious,  or  social  attitudes."'"  Chaplains 
wanted  a  "noninterventionist"  and  non-prescriptive  way  of  dealing  with  values.  To  teach  one 
religious  viewpoint  in  a  command-sponsored  program  for  all  soldiers  would  be  an  establishment  of 
religion  and,  by  definition,  would  be  unconstitutional    Johnson  concluded  his  response  by  stating: 

Chaplains  will  continue  to  meet  (soldier)  needs  through  the  very  incisive 
ministries  they  have  to  offer,  all  of  which  draw  their  power  and  life-changing 
resources  from  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Torah  or  Law  of  God,  the  sacraments 
and  ordinances  of  churches  and  denominations,  and  the  simple  love  and  caring  we  can 
offer.  None  of  this  is  done  by  constraint  or  in  violation  of  anyone's  conscience  but  in 
the  atmosphere  of  free  exercise  of  religion.'^ 

The  meeting  concluded  with  the  issue  closed,  to  Chaplain  Johnson's  relief  Interestingly  enough,  the 
same  constitutional  arguments  which  had  justified  the  existence  of  the  Chaplaincy  had  been  used  by 
the  Chief  of  Chaplains  to  protect  the  freedom  of  conscience  for  soldiers. 


Homiletics 

Under  Chaplain  Orris  Kelly's  leadership  (1975-1979),  the  need  for  good  preaching  and 
innovative  worship  in  the  Army  had  continued  to  surface.  Attempts  to  meet  this  need  intensified 
when  Chaplain  Johnson  became  Chief  of  Chaplains.  Johnson  had  a  strong  personal  interest  in 
homiletics  as  well  as  the  need  to  meet  the  worship  needs  of  the  military  community  effectively.  It  was 
felt  by  many  chaplains  that  good  preaching  was  seldom  rewarded  by  commanders.  They  wanted  their 
chaplains  out  in  the  field  with  the  troops  and  in  chapels  as  little  as  possible.  Consequently,  preaching 
was  not  a  high  priority  for  many  chaplains  Chaplains  Kelly  and  Johnson  attempted  to  correct  that 
perception  and  to  reward  in  some  way  the  creative  pulpit  talents  of  their  chaplains.  The  officer 
efficiency  report  regulation  was  amended  to  encourage  raters  to  reflect  the  importance  of  preaching. 

Materials  on  homiletics  were  produced  by  the  Chaplain  Board  for  each  of  the  three  major  faith 
groups.  Products  included  preaching  aids,  films,  tapes  of  good  sermons  and  the  distribution  of  texts 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


138 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

on  homiletics.  Homiletics  workshops  were  conducted,  particularly  under  the  leadership  of  Chaplain 
Rodger  Venzke,  as  well  as  several  civilian  consuhants/*^  In  1981,  the  Chaplain  Board  conducted 
regional  homiletics  workshops  in  six  CONUS  locations  Moreover,  a  "Homiletics  Strategic  Planning 
Group"  was  convened  in  June  1982  to  determine  problems  and  solutions  in  the  area  of  homiletics  and 
worship  in  the  Army  Chaplaincy.'**' 


Parish  Development 
Family  Life  Ministry  and  Minority  Ministry 


Parish  Development  continued  as  a  major  Chaplaincy  program.  However,  in  1980  a  new- 
model  was  introduced  called  the  "Parish  Development  Training  Program  (PDTP),"  in  which  civilian 
consultants  were  replaced  by  military  chaplains.'"  In  1981,  the  Chaplain  Board  sponsored  three 
Parish  Development  workshops.  Chaplains  conducted  the  programs  and  wrote  the  training  materials. 
The  Chaplain  Board  entitled  the  workshops:  "Leadership  Skills  for  Chapel  Ministry,"  "Management 
by  Objectives  for  Resuhs  for  Chapel  Ministry,"  and  "Empowerment  Skills  for  Chapel  Ministry."''* 

In  1981,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  contracted  with  the  U.S.  Army  Concepts  Analysis  Agency  to 
conduct  a  study  called  "Pre-  and  Post-Marital  Chaplain  Ministry  to  Military  Personnel  and  Korean 
Nationals."'"  The  study  was  designed  to  provide  more  effective  strategies  for  ministering  to  the 
growing  needs  of  Korean  spouses  and  their  husbands. 

In  Europe,  a  Family  Life  Center  was  established  for  every  military  community  having  a  high 
school  By  the  end  of  1980,  Family  Life  Centers  had  been  established  in  Stuttgart,  Nuremberg  and 
Mannheim.  Others  were  planned  to  open  as  resources  became  available'"" 

The  Chaplain  Board,  under  the  leadership  of  Chaplain  Gene  Allen  and  Chaplain  Richard 
Stenbakken,  placed  heavy  emphasis  on  marriage  and  family  life  ministry  in  FY  8 1 .  Chaplain  Board 
staff  personnel  conducted  workshops  and  specialized  training  on  many  Army  installations.  The 
Chaplaincy  also  participated  in  the  Army  Family  Symposium,  held  annually  in  Washington,  DC.  A 
total  of  185  chaplains  were  trained  in  "Understanding  Us."""  This  program  was  designed  to  foster 
understanding  of  families  and  included  a  Theological  Update  and  materials  on  dealing  with  sexism. 
A  family  ministry  update  conducted  by  the  Menninger  Clinic  was  provided  for  chaplains  in  family  life 
ministry.  Additionally,  Chaplain  Thomas  Smith  established  a  pilot  training  program  at  Fort  Knox, 
Kentucky,  combining  civilian  education  and  chaplain  supervision.  This  became  the  model  for  future 
chaplain  training  in  family  life  studies. 

In  1980,  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  contracted  with  Silver  Strands  Systems,  Inc., 
of  New  Haven,  Connecticut,  for  a  special  minority  ministry  workshop.  The  program  "Project 
Milestone"  was  conducted  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.'""  The  project  grew  out  of  the  need  to  develop 
chaplain  skills,  attitudes  and  understanding  in  meeting  the  Multi-cultural  needs  presented  by  soldiers 
in  the  Army  Subjects  discussed  included:  Scales  of  Prejudice,  Racism,  Communication  Barriers, 
Paternalism  and  Sexism.  To  inject  realism  into  the  training,  each  chaplain  participant  lived  with  a 
minority  family  during  the  training.  In  this  way  they  learned  about  the  environment,  the  needs  and  the 
peculiar  circumstances  of  each  family.  These  experiences  were  explored  during  the  sessions  led  by 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  139 


facilitators  from  Silver  Strands.  MACOM  chaplains  ran  similar  experiential  programs  in  their 
commands  Reports  from  MACOMs  indicated  uniformly  positive  results  from  the  training  and  new 
determination  to  work  harder  to  ensure  equal  opportunity  and  treatment  for  all  minorities  and  persons 
from  diverse  cultural  backgrounds 

A  Minority  Ministry  Training  Course  was  conducted  in  Atlanta,  Georgia,  from  24-30  April 
1982.  The  theme  was  "The  Challenge  of  Cultural  Ministry  Amidst  Multi-cultural  Needs."""  This 
training  event  built  upon  the  lessons  learned  and  the  experiences  of  Project  Milestone.  Key  leaders 
in  these  discussions  were  Chaplain  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman,  later  the  18th  Chief  of  Chaplains,  and 
Chaplain  Calvin  H.   Sydnor,  III,  later  the  TRADOC  Staff  Chaplain. 


Chaplaincy  Studies 

The  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  conducted  several  studies  designed  to  enhance  chaplain 
ministry  in  the  Army.  Each  of  these  studies  was  completed  by  different  civilian  contractors.  The  first 
study  "Recruitment,  Retention,  Mobilization  and  Training  of  the  Woman  Chaplain,"  was  completed 
in  FY  1980-81  .'"^  The  study  was  designed  to  address  how  the  woman  chaplain  fits  into  what  had  been 
formerly  a  male-dominated  system.  Because  of  a  high  turnover  rate,  special  emphasis  was  placed  on 
methods  of  recruiting  and  retaining  female  clergy. 

A  second  study,  "Role  of  the  Chaplain  in  Ministry  Related  to  Psycho  genetic  Diseases,"  was 
completed  in  FY  81.""  Special  emphasis  was  being  placed  on  holistic  healing  in  military  as  well  as 
in  civilian  hospitals.  This  study  was  intended  to  develop  methodologies  and  modalities  for  chaplain 
integration  into  the  healing  team. 

The  third  study,  "Social  Aspects  of  Chaplain  Ministry,"  was  completed  during  the  same  time 
frame."*  The  objective  of  the  research  was  to  identity  religious  activities  in  which  soldiers  were  most 
interested.  The  data  was  to  be  used  by  OCCH  to  design  programs  "to  meet  contemporary  religious 
needs  of  soldiers  and  their  families  " 


Chaplain  Candidate  Program 

The  Chaplain  Candidate  Program,  formerly  called  the  Staff  Specialist  or  Seminarian  Program, 
was  changed  in  FY  8 1 .  Prior  to  that  time  the  program  was  fijnded  through  the  Reserve  Personnel 
Army  Budget  Program.  The  change  resulted  in  the  program  being  transferred  to  RPABP  3300,  which 
"allows  for  proper  resources  for  training  and  procurement  of  future  chaplains,""''  The  consequence 
of  this  change  was  that  the  Chaplaincy  was  able  to  enhance  its  procurement  of  candidates,  and 
provide  new  training  programs  which  hitherto  were  not  possible  Of  special  significance  was  the 
option  of  training  at  sites  other  than  the  Chaplain  School,  such  as  military  installations  and  hospitals. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


140 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

Reflecting  Goals: 
Command  Chaplain  Programs  and  Events 

Throughout  the  major  commands,  senior  chaplains  implemented  the  Chiefs  goals  and 
priorities.  In  Germany,  the  U.  S.  Army  Europe  StafFChaplain's  Office  was  very  busy  with  its  normal 
abundance  of  worship  services,  conferences  and  retreats  for  soldiers  and  family  members.  Two 
family  counseling  workshops  were  held,  one  in  Nuernberg  and  the  other  in  Stuttgart,  to  provide  an 
update  on  techniques  used  in  family  counseling.  In  Berchtesgaden  the  Military  Council  of  Catholic 
Women  held  its  25th  Anniversary  Conference  in  1980.  Since  the  MCCW  was  founded  in  1955, 
approximately  500  women  had  met  each  year  to  share  program  ideas  and  enhance  their  personal 
spiritual  growth.'""  In  soldier  ministry,  some  5,000  troops  went  through  the  PET  II  (Values 
Clarification)  program  to  increase  motivation,  self-image,  and  positive  behavior  traits.  The  target 
audience  was  confined  to  E4  soldiers  and  below 

Chaplain  authorizations  in  USAREUR  went  up  from  298  to  303  positions.  Since  there  were 
only  278  chaplains  assigned,  there  was  a  real  increase  of  24  possible  assignments  Chaplain  Jack 
Ettershank  requested  more  black  and  Hispanic  chaplains  to  meet  a  goal  of  establishing  a  Black  Gospel 
or  Hispanic  worship  service  in  every  major  military  community  in  Europe  '"'^  On  November  16,  1980, 
the  U.  S.  Army  Europe  Roman  Catholic  community  turned  out  in  record  numbers  when  Pope  John 
Paul  conducted  an  evening  Mass  at  Finthen  Army  Airfield.  It  was  estimated  that  approximately 
300,000  persons  attended  the  Papal  Mass.""  Chaplain  John  P.  "Jack"  Ettershank,  who  served  as  VII 
Corps  Chaplain  before  he  became  the  U.S.  Army  Europe  Staff  Chaplain,  was  succeeded  in  the 
summer  of  1981  by  Chaplain  Charles  McDonald  who  continued  the  programs  of  his  talented 
predecessor,  but  with  special  additions  of  his  own. 

At  Headquarters,  U.S.  Training  and  Doctrine  Command,  Chaplain  Max  Wilk,  the  Staff 
Chaplain,  was  given  the  temporary  authority  to  place  chaplains  where  they  were  most  needed, 
without  regard  to  normal  staffing  criteria.'"  During  FY  1981,  authorizations  and  personnel 
distribution  plans  were  changed  at  five  TRADOC  installations  due  to  manpower  shortages.  A  MuUi- 
Ethnic/Cultural  Religious  Education  workshop  was  conducted  by  the  TRADOC  Chaplain  from  June 
15  to  18,  1981,  with  34  chaplains  and  directors  of  religious  education  in  attendance.""  This  workshop 
was  part  of  the  command's  ongoing  programs  to  include  all  personnel  in  the  religious  program.  A 
TRADOC/FORSCOM  training  conference  was  held  from  October  13  to  16,  1981  '"  The  theme  of 
the  Conference  was  "Ministry  in  Combat."  A  lay  sermon  was  delivered  by  General  Donn  Starry,  the 
TRADOC  Commander,  whose  contributions  to  AirLand  Battle  doctrine  had  changed  the  Army. 

The  Military  District  of  Washington  (MDW)  conducted  numerous  religious  services  in 
government  facilities.  Services  were  held  at  the  Pentagon,  the  Harkins  Building,  the  Hoffman  Building 
and  at  Cameron  Station."^  The  Pentagon  Pulpit  Series  featured  nationally  renowned  speakers  at  six 
special  services  each  year.  The  services  were  normally  conducted  on  the  Pentagon  Concourse. 
Eucharistic  lay  ministers  assisted  with  255  daily  masses  at  the  Pentagon,  and  the  Arimatheans  assisted 
with  163  fijneral  masses  in  MDW  chapels  and  at  Arlington  Cemetery."^ 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  141 


Mobilization  Planning  and  Coordination 

By  1980,  heavy  stress  was  being  placed  on  mobilization  planning.  The  Army  and  the 
Chaplaincy  recognized  the  need  for  plans,  policies  and  training  for  mobilization  The  Chief  of 
Chaplains  had  nonconcurred  with  the  first  draft  of  the  1980  Department  of  the  Army  Mobilization 
Plan  because  it  placed  the  Chief  under  supervision  of  the  DCSPER  and  made  chaplain  personnel 
management  the  responsibility  of  the  Military  Personnel  Center  (MILPERCEN).'""  The  Army  then 
developed  a  slightly  modified  mobilization  system  and  operational  document  to  which  OCCH 
provided  an  annex  to  explain  how  chaplains  would  be  mobilized.  The  instrument  was  an  evolutionary 
study  that  changed  as  the  Army  and  the  Chaplaincy  gained  more  information  and  experience 

The  Chief  of  Chaplains  conducted  a  major  mobilization  conference  from  April  30  to  May  1, 
1981,'"  led  by  Chaplain  Paul  Forsberg  and  Mr  Jim  Barton  fi-om  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office.  They 
were  joined  by  representatives  fi"om  FORSCOM  and  the  numbered  Armies,  including  the  Army 
Reserve.  The  agenda  focused  on  the  following  topics; 

►  Peace-time  Planning  Documentation 

►  Relationship/Authority/Cross-leveling. 
•■  What  assets  are  available  to  whom? 

»■  Reporting  requirements. 

»■  Who  is  in  charge? 

•■  Equipment  available  and  required. 

►  Handling  problems  of  family  members  residing  in  isolated  areas. 

In  December  1981,  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  sponsored,  and  FORSCOM  hosted, 
the  first  Mobilization  and  Army  Reserve  Chaplain  (MARCH)  Coordinators  Workshop  in  Atlanta, 
Georgia  MARCH  Coordinators  from  all  mobilization  stations,  CONUSAs,  Reserve  regions,  and 
major  commands  attended  The  conference  was  effective  in  providing  guidance,  information,  and 
definitive  instructions  for  mobilization  preparation."*  One  of  the  results  of  the  workshops  was  to 
recommend  that  chaplain  kits  be  issued  rather  than  stocked.  On  May  27,  1982,  the  U.S.  Army 
Equipment  Authorization  Review  Activity  authorized  chaplain  kits  to  be  issued  to  chaplains  upon 
entry  to  active  duty  thereby  precluding  massive  stockpiling  for  mobilization.'" 


Gospel  or  General  Protestant  Services? 

One  issue  which  emerged  in  1980,  and  which  finally  required  a  decision  by  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  in  1982,  was  whether  Gospel  Services  would  be  continued  in  the  Army.  In  November  of 
1980,  Chaplain  Calvin  H.  Sydnor  III,  then  assigned  to  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  wrote 
a  decision  memorandum  for  Chaplain  Johnson's  consideration.  Chaplain  Sydnor's  recommendation 
was  that  the  name  of  Gospel  Services  be  changed  to  General  Protestant  or  denominational  services.'"" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


142 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

Chaplain  Sydnor  had  found  that  it  had  become  routine  for  installation  chaplains  to  assign  "unit  black 
chaplains  to  pastor  the  Gospel  service  program  as  an  additional  duty."'."'  Some  black  chaplains  from 
liturgical  backgrounds.  Episcopalians,  Lutherans,  and  some  Methodists,  did  not  feel  that  a  Gospel 
Service  was  part  of  their  religious  heritage.  They  felt  pressured  to  lead  the  Gospel  Services  merely 
because  of  their  race  Others  wanted  to  be  involved  with  Gospel  Services  exclusively  to  the  detriment 
of  other  programs.  In  both  cases,  the  title  "Gospel  Service,"  in  Chaplain  Sydnor' s  opinion,  tended 
to  be  "divisive  and  separatist."'" 

In  September  of  1981,  a  Gospel  Service  Conference  was  held  in  Atlanta,  Georgia,  for  military 
chaplains.  The  Conference  was  attended  by  chaplains  representing  DACH  and  various  commands 
in  the  Army  including  FORSCOM,  TRADOC,  and  U.S.  Army  Europe.  After  due  deliberation,  a 
Conference  committee  recommended  to  Chaplain  Johnson  that  "Gospel  Services  be  designated 
General  Protestant,  that  chaplains  who  are  white  be  'tuned  up'  to  participate  in  and  conduct  Gospel 
Services,  and  that  all  chaplains  be  reminded  of  their  care  for  all  soldiers  and  their  families  regardless 
of  race."'-' 

After  more  discussion.  Chaplain  Johnson  issued  his  decision  on  March  18,  1982.  He 
continued  with  the  name  "Gospel  Services,"  but  directed  installation  chaplains  to  staff"  and  support 
them  fairly  Chaplain  Johnson  wrote  the  following  concerning  the  recommendations  of  the  Gospel 
Service  Conference  of  1981,  "I  have  followed  the  recommendation  that  Gospel  Services,  led  by 
chaplains,  should  have  equal  scheduling  and  financial  support  as  any  other  General  Protestant  service. 
This  is  a  decision."'"^  Chaplain  Johnson  believed  that  Gospel  Services  were  meeting  a  need  and 
should  remain  an  option  for  soldiers  in  the  Army.  Thereafter  a  number  of  chaplains  without  regard 
to  race  did  sponsor,  though  not  always  lead.  Gospel  Services. 


The  Air  Florida  Crash  :  Defining  Religious  Support  by  Example 

If  some  chaplains,  in  light  of  the  Constitutionality  Case,  were  questioning  what  role  they 
would  play  in  future  ministry,  there  was  no  identity  crisis  in  1982  for  the  chaplains  at  Fort  Belvoir, 
Virginia  At  four  o'clock  on  Wednesday  afternoon,  January  13th,  Air  Florida  Flight  90,  with  79 
persons  on  board,  crashed  into  the  Potomac  River.  Even  though  the  twin-engine  Boeing  737  had 
been  de-iced  continuously  while  awaiting  takeoff"  from  Washington's  National  Airport,  it  did  not 
achieve  enough  thrust  from  its  engines  to  remain  in  the  air.  As  the  jet  left  Runway  36,  it  failed  to 
climb  quickly  enough  The  landing  gear  hit  five  cars,  crushing  four  of  them,  on  the  northbound  span 
of  the  14th  Street  Bridge  between  the  Pentagon  and  the  Jefferson  Memorial.'"'  The  jetliner  rolled 
over  nose  first,  knocking  out  a  chunk  of  the  bridge,  and  burst  into  flames  as  the  fijselage  began 
settling  into  20  feet  of  water.  The  accident  was  over  in  8  seconds  '""'  Four  people  on  the  bridge 
were  killed  and  four  others  injured  as  cars  were  smashed  and  toppled  into  the  river  Seventy  ticketed 
passengers,  three  infants,  one  Air  Florida  employee,  and  five  crew  members  were  on  the  plane. '"^ 

Among  the  first  agencies  to  respond  were  the  Metropolitan  Police,  the  Coast  Guard,  the  Park 
Police,  and  by  special  request,  the  902nd  Engineer  Company  from  Fort  Belvoir  Army,  Navy  and 
Coast  Guard  divers  were  summoned  to  help  recover  victims  and  (hopefully)  survivors.  As  the  first 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  143 


helicopters  began  circling  the  area,  pilot  Donald  W.  Usher,  a  Vietnam  veteran,  noticed  a  man  in  the 
water  pushing  people  to  safety.  "That  guy  was  amazing  .I've  never  seen  that  kind  of  guts  He 
decided  that  the  women  and  the  men  who  were  bleeding  needed  to  get  out  before  him,  and  even  as 
he  was  going  under  he  stuck  to  his  decision,  "  ME.  "Gene"  Windsor,  a  paramedic  aboard  Usher's 
helicopter,  told  reporters  '""  The  hero,  one  of  many,  was  Arland  Williams,  46,  from  Georgia.  He 
saved  four  others  before  he  disappeared  into  the  water,  a  victim  of  hypothermia.''' 

Chaplain  Donna  Weddle,  the  Assistant  Brigade  Chaplain  for  the  Engineer  Brigade  at  Fort 
Belvoir,  was  in  the  tield  at  Fort  A  P  Hill  with  three  of  her  five  battalions  when  the  accident  happened. 
Requested  by  her  commander  to  accompany  elements  of  the  15th  Combat  Support  Hospital  to  the 
site  to  provide  medical  and  counseling  support  for  the  military  divers  and  rescue  personnel.  Chaplain 
Weddle  tlew  back  to  Davidson  Army  Airfield  at  Fort  Belvoir  and  then  drove  her  car  to  the  bridge.'^" 

The  Metropolitan  Police  Chaplain,  the  first  clergy  person  to  reach  the  accident,  remained  at 
the  site  for  12  hours  before  retiring  to  rest  The  temperature  was  between  7  and  10  degrees  above 
zero,  the  visibility  in  the  water  not  more  than  1 8  inches  Chaplain  Weddle,  who  had  to  repel  down 
a  rope  fi"om  the  bridge  to  reach  the  tactical  operations  center  (TOC),  was  the  first  and  only  military 
chaplain  to  be  continuously  on  the  site  for  the  9-day  recovery  operation. 

Of  the  79  passengers  on  board  Flight  909,  only  five  survived.  Most  of  the  others  were  still 
strapped  in  their  seats  below  water  in  the  wreck  of  the  aircraft  The  military  divers  had  to  locate 
many  of  them  by  touch  in  the  murky  darkness  Chaplain  Weddle  took  a  rubber  raft  out  to  the  diving 
platforms  where  she  gave  instant  encouragement  and  spiritual  support  to  the  young  divers  as  they 
brought  the  bodies,  men,  women  and  infants  to  the  surface.'^' 

After  a  few  dives,  the  military  divers  would  go  to  a  warming  tent  to  get  coffee  before 
resuming  operations.  The  doctors  felt  it  was  important  for  the  divers  to  discuss  their  feelings 
immediately,  lest  they  be  overcome  with  emotional  fatigue  in  the  extremely  dangerous  water. 
Chaplain  Weddle  accompanied  the  divers  and  other  rescue  personnel  and  helped  them  process  their 
feelings  Since  the  water  was  so  cold,  most  of  the  bodies  were  preserved  with  blood  frozen  near 
wounds.  For  the  Vietnam  veterans  the  condition  of  the  bodies  sometimes  brought  flashbacks  to  their 
war-time  experiences  Chaplain  Weddle's  ministry  was  even  more  important  for  them — to  prevent 
reactions  which  might  immobilize  them 

To  help  Chaplain  Weddle  maintain  her  own  spiritual  and  physical  strength.  Navy  Chaplain 
Lawrence  A.  Shoberg,  a  clinically  trained  hospital  chaplain,  met  with  Donna  periodically  before  she 
went  back  to  the  diving  platforms  "It  was  great  to  have  him  there,"  Chaplain  Weddle  recalled,  "he 
was  an  excellent  person  to  talk  to."'^" 

On  the  second  day  of  the  recovery  operation.  Chaplain  Kermit  Johnson,  the  Army  Chief  of 
Chaplains,  called  Chaplain  Weddle  at  the  TOC  to  see  if  she  needed  any  help.  Chaplain  Weddle  was 
working  with  some  patients  when  she  got  a  message  that  Chaplain  Johnson  was  on  the  telephone. 
She  called  back,  "Tell  him  I'm  too  busy  doing  ministry.  I'll  call  him  when  I  can.  He'll  understand.  "'^^ 
An  hour  later  Chaplain  Weddle  returned  the  Chiefs  call.  "Whoever  would  have  thought  that  you 
would  be  in  that  situation,"  Chaplain  Johnson  said  to  his  fellow  Presbyterian  chaplain  and  colleague. 
"But  Sir,  if  not  here,  surely  I'd  be  doing  ministry  somewhere,    this  is  what  we  are  trained  for," 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


144 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

Chaplain  Weddle  replied. 

After  nine  days  all  of  the  bodies  were  recovered  and  the  operation  was  over.  Seventy-nine 
people  had  lost  their  lives.  The  memorial  Service  was  conducted  on  Super  Bowl  Sunday  by  Chaplain 
Weddle  and  Chaplain  John  L.  Blake,  the  Roman  Catholic  Chaplain  from  Fort  Belvoir.  Some  1 70  of 
the  200  men  and  women  on  the  rescue  team  met  in  a  GP  tent  for  the  service.  The  Salvation  Army 
provided  music  as  it  alluded  the  people  who  had  died  and  gave  thanks  for  those  who  had  lived 
through  the  terrifying  ordeal 

At  the  Pentagon,  Chaplain  Johnson  and  his  staff  were  very  proud  of  the  tasks  Chaplain 
Weddle  had  assumed  and  performed  in  such  a  stellar  manner  They  were  equally  proud  of  the  other 
chaplains  and  chapel  activity  specialists  from  Fort  Belvoir  who  had  helped  cover  the  Engineer 
Brigade,  spread  out  from  Fort  A. P.  Hill  to  the  Potomac  River  In  the  midst  of  mass  casualties, 
chaplains  had  gone  to  the  edge  of  death  to  reaffirm,  with  noteworthy  courage,  the  power  of  life,  faith, 
compassion,  and  teamwork.  They  had  made  a  difference. 


Breaking  Out  of  the  Box:  Response  of  a  Soul  to  God 

Patriotism  is  not  limited  to  those  in  the  miUtary  sen'ices,  however.  I  haw  been  impressed 
by  persons  who  work  for  a  better  country  by  drawing  attention  to  the  lawlessness  of  our  nation.../ 
likewise  marwl  at  the  many  gifted  people  who  pa.ss  up  the  lucrative  rewards  dispensed  by  the 
military  -  industrial  -  scientific  -  academic  -  complex  working  instead  for  pittance  and  principle. 

Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Kermit  Johnson 

USA  Retired 

Realism  and  Hope  in  a  Nuclear  Age  ( 1 988) 

During  the  winter  of  1981  and  the  spring  of  1982,  security  problems  in  the  Western 
Hemisphere  and  in  Western  Europe  received  increased  attention  Factional  strife  in  El  Salvador, 
tensions  between  Nicaragua  and  Honduras,  and  Russian  and  Cuban  intervention  in  the  region,  either 
direct  or  by  proxy,  created  a  threat  that  required  a  sharpening  of  regional  priorities  and  an  allocation 
of  appropriate  resources  '^^  Helicopters,  trucks,  weapons,  and  communications  equipment  were 
dispatched  to  El  Salvador  under  the  Foreign  Military  Sales  Program.  U.S.  military  teams  were  sent 
to  help  the  government  of  El  Salvador  develop  a  national  military  strategy,  and  training  was  provided 
by  the  U.S.  Army,  both  in  El  Salvador  and  at  the  School  of  the  Americas  in  Panama,  to  assist  the 
government's  efforts  to  deal  with  escalating  insurgency.'"  In  Europe  the  Army  deployed  three 
battalions  of  Abrams  M-1  tanks,  new  Bradley  Fighting  Vehicles,  Stinger  missiles,  and  the  first  UH-60 
Blackhawk  helicopters.  Plans  for  the  deployment  of  additional  nuclear  missiles  in  Germany  and  in 
other  NATO  countries  were  underway.  USAREUR's  capability  to  accommodate  reinforcements  from 
the  United  States  was  improved  with  the  pre-positioning  of  a  fourth  division  set  of  equipment.'^* 

Not  all  of  these  developments  went  unnoticed  by  critics  of  American  defense  policy.  Since 
1977,  a  civil  war  involving  more  than  17,000  Popular  Revolutionary  Bloc  insurgents,  mainly  peasants, 
Roman  Catholic  priests,  workers  and  students,  had  sparked  periodic  violence  and  guerrilla  activity 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  145 


against  the  government  of  El  Salvador.  '"  Scores  of  nuns  and  priests,  including  Archbishop  Oscar 
Romero  in  1980,  had  been  murdered  for  what  Chaplain  Johnson  saw  as  their  pastoral  and  prophetic 
stance  in  identifying  with  the  poor  and  advocating  justice  and  reconciliation.  "Priests  in  El  Salvador, 
as  throughout  Latin  America,  were  greatly  influenced  by  liberation  theology,"  Chaplain  Johnson 
noted,  "and  more  specifically,  negotiated  settlement  was  seen  as  treasonous  support  for  the  enemy. 
Not  until  very  late  in  the  game  when  elements  of  the  Salvadoran  Army  (but  not  all)  and  the  U.S.  were 
convinced  they  could  not  militarily  defeat  the  FMLN — was  there  any  change  in  this  position — and 
then,  only  begrudgingly  """ 

Some  Protestant  and  Roman  Catholic  missionaries  from  the  United  States  alleged  that  the 
United  States  Army  was  training  and  equipping  government  soldiers  who,  in  turn,  terrorized  their 
own  people.  These  charges  related  not  only  to  the  government  of  El  Salvador  but  to  Guatemala  and 
Honduras  as  well.  "'^  The  Mary  Knoll  Catholic  missionaries  from  New  York  reported  the  gruesome 
statistics: 

Archbishop  Oscar  Romero  was  assassinated  on  March  24,  1980  while  celebrating 
Mass  in  San  Salvador  On  Dec  2.,  1980,  two  Mary  Knoll  sisters,  a  Mary  Knoll  lay 
associate  and  an  Ursuline  sister  were  murdered.  Later  six  Jesuits,  their  housekeeper 
and  her  daughter  were  taken  from  their  houses  and  shot  on  the  grounds  of  the 
University  of  Central  America  in  San  Salvador.  Each  of  these  murders  involved 
soldiers  trained  at  the  School  of  the  Americas  run  by  the  U.S.  Military.  In  the  past 
40  years,  over  57,000  soldiers  have  trained  there,  some  of  whom  have  committed 
assassinations,  coups  and  massacres  in  El  Salvador,  Guatemala,  Honduras,  Argentina, 
Columbia  and  Peru.  '^° 

In  March  of  1982,  in  response  to  moral  critiques  of  U.S.  military  policy  which  had  appeared 
in  the  press.  General  Edward  C.  Meyer,  Chief  of  StaflFof  the  U.S.  Army,  asked  his  staff  for  a  paper 
on  the  moral  issues  related  to  nuclear  war  and  to  the  conflict  in  El  Salvador.  '^'  In  view  of  his  many 
qualifications.  Chaplain  Kermit  Johnson  received  the  task.  As  a  graduate  of  the  U.S.  Military 
Academy,  where  the  strategy  had  been  practiced  for  decades.  Chaplain  Johnson  knew  that  if  he 
wanted  to  challenge  a  commanders's  policy  without  direct  confrontation,  one  asked  very  pointed 
questions  which  could  lead  to  uncomfortable  but  honest  conclusions.  "I  figured  the  best  way  to  raise 
issues  was  by  submitting  Socratic  questions  in  the  context  of  Just  War  criteria,"  Chaplain  Johnson 
wrote,  "but  when  this  paper  reached  the  Office  of  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Operations,  (Lt  Gen. 
William  Richardson),  it  angered  his  "Iron  Majors."'^" 

In  his  Memorandum  to  the  Chief  of  Staff,  "Subject:  Moral  Issues  of  Nuclear  War  and  of 
Conflict  in  El  Salvador,'"^'  Johnson  outlined  four  traditional  positions  regarding  war: 

►  The  Pacifist  Position  (no  war) 

•■  The  Crusade  Position  (holy  war) 

►  Just  War  (prevailing  Christian  position) 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


146 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

►  The  Nuclear  Pacifist  (new  position  on  use  of  nuclear  weapons) 

His  treatise  dealt  mostly  with  Nuclear  Pacifism  and  indiscriminate  killing  His  memorandum  was 
"obviously  intended  to  raise  the  consciousness  of  the  Chief  of  Staff"  of  the  Army  and  others  to  the 
ferment  in  churches  and  elsewhere  over  nuclear  policy  and  El  Salvador  " 

Johnson's  Memorandum  contained  statements  by  numerous  ecclesiastical  dignitaries  and  other 
national  leaders  In  Tab  C,  he  raised  numerous  questions  about  El  Salvador.  Each  question  was 
related  to  one  of  the  conditions  of  the  just  war  theory  (Justifiable  Cause,  Legitimate  Authority,  Just 
Intentions,  Public  Declaration  of  Causes  and  Intentions,  Reasonable  Possibility  of  Success,  Due 
Proportion,  Last  Resort,  and  Just  Means).  It  was  clear  that  he  did  not  feel  that  the  El  Salvador 
operation  met  these  criteria 

Chaplain  Johnson  also  was  particularly  incensed  when  the  United  States  started  to  train  El 
Salvador  soldiers  in  the  United  States  He  was  concerned  because  it  "would  only  help  soldiers  to  kill 
people  more  effectively."  He  was  also  angered  that  Salvadoran  soldiers  had  "killed  Archbishop 
Romero  "  Romero  was  an  outspoken  advocate  of  liberation  theology  and  the  revolution  of  the  poor 
and  disenfranchised.  Chaplain  Johnson  said  he  could  not  close  his  eyes  to  the  issues,  and,  as  a  result, 
he  and  the  Director  of  the  Army  Staff",  Lieutenant  General  James  Lee,  "went  head  to  head  '"'^^ 

These  staff" officers  let  it  be  known  that  not  only  was  Chaplain  Johnson  out  of  his  element,  but 
he  was  playing  in  left  field  To  question  the  results  of  high-level  Administration  policy,  for  which  the 
Army  was  but  the  action  agency,  was  not  in  the  Army  's  ballpark  '^'  In  his  March  3 1  memorandum. 
Chaplain  Johnson  wrote  to  General  Meyer  on  the  nuclear  issue,  "Religious  leaders,  together  with 
laity,  believe  they  are  struggling  with  issues  of  life  and  death,  perhaps  on  a  'last  chance'  basis  for  a 
human  civilization.  Thus,  cavalier  and  caustic  comments.,  (by  administration  officials)  are  bound  to 
be  regarded  as  insensitive  evasions  of  the  moral  issues  at  hand."'^''  General  Richardson  agreed  these 
issues  should  be  faced,  and  asked  his  staff" to  reconsider  Chaplain  Johnson's  paper 

Over  the  course  of  Chaplain  Johnson's  Army  career  he  had  undertaken  what  was,  in  eflFect, 
a  pilgrimage  of  moral  leadership  From  "grass  roots"  issues  of  morality,  relating  to  interpersonal 
integrity,  to  mega-ethics,  why  policies  which  hold  50  million  people  hostage  to  a  threatened  nuclear 
attack  might  also  be  wrong.  Chaplain  Johnson  had  moved  from  being  the  Army's  Ethicist  to  becoming 
the  Army's  Moral  Theologian.  '^' 

The  issues  which  he  overlooked  or  ignored  as  a  major  could  not  be  overlooked  or  ignored 
as  a  major  general  Chaplain  Johnson  reflected,  "...even  if  we  want  to  crawl  in  a  foxhole  to  get  out 
of  this  field  of  Macroethics,  some  sensitive,  deeply  committed  Roman  Catholic  Christian  like  General 
Meyer  will  come  along  and  tap  you  on  the  shoulder  and  ask  you  to  get  involved."  '^^ 

In  his  heart-of-hearts.  Chaplain  Johnson  did  not  embrace  the  role  of  a  prophet  glibly.  He 
knew  that  professional  loyalty  strictly  prescribed  what  comments  he  could  make  as  Chief  of 
Chaplains.  Because  he  so  strongly  and  honestly  disagreed  with  the  policies  of  the  Reagan 
Administration,  not  only  in  Latin  America  and  in  Europe  but  in  addressing  issues  of  poverty  and  the 
environment  in  the  United  States,  he  was  "boxed  in"  by  the  conflict  between  his  role  as  a  prophetic 
ethicist  and  his  role  as  Chief  of  Chaplains 

Chaplain  Johnson  fully  understood  where  such  role  conflicts  could  lead    He  had  written  a 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  1 47 


study  of  that  exact  subject  while  a  student  at  the  Command  General  Staff  College  in  1969.  Yet,  as 
early  as  January  1982,  Chaplain  Johnson  sent  a  personal  note  to  General  Meyer  describing  his 
discomfort  at  remaining  solely  inside  the  pastoral  role  "box",  when  his  calling  to  speak  prophetically 
outside  the  "box"  was  so  strong.  "Even  though  much  of  my  work  is  inside  the  [pastoral]  box  and  I 
consider  it  to  be  important  ..increasingly  I  am  seeing  the  impossibility  of  taking  such  a 
compartmentalized  view  I  cannot  content  myself  with  only  looking  inside  the  "box  "'""''  Chaplain 
Johnson  was  concerned  not  only  with  people  within  institutions,  but  with  the  policies  of  those 
institutions. 

Ironically,  Chaplain  Johnson's  views  on  the  evils  of  supporting,  even  unintentionally.  Central 
American  death  squads  or  his  views  on  the  impossibility  of  waging  a  just  war  with  nuclear  weapons 
were  neither  totally  radical  nor  completely  new  to  the  military.  Other  general  officers  had  made 
similar  statements,  though  usually  in  retirement.  ''" 

When  Chaplain  Johnson  wrote  to  General  Meyer  that  1  )"In  no  way  could  a  strategic  nuclear 
war  be  considered  a  just  war,"  and  2)  "people  of  the  third  and  fourth  world,  who  1  believe  would 
rather  not  identify  with  communism,  are  nudged  that  way  by  our  cold  shoulder,  "  he  was  being  neither 
disloyal  nor  unprofessional  '^'  Given  the  fixed  mind-set  of  some  of  his  associates  at  the  Pentagon, 
however.  Chaplain  Johnson  knew  that  his  opinions  were  unfashionable  and  that  he  was  increasingly 
being  perceived  as  "out  of  step"  with  the  Army  and  with  many  of  the  senior  leaders  in  the  Chaplaincy 
who  totally  supported  the  policies  of  President  Reagan  as  the  surest  and  strongest  deterrence  to  "the 
evil  empire"  of  Communism 

Faced  with  his  own  "inner  struggles"  but  confident  that  his  "widening  awareness"  was  of  God, 
Chaplain  Johnson  announced  in  May  that  he  would  retire  on  June  30,  1982,  one  year  before  the 
conclusion  of  his  four-year  term  as  Chief  of  Chaplains.""  His  role  conflict  between  loyalty  to  an 
institution  he  had  served  for  35  years,  and  the  liberty  to  speak  out  in  prophetic  love  to  make  that 
institution  even  better,  was  resolved. 

Many  of  the  senior  chaplains  did  not  understand  what  Chaplain  Johnson  was  doing,  hence 
they  could  not  appreciate  his  wrestling  with  his  own  conscience  and  with  his  own  loyalties  At  his 
retirement,  however,  his  close  friend  and  former  classmate  at  West  Point,  General  Edward  C.  "Shy" 
Meyer  presented  Chaplain  Johnson  with  the  Distinguished  Service  Medal  for  outstanding  service  in 
two  wars  and  for  his  leadership  at  every  echelon  of  the  Army,  to  include  service  as  the  1 5th  Chief  of 
Army  Chaplains 

From  1983  to  1986  Chaplain  Johnson  served  as  Associate  Director  of  the  non-governmental 
Center  for  Defense  Information  in  Washington  Thereafter  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  Central 
America  Working  Group  in  the  Washington  Office  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  USA. 

On  April  3,  1995,  The  Washing/on  limes  reported  a  series  of  charges  against  CIA-  supported 
Central  American  Army  officers  for  killing  more  than  100,000  people  "in  the  early  80s"  in  Guatemala. 
Other  news  stories  in  1994-1995  included  investigations  into  the  conduct  of  24  officers  in  El  Salvador 
charged  with  murder  and  assassination  during  the  period  1980  to  1 989.  All  were  allegedly  graduates 
of  the  U.S.  Army's  School  of  the  Americas.'" 

In  May  of  1995,  as  the  Keynote  Speaker  at  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Unit  Ministry  Team 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


148      THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

Conference  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  Chaplain  Johnson  received  a  warm  welcome  and  a  standing 
ovation  from  more  than  300  of  his  fellow  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants,  and  directors  of  religious 
education. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 149 

ENDNOTES 

1  Henry  Steele  Commager,  Pocket  History  of  the  United  States,  (New  York:  Pocket  Books, 
1992),  p.614. 

2  I  hid 

3  Leonard  Y    Brown,  ed..  Department  of  the  Army  Historical  Summary  FY  1980,  p. 3, 
4.  Henry  Steele  Commager,  Op.  cil.,  p. 621. 

5    Ibid,  p. 634. 

6.  Christine  O.  Handyman,  ed..  Department  of  the  Army  Historical  Summary,  FY  1982,  p. 3. 

7.  (J.  S.  News  and  World  Report,  October  25,  1993,  p.54. 
8    OCCn,  Annual  Historical  RevieM;  FY  79,  pp  4-5. 

9.  Ibid,  p.6. 

10.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen  )  Kermit  Johnson,  November  10,  1993. 

1 1.  Personal  Papers  of  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Kermit  Johnson,  "Summary  of  Objectives,  Activities, 
Emphases  while  at  FORSCOM,"  p.  1    Chaplain  Johnson  retained  his  personal  papers  in  his 
possession  after  kindly  making  them  available  for  this  study. 

\2  Ibid 

13.  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Fall  1981,  p. 2. 

14.  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  FY  79,  pp  31-32. 

15.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen.)  Kermit  Johnson,  November  10,  1993. 
16  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  FY  70,  p  36 

17.  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  FY  80,  p. 7. 

18.  Letter  fi"om  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen  )  Kermit  Johnson  to  the  Most  Reverend  Joseph  T.  Ryan, 
Coadjutor  Archbishop,  July  16,  1981    Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

19  Lenwood  Y    Brown,  ed.,  DA  Historical  Summaiy,  FY  80,  p.  132 

20.  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  FY  80,  p.  16. 


150 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

21.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen  )  Kermit  Johnson,  November  10,  1993 


22.  Letter  from  Vice  President  Walter  F.  Mondale,  March  1,  1982,  in  the  Personal  Papers  of 
Chaplain  Johnson. 

23  See  Israel  Drazin  and  Cecil  B    Currey,  For  God  and  Country  (Hoboken,  New  Jersey:  KTAV 
Publishing  House,  1955)  pp. 1-3. 

24.  The  Harvard  Crimson,  November  1,  1979,  pi     At  the  time  Harvard  Law  students  filed  their 
case,  the  Massachusetts  Supreme  Court  was  deciding  an  issue  of  prayer  in  public  schools. 

25.  Stephen  R.   Latham,  "Law  Students  File  Suit  Against  Army,"  The  Han'ard Crimson, 
November  30,  1979,  p.l. 

26.  Letter  from  Joel  Katcoff  to  Ms  Cindee  M  Brinsfield,  April  6,  1995.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain 
Corps  Archives. 

27.  Michael  Smith,  "3L's  Attack  U.  S.  Army  for  Employing  Chaplains,"  Harvard  Law  Record, 
December  7,  1979,  p. 3. 

28  Stephen  R    Latham,  The  Han'ard  Crimson,  November  30,  1979,  p  8. 

29.  Michael  Smith,  Harvard Liw  Record,  December  7,  1979,  p. 3. 

30.  United  Slates  District  Court  for  the  Fxistern  District  Court  of  New  York,  Joel  Katcoff  and 
Allen  M.  Wieder,  Plaintiffs,  against  Clifford  L  Alexander,  Jr.,  Secretary  of  the  Army,  and  the 
Department  of  Defense,  Defendants.  Civil  Action  79C  2986,  November  23,  1979. 

31.//>/J.,p.6 

32. /A/a'.,  p. 8 

33./^>/t/.,p.l0. 

34.  Interrogatories  and  Request  for  Production  of  Documents,"  November  23,  1979,  p  10    Copy 
in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives 

35.  "Memorandum  of  Law  in  Support  of  Defendants'  Motion  to  Dismiss  or  in  the  Alternative,  -for 
Summary  Judgment,"  January  12,  1980. 

26.  Ibid.,  pp  20,21 

37./A/6/.,pp.22,23. 

38.  Ibid.,  p.30. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS  1 5 1 


39  Ibid.  Justice  Stewart  in  his  dissent  in  Abington  School  District  v.  Schempp,  argued  in  favor  of 
the  complementary  nature  of  the  two  clauses. 

40  Ibid^  p.49flF. 

41 .  Ibid.,  p  62.  Lemon,  "First,  the  statute  must  have  a  secular  legislative  purpose;  second,  its 
principal  or  primary  effect  must  be  one  that  neither  advances  nor  inhibits  religion  ...  finally,  the 
statute  must  not  foster  'an  excessive  government  entanglement  with  religion'." 

42  Ibid,  p.63flF. 

43  Israel  Drazin  and  Cecil  B    Currey,  For  God  and  Country  (Hoboken,  New  Jersey;  KTAV 
Publishing  House,  1995),  p. 67 

44  Active  duty  participants  at  the  Manressa  Conference  included:  Chaplain  (Col  )  Douglas  Jones, 
USAF,  Chaplain  (Col  )  Charles  Kriete,  Army  War  College,  Chaplain  (Col  )  Richard  Tupy, 
Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  School;  Chaplain  (Col.)  Edward  Christopher,  Fort  Ord,  Chaplain 
(Col )  Harold  Lamm,  Armed  Forces  Chaplain  Board,  Chaplain  (Col  )  John  Deveaux,  DARCOM; 
Chaplain  (Col  )  Richard  Martin,  Fort  Myer,  Chaplain  (Col.)  Ivan  Ives,  DACH,  Chaplain  (Col  ) 
John  Scott,  DACH,  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col  )  Wayne  Kuehne,  DACH;  Chaplain  (Lt  Col )  Rodger 
Venzke,  Army  Chaplain  Board;  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Ronald  Bezanson,  DARCOM;  Chaplain 
(Maj.)  Herman  Keizer,  Chaplain  School;  Chaplain  (Maj  )  Richard  Goellen,  TRADOC, 
Chapiain(Maj.)  Sanford  Dresin,  DACH;  Chaplain  (Capt)  John  Brinsfield,  USMA.  Mrs.  Lee 
Cherepes,  secretary  in  Plans,  Programs  and  Policies,  was  recording  secretary. 

45  Letter,  DACH-PPZ-A,  January  16,  1981    Signed  by  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen.)  Kermit  D. 
Johnson. 

46  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen  )  Kermit  Johnson,  letter  to  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Brinsfield  (with  notes), 
June  22,  1995. 

47  Ibid 

48.  Personal  interview  with  Major  General  Michael  J.  Nardotti,  Jr.,  The  Judge  Advocate  General 
of  the  Army,  March  20,  1995 

49  Ibid 

50  The  General's  comments  are  in  the  U    S.  District  Court,  Eastern  District  of  New  York, 
Statutory  Appendix,  pp  212-262.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives 

51  "Memorandum  and  Order"  February  1,  1984  (Judge  McLaughlin)    Copy  in  the  Chaplain 
Corps  Archives. 


152 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

52.  Ibid.,  p.2. 

5?,.Ihid. 

54  Ibid,  p  24. 

55.  Ibid.,  pp. 33-35. 

56.  "Decided"  United  States  Court  of  Appeals  for  the  Second  Circuit,  January  22,  1985. 

57.  Ibid,  p.23. 

58.  Ibid 

59.  Ibid,  p.24. 

60.  Ibid.  p.27. 
6\.Ibid,  p.28 

62.  Ibid,  p.29. 

63.  Ibid.,  p.31. 

64.  Ibid,  p.32. 

65  DAJA,  "Final  Dismissal  of  Constitutional  Challenge  to  Army  Chaplaincy  --  IIVFORMATION 
MEMORANDUM"  February  7,  1986. 

66.  Ros/ker  v    Goldberg  {453  US  57),  June  1,  1981 

67 .  John  Garth  Murray,  et.  Al„v.  Azie  Taylor  Morton,  et.  o/.,  Civil  Action  No.  80-1475, 
1980. 

68.  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  Annual  Historical  Review,  October  1,  1980  -  September  30,  1981, 
HQDA,  Washington,  DC,  p  8 

69  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  FY  8 1,  p  9. 

70.  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  FY  82,  p  14. 

71   Karl  E    Cocke,  ed.,  DA  Historical  Summary,  FY  82,  p  55    Copy  in  the  Center  of  Military 
History. 

72.  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  1980-81,  p  28 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS ^ 

73.  Ch\ef  of  Chap\ams  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  May  1,  1982,  p.  13. 

74.  Karl  E.  Cocke,  Op.  at.,  p  56. 

75.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Kermit  Johnson,  November  10,  1993. 

76.  Ibid. 

77.  U.  S.  Army  War  College  Directive,  Academic  Year  1975,  pp  10-1 1 .  The  Directive  was  a 
course  overview  for  students. 

78.  Chaplaincy,  vol    1,  pp  1 7-27. 

79  Chaplain  Johnson  to  Dr.  Dyck,  October  13,  1973,  p.  1 .  The  Johnson  Papers. 

80.  JhiJ. 

S\  Ibid,  p.2. 

82.  Letter,  Lieutenant  General  A.  J.  Goodpaster,  to  Chaplain  Kermit  Johnson,  December  30, 
1980. 

83  MEMORANDUM  FOR  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff,  Personnel,  SUBJECT:  "Integrating 
Values/Ethics  into  the  Army,"  March  1 8,  1 982,  from  Chaplain  Kermit  Johnson. 

84  Ibid 

85.  Handwritten  note  from  Brigadier  General  Mitchell,  March  29,  1982. 

86  Military  Chaplains '  Review,  Spring  1982,  p. v. 

87  John  W    Brinsfield,  Developing  a  Ministry  of  Teaching  the  History  of  Ethics  and  World 
Religions  at  the  United  States  Militaiy  Academy,  West  Point,  New  York,  (Madison,  New  Jersey,: 
Drew  University  D.  Min.  Project,  1983)  pp.  18-36. 

88.  Another  outstanding  chaplain  assigned  to  West  Point  during  the  early  1980's  was  Chaplain 
Marc  A.  Abramowitz  who  led  the  successfijl  effort  to  build  the  Jewish  Chapel  there. 

89.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  Tom  Norton,  U.   S.  Army  War  College,  December  1,  1994; 
Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Donna  Weddle,  December  12,  1994. 

90.  HQ.,  USAREUR  and  Seventh  Army  Annual  Review,  1979-1980,  p.483. 

9 1 .  Congressional  Record,  p.  1 45 1 . 


154 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

92.  Oral  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen  )  Kermit  D    Johnson,  November  10,  1993,  see  also 
Kermit  Johnson,  "Macroethics  and  the  Dilemmas  of  Advising,"  Speech  at  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 
UMT  Conference,  May  23,  1995,  p. 6.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 


93 .  Congressional  Record,  p.  1 45 1 . 

94.  //)/J.,  p.l453. 

95.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  ^/»»/(7////.vtoA-/cfl//?<?i7£?M',  October  1,  1981  to  September 
30,  1982,  p.20 

96.  Ibid 

97  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Annual  Historical  Review,  October  1,  1980  to  September  30, 
1981,  p. 35. 

9S  Ibid,  p.33. 

99.  Ibid.,  p.7 

100.  HQ.,  USAREUR  and  Seventh  Army  Annual  Review,  1979-1980,  p. 485. 

101.  Ibid,  p.32. 

102  Project  Milestone  "Action  Ministry  for  Minority  Soldiers  and  Their  Families,"  Silver  Strands 
Systems,  Inc.,  New  Haven  Connecticut,  p.l 

103  Karl  E  Cocke,  ed  ,  Department  of  the  A rttiy  Historical  Summary,  1981-1982,  p  6  flf 

104.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains /4/?«//a////.ytoA'/c'a//?fv/^M',  October  1,  1980  to  September 
30,  1981,  p. 6 

\  05  Ibid 

106.  Ibid,  p.7. 

107  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  October  1,  1980  to  September  30,  1981,  p  21. 

1 08.  USAREUR  and  Seventh  Army  Historical  Review,  FY  1 980,  p. 482. 

109.  Ibid.,  p.484. 

1 10  HQ  USAREUR  and  Seventh  Army  Historical  Review,  1979-1980,  p  485. 

111.  HQ  TRADOC  Chaplain  Semiannual  Historical  Report,  April  1  -  September  30,  1981,  p.l. 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 155 

\\2  Ib/d,p.2. 

113.  TRADOC  Chaplain  Semiannual  Historical  Report,  October  1,  1981  to  March  31,  1982,  p.l. 

1 14.  MDW  Chaplain  Annual  Historical  Review,  October  1,  1981  to  September  30,  1982,  p.v-3 

115.  Ibid 

1 16.  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  FY  80,  p.  12. 

117  Chief  of  Chaplains  Annual  Historical  Review,  October  1,  1980  to  September  30,  1981,  p.l  1. 

1 18  Department  of  the  Army  Historical  Summary,  FY  82,  Compiled  by  Karl  E.  Cocke,  et.  al.. 
Center  for  Military  History,  Washington,  DC,  1984,  p. 89 

119  Ronald  S.  Bezanson,  OCCH  Memorandum,  December  28,  1984,  p  4. 

120  Memorandum  dated  November  5,  1980,  File  701-01  (Chaplain  Instruction  File)  "Gospel 
Services"  (81),  National  Archives  Suitland,  Maryland. 

121.//)/t/.,p  1. 

\12.Ibid.,\)2. 

123  Memorandum  dated  November  6,  1981,  File  701-01,  Chaplain  Instruction  File,  "Gospel 
Services,"  National  Archives,  Suitland,  Maryland. 

124  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Kermit  Johnson,  letter  to  Chaplain  (Col.)  Whitfield  M.  McMillan,  HQ, 
USAREUR,  March  18,  1982  in  File  701-01,  "Gospel  Services,"  National  Archives,  Suitland, 
Maryland. 

125  Lawrence  Meyer,  "Plane  Hits  Bridge",  The  Washington  Post,  Jan.  14,  1982  ,  p.l. 

126.  Ibid.  ,  Jan   15,  1982,  p.  A6 

127.  Ibid.. 

128    Ibid  ,p.l. 

129.  Mr.  Williams'  body  was  recovered  on  Saturday  ,  January  16,1982.  The  Ariand  D  Williams 
Bridge,  where  the  crash  occurred,  bears  his  name 

130  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col)  Donna  Weddle,  23  March  1995. 

131  Ibid 


156 THE  JOHNSON  YEARS 

132.  Ibid 

133.  Ibid. 

134    Department  of  the  Army  Historical  Summary  for  FY  82,  p  II-6 

135.  Ibid. 

136.  Ibid.,  p.  II-5. 

137.  The  New  York  Times,  77?^  1979  Hammond  Almanac,  (Maplewood,  N.J.:  Hammond 
Almanac,  Inc.,  1978),  p. 564. 

138.  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Kermit  Johnson,  letter  to  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  June  22, 
1995 

139.  Fiona  Neill,  "Guatemalan  military  sent  reeling  by  Washington  murder  allegations,  "The 
Washington  Times,  3  April  1995,  p  A13. 

140.  James  Martin,  "School  of  Assassins,"  America,  10  Dec.  1994,  p. 22. 

141.  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen  )  Kermit  Johnson,  "Macroethics  and  the  Dilemmas  of  Advising,  "Chief 
of  Chaplains  UMT  Conference  Address,  23  May  1995,  p  2.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps 
Archives. 

142.  Ibid. 

143.  File  701-01,  Chaplain  Instruction  Files  (82),  "Moral  Issues,"  National  Archives,  Suitland, 
Maryland. 

144.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Kermit  Johnson,  November  10,  1993. 

145.  Ibid 

146.  As  cited  in  Kermit  D  Johnson,  Reahsm  and  Hope  in  a  Nuclear  Age,  (Atlanta:  John  Knox 
Press,  1988),  p.  12 

147.  Kermit  Johnson,  "Macroethics,"  p.  1 

148.  Ibid, p.2. 

1 49.  Kermit  Johnson,  Realism  and  Hope  in  a  Nuclear  Age,  p.  1 09. 

150.  General  Dwight  D.  Eisenhower  wrote  in  1947,  "We  need  an  organized  effort  that  will 
remove  war  from  the  category  of  the  inevitable  into  its  proper  position  as  an  evil  subject  to 


THE  JOHNSON  YEARS ^ 

prevention."  Dr  Cyril  Falls,  Chichele  Professor  of  the  History  of  War  at  Oxford  University,  said 
in  1949,  "Technology  has  outrun  morality  and  has  put  weapons  of  appalling  character  into  the 
hands  of  statesmen  with  lower  moral  and  mental  equipment  than  some  of  their  predecessors.  The 
best  possible  counter  to  atomic  weapons  would  be  improved  ethics. "  General  Douglas 
MacArthur  told  the  Texas  Legislature  in  195 1 ,  "I  am  a  100  per  cent  disbeliever  in  war    In  war  as 
it  is  waged  now,  with  enormous  losses  on  both  sides,  both  will  lose.  It  is  a  form  of  mutual 
suicide;  and  I  believe  that  the  entire  effort  of  modem  society  should  be  concentrated  on  an 
endeavor  to  outlaw  it."  Quotations  from  Eisenhower,  Falls,  and  MacArthur  as  cited  in  John  W. 
Brinsfield,  "From  Plato  to  NATO,"  Speech  for  the  Command  Group,  U.S.  Army  Europe  and  7th 
Army,  1986,  p.  11,  16.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

151.  Kenmt  Johnson,  Realism  and  Hope  in  a  Nuclear  Age,  pp  111-112. 

152.  Ibid,  pp.  13-14. 

153.  James  Martin,  "School  of  Assassins,  "America,  Dec.  10,  1994,  p. 22. 


159 

CHAPTER  V 

THE  HESSIAN  YEARS: 
BRINGING  THE  CHAPLAINCY  ON  LINE 

1982-1986 

In  the  Army  Chaplaincy's  Second  Revohition  after  Vietnam,  the  theory  and  practice  of  ministry  to 
soldiers  and  their  family  members  shifted  from  a  garrison  to  a  battlefield  model.  Installations  became 
sustaining  bases  for  the  mobilization  and  deployment  of  soldiers.  For  the  first  time  in  recent  histor}\  teams 
of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  devolved  Chaplain  Corps  doctrine  from  operational  concepts  to  the 
publication  of  field  circulars,  field  manuals,  and  regulations  in  order  to  bring  the  Chaplain  Corps  on  line 
with  the  Armv's  Airl.and  Battle  Doctrine. 


Milestones: 


Development  of  the  Unit  Ministry  Team 


Chapel  Activity  Specialists  redesignated  Chaplain  Assistants 


Publication  of  Field  Manual  16-5 


Assignment  of  a  Chaplain  to  the  National  Guard  Bureau 


Ministry  after  the  Gander  Tragedy 


Operation  Urgent  Fury,  Grenada 


Creating  a  New  Battle-Focused  Model  for  Ministry 

After  the  end  of  the  Vietnam  War  in  1973.  the  Army  Chaplaincy  defined  its  role  in  peacetime  largely 
in  terms  of  a  garrison  model.  Chaplains  were  pastors,  counselors,  and  preachers.  Clinical  pastoral 
education  and  the  emphasis  on  parish  development  contributed  to  the  organization  and  delivery  of  religious 
support  for  the  soldier  and  family  members  on  installations.  Chapel  Activity  Specialists,  as  chaplain 
assistants  were  known  after  1977.  were  linked  to  the  post  chapels  in  building  maintenance  and  office 
administration.  By  1983  less  than  fifh'  percent  of  the  chaplains  on  active  diit}'  had  had  any  combat 
experience.  Responding  to  the  Army 's  need  for  religious  support  m  both  hea\y  and  light  divisions  in  the 
early  80s,  leaders  throughout  the  Chaplaincy  turned  their  attention  once  again  to  formulating  doctrine  for 
the  ministry  on  the  battlefield. 

Chaplain  Gordon  Schweitzer,  Director  of  Combat  Developments 
US  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  1981-1983 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


160  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


The  years  from  1982  through  1986  constituted  a  "hinge  period"  for  the  history  of  the  Army 
Chaplaincy.  Many  concepts  for  ministry  which  had  been  developing  since  the  end  of  the  Vietnam  War 
were  synthesized  into  doctrine.  The  concept  of  the  chaplain  and  the  chapel  activity  specialists  as  a 
religious  ministry  team  in  the  chapel  environment  was  dramatically  altered  to  form  unit  ministry  teams 
of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  capable  of  operating  either  in  a  garrison  or  in  a  combat 
environment.  The  role  and  involvement  of  Reserve  Component  chaplains  and  assistants  grew  to 
include  direct  support  for  active  duty  missions  on  a  large  scale.  The  inclusion  of  ministry  to  soldiers 
suffering  from  battle  fatigue  as  a  part  of  Chaplain  Corps  doctrine  helped  make  the  unit  ministry  team 
both  more  relevant  and  more  valuable  to  the  unit  commander  As  the  first  joint  operation  in  combat 
since  Vietnam,  Operation  Urgent  Fury  generated  an  upgrade  in  readiness  training  as  a  result  of 
lessons  learned  during  the  deployment  of  religious  support  personnel  to  Grenada.  With  these  and 
other  changes  in  policy,  doctrine,  and  training,  the  Chaplaincy  "put  on  its  Battle  Dress  Uniform"  for 
the  decade  of  the  80s. 


Chaplain  Patrick  J.  Hessian 

Chaplain  (Major  General)  Patrick  John  Hessian  was  appointed  the  Army's  16th  Chief  of 
Chaplains  on  July  1,  1982.  As  a  former  semi-professional  ball  player,  a  European  handball  champion, 
and  a  Jump  Master  in  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps,  Chaplain  Hessian  combined  a  deep  spirituality  with 
a  strong  competitive  nature  and  natural  athletic  ability. '  His  career  advancement  had  been  meteoric, 
with  all  of  the  implications  of  brilliance  and  fire  characteristic  of  the  metaphor. 

Bom  in  Belle  Plaine,  Minnesota,  in  1928,  Chaplain  Hessian  attended  St  Paul  Seminary  and 
was  ordained  a  Roman  Catholic  priest  in  1953.  After  spending  five  years  in  the  Army  Reserve, 
Chaplain  Hessian  entered  active  duty  on  August  29,  1963.^  Sixteen  years  later  he  became  the  Deputy 
Chief  of  Chaplains  and  would  spend  more  time  as  a  general  officer  than  any  other  Chief  of  Chaplains 
in  the  preceding  twenty  years. ^ 

Chaplain  Hessian's  first  duty  assignment  in  1963  was  to  the  1st  Brigade,  1st  Armored  Division 
at  Fort  Hood,  Texas.  The  battalion  he  was  to  cover  was  the  2/8 1st  Armor,  commanded  by  Lt. 
Colonel  George  Patton,  son  of  General  George  S.  Patton,  Jr.,  of  World  War  II  fame.  Chaplain 
Hessian  recalled  reporting  to  Lt.  Colonel  Patton  at  his  office  for  their  first  meeting: 

So  I  went  in  there  and  I  stood  at  attention  before  his  desk,  but  he  refused  to  look  up. 
He  was  writing,  and  he  just  kept  on  writing,  and  he  wrote  and  he  wrote  and  it  was  a 
very  long  time.  Finally  he  got  up  and  he  walked  around  his  desk  and  he  walked  all  the 
way  around  me,  inspecting  me  from  stem  to  stem  A  word  had  never  been  spoken. 
Finally  he  said,  "What's  your  name?"  I  told  him  my  name.  He  said,  "What's  your 
denomination?"  By  this  time  I  was  angry,  and  angrily  I  said,  "I'm  Catholic."  And  he 
said,  "Damn  good  thing  you  are  or  I'd  have  your  ass  out  of  here.  My  old  man  never 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  161 


had  anybody  but  a  Catholic  and  I'm  not  having  anybody  either." 

It  was  a  tense  land  of  time  for  a  person  who  was  brand  new  in  the  Army  and  not  very 
committed  to  the  Army.  I  was  clearly  not  committed  to  the  Army  then.  So  I  walked 
out  of  there  that  day  saying  to  myself  "To  hell  with  the  Army.  Who  needs  this?"** 

Chaplain  Hessian  remained  in  the  Army  for  twenty-four  additional  years,  but  he  never  forgot 
his  first  meeting  with  Patton  Chaplain  Hessian  had  volunteered  for  active  duty  because  he  wanted 
"adventure  "*  He  had,  in  retrospect,  almost  enough  adventure  his  first  day  in  the  Army  with 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Patton  to  satisfy  even  his  most  avid  curiosity.* 

Beginning  with  his  first  assignment  on  active  duty,  and  for  fourteen  consecutive  years 
thereafter.  Chaplain  Hessian  was  constantly  involved  with  ministry  to  soldiers  in  the  field.  As  a 
chaplain  in  the  1st  Brigade,  1st  Armored  Division,  Chaplain  Hessian  had  his  first  experience  with  a 
major  training  exercise.  The  exercise,  called  Desert  Strike,  involved  50,000  soldiers  and  Marines. 
Chaplain  Hessian  recalled  later  some  of  the  lessons  he  learned: 

It  was  in  the  Desert  Strike  exercise  that  I  began  to  understand  the  value  of  field 
exercises  for  a  chaplain,  and  for  me,  at  least,  it  was  my  very  first  long  road  march. 
It  took  us  2  !/2  days  by  jeep  just  to  get  out  of  Texas.  We  kind  of  skipped  across 
Arizona  and  New  Mexico  all  the  way  to  California.  That  was  a  very  long  trip. 

When  we  went  to  the  desert  for  six  weeks  straight  and  slept  on  the  ground  we  really 
got  to  know  our  people.  It  was,  I  believe,  as  a  result  of  that  experience  that  I  came 
away  with  the  notion  that  any  time  you  can  go  into  an  unusual  environment  with  a 
unit  it  will  cause  cohesion  in  the  unit.' 

Another  lesson  that  Chaplain  Hessian  learned  on  Desert  Strike  involved  the  cost  of  fatigue 
to  a  unit.  During  the  exercise  soldiers  got  extremely  tired  because  the  scenario  ran  24  hours  a  day. 
When  the  troops  got  tired  they  tended  to  lie  down  in  their  sleeping  bags  in  the  open  area  of  the  desert. 
Over  the  course  of  time  many  soldiers  were  run  over  by  tanks  maneuvering  in  the  desert.  Chaplain 
Hessian  recalled,  "I  think  in  the  course  of  this  exercise  something  like  30  men  were  killed  or  injured."' 

At  the  conclusion  of  Desert  Strike,  the  1st  Brigade,  1st  Armored  Division  was  assigned  to  the 
1st  Marine  Division  to  practice  amphibious  landings.  Chaplain  Hessian  noted: 

It  was  my  first  experience  with  beach  landings.  We  were  assigned  to  the  1  st  Marine 
Division  to  do  landings.  So  we  were  put  aboard  ships  and  then  transferred  at  sea 
fi"om  one  ship  to  another  with  tanks  and  trucks.  It  was  very  diflficuh.  I  mean  there 
were  people  in  the  water  everywhere  The  little  landing  craft  did  not  get  in  close  to 
the  shore.  They  dropped  the  front  down  and  there  were  all  kinds  of  guys  throwing-up 
in  the  water.  The  waves  were  hitting  them.  It  was  a  wicked  exercise  but  it  was  good 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


162  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


training,  I  guess/* 

At  tiie  end  of  Desert  Strike  the  1st  Armored  Division  had  a  Thanksgiving  Service  for  the 
success  of  the  exercise  and  a  memorial  service  for  the  dead.  Many  of  the  soldiers  were  thankflil  that 
more  were  not  killed  Chaplain  Hessian  wrote,  "It  was  an  exceedingly  danger-filled  exercise  "'"  From 
this  experience  and  others  like  it.  Chaplain  Hessian  developed  a  conviction  that  training  exercises, 
particularly  field  exercises,  were  absolutely  essential  if  chaplains  were  to  develop  the  cohesion,  trust 
and  understanding  necessary  to  minister  effectively  to  soldiers  in  a  unit." 

After  his  experience  at  Fort  Hood,  Chaplain  Hessian  served  in  Korea,  in  Germany,  and  in 
Vietnam.  While  assigned  to  the  8th  Infantry  Division  at  Bad  Kreuznach,  Germany,  Chaplain  Hessian 
volunteered  for  airborne  training.  He  was  not  fond  of  jumping  out  of  airplanes,  but  he  felt  the 
training  was  valuable  The  next  year,  in  July  of  1969,  he  became  the  brigade  chaplain  of  the  173d 
Airborne  Brigade  in  Vietnam. 

In  many  ways  Chaplain  Hessian's  experience  in  the  Army  was  a  classic  model  of  ministry  to 
soldiers  in  combat  units.  Twice  a  brigade  chaplain,  he  subsequently  became  a  deputy  division 
chaplain,  and  then  post  chaplain  at  Fort  Campbell,  where  the  101st  Airborne  Division  was  located 
in  1975.  By  that  time  Chaplain  Hessian  was  one  of  the  few  chaplains  in  the  Army  who  was  qualified 
in  both  airborne  and  amphibious  infantry  operations. 

On  the  first  of  August,  1975,  after  Chaplain  Hessian  had  been  at  Fort  Campbell  for  only  six 
months,  he  received  a  telephone  call  from  Chaplain  Orris  Kelly,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.  Chaplain 
Hessian  remembered  the  call  well: 

Monday  morning  at  0800,  my  phone  rang  in  Kentucky  and  it  was  Orris  Kelly  His 
first  official  act  as  Chief  of  Chaplains  was  to  call  me  and  tell  me  that  I  was  being 
moved  immediately  to  a  new  job  to  become  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  and  Post 
Chaplain  at  Fort  Bragg,  North  Carolina.  That  was  obviously  a  shock  to  me,  having 
been  at  the  present  job  only  six  months.  But  in  that  phone  conversation  he  told  me, 
"You  will  go  to  Fort  Bragg  and  you  will  be  there  a  short  time.  You  will  then  go  to 
the  War  College.  From  there  you  will  go  to  a  major  command  And  you  will 
accomplish  all  of  this  in  four  years  time  "  Every  one  of  these  steps  was  a  part  of  the 
preparation  process  to  qualify  me  to  become  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.  Chaplain  Kelly 
was  preparing  not  only  me  but  several  other  people  to  be  able  to  undertake  this  job 
in  the  event  that  any  one  of  them  happened  to  be  chosen. 

I  did  go  to  Fort  Bragg  I  was  there  for  two  years.  I  went  to  the  War  College  and  I 
went  to  U.S.  Army  Europe  to  become  the  U.S.  Army  Europe  Chaplain  all  in  four 
years  time,  so  that  by  the  time  the  four  years  were  up,  I  was  prepared  to  become  the 
Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains.  That  is  what  happened  I  was  the  Deputy  for  three  more 
years,  so  I  was  dealing  with  all  of  the  people  in  the  Pentagon  and  all  the  people  on  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  1 63 


Army  Staff.  I  had  three  years  (ample  time)  to  learn  how  the  big  system  works,  and 
to  get  acquainted  with  everything  at  all  levels  within  our  own  branch  Consequently, 
by  the  time  I  became  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  I  felt  I  was  exceedingly  well  prepared.'" 

By  1 982,  when  Chaplain  Hessian  was  nominated  by  President  Ronald  Reagan  for  appointment 
as  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  he  had  accumulated  not  only  a  Soldiers  Medal,  a  Bronze  Star  with  three 
Oak  Leaf  Clusters,  an  Air  Medal,  and  a  Purple  Heart  from  his  tour  in  Vietnam,  but  also  a  wealth  of 
experience  with  soldiers  in  ministry  at  every  echelon  in  the  Army.'^ 


Challenges  For  The  Chief 

One  of  the  first  tasks  Chaplain  Hessian  performed  as  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  was  to  prioritize 
ministerial  plans,  policies,  and  programs  which  would  meet  the  religious  needs  of  the  Army.  In  that 
regard,  like  the  previous  Chiefs,  he  aligned  and  directed  the  chaplaincy  to  address  current  and  future 
concerns. 

Prioritizing  the  programs  of  the  chaplaincy  was  no  small  task  The  previous  fall,  October  of 
1981,  Chaplain  Kermit  Johnson,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  at  that  time,  had  approved  goals  and 
objectives  through  fiscal  year  1984  In  total,  some  86  designated  programs  were  approved  for 
implementation  Fifty-five  of  these  programs  had  been  fijnded  at  a  total  cost  of  $1,091,300  This 
included  some  $307,000  in  programs  approved  for  the  Chaplain  Board  to  implement.  Chaplain 
Kermit  Johnson  had  put  special  emphasis  on  three  distinct  areas  of  programming:  ethics,  leadership 
and  supervision,  homiletics  and  worship,  and  Division  86.  The  Division  86  objective  involved 
developing  policy  and  training  for  the  integrative  ministry  requirements  implicit  in  religious  coverage 
at  the  battalion,  brigade,  and  division  levels  in  both  combat  and  peace-time  environments  '■*  In  all  of 
this  planning  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  as  advised  by  his  staff,  the  major  command  chaplains,  and  the 
installation  staff  chaplains,  strongly  supported  the  total  Army  goals  for  each  fiscal  year 

The  mission  of  the  total  Army  in  1982,  like  that  of  succeeding  years,  was  to  "deter  any  attack 
upon  U.S.  national  interests  and,  if  deterrence  fails,  to  engage  and  defeat  any  enemy  in  any 
environment."'^  The  threat  to  U.S.  national  interests  in  1982  was  vital  to  the  Chaplaincy  because  the 
Army  would  configure  its  organization  to  meet  the  perceived  threat.  In  essence  there  were  both 
nuclear  and  conventional  threats  in  Europe,  as  well  as  possible  high  and  low  intensity  threats  around 
the  world.  Of  the  many  possible  scenarios  in  1982,  however,  the  possibility  of  an  attack  by  the  Soviet 
Union  or  its  Warsaw  Pact  Allies  against  NATO  had  the  highest  priority  for  American  defense 
planners.  "The  most  serious  threat  facing  the  United  States  Army,"  said  Secretary  of  the  Army,  John 
O.  Marsh,  Jr.,  in  October  1982,  "is  a  major  conventional  war  with  the  Soviets,  especially  considering 
the  huge  imbalance  in  numbers  of  weapons  systems  and  fighting  forces."  During  1982  the  United 
States  Army  was  determined  to  restore  the  military  balance  with  the  Soviet  Union. '^ 

To  help  restore  the  balance  of  military  power  in  Europe,  the  Army  planned  to  deploy  572  U.S. 
Pershing  and  cruise  missiles  beginning  in  December  1982  in  five  NATO  countries.   This  action  was 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


1 64  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


sure  to  receive  the  most  attention  during  the  Nuclear  Arms  negotiations  scheduled  to  convene  in 
Geneva  in  1983.  Also,  President  Reagan's  Commission  on  Strategic  Forces,  headed  by  Lt.  Gen. 
Brent  Scowcraft,  a  former  National  Security  Advisor  to  President  Ford,  while  endorsing  the  MX 
missile,  proposed  "building  down"  the  opposing  strategic  nuclear  forces.  Other  balance-restoring 
plans  involving  conventional  weapons  upgrades  were  to  be  set  in  motion. '^ 

Meanwhile,  violence  and  terrorism  escalated  on  the  international  scene  in  the  autumn  of  1982, 
causing  power  imbalances  to  take  on  new  relevance.  In  the  Middle  East,  Lebanon's  President  was 
assassinated,  and  massacres  in  two  Palestinian  refijgee  camps  left  300  dead.  Both  events  placed  in 
jeopardy  an  international  peace-keeping  force,  including  a  contingent  of  U.S.  Marines  sent  to 
Lebanon  in  September  of  1982  In  West  Germany,  the  Revolutionary  Cells  Terrorist  Group  took 
credit  for  the  bombing  of  two  U.S.  military  bases,  while  in  Asia  there  was  the  possibility  that  the  war 
between  Iran  and  Iraq  would  escalate.'* 

The  worsening  international  situation  at  the  end  of  1982  increased  the  U.S.  Army's 
determination  to  deal  with  its  weaknesses.  They  included.  Secretary  Marsh  said,  in  October  1982, 
a  lack  of  adequate  air  and  sealift,  shortages  of  weapons  and  equipment,  and  frustratingly  slow 
progress  in  the  modernization  of  old  equipment  During  the  new  fiscal  year  the  Army  planned  to 
move  aggressively  to  shore  up  these  weaknesses  and  maximize  its  strengths  For  example,  the  Army 
planned  to  move  forward  with  the  AirLand  Battle  doctrine,  which  stressed  extreme  mobility, 
independent  action  and  directed  strength  against  enemy  follow-on  echelons 

The  Army  also  intended  to  move  forward  with  its  High  Technology  Test  Bed  (HTTB)  project 
involving  the  9th  Infantry  Division  at  Fort  Lewis,  Washington,  which  would  help  produce  a  lean,  hard 
hitting  force—a  new  high  technology  light  division.  The  Army  planned  to  modernize  its  equipment 
so  that  it  out-performed  Soviet  equipment  and  thereby  would  compensate,  to  the  extent  possible,  for 
the  Soviet  numerical  advantage.  The  Army  also  planned  to  make  many  organizational  changes  from 
the  Army  86  studies.  These  included  the  modernization  of  16  battalions  as  a  result  of  major  weapons 
system  changes.  Some  battalions  in  armored  divisions  would  transition  to  Division  86  designs  during 
1982-1983,  using  personnel  and  equipment  assigned  to  the  division  at  the  time  of  transition  In  short, 
the  Army's  modernization  effort  was  to  focus  to  a  great  extent  on  designing,  developing  and 
procuring  modem  arms  and  equipment  for  the  total  Army." 

The  accelerated  pace  of  modernization  in  the  Army,  especially  in  the  areas  of  new  technology, 
doctrine  and  organization,  had  many  ramifications  for  the  Chaplaincy.  If  chaplains  were  to  perform 
meaningflil  ministry,  they  must  be  part  of  the  total  modernization  effort.  This  would  include  not  only 
active  duty  chaplains  but  also  those  in  the  reserve  components.  Chaplains  in  key  leadership  positions, 
especially  those  in  plans,  programs  and  policies  and  in  combat  developments,  would  have  to  advise 
the  Chief  of  Chaplains  concerning  measures  the  Chaplaincy  would  have  to  take  to  remain  "on-line" 
with  the  new  Army  of  Excellence. 

Keeping  pace  with  the  new  modernization  effort  in  the  Army  was  not  the  only  challenge  that 
the  Chaplaincy  faced  in  1982.  There  were  other  internal  challenges  as  well.  Among  these  were  a 
shortage  of  Roman  Catholic  chaplains,  the  continuing  Constitutionality  court  case,  a  lack  of  clarity 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  165 


concerning  the  role  of  the  chapel  activity  specialist  and  the  relationship  between  the  chapel  activity 
specialist  and  the  chaplain;  and  a  shortage  of  female  and  other  minority  chaplains  in  the  Chaplain 
Corps.  Moreover,  the  decision  made  in  1980  at  the  Department  of  the  Army  level  to  assign  chaplains 
to  battalions  did  not  yet  iron  out  of  the  problems  at  the  installation  level.  In  1982  -  83  it  was  clear 
that  it  would  take  the  eflfort  of  all  the  supervisory  chaplains  to  work  out  the  religious  coverage 
requirements  by  TOE  and  TDA  chaplains  as  this  transition  took  place.^" 


Spirituality  and  Training 

Of  particular  interest  to  Chaplain  Hessian  was  the  issue  of  the  spirituality  of  the  Chaplain 
Corps.  In  his  guidance  to  the  chaplaincy  in  the  fall  of  1982,  Chaplain  Hessian  emphasized  the 
following  statements  of  encouragement: 

Personal,  spiritual  health  is  at  least  as  important  for  chaplains  as  training  and  tactics 
and  weaponry  is  for  the  tactical  officer  Each  chaplain  is  responsible  for  his/her 
spiritual  well-being  and  must  seek  opportunities  for  theological  reading,  study  and 
reflection.  Chaplains  are  encouraged  to  maintain  close  relationships  to  their  endorsing 
denomination  and  seek  to  grow  theologically  and  spiritually  through  the  nurture  of 
their  religious  organizations. 

Spiritual  nurture  of  the  soldier  is  one  of  the  principal  pastoral  duties  of  the  chaplain. 
Chaplain  contact  with  the  soldier  is  essential  if  this  nurture  is  to  take  place. 
Supervisory  chaplains  should  encourage  effective  contact  of  the  chaplain  with  soldiers 
and  their  family  members  through  the  intentional  presence  of  chaplains  in  units, 
hospitals,  homes  and  barracks  visitation.^' 

Chaplain  Hessian  said  that  he  attempted,  in  every  speech  and  in  every  letter  he  wrote  for  chaplains, 
to  emphasize  the  spirituality  theme  during  his  tenure  as  chief  Above  all,  he  took  time  each  morning 
before  the  work  day  began  to  pray  for  all  of  his  chaplains.^' 

Another  of  Chaplain  Hessian's  personal  priorities  concerned  the  training  of  the  Chaplain 
Corps.  As  Chaplain  Hessian  was  fond  of  stating,  "training  is  ministry."  In  his  personal  guidance  to 
his  major  command  chaplains.  Chaplain  Hessian  wrote: 

As  training  is  being  done  mission  is  accomplished  and  ministry  is  performed.  General 
Ferdinand  Foch  wrote:  "No  study  is  possible  on  the  battle  field,  one  does  there  simply 
what  one  can  in  order  to  apply  what  one  knows.  Therefore,  in  order  to  do  even  a 
little  one  has  already  to  know  a  great  deal  and  know  it  well.'  It  is  because  of  our  total 
mission  that  I  plan  to  establish  a  major  emphasis  on  training.  When  we  train  for  the 
Army's  mission,  we  are  performing  ministry."^ 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


166  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


Training,  according  to  Chaplain  Hessian,  was  an  essential  element  in  the  missjon  and  the  preparation 
for  mission  for  all  chaplains.  "■* 

It  would  not  be  an  accurate  picture  of  the  chaplaincy  at  the  end  of  1982,  however,  to  focus 
merely  on  the  policies  and  guidance  issued  from  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.  Of  the  1,440 
chaplains  then  on  active  duty,  859  held  commissions  from  the  U.S.  Army  Reserve,  5 1  were  National 
Guard  chaplains  on  active  duty,  and  530  were  regular  Army  chaplains  Of  the  1,440,  some  596  were 
captains  and  407  majors.  The  largest  majority  of  chaplains  were  doing  the  backbone  religious  support 
of  the  Army — performing  worship  services  in  chapels  and  in  the  field,  providing  counseling  and 
religious  education  opportunities  for  soldiers  and  their  families,  performing  ministries  of  soldier 
visitation  and  morale  support,  and  advising  their  commanders  on  religion,  morals  and  morale  as 
specified  in  Army  regulations. 

In  the  Chaplain  Corps  as  a  whole,  therefore,  hundreds  of  chaplains  were  involved  in  both 
ministry  and  training  in  accord  with  the  direction  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Some  249  chaplains 
graduated  from  the  Chaplain  Basic  Course,  and  85  from  the  Chaplain  Career  Course  in  1982;  1,300 
chaplains  were  enrolled  in  the  non-resident  program  at  the  Army  Chaplain  School.  More  than  100 
active  duty  chaplains  were  enrolled  in  non-resident  courses  of  the  Command  and  General  Staff 
College  Some  41  chaplains  had  been  selected  for  civilian  and  military  residence  schooling  including 
five  at  the  Command  and  General  Staff  College,  two  at  the  Army  War  College,  one  at  the  Armed 
Forces  Staff  College,  six  in  Clinical  Pastoral  Education,  and  19  in  other  civilian  schooling  programs. 
Approximately  150  chaplains  were  enrolled  in  the  Combined  Army  and  Service  Staff  School  (CAS3). 
In  fiscal  year  1983,  therefore,  1,655  different  chaplains  from  the  active  and  reserve  components  were 
involved  in  formal  academic  training."' 


Organization  of  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 

During  FY  1983,  the  organizational  structure  of  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  (OCCH) 
consisted  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains;  the  Executive  Officer;  the 
Administration  and  Management  Division;  the  Plans,  Programs  and  Policies  Division,  and  the 
Personnel  and  Ecclesiastical  Relations  Division.  The  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Board  was  a  Field 
Operating  Agency  (FOA)  of  the  Office,  Chief  of  Chaplains  The  following  persons  filled  essential 
positions  in  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains: 

Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Patrick  J.  Hessian,  Chief  of  Chaplains 

Chaplain  (Brig.  Gen.)  Paul  O.  Forsberg,  Deputy  Chief 

Chaplain  (Col.)  Norris  L.  Einerston,  Executive  Officer 

Chaplain  (Col.)  Ronald  S.  Bezanson,  Jr.,  Director,  Administration  and  Management  Division 

Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  James  A.  Edgren,  Management  Budget  Officer 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  167 


(Succeeded  by  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col  )  Timothy  Tatum  in  July  1983) 

Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Chester  R  Steffey,  Logistics  Officer 

Mr  John  C  Baer,  Administrative  Officer 

Ms.  Theresa  L.  Nottingham,  Public  Affairs 

(Succeeded  by  Mr.  Franklin  Vance  in  June  1983) 

Mrs.  Norma  J.  Turner,  Morale  and  Welfare 

Chaplain  (Col  )  Leroy  T  Ness,  Director,  Plans,  Programs  and  Policies  Division 

Chaplain  (Col.)  Edward  G  Wulfkuehler,  Reserve  Affairs  Chaplain 

Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Wayne  E.  Kuehne,  Force  Structure  Plan  Officer 

Chaplain  (Maj  )  Calvin  H  Sydnor,  Staff/Parish  Development  Officer 

(Succeeded  by  Chaplain  (Lt  Col.)  Roy  N  Mathis  in  July  1983) 

Mr.  Roger  W  Able,  Plans  and  Programs  Development 

Mrs.  Ida  M  Butcher,  Drug/Alcohol  and  Women's  Programs 

Chaplain  (Col  )  Israel  Drazin,  Special  Projects 

Chaplain  (Col.)  John  T.  Hoogland,  Director,  Personnel  and  Ecclesiastical  Relations  Division 

Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Wendall  F.  Danielson,  Professional  Planning  and  Development 

(Succeeded  by  Chaplain  (Maj  )  James  E  Russell  in  June  1983) 

Chaplain  (Maj  )  Sanford  L  Dresin,  Personnel  Actions 

Chaplain  (Lt  Col  )  Donald  W  Shea,  Procurement 

(Succeeded  by  Chaplain  (Maj.)  John  A.  Flaska  in  June  1983) 

Mrs.  Nellie  E  Burton,  Assignments 

Mrs.  Shirley  Womack,  ADP  Systems  Coordinator 

Chaplain  (Col  )  Billy  W  Libby,  President,  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Board 

Chaplin  (Maj  )  Geoffrey  H.  Moran,  Audio- Visual 

Chaplain  (Lt  Col  )  Marvin  K.  Vickers,  Jr  ,  Religious  Education 

Chaplain  (Maj.)  Richard  N.  Donovan,  Homiletics,  Journalism,  and  Editor,  Military  Chaplains  Review 

Chaplain  (Lt.  Col  )  Kenneth  B.  Clements,  Marriage  and  Family  Life 

Chaplain  (Maj.)  Louis  L.  Schmit,  Pastoral  Planner 

Sergeant  First  Class  Aaron  N  Gibson,  Administration/Special  Projects 

In  addition  to  the  chaplains  assigned  at  Department  of  Army  level,  other  chaplain  leaders  included 
1 1  major  command  (MACOM)  chaplains,  five  U.S.  Army  chaplains,  81  post  chaplains  in  the  United 
States,  four  overseas  headquarters  chaplains  (in  Alaska,  Panama,  Okinawa,  Puerto  Rico)  and  the 
Commandant,  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  School  and  staff  at  Fort  Monmouth,  New  Jersey. 

Approximately  two  weeks  after  Chaplain  Hessian  became  Chief  of  Chaplains,  he  convened 
the  36th  Annual  Command  Chaplains  Conference  in  Rosslyn,  Virginia  Some  28  command  staff 
chaplains,  including  the  Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  School  and  the  senior  chaplain  at  West  Point, 
attended  the  conference.  The  purpose  was  to  enable  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  to  review  and  evaluate 
the  past  year's  programs  and  policies,  to  outline  and  to  discuss  concepts  and  priorities  for  future 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


168  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


ministry  programs,  and  to  develop  revised  goals  and  objectives  to  enable  chaplains  to  perform  a  more 
viable  ministry  for  soldiers  and  their  families.  Two  of  the  main  speakers  at  the  conference  were 
Lieutenant  General  William  R.  Richardson,  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Operations,  and  Dr  James  T. 
Johnson,  professor  of  Political  Science  at  Rutgers  University.  Significantly,  General  Richardson  and 
Dr.  Johnson  highlighted  the  modernization  effort  in  the  Army  and  the  ethical  issues  involved  in 
contemporary  defense  policies. 

Some  of  the  other  topics  discussed  at  the  Command  Chaplains  Conference  included  the 
supervision  and  training  of  chaplains.  Gospel  Services,  homiletics  and  preaching,  the  hiring  of 
civilians,  a  new  field  manual  and  a  revision  of  regulations  for  the  Chaplaincy,  and  the  constitutionality 
case.  However,  the  most  important  outcome  of  the  conference  was  the  opportunity  for  Chaplain 
Hessian  to  address  his  major  emphases  for  the  next  four  years.  Chaplain  Hessian  stated  that  the  order 
of  his  priorities  were  1)  the  religious  support  mission  for  soldiers  and  their  families,  and  2)  the 
modernization  and  upgrading  of  the  Chaplaincy.  Chaplain  Hessian  emphasized  the  importance  of 
training,  recruitment,  and  mobilization  planning.  Above  all,  the  Army  Chaplaincy  would  have  to  be 
prepared  to  support  soldiers  in  any  and  all  contingency  missions,  whenever  and  wherever  they  might 
occur 

The  Total  Chaplaincy  Goals  and  Objectives  which  Chaplain  Hessian  approved  for  FY  1985- 
1986  were  intended  to  be  a  mission  statement,  with  taskings,  for  the  following  three  years  They 
continued  some  of  the  goals  from  Chaplain  Kermit  Johnson's  administration  as  Chief  but  Chaplain 
Hessian  put  his  own  imprint  on  others.  Chaplain  Hessian  stressed  a  Human  Goal  which  would  ensure 
the  fi'ee  exercise  of  religion  for  all  soldiers  and  promote  family  life  in  the  Army  as  well  as  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  the  single  soldier  The  Leadership  Goal  included  systemic  training  for  chaplains  and  chapel 
activity  specialists  as  well  as  an  emphasis  on  ethics  to  inform  the  conscience  of  the  soldier.  The 
Future  Development,  Materiel,  Management  and  Strategic  Deployment  Goals  directed  efforts  toward 
a  Chaplaincy  that  was  prepared  for  ministry,  equipped,  organized  and  ready  to  accomplish  "the 
chaplain  mission  in  peace  and  war."'* 


Management  Issues:  Chaplain  Proponency 

In  September  of  1982  two  meetings  were  held  at  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  School,  Fort 
Monmouth,  New  Jersey,  that  dealt  with  the  management  of  the  chaplain  branch.  The  first  meeting 
dealt  with  the  chaplain  specialty  proponency.  The  second  meeting  was  a  regularly  scheduled  meeting 
of  the  Chaplain  Academic  Board. 

In  the  final  draft  of  AR  600-1,  Specialty  Proponency,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  was  designated 
as  the  proponent  for  MOS  56A,  the  specialty  designation  for  chaplains.''  The  Chief  exercised 
personnel  management  authority  Specific  management  responsibilities  paralleled  those  delineated 
for  the  Commander,  MILPERCEN,  and  the  included  structure,  acquisition,  individual  training  and 
education,  distribution,  unit  deployment,  sustainment,  professional  development,  and  separation  for 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  169 


chaplains.  A  proponency  issues  group  had  been  established  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  and  met  in 
August  1982.  Action  officers  from  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office,  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Board, 
the  Chaplain  School,  TRADOC  and  FORSCOM  developed  proponency  issues  that  required 
coordination  of  actions.  In  addition,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  appointed  an  executive  group  which  met 
in  September  1982  to  discuss  those  Proponency  issues  and  determine  the  action  (lead)  agency 
responsible  for  each  issue. 

Some  of  the  special  proponency  issues  of  interest  to  Chaplain  Hessian  included  the 
recruitment  of  Roman  Catholic  chaplains,  minority  chaplains  and  female  chaplains.  Personnel 
shortages  in  these  areas  led  Chaplain  Hessian  to  urge  "special  consideration  by  all  to  provide  for 
Roman  Catholic  rites  and  sacraments"  and  chaplain-led  worship  services  for  minorities  which  could 
include  special  training  in  the  Spanish  language  for  ministry  to  Hispanic  soldiers."* 

Women's  issues  were  highlighted  in  the  Military  Chaplains  Review  in  1983.  Some  of  the 
topics  included  exclusive  language  in  worship,  alienation,  double  standards,  and  fair  treatment  of 
female  chaplains  and  chapel  activity  specialists.  It  was  clear  from  the  available  research  that  females 
in  the  Chaplaincy  often  labored  under  false  stereotypes  and  without  a  trustworthy  support  system.'' 

The  Chaplain  Academic  Board,  meeting  in  the  same  month  and  also  at  the  Chaplain  School, 
was  called  to  discuss  continuing  education  and  training  (sustainment  training)  occurring  between  the 
Chaplain  Basic  Course  and  the  Chaplain  Advanced  Course,  and  the  Combined  Arms  and  Services 
Staff  School  (CAS  3)  and  its  relationship  to  the  Chaplain  Professional  Development  Plan.  Although 
the  Chaplain  Academic  Board  was  established  in  April  1977  as  part  of  the  Chaplain  Professional 
Development  Plan,  upon  completion  of  the  September  1982  Academic  Board  meeting.  Chaplain  Paul 
Forsberg,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  decided  to  review  the  composition  of  the  Academic  Board 
as  part  of  Chaplaincy  proponency.  A  decision  was  to  be  made  whether  to  reconfigure  the  Board  later 
in  1982. 

The  Chief  of  Chaplains  also  approved  renaming  the  Staff  Specialist  or  Seminarian  Program. 
The  new  name  was  to  be  the  Chaplain  Candidate  Program.  Seminarians  were  appointed  to  the 
Chaplain  Candidate  Program  to  provide  a  continuing  source  of  trained  chaplains  for  active  duty. 
Reserve,  and  National  Guard  service.  Denominational  approval  was  required  for  all  chaplain 
candidates.  Chaplain  candidates  were  authorized  up  to  45  days  active  duty  for  training  each  year. 
The  first  year  candidates  had  to  attend  the  Chaplain  Basic  Course  at  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  School. 
In  following  years  they  had  to  train  in  an  institution,  hospital  or  confinement  facility.  Chaplain 
candidates  wore  Staff  Specialist  brass  insignia  and  the  words  "Chaplain  Candidate"  under  their  name 
on  their  name  plates. 


Nuclear  Issues:  The  Bombs,  The  British,  and  The  Bishops 

As  part  of  the  NATO  deterrence  strategy  for  European  security  in  1982,  the  United  States 
completed  the  delivery  of  572  Pershing  II  and  cruise  missiles  to  five  European  countries.  The  108 
Pershing  II  missiles  initially  deployed  in  Germany  had  the  capability  of  reaching  Soviet  targets  within 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


170  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


five  minutes  after  launching.'"  An  additional  96  cruise  missiles  were  transported  to  the  British  Royal 
Air  Force  Base  at  Greenham  Common,  50  miles  west  of  London." 

The  Conservative  Party  in  Britain,  led  by  Prime  Minister  Margaret  Thatcher,  was  firmly 
committed  to  the  emplacement  of  American  cruise  missiles,  but  the  Labor  Party  under  the  leadership 
of  the  Honorable  Michael  Foot  was  equally  committed  to  removing  all  nuclear  weapons  from  Britain. 
The  Conservatives  argued  that  the  missiles  were  necessary  to  maintain  the  nuclear  balance  in  Europe, 
while  their  critics  in  the  Labor  Party  said  that  the  missiles  would  simply  make  it  easier  for  the  United 
States  and  the  Soviet  Union  to  fight  a  nuclear  war  without  resorting  to  intercontinental  missiles.^" 

At  Greenham  Common,  30,000  women  linked  arms  in  a  circle  around  the  base  in  protest. 
Ms.  Gillian  Booth,  who  spent  two  weeks  in  prison  for  her  activities  at  the  base,  explained  that  she 
"would  like  to  see  all  countries  get  rid  of  nuclear  weapons,  including  Britain  "  The  Honorable  Alex 
Kitson,  a  Scottish  political  leader  observed,  "When  they  talk  about  limited  nuclear  war  in  the  States, 
they  mean  it  would  be  limited  to  us."^^ 

London's  Sunday  Times  called  the  proliferation  of  nuclear  weapons  "the  most  crucial  issue 
for  1983."  Seventy-two  percent  of  the  British  electorate  said  they  were  worried  about  nuclear 
weapons,  and  30%  said  they  favored  unilateral  disarmament  for  Britain.'^  The  Most  Reverend  Dr. 
Robert  Runcie,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  said  a  fiill-scale  nuclear  war  was  un-winnable  and 
"applauded  those  who  demonstrated"  against  nuclear  weapons  "  The  Church  of  England's 
Convocation  of  Clergy  scheduled  a  debate  in  February  of  1983  on  "The  Church  and  the  Bomb" 
which  seemed  to  look  with  predisposed  favor  upon  unilateral  nuclear  disarmament  for  the  British 
Isles.''' 

In  the  United  States  various  church  leaders  began  to  issue  letters  and  statements  regarding 
the  increase  in  nuclear  weapons  in  Europe.  The  United  Methodist  Council  of  Bishops,  representing 
ten  million  church  members,  condemned  "the  use  and  the  threat  of  using  nuclear  arms."'^  The 
National  Conference  of  Catholic  Bishops,  whose  member  bishops  presided  over  285  dioceses  in  the 
United  States,  began  reviewing  a  statement  on  the  morality  of  nuclear  arms  as  drafted  by  their 
Committee  on  Peace  and  War.  The  Committee's  Chairman,  Archbishop  Joseph  L.  Bernardin,  had 
already  written  in  the  first  draft  that  "any  nation's  first  use  of  nuclear  weapons  would  be  irrational  and 
immoral."  The  first  draft  also  raised  serious  moral  questions  about  the  concept  of  deterring 
opponents  through  the  threat  of  using  nuclear  weapons,  which  had  been  basic  to  United  States  policy 
for  decades.'" 

The  possibility  of  a  pastoral  letter  by  the  Catholic  bishops  condemning  nuclear  deterrence 
immediately  attracted  some  of  the  most  extensive  news  coverage  in  the  United  States.  Major 
newspapers,  television  broadcasts,  and  news  magazines  ran  follow-up  stories  from  November  of  1982 
through  May  of  1983  on  three  different  drafts  of  the  bishops'  "Pastoral  Letter  on  War  and  Peace. "_''' 
President  Reagan's  national  security  advisor,  William  P.  Clark,  sought  to  persuade  the  Catholic 
bishops  that  "the  Administration's  policies  on  nuclear  arms  were  guided  by  compelling  moral 
considerations."^" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  1 7 1 


Army  Concerns 

At  the  highest  Department  of  the  Army  levels  there  were  concerns  over  the  impact  the 
Bishops'  Pastoral  Letter  might  have  on  service  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith  More  than  25% 
of  the  soldiers  in  the  Army  were  Catholic:  and,  in  1983,  for  the  first  time  in  its  history,  the  United 
States  Military  Academy  at  West  Point  reported  that  more  than  50%  of  the  cadets  were  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  faith  Some  generals  wondered  if  Catholic  soldiers  assigned  to  Pershing  missile  units  would 
refuse  to  perform  their  duties  in  light  of  the  Pastoral  Letter  At  St  Augustine's  Church  in  Ossining, 
New  York,  Lt  General  Willard  Scott,  Superintendent  of  the  US  Military  Academy  and  a  Roman 
Catholic  Eucharistic  minister,  addressed  the  congregation  in  February:  "Yes,  I  study  war,  but  I  study 
war  to  promote  and  preserve  peace.  I  tell  my  cadets  that  we  will  do  our  utmost  to  preserve  peace.  "^' 

At  the  U.S.  Army  War  College  Professor  John  W  Coffey,  a  visiting  scholar,  wrote  in 
Parameters. 

a  bishop's  conference  has  no  teaching  authority  Only  the  Pope  or  the  whole 
College  of  Bishops  with  the  Pope  can  proclaim  morally  binding  principles  for 
Catholics.''- 

However,  Chaplain  Donald  L  Davidson,  who  taught  ethics  as  a  member  of  the  War  College 
faculty,  urged  that  the  Roman  Catholic  Pastoral  Letter  "not  be  overlooked,"  for  "since  1980,  churches 
and  synagogues  representing  more  than  100  million  Americans  have  issued  official  statements  that 
criticize  nuclear  weapons  and  U.S.  deterrence  policy  "■" 

At  the  OtTice  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Chaplain  Hessian  monitored  the  news  reports  and 
discussed  the  drafts  of  the  Pastoral  Letter  At  the  Command  Chaplain's  Conference  in  July,  Chaplain 
Hessian  invited  Terence  Cardinal  Cooke,  Archbishop  of  New  York  and  Military  Vicar  of  the  Armed 
Forces,  to  address  the  Conference  on  the  "Moral  Responsibility  of  Command  Leadership."^"'  Chaplain 
Robert  J.  Ennis,  Deputy  Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  School,  wrote  concerning  the  Pastoral  Letter: 
"This  statement  has  generated  more  interest  on  a  national  level  in  both  political  and  military  spheres 
than  any  other  moral  issue  in  the  last  decade.""" 

Ultimately,  after  the  publication  of  the  third  draft  of  the  Bishops'  Letter  in  May,  interest  began 
to  shift  to  other  issues  The  bishops  had  never  advocated  what  some  feared  they  might—disobedience 
to  military  orders  by  Roman  Catholic  soldiers.  In  fact,  the  third  and  final  draft  of  the  Pastoral  Letter 
amended  the  earlier  condemnation  of  all  first  use  of  nuclear  weapons  to  include  recognition  of  the  role 
that  NATO's  "flexible  response"  doctrine  played  in  deterring  Soviet  aggression  in  Western  Europe 
But  the  draft  also  urged  that  "flexible  response"  be  replaced  quickly  with  "an  adequate  non-nuclear 
alternative."""'  This  wording  provided  enough  "diplomatic  room"  for  Roman  Catholic  soldiers,  the 
Army,  the  Church,  and  NATO  to  live  with  the  situation  The  moral  issue,  however,  had  enough  force 
to  cause  many  in  the  Chaplaincy  to  re-examine  their  own  rationale  for  serving  as  uniformed  clergy 
in  a  "nuclear"  world. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


172  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


A  Question  of  Identity 

At  Fort  Leonard  Wood,  Chaplain  Phillip  J.  Cassibry,  CPE  Supervisor  and  Trainer,  applied  for 
a  grant  from  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  in  1982  to  frind  a  Chaplains'  Denominational  Identity  Workshop. 
The  focus  of  the  workshop  was  to  stress  denominational  identity  and  relationships  as  a  way  to  bridge 
the  role  conflict  some  chaplains  were  experiencing  between  their  identity  as  military  officers  on  one 
hand  and  clergy  representatives  of  their  denomination  on  the  other.  The  nuclear  morality  issue  had 
not  helped  bridge  the  role  conflict  many  chaplains  felt.  Chaplain  Hessian  agreed  to  give  the  keynote 
address.  Major  General  C.  J.  Fiala,  Commanding  General  of  Fort  Leonard  Wood  and  a  Catholic  Lay 
Eucharistic  Minister,  agreed  to  share  his  views  on  the  Chaplaincy  as  a  vital  force  in  the  military 
services.*^ 

The  workshop,  which  met  in  the  spring  of  1983,  featured  fifteen  speakers  including 
denominational  endorsing  agents,  active  and  reserve  component  chaplains.  Army,  Navy,  and  Air 
Force  chaplains.  Chaplain  Billy  W.  Libby,  President  of  the  Army  Chaplain  Board,  spoke  on  "The 
Chaplain's  Allegiance  to  His  Church,"  and  shared  an  experience  he  had  in  1972  in  which  he  lost  faith 
in  the  morality  of  the  Vietnam  War.  Chaplain  John  P.  "Jack"  Ettershank,  the  TRADOC  Chaplain, 
discussed  the  problem  of  the  degree  of  allegiance  the  chaplain  should  affirm  for  the  military.  Chaplain 
Jerry  E.  Malone,  from  the  93rd  Evacuation  Hospital  at  Fort  Leonard  Wood,  discussed  "The  Chaplain 
as  an  Advocate  of  Religious  Freedom.  "^^ 

In  a  sense  the  workshop  was  therapeutic  for  the  chaplains  who  attended,  for  it  showed  that 
their  concerns  over  role  conflicts  were  shared  and  had  been  addressed  by  many  of  their  colleagues. 
In  fact  the  issue  of  role  conflict  among  chaplains  had  had  a  long  history.  An  impressive  bibliography 
of  books  and  articles,  at  least  fifteen  titles  by  ten  chaplains  since  1954  was  available."''  For  some 
chaplains  the  issues  were  related  to  unresolved  feelings  from  the  Vietnam  War,  for  others  to  the 
possible  disconnection  they  feU  in  supporting  an  Army  on  the  edge  of  a  nuclear  holocaust.  For  all 
of  them  the  issues  and  the  responses  hopefially  spoke  to  the  question,  "What  am  I  doing  here?"'" 


U.S.  Army  Europe: 

Addressing  Issues  with  Programs,  Conferences,  and 

Spiritual  Leadership 

The  European  protest  to  the  deployment  of  American  missiles,  though  perhaps  a  minority 
view,  was  not  limited  of  course  to  England.  Throughout  Germany,  and  indeed  most  of  the  NATO 
countries,  newspapers,  civic  groups,  church  leaders,  and  politicians  debated  the  issues  involved  in 
strengthening  "the  nuclear  option"  in  Western  Europe.  Even  in  Switzerland,  a  traditionally  neutral 
country,  protests  were  reported  in  most  major  cities. *' 

Chaplain  Charles  J.  McDonnell,  the  U.S.  Army  Europe  Chaplain,  decided  to  address  some 
of  the  ethical  and  practical  ministry  issues  involved  in  NATO's  nuclear  posture  at  the  USAREUR 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  1 73 


Command  Chaplain  Conferences  in  November  of  1982  and  again  in  November  of  1983.  Supported 
by  an  outstanding  staif.  Chaplain  Whitfield  McMillan,  Chaplain  Tom  A.  Carroll,  and  Sergeant  Major 
Theodore  G  Huggins  among  them.  Chaplain  McDonnell  chose  the  topic,  "Ethics  in  an  Explosive 
World — Peace,  Presence,  and  Prophecy"  for  the  1982  Conference  The  Most  Reverend  John  J. 
O'Conner,  Office  of  the  Military  Ordinariat  and  former  Navy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  was  the  principal 
guest  speaker  The  conference  was  widely  advertised  and  attended  by  Army,  Navy,  and  Air  Force 
chaplains  as  well  as  by  some  chaplains  from  allied  NATO  countries."  The  follow-on  conference  for 
1983  was  centered  on  the  topic  "Ministry  in  an  Explosive  World — Ministry  to  the  Total 
Community  "" 

In  spite  of  the  concerns  around  the  possibility  of  nuclear  war,  the  focus  of  the  ministry  to 
soldiers  and  families  in  Europe  remained  centered  on  spiritual  support  and  growth,  religious 
education,  and  training  leaders  During  FY  82-83  more  than  32  conferences  and  USAREUR-wide 
training  sessions  were  conducted  with  the  sponsorship  and  approval  of  the  USAREUR  Chaplain.  A 
sample  of  the  ministries  addressed  by  these  conferences  included: 


Spirituality  and  Ministry 


The  Protestant  Chaplains'  Professional  Development  Conferences,  1982-83,  on 
Pastoral  Care  and  Homiletics. 

Protestant  Women  of  the  Chapel  Workshops  and  Study  Conferences  with  emphasis 
on  spiritual  growth  and  training  for  275  PWOC  officers  from  communities  throughout 
Europe.  More  than  700  women  attended  these  various  sessions. 

The  Military  Council  of  Catholic  Women  training  conferences  in  1982-83  featured 
guest  speakers  addressing  spiritual  growth  and  edification,  organizational  skills,  and 
the  rites  of  Christian  initiation.  Some  1,256  Catholic  women  attended 

Four  conferences  for  chapel  activity  specialists  which  included  training  sessions  in 
team  building,  time  management  and  MOS  71M-unique  roles  and  skills. 


Training  Volunteers/Professional  Development 

•  Two  conferences  on  training  volunteers  in  children's  ministries,  youth  ministries  and 
music  ministries  were  attended  by  all  Catholic  and  Protestant  Religious  Education 
Advisors,  Directors  of  Religious  Education,  and  Religious  Education  Coordinators. 
More  than  265  leaders  were  trained. 

•  Parent  Effectiveness  Training  for  200  chaplains  and  lay  leaders  leading  to  instructor 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


174  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


certification. 

Bethel  Bible  course  certification  training  by  the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church 
graduated  13  chaplains  in  1982-83 

Two  sessions  of  "Train  the  Trainer"  programs  for  Chapel  Activities  Supervisors  to 
assist  in  professional  development  of  chapel  activity  specialists  were  held  in 
Kaiserslautem  and  Mannheim 

Two  Church  Music  Conferences  at  Berchtesgaden  with  540  attendees,  a  600% 
increase  over  1981,  featured  multiple  workshops  around  the  central  theme  of  "A 
Good  Team  at  Work:  Musicians  and  Chaplains."^'' 


Religious  Education 

•  Responding  to  the  need  for  USAREUR  -  wide  coordination,  a  Catholic  Religious 
Education  Advisory  Group  was  formed  and  held  its  first  meeting  on  7  October  1982. 
One  priest  from  each  of  the  major  subordinate  commands,  the  senior  USAFE  and 
USAREUR  priests,  and  three  Roman  Catholic  Directors  of  Religious  Education  were 
included  in  the  membership.  The  group  met  six  times  fi"om  October  of  1982  through 
December  1983  with  120  key  lay  leaders  to  discuss  the  "Rite  of  Christian  Initiation 
for  Adults." 

•  Eight  Catholic  religious  education  workshops  conducted  by  the  Reverend  James  J. 
DiGiacomo,  S.  J.,  trained  267  lay  leaders  on  "the  religious  formation  of  the 
adolescent  in  today's  church. 

•  Religious  Education  Orientation  and  Training  Conferences  in  April  of  1983  for  both 
Protestant  and  Catholic  RECs  and  DREs  were  held  in  Berchtesgaden  which  addressed 
multiple  administrative  and  organizational  issues.  Guest  speakers  included  Dr  John 
Westerhoff  fi"om  Duke  Divinity  School,  Sister  Joyce  Ann  Zimmerman  from  the  Maria 
Stein  Center  in  Ohio,  and  Richard  Avery  and  Donald  Marsh,  noted  musicians  from 
Port  Jervis,  N.Y.   Some  317  religious  educators  attended. 

Although  it  is  true  that  the  bulk  of  ministry  in  Europe  in  1982-83  was  centered  in  units, 
chapels  and  communities,  the  numbers  of  lay  leaders  trained  by  the  USAREUR  Chaplain's 
conferences  were  indicators  of  the  spiritual  strength  of  the  command.  During  his  trips  to  Europe  in 
1982  and  1983,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  was  impressed  both  with  the  implementation  of  the  Total 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  1 75 


Chaplaincy  Goals  and  with  the  involvement  of  volunteer  leaders  in  the  ministry  within  most  military 
communities. 


The  Development  of  New  Doctrine 

One  of  the  initial,  and  most  important  missions  Chaplain  Hessian  gave  to  his  staff  in  FY83  was 
to  update  Chaplain  Corps  doctrine.  The  most  recent  Chaplain  Branch  Field  Manual  available  at  that 
time  was  FM  16-5,  The  Chap/ain,  dated  8  July  1977.  Since  1977,  there  had  been  a  number  of  new 
doctrinal  initiatives  both  at  Training  and  Doctrine  Command  (TRADOC)  and  within  the  Chaplain 
Corps  itself 

In  1978  Chaplain  Orris  Kelly  had  worked  out  an  agreement  with  General  Donn  A  Starry, 
Commanding  General  of  TRADOC,  to  assign  "assistant  brigade"  chaplains  to  battalion  level  This 
"Forward  Thrust"  doctrine,  approved  in  1980  at  Department  of  the  Army  level,  not  only  provided 
better  religious  coverage  for  soldiers,  but  also  gained  additional  spaces  for  chaplains.  Chaplain 
Wayne  Kuehne,  the  Force  Structure  Officer,  had  staffed  the  doctrine  for  Chaplain  Kelly  on  numerous 
trips  including  some  to  the  Armor  and  Infantry  Centers.  Chaplain  Kuehne  was  able  to  lay  the  ground 
work  so  effectively  that  General  Starry  approved  the  doctrine  before  the  concept  had  gone  through 
the  complete  staffing  procedure." 

General  Starry  had  directed  TRADOC  to  form  a  concept  of  how  the  Army  should  fight  "the 
Central  Battle" — the  place  where  all  combat  and  combat  support  systems  would  interact  on  the 
AirLand  battlefield.  A  "concept-based  acquisition  system,"  presented  in  1981,  served  as  the 
mechanism  to  translate  broad  operational  concepts  into  the  necessary  equipment  and  personnel 
requirements.'*"  In  the  revision  of  FM  100-5,  Operations,  and  in  the  fiiller  Army  86  studies,  combat 
developers  were  to  provide  integrated  operational  concepts  which  would  be  used  to  develop  force 
structure,  equipment  requirements,  training,  personnel,  and  installation  support.'^ 

Division  86,  the  first  reorganization  of  the  Army's  division  structure  since  the  ROAD  Division 
of  1963,  was  conceptualized  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  AirLand  battlefield.  The  Heavy  Division 
86  Table  of  Organization  and  Equipment  provided  for  19,040  soldiers  supported  by  30  chaplains  and 
30  chapel  activity  specialists.  This  was  an  increase  of  9  religious  ministry  teams  over  the  1982 
Armored  Division  Modified  TOE  (MTOE).  The  ratio  of  chaplains  to  soldiers  in  the  Heavy  Division 
86  TOE  was  1  to  635  as  opposed  to  1  to  713  in  the  Armored  Division.  The  larger  number  of 
chaplains  and  their  assignments  to  battalions  was  designed  to  provide  more  direct  support  for  soldiers 
on  the  AirLand  battlefield^* 

In  early  1982,  General  Glenn  K.  Otis,  who  had  succeeded  General  Starry  as  the  TRADOC 
Commander,  expanded  the  AirLand  Battle  doctrine,  which  had  appeared  in  TRADOC  Pamphlet  525- 
5  in  March  of  1981,  to  include  the  concept  of  an  "operational  level  of  war"  that  existed  between 
tactics  and  strategy. '^  Combat  developers  throughout  TRADOC  developed  joint  concepts  for 
operations  on  conventional-nuclear-chemical  battlefields.''" 

At  Fort  Monroe,  Chaplain  Max  W.  Wilk,  the  TRADOC  Staff  Chaplain,  discussed  the  need 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


1 76  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


for  revised  Chaplain  Corps  doctrine  with  Brigadier  General  D  R  Moreili,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff 
for  Doctrine.  General  Moreili  suggested  to  Chaplain  Wilk  that  the  chaplains  develop  a  concept  for 
how  they  would  provide  religious  support  on  the  new  AirLand  battlefield.  If  all  of  the  other  branches 
were  working  on  their  doctrinal  concepts,  the  Chaplain  Corps  needed  to  do  the  same  if  they  wanted 
to  be  resourced  in  the  fliture 

Chaplain  Wilk  appointed  Chaplain  Richard  Goellen,  a  Roman  Catholic  chaplain  on  his  staff, 
to  begin  the  development  of  a  concept  for  religious  support  on  the  modern  battlefield.'^'  Chaplain 
Wilk  was  succeeded  by  Chaplain  John  P  Ettershank  at  TRADOC  and  Chaplain  Goellen  received 
orders  to  go  to  Fulda,  Germany,  but  the  project  was  passed  to  Chaplain  John  Hannah,  who  had 
arrived  to  succeed  Chaplain  Goellen  In  July  of  1982  Chaplain  Hannah  completed  TRADOC 
Pamphlet  525-26,  Religious  Support  in  Combat,  and  had  it  approved  both  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 
and  by  TRADOC.  Religious  Support  in  Combat  was  published  in  March  of  1983. 


Renaming  Chapel  Activity  Specialists 

Other  developments  in  the  Army,  however,  soon  made  necessary  even  more  extensive  changes 
to  Chaplain  Corps  doctrine.  At  Fort  Lewis,  Washington,  the  9th  Infantry  Division  had  been 
designated  part  of  a  "High  Technology  Test  Bed"  for  a  new  light  division  capable  of  defeating  hostile 
armored  divisions  on  the  modern  battlefield.  In  Germany,  U.S.  Army  Europe  had  along  been 
concerned  about  the  possibility  of  a  conventional  attack  by  heavy  Soviet  armor  and  mechanized 
infantry  units.  Indeed  this  concern  had  caused  General  Donn  Starry,  the  former  Corps  Commander 
at  Fulda,  to  initiate  AirLand  Battle  Doctrine. 

In  1982-1983  the  Soviets  had  40,000  tanks  in  their  inventory  as  compared  to  about  10,000 
first-line  U.S.  tanks.  On  the  NATO  central  front,  the  ratio  was  about  2.5  to  I  in  favor  of  the  Warsaw 
Pact.*^'  General  Edward  C  Myer,  the  Army's  Chief  of  Staff,  wanted  the  9th  Infantry  Division  (under 
its  Commander,  Major  General  Robert  Elton),  to  develop  some  new  concepts  to  help  defeat  hostile 
armor  on  the  battlefield. 

One  study  suggested  that  Russian  tanks  could  be  defeated  by  anti-tank  vehicles  if  they  were 
fifty-percent  faster  than  the  tanks  and  if  they  had  a  low  profile  If  the  9th  Infantry  Division  could 
develop  a  light  but  lethal  anti-tank  capability  and  if  the  whole  division  could  be  air-lifted  to  Germany 
on  CI  30  or  C 141  aircraft,  it  would  give  NATO  an  important  additional  asset  in  the  event  of  a  Soviet 
attack.*^  Since  the  9th  Infantry  was  the  largest  division  in  the  Army  at  that  time,  a  reduction  in  spaces 
was  necessary  if  the  division  was  to  be  "air  transportable." 

The  9th  Infantry  Division  Staff' Chaplain,  Timothy  C.  Tatum,  was  enthusiastic  about  the 
possibility  of  a  high-technology  religious  ministry  team  accompanying  the  division.  Chaplain  Tatum 
had  managed  to  secure  portable  computers  for  the  chaplains  in  the  field.  They  had  experimented  with 
new  tents  and  even  had  some  chaplains  on  motorcycles  to  deliver  fast  support  to  casualties  at  aid 
stations.''^  He  also  had  VHF  pocket  radios  which  were  so  efficient  the  division  surgeon  asked  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  1 77 


chaplains  to  relay  messages  for  the  medics  Indeed,  the  chaplains  were  the  most  technologically 
advanced  section  in  the  division  in  1982 

The  problem  Chaplain  Tatum  encountered,  which  quickly  became  an  issue  for  the  entire 
Chaplaincy,  was  with  the  job  description  and  name  for  Chapel  Activity  Specialists.  In  1977  chaplain 
assistants  had  been  renamed  in  Army  Regulation  61 1-201  to  give  a  more  professional  title  for  the  71 
M  military  occupational  specialty  Instead  of  "assistants"  they  were  "specialists"  on  an  Air  Force 
model. *^  The  senior  Chapel  Activity  Specialists  (CAS)  were  called  Chaplain  Administrators. 

In  the  9th  Infantry  Division,  however,  there  were  no  plans  to  deploy  chapels  on  aircraft  to 
fight  Russian  tanks  If  the  chaplain  activity  specialist's  (CAS)  job  was  primarily  tied  to  a  chapel,  he 
or  she  was  not  needed  in  combat  To  compound  the  problem,  there  was  very  little  doctrine  in  print 
in  1982  to  justify  the  CAS'  position  on  the  battlefield 

Chaplain  Tatum  had  argued  successfijily  for  ail  22  of  his  chaplain  positions  to  remain  in  the 
new  light  division,  but  he  knew  he  could  not  defend  the  Chapel  Activity  Specialists  as  long  as  they 
had  that  name.*'''  After  a  discussion  with  Chaplain  Gordon  Schweitzer,  Director  of  Combat 
Developments  at  the  Chaplain  School,  Chaplain  Tatum  called  Chaplain  Leroy  Ness  at  the  Office  of 
the  Chief  of  Chaplains  and  recommended  an  immediate  name  change  for  CASs  back  to  chaplain 
assistants.*^ 

In  spite  of  Chaplain  Tatum's  efforts,  the  slots  for  Chapel  Activity  Specialists  in  the  9th  Infantry 
Division  were  lost  on  paper  The  Division  recommended  the  positions  be  civilianized.  It  was  left  to 
Chaplain  Tatum's  successor.  Chaplain  James  Edgren,  to  re-justify  the  positions  under  a  new  name  and 
with  a  different  understanding  of  their  fijnction 

Ironically,  as  these  developments  were  taking  place  at  Fort  Lewis,  Sergeant  Major  Charles 
J.  Durr,  the  senior  noncommissioned  officer  at  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office,  had  just  completed  a 
project  to  gain  approval  for  new  Chapel  Activity  Specialist  insignia.  Sergeant  Major  Durr  had  been 
statTmg  the  project  for  two  years.  In  April  of  1983  the  insignia,  a  chapel  supported  by  two  open 
hands,  was  approved  for  production  by  Chaplain  Hessian. 

At  about  the  same  time  Chaplain  Tatum's  recommendation  to  re-name  assistants  came  to 
Chaplain  Leroy  Ness,  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne  had  drawn  the  same  conclusion.  When  Chaplain 
Kuehne  mentioned  the  proposal  to  Chaplain  Hessian,  it  was  immediately  approved.  Sergeant  Major 
Charles  Durr  notified  the  field,  and  by  October  of  1983  TRADOC  had  recognized  the  name  change.*** 

The  notion  of  civilianizing  the  Chapel  Activity  Specialist  positions,  in  spite  of  the  hasty  name 
change,  spread  quickly  through  the  Army.  At  Headquarters,  U.S.  Army  Europe,  USAREUR 
resource  team  recommended  replacing  CASs  with  civilian  secretaries  At  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains,  Sergeant  Major  Durr  wrote  an  information  paper  for  Chaplain  Hessian  designed  to  protect 
the  MOS  Citing  AR  61 1-201,  Sergeant  Major  Durr  argued  that  since  the  CAS  was  expected  to 
"engage  the  enemy  with  weapons"  to  "provide  security  for  the  chaplain,"  a  civilian  secretary  would 
neither  be  a  "feasible"  nor  a  "desirable"  alternative.  Though  Sergeant  Major  Durr's  argument  was 
eventually  successfial,  it  was  clear  that  a  more  complete  doctrinal  justification  for  the  chaplain 
assistant  MOS  was  urgently  needed  *'"' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


Sergeant  Major   Charles   J.    Durr   III 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  179 


The  Unit  Ministry  Team  Concept 

The  concept  and  the  term  "Unit  Ministry  Team"  had  its  origins  in  response  to  concerns  within 
the  Chaplaincy  In  1980,  following  requests  from  both  senior  chaplains  and  senior  chapel  activity 
specialists.  Chaplain  Kermit  Johnson,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  directed  the  Chaplain  Board  to  develop 
ways  and  means  to  improve  the  working  relationships  and  ministry  of  religious  ministry  team 
members'"  Master  Sergeant  Aaron  Gibson,  Special  Projects  Manager  on  the  Chaplain  Board, 
worked  with  the  President  of  the  Board,  Chaplain  Billy  Libby,  to  develop  a  series  of  team  building 
workshops  A  total  of  sixteen  separate  workshops  and  meetings  were  held  from  1982  to  1985  at 
installations  which  included  Fort  Carson,  Fort  Gordon,  Fort  Meade,  and  Fort  Shafter/"  A  consultant, 
the  Reverend  Dr.  John  C.  Bryan  of  Bryan  and  Weir  Associates  in  Toronto,  Canada,  was  contracted 
to  develop  a  Team  Building  Manual. 

As  Master  Sergeant  (later  Regimental  Sergeant  Major)  Gibson  wrote: 

In  the  early  part  of  the  team  building  project  (April  1982),  one  of  the  major  issues  was 
to  define  the  meaning  of  "team  "  Each  unit  participating  in  the  project  wrote  its  own 
definition  for  team  as  well  as  its  own  mission  statement  The  titles  changed  from 
"Religious  Ministries  Team"  to  "Religious  Ministries  Support  Team"  and  then  finally 
to  "Unit  Ministry  Team. "'- 

The  focus  of  the  team  building  workshops  was  not  on  the  development  of  doctrine  for  the 
Chaplaincy,  but  rather  on  improving  interpersonal  relationships  Nevertheless,  the  research  by  Master 
Sergeant  Aaron  Gibson  helped  prepare  the  branch  for  the  new  concept  and  for  the  development  of 
the  formal  UMT  doctrine  in  the  same  time  frame." 

A  more  important  initiative,  which  led  to  the  development  of  formal  unit  ministry  team 
doctrine  in  Field  Manual  16-5,  The  Chaplain  and  Chaplain  Assistant  in  Combat  Operations,  began 
in  the  summer  of  1983.  Chaplain  James  Edgren  left  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office  (DACH)  to  become 
the  Division  Chaplain  for  the  9th  Infantry  Division.  Chaplain  Timothy  Tatum  replaced  Chaplain 
Edgren  at  DACH  and  brought  his  recommendations  to  save  chaplain  assistant  positions  with  him. 

The  term  "Chapel  Activity  Specialisf  was  being  changed  in  the  field  to  "Chaplain  Assistant", 
but  there  still  needed  to  be  a  new  and  clearer  description  of  the  chaplain  assistant's  flinctions  in 
combat.  The  regular  quarterly  meeting  of  the  Chaplaincy's  combat  developers  was  scheduled  for  the 
fall  at  the  Chaplain  School.  At  that  meeting  the  need  for  new  concepts  and  doctrine  would  take  the 
highest  priority. 

The  people  who  comprised  the  Chaplaincy's  "First  Team  for  Doctrine"  in  the  fall  of  1983 
brought  a  wealth  of  varied  experience  with  them.  Chaplain  G.  T.  Gunhus  was  from  the  Soldier 
Support  Center  at  Fort  Ben  Harrison  and  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne  from  Plans,  Programs  and  Policies 
at  the  Chiefs  Office  Chaplain  Gordon  Schweitzer  was  Chief  of  Combat  Developments  at  the 
Chaplain  School'^  and  Major  Morgan  L.  Flom  was  Chief  of  the  Unit  and  Individual  Training  Division 
there.  Chaplain  John  Hannah  was  from  TRADOC,  Master  Sergeant  Oliver  T.  "Irish"  Corbett  was 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


1 80  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


theNCOIC  for  Combat  Developments,  Chaplain  James  Robnolt  was  in  the  Directorate  of  Training 
and  Doctrine,  Chaplain  Basil  L.  Ballard  and  Chaplain  Claude  Newby  were  assigned  to  Combat 
Developments,  and  Sergeant  First  Class  T.  E.  Hatcher  was  in  Training  Developments  before  moving 
to  Combat  Developments  in  1984/^ 

Although  no  minutes  of  the  1983  meeting  are  known  to  exist.  Chaplain  Kuehne  recalled  that 
at  one  point  someone  noted  that  the  chaplain  assistants'  positions  in  the  9th  Infantry  Division  would 
not  be  secure  as  long  as  the  chaplain  and  assistant  were  called  a  "Religious  Ministry  Team."  Chaplain 
Gunhus  was  presiding  at  the  meeting,  after  several  suggestions,  he  wrote  "Unit  Ministry  Team"  on 
a  piece  of  butcher  paper"'  Major  Flom  fi-om  UITD,  an  artillery  officer,  thought  that  was  the  best 
choice  because  it  tied  the  chaplain  and  the  chaplain  assistant  to  the  unit  and  not  to  a  chapel." 

Choosing  a  new  name  for  the  chaplain-chaplain  assistant  team  was,  of  course,  but  a  small  part 
of  writing  new  doctrine  for  the  AirLand  battlefield.  Fortunately,  there  were  several  older  versions 
of  FM  16-5,  The  Chaplain,  the  new  TRADOC  Pam  525-26,  Rehgious  Support  in  Comhat,  and 
numerous  Army  regulations,  manuals  and  special  studies  available.  One  concern  was  how  to  describe 
the  job  of  the  chaplain  assistant  in  a  combat  environment  with  more  functions  than  merely  providing 
security  for  the  chaplain  and  driving  a  vehicle.  If  the  job  of  a  chaplain  assistant  was  a  specialty  which 
required  training  and  justified  branch  insignia,  there  should  be  functions  the  assistant  could  be  trained 
to  perform  that  would  be  independent  of,  though  supplemental  to,  the  ministry  of  the  chaplain.  As 
Major  Morgan  Flom  reflected: 

The  unit  ministry  team  had  to  be  of  value  to  the  commander  of  the  unit.  It  had  to 
have  value  for  the  commander's  mission,  and  its  functions  had  to  be  portrayed  in 
language  the  commander  understood.  Certainly  religious  support  in  combat  was 
important,  but  its  components  had  to  be  described  in  detail.'^ 

Selecting  multiple  tasks  for  the  chaplain  assistant  was  not  difficuh.  Chaplain  Orris  Kelly  had 
directed  a  task  force  to  meet  at  the  Chaplain  School  in  1976  to  do  a  task  review  The  result  was  the 
addition  of  50  new  tasks  for  the  71M  MOS  Yet  in  1983,  seven  years  later,  the  question  was  how 
to  "battle  focus"  the  tasks  in  a  way  that  would  justify  the  MOS. 

One  suggestion  for  a  set  of  new  tasks  came  from  research  Major  Flom  had  done  on  combat 
stress  and  battle  fatigue  casualties  during  the  Yom  Kippur  War  in  Israel  in  1973  At  Walter  Reed 
Army  Medical  Center,  studies  by  Dr  Greg  Belenky  and  Dr.  Ruben  Gall  had  indicated  that  battle 
fatigued  soldiers  treated  near  the  battlefield  and  returned  to  duty  as  soon  as  possible,  as  had  happened 
in  1973  in  Israel,  had  a  greater  chance  of  not  becoming  casualties  than  those  evacuated  to  the  rear. 
In  1982  the  U.S.  Army  was  very  interested  in  minimizing  battle  fatigue  casualties,  especially  in  a 
situation  in  which  the  enemy  was  more  numerous  When  a  unit  was  out  numbered,  every  soldier 
counted 

Major  Flom  argued  that  both  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  could  be  trained  to  minister  to 
battle  fatigued  soldiers.  This  would  be  an  area,  among  others,  in  which  chaplain  assistants  would 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  181 


have  independent  value  and  relevance  for  the  commander  Other  general  functions  for  chaplain 
assistants,  which  could  produce  up  to  40  trainable  tasks,  included  supporting  religious  services  and 
care  for  the  wounded,  providing  armed  security,  managing  equipment  and  material,  arranging 
transportation,  communication  and  collection  of  information,  screening  counseling  requests, 
scheduling,  and  analyzing  key  elements  of  information  regarding  the  provision  of  religious  support 
in  a  potential  nuclear-chemical-biological  battlefield  environment  ™ 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  meeting  in  the  autumn  of  1983,  it  was  clear  that  a  good  deal  of 
conceptual  work  would  have  to  be  done  before  a  new  field  manual  could  be  completed.  Combat 
Developments  at  USACHS  would  take  the  lead  in  writing  some  training  circulars  on  the  unit  ministry 
team  Many  of  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  on  the  faculty  would  participate  in  the  fijrther 
development  of  the  new  doctrinal  manual.  The  Unit  and  Individual  Training  Division  at  USACHS 
would  edit  and  produce  the  manual  for  the  Commandant,  Chaplain  Richard  R  Tupy,  and  ultimately 
for  the  Chief  of  Chaplains'  approval 

As  the  results  of  the  Chaplain  School  meeting  were  being  discussed  at  the  Chiefs  Office,  news 
came  of  an  alert  for  units  at  Fort  Bragg,  Fort  Stewart,  and  Fort  Lewis  to  prepare  for  a  "rapid 
deployment"  to  the  Windward  Islands  in  the  West  Indies  Reportedly  some  American  students  were 
being  held  hostage  on  the  island  of  Grenada,  and  President  Reagan  had  decided  to  commit  U.S. 
combat  forces  to  rescue  them.*" 


Whirlwind  of  Teamwork  :  Concepts,  Doctrine,  Plans,  and  Products 

The  Unit  Ministry  Team  concept  was  the  organizing  principle  which  enabled  us  to  articulate 
our  materiel  and  force  structure  requirements  for  the  Army. 

Chaplain  James  H.  Robnolt 

Plans,  Programs,  and  Policies  Division 

Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  1984 

In  1 984,  following  the  annual  Command  Chaplains  Conference,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 
approved  a  number  of  new  or  newly  initiated  concepts  ,  programs  and  policies  which  helped  the 
Chaplaincy  meet  the  rapid  modernization  timetable  of  the  Army.  Among  these  were  the  unit  ministry 
team  concept,  the  strengthening  of  the  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant  ministries  in  the  reserve 
components,  the  creation  of  the  Chaplain  Administrative  Religious  Support  System  (CARSS),  and 
a  review  of  regulations  impacting  on  the  accommodation  of  religious  practices  for  soldiers  In  every 
instance  there  were  teams  of  individual  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  who  made  important  and 
timely  contributions  to  the  realization  of  these  initiatives. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


1 82  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


The  Development  of  Field  Manual  16-5 

Since  the  Command  Chaplains'  Conference  of  July,  1983  ,  a  number  of  doctrine  writers, 
including  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne  at  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  (DACH),  Chaplain  G  T. 
Gunhus  at  the  Soldier  Support  Center,  and  others  located  principally  at  the  Chaplain  School,  had 
been  hard  at  work  reviewing  proposed  doctrinal  changes  for  a  new  field  manual,  Ihe  ( 'luip/ain  and 
Chaplain  Assistant  in  Combat  Operations  .  The  Combat  Developments  Directorate  had  the  tasking 
to  develop  concepts  and  studies  that  would  relate  Forward  Thrust  doctrine  ,  the  unit  ministry  team 
as  a  vehicle  for  the  provision  of  religious  support ,  and  the  traditional  roles  and  ftjnctions  of  chaplains 
and  chaplain  assistants  to  the  AirLand  battlefield  Studies  of  Division  86  as  described  by  Chaplain 
Stephen  Gantt  and  Chaplain  Gordon  Schweitzer,  Director  of  Combat  Developments,  formed  an 
important  part  of  the  force  structure  framework  for  the  development  of  doctrine  **' 

The  chaplains  in  the  major  leadership  positions  at  the  Chaplain  School  faced  the  problem 
of  personnel  rotations  in  the  midst  of  doctrinal  development  Chaplain  Richard  Tupy  ,  the 
Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  School,  was  succeeded  by  Chaplain  Charles  J  McDonnell,  formerly  the 
USAREUR  Chaplain  .  Chaplain  Gordon  Schweitzer  in  Combat  Developments  was  succeeded  first 
by  Chaplain  John  W  Schumacher  and  then  by  Chaplain  Wayne  E.  Kuehne  when  Chaplain 
Schumacher  was  selected  to  go  to  the  War  College  Other  chaplains  and  assistants  in  Combat 
Developments  continued  the  work  ,  however  Chaplain  Basil  Ballard  ,  Chaplain  Claude  Newby,  SFC. 
Ronald  D  Romer,  and  Spec  6  Jim  Roberts  pushed  forward  with  development  and  coordination  of 
tactical  concepts  for  the  UMT.  In  the  Unit  and  Individual  Training  Division,  Major  Flom  and  his  staff 
edited  the  various  concept  papers  and  chapters  written  for  the  manual  by  members  of  the  Chaplain 
School  faculty  Chaplain  Archie  T  Roberts  ,  the  Director  of  Training,  Chaplain  Ocie  I  Courtney,  the 
Director  of  Training  Developments,  Chaplain  Don  Gover  in  Training  Developments,  and  Chaplain 
Robert  J  Ennis  ,  the  Assistant  Commandant,  all  lent  their  support  for  the  development  of  the  manual 
and  for  writing  the  new  training  tasks  and  standards  being  generated  by  the  new  doctrine. 

In  the  latter  part  of  June,  1 984  ,  Chaplain  Kuehne  arrived  at  the  School  to  assume  the  duties 
of  Director  of  Combat  Developments  Before  he  left  Washington,  Chaplain  Kuehne  had  been  directed 
by  Chaplain  Hessian  to  "go  up  there  and  be  prepared  to  write  doctrine."'*'  Chaplain  James  Robnolt, 
the  Force  Structure  Planning  Oflficer  at  DACH,  came  to  the  Chaplain  School  to  join  Chaplain  Kuehne 
and  Major  Flom  in  reviewing  the  doctrinal  statements  which  had  been  developed  to  that  time. 
Chaplain  Jesse  Thornton  also  arrived  at  USACHCS  in  June  to  be  the  new  publication  otTicer  in  the 
Unit  and  Individual  Training  Division,  the  division  which  had  the  final  editing  responsibility  for 
manuals  and  most  training  publications. 

There  were  still  issues  to  be  discussed  surrounding  the  way  doctrine  was  to  be  conceived  and 
written.  The  duties  of  chaplain  assistants  related  to  religious  support  on  the  battlefield  needed  to  be 
expanded  ,  but  some  questions  seemed  too  problematic.  Could  a  chaplain  assistant  who  was  neither 
ordained  nor  endorsed  by  a  denomination  for  ministry  perform  emergency  baptism  on  the  battlefield'^ 
If  the  chaplain  assistant  could  do  so,  could  he  or  she  be  trained  by  the  Army  to  baptize  and  required 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  1 83 


to  perform  this  task  '^  Would  assistants  be  trained  to  baptize  by  immersion  or  by  sprinkling  or  by  both 
methods  '^ 

Another  issue  involved  presenting  religious  coverage  requirements  in  language  the 
commander  could  understand.  Earlier  doctrine  had  described  religious  coverage  as  unit  coverage, 
area  coverage  ,  and  denominational  coverage.  Major  Flom  wanted  to  "battle-focus"  the  language. 
Unit  coverage  became  "direct  support ,"  and  area  coverage  became  "general  support,"  artillery  terms 
which  commanders  used  daily. ^''  The  missions  were  the  same,  but  the  language  changed  . 

There  were  many  other  discussions  concerning  the  chaplain's  role  as  a  religious  leader  and  a 
staff  officer,  confidentiality  in  the  counseling  process,  the  policy  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  that 
"chaplains  would  not  bear  arms"  on  the  battlefield,  the  chaplain's  role  as  an  advisor  to  the  commander 
on  world  religions  ,  and  the  supervisory  responsibilities  of  chaplains  and  senior  chaplain  assistants  at 
each  echelon  to  mention  but  a  few.**  In  essence  the  doctrinal  writers  in  Combat  Developments  , 
Training  and  Doctrine,  DACH  ,  and  UITD  tried  to  hammer  out  centrist  positions  which  would  give 
clear,  logical,  and  legal  guidance  without  prescribing  a  single,  "school  solution"  for  every  situation. 

The  layout  for  the  "battle-focused"  manual,  and  for  Chaplain  Corps  doctrine,  followed  a 
logical  sequence:  a  statement  of  the  history  and  mission  of  the  Chaplain  Corps,  a  discussion  of 
religious  support  concepts  which  included  Forward  Thrust  and  the  Unit  Ministry  Team  ,  the  inclusion 
of  duties  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  (no  longer  chapel  activities  specialists),  the  role  and 
duties  of  the  unit  ministry  team  in  combat  (  with  a  chart  of  all  of  the  tasks  the  chaplain  assistant  would 
perform),  and  a  discussion  of  the  ministry  on  installations  The  manual  captured  enough  doctrine  to 
save  the  chaplain  assistant  MOS  and  to  provide  a  rationale  for  resourcing  the  materiel ,  training  ,  and 
personnel  requirements  of  the  religious  support  mission  on  the  battlefield. 

At  the  end  of  September  1984  ,  after  approval  by  Chaplain  Hessian,  the  galley  proofs  for  the 
new  FM  16-5  went  fi"om  UITD  to  TRADOC  for  printing  and  publication  There  was  a  sense  of  real 
achievement  both  at  the  Chief's  Office  and  at  the  Chaplain  School  In  announcing  the  new  doctrinal 
achievement  to  the  field  ,  Chaplain  Leroy  Ness ,  the  Director  of  Plans,  Programs,  and  Policies  ,  wrote: 

The  Chief  of  Chaplains  developed  a  new  doctrinal  concept  for  the  chaplaincy  to 
provide  direct  soldier  ministry  in  the  AirLand  Battle  The  Unit  Ministry  Team  (UMT), 
comprised  of  the  chaplain  and  the  chaplain  assistant ,  will  be  assigned  in  direct  support 
of  battalions  This  organizational  and  assignment  shift  provides  ministry  to  soldiers 
at  the  forward  edge  of  the  battle,  giving  the  UMT  direct  contact  with  soldiers 
experiencing  battle  fatigue  and  needing  spiritual  comfort  in  the  environment  of  pain 
,  suffering  ,  and  death.  The  UMT  doctrine  is  applicable  to  every  level  of  assignment. 
Teams  work  at  Brigade,  Division,  Corps  ,  and  echelons  above  the  Corps,  providing 
general  and  direct  religious  support  The  UMT's  are  integrated  in  their  efforts  to 
provide  denominational  coverage  for  larger  elements  and  areas.  In  peacetime,  at 
installation  level,  the  UMT's  provide  support  for  all  assigned  and  attached  units  ,  as 
well  as  an  integration  of  the  total  command  religious  program.** 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


1 84  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


In  a  sense  ,  however,  the  publication  of  FM  16-5,  The  Chaplain  and  Chaplain  Assistant  in 
Combat  Operations  in  December  of  1984,  generated  more  questions  than  it  answered  about  the  unit 
ministry  team.  Three  field  circulars  dealing  with  the  unit  ministry  team  and  the  duties  of  chaplains 
and  chaplain  assistants  were  written  by  a  committee  of  subject  matter  experts  in  1986  to  meet  this 
need  It  was  not  until  1989,  five  years  later,  that  a  revised  FM  16-1,  Religious  Support  Doctrine, 
put  a  more  precise  definition  on  the  "ministry  tasks"  the  Army  could  and  should  train  chaplain 
assistants  to  perform. 


Functional  Review  and  Functional  Area  Assessment 

In  1983  the  Vice  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army ,  General  Maxwell  Thurman  ,  instituted  flinctional 
reviews  and  fijnctional  area  assessments  for  all  branches  in  the  Total  Army.  "''  The  aim  was  to 
evaluate  the  actions  needed  to  field  new  organizations  in  each  fijnctional  area  and  thereby  support 
smoother  force  modernization  and  integration.  Viable  organizations  would  integrate  doctrine, 
organizational  structure,  training ,  and  materiel  requirements.*'  The  Department  of  the  Army  viewed 
functional  area  assessments,  projected  three  years  into  the  ftiture,  as  an  apt  tool  for  the  Vice  Chief 
of  Staff  to  assure  the  success  of  Army  force  integration.  In  late  1983  functional  area  assessments 
(FAAs)  were  planned  for  seventeen  selected  areas  through  1985.  Special  Army  Staff — selected 
categories  included  decision  systems  ,  standardization  ,  and  interoperability  By  the  middle  of  1984, 
FAAs  had  been  completed  for  military  intelligence,  air  defense  artillery,  armor,  infantry,  ordnance, 
and  quartermaster  organizations.**  The  Chaplain  Corps  '  FAA  was  scheduled  for  August  of  1984. 

In  spite  of  the  heavy  demands  on  his  time  imposed  by  the  development  of  new  doctrine  for 
the  Chaplaincy ,  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne  performed  the  initial  work  for  the  Functional  Review  and 
Functional  Area  Assessment  along  with  designated  persons  within  the  Academic  Board  and  Combat 
Developments  Directorate  .*'  Over  a  period  of  four  months.  Chaplain  Kuehne  organized  the 
presentation  material  for  a  briefing  for  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel  (DCSPER).  In  order 
to  achieve  the  maximum  benefit  from  the  Functional  Review,  planning  and  participation  was 
performed  with  the  Adjutant  General ,  Finance ,  and  Public  Affairs  proponents  who  would  be  briefing 
at  the  same  time. 

In  August  of  1984  Chaplain  Jerry  Reynolds  ,  Major  Morgan  L.  Flom  ,  and  Chaplain  James 
H.  Robnolt  conducted  the  formal  briefing  at  DCSPER.  Included  in  the  briefing  was  a  review  of  the 
chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant  force  structure,  the  training  for  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants,  a 
review  of  the  development  of  doctrine,  and  issues  reflected  in  the  shortage  of  Roman  Catholic 
chaplains. 

The  Functional  Area  Assessment  for  the  Vice  Chief  of  Staff ,  General  Thurman  ,  was  a  natural 
outgrowth  of  the  Functional  Review.  Whereas  the  Functional  Review  focused  mainly  on  personnel 
issues ,  the  Functional  Area  Assessment  addressed  specifics  in  the  force  structure  and  materiel  areas. 
Work  was  accomplished  by  joint  efforts  of  a  new  Manning  the  Force  Proponent  Subcommittee,  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  1 85 


Combat  Developments  Directorate  ,  and  the  Plans,  Programs,  and  Policies  Directorate  of  the  Chief 
of  Chaplains'  Office  Chaplain  Hessian  and  Chaplain  Leroy  Ness  attended  the  briefing,  but  the 
presentation  was  again  made  by  Chaplains  Reynolds  and  Robnolt  and  by  Major  Flom. 

The  briefing  for  General  Thurman  examined  details  around  the  issues  of  civilianization, 
recruitment  of  Roman  Catholic  clergy,  the  status  of  the  force  structure  in  the  immediate  fiature,  and 
applicable  doctrine  and  force  layouts  on  the  battlefield/*'  General  Thurman,  a  devout  Roman  Catholic 
layman,  understood  immediately  the  importance  of  the  Unit  Ministry  Team  concept"  The  UMT 
could  enable  chaplains  of  one  faith  to  be  paired  with  chaplain  assistants  of  another  faith  to  extend 
pluralistic  support  on  the  battlefield  and  to  help  ensure  the  accommodation  of  soldiers'  religious 
practices.  Even  if  the  chaplain  and  the  assistant  were  of  the  same  faith,  the  assistant  now  had  an 
expanded  role  on  the  battlefield  in  helping  to  minister  to  potential  battle  fatigue  casualties.  General 
Thurman  was  enthusiastic  about  the  UMT  as  a  new  idea  for  the  Chaplaincy.'' 

Even  though  Chaplain  Hessian  had  been  concerned  about  the  briefing  with  General  Thurman 
because  the  Chaplaincy  was  still  working  on  the  UMT  concept,  he  was  elated  at  the  outcome.'^'  At 
the  conclusion  of  the  briefing  General  Thurman  directed  that  the  chaplain  assistant,  as  part  of  the  Unit 
Ministry  Team,  be  assessed  as  an  asset  in  dealing  with  battle  fatigue  at  the  battalion  level.  Second, 
General  Thurman  directed  that  avenues  be  explored  to  assign  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  to 
units  in  the  Reserve  Components  without  the  force  constraints  applicable  to  the  active  component 
The  Vice  Chief  turned  to  Chaplain  Hessian  and  said,  "Father,  how  many  chaplains  do  you  send  to 
the  War  College  "^  "  Chaplain  Hessian  replied,  "Two  to  the  resident  course.  Sir."  "Well,  "  General 
Thurman  said,  "let's  get  some  more  seats"  With  that  remark  General  Thurman  added  two  additional 
chaplain  spaces  to  the  Senior  Service  College  to  make  a  total  of  four  chaplains  per  year.'"* 

Since  the  role  of  the  chaplain  assistant  had  been  one  of  the  main  subjects  at  the  FAA,  another 
of  the  results  of  the  briefing  was  to  re-examine  UMT  training  at  the  Chaplain  School.  Although  more 
opportunities  for  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  to  work  together  in  the  field  were  always  desirable, 
scheduling  problems  for  class  time  and  for  appropriate  field  locations  were  usually  present. 
Nevertheless  ,  in  the  summer  of  1984  the  AIT  students  at  the  Chaplain  School  had  their  first  field 
training  exercise  (FTX)  to  help  "battle-focus"  their  curriculum.''^  Likewise  they  got  their  first  Drill 
Sergeants  as  "group-paced"  replaced  "self-paced"  instruction  ."' 


Strengthening  the  Reserve 

General  Thurman's  decisions  sent  a  ripple  through  the  Chaplaincy  's  personnel  and  force 
structure  planning  Nowhere  was  this  more  evident  than  in  the  Reserve  Components.  A  major  change 
in  the  Army  organizational  structure  in  the  Reserve  Components  was  in  progress.  The  number  of 
continental  armies  (CONUSAs)  had  been  increased  fi"om  three  to  five  and  the  Army  Readiness  and 
Mobilization  Regions  (ARMRs)  were  dissolved.  Staff  chaplain  positions  were  established  at  the 
newly-created  Second  and  Fourth  US.  Army  headquarters.  All  nine  ARMR  active  duty  chaplain 
positions  were  eliminated  ,  but  a  notional  force  structure  of  76  Active  Guard  Reserve  (AGR)  chaplain 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


1 86  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


positions  was  approved  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  ,  with  six  AGR  chaplain  and  six  AGR  chaplain 
assistant  positions  located  at  FORSCOM  and  in  the  five  CONUSAs/*' 

As  a  result  of  the  Functional  Area  Assessment  in  August  of  1984  ,  unit  ministry  teams  would 
be  placed  in  all  Reserve  Component  battalion-sized  units.  Moreover,  policies  and  procedures  were 
developed  to  place  Reserve  Component  chaplains  of  shortage  faith  groups  on  active  duty  on  a 
Temporary  Tour  of  Active  Duty  (TTAD)  for  up  to  139  days.  This  was  the  first  utilization  of  Reserve 
Component  chaplains  in  support  of  active  component  chaplain  missions  by  regular  policy  .  In  order 
to  flirther  coordinate  the  new  AGR  chaplain  personnel  issues,  a  National  Guard  chaplain  AGR 
position  was  established  at  the  National  Guard  Bureau  .  Chaplain  Philip  J  Rapp  was  assigned  to  that 
position  as  the  first  incumbent.""* 


The  Chaplain  Automated  Religious  Support  System 

One  of  Chaplain  Hessian's  goals  in  1984  as  Chief  of  Chaplains  was  to  modernize  the 
Chaplaincy's  administrative  and  information  system  with  appropriate  computers  and  software 
programs.  "We  need  to  do  something  to  get  the  Chaplaincy  out  of  the  Stone  Age  ,"  the  Chief  told 
his  staff.  "Go  find  some  money  and  get  something  done  by  the  end  of  this  fiscal  year."'' 

Chaplain  Ronald  S  Bezanson,  the  Director  of  the  Administration  and  Management  Division 
(A  &  MD)  at  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  turned  the  project  over  to  Chaplain  Timothy  C. 
Tatum  ,  the  A  &  MD  Management  Officer,  for  study,  staffing,  and  implementation  Chaplain  Tatum 
coordinated  his  efforts  with  the  Office  of  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff' for  Operations  (DCSOPS)  to  get 
approval  for  the  project.  When  asked  at  DCSOPS  what  the  modernization  effort  would  be  called. 
Chaplain  Tatum  was  at  a  loss  "Why  does  it  have  to  be  called  anything  '^"  he  inquired  "Because  every 
Army  program  has  to  have  an  acronym,"  the  staff' officer  replied.  "Well,  give  me  a  moment."  Chaplain 
Tatum  said.  After  about  20  seconds  of  thought.  Chaplain  Tatum  suggested  that  the  program  should 
be  called  the  Chaplain  Automated  Religious  Support  System  (CARSS)  That  title  met  the  DCSOPS 
requirement,  so  the  paperwork  was  forwarded  for  approval 

At  approximately  the  same  time  the  CARSS  project  was  being  initiated,  the  Chief  of  Staff"  of 
the  Army  sent  a  directive  to  each  major  staff  agency  to  determine  what  their  information  system 
requirements  would  be  for  the  near  fijture  In  order  to  meet  this  tasking.  Chaplain  Bezanson  formed 
a  task  force  to  make  a  needs  analysis  and  determine  the  information  requirements  for  DACH  and  the 
U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Board  . 

A  90-day  study,  the  Information  Systems  Plan  (ISP)  Study,  was  conducted  by  a  team  of 
chaplains  from  those  two  organizations  The  team  members  included  Chaplain  Timothy  C  Tatum, 
Chaplain  Roy  N.  Mathis,  Chaplain  James  E.  Russell,  (all  from  DACH),  and  Chaplain  Geoffrey  H. 
Moran  from  the  Chaplain  Board.  Their  goal  was  "to  set  up  an  information  system  architecture  prior 
to  the  procurement  of  hardware  and  the  installation  of  a  computer  network  "  '""  Very  quickly  the 
study  expanded  to  include  input  from  major  command  chaplains  that  helped  in  assessing  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  187 


Chaplaincy's  larger  needs. 

Some  of  the  recommendations  of  the  ISP  Study  committee  went  beyond  their  charter,  but 
were  logical  extensions  of  the  analysis  process  Chaplain  Mathis  thought  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain 
Board  should  move  to  Washington  to  increase  its  contact  with  and  responsiveness  to  the  needs  of 
the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Other  members  thought  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains  should 
be  dual-hatted  as  the  Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  Center  and  School  as  was  the  case  in  some  other 
branches  ""  These  suggestions  were  so  controversial  at  the  time  that  they  were  not  included  in 
writing,  although  within  a  few  short  years  the  Chaplain  Board  did  move  to  Washington  and  assumed 
a  new  name  as  the  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency 

For  FY  1984  ,  the  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army  approved  the  procurement  of  218  computers 
throughout  the  Chaplaincy  to  include  major  commands,  installations,  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center 
and  School,  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Board,  and  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.  Procurement 
of  these  computers  was  the  first  stage  in  the  automation  of  administrative  functions  such  as  statistical 
data  and  reports,  fijnd  records,  and  general  administrative  word  processing. 

In  October  1984,  the  computers  were  installed  worldwide  throughout  the  Chaplaincy  and  a 
training  program  was  initiated  at  the  Chaplain  School.  Installation  of  the  system  showed  an  immediate 
increase  in  the  quantity  and  quality  of  administrative  support  without  an  increase  in  the  number  of 
support  personnel.'"' 


Accommodating  Religious  Practices  for  Soldiers 

For  more  than  twenty  years,  since  the  first  soldiers  were  deployed  to  Vietnam,  the  Department 
of  the  Army  had  received  complaints,  questions,  and  even  law  suits  concerning  the  desire  of  some 
soldiers  to  wear  beards,  long  hair,  medals,  articles  of  additional  clothing,  or  even  ceremonial  knives 
with  their  uniforms  as  part  of  their  freedom  of  religious  expression.  Many  of  these  questions  and 
challenges  came  from  the  Reserve  Components  as  soldiers  who  were  Orthodox  Jews,  Sikhs,  or  even 
conservative  Christians  were  called  to  duty 

In  response  to  a  growing  number  of  these  complaints,  the  United  States  Congress  directed 
the  Secretary  of  Defense  to  "form  a  study  group  to  examine  ways  to  minimize  the  potential  conflict 
between  the  interests  of  members  of  the  Armed  Forces  in  abiding  by  their  religious  tenets  and  the 
military  interest  in  maintaining  discipline  "'*"  By  memorandum  dated  October  12,  1984,  the  Deputy 
Secretary  of  Defense  appointed  a  Joint  Service  Study  Group  to  explore  the  feasibility  of  granting 
additional  opportunities  for  members  of  the  Armed  Forces  to  observe  the  practices  of  their  religious 
faiths  and  to  prepare  a  report  to  answer  Congressional  concerns  within  this  area.  As  Deputy 
Secretary  Taft  stated  in  his  charge  to  the  committee,  "The  Armed  Forces  of  the  United  States  have 
long  held  the  view  that  morale  and  discipline  are  consistent  with  the  vast  majority  of  religious 
practices  in  the  United  States,  and  I  charge  this  panel  with  the  responsibility  to  recommend 
improvements  to  an  already  exemplary  record  "'"^ 

The  Joint  Service  Study  Group,  chaired  by  Lieutenant  General  E.  A.  Chavarrie,  U.S.  Air 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


Force,  directed  the  efforts  of  three  internal  committees  These  were:  1)  A  committee  of  line  officers 
from  each  service  to  determine  military  interests  and  impacts,  2)  A  committee  of  judge  advocates 
from  each  service  lo  provide  legal  evaluation,  and  3)  A  committee  of  chaplains  from  the  Army,  Navy, 
and  Air  Force  to  determine  the  parameters  of  existent  religious  conflict.  Chaplain  Patrick  J.  Hessian, 
the  Army  Chief  of  Chaplains,  served  at  the  supervisory  Study  Group  level,  while  Chaplains  Israel 
Drazin  and  Wayne  E.  Kuehne  served  on  the  chaplain  committee.'"' 

The  committees  endeavored  to  obtain  a  broad  spectrum  of  information  from  religious 
organizations,  academicians,  and  military  specialists,  both  outside  and  within  the  government  Thirty- 
one  interviews  with  leaders  from  a  variety  of  religious  groups  including  the  Sikh  Dharma,  the 
American  Muslim  Mission,  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board,  the  Christian  Science  and  Seventh  Day 
Adventist  Churches,  and  the  National  Association  of  Evangelicals  were  conducted.""^  A  total  of 
3,425  questionnaires  were  mailed  to  students  in  intermediate  and  senior  service  schools  within  the 
military  to  help  identify  experiences  of  selected  groups  with  regard  to  religious  practices  within  the 
Armed  Forces.  Some  2,748  of  these  questionnaires  were  returned  for  a  return  rate  of  slightly  over 
80  percent,  a  high  response  for  a  mailed  questionnaire."" 

In  March  of  1985  the  Study  Group  submitted  its  report  with  13  observations  and  15 
recommendations.  Among  these  were  the  observation  and  recommendation  that  "the  creation  of  a 
mandatory  standard  for  accommodation  of  personal,  religious  practices  in  the  Armed  Forces  runs  a 
grave  risk  of  undermining  esprit  de  corps,  military  discipline,  and  the  military  justice  system.  Military 
policy  developed  in  effecting  accommodation  should  be  hortatory  rather  than  mandatory  and 
supplemented  by  guidance  to  focus  the  discretion  of  the  granting  [command]  authority."  Broadly 
stated,  the  Study  Group  recommended  a  review  of  worship,  medical,  dietary,  dress  and  appearance 
issues  and  the  drafting  of  policy  which  would  allow  the  accommodation  of  religious  practices  by  the 
commander  "except  when  precluded  by  military  necessity."'"*' 

In  due  course  Chaplain  Hessian  directed  his  staff  to  participate  with  the  Office  of  the  Deputy 
Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel  (DCSPER)  in  rewriting  Army  regulations  to  allow  a  broader 
accommodation  of  soldiers'  religious  practices  Both  the  basic  regulation  and  a  Department  of  the 
Army  pamphlet  would  establish  the  criteria  and  procedures  for  commanders  and  soldiers  to  deal  with 
accommodation  issues.'"^ 

The  Chief  of  Chaplains  assumed  responsibility  for  training  the  force  in  religious  requirements 
in  the  areas  of  worship,  wear  and  apparel,  diet,  and  medical  needs.  Chaplain  Hessian  directed  the 
Chaplain  School  to  develop  exportable  training  material  for  all  installations  and  communities.""  On 
January  1,  1986,  a  new  Army  Regulation  600-20,  Accommodation  of  Religious  Practices  within  the 
Army,  which  contained  most  of  the  Joint  Study  Group's  recommendations,  went  into  effect 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  1 89 


Continuing  Training  for  Ministry 

Not  all  of  the  plans  and  programs  in  1984  were  new  to  the  Chaplaincy.  The  largest  majority 
were  continuing  ministries  which  had  been  inaugurated  and  refined  over  the  previous  decade.  Some 
programs  were  designed  to  enhance  the  organization  or  efficiency  of  the  Chaplain  Corps,  while  others 
were  more  directly  related  to  soldier  or  family  ministries.  As  situations  for  ministry  changed,  so  also 
did  some  of  the  Chaplaincy's  programs  in  order  to  be  consistently  relevant  to  the  needs  of  the  Army. 

One  of  the  most  productive  centers  for  the  development  of  new  initiatives  and  training  for 
ministry  was  the  US  Army  Chaplain  Board  at  Fort  Monmouth.  The  President  of  the  Board, 
Chaplain  Billy  W.  Libby,  had  an  exceptionally  talented  staff  of  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants,  and 
Department  of  the  Army  civilians  whose  number  included  Chaplain  Geoffrey  H.  Moran,  Chaplain 
Kenneth  B  Clements,  Chaplain  Marvin  Vickers,  Chaplain  Thomas  R.  Merrill,  Chaplain  Richard  N. 
Donovan,  Chaplain  Louis  L  Schmit,  Sergeant  First  Class  Aaron  N.  Gibson,  Ms.  Bess  Ballard,  and 
Ms.  Patricia  M  Jennings  In  FY  84  the  Chaplain  Board  conducted  1 3  workshops  across  the  United 
States  in  Parish  Development,  Religious  Education,  Homiletics  and  Worship,  Marriage  and  Family 
Life,  and  Life  Career  Transitions — for  Chaplains,  chaplain  assistants  and  directors  of  religious 
education  (DRE's). 

Of  particular  interest  to  many  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  were  the  training  opportunities 
in  Parish  Development  and  Basic  Human  Interaction  (BHI).  Parish  Development  was  conceived  in 
1976  as  a  process  of  planned  change  and  growth  to  provide  skills  for  those  who  would  serve  as 
pastors,  members  of  parish  councils,  lay  leaders  and  staff  members  in  military  chapels.'"  Two  years 
later,  in  1978,  the  Chaplain  Board  began  adapting  a  one-week  training  experience  to  the  unique 
context  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  ""  This  intensive  workshop,  called  Basic  Human  Interaction,  was 
the  foundation  for  the  interpersonal  training  necessary  in  Parish  Development. 

By  1 984  four  types  of  Parish  Development  training  were  being  conducted  by  the  Chaplain 
Board: 

1.  The  Staff  and  Parish  Development  Program,  a  nine-month  study  program 

which  began  in  1 980,  and  which  was  incorporated  as  a  regular  course  into  the 
Chaplain  School  curriculum  at  the  end  of  the  year 

2  Week-long  workshops  in  Group  Development  Skills  and  Ex- 
penitential  Education  Design  Skills  taught  by  skilled  civilian  facilitators. 

3  Basic  Human  Interaction  Workshops  and  Training  the  Trainer  Workshops  for 
military  chaplaincy  personnel. 

4.  Two  special  workshops  on  "Transitions  in  Ministry"  for  chaplains  and  DRE's, 

and  "Power  and  Influence"  training  for  chaplain  colonels  which  was  held  in 
Atlanta. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


190  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


Other  workshops  conducted  by  the  Chaplain  Board  staff  included  nine  in  homiletics  and 
worship,  including  one  developed  for  the  U.S.  Army  Europe  Chaplains  Training  Conference,  four 
Ministry-to-Priest  Conferences  to  strengthen  fraternal  ties  among  Roman  Catholic  chaplains,  four 
workshops  on  marriage  and  family  life;  and  three  on  Life/Work  Planning  for  senior  chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants.'"  In  the  area  of  religious  education,  50  of  the  85  DREs  in  the  Chaplaincy 
attended  a  Religious  Leaders  Training  conference  in  Scottsdale,  Arizona,  as  well.  Between  1983  and 
1986,  the  Chaplain  Board  programs  trained  more  than  350  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants,  and  DRE's 
per  year  in  week-long,  intensive  training  events. 

In  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  at  US.  Forces  Command,  at  the  Chaplain  board,  and 
at  the  Chaplain  School,  Chaplain  Hessian's  motto  that  "training  is  ministry"  continued  to  generate 
interest  in  training  opportunities  throughout  the  Army.  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  Multi-Cultural 
Training  Course,  held  in  Hampton,  Virginia,  focused  on  "Supervising  a  Multi-Cultural  Ministry,"  and 
featured  exportable  training  tapes  The  Chaplain  Mobilization  Planning  Workshop  in  Atlanta  hosted 
71  chaplains  and  dealt  with  planning  for  fiall  mobilization.  The  Chaplain  Board  contracted  16 
workshops  for  943  soldier  and  family  member  volunteers  interested  in  youth  ministry  training."* 

At  the  Chaplain  School,  the  Chaplain  Training  Management  System  was  developed  in  June 
of  1984  to  help  installation  chaplains  to  plan,  execute  and  evaluate  all  training  conducted  by  or  for 
chaplains,  chaplain  assistants,  civilian  employees,  and  lay  volunteers.  Chaplain  Hessian  directed  that 
each  installation  staff  chaplain  implement  a  long-range  training  plan  and  appoint  a  Chaplain  Training 
Manager  by  fiscal  year  1985  "' 

Chaplain  Hessian  did  not  believe  that  it  was  possible  to  over-train  his  chaplains.  He  wanted, 
and  to  a  large  extent  succeeded  in  securing,  excellent  UMTs  for  an  Army  of  Excellence. 


From  Europe  to  Washington: 
Pilgrimages,  Anniversaries,  and  Dedications 

In  Europe,  1984  marked  a  number  of  celebrations,  pilgrimages,  and  anniversaries.  In  addition 
to  21  conferences  and  workshops  sponsored  by  the  USAREUR  Chaplain's  Office,  which  included 
two  training  conferences  for  chaplain  assistants  on  the  theme,  "A  Time  for  Us,"  and  meetings  for  both 
Protestant  and  Catholic  women  with  a  combined  attendance  of  1,130  female  volunteers  from  nine 
NATO  countries,  there  were  lectures  and  addresses  by  15  civilian  professors  of  religion  and  other 
resource  leaders  on  topics  ranging  from  "the  New  Code  of  Canon  Law"  to  "Youth  Effectiveness 
Training.""* 

Chaplain  Charies  J.  McDonnell,  the  USAREUR  Chaplain,  led  400  service  personnel  and  their 
family  members  on  a  Holy  Year  Pilgrimage  to  Rome.  The  highlight  of  the  pilgrimage  was  a  Mars 
celebrated  by  Pope  John  Paul  II  in  St.  Peter's  Square  with  approximately  100,000  people  in 
attendance.'"  A  month  later,  in  May,  Lieutenant  General  John  D  Bruen,  21st  Support  Command 
Commander,  headed  an  American  delegation  of  300  service  members  in  the  26th  Annual  International 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  191 


Pilgrimage  to  Lourdes,  France  "* 

The  year  1984  also  marked  the  40th  anniversary  of  the  D-Day  landings  in  Normandy. 
President  Ronald  Reagan  and  six  other  heads  of  state  met  for  ceremonies  at  Utah  Beach  on  June  6. 
All  U.S.  European  Command  components  participated  in  events  at  Pointe  du  Hoc,  Bernieres, 
Caretan,  Ste  Mere  Eglise,  Utah  and  Omaha  beaches  '"^ 

At  the  USAREUR  Religious  Retreat  House  in  Berchtesgaden,  Chaplain  Don  C.  Breland  and 
Chaplain  Kenneth  A.  Seifried  held  a  special  30th  anniversary  observance  of  the  establishment  of  the 
retreat  program  in  1954  by  the  Commander  in  Chief  USAREUR.  The  special  anniversary 
observance  in  1984  included  an  elaborate  display  of  historical  photographs  and  memorabilia,  a  special 
worship  service  at  the  Alpine  Inn  Chapel,  and  an  anniversary  luncheon  at  the  Berchtesgadener  Hof 
Hotel.'-" 

The  Alpine  Inn,  the  center  for  soldier  retreats,  had  an  interesting  history  as  a  recreational 
center  The  Inn  had  been  originally  constructed  during  World  War  II  by  Field  Marshal  Hermann 
Goering  as  a  facility  for  the  German  Air  Force.  Since  its  establishment  as  a  religious  retreat  house 
in  1954,  the  Inn  had  hosted  hundreds  of  retreats,  conferences,  and  conventions  attended  by  more  than 
327,000  men  and  women  of  the  US  Armed  Forces.'''  Chaplain  Tom  Norton  recalled  that  the 
Retreat  House  program  became  famous  in  1973-1974  for  helping  soldiers  stop  abusing  drugs,  "When 
Chaplain  Harold  Summers  and  I  were  there,"  said  Norton,  "the  Jesus  Movement  had  just  attracted 
notice  among  the  soldiers.  So  many  troops  converted  to  Jesus  and  laid  aside  their  drugs  that 
commanders  would  call  us  and  ask  what  we  were  doing  "'"  Subsequent  religious  leaders  at 
Berchtesgaden,  including  Chaplain  William  McAllister,  Chaplain  Samuel  Lamback  and  Chaplain 
Anthony  Imberi  continued  the  emphasis  on  both  spiritual  and  moral  development  of  soldiers. '■'' 


Dedications 

In  the  Military  District  of  Washington  (MDW),  Chaplain  CliflFord  T.  Weathers  and  Chaplain 
William  C  Noble  participated  in  the  preparatory  arrangements  and  the  interment  of  the  Unknown 
Serviceman  of  Vietnam  "It  was  a  moving  ceremony,"  Chaplain  Weathers  recalled,  "which  helped 
bring  closure  for  many  to  a  painfijl  period  in  our  nation's  history."''^ 

In  another  MDW  dedication  ceremony,  the  Honorable  Casper  W.  Weinberger  dedicated  the 
Pentagon  Meditation  Room  and  Center  for  Ministry  on  13  June  1984.  The  Pentagon  Chaplain,  who 
was  responsible  to  the  MDW  Commander  for  ministry  to  all  personnel  who  were  assigned  to  the 
Pentagon,  was  technically  supervised  by  the  MDW  StafT  Chaplain  who  also  supervised  ministry  at 
Fort  Myer,  Fort  Leslie  McNair,  Arlington  Cemetery,  and  later  Fort  Belvoir  '"^  The  funeral  ministry 
at  Ariington  Cemetery  was  coordinated  with  the  US  Navy  and  the  U.S.  Air  Force,  and,  in  the  case 
of  Jewish  personnel  coverage,  with  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board.'-* 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


President   Ronald  Reagan   and  other  national    dignitaries  pay- 
tribute    to   an    Unknown   Soldier   from    the   Vietnam   Conflict. 
General    William   Westmoreland  is   at    far   left.    Chaplain    Cliff 
Weathers   is    second   to    the   right    of   the   President. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  1 93 


Year  End  Strength 

At  the  end  of  1984  many  of  Chaplain  Hessian's  goals  for  the  Chaplaincy  were  well  on  the  way 
to  realization.  Field  Manual  1 6-5  was  in  print,  the  Functional  Area  Assessment  was  a  success,  the 
chaplain  assistant  military  occupational  specialty  had  a  new  foundation,  the  CARSS  project  was  being 
implemented,  the  ministry  in  the  Reserve  Components  had  new  support,  and  a  new  regulation  for 
Accommodating  Religious  Practices  was  in  process 

At  the  end  of  the  year  1,488  chaplains  were  on  active  duty  Some  1 14  of  these  chaplains  were 
in  resident  enrollment  at  military  schools,  while  19  were  attending  fijlly-flinded  advanced  degree 
programs  in  civilian  institutions.  The  Affirmative  Action  projections  called  for  15  minority  group 
chaplains  to  enter  active  service  in  FY  85.  The  number  of  Roman  Catholic  chaplains  on  active  duty 
declined,  however,  from  244  to  234. 

Chaplain  Israel  Drazin,  promoted  to  Brigadier  General,  succeeded  Chaplain  (Brigadier 
General)  Oral  D.  Nelson  as  the  Assistant  Chief  of  Chaplains  for  Mobilization  Sergeant  Major  Joseph 
A.  Pino  succeeded  Sergeant  Major  Charles  J.  Durr  in  the  Chiefs  Office.  Chaplain  Henry  F. 
Ackermann  graduated  fi"om  the  War  College  and  reported  to  the  Chiefs  Office  to  write  a  history  of 
the  ministry  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  during  the  Vietnam  War.'-' 

Finally,  in  1984  the  Constitutionality  Case,  Katcoff  and  Wieder  v.  Laird,  took  a  turn  for  the 
Chaplaincy's  side.  In  April  of  1982  Joel  KatcoflFand  Allen  M  Wieder  filed  a  motion  for  a  summary 
judgment  in  the  District  Court  of  New  York  asking  that  the  military  Chaplaincy  be  declared  an 
unconstitutional  violation  of  the  Establishment  Clause.  After  a  long  series  of  arguments,  on  February 
1,  1984,  the  plaintiffs  motion  was  denied  and  the  complaint  dismissed  on  the  ground  that  the  Court 
should  defer  to  Congress  because  the  issue  was  considered  to  be  a  military  matter.'-"  It  appeared  that 
the  Chaplaincy's  constitutional  base  was  solid  for  the  foreseeable  fiature. 


Developments  in  the  Army  in  1985 

Early  in  FY  85  the  Secretary  of  the  Army  and  the  Chief  of  Staff  announced  that  "Leadership" 
would  be  the  Army's  theme  for  1985.'^'  All  echelons  of  the  Army  planned  and  put  into  action 
programs  and  policies  to  promote  the  theme  Major  program  objectives  for  FY  85  were  to  staff, 
train,  and  continue  modernization  of  the  Total  Army  to  enable  it  to  "influence  the  early  stages"  of  any 
conflict.'-'" 

Moreover,  the  Army  began  a  concerted  effort  during  1985  to  chart  its  course  to  the  21st 
century.  Long-range  planning  was  begun  to  concentrate  effort  and  initiatives  to  provide  focus  and 
continuity  as  significant  improvements  in  war  fighting  capabilities  emerged.'^'  The  Total  Army 
vectors  for  1985  included  providing  quality  soldiers,  fielding  a  modernized  force  across  the  spectrum 
of  potential  conflicts,  exploiting  all  dimensions  of  AirLand  Battle  Doctrine,  developing  high 
technology  enhancements,  and  improving  deployability.'^" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


Sergeant  Major  Joseph   A.    Pino 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  195 


Army  personal  goals  included  a  recruited  and  retained  force  of  780,000  active  duty  soldiers 
and  a  total  reserve  strength  of  724,029  A  major  shortfall  in  Individual  Ready  Reserve  strength  to 
meet  filler  and  replacement  needs  proved  troubling  enough  for  General  Bernard  W  Rogers,  NATO 
Commander  and  former  Chief  of  Staff,  to  urge  the  Senate  Armed  Service  Committee  in  March  1985 
to  reinstitute  the  draft  '" 

Realistic  training  received  greater  Department  of  the  Army  emphasis  at  the  National  Training 
Center,  Fort  Irwin,  California,  and  with  continuous  training  in  Europe  with  newly  arrived  Ml  Abrams 
tanks  and  Bradley  fighting  vehicles.  A  vigorous  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff  coordinated  exercise  program 
featured  49  exercises  including  REFORGER  in  Europe,  Team  Spirit  85  in  Korea,  and  Auhus  Tara 
II  in  Honduras.'''^ 

Significant  equipment  improvements  included  the  production  of  the  Ml  El  tank  with  a  120 
mm  smooth-bore  gun,  planning  for  production  of  412  Patriot  air  defense  missiles,  and  the  allocation 
of  $1  4  billion  in  new  equipment  for  the  reserve  components,  an  increase  of  $500  million  over 
1984.'" 

Fiscal  year  1985  also  marked  the  completion  of  the  principal  phases  of  a  major  reorganization 
in  FORSCOM's  Reserve  Component  Management  structure.  The  last  of  the  Army  Readiness  and 
Mobilization  Regions  were  eliminated  and  the  Fourth  US  Army  was  established  as  the  role  of  the 
Army  National  Guard  and  Army  Reserve  in  first-line  national  defense  continued  to  grow.'""^ 


Chaplain  Corps  Details 

The  active  duty  Chaplain  Corps  strength  for  FY  85  was  established  at  1,523.  With  an 
aggressive  Affirmative  Action  accession  plan,  20  minority  chaplains  entered  active  duty  Minority 
chaplains  constituted  14  08  percent  of  the  total  strength.'"  Sixteen  chaplains  were  female  Chaplain 
Hugh  M.  Grubb  from  the  Personnel  Directorate  reported  a  continuous,  if  slow  decline  in  Roman 
Catholic  chaplains  to  a  level  of  227  with  projected  losses  exceeding  projected  gains  for  FY  86.'^* 
Chaplain  assistant  strength  totaled  1,562  with  mid-career  re-enlistment  rates  at  82  percent,  five  points 
higher  than  the  Army  average  as  a  whole.  Twenty-two  chaplain  assistants  were  Sergeants  Major 
(SGM)  or  were  in  SGM  positions. 

Internally,  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  reorganized  in  1985.  The  Administration  and 
Management  Division  became  the  Directorate  of  Information,  Resource  Management,  and  Logistics 
(IRML).   Staff  members  assigned  to  that  directorate  were  affectionately  known  as  "IRMLites."'^' 

One  of  the  major  IRML  initiatives,  the  CARSS  project,  continued  to  expand  in  1985.  In  May 
the  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Army  granted  approval  for  the  procurement  of  63  additional  compatible 
computer  systems  at  the  installation  level  to  supplement  the  218  computers  installed  in  1984. 
Likewise,  an  electronic  mail  procedure  was  installed  to  facilitate  official  communications  between 
chaplain  offices  Army-wide. 

Another  change  in  1985  affected  the  resourcing  strategies  for  the  Chaplain  Corps.  The  Army 
standardized  the  organization  of  installations  by  Army  Regulation  5-3  which  established  a  Chaplain 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


1 96  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


Activities  Office  and  a  position  for  a  Chaplain  Resource  Manager.''"' 

Chaplains  assigned  to  that  position  were  called,  in  1985,  Pastoral  Coordinators.  The  U.S. 
Army  Chaplain  School  developed  a  two  week  fijnctional  course  in  resource  management  for  chaplain 
and  chaplain  assistant  Pastoral  Coordinators.  Students  who  completed  the  course  and  served  a  year 
or  more  in  a  resource  management  position  could  be  awarded  the  Army  Skill  Identifier  (ASI),  VF.'"" 

From  March  to  July  a  series  of  meetings,  reports  and  publications  paved  the  way  for  the 
Command  Chaplains  Conference  in  Arlington  which  was  to  feature  General  John  A.  Wickham,  Jr., 
the  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army,  as  its  guest  speaker.  In  March  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Board 
convened  a  Religious  Education  Strategy  and  Planning  Group  in  Hampton,  Virginia,  for  the  purpose 
of  examining  fiJture  religious  education  issues  of  interest  to  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants,  and  the  85 
directors  of  religious  education  in  the  Army.'^^  Task  forces  were  organized  to  begin  work  on  a 
volunteer  management  program  and  to  discuss  opportunities  for  professional  training  at  civilian 
institutions  using  appropriated  fiands.  Since  the  training  and  utilization  of  volunteers  in  religious 
education  was  a  high  priority  with  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  a  task  force  was  selected  to  produce  a 
"Volunteer  Ministry  Manager's  Handbook"  for  the  Chiefs  Volunteer  Management  Program. '"'^ 


A  New  Regulation 

In  May,  Army  Regulation  165-20,  Duties  of  Chaplains  and  Responsibilities  of  Commanders. 
was  published  after  extensive  preparatory  work  by  Chaplain  Jay  Jalbert,  Director  of  IRML.  A  short 
regulation  of  four  chapters,  it  did  update  the  guidance  for  unmarried  chaplains  to  secure  better 
housing  and  weight  allowances  for  household  goods  equal  to  that  granted  to  accompanied  married 
chaplains.  In  this  regard  Chaplain  Hessian  felt  that  Roman  Catholic  chaplains  in  particular  would  be 
relieved  of  unfair  penalties  due  to  previous  restrictions  on  unmarried  chaplains  The  regulation  also 
expanded  the  religious  duties  of  chaplains  and  gave  a  higher  priority  to  collective  Protestant  services 
for  scheduling  purposes  Chaplains  could  not  "be  required  to  bear  arms."  although  the  Chief 
personally  barred  chaplains  from  carrying  weapons  at  all.'*^ 

The  regulation  did  feature  many  provisions  which  clarified  the  role  of  chaplains,  chaplain 
assistants,  DREs,  denominational  service  leaders,  civilian  contract  clergy,  religious  resource  leaders, 
and  volunteer  workers.  Chaplain  William  L  Hufham,  at  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains'  Plans, 
Programs  and  Policies  Division,  urged  that  a  chapter  be  added  to  implement  the  new  moral  leadership 
training  program.'^'  This  suggestion  was  approved,  and  the  new  chapter  was  added  in  the  1989 
revision  of  AR  165-1. 

Likewise,  in  May,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  sponsored  two  Multi-Cultural  Training  Courses,  one 
at  TRADOC,  the  other  at  FORSCOM.  One  hundred  thirty  chaplains  attended.  The  courses  featured 
techniques  for  making  demographic  and  needs  assessments  and  for  setting  goals  in  the  military 
community.  A  follow-up  survey  by  the  Directorate  of  Evaluation  and  Standardization  at  the  Chaplain 
School  produced  an  unclear  result  on  how  many  participants  actually  initiated  muhi-cultural 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  1 97 


assessments  following  the  courses. 


The  NTC 


In  June  of  1985  a  number  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  received  their  first  taste  of 
"realistic  training"  at  Fort  Irwin,  California.  The  National  Training  Center  (NTC)  had  been  designed 
in  the  mid-1970s  to  simulate  reahstic  battlefield  conditions  in  the  desert  '""  Brigades  fi'om  most 
combat  divisions  in  the  United  States  were  sent  to  train  under  unforgiving  tactical  conditions  Most 
units  were  "killed"  in  their  first  training  rotation. 

Some  of  the  problems  Brigade  Chaplains  encountered  at  the  National  Training  Center  seemed 
to  be  no  less  severe  than  one  would  expect  in  actual  combat  The  weather  and  terrain  in  the  High 
Mojave  desert  were  not  "user  friendly."  Units  from  the  active  or  reserve  components  without 
chaplains  or  chaplain  assistants  presented  general  support  (area  coverage)  challenges.  There  was 
always  the  possibility  that  soldiers  would  be  killed  or  injured  during  training  Unit  ministry  teams  had 
to  be  prepared  to  stop  training  and  do  emergency  ministry  at  any  time 

Chaplain  Ronald  N  Johnson,  who  trained  twice  at  the  NTC  from  July  1985  to  January  1986, 
reported  that  he  was  intent  "on  adherence"  to  FM  16-5,  The  Chaplain  and  Chaplain  Assistant  in 
Combat  Operations.  "Saturated  coverage,  to  include  denominational  coverage,  before  and  after 
battle,  in  the  tactical  assembly  area  (Dust  Bowl),  while  drawing  equipment,  at  the  end  of  hostilities, 
or  during  reconstitution,"  Chaplain  Johnson  wrote,  meant  "daily  Protestant  and  Catholic  services" 
and  "pastoral  care  to  all  soldiers  "'■** 

Some  unit  ministry  teams,  indeed  the  majority  in  1985,  were  "killed"  by  the  Multiple 
Integrated  Laser  Engagement  System  (MILES)  sensors  several  times  during  the  force-on-force  phase 
of  the  war  games  Forward  Thrust  doctrine  seemed  to  place  many  UMT's  in  the  combat  trains  where 
they  were  exposed  to  direct  fire,  artillery,  gas  attack,  and  nerve  agent  attack  '^'  Chaplain  Curtis 
Heydt  of  the  4th  Battalion,  64th  Armor,  reported:  "I  learned  two  lessons;  I  must  be  more  tactically 
minded,  and  I  must  be  harder  on  myself "''" 

Chaplain  Jesse  Thornton  from  the  Chaplain  School  spent  three  weeks  at  the  NTC  observing 
unit  ministry  teams  in  training  Chaplain  Thornton  was  assigned  to  the  Unit  and  Individual  Training 
Division  at  the  Chaplain  School  and  charged  with  the  responsibility  of  publishing  skill  qualification 
manuals  and  soldiers'  manuals  for  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  He  wrote  of  his  experience  at 
the  NTC; 

Units  are  beginning  to  develop  combat  scenarios  that  include  missions  and  tasks  for 
the  Unit  Ministry  Teams.  When  unit  ARTEPS  include  scenarios  for  the  UMT,  a  vital 
opportunity  is  grasped  for  the  training  and  evaluation  of  ministry.''' 

Colonel  Richard  F  Keller,  Commander  of  the  First  Brigade,  4th  Infantry  Division 
(Mechanized)  from  Fort  Carson,  agreed  with  Chaplain  Thornton  about  the  potential  value  of  NTC 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


1 98  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


training  for  unit  ministry  teams: 

Chaplains  are  God's  constant  reminder  among  us  of  his  care  for  us  all.  That  is  why, 
on  the  battlefield,  chaplains  must  be  at  the  right  place  and  at  the  right  time — with 
soldiers — for  ministry."" 

Chaplain  John  H  Bjarnason  from  the  197th  Infantry  Brigade  thought  the  experience  led  to  growth, 
development,  and  learning  to  be  of  "more  service  to  the  soldier."'"  Chaplain  Ernest  E.  LaMertha, 
from  the  5th  Infantry  Division  at  Fort  Polk,  wrote  that  "our  NTC  coverage  went  well  I  had  a  plan, 
and  1  was  able  to  execute  it,"'"^  while  Chaplain  Curtis  Heydt  of  the  24th  Infantry  Division  said  simply, 
"Thank  you.  Lord,  for  letting  me  come  out  here  twice."'" 

It  was  obvious  that  most  UMT's  received  valuable  training  at  the  NTC,  training  that  could 
enable  them  to  ininister  more  eflFectively  and  save  their  lives  in  real  combat  Nothing  could  have,  or 
did,  prepare  them  better 


Command  Performance 

The  Command  Chaplains  Conference  at  Arlington  during  the  second  week  in  July  was  always 
a  time  for  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  to  discuss  goals,  ideas,  and  initiatives  for  the  future,  especially  with 
MACOM  Chaplains.  The  Council  of  Chaplain  Colonels'  meetings  in  the  preceding  months  had 
reviewed  19  issues  for  the  Chief  ranging  from  a  report  on  female  chaplain  assignments,  training,  and 
acceptance  to  religious  requirements  of  lesser  known  religions.'^''  The  colonels  had  made  numerous 
taskings  for  studies  and  issue  papers  to  be  written  as  the  chaplains  hammered  out  their  goals  with 
Chaplain  Hessian 

In  accord  with  the  Army's  Leadership  Theme  and  General  Wickham's  address.  Chaplain 
Hessian  specified  in  the  Leadership  Goal  for  the  Chaplaincy  that  chaplains  provide  "spiritual,  religious 
and  moral  leadership  to  the  Total  Army  community  They  inform  the  consciences  of  commanders 
and  soldiers  at  all  levels,  provide  comprehensive  programs  to  address  the  issues  of  personal  and 
professional  ethics  and  the  moral  issues  of  war,  identify  and  mentor  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant 
leaders,  and  participate  in  moral  leadership  instruction."'"  Moreover,  Chaplain  Hessian  decided  that, 
"all  chaplains  would  participate  weekly  in  post  worship  services  and  chapel  religious  education 

^>■>^  SK 

programs. 

Other  topics  Chaplain  Hessian  stressed  included  familiarization  with  the  CARSS,  the  results 
of  the  Functional  Review  and  Functional  Area  Assessment,  and  issues  involving  religious 
requirements  and  accommodation  of  religious  practices,  confidentiality  in  counseling  and  the  unit 
ministry  team  doctrine. '''  The  last  item  was  particularly  significant  because  the  Combat 
Developments  Directorate  at  the  Chaplain  School,  under  the  leadership  of  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne, 
was  preparing  supplemental  doctrine  for  FM  16-5,  The  Chaplain  and  Chaplain  Assistant  in  Combat 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  1 99 


Opera/ions.  The  supplements  were  in  the  form  of  field  circulars  and  expanded  some  of  the  concepts 
in  the  field  manual  Field  Circular  (FC)  16-50  was  entitled  "The  Unit  Ministry  Team,"  FC  16-5 1  was 
"Ministry  to  Battle  Fatigue  Casuahies,"  and  FC  16-5-4,  written  by  Chaplain  John  Scott  in  the 
Department  of  Military  Ministries,  was  entitled  "The  Unit  Ministry  Team,  General  Support: 
Installation."'*" 

Chaplain  G.T.  Gunhus  at  the  Soldier  Support  Center  worked  with  Chaplain  Kuehne  in  the 
production  of  the  field  circulars  which  were  published  in  December  1985.  Chaplain  Gunhus  said  of 
Chaplain  Kuehne' s  efforts.  "Wayne  Kuehne  worked  for  more  than  a  decade  to  keep  the  chaplaincy 
on  line  with  the  Army,  he  was  and  is  ihe  father  of  our  force  structure  and  doctrine ''^^^^ 

The  Reserve  Component  Advisory  Committee,  composed  of  chaplains  from  the  Chiefs 
Office,  the  National  Guard  Bureau,  the  Army  Personnel  Center,  and  Forces  Command,  had  been 
created  in  1985  to  advise  the  Chief  on  Reserve  Component  issues  The  Committee,  which  included 
Chaplain  Phillip  J.  Rapp  fi-om  the  National  Guard  Bureau,  developed  a  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant 
Total  Force  Layout,  including  a  notional  force  structure  of  58  AGR  positions,  for  presentation  at  the 
Command  Chaplains  Conference.'" 

Two  other  items  generated  considerable  interest  at  the  Conference.  Chaplain  Henry 
Ackermann,  who  was  writing  the  history  of  chaplain  ministries  during  the  Vietnam  War,  had  designed 
two  separate  but  related  surveys  The  first  he  sent  to  chaplains  and  the  second  to  other  officers  and 
to  enlisted  soldiers  Both  solicited  opinions  on  how  well  the  chaplains  performed  ministry  in  Vietnam 
Chaplain  Ackermann  had  also  conducted  oral  interviews  with  40  chaplains  who  had  served  during 
the  Vietnam  War  including  Chaplain  (Major  General)  Charles  E  Brown  and  Chaplain  (Major 
General)  Francis  L  Sampson,  both  former  Chiefs  of  Chaplains.  Chaplain  Ackermann's  history  was 
due  to  be  completed  in  FY  87.'" 

In  view  of  the  work  Chaplain  Ackermann  was  doing  on  the  Vietnam  War  period.  Chaplain 
Hessian  decided  that  the  Chaplaincy  needed  a  color  slide  presentation  on  the  history  of  the  Corps  and 
the  role  and  fijnction  of  the  Unit  Ministry  Team  to  show  to  chaplains  and  to  commanders.  Ms. 
Jessica  Harding,  who  was  on  Chaplain  Bezanson's  staff  in  IRML  as  the  Public  Affairs  Officer,  had 
requested  photographs  of  chaplains  performing  ministry  from  14  MACOM  chaplains  to  support  this 
project  Chaplain  Hessian  wanted  this  to  be  an  on-going  requirement  so  that  the  presentation  would 
be  constantly  updated  Mrs.  Harding  and  Chaplain  Geoff  Moran  from  the  US.  Army  Chaplain  Board 
began  developing  the  presentation  in  July  '" 

Finally,  chaplain  assistants  in  1985  had  been  issued  new  branch  insignia  The  project  had  been 
completed  by  SGM  Charies  Durr,  but  his  successor  at  OCCH,  SGM  Joseph  A  Pino,  received  the  first 
issue.  The  insignia,  to  be  worn  on  the  Class  A  uniform,  displayed  stylized  hands  enclosing  a  chapel 
and  represented  the  support  provided  by  chaplain  assistants  to  all  religious  programs. 

In  a  special  ceremony  at  the  Chaplain  School  on  the  Chaplain  Corps'  210th  Anniversary  in 
July,  Chaplain  Hessian  presented  SGM  Pino  with  the  first  official  brass  insignia.  SGM  Pino  then 
presented  the  same  insignia  to  Master  Sergeant  Frank  Gugudan,  the  Acting  Sergeant  Major  of  the 
Chaplain  School  who  placed  the  memento  in  the  Chaplain  Museum.""^ 

As  the  Command  Chaplains  Conference  was  adjourning,  an  initiative  from  the  Soldier  Support 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


200  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


Center  (SSC),  Fort  Benjamin  Harrison,  Indiana,  was  also  bearing  fruit  Chaplain  G  T  Gunhus  at  the 
SSC  had  proposed  to  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel,  after  proper  staffing,  that  the  Chief 
of  Chaplains  become  the  proponent  for  MOS  71  M  Chaplain  Assistants."^*  Chaplain  Hessian 
concurred  in  the  alignment  of  the  MOS  under  the  Office  of  the  Chief  He  became  the  7 IM  proponent 
in  FY  86,  two  years  after  he  became  the  official  proponent  for  chaplains. 


Proposal  for  a  Chaplain  Corps  Regiment 

In  September  1985  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  responded  to  initiatives  from  the  Chief  of  Staff"  of 
the  Army  and  the  New  Manning  Systems  Office  of  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel  to  develop 
a  "whole  branch  regimenf  for  the  Chaplain  Corps  as  part  of  the  US  Army  Regimental  System. 
Under  the  Army's  new  Regimental  System,  the  Chaplain  Corps  would  serve  as  the  regimental 
designator  for  active  duty.  National  Guard  and  Reserve  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants,  just  as  the 
numbered  combat  arms  regiments  would  serve  as  home  regiments  for  combat  soldiers  The  Chaplain 
School  at  Fort  Monmouth  would  serve  as  the  regimental  home  of  the  Corps  and  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  would  serve  as  the  Commander  of  the  Regiment.  His  responsibilities  would  include  career 
development,  training  and  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  ministry  of  soldiers.  Activation  of  the  regiment 
was  expected  to  occur  in  1986. 

One  of  the  questions  which  most  chaplains  had  about  their  new  regiment  was  what  the  name 
of  the  regiment  would  be.  Some  chaplains  thought  the  name  should  be  the  Regiment  of  Chaplains, 
others  wanted  to  remain  a  part  of  the  Chaplain  Corps.  At  the  Chaplain  School  a  proposal  was  made 
to  call  the  new  regiment  the  "The  Chaplain  Corps  Regiment  "  But  in  the  official  orders  the  name  of 
the  new  regiment  was  simply.  The  Chaplain  Corps.'*' 

In  mid-September  Chaplain  Paul  O.  Forsberg,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  announced  his 
retirement.  Chaplain  Forsberg  had  had  a  long  and  very  successful  career,  but  he  said  he  looked 
forward  to  returning  to  the  civilian  parish 

Chaplain  Forsberg's  successor  as  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains  was  Chaplain  Norris  Einertson. 
Chaplain  Einertson  had  served  most  recently  as  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain  and  as  the  Executive  Officer 
for  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.  Chaplain  Einertson  was  well  known  for  his  emphasis  on  the  pastoral  role 
of  chaplains  in  the  ministry  to  soldiers  and  to  family  members.  He  was  an  excellent  administrator  and 
preacher  and  was  already  familiar  with  the  day-to-day  operations  in  the  office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains.  Chaplain  Einertson  was  to  assume  office  on  December  1,  1985 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  201 


Ministries  in  Hawaii  and  in  Germany 

In  1985  Hawaii  was  the  headquarters  for  the  U.S.  Army's  Western  Command,  or  as  it  was 
more  popularly  known,  WESTCOM.  WESTCOM  was  responsible  for  the  largest  geographical  area 
of  defense  in  the  Army.  From  1982  to  the  summer  of  1985,  Chaplain  John  Scott  served  as  the 
WESTCOM  Chaplain  Chaplain  Thomas  Norton  was  Chaplain  Scott's  Deputy  from  1982  to  1984. 
In  1984  Chaplain  Norton  replaced  Chaplain  Charles  R.  Savely  as  the  Division  Chaplain  for  the  25th 
Infantry.  In  the  summer  of  1985  Chaplain  Ronald  S.  Bezanson  succeeded  Chaplain  Scott  as  the 
WESTCOM  Chaplain.  Chaplain  Tom  Carter  was  the  Support  Command  Chaplain  in  the  25th 
Infantry  Division  The  three  brigade  chaplains  were  Chaplain  Hugh  Dukes,  Chaplain  Donald 
Hanchett,  and  Chaplain  Joe  R.  Colley. 

Even  though  in  the  1984-85  time  frame  there  was  a  very  low  threat  in  the  WESTCOM  area 
of  responsibility,  there  was  always  a  need  for  soldier  ministry.  Fortunately,  the  chaplains  in  the  25th 
Infantry  Division  were  extremely  creative  and  highly  motivated  to  take  care  of  their  troops.  For 
example.  Chaplain  Hanchett  rented  an  entire  amusement  park  on  Oahu  for  a  division  family  outing. 
Chaplain  Joe  Colley  on  occasion  featured  a  band  on  Sunday  evenings  which  he  called,  "Sunday  Night 
Live."  Even  though  the  Sunday  evening  worship  was  essentially  a  religious  event,  it  was  framed  in 
highly  popular  language  Both  the  soldiers  and  the  commanders  responded  enthusiastically  to  the 
ministry  in  the  25th  Infantry  Divison.  Colonel  Jerry  White,  Chaplain  Hugh  Dukes,  Brigade 
commander,  said  his  chaplain  coverage  was  the  "greatest." 

One  of  the  few  crises  in  the  25th  Division  and  WESTCOM  occurred  in  the  winter  of  1985. 
Some  of  the  planning  officers  suddenly  realized  that  there  was  no  plan  for  the  defense  of  Oahu.  On 
the  64th  anniversary  of  the  bombing  of  Peari  Harbor,  in  December  of  1985,  the  WESTCOM  staff 
began  to  review  the  plans  for  the  defense  of  the  Hawiian  islands.  Since  this  was  primarily  an  exercise, 
rather  than  a  real  wodd  event,  it  generated  more  humor  than  anxiety.'** 

In  West  Germany  the  security  situation  and  the  war  planning  were  much  more  serious.  There 
was  still  protest  in  Germany,  Switzeriand  and  other  European  countries  over  the  deployment  of 
Pershing  Missiles  in  1982  and  1983.  Various  terrorist  groups  continued  to  threaten  defense 
installations.  Following  a  terrorist  attack  on  the  3/59  Air  Defense  Artillery  on  September  6,  1985, 
the  Department  of  the  Army  requested  an  updated  U.S.  Army  Europe  (USAREUR)  security 
program.  After  terrorist  threats  were  received  against  the  personal  safety  of  General  Glenn  Otis,  the 
Commanding  General  for  USAREUR,  a  company  of  infantry  was  stationed  around  USAREUR 
Headquarters  in  Heidelberg.  There  also  were  constant  bomb  threats  against  Ramstein  Air  Force  Base 
near  Frankfijrt  '*' 

In  Heidelberg  the  USAREUR  Chaplain,  Richard  K.  Martin,  was  appointed  the  first  U.S. 
European  Command  USEUCOM  Chaplain  in  addition  to  his  duties  as  the  USAREUR  Chaplain. 
Chaplain  Martin's  responsibilities  were  to  assist  and  advise  the  United  States  Commander  Europe  on 
religious  matters  having  joint  services  implications.  Chaplain  Martin's  appointment  became  effective 
on  December  1,  1985. 

In  spite  of  the  added  security  precautions,  in  1985  the  USAREUR  Chaplains  Office  provided 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


202  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


many  and  varied  training  opportunities  for  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants,  DREs  and  other  personnel 
involved  in  ministry  throughout  U.  S.  Army  Europe  In  addition  to  the  Command  Chaplains  Training 
Conference,  whose  theme  in  1985  was  "Leadership  and  Pastoral  Supervision,"  there  was  also  a 
Protestant  Chaplains  Professional  Development  Conference  attended  by  more  than  500  participants. 
In  total,  the  USAREUR  Chaplains  Office  sponsored  15  workshops  and  conferences  for  chaplains, 
chaplain  assistants,  DREs,  the  youth  of  the  chapel,  church  musicians,  chaplain  candidates,  Protestant 
Women  of  the  Chapel,  and  nonappropriated  fund  custodians  in  FY  1985 

In  addition  to  these  training  events,  many  chaplains  continued  to  conduct  normal  worship 
services  but  with  an  augmented  religious  retreat  and  recreation  program  for  soldiers  and  family 
members.  At  Ramstein,  Army  Chaplain  Irven  Johnson  regularly  took  his  Air  Defense  Artillery 
soldiers  on  cruises  down  the  Rhine  River.  At  least  once  a  year,  during  their  training  on  the  island  of 
Crete,  Chaplain  Johnson  also  would  take  them  to  see  places  of  religious  significance  such  as  the  site 
where  St.  Paul  was  supposedly  ship-wrecked  in  the  first  century.  In  Hanau,  Chaplain  Robert 
Covington,  the  Community  Chaplain,  sponsored  at  least  one  bus  tour  for  soldiers  and  family  members 
each  month.  It  was  not  unusual  for  chaplains  to  visit  1 5  or  more  European  countries  during  their 
normal  rotation  as  retreat  leaders  for  soldiers.'™ 

For  those  soldiers  who  were  unable  to  go  on  bus  trips  on  any  regular  basis,  there  was  always 
the  opportunity  to  attend  the  U.S.  Army  Europe  Religious  Retreat  House  in  Berchtesgaden.  From 
1985  to  1986  Chaplain  Samuel  P.  Lamback  was  the  Religious  Retreat  Director  in  Berchtesgaden. 
Chaplain  Lamback  and  his  staflF  sponsored  numerous  soldier  retreats  which  featured  a  variety  of 
activities  including  musical  programs,  Bible  studies  and,  on  occasion,  guest  lecturers  to  discuss  moral 
leadership  and  the  ethics  involved  in  being  a  soldier.'^' 


Year's  End:  Tragedy  at  Gander 

On  the  morning  of  December  12,  1985,  at  0645  local  time.  Arrow  Airiines  flight  1 285,  a  DC-8 
Charter  carrying  248  passengers  and  a  crew  of  8  crashed  just  after  takeoff  from  Gander  International 
Airport,  Gander,  Newfoundland.  All  on  board  perished.  The  postcrash  fire,  fed  by  the  contents  of 
the  aircraft's  fuel  tanks,  took  local  firefighters  nearly  4  hours  to  bring  under  control  and 
approximately  30  hours  to  completely  extinguish.  The  firefighters  were  hampered  in  their  efforts  by 
the  rugged  terrain. 

The  passengers  on  the  ill-fated  charter  were  U.S.  soldiers,  all  but  12  of  them  were  members 
of  the  101st  Airborne  Division  from  Fort  Campbell,  Kentucky  Most  of  the  soldiers  were  from  the 
3d  Battalion,  502d  Infantry,  1 1  were  from  other  US.  Forces  Command  units;  and  one  was  a  CID 
agent  from  the  Criminal  Investigation  Command.  They  were  all  returning  to  Fort  Campbell  after 
completing  a  six-month  tour  of  duty  in  the  Sinai  with  the  Multinational  Force  and  Observers  (MFO). 
This  international  peacekeeping  organization,  made  up  of  contingents  from  10  nations,  had  been 
established  under  terms  of  a  1981  protocol  agreement  between  Egypt  and  Israel.  The  MFO  had  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  203 


mission  of  implementing  security  provisions  contained  in  the  original  1979  Israeli-Egyptian  peace 
treaty.  The  101st  Airborne  Division  soldiers  who  died  constituted  one-third  of  the  U.  S. 
peacekeeping  task  force. 

Perhaps  no  other  event  in  its  peacetime  history  has  so  wrenched  the  soul  of  the  US.  Army 
as  did  the  Gander  tragedy,  which  ranked  as  the  worst  military  air  disaster  in  the  nation's  history  ''■ 
Colonel  Barry  J  Sottak,  Commander  of  the  101st  Aviation  Group  at  Fort  Campbell,  called  the 
accident  "a  terrible  blow"  to  the  entire  nation  '" 

Ironically  there  was  one  "survivor"  of  the  accident  When  the  chartered  plane  touched  down 
in  Frankfurt,  Germany,  to  refuel.  First  Lieutneant  Chris  Carlin,  a  recent  graduate  of  West  Point  who 
had  requested  leave,  remained  in  Frankfurt  in  order  to  visit  with  his  brother.  It  was  not  until  much 
later  that  the  military  authorities  were  notified  that  Lieutenant  Carlin  was  not  on  board  the  aircraft. 
The  actual  number  of  soldiers  killed  therefore  was  247  in  addition  to  the  crew  of  8. 

Among  the  casuahies  was  Chaplain  (Captain)  Troy  G  Carter,  Task  Force  3-502,  from  the 
2nd  Brigade,  101st  Airborne  Division  Chaplain  Carter  had  been  detailed  to  go  with  the  soldiers  from 
the  101st  to  the  Sinai  in  the  summer  of  1985  Chaplain  Robert  Covington,  the  Division  Chaplain,  had 
selected  Chaplain  Carter  because  of  his  excellent  reputation  in  the  Chaplain  School  Advanced  Course 
from  which  he  had  graduated  that  year  Chaplain  Carter  was  celebrating  the  completion  of  a 
successful  mission  with  his  soldiers  when  they  began  their  redeployment  Although  he  had  a  seat  on 
earlier  flight.  Chaplain  Carter  insisted  that  his  chaplain  assistant  take  that  seat  Carter's  decision  to 
offer  his  seat  to  his  team  member,  while  apparently  a  small  sacrifice  at  the  time,  resulted  in  his 
ultimate  sacrifice."^ 

At  Fort  Campbell  not  only  were  the  commanders  very  busy  helping  soldiers  and  families  to 
deal  with  this  tragedy,  but  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  also  were  deeply  involved  as  well. 
The  Post  Chaplain,  Chaplain  Bernard  F  Nass,  dedicated  35  chaplains  and  other  members  of  his  staff 
to  performing  ministry  and  assisting  other  helping  agencies.  In  particular  a  phone  bank  was  set  up 
to  handle  the  enormous  numbers  of  calls  coming  into  Fort  Campbell  inquiring  about  soldiers  on  the 
chartered  flight  Chaplain  John  Allen,  the  Division  Chaplain  for  the  101st  Airborne  Division,  spent 
all  the  available  time  and  resources  he  had  providing  ministry  which  included  the  memorial  and  funeral 
services  for  Chaplain  Troy  Carter  at  Fort  Chaffee,  Arkansas."' 

At  the  OfTice  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  several  staff  members  prepared  to  assist  with  other 
aspects  of  the  tragedy  Chaplain  John  Flaska,  a  Roman  Catholic  priest,  deployed  to  Gander  as  part 
of  the  DA  emergency  assistance  team  Chaplain  Don  Taylor  provided  continuous  ministry  at  the 
Dover  AFB  mortuary,  and  Chaplain  William  Hufham  served  on  the  DA  task  force  to  coordinate 
assistance  and  to  advise  the  Secretary  of  the  Army  on  care  for  families. '''' 

The  shock  waves  from  the  Gander  crash  were  felt  throughout  the  world  '"  At  the  XVIII 
Airborne  Corps,  Fort  Bragg,  North  Carolina,  Chaplain  David  Peterson  led  soldiers  in  prayer  and  then 
immediately  went  to  Fort  Campbell  to  visit  the  chaplains  and  soldiers  at  that  post.''*  At  the  Dover 
Air  Force  Base  mortuary,  900  medical  personnel,  volunteer  Air  Force  and  Army  service  members, 
and  chaplains  prepared  to  receive  the  first  bodies  from  the  crash  Some  of  the  remains  were  so  badly 
burned  that  only  dental  records  permitted  identification.  Chaplains  and  other  staff  members  had  to 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


204  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


rotate  on  a  fairly  frequent  basis,  for  the  stress  and  horrors  of  working  constantly  with  body  parts 
proved  extremely  taxing  on  the  emotions.  In  Germany  Chaplain  Jere  Kimmell,  the  chaplain  assigned 
to  the  broadcasting  ministry  at  Armed  Forces  Network  radio  (AFN),  thought  deeply  about  what  kind 
of  tribute  he  could  pay  to  those  who  had  perished  in  the  disaster.  So  close  to  the  holiday  season. 
Chaplain  Kiminell  was  moved  simply  to  play  "Silent  Night"  over  AFN  with  a  brief  meditation  about 
the  meaning  of  Jesus'  birth  and  the  promise  of  eternal  life  '™ 

A  number  of  the  soldiers  who  had  been  killed  were  from  small  towns  throughout  the  south 
and  mid-west.  Chaplains  from  Fort  Bragg  were  called  upon  to  help  provide  funeral  coverage. 
Sergeant  First  Class  Joseph  P.  Millraney,  then  a  chaplain  assistant  at  Fort  Bragg,  recalled:  "We  were 
all  shocked  at  the  news  of  the  Gander  crash  The  101st  and  the  82d  Airborne  Divisions  had  always 
felt  a  certain  kinship  between  them  which  dated  back  more  than  half  a  century  Chaplain  Peterson, 
the  Corps  Chaplain,  in  particular  felt  very  sad  over  the  news  of  so  many  fine  soldiers  losing  their 
lives."""' 

A  year  after  the  Gander  disaster,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  dedicated  the  first  annual  Unit 
Ministry  Team  Award  to  the  memory  of  Chaplain  Major  Troy  Carter,  promoted  posthumously. 
Chaplain  Carter  was  one  of  the  few  chaplains  to  give  his  life  in  ministry  to  soldiers  oi^  an  overseas 
deployment  since  the  end  of  the  Vietnam  War.  Chaplain  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman,  the  FORSCOM 
Staff  Chaplain,  remarked: 

I  am  often  asked  by  my  line  officer  brethren  about  the  large  number  of  awards  for 
valor,  bravery  and  meritorious  service  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  have  won. 
And  I  am  asked  about  the  disproportionate  number  of  casualties  among  unit  ministry 
team  members  These  statistics  help  support  our  conviction  that  a  special  ministry  is 
needed  and  is  accomplished  at  the  forward  edge  of  the  battlefield.  You  might  say  a 
chaplain  and  a  chaplain  assistant  are,  and  should  be,  among  the  first  line  professionals 
at  the  battalion  and  the  brigade.'*' 

As  the  year  1985  came  to  a  close,  there  was  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  any  one  in  the  Chaplaincy  that 
Chaplain  Troy  G.  Carter  was  both  a  first  class  professional  and  an  exceptional  troop  chaplain  as 
well.'*- 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  205 


The  Year  of  Values: 
Modernization  in  Mid-Course 

77?^  Anny  was  in  the  midst  of  the  largest  peacetime  modernization  program  in  our  nation 's 
history. 

Department  of  the  Army  Historical  Summary,  1986 


The  state  of  the  Army  in  1986  was  essentially  strong,  with  perhaps  a  few  areas  of  needed 
improvement.  The  equipment  inventory  included  a  wide  range  of  new  or  modernized  conventional 
weapons  envisioned  by  General  Creighton  W.  Abrams  a  decade  earlier.  The  Ml/Ml  Al  Abrams  tank, 
the  Bradley  Infantry  Fighting  Vehicle,  the  Blackhawk  and  Apache  helicopters,  the  Multiple  Launch 
Rocket  System,  and  the  Stinger  and  Patriot  Missile  Systems  were  fielded  in  sizable  numbers.'*"  With 
a  total  active  duty  strength  of  780,000  soldiers.  Department  of  the  Army  forecast  a  28-division  land 
force  with  a  mixture  of  active  and  reserve  component  units.  An  increase  of  6,000  soldiers  in  the  total 
reserve  force  promised  to  accelerate  the  conversion  of  some  units,  such  as  the  29th  Infantry  Division 
of  Normandy  fame,  to  light  divisions  while  others  would  be  modified  to  conform  to  "Division  86" 
designs.  Even  with  a  reduction  in  the  overall  Defense  Budget  in  F  Y86,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for 
Operations  and  Plans  predicted  an  increase  in  the  Army's  divisional  fighting  capability  of  18  percent 
each  year  through  FYSS.'*"* 

Training  initiatives  had  produced  a  record  number  of  field  exercises  in  1986.  In  addition  to 
the  units  sent  through  the  National  Training  Center,  four  major  international  exercises  were 
conducted:  REFORGER  86  in  Europe  with  17,000  soldiers  deployed  from  CONUS  to  work  with 
NATO  general  defense  and  contingency  plans;  TEAM  SPIRIT  in  Korea  with  200,000  Republic  of 
Korea  (ROK)  and  United  States  troops  involved  for  the  first  time  with  the  employment  of  two  field 
Army  headquarters  and  joint/combined  tactical  airdrops  and  subsequent  link  up;  GALLANT  EAGLE, 
a  Central  Command  exercise  at  Fort  Irwin  and  at  the  U.S.  Marine  Corps  Air  Ground  Combat  Center, 
which  involved  35,000  military  personnel  in  joint  operations,  and  U.S.  Southern  Command's 
CABANAS  86  in  Honduras  conducted  concurrently  with  U.S.  Atlantic  Command's  OCEAN 
VENTURE  to  train  service  task  forces  to  protect  the  national  interests  of  friendly  nations.  A  total 
of  8,200  U.S.  personnel,  2,400  of  them  from  the  Army,  participated  in  the  Caribbean  exercises.'*' 

Yet  the  equipment  and  training  of  the  Army  of  Excellence  were  not  the  only  foci  of  interest 
for  General  John  A.  Wickham,  the  Army's  Chief  of  Staff,  in  1986.  One  of  the  Chiefs  goals  was  to 
ensure  that  in  "the  most  thorough  possible  preparation  for  any  fijture  war  or  other  contingency,"  the 
soldiers  would  maintain  America's  basic  values.  Accordingly,  General  John  A.  Wickham,  with  the 
approval  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Army,  declared  1986  to  be  the  Year  of  Values.  Most  basic  among 
the  fundamental  values  of  the  military  profession  were  loyalty  to  the  nation,  the  Army,  and  the  unit, 
personal  responsibility  and  selfless  service.'*''  These  values  were  supported  by  five  soldierly  qualities: 
commhment,  competence,  candor,  courage,  and  integrity. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


206  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


The  Chaplaincy  on  Line 

The  Year  of  Values  was  tailor  made  for  Chaplain  Corps  programs  Virtually  all  of  the 
initiatives,  policies,  training,  and  projections  could  follow  in  tandem  with  the  values  and  qualities  of 
loyalty,  selfless  service,  commitment,  competence  and  integrity.  Even  though  the  Base  Operations 
budget  for  the  execution  of  the  Army's  Religious  Program  through  the  Chaplaincy  had  been  reduced 
from  $15  3  million  to  $14  9  million  in  FY86,  the  1,525  chaplains  on  active  duty  were  generally  well- 
supported  financially  by  appropriated  funds  '^^  Chaplain  support  for  the  Year  of  Values  was  assured 
through  a  Constitutionally  legal,  adequately  funded,  pluralistic  ministry  deployed  world-wide  to  serve 
soldiers  and  their  family  members.'** 

In  terms  of  its  internal  Affirmative  Action  program,  the  Chaplaincy  continued  on  course  to 
produce  a  truly  muhi-racial  and  multi-ethnic  ministry  In  1986,  some  15.2%  of  the  active  duty  force 
was  composed  of  minority  group  chaplains.  The  active  duty  officer  strength  distribution  goals  for 
FY86  raised  the  percentage  to  17%  with  respect  to  Afro-American,  Hispanic,  Asian/Pacific  Islander, 
Native  American,  and  Female  categories.'*'^  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  directed  two  Multi-Cuhural 
Conferences  be  held  during  the  third  quarter  of  FY86  to  discuss  issues  of  concern  to  the  entire 
Chaplaincy's  involvement  with  inclusive  ministries. 

Chaplains  in  formal  resident  and  non-resident  schooling  numbered  550  in  1986  Twenty  of 
these  chaplains  were  studying  in  civilian  institutions,  with  1 1  in  the  discipline  of  pastoral  counseling."" 
Ironically,  even  though  seven  volumes  of  Chaplain  Corps  history  had  been  written  or  were  in 
production,  there  were  no  funded  programs  to  train  chaplains  in  modern  or  military  history. 

Concurrently,  as  a  further  initiative  to  support  the  Army's  emphasis  on  Values,  the  U.S.  Army 
Chaplain  Board  produced  two  handouts  for  chaplains  to  use  in  Moral  Leadership  training.  The 
handouts  were  entitled  "Responsibility"  and  "Loyalty"  and  were  staffed  with  MACOM,  installation, 
community,  and  division  chaplains.  These  materials  were  to  further  support  and  expand  unit  ministry 
teams'  resources  in  implementing  the  Army  theme  of  "Values."'^'  In  the  Fall  of  1986  the  Military 
Chaplains'  Review  was  likewise  dedicated  to  the  same  theme  and  contained  excellent  articles  on 
values,  ethics,  and  the  Chaplaincy's  history. 


U.S.  Army  Europe: 
Ministry  in  Heavy  Weather 

The  winter  of  1985-1986  was  one  of  the  coldest,  snowiest  European  winters  since  1945.''*^ 
The  combination  of  snow,  ice,  and  sub-zero  temperatures  produced  some  almost  unbelievable  effects. 
Trains  were  frozen  to  their  iron  rails  in  England  until  British  Railways  could  heat  the  tracks  Small 
craft  in  Denmark  were  prohibited  from  sailing  across  the  channel  to  Sweden  lest  they  be  trapped  in 
massive  ice.  In  Germany,  even  the  polar  bears  in  the  Frankfijrt  Zoo  were  brought  inside  to  escape 
the  wind  chill!"' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  207 


Chaplain  Ronald  Johnson  of  the  1st  Brigade,  4th  Infantry  Division  (Mechanized),  participated 
with  his  unit  in  REFORGER  exercises  in  Germany  that  winter.  After  a  dismounted  night  march  in 
Siberian  conditions,  the  1  st  Brigade  attacked  and  defeated  the  waiting  opposing  unit,  appropriately 
named  "The  Blue  Force. ""^  It  was  a  cold  winter  to  say  the  least. 

To  compound  the  problems  of  providing  ministry  under  these  conditions,  there  was  also  a 
constant  terrorist  threat  to  USAREUR  Headquarters,  to  General  Glenn  Otis,  the  Commanding 
General,  and  to  various  other  facilities,  airfields  and  bases  throughout  Germany.  For  approximately 
a  month,  a  company  of  U.S.  Infantry  soldiers  guarded  the  street  intersections  and  the  main  gates  of 
Campbell  Barracks  where  the  Headquarters  of  U.S.  Army  Europe  was  located."^ 


USAREUR  Chaplain  Programs 

In  spite  of  these  irritants.  Chaplain  Richard  K  Martin  and  his  staff  at  the  USAREUR 
Chaplain's  Office,  (which  included  Chaplain  R.J.  Ennis,  the  Deputy  USAREUR  Chaplain,  Sergeant 
Major  G.G  Nearhof;  Chaplain  G  W  Conner,  the  Executive  Officer;  Chaplain  Rodger  Venzke, 
Personnel;  Chaplain  Tom  Lucas,  Resource  Manager;  Chaplain  Wilbur  Parker,  War  Plans;  Chaplains 
Sam  Lamback  and  Tony  Imberi  at  the  Berchtesgaden  Retreat  Center,  Chaplain  R.  A.  Brandt  and  Jack 
Raising  at  the  Religious  Resource  Center  in  Mannheim;  and  Chaplain  Jere  Kimmell  at  Armed  Forces 
Radio  Network  in  Frankfurt),  continued  coordinating  and  directing  an  extensive  ministry  of  worship, 
training,  retreats  and  pastoral  care  for  250,000  soldiers  and  families.  '^''  Among  other  activities,  the 
USAREUR  Chaplain's  staff  coordinated  a  Command  Chaplains  Training  Conference  for  chaplains 
and  directors  of  religious  education  on  "Strengthening  Values  and  Valuing  Strengths;"  a  Protestant 
Chaplains  Professional  Development  Conference,  attended  by  500  chaplains,  on  the  theme,  "A 
History  of  Excellence;"  a  Workshop  for  Chaplains  Who  Are  Women  to  discuss  DA  issues  including 
recruitment  and  career  management;  a  Chaplain  Assistant  Professional  Development  Conference  on 
the  theme  of  "Leadership,"  a  Youth  of  the  Chapel  Leaders  Training  Conference  attended  by  206 
chapel  leaders,  a  Protestant  Women  of  the  Chapel  (PWOC)  Conference  celebrating  31  years  of 
service  and  attended  by  457  women,  and  an  Annual  Military  Council  of  Catholic  Women  Training 
Conference  attended  by  approximately  500  dedicated  lay  women  and  chapel  workers. '''^ 

One  of  the  most  popular  "fun"  conferences  was  the  1986  USAREUR  Church  Music 
Conference  attended  by  256  choir  directors,  musicians,  organists,  handbell  choir  leaders,  liturgists  and 
guitarists.  The  conclusion  of  the  music  conference  included  a  talent  show  which  some  observers  said 
was  "worth  the  trip"  by  itself''* 

A  few  examples  of  other  outstanding  ministries  in  Europe  during  this  period  are  worthy  of 
note.  Many  of  these  were  based  in  excellent  chapel  congregations,  but  a  few  reflected  outstanding 
individual  efforts  of  talented  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants,  and  lay  persons. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


208  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


AFN  Radio  Broadcasts 

At  Armed  Forces  Network  (AFN),  the  radio  and  television  facility  in  FrankfUrt  which 
broadcast  to  American  servicemen  and  women  throughout  Europe,  a  series  of  chaplains  trained  in 
communications  specialties  had  produced  religious  programs  on  the  radio  for  soldiers  for  more  than 
12  years.  In  1973  Chaplain  Henry  Ackermann  had  developed  a  radio  media  ministry  of  daily 
devotionals  and  Sunday  worship  which  were  exceptionally  popular  with  soldiers.  Chaplain 
Ackermann  was  succeeded  by  Chaplains  Roy  Plummer,  William  Kreichbaum,  and  Jere  Kimmell. 
Chaplain  Kimmell,  who  had  trained  in  radio  and  television  broadcasting  at  Michigan  State  University, 
built  on  his  predecessors'  work  to  expand  his  daily  audience  to  750,000  soldiers,  sailors.  Marines, 
and  Air  Force  personnel  in  Germany,  England,  Belgium,  and  Italy. '"^^  For  his  excellent  broadcasting 
work.  Chaplain  Kimmell  became  the  recipient  of  a  first  place  Keith  L  Ware  Award  in  Radio 
Entertaininent  and  a  second  place  award  in  Special  Themes.  It  was  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the 
award  presentation  by  the  Army  Broadcast  Service  that  a  chaplain  received  an  award  and,  in  this  case, 
was  most  unusual  because  Chaplain  Kimmell  received  two  awards.'""  Just  to  show  this  recognition 
was  no  accident.  Chaplain  Kimmell  later  won  two  Thomas  Jefferson  Awards  as  well  for  excellence 
in  broadcasting.  The  Thomas  Jefferson  awards  were  sponsored  by  the  Department  of  Defense  and 
presented  to  Chaplain  Kimmell  by  Tom  Brokaw  of  NBC  News.""^ 


Soldier  Retreats 

The  retreat  ministry  to  soldiers  and  family  members  in  Europe  also  was  a  major  part  of  the 
overall  religious  program.  In  many  communities  and  chapel  centers  throughout  Germany,  religious 
retreats  were  inexpensive  ways  for  soldiers  and  their  families  to  travel  and  to  renew  their  religious 
faith  at  the  same  time.  In  Hanau,  Chaplain  Robert  Covington,  the  Community  Chaplain,  sponsored 
a  retreat  for  one  or  more  of  his  congregations  each  month  '"-  In  Ramstein,  Chaplain  Irven  Johnson 
of  the  2/60  Air  Defense  Artillery  Battalion  arranged  for  his  soldiers  to  take  cruises  down  the  Rhine, 
to  visit  medieval  castles,  and  even  to  tour  Crete  during  exercises  there. ""^  In  Heidelberg  parishioners 
from  Mark  Twain  Village  Chapel  and  Patrick  Henry  Village  Chapel  toured  Waterloo,  Verdun, 
Amsterdam,  London,  Strasbourg,  Florence,  Rome,  and  Israel  in  1986.''" 

For  soldiers  who  were  unaccompanied  as  well  as  for  those  with  families,  the  U.S.  Army 
Europe  Religious  Retreat  House  offered  single  soldier  retreats,  family  retreats,  and  facilities  for  most 
of  the  conferences  sponsored  by  the  USAREUR  Chaplain.  Chaplains  Samuel  P  Lamback,  Jr.,  and 
Anthony  "Tony"  M.  Imberi,  who  directed  activities  at  the  Retreat  House,  also  invited  guest 
musicians,  speakers,  and  retreat  leaders  to  supplement  the  worship,  Bible  study,  and  devotional 
programs.  For  local  touring  during  free  time,  many  soldiers  visited  Salzburg,  Austria,  "The  Sound 
of  Music"  city  and  the  early  home  of  the  composer  W.A.  Mozart.""' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  209 


Cross  Cultural  Programs 

In  many  communities  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  participated  with  German  religious 
leaders  to  share  ideas  and  expertise  and  to  increase  mutual  understanding  and  cooperation.  In  1 985 
Chaplain  Ray  Strawser,  the  Community  Chaplain  for  Heidelberg,  initiated  visits  to  local  German 
churches  to  discuss  joint  holiday  celebrations  and  charitable  activities  Chaplain  Strawser,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  spoke  fluent  German  and  was  instrumental  in  sustaining  excellent  relationships  with 
local  congregations.  Chaplain  Philip  Silverstein,  the  Senior  Jewish  Chaplain  in  USAREUR,  visited 
sites  not  only  in  Germany,  Belgium,  and  Italy,  but  also  in  France  to  coordinate  religious  coverage  for 
Jewish  soldiers  and  to  secure  kosher  food.  Chaplain  Silverstein's  facility  with  the  German,  French, 
and  Korean  languages  made  him  a  valuable  asset  for  the  USAREUR  Chaplain. 

On  a  smaller,  but  no  less  important  scale,  many  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  participated 
in  community  activities  to  support  German  orphanages  and  other  charitable  activities  The  26th 
Signal  Battalion,  whose  Brigade  Headquarters  was  in  Worms,  held  an  annual  Christmas  party  in 
Heidelberg  at  a  local  German  senior  citizens  home  to  foster  better  German- American  relations  The 
chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant  covering  the  26th  were  always  invited  to  be  part  of  the  planning 
committee. 

German  lay  persons  and  clergy  who  worked  in  U.S.  Army  chapels  likewise  made  important 
reciprocal  contributions  to  religious  work  Sir  Pius  Daucher,  the  Catholic  Religious  Program 
Coordinator  at  Mark  Twain  Village  Chapel,  the  oldest  Army  chapel  in  Europe,  served  American 
Catholic  soldiers  and  German  civilians  alike  beginning  in  1945.-"*  Herr  Monsignor  Gottfried  Merl, 
a  Catholic  contract  priest,  ministered  to  American  soldiers  for  forty  years  in  Regensburg,  Hohenfels, 
and  in  the  border  camps  for  the  2nd  and  1 1th  Armored  Cavalry  Regiments.  For  his  work  Sir  Pius 
Daucher  was  knighted  by  the  Pope;  Monsignor  Merl  also  received  Papal  recognition  as  well  as  the 
USAREUR  Commander's  Outstanding  Civihan  Service  Award  in  1985-1986.-°' 


A  Sample  of  Parish  Activities 

Within  the  military  communities  in  Germany  in  1986,  the  chaplains  and  their  chapel 
congregations  designed  and  executed  a  remarkable  number  of  religious  programs  for  soldiers  and 
their  family  members  Unit  chaplains  recorded  worship  services,  counseling  sessions,  prayer 
breakfasts,  memorial  services,  soldier  suppers,  moral  leadership  discussions,  religious  retreats,  Bible 
studies,  coffee  house  ministries,  adventure  training,  "Duty  DaysAVeeks  with  God,"  and  hospital 
visitations  among  their  normal  religious  leadership  duties.  In  some  of  the  larger  chapel 
communities — Frankfurt,  Heidelberg,  Augsburg,  Stuttgart,  and  Mannheim,  to  name  a  few — unit 
ministry  teams  were  leading  and  coordinating  hundreds  of  lay  volunteers,  contract  clergy, 
denominational  service  leaders,  directors  of  religious  education  and  other  workers 

At  Mark  Twain  Village  Chapel  in  Heidelberg  which  served  a  Support  Group  and  three  major 
headquarters  units,  the  chapel  membership  list  included  1,420  soldiers  and  their  family  members. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


2 1 0  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


Some  225  volunteers  from  the  Roman  Catholic,  Jewish,  and  Protestant  congregations  administered 
more  than  55  programs  which  included  four  choirs,  two  Sunday  Schools,  one  Hebrew  School,  one 
Latter  Day  Saint  Youth  Education  Program,  four  youth  programs.  Vacation  Bible  School,  12  family 
retreats,  12  single  soldier  suppers,  three  Bible  studies  (including  those  offered  by  the  Navigators  and 
the  Officer  Christian  Fellowship),  12  parish  suppers,  a  Spanish-speaking  fellowship.  Alcoholics 
Anonymous,  Marriage  Enrichment,  Senior  Citizens'  Lunches,  Hospital  Ministry,  Protestant  Men  and 
Women  of  the  Chapel,  a  Young  Adult  Fellowship,  Teacher  Recruitment  and  Training,  and  worship 
services  for  all  holidays  and  special  observances.  During  any  one  week,  an  average  of  35  different 
groups  met  in  the  chapel  to  plan,  coordinate,  or  conduct  ministry  '"" 

From  1973  to  1986  the  USAREUR  religious  program  produced  one  for  the  largest  and 
busiest  ministries  for  military  personnel  in  the  world.  Although  there  were  more  troop  chaplains  in 
Europe  at  the  end  of  World  War  H,  there  were  more  active  religious  congregations  for  military 
service  members  in  1986  than  in  any  time  in  the  previous  50  years  The  soldiers  involved  in  the  Cold 
War  in  Europe  received  the  best  and  highest  quality  religious  support  the  Army  Chaplaincy  and  its 
faithful  volunteer  lay  leadership  could  provide. 


Hails  and  Farewells: 
Continuing  a  Firm  Foundation 

In  June  of  1986  the  Chaplain  Corps  marked  a  number  of  personnel  transitions  which  were 
important  not  only  in  terms  of  its  continuity  of  ministry  but  also  in  terms  of  its  historic  direction  for 
the  future  Scores  of  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants  and  DA  civilians  retired  in  1986  Their 
contributions  to  religious  support  over  the  preceding  quarter  century  and  beyond  were  significant. 

Among  the  active  and  reserve  component  chaplains  who  retired  between  January  T'  and  June 
1st  were  Chaplain  Bobby  G  Allen,  Chaplain  Danny  W  Buttram,  Chaplain  Nathaniel  Giannattasio, 
Chaplain  Marvin  C.  Hughes,  Chaplain  Charles  D  Bass,  Chaplain  George  H  Fischer,  and  Chaplain 
Robert  E  Southwell  -"" 

One  of  the  best  known  and  possibly  best  loved  civilian  employees  to  retire  was  Mrs.  Nellie 
Burton,  the  Assignments  Officer  in  the  Personnel  and  Ecclesiastical  Relations  Division,  Office  of  the 
Chief  of  Chaplains.  Mrs.  Burton  had  served  in  the  Chiefs  Office  for  41  years,  following  the  various 
Chiefs  and  their  staff  members  from  the  War  Department,  located  in  1945  in  the  Munitions  Building 
on  Constitution  Avenue,  to  the  Pentagon,  Fort  Leslie  McNair,  the  Forrestal  Building  and  then  back 
to  the  Pentagon 

In  1941,  at  the  beginning  of  World  War  II,  there  were  383  chaplains  of  every  major  religious 
denomination  on  active  duty  In  1945,  when  Mrs.  Burton  arrived  as  a  GS-2  in  the  Chiefs  Office, 
there  were  9, 1 00  chaplains  on  duty 

Among  Mrs.  Burton's  duties  were  the  maintenance  of  chaplain  personnel  records  and  a  color- 
coded,  flip  chart  of  names  for  tracking  the  annual  assignments  and  availability  of  more  than  1,500 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  2 1 1 


active  duty  chaplains  The  6,000  color-coded  entries  on  "the  Board"  gave  an  instant  appraisal  of 
chaplains  by  worldwide  assignment  "The  Board,"  replaced  by  computerized  records,  was  retired 
with  Mrs.  Burton  on  May  31,  1986. 

When  Mrs  Burton's  retirement  was  announced,  expressions  of  appreciation  for  her  almost 
half-century  of  work  poured  in  from  chaplains  throughout  the  Army.  Chaplain  Kenneth  V.  Carpenter, 
7th  Engineer  Brigade,  wrote;  "Your  name  is  one  of  the  first  which  a  new  chaplain  associates  with  the 
Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  "  Chaplain  Joseph  E.  Miller,  1st  Armored  Division,  said,  "You  have 
made  a  positive  impact  on  the  Chaplaincy  which  will  be  felt  for  many,  many  years  to  come."  Chaplain 
T.W  Thompson,  777th  Field  Artillery,  Babenhausen,  Germany,  related,  "You  have  made  a  mark  in 
history  and  will  be  remembered  as  one  who  has  helped  many  of  us  to  step  out  in  faith  for  the  cause 
of  God  and  country  "  In  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Mrs  Burton's  impact  was  echoed  by 
Chaplain  Hessian  and  his  staff:  "Your  care  for  others  is  the  measure  of  your  greatness.""'" 

As  these  transitions  were  taking  place.  Chaplain  Norris  L.  Einertson's  Presidential  nomination 
to  become  the  Army's  17th  Chief  of  Chaplains  was  confirmed  by  the  US  Senate  on  18  June. 
Chaplain  Patrick  J.  Hessian  bade  farewell  to  the  Corps  as  he  hailed  his  successor: 

I  attempted  to  be  a  rallying  point  around  which  and  through  whom  your  efforts  would 
be  facilitated,  God's  grace  would  flow  to  His  people,  and  we  would  all  bring  glory  to 
His  name.  I  know  it  has  not  always  been  easy  You  have  tolerated  my  views  even 
when  they  seemed  to  be  bizarre  You  supported  me  as  your  Chief  and  stuck  with  me 
faithfully  You  have  been  my  strength.  I  leave  thinking  and  feeling  that  we've  been 
a  good  team,  and  have  succeeded  in  doing  God's  will  for  the  people  He  entrusted  to 
us.  Each  of  us  contributed,  in  some  significant  way,  to  that  success  My  heart  will 
be  with  you  always.'" 

Chaplain  Hessian's  retirement  dinner  was  held  on  June  25,  1986,  at  Fort  Myer  followed  by 
a  retirement  parade  two  days  later  hosted  by  General  John  A  Wickham,  the  Army  Chief  of  Staff 
General  Wickham  saluted  Chaplain  Hessian's  leadership  with  the  following  comments: 

Chaplain  Pat  Hessian  has  served  the  Army  and  the  Country  since  1958  in  the  Army 
Reserve  and  in  the  Active  Army  A  combat-decorated,  master  parachutist.  General 
Hessian  has  been  a  chaplain  in  three  brigades  and  two  divisions  and  at  XVI 11  Airborne 
Corps,  U.S.  Army  Europe,  and  8th  (US)  Army  in  Korea.  His  ministry  has  always 
been  characterized  by  a  passionate  concern  for  the  needs  of  soldiers 

As  Chief  of  Chaplains,  he  insisted  that  the  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant,  as  a  "unit 
ministry  team"  be  deployed  to  the  most  exposed  elements  of  the  battlefield  so  that 
soldiers  in  combat  might  have  the  best  pastoral  care.  On  his  watch  he  successfijlly 
defended  the  Constitutionality  of  the  Chaplaincy  and  was  instrumental  in  the 
assignment  of  the  first  chaplain  to  the  National  Guard  Bureau    Chaplain  Hessian  has 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


212  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


all  the  qualities  of  a  great  priest.  He  is  never  afraid  to  stand  up  for  what  he  believes 
on  major  moral,  spiritual,  and  ethical  issues.  General  Hessian  lived  up  to  a  memorial 
to  a  minister  in  the  eighteenth  century:  'He  taught  them  how  to  live  and  how  to  die.' 
Soldiers  can  ask  no  more  of  their  spiritual  leaders."'" 

General  Wickham's  remarks  constituted  a  high  tribute  for  Chaplain  Hessian's  leadership,  but  they  also 
reflected  the  accomplishments  of  many  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  who  helped  standardize 
training,  doctrine,  and  policies  throughout  the  Corps  so  that  the  ministry  to  soldiers  and  family 
members  might  rest  on  a  firm  foundation  for  the  decade  ahead. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 213 

ENDNOTES 

1.  Dr.  William  J  Hourihan,  "Oral  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.    )  Patrick  J.  Hessian,"  10 
February  1986,  p.  44.  Unpublished  manuscript  in  the  Historian's  Office,  U.S.  Army  Chaplain 
Center  and  School,  Fort  Monmouth,  New  Jersey. 

2.  IMii.,  p.  B-2. 

3.  Chaplain  Frank  A.  Tobey  served  as  Deputy  Chief  from  1954-1958  and  Chief  from  1958-1962, 
a  total  of  8  years. 

4.  Dr  William  J.  Hourihan,  Op  cit  ,  pp.  2-3. 
5    Ibid.,  p  34 

6.  I  hid 

7.  Ihid.^  p.  24. 
8  /hid,  p.25. 
9.  Ibid.,  p.  26. 
10  Ihid,  p.  26. 

11.  Ibid,  p  24 

12.  Doctor  William  J.  Hourihan,  "Oral  Interview"  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Patrick  J.  Hessian, 
27  May,  1986,  Fort  Monmouth,  New  Jersey,  p.  4.  The  other  three  chaplains  selected  by  Chaplain 
Kelly  as  potential,  ftiture  Chiefs  of  Chaplains  were  Chaplain  James  Murphy,  Chaplain  John 
McCullough,  and  Chaplain  Art  Craig    Chaplain  Hessian  thought  it  was  a  very  fair  thing  for 
Chaplain  Kelly  to  give  a  number  of  people  a  chance  at  being  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.  See  Dr. 
Hourihan's  interview  with  Chaplain  Hessian  dated  10  February,  1986,  p.  94. 

U.  Ibid,  p.  B-3 

14.  Officeof  the  Chief  of  Cbaphins,  Annua/  Historical  Review,  1  October,  1981  -  30  September, 
1992,  p.  2. 

\5  Ihid.,p.  3. 

16.  Department  of  the  Army,  Hislorica/  Summary  OfFisca/  Year  1983,  p.  1-1. 

\l.Ibid.,p.  1-2. 


2 1 4  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


\S  Ihid 

\9.Jhid,  pp   1-4&  1-5. 

20.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Annual  Historical  Review,  1  October,  1982  -  30  September, 
1983,  p.  A-4. 

21  Ibid ,  Note:  These  statements  are  almost  identical  to  similar  advice  given  to  the  Corps  by 
Chaplain  Orris  Kelly  in  1977. 

22.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.    )  Timothy  Tatum,  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains, 
28  December,  1994 

23.  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Patrick  J.  Hessian,  Command  Chaplains  Conference,  July  1982,  as  cited 
in  the  US  Army  Chaplain  Board,  Iraining  Opportunities  FYH-f.  cover 

24.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Annua/  Historical  Review,  1  October  1982  -  30  September, 
1983,  p.  A-4. 

25.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Annual  Historical  Review,  1  October,  1982  -  30  September, 
1983,  pp   10-12 

26  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  1  October  1982  -  30  September  1983,  p  A2    The  Total 
Chaplaincy  Goals  reflected  Total  Army  Goals  as  well  as  Army  initiatives  such  as  the  Army  Family 
White  Paper  signed  in  August  of  1983. 

27  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  1983-1984,  p. 17    Other  regulations  which  reflected  this 
responsibility  included  AR  600-3  and  AR  105. 

28.  Ibid.,  p.  A4. 

29.  Captain  Linda  Ewing,  "Ministry  to  Women  as  Persons,"  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Winter, 
1983,  pp.  33-37. 

30.  McGeorge  Bundy,  "Missiles  in  Europe:  a  former  security  adviser's  view,"  Address  at  the  New 
York  University  Sesquicentennial  Conference,  1981,  p.  1 

3 1 .  R.  W.  Apple,  Jr.,  "Britain's  Nuclear  Battle,"  The  New  York  limes,  1 1  January  1983. 

32.  Ibid 

33.  Ibid. 

34.  Ibid 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 2]^ 

35.  Ihid. 

36.  Ihid. 

Ill .  "United  Methodists  Bishops  Support  Catholic  Nuclear  Stand,"  Wesleyan  Christian  Advocate , 
December  1,  1982,  p   1. 

38.  Richard  Halloran,  "U.S.  Tells  Bishops  Morality  is  Guide  on  Nuclear  Policy,"  New  York  Times, 
17  November  1982,  p.  1. 

39  Jim  Lackey,  "The  Bishops'  Third  Draft,"  Catholic  New  York,  7  April  1983,  p.  1. 

40.  Richard  Halloran,  Op  cit  ,  pi. 

41.  Sue  McCarthy,  "West  Point's  General  Scott,"  Catholic  New  York,  28  February  1982,  p   16. 

42.  John  W.  Coffey,  "The  American  Bishops  on  War  and  Peace,"  Parameters,  vol.  Xlll,  no.  4, 
December  1983,  p.  30. 

43  Donald  L.  Davidson,  "Religious  Strategists;  The  Churches  and  Nuclear  Weapons," 
Parameters,  December  1983,  p.  19 

44.  Office  of  the  C\\\q^  o^  Cha^Xdim^.  Ammal  Historical  Review,  1  October  1982  -  30  September 
1983,  p  6 

45.  Chaplain  (Col  )  Robert  J  Ennis,  "The  Roman  Catholic  Chaplain  in  the  Third  Christian 
Epoch,"  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Fall  1983,  p.  63. 

46.  Jim  Lackey,  Op.  cit,  p.  1. 

47.  Chaplain  (Col.)  James  G  Thompson,  "Introduction  to  the  Fort  Leonard  Wood  Papers," 
MiUtary  Chaplains  Review,  Fall,  1983,  p   1. 

48.  See  the  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Fall  1983,  for  the  published  Fort  Leonard  Wood  Papers. 

49  Of  special  interest  were  the  following  -  Waldo  Burchard,  "Role  Conflicts  of  Military 
Chaplains,"  American  Sociological  Review,  No.  No.  119,  1954,  Robert  Vickers,  "The  Military 
Chaplaincy:  A  Study  in  Role  Conflict,"  Military  Chaplain  Review,  Spring,  1986;  Kermit  Johnson, 
"Factors  Influencing  Job  Satisfaction  Among  Army  Chaplains,"  U.S.  Army  War  College  Study 
Project,  1976,  "Honest  to  God  or  Faithfijl  to  the  Pentagon'^'"  Time,  May,  1969,  Harvey  Cox  :(ed.) 
Military  Chaplains:  From  Religious  Military  to  a  Military  Religion,  1973,  Jack  S .  Boozer,  IJie 
Edge  of  Ministry...  The  Chaplain  Story,  1984,  James  E.  Pierce,  "The  Perpetuation  of 
Denominational  Identity  Among  Military  Chaplains,"  Emory  University  PhD  dissertation  1977; 
Gordon  C.  Zahn,  "Military  Chaplains:  Defending  Their  Ministry,"  America,  August  1982,  and 


2 1 6  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


John  J  O'Connor,  "A  Chaplain  Responds,"  America,  August  1982 

50  The  legal  crisis  in  the  Chaplaincy,  which  had  begun  with  the  Constitutionality  Case  in  1979, 
received  some  encouragement  in  1983  when  the  Supreme  Court  ruled  that  the  Nebraska  state 
legislature  was  not  violating  the  Constitution's  separation  of  church  and  state  by  having  an  oflficial 
chaplain.  See  "GOP  Decides  to  Keep  Capitol  Hill  Chaplains,"  The  Washington  Times,  3  January 
1995,  p.  A4. 

51.  Personal  interview  with  Sergeant  First  Class  Joseph  P  Millraney,  who  was  the  NCOIC  in 
1983  for  the  Heidelberg  Community  Chaplain,  18  January  1995. 

52.  Department  of  the  Army,  USARI^AIRand  7th  Army  Annual  Historical  Report,  1982  -  1983, 
p.  470.   Copy  in  the  Center  for  Military  History,  Washington,  DC. 

53  1  hid. 

54.  Ibid,  pp.  466-470. 

55.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Wayne  Kuehne,  DACH,  2  May,  1994,  In  fact. 
General  Starry  approved  part  of  it  at  lunch  with  Chaplain  Kuehne  at  the  Fort  Lee  Officers'  Club! 

56.  John  L.  Romjue,  Prepare  the  Army  for  War,  p.  12. 

57.  See  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gordon  M.  Schweitzer,  "Division  86:  A  New  Setting  for  Ministry," 
Military  Chaplains  Review.  Winter  1983,  p.  19-flf. 

58.  Ibid.,  p.  22. 

59.  Ibid,  p.  55. 

60.  Ibid. 

61.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Hannah,  USA  Rtd.,  5  January  1995. 

62.  Harold  Brown,  "Technology,  Military  Equipment,  and  National  Security,"  Parameters,  March 
1983,  p.  18. 

63.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Timothy  Tatum,  DACH,  28  December  1994. 

64.  Ibid 

65.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Wayne  Kuehne,  2  May,  1994. 

66.  "This  issue  had  been  under  discussion  in  the  Corps  for  some  time,  but  this  event  got  things 
moving..."  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Scott,  February  1995 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS TH 

67  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Tim  Tatum,  28  December  1994. 

68  TRADOC  Chaplain  Annual  Historical  Report,  October,   1 983 

69.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  1 5  August  1983,  p.  28. 

70  Master  Sergeant  Aaron  Gibson  and  Dr  John  Bryan,  "Team  Building  and  the  Army 
Chaplaincy,"  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Fall  1985,  p.  95. 

71 .  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  1 5  August  1 83,  p.  26. 

72  Master  Sergeant  Aaron  Gibson,  Op.  cit.,  p.  95 

73.  The  team  building  manual.  Skills  for  Team  Building,  was  published  by  the  Chaplain  Board  in 
1985 

74.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gordon  Schweitzer,  USA,  Rtd.,  was  a  founding  member  of  the  St.  Hereticus 
Society  which  was  instituted  at  Fort  Lee,  Virginia,  in  1972.  In  response  to  the  St.  Barbara's 
award  given  by  the  Artillery,  the  St.  Hereticus  Society  recognized  universal  skeptics    St. 
Hereticus  Day  was  April  1st  and  always  featured  cake  and  the  motto,  "Remember  Pompeii  "  (The 
theory  was  that  Pompeii  was  destroyed  for  ignoring  St.  Hereticus.)  The  secret  sign  of  the 
Hereticians  was  crossing  the  middle  finger  over  the  index  finger  whenever  saying  anything.  It  is 
not  known  if  the  Society  is  still  active.   Information  comes  from  an  interview  with  Chaplain 
Schweitzer,  Reno,  Nevada,  30  December  1994. 

75.  Personal  interviews  with  the  following:  Chaplain  (Brig.  Gen.)  G.  T.  Gunhus,  29  December 
1994;  Chaplain  (Col  )  Wayne  Kuehne,  2  May  1994,  Sergeant  Major  T  E.  Hatcher,  30  December 
1994;  Sergeant  Major  Aaron  Gibson,  29  December  1994;  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gordon  Schwietzer,  30 
December  1994;  Major  M.  L.  Flom,  2  January  1995,  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Hannah,  5  January 
1995.   See  also  Wayne  Kuehne,  James  Robnolt,  and  Claude  Newby,  "The  Unit  Ministry  Team: 
From  Concept  to  Doctrine,"  Military  Chaplains  Review,  February  1989,  pp.  3-7. 

76.  Interview  with  Chaplain  Kuehne,  29  December  1994. 

77  Interview  with  Major  M.  L.  Flom,  2  January  1995, 

78  Ibid 

79  See  Fm  16-5,  The  Chaplain  and  Chaplain  Assistant  in  Combat  Operations,  December  1984, 
pp  32-33, 

80.  Chaplain  Knox  Hemdon,  who  participated  in  Operation  Urgent  Fury,  pronounced  Grenada 
like  grenade,  not  like  Granada  which  is  a  city  in  Spain 


2 1 8  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


81.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (COL)  James  Robnolt  ,  Ft  Monmouth  ,  N.J.,  1 1  July  1993. 

82.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Wayne  Kuehne  ,  2  May  1994. 

83.  Personal  interview  with  Major  Morgan  L.  Flom  ,  USA  Retired,  2  Jan  1995.  Note:  For  his 
contributions  to  Chaplain  Corps  doctrine,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  awarded  Major  Flom  the  Aaron 
and  Hur  award  in  1988. 

84.  Some  chaplains  who  had  served  in  combat  in  Vietnam  against  guerrillas  that  observed  no 
"rules  of  warfare"  were  not  enthusiastic  about  an  absolute  prohibition  against  chaplains  bearing 
arms  on  the  battlefield  The  Geneva  Conventions  do  not  require  chaplains  or  other  religious 
personnel  assigned  to  hospitals  to  serve  in  combat  without  arms.  Medical  personnel  are  entitled  to 
carry  side  arms  to  protect  themselves  against  unprincipled  marauders,  and  chaplains  are  included 
in  the  Geneva  Conventions  under  the  topic  of  medical  personnel.  However ,  in  consideration  of 
the  pacifist  position  taken  by  many  civilian  denominational  endorsing  agents.  Chaplain  Hessian 
reinforced  the  World  War  II  JAG  opinion  that  chaplains  should  not  bear  arms  lest  they  lose  their 
status  as  non-combatants  Chaplain  (Col.)  James  E  Pierce  ,  USAR,  a  Vietnam  veteran  ,  reflected 
simply  ,  "Chaplain  Hessian  made  chaplains  quit  carrying  guns."  (Personal  interview  with  Chaplain 
(Col.)  James  E.  Pierce  ,  Valley  Forge,  Pa.,  1  Jan  95.) 

85.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Annual  Historical  Review,  1  Oct  1983-  30  Sept  1984,  p.l4. 

86.  John  J  Romjue,  The  Army  of  Excellence:  The  Development  of  the  1980's  Army,  (Ft.  Monroe, 
Virginia  :  Office  of  the  TRADOC  Historian,  1993  ),  p.  104. 

87.  Ibid.  ,p  103. 
88. /A/6/.,  p.  104. 

89.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains, /^w»/a////5toA-/cfl//?t?v/m,  1  Oct  1983-30  Sept  1984,  p.l5. 

90.  Ibid,  pp.  16- 17. 

91 .  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  James  Robnolt,  Ft.  Monmouth,  1 1  July  1993 

92.  Ibid 

93.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Scott,  Woodbridge,  Va  ,  24  Dec  1994 

94.  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen.)  Norris  Einertson,  letter  to  Chaplain  (Col  )  John  Brinsfield,  2  May  1995. 
Copy  in  Chaplain  Corps  Archives  This  changed  to  three  per  year  in  1996  due  to  downsizing  of 
the  Army,  the  War  College,  and  branch  quotas. 

95.  Personal  interview  with  Sergeant  Major  T.E.  Hatcher  ,  TRADOC,  30  Dec  1994. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 229 

96  I  hid. 

97  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  FY  84,  p  18 

98  Jhid.  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Philip  J  Rapp  was  assigned  to  the  National  Guard  Bureau  in  April  of 

1984.  He  was  succeeded  in  May  of  1989  by  Chaplain  (Co!  )  George  Schwantes  who  helped 
furnish  National  Guard  UMT  support  for  Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm  ,  JTF 
Guantananio,  and  Operation  Andrew  He  was  succeeded  in  turn  in  December  of  1994  by  Chaplain 
(Col  )  Donald  Hill. 

99.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Timothy  Tatum,  16  Jan  1995. 

100  OCCH  ,  Annual  Historical  Review,  FY  1984,  (Chaplain  (Col )  James  Edgren's  draft),  p.  7. 
Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

101.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Timothy  Tatum,  16  Jan  1995. 

102.  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  FY  1984  ,  p. 8. 

103.  Department  of  Defense,  Report  of  the  Joint  Ser\'ice  Study  on  Religious  Matters,  March 

1 985,  p.    1     Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives 

104  Ibid.,  p.   iv. 

\05  /hid,  p.  ii. 

106  Ihid ,  Conference  Report,  September  26,  1984,  p  25.  Rabbi  Lapp  represented  the  Jewish 
Welfare  Board  while  Rabbi  Landes  represented  the  Conservative  Rabbinical  Assembly. 

\07. /hid,  p.  27. 

108.  M/ J.  Executive  Summary,  p.  xiii.  Other  specific  recommendations  were  also  made  with 
regard  to  the  need  to  develop  special  combat  rations,  permission  for  chaplains  to  wear  religious 
accouterments  with  the  uniform  in  the  performance  of  worship  and  practices  distinct  to  their  faith 
group,  and  the  use  of  administrative  actions  as  a  means  of  conflict  resolution. 

\09  /hid,  p. \5 

WO  /hid 

ill.  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Cecil  D.  Lewis,  "A  History  of  Parish  Development  in  the  Army 
Chap\aincy,"  Military  Chaplains  Revie\\',  Fall  1981,  p.  14. 

1 12.  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Geoffrey  H.  Moran,  "Parish  Development  in  the  Army  Chaplaincy:  An 
Historical  Update,'''  Mililaty  Chaplains  Review,  Fall  1985,  p.  83. 


220  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


1 13.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Annual  Historical  Review,  1  October  1983  -  30  September 

1984,  pp.  19-24. 
\\4.  Ibid,  p.  20. 

1 1 5.  Roger  Able,  Information  Paper  for  the  DA  Historical  Review,  FY  84,  p.  1 .  Copy  in  the 
Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

116.  USAREUR  and  7th  Army  Annual  Historical  Report,  FY  1984,  pp    388-392. 
\n.Ihid.,p.  391. 

\\S.Ibid.,p.  392. 

\\9.Ibid 

120.  USAREUR  and  7th  Army  Annual  Historical  Report,  FY  1984,  p.  392. 

\2\.  Ibid,  p.  392. 

122.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Thomas  H.  Norton,  U.S.  Army  War  College,  I 
December  1994. 

123.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Samuel  P.  Lamback,  7  December  1993. 

124.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  CliflF Weathers,  USA  Retired,  19  February  1995. 
The  ceremony  at  Arlington  Cemetery  was  held  on  28  May  1984. 

125.  U.S.  Army  Military  District  of  Washington,  Annual  Historical  Review,  1  October  1983  -  30 
September  1984,  p.II-8;  and  Ibid.,  1  October  1984  -  30  September  1986,  pp.2-1 2  through  2-14. 
Fort  Belvoir  joined  MDW  in  FY  1988. 

126.  Ibid ,  1  October  1984  -  30  September  1986,  p. 2-13. 

127.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Annual  Historical  Review,  I  October  1983  -  30  September 
1984,  p.  8.  Chaplain  Ackermann  had  begun  a  highly  successfiil  radio  ministry  at  Armed  Forces 
Network  in  Germany  in  1974.  Thereafter  he  trained  many  chaplain  service  school  instructors  in 
audio-visual  techniques  as  well  as  in  "content"  courses,  such  as  ethics  and  effective 
communication,  while  he  served  in  the  TRADOC  Chaplain's  OflFice  in  1977  and  1978. 

128.  Ibid.,  p.  6. 

1 29  Department  of  the  Army,  Historical  Summary  for  FY  85,  p.  I- 1 .  Themes  for  the  Army 
began  in  1981  with  "Yorktown"  (historic  traditions)  and  continued  with  "Physical  Fitness"  in 
1982,  "Excellence"  in  1983  and  the  "Army  Family"  in  1984. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 22J^ 

UO  Ibic/.,p.  1-2. 

]3\.Ihid 

132. //)/t/,  p.  1-3. 

\33.IhiJ.,p.  1-4 

\ 34  Ibid 

US.  Ibid,  pp  1-6,  IV-6 

U6.  Ibid.,  p.  VI-7. 

137  Chief  of  Chap\a\ns'  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  15  August  1985,  p.  8. 

138.  Chaplain  (Col  )  H  M.  Grubb,  Issue  Paper  for  the  Council  of  Colonels,  5  December  1985,  p. 
1 

139.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gary  Councell,  "Resourcing  the  Chaplaincy  in  the  Post- Vietnam  Years," 
Seminar  Paper,  U.S.  Army  War  College,  1994,  p.  5. 

\40.  Ibid,  p.  6. 

\4].Ibid 

142.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Annual  Historical  Review,  1  October  1984  -  30  September 
1985,  p.  19.  DRE  positions  were  popular.   Some  105  qualified  applicants  were  on  file  in  1985  to 
fill  any  vacancies  which  might  occur  among  the  85  DRE  incumbents. 

\43.Ibid.,p.20 

144.  Department  of  the  Army,  AR  165-20,  paragraph  1-5  (d). 

145  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  William  L  Huftiam,  Issue  Paper  for  the  Council  of  Colonels,  1985,  p  1. 

146.  The  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  FY  85,  p.  16,  reported  that  50%  conducted  post- 
course  assessments.  However,  DOES  reported  to  Chaplain  Hufliam  a  10%  result.   See  Chaplain 
(Lt.  Col ,)  William  L.  Huftiam,  Information  Paper  for  the  Council  of  Colonels,  1985,  p.  1 .  Copy  in 
the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

147.  The  NTC  concept  was  developed  at  TRADOC  in  1976  by  General  Gorman  and  his  staff. 
The  first  force-on-force  maneuvers  were  conducted  in  1982. 


222  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


148  Chaplain  (Maj  )  Ronald  N.  Johnson,  "A  Brigade  Chaplain's  Ministry:  The  Plan  and 
ExecuUon,"  Mi/ilaiy  Cliaplains'  Review,  Summer  1986,  p  63. 

149  Chaplain  Ronald  Johnson,  Op.  Cil,  p.  67  and  Chaplain  (Cpt.)  Curtis  Heydt,  "National 
Training  Center  Rotation:  A  Journal,"  M/z/ary  Chaplaitis  Review,  Summer  1986,  p  39 

\50.  Ihid. 

151   Chaplain  (Maj  )  Jesse  L.  Thornton,  "The  UMT  and  Training  at  the  NTC,"  Military 
Chaplains  Review,  Summer  1986,  p.  81. 

\52  Ihid,  p.  16. 

153./A/^.,  p  37 

\54.  Ihid,  p  75. 

155  Ihid,  p  44. 

156.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Leroy  T.  Ness,  "Report  of  the  Council  of  Chaplain  Colonels,"  17  May  1985, 
p.  2  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

1 57  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains'  Total  Chaplaincy  Goals,  FY  87/88,  draft  dated  27 
November  1985,  p.  13.  Chaplain  (Col.)  James  Edgren's  copy  is  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

158.  This  policy  was  not  popular  with  some  chaplains  who  normally  had  no  parish  responsibilities 
due  to  their  positions  on  staffs  or  on  school  facuhies    Chaplain  Hessian  did  not  like  for  chaplains 
to  ignore  the  needs  of  post  chapels,  however,  and  would  ask  chaplains  occasionally  on  staff  visits 
what  they  did  on  Sundays 

159  OCCH,  Annual  Historical  Review,  FY  85,  pp  7-8. 

160.  Ibid ,  p.  16,  and  personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Wayne  Kuehne,  19  April,  1995. 
Chaplain  Kuehne  stressed  the  importance  of  the  work  others  did  in  the  production  of  these  field 
circulars. 

161.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  G  T  Gunhus,  Fort  Monroe,  14  December  1993. 

162.  Ibid,  p   18. 

163.  OCCH,  Annual  HLStoncal  Review,  FY  85,  p   10 

164.  Letter  from  Ms  Jessica  Harding  to  Mr.  John  Baer  and  Chaplain  (Col.)  James  Edgren,  9 
October  1985.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  223 


165.  OCCH,  Annual  Hislorical  Review,  FY  85,  p.  12.  See  also,  Jessica  Harding,  "Celebrating  the 
210th  Chaplain  Corps  Anniversary;  29  July  1985,"  The  Pentagram,  Washington,  DC,  28  August 
1985. 

166.  OCCH, /4///^  FY  85,  p   17 
167  /^/J.,  p.  17. 

168.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Thomas  Norton,  U.S.  Army  War  College,  1 
December  1994. 

169.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Irven  W.  Johnson,  18  January,  1995.  Chaplain 
Johnson  was  the  Battalion  Chaplain  for  the  2/60  Air  Defense  Artillery  Battalion  in  Ramstein  in 
1985. 

170.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Irven  W.  Johnson,  18  January  1995.  And  personal 
interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Robert  Covington,  US.  Army  Retired,  18  January  1995. 

171.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Samuel  P.  Lamback,  Jr.,  U.S.  Army  Retired,  7 
December  1993. 

1 72.  Department  of  the  Army  Historical  Summary  FY  86,  Appendix  A,  p.    1 . 

173.  Larry  D.  Call  and  Douglas  L.  Carver,  "The  Gander  Air  Crash:  Unit  Ministry  Team 
Responses  During  a  Crisis,"  Fort  Campbell,  Kentucky:  10  July  1987,  p.  iii. 

174.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Robert  Covington,  U.S.  Army  Retired,  18  January 
1995,  and  Department  of  the  Army,  Chief  of  Chaplains  Newsletter,  1  January  1986,  p.  2. 

175.  Larry  Call  and  Douglas  Carver,  Op.  cit^,  p.  19. 

176.  Personal  interview  and  comments.  Chaplain  (Colonel)  William  Hufham,  22  February,  1995. 

177.  See  the  Walter  Reed  Army  Institute  of  Research  report,  "The  Human  Response  to  the 
Gander  Mihtary  Air  Disaster,"  Washington,  DC,  1987,  p.  3. 

178.  Personal  interview  with  Sergeant  First  Class  Joseph  P.  Millraney,  U.S.  Army  Intelligence 
and  Security  Command,  18  January  1995. 

179.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Jere  R.  Kimmell,  28  September  1994. 

180.  Personal  interview  with  Sergeant  First  Class  Joseph  P.  Millraney,  18  January  1995. 

181.  Jessica  R.  Harding,  "California  Soldiers  Capture  Ministry  Team  Award,'"  Parag/ide, 
December  3,  1987,  p.   1 .  Note:  Paraglide  was  a  soldier  publication  at  Fort  Bragg,  North 


224  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


Carolina 

182.  At  the  Army  Chaplain  School  a  special  Memorial  Service  was  conducted  for  Chaplain 
Carter.  All  students  and  staff  and  several  post  representatives  attended. 

1 83.  Department  of  the  Army  Historical  Summary  for  Fiscal  Year  1986,  p.  Ill- 1 2. 
\%A  Ihid.p.  1-7. 

\S5.Ibid.,p.  Ill- 10. 

\S6.Ibicl.,p.  I-l. 

187.  OCCH,  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  31  March  1986,  pp  2,  3,  4,  12.  For  example  a  new  Chapel 
Center  in  Yongsan,  Korea,  was  projected  for  FY86  at  a  cost  of  $2.3  million  and  53  additional 
chapels  and  religious  educational  facilities  scheduled  for  construction  during  1987-1992.  During 
1985  only  two  chapels  were  demolished,  one  at  Fort  Polk,  the  other  at  Fort  Lewis. 

188  On  January  31,  1986  Joel  KatkoflFand  Alan  Wieder  abandoned  their  lawsuit,  Kalkoffv. 
Marsh,  with  prejudice,  thus  ending  the  constitutional  challenge  to  the  chaplaincy.  The  Second 
Circuit  Court  held  that  chaplain  activities  "reasonably  relevant  and  necessary  to  the  furtherance  of 
our  national  defense"  were  constitutional.   See  Major  General  Hugh  R.  Overholt,  the  Judge 
Advocate  General,  Memorandum  for  the  Secretary  of  the  Army,  7  February  1986,  in  the  Chaplain 
Corps  Archives 

189.  OCCH,  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  31  March  1986,  p  15. 

190.  Ibid.,  pp.  8-9    The  other  fields  of  study  included  religious  education,  homiletics,  ethics, 
educational  technology,  general  education,  comptrollership,  and  church  management. 

191.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  1  July  1986  Newsletter,  p. 4.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps 
Archives. 

192.  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Ronald  N  Johnson,  "A  Brigade  Chaplain's  Ministry:  The  Plan  and 
Execution,  ''Military  Chaplains  Review,  Summer  1986,  p.  62. 

193.  Personal  memoir  of  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield,  Protestant  Pastor,  Mark  Twain  Village  Chapel, 
Heidelberg,  Germany,  1985-1987. 

194.  Chaplain  Ronald  Johnson,  loc  .cit.,  p  62 

195.  Personal  memoir  of  Chaplain  Brinsfield    Chaplain  (Lt  Col.)  John  Trapold,  the  Senior 
Chaplain  in  Mark  Twain  Village,  provided  a  Roman  Catholic  ministry  for  some  of  the  soldiers  on 
guard.  In  addition,  the  Catholic  and  Protestant  women  in  the  chapel  made  cookies  for  the  troops. 


THE  HESSIAN  YEARS  225 


Chaplain  Trapold  was  General  Otis'  personal  chaplain. 

196.  In  the  summer  of  1986  Chaplain  (Col.)  Donald  W.  Shea  succeeded  Chaplain  Richard  Martin 
as  the  USAREUR  and  EUCOM  Chaplain.  Others  who  joined  the  USAREUR  Chaplain's  staff' in 
1986-1987  included  Chaplain  (Col  )  H.L  Schafter,  Deputy;  Master  Sergeant  D.E  Beistline; 
Chaplain  (Maj.)  Michael  L  Broyles,  Executive  Officer;  Chaplain  (Col )  Otto  Reinbacher, 
Personnel;  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Donald  G  Hanchett,  Resource  Manager,  Chaplain  (Col.)  B.H. 
Lieving,  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Thomas  R  Smith,  and  SFC  Gary  Powell  in  Mannheim;  and  Chaplain 
(Maj  )  G  E.  Tyson  in  Berchtesgaden    See  HQ,  USAREUR  and  7th  Army  Historical  Review, 
1984,  1986,  1987  at  the  Center  for  Militan/  History,  Washington,  DC. 

197.  IhiJ.,  1985-1986  USAREUR  Chaplain  Activities,  pp  7-80  to  7-82. 

198.  Memoir  of  Mr.  Ed  Matthiessen,  Music  Director,  Mark  Twain  Chapel. 

199.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Jere  Kimmell,  Fort  Belvoir,  Virginia,  28  September 
1994. 

200  OCCH,  1  January  1986  Chiefs  Newsletter,  p.  1 .  The  Ware  awards  were  named  for  Major 
General  Keith  L.  Ware,  Chief  of  Public  Affairs,  killed  in  Vietnam  in  1968. 

201  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Jere  Kimmell,  28  September  1994. 

202.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Robert  Covington,  18  January  1995. 

203.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Irven  Johnson,  18  January  1995. 

204.  With  the  support  of  the  chaplains  at  these  two  chapels.  Chaplain  Stan  O'Laughlin,  Chaplain 
Richard  Goellen,  Chaplain  John  Lincoln,  and  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield  among  them,  some  55 
parishioners  visited  Jerusalem,  Galilee,  the  Dead  Sea  and  other  Israeli  sites  in  1986.  The  security 
precautions  included  flying  in  an  unmarked  airplane  from  Munich  to  Israel  and  return    Mr  John 
McQueen,  Major  Jesse  Comet,  Lt.  Col.  John  Prysbylski,  Mr.  Ron  and  Mrs.  Daisy  Koehn,  Mr.  Ed 
Matthiessen,  and  Mrs.  Charlotte  Kroger  of  Mark  Twain  Chapel  were  instrumental  in  organizing 
and  supporting  many  of  the  retreat  and  fellowship  programs  in  1986. 

205.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Samuel  P.  Lamback,  Jr.,  Installation  Staff" Chaplain, 
Fort  Monmouth,  New  Jersey,  7  December  1 993 . 

206.  Mark  Twain  Village  Chapel  held  it  40th  Anniversary  in  1986.  Chaplain  Robert  Covington,  a 
former  pastor,  was  one  of  the  guest  speakers 

207.  OCCH,  Public  Affairs  Files,  1985-1986,  Letter  from  Colonel  Donald  L.  Scott,  Hohenfels 
Training  Area  to  CINC,  USAREUR  and  Seventh  Army.  The  project  officer  for  Merl's  award 
was  Chaplain  (Capt.)  David  G.  Reynolds. 


226  THE  HESSIAN  YEARS 


208  Mark  Twain  Village  Chapel  Directory  and  Parish  Council  Organization,  Heidelberg, 
Germany,  8  June  1986,  pp   1-2.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives.  Mr.  Ed  Matthiessen,  the 
Choir  Director  at  Mark  Twain  Chapel,  organized  and  led  one  of  the  finest  parish  music  programs 

in  Europe 

209.  OCCH,  Chief  of  Chaplains  Newsletters,  1  January  -  1  July  1986. 

210.  Jessica  Harding,  "Retirement  of  Mrs.  Nellie  Burton,"  Press  Release,  OCCH,  15  May  1986, 
pp   1-3. 

211.  OCCH,  Chief  of  Chaplains  Newsletter,  1  June  1986,  p  1. 

212.  OCCH,  "Remarks  by  General  John  A.  Wickham,  Jr.  at  the  Retirement  Review,  27  June 
1986,"  pp.  4-5.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 


Sergeant   Major   James   Schonefeld  receives    the   Chaplain   Corps 
colors   from   Chaplain   Charles   J.    Mc   Donnell,    Commandant 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  EINERTSON  YEARS: 
ADDRESSING  NEEDS  AND  MANAGING  RESOURCES 

1986-1990 


As  the  Cold  War  ended  and  the  nuclear  threat  to  the  United  States  diminished,  the  Army 
began  the  painful  process  of  reducing  its  forces  overseas  and  at  home.   One  of  the  challenges  the 
Army  Chaplaincy  had  to  meet  was  how  to  reshuffle  its  personnel  and  materiel  resources  to  meet 
increasing  demands  for  ministry  even  as  the  total  force  decreased  in  size. 


Milestones: 

Establishment  of  the  Chaplaincy  as  part  of  the  Amiy  Regimental  System 

Standardized  designs  for  Army  chapels 

U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency  established 

Directive  for  Accommodation  of  Religious  Practices 

Training  in  Medical  Ethics  approved 

Operation  Just  Cause,  Panama 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter.  229 


230  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


Ministry  at  the  End  of  the  Cold  War: 
Pastoring  the  Army,  Preserving  the  Chaplaincy' 


After  twen/y-eighf  years  of  keeping  the  world  divided,  the  Berhn  Wall  came  down  in 
November  of  J  989.  World-wide  tensions  hcn'e  decreased  and  the  prospects  ft)r 
peace  increased.  The  Army  will  get  smaller  and  .so  will  the  ( "haplaincy.  In  times  of 
adversity  the  Army  has  rallied  around  its  Chaplaincy  for  support  -  most  obviously 
on  the  battlefield.  But  as  the  Army  enters  uncharted  waters,  drawing  down  a  quality, 
all  volunteer  force,  the  Army  will  again  rally  around  the  Chaplaincy  for  support.' 

Chaplain  (Major  General)  Norris  Einertson 
Chief  of  Chaplains,  U.S.  Army 

Although  in  retrospect  the  years  immediately  preceding  the  dismantling  of  the  Berlin  Wall, 
and  later  the  Warsaw  Pact,  appear  to  mark  the  slow  disintegration  of  the  Soviet  Union,  such 
conclusions  were  not  yet  clear  in  1986.  There  was  still  a  possibility  of  at  least  a  tactical  nuclear 
confrontation  in  Europe  and  talk  in  Washington  of  fianding  President  Reagan's  Strategic  Defense 
Initiative  or  "Star  Wars"  program  from  the  record  $1  trillion  Federal  budget.'  The  Army  was  facing 
fiscal  constraints  because  Congress  knew  that  the  domestic  economy  was  much  less  vibrant  than  it 
appeared.  In  1985  America  had  become  a  debtor  nation,  importing  more  than  it  exported,  for  the  first 
time  in  history.  Although  1 8  million  new  jobs  were  created  in  the  United  States,  most  were 
temporary,  low  paying  positions  which  went  to  women.*  At  a  time  when  20  percent  of  babies  born 
in  America  were  born  to  single  mothers  and  an  estimated  350,000  Americans  were  homeless,  it 
seemed  incongruous  to  speak  of  a  "booming  American  economy."* 

The  challenges  which  faced  the  Chaplaincy  on  1  July  1986,  when  Chaplain  Norris  Einertson 
became  the  17th  Chief  of  Chaplains,  may  be  consolidated  into  responses  two  questions: 

1 )  How  can  the  Chaplaincy  address  the  needs  of  the  Army  most  effectively  in  a  time  of 
uncertainty? 

2)  How  will  the  Chaplaincy  defend  and  manage  its  own  resources  to  make  effective 
ministry  possible*^ 

Strong  religious  leadership,  pastoral  care,  and  determined  stewardship  of  resources  were  traits  which 
the  Chief  of  Chaplains  and  his  senior  staff  members  had  to  model  for,  and  inculcate  upon,  the  total 
Chaplain  Corps.  The  seven  Total  Chaplaincy  Goals  which  dealt  with  leadership  ,  human  concerns, 
future  development,  materiel,  readiness,  management,  and  training  were  an  important  focus  for  the 
Chaplaincy  in  answering  these  vital  questions. 

Chaplain  Norris  Einertson,  incidentally  the  third  consecutive  Chief  of  Chaplains  bom  in 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 23j_ 

Minnesota,  entered  active  duty  in  1961  after  graduation  from  Luther  Theological  Seminary  and 
ordination  by  the  American  Lutheran  Church  His  assignments,  prior  to  his  selection  as  Deputy  Chief 
of  Chaplains  in  1985,  included  service  with  the  1st  Infantry  Division,  Ft.  Riley;  the  34th  Engineer 
Group  in  Vietnam,  the  US  Army's  VII  Corps  at  Stuttgart;  the  1st  Armored  Division  at  Ansbach;  the 
U.S.  Army  Signal  Center  at  Ft.  Gordon  as  the  Post  Chaplain,  Executive  Officer,  DACH,  and  U.S. 
Forces  Command  at  Ft  McPherson  as  the  FORSCOM  Staff  Chaplain.'' 

Chaplain  Einertson  saw  his  role  as  Chief  of  Chaplains  as  one  application  of  his  primary  role 
as  an  ecumenical  pastor,  enabling  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  to  facilitate  the  free  exercise  of 
religion  in  the  Army.  Defined  ecumenically.  Chaplain  Einertson  had  been  a  pastor  for  25  years,  from 
the  first  day  he  entered  active  duty.'  Chaplain  Einertson  was  also  a  dedicated  manager  and  visionary, 
courageously  stubborn  in  his  defense  of  resources  for  the  Chaplaincy,  and  very  persuasive  with  his 
fellow  general  officers. 

Very  early  in  his  career.  Chaplain  Einertson  realized  that  effective  ministry  required  not  only 
preparation,  motivation,  and  training,  but  also  the  carefijl  stewardship  of  resources  While  assigned 
to  the  Division  Artillery,  1st  Infantry  Division  at  Ft.  Riley,  Kansas,  in  1962,  Chaplain  Einertson's 
supervisory  chaplain  dutiflilly  submitted  a  "productivity  report"  outlining  the  results  of  a  one  day 
religious  retreat  the  number  of  "commitments  to  Christ"  and  "rededications  to  Christ  "  His  Jewish 
commander  made  a  wry  observation  in  the  form  of  a  hand-written  comment  at  the  bottom  of  the 
report:  "Chaplain,  is  there  any  way  you  can  determine  the  number  of  souls  saved  per  pew-hour 
preached?"*  Even  though  the  results  of  much  of  the  work  of  unit  ministry  teams  in  the  religious 
support  of  soldiers  were  hard  to  quantify.  Chaplain  Einertson  learned  that  the  Army  always  looked 
for  measurable  results  in  its  resource  management. 


Command  Chaplain  Issues 

The  Command  Chaplains  Conference  for  1986  was  held  the  second  week  in  July.  Several 
chaplains  in  new  leadership  positions  were  numbered  among  the  participants  including  Chaplain 
Donald  Shea,  the  US  Army  Europe  and  European  Command  Chaplain;  Chaplain  Matthew 
Zimmerman,  the  U.S.  Forces  Command  Chaplain;  and  Chaplain  Charles  Clanton,  who  would  become 
Commandant  of  the  US  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  in  September  Others,  including 
Chaplain  Roger  Venzke,  the  Chiefs  Executive  Officer  who  set  up  the  conference,  had  been  in  place 
long  enough  to  provide  continuity  as  Chaplain  Einertson  moved  from  Deputy  Chief  to  Chief  of 
Chaplains. 

Perhaps  the  most  immediate  topic  of  interest  was  the  establishment  of  the  Chaplain  Branch 
as  a  Regiment  in  the  US.  Army  Regimental  System  The  Regimental  System,  a  reflection  of  the  older 
British  model,  established  a  regimental  name  and  a  home  for  each  branch  of  the  Army.  Under 
General  John  A.  Wickham's  order  of  30  May  1986,  the  regimental  name  of  the  Chaplain  Branch, 
effective  on  29  July,  would  be  "the  Chaplain  Corps."  The  home  of  the  Chaplain  Corps  was 
established  at  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  Ft  Monmouth,  New  Jersey.**  The  Chief 
of  Chaplains  was  the  regimental  commander  of  the  Chaplain  Corps. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Above)    Chaplains   Charles  McDonnell,    Commandant    of   the   Chaplain 
Center   and  School,    and  Norris   Einertson,    Chief  of  Chaplains, 
troop    the   line   at    Ft.    Monmouth 


(Above)    Chaplains   James   Robnolt    and  Don    Taylor   with    Chaplain 
Corps    crest    and  flag 


(Above)  Chaplain  Einertson  presents  a  portrait  of  former  Chief  of 
Chaplains  Patrick  Hessian  to  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  • 
School  at  Ft.  Monmouth.   Chaplain  Tom  A.  Carroll,  Director  of 
Training  and  Doctrine,  stands  in  front  of  the  replica  chapel  to 
Chaplain  Einertson' s  right. 


(Above)    Chaplain    (BG)    and  Mrs.    Israel    Drazin,    Chaplain  Alfred 
Brough    and  Chaplain   and  Mrs.    John  Hoogland  attend   ceremonies 


236  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


As  the  Chaplain  Corps  was  reaffirming  its  old  name  in  a  new  system,  the  Chaplain  Assistant 
Proponency  staff  at  the  Chaplain  School  was  drafting  some  content  materials  for  AR  6 11 -201  which 
would  recognize  the  official  name  of  soldiers  in  the  71  M  MOS  as  "Chaplain  Assistants."  Other 
provisions  of  AR  61 1-201  would  address  the  grade  structure,  qualifications,  and  duties  of  chaplains 
assistants. 

One  of  the  ongoing  issues  in  1986  for  the  conference  was  the  reducfion  of  the  Chaplain  Corps' 
base  operations  budget  by  $386,000.  The  Base  Ops  budget  provided  for  the  support  of  657  chapels 
and  chapel  facilities  worldwide,  which  was  staffed  by  1,523  active  duty  Chaplains.'"  In  the  spring  of 
1986  two  new  chapel  facilities  had  been  dedicated  at  Ft.  Jackson,  South  Carolina.  Senator  Strom 
Thurmond  was  the  principal  guest  speaker  at  ceremonies  marking  the  dedication  of  the  first  joint -use 
chapel,  religious  education  and  child  care  center  built  by  the  Army  (at  a  cost  of  $5.2  million)  "  From 
FY  87  to  FY  90,  if  money  was  still  to  be  budgeted,  16  more  standardized,  joint-use  chapel  facilities 
were  planned.'" 

Finally,  affer  all  of  the  other  personnel,  policy,  and  administrative  issues  had  been  addressed 
at  either  the  Council  of  Chaplain  Colonels  meeting,  or  at  the  Command  Chaplain  Conference, 
Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Israel  Drazin  noted  that  the  Department  of  Defense  was  still  wrestling 
with  questions  concerning  the  accommodation  of  religious  practices.  In  March  of  1986  the  Supreme 
Court  had  deferred  to  the  Air  Force  on  the  request  by  Rabbi  Simcha  Goldman  to  wear  a  yarmuike 
while  on  duty  as  a  clinical  psychologist  at  a  base  in  California.  Chaplain  Drazin  reminded  the 
Chaplaincy  of  Army  Regulation  600-20  ( 1  January  86)  which  gave  commanders  greater  flexibility  and 
guidelines  for  accommodating  soldiers'  religious  practices.  "Military  chaplains  are  dedicated  to 
provide  for  the  free  exercise  of  religion  and  must  do  all  in  their  power  to  assist  commanders  in  finding 
ways  to  accommodate  all  religious  practices,"  Chaplain  Drazin  wrote.  "This  is  the  reason  for  our 
existence  as  a  military  branch  and  this  is  the  hope  and  dream  of  our  country.'^ 


Regimental  Establishment  Ceremonies: 
Some  Things  Old  and  Some  Things  New 

The  ceremonies  on  July  29,  1986,  at  Fort  Monmouth,  recognizing  the  "reorganization  of  the 
Chaplain  Corps  as  a  part  of  the  U.S.  Army  Regimental  System,"  as  well  as  the  21 1th  anniversary  of 
the  Army  Chaplaincy,  lasted  for  three  hours,  not  including  the  time  it  took  to  rehearse  for  the  parade 
and  for  the  various  presentations.  The  weather  was  good,  the  participants  were  excited. 

At  0900  there  was  a  military  review  of  troops  by  Chaplain  Einertson  and  Brigadier  General 
Harry  G.  Karegeannes,  Deputy  Commanding  General  of  the  Army  Communications  and  Electronics 
Command.  The  new  Chaplain  Corps  flag,  designed  by  the  Army's  Institute  of  Heraldry  from  a 
concept  developed  by  Chaplain  James  Robnolt  and  Chaplain  Donald  Taylor,  was  presented  "to 
Chaplain  Charies  McDonnell,  the  USACHCS  Commandant,  by  Command  Sergeant  Major  James 
Schonefeld.'"  The  new  Chaplain  Corps  Regimental  Insignia  (or  Crest),  from  the  same  design  as  the 
flag,  was  presented  by  Chaplain  Einertson  to  several  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  representing 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 237 

the  various  divisions  of  the  Chaplain  Center  and  School  " 

At  1110  hours  in  Watters  Hall,  Chaplain  Einertson  dedicated  a  replica  of  a  World  War  II 
cantonment  chapel,  a  portrait  of  his  predecessor.  Chaplain  Patrick  Hessian,  the  16th  Chief  of 
Chaplains,  and  a  sculpture,  the  "Sky  Pilot,"  by  IVIr.  James  Lykins,  a  Vietnam  veteran  who  wanted  to 
express  his  thanks  for  the  ministry  of  chaplains  in  Vietnam  The  sculpture  depicted  a  Roman  Catholic 
chaplain  anointing  a  dying  soldier  cradled  in  the  arms  of  a  chaplain's  assistant. 

The  dedication  ceremony  included  a  welcome  by  Chaplain  Tom  A  Carroll,  Director  of  the 
Department  of  Military  Ministry;  a  scripture  reading  of  Psalm  91,  "General  Washington's  Psalm,"  by 
Mr.  Ralph  Van  Syckle,  a  World  War  II  chaplain's  assistant,  a  prayer  of  dedication  by  Chaplain  Max 
H.  Daina,  USA  Rtd.,  an  address  on  "The  Religious  Significance  of  Chapels,"  and  a  ribbon  cutting  by 
Chaplain  Einertson;  Chaplain  Museum  Association  Announcements  by  Chaplain  John  Scott;  and  a 
benediction  by  Sergeant  First  Class  Willie  P.M.  Collie.  It  seemed  both  appropriate  and  inspirational 
for  the  many  attendees  fi"om  throughout  the  total  Chaplaincy.'* 


Initiatives  at  DACH 

In  addition  to  the  work  Chaplain  James  Edgren,  Chaplain  Don  Taylor,  and  others  were  doing 
in  drafting  plans  for  118  new  installation  and  unit  chapels  through  FY  1993,  the  Information, 
Resource  Management  and  Logistics  Directorate  (IRML)  completed  the  establishment  of  electronic 
mail  accounts  among  chaplain  offices  throughout  the  Army.  Software  application  programs  were 
developed  for  CARSS  which  included  Gemini  Boards  to  provide  IBM  compatibility  " 

The  Chaplain  Corps  strength  report  from  the  Personnel  and  Ecclesiastical  Relations 
Directorate  (DACH-PER)  indicated  an  actual  strength  of  1,509  against  a  projected  end  strength  of 
1,546.  Mindftil  of  Chaplain  Einertson's  admonition,  "While  money  for  Chapel  construction  and 
programs  are  important ...  our  most  important  resources  are  our  personnel,  we  must  defend  personnel 
spaces  with  all  the  energy  and  intelligence  that  God  gives  us,"  DACH-PER  put  a  major  effort  into 
the  recruitment  of  chaplains  to  fill  all  of  the  positions  possible"*  Against  an  anticipated  loss  of  145 
chaplains,  there  were  148  gains."  Some  20  minority  and  female  chaplains  were  recruited  under  the 
Chaplaincy's  Affirmative  Action  Plan.  At  the  end  of  the  fiscal  year  there  were  213  Catholic 
Chaplains,  24  Jewish  Chaplains,  nine  Orthodox  Chaplains,  and  1,300  Protestant  chaplains  on  active 
duty.-"  Even  during  the  Army's  drawdown,  the  total  Chaplaincy  actually  increased  by  54  slots  due 
to  strong  justifications  for  chaplains  in  units  which  had  had  no  positions  authorized  previously.'" 

As  part  of  the  Chaplaincy's  program  to  increase  multicultural  understanding  and  deal  with 
minority  issues,  especially  among  minority  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants,  the  various  Chiefs  of 
Chaplains  had  fiinded  conferences  each  year  for  more  than  a  decade  Some  of  the  Multicultural 
Conferences  had  been  planned  for  a  year  in  advance  with  nationally  known  guest  speakers.  Others 
seemed  to  be  constructed  in  a  rather  serendipitous  manner.  In  order  to  facilitate  planning  for  these 
events.  Chaplain  William  Hufham,  from  the  Plans,  Policy  Development  and  Training  Division, 
proposed  a  five-year  plan  for  fliture  multicultural  training  with  the  following  themes; 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


238  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


1987  -  The  Unit  Ministry  Team 

1988  -  Worship  Activities 

1989  -  The  Installation  Religious  Program 

1990  -  New/Emerging  Religious  Groups 

1991  -  Assessment  and  Planning" 

In  addition  to  the  obvious  advantage  of  dealing  with  multicultural  issues,  the  conferences  also 
supported  the  Chaplaincy's  primary  Human  Goal  of  considering  ways  to  facilitate  the  free  exercise 
of  religion,  denominationally  and  culturally,  for  soldiers  and  their  families.  The  other  Total  Chaplaincy 
Goals  were  considered  as  well  and  met  through  various  plans  and  programs  from  the  DACH 
Directorates. 

Other  projects  from  PPDT  in  1986  included  research  on  Family  Strength  and  Family  Values 
for  the  Army  Study  Program,  information  on  women's  issues  affecting  the  22  women  chaplains  on 
active  duty,  and  the  preparation  of  a  Chaplain  Mobilization  Handbook  by  Mr.  Roger  Able  to 
consolidate  mobilization  documentation  and  provide  chaplain  mobilization  planners  with  policies, 
guidance,  and  planning  assumptions.  All  three  of  these  projects  were  important  in  light  of 
prospective  deployments  of  UMTs  and  soldiers  in  the  future  "' 

At  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Board,  Chaplain  William  Noble  taught  a  homiletics  training 
workshop  in  Panama  and  planned  five  others  for  FY  87,  in  addition  to  serving  as  the  editor  of  fhe 
Military  Chaplains  Review.  Chaplain  Tom  Merrill  led  religious  education  training  workshops  from 
Ft.  Lewis,  Washington,  to  Berchtesgaden,  Germany,  with  the  help  of  Master  Sergeant  Ronald 
Bowren.  Chaplain  Richard  Adams  and  Chaplain  Ignatius  Butler  continued  work  in  Marriage  and 
Family  Life  and  Catholic  Priest  Retention  respectively  while  Chaplain  James  Herndon  and  Master 
Sergeant  Bowren  dealt  with  audiovisual  ministries,  organizational  leadership  training,  and  chaplain 
assistant  special  projects."'' 


U.S.  Army  Chaplain  School: 
Describing  Tasks  for  the  UMT 

At  Fort  Monmouth  in  the  summer  of  1986,  Chaplain  Charles  McDonnell,  the  Commandant 
of  the  Chaplain  School,  directed  the  Unit  and  Individual  Training  Division  to  conduct  a  Joint  Task 
Selection  Board  (JTSB)  to  update  and  describe  the  tasks  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  should  be 
trained  to  perform.  This  was  the  first  JTSB  to  be  convened  in  the  recent  history  of  the  Chaplain 
Corps  and  was  composed  of  chaplains,  senior  chaplain  assistants,  and  some  Department  of  the  Army 
civilian  experts  from  throughout  most  of  the  major  commands  worldwide  "' 

The  mission  of  the  JTSB  was  to  select  tasks  which  reflected  the  current  (actual)  and  doctrinal 
duties  of  unit  ministry  team  members  and  to  indicate  the  appropriate  site  for  training  these  tasks, 
whether  at  the  Chaplain  School,  on  installations,  on  in  units  in  the  field.  There  were  more  than  100 
tasks  related  to  unit  ministry  team  duties  ranging  from  typing  a  military  letter  to  performing  battle 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 239 

fatigue  ministry  in  combat.  Each  task  had  a  task  statement,  a  condition  and  a  standard  to  which  it 
would  be  trained.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  Unit  and  Individual  Training  Division  (UITD)  to  prepare  the 
task  list  for  JTSB  consideration. 

The  staff  of  the  UITD  dedicated  to  the  analysis  mission  included  Major  Morgan  Flom,  Chief 
of  UITD;  Chaplain  Herb  Kitchens,  Chief  of  the  Concepts  and  Analysis  Branch  of  UITD,  Chaplain 
Carl  W.  Holtz,  Mrs.  Christine  Hunt  (GS-1 1),  and  Sergeant  First  Class  Robert  Flowers  and,  toward 
the  end  of  the  project,  Major  Michael  W.  Hobson.'^  Chaplain  Jesse  Thornton,  Chief  of  the 
Publications  Branch,  and  his  staff,  as  well  as  the  Division  Secretary,  Ms.  Jennifer  Roman,  assisted  as 
needed 

In  order  to  provide  the  JTSB  with  a  current  picture  of  the  tasks  chaplain  assistants  were 
expected  to  perform.  Chaplain  Kitchens  and  Mrs.  Hunt  utilized  the  Army  Occupational  Survey 
Program  (AOSP)  conducted  by  the  Soldier  Support  Center,  National  Capital  Region.-^  The  AOSP 
surveyed  chaplain  assistants  by  rank  and  position  to  determine  what  tasks  they  were  required  to 
perform,  with  what  frequency,  and  under  what  conditions.  This  was  a  very  valuable  tool  for  the 
JTSB's  deliberative  process. 

Chaplain  McDonnell  urged  UITD  to  push  the  ministry  tasks  the  chaplain  assistants  could 
perform  "as  far  as  you  can"  to  fijrther  reinforce  the  independent  validity  of  the  71 M  MOS,  especially 
under  emergency  battlefield  conditions.'*  These  battlefield  tasks  included  ministry  to  battle  fatigued 
soldiers  and,  in  extreme  circumstances,  emergency  baptism  of  the  wounded  or  dying. 

When  Chaplain  Charles  T.  Clanton  succeeded  Chaplain  McDonnell  as  Commandant  on  9 
September  1986,  he  continued  to  emphasize  the  development  of  the  chaplain  assistant  role  in  the 
UMT.  Chaplain  Clanton  thought  emergency  baptism  would  have  to  be  a  voluntary  ministry  by  a 
chaplain  assistant  in  response  to  a  soldier's  request,  since  the  Army  could  not  require  nor  train  tasks 
which  some  religious  denominations  regarded  as  faith-specific  sacraments  or  ordinances.  With  regard 
to  the  vast  majority  of  tasks,  however.  Chaplain  Clanton  continued  the  emphasis  on  enlarging  the  role 
of  assistants. 

In  the  Chaplain  Assistant  Personnel  Proponent  Office  at  the  Chaplain  School,  the  finishing 
touches  were  added  to  input  for  AR  61 1-201  which  was  produced  in  October  by  the  Soldier  Support 
Center."'  The  new  regulation  recognized  the  name  change  of  chapel  activity  specialists  to  chaplain 
assistants,  set  a  new  grade  structure,  established  chaplain  assistant  E9s  (Sergeants  Major)  at  Corps 
Level,  upgraded  brigade-level  assistants  to  E6  (StafT  Sergeant)  and  battalion-level  assistants  to  E5 
(Sergeant)  Chaplain  assistants  were  required  to  1)  maintain  the  highest  moral  and  ethical  behavior, 
2)  demonstrate  a  typing  speed  of  25  words  per  minute,  3)  participate  in  firearms  training  and  bear 
arms,  3)  support  all  religious  faith  groups  approved  by  the  command,  5)  attain  a  high  school  diploma 
or  its  equivalent,  6)  qualify  for  a  secret  security  clearance,  7)  complete  required  resident  schooling 
before  award  of  the  MOS  in  either  active  or  reserve  components.^" 

In  order  to  fijrther  enhance  the  validity  of  the  Proponency  mission  to  manage  the  71  M  MOS 
for  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Sergeant  First  Class  Thomas  Prost  was  selected  to  join  the  Proponency 
staff  at  the  Chaplain  School.  SFC  Prost  became  both  the  NCOIC  and  a  project  manager  in  the  71M 
Personnel  Proponent  Office,  succeeding  SFC  Mike  Pukansky,  the  project  manager  for  career 
progression  and  professional  development  in  the  life-cycle  management  of  the  MOS.^' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


Sergeant  Major  Douglas    Carpenter 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 2£[ 

New  Faces  in  the  Pentagon 

On  October  1,  Chaplain  Charles  J.  McDonnell  became  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains.  Chaplain 
McDonnell  wrote  to  the  Corps: 

I  will  do  everything  in  my  power  to  support  you  as  members' of  the  Unit  Ministry 
Team  while  I  am  here.  Our  common  mission  is  to  provide  pastoral  and  religious 
support  to  the  greatest  people  in  the  world,  the  soldiers  and  soldier  families  of  the 
U.S.  Army.  Since  the  Unit  Ministry  Team  is  central  to  our  work  in  the  Army,  I  want 
to  focus  our  attention  on  the  role  of  the  Chaplain  assistant  as  a  vital  and  integral 
member  of  that  team.  I  am  convinced  we  can  wait  no  longer  to  prepare  the  total  Unit 
Ministry  Team  to  function  eflFectively  in  giving  soldiers  the  quality  ministry  they  richly 
deserve.^" 

Chaplain  McDonnell  knew,  as  had  every  Chief  and  Deputy  Chief  for  a  decade,  that  the 
effectiveness  of  the  Chaplain's  ministries  in  garrison  or  in  the  field  depended  directly  on  the  quality 
and  commitment  of  chaplain  assistants.  By  1986  the  Chaplain  Corps  had  possibly  spent  more 
resources,  time  and  energy  to  upgrade  the  training  and  status  of  its  enlisted  personnel  than  had  any 
other  branch  in  the  Army. 

As  if  to  make  the  point  at  DACH,  on  October  31  Sergeant  Major  Joseph  A  Pino  retired  from 
the  Army  and  was  replaced  by  Sergeant  Major  Douglas  R.  Carpenter  as  the  Senior  Staff"  NCO  in  the 
Chiefs  Office.^^  SGM  Pino  had  played  a  pivotal  role  in  supporting  and  implementing  UMT  doctrine 
and  excellence. 


A  Parting  Shot 

As  the  year  1986  drew  to  a  close,  a  short  memorandum  reached  Chaplain  Venzke's  desk  at 
DACH  from  the  Office  of  the  Judge  Advocate  General  (OTJAG)  in  the  Pentagon.  The  10  December 
1 986  Memorandum  reviewed  an  article  in  the  Yale  Law  Journal  entitled  "Military  Mirrors  on  the 
Wall:  Nonestablishment  and  the  Military  Chaplaincy"  by  a  Yale  law  student  named  L  S  Kaplan. 
Somehow,  Ms.  Kaplan  secured  discovery  materials  submitted  to  the  Court  of  Appeals  during  the 
Katcoff"vs.  Laird  case. 

Ms.  Kaplan,  in  the  view  of  the  Office  of  the  JAG,  raised  "two  powerfijl  issues  worthy  of 
carefijl  consideration:  whether  military  encouragement  of  religious  activity  goes  too  far  beyond  that 
necessary  to  assure  free  exercise,  and  whether  the  chaplaincy  is  intended  to  foster  a  'military  vision 
of  religion'  in  preference  to  opposing  views."  Captain  Chester  P.  Beach,  Jr.,  the  litigation  attorney 
who  reviewed  Ms.  Kaplan's  article,  concluded  that  while  there  was  no  "persuasive  rationale  for  a  new 
attack  on  the  general  constitutionality  of  the  chaplaincy,  the  author  does  raise  concerns  about  the 
permissible  limits  of  chaplain  activity  that  should  be  taken  into  account  in  formulating  and 
promulgating  policy  and  doctrine."^''  The  limits,  reduced  to  one  sentence,  were  simple  in  the  view 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


242  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


of  Ya/e  Law  Journal  (as  interpreted  by  the  OTJAG);  "The  Government  may  not  provide  chaplain 
services  for  any  other  purpose  .  than  to  preserve  the  right  of  service  members  to  the  free  exercise 
of  religion,  and  especially  not  to  implement  a  military  vision  of  religion  that  enhances  secular  military 
values  such  as  morale,  patriotism,  and  the  national  interest." 

While  no  action  was  required  by  this  memorandum,  it  did  remind  some  of  the  chaplains  in  the 
Chiefs  Office  that  there  was  often  a  gap  between  what  commanders  desired  of  unit  ministry 
teams — to  help  instill  proper  values  through  moral  leadership  training  for  example — and  in  what  some 
constitutional  legal  scholars  (at  Harvard  and  Yale  for  example)  thought  were  the  limits  of  chaplain 
involvement  with  soldiers.  As  Chaplain  James  Robnolt  reflected  after  he  attended  one  of  the  District 
Court  sessions  during  the  KatcoflFv.  Laird  case,  "The  judges  who  had  actually  served  in  the  military 
had  a  much  broader  tolerance  for  the  range  of  chaplain  ministries  than  did  those  who  argued  from  the 
base  of  theory  alone  I  remember  that  one  judge,  who  was  a  Navy  veteran,  became  quite  irritated 
with  one  of  the  plaintiflFs  and  lectured  him  on  what  military  life,  wherein  everyone  in  a  unit  does 
everything  possible  to  support  the  mission  and  one  another,  was  really  about. "^^ 


Pluralism  and  Personnel  Issues — 1987 

From  1970  to  1985  there  was  a  virtual  explosion  in  the  number  of  independent  religious 
denominations  in  America."^  At  the  end  of  World  War  II  there  were  perhaps  50  major  denominations 
of  Protestants,  Catholics  and  Jews  in  the  United  States.  By  1980  there  were  87  denominations  with 
memberships  of  50,000  or  more.^^  Many  of  the  "new"  religious  groups  had  their  origins  in  the  social 
and  sexual  revolutions  of  the  1960s  and  early  1970s,  in  the  increased  importation  of  indigenous 
religions  from  Asia,  Africa,  and  the  Middle  East  and  in  the  backlash  of  conservative,  evangelical 
Protestants  who  felt  increasingly  alienated,  for  multiple  reasons,  from  mainstream  Protestantism.'* 

As  a  reflection  of  the  larger  American  religious  community,  the  Army  Chaplaincy  likewise  in 
the  early  1980s  began  to  experience  changes  in  its  denominational  composition.  The  denominations 
which  traditionally  furnished  the  most  chaplains  for  the  Army  began  to  offer  fewer  candidates,  while 
the  number  of  applications  for  active  duty  from  independent  evangelical  clergy  increased.  Buddhist 
and  Muslim  religious  leaders  also  began  to  send  inquiries  to  the  Chiefs  office  about  service  as  Army 
chaplains.  Whereas  200  years  before,  during  the  American  Revolution,  the  chaplains  of  the 
Continental  Army  represented  7  denominations,  and  whereas  the  Army  chaplains  in  World  War  II 
represented  approximately  40  faith  groups,  in  1987  there  were  chaplains  on  active  duty  in  the  Army 
from  109  different  denominations  '''  The  Navy  Chaplaincy  from  1945  to  1987  showed  the  same 
trend,  increasing  from  25  denominations  represented  by  Navy  Chaplains  in  August  of  1945  to  83  faith 
groups  represented  in  October  of  1983,  to  more  than  90  by  1987.''" 

In  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  there  were  issues  generated  by  the  growth  in  the 
number  of  faith  groups  represented  in  the  Chaplaincy  and  by  the  variety  of  theological  views  held 
within  those  groups.  The  issues  concerned  a  variety  of  topics:  accommodating  religious  practices, 
proper  terminology  to  use  when  describing  faith  groups,  assignment  policies,  recruitment  and 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSQN  YEARS 243 

retention  policies,  and  even  the  question  of  what  would  be  appropriate  insignia  for  a  pluralistic,  multi- 
faith,  and  multi-cultural  Corps  of  Chaplains  These  issues  were  not  only  of  interest  to  Chaplain 
Einertson  but  also  to  the  Director  of  Plans,  Policy  Development  and  Training  (PPDT),  Chaplain  Gary 
Bowker,  to  the  Director  of  Personnel  (PER),  Chaplain  Hugh  M.  Grubb;  to  the  Executive  Officer, 
Chaplain  Rodger  Venzke,  and  to  the  other  action  officers  involved  Chaplain  James  Robnolt  in  PPDT 
thought  that  pluralism  would  either  "make  or  break"  the  Chaplaincy  depending  on  how  the  issues 
were  handled  at  that  time  and  in  the  future/" 

A  review  of  strength  reports  from  1987  suggests  that  the  "pluralism  problem"  actually  referred 
to  differences  in  theology  between  liberal  and  conservative  Protestants  more  than  to  any  other  single 
issue.  Of  the  1,524  Army  chaplains  on  active  duty  in  1987,  some  1,277  were  Protestant,  217 
Catholic,  21  Jewish,  and  9  Orthodox  Twenty-three  of  the  active  duty  chaplains  were  female,  16 
Caucasian  and  7  Afro- American/"  In  other  words,  1,254  or  82%  per  cent  of  the  active  duty 
chaplains  were  male  Protestants  The  question  was  how  the  Protestant  chaplains,  some  of  whom 
came  from  denominations  which  did  not  practice  infant  baptism,  recognize  the  ordination  of  women, 
nor  participate  in  ecumenical  worship  services,  would  work  with  other  groups  and  with  one  another. 

In  the  Officer  Basic  Course,  US  Army  Chaplain  School,  chaplain  instructors  would  ask 
chaplains  just  coming  on  duty  if  they  could  help  a  soldier  of  a  completely  different  religion  practice 
his  or  her  faith  "without  qualms  of  conscience  "  New  chaplains  were  also  asked  if  they  could 
cooperate  with  chaplains  of  other  faiths  in  implementing  joint  religious  programs  without 
compromising  their  beliefs.  Most  of  the  new  chaplains  thought  they  could  accomplish  these  tasks. 
The  few  who  could  not  returned  to  their  home  churches 

Accommodating  the  requirements  of  various  faith  groups  in  the  military  was  not  always  a 
simple  matter  of  cooperation  For  years  Jewish  soldiers,  many  from  the  Reserve  Components,  had 
sought  permission  to  wear  the  yarmelke  (cap  on  the  crown  of  the  head)  with  their  military  uniforms 
as  a  mark  of  reverence  for  God.  Likewise,  soldiers  of  the  Sikh  faith  asked  permission  to  wear 
turbans,  long  hair,  beards,  and  to  carry  sacred  daggers  as  required  by  their  religion.'*^ 

After  a  Congressional  study  of  two  years,  monitored  careflilly  by  Chaplain  Ford  G'  Segner 
in  the  Office  of  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff"  for  Personnel  and  by  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains, 
both  the  U.S.  Senate  and  the  US.  House  of  Representatives  passed  legislation  in  January  and  in 
February,  1987,  which  permitted  the  wear  of  "items  of  apparel  not  part  of  the  official  uniform.  "^^  The 
conditions  imposed  required  that  the  article  of  apparel  be  "neat,  conservative,  and  not  interfere  with 
the  performance  of  a  member's  military  duties."  Chaplain  William  Hufham,  PPDT,  advised  the  other 
members  of  the  Chiefs  staff  that  such  legislation  would  possibly  permit  the  wearing  of  yarmelkes  but 
not  turbans.'" 

Accommodating  religious  practices,  whether  involving  the  uniform,  dietary  restrictions,  holy 
days,  sites  and  times  for  worship,  medical  or  burial  requirements,  or  other  matters  was  largely  a 
command  decision,  with  chaplains  as  advisors  to  the  commander.  Such  advice  presupposed  some 
knowledge  of  various  denominations  and  world  religions,  so  the  Chaplain  School  reinstituted  a  course 
in  World  Religions  (which  had  not  been  offered  for  several  years)  for  chaplains  in  the  Basic  and 
Advance  courses.  Likewise,  various  manuals  and  training  materials  on  the  practices  of  various 
religious  groups  were  provided  to  chaplains  and  to  senior  chaplain  assistants."** 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


244  THE  EIMERTSON  YEARS 


Such  a  response  was  timely,  for  in  1987  the  Buddhist  Churches  of  America  became  the  first 
faith  group  outside  the  Judeo-Christian  tradition  to  be  recognized  as  an  endorsing  agency  for  military 
chaplains/'  Other  faith  groups  also  indicated  an  interest  in  placing  chaplains  in  the  military — The 
Church  of  Ancient  Wisdom,  The  Universal  Life  Church,  The  Hare  Krishnas,  the  B'hai,  The  Center 
for  the  Study  of  Islam,  and  the  Echankar  among  them/*  Chaplain  Hugh  Grubb,  Director  of  Personnel 
at  the  Chiefs  Office,  reported  that  he  would  have  to  ask  for  more  codes  for  denominations  in  order 
to  keep  an  accurate  record  of  all  the  faith  groups  represented  in  the  Chaplaincy/' 


Struggling  for  Balance: 
Spaces  and  Faces 

In  mid-January  1987,  Chaplain  Gary  Bowker,  Director  of  PPDT,  advised  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  that  the  Department  of  the  Army  would  be  seeking  significant  reductions  in  personnel 
authorizations,  especially  in  TDA  positions/"  U.S.  Army  Personnel  Command  would  seek  to  apply 
a  1 5%  reduction  in  every  branch,  which  in  the  Chaplaincy  would  result  in  a  loss  of  86  chaplain  slots 
Armywide.  Chaplain  Charles  McDonnell,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  arranged  to  meet  with 
General  Maxwell  Thurman,  Vice  Chief  of  Staff,  on  10  March  to  discuss  the  reductions.  Chaplain 
James  Robnolt,  an  action  officer  fi^om  PPDT,  prepared  a  list  of  TD A/TOE  spaces  for  consideration.^' 

In  fact,  as  Chaplain  Einertson  later  reported,  the  collapse  of  the  Soviet  Union  had  been 
foreseen  and  the  Army  was  already  preparing  for  reductions  to  include  between  one  and  six  per  cent 
of  the  officer  strength."  Chaplain  Hugh  Grubb,  Director  of  PER,  observed  that  the  Chaplain  Corps 
was  always  "ducking  bullets"  on  space  reductions  because  PERSCOM  always  started  their  action 
with  the  assumption  that  small  branches,  such  as  the  Chaplain  Corps,  could  afford  the  same 
percentage  cuts  as  larger  branches." 

On  3  April,  General  Thurman  asked  the  Chaplaincy  to  prepare  a  force  structure  analysis  and 
audit  of  chaplain  positions.  Chaplain  Robnolt  had  developed  a  data  base  of  692  total  TDA  chaplain 
authorizations  which  revealed  that,  of  the  692  positions,  only  one  location  reflected  an  overstructure: 
the  garrison  in  Stuttgart,  West  Germany."  Chaplain  Einertson  concluded  in  a  memorandum  for 
General  Thurman  that  "it  is  impossible  to  identify  86  chaplain  spaces  for  elimination  and  not  adversely 
affect  mission  support  requirements.  These  86  spaces  represent  6%  of  the  Chaplaincy  authorizations 
and  (if  lost  would)  remove  wartime  and  peacetime  mission  capability."" 

A  week  after  Chaplain  Einertson's  response,  the  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army,  reduced  the 
spaces  to  be  eliminated  in  the  Chaplaincy  from  86  to  54,  and  spread  out  the  reduction  over  two  or 
more  years.  Chaplain  G.  H.  Pingel,  PPDT,  working  with  Chaplain  Robnolt,  noted  that  the  reductions 
for  the  first  two  years  were  "theoretically"  paid  by  a  1%  decrease  the  first  year  and  a  2%  decrease  the 
second  year.'*  Chaplain  Einertson  expressed  his  thanks  to  Chaplain  Robnolt  "for  the  monumental 
job"  he  did  in  helping  to  assure  adequate  chaplain  spaces." 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 245 

The  Catholic  Problem:  Shortage  of  Priests 

An  associated  personnel  issue,  though  involving  recruitment  and  retention  rather  than  the  size 
of  the  force  structure,  deah  with  the  shortage  of  Roman  Catholic  chaplains  in  the  Army  In  July  of 
1987  the  estimated  need  for  Catholic  chaplains  was  548,  of  the  1500  force  strength.  Yet  there  were 
only  222  Catholic  chaplains  on  active  duty,  leaving  a  shortfall  of  326,  or  60%.'*  "Because  of  the 
shortage,  priests  must  work  longer  hours  and  sometimes  travel  extensively  from  post  to  post  to 
provide  wide-area  coverage,"  Chaplain  McDonnell  observed.  "This  puts  a  burden  on  the  server  and 
the  served. "'' 

The  shortage  of  Catholic  chaplains  in  the  Army  was  only  a  part  of  the  shortage  of  Catholic 
clergy  in  the  United  States.  Some  analysts  argued  that  the  root  causes  were  the  celibacy  requirement 
for  priests,  the  over-worked  condition  of  most  priests  in  parishes,  and  the  decline  in  religious 
vocations  in  a  "secularized"  America.  In  fact,  in  the  late  1980s,  most  "mainline"  Protestant  seminaries 
showed  a  marked  decline  in  male  applicants  as  well.  The  shortfall  of  male  clergy  in  some  Protestant 
churches  was  masked  by  an  increase  in  applications  by  women  who  wished  to  study  theology  and 
enter  the  ministry.  Since  this  was  not  an  option  in  the  Catholic  Church,  the  shortage  of  priests 
appeared  in  even  greater  contrast. 

Whatever  the  causes,  the  shortage  of  priests  was  of  major  concern  to  the  Army  in  1987  There 
were  an  estimated  475,000  Catholic  soldiers  and  family  members  being  supported  by  222  priests,  a 
ratio  of  2,100  per  chaplain.  The  Navy  at  the  same  time  had  a  shortfall  of  142  Catholic  chaplains  and 
a  similar  ratio  of  2, 100  parishioners  per  chaplain  The  Air  Force  in  1987  was  short  59  with  a  ratio 
of  1,800  to  1.*" 

At  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  a  number  of  experiments  were  proposed  to  help 
alleviate  the  shortage.  Chaplain  Jack  Raising  and  Chaplain  Philip  Thoni  were  able  to  get  publicity 
in  the  National  Catholic  Reporter  and  in  The  Catholic  Review  for  a  program  which  required  only  two 
years  of  active  service  before  the  priest  could  return  to  his  diocese  as  a  Reservist.*'  Another  initiative 
called  for  the  recruitment  of  priests  up  to  age  50  (as  opposed  to  a  cutoff  at  age  42  by  the  Air  Force 
and  55  by  the  Navy  )  There  was  a  proposal  (by  Chaplain  McDonnell)  to  recruit  non-ordained 
seminarians  and  then  return  them  to  their  bishops."  There  was  even  a  proposal,  somewhat  tangential, 
to  add  warrant  officers  to  the  Chaplain  Corps  to  help  with  counseling  and  other  "para-ministerial" 
duties.  This  latter  idea  was  discarded  when  it  was  learned  that  chaplain  slots  would  have  to  be  used 
for  the  assignment  of  warrant  officers." 

The  most  productive  approach,  over  time,  was  personal  contact  with  eligible  priests  and  their 
bishops.  One  bishop  in  Rhode  Island  had  allowed  five  of  his  priests  to  serve  on  active  duty  and  two 
others  to  serve  in  the  Reserves.  A  number  of  Irish  and  Filipino  priests,  some  studying  or  teaching  in 
seminaries,  also  responded  to  the  call  from  the  Army  Unfortunately,  in  spite  of  all  efforts,  including 
a  trip  to  appeal  to  Pope  John  Paul  II  by  Chaplain  McDonnell,  the  numbers  of  Catholic  chaplains 
continued  to  decline.*'' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


246  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


The  Protestant  Problem:   Proper  Identification 

In  the  1980s  the  Chaplaincy  was  also  faced  with  demands  from  some  Protestant  chaplains, 
but  more  often  parish  councils,  that  they  be  recognized  as  a  faith  group  distinctive  from  others  under 
the  over-all  "Protestant"  designation/"'  The  traditional  solution  to  Protestant  worship  for  more  than 
40  years  had  been  the  "General  Protestant"  or  "Collective  Protestant"  service.  More  and  more 
soldiers  from  evangelical  and  charismatic  faiths,  from  particular  ethnic  groups,  and  from  Episcopal 
and  Orthodox  traditions,  demanded  their  own  worship  services  and,  at  times,  their  own  separate 
denominational  fund  accounts '"''  Scheduling  and  supporting  these  without  favoritism  became  a 
problem  even  as  Chaplain  James  Edgren  began  to  revise  AR  165-1,  the  basic  regulation  for  the 
Chaplaincy  which  dealt  with  such  matters. 

As  eariy  as  14  January,  1987,  Chaplain  Rodger  Venzke,  the  Chiefs  Executive  Officer, 
requested  that  the  directors  review  the  term  "Collective  Protestant  Worship  "''^  Chaplain  Grubb 
reflected  that  neither  "Collective"  nor  "General"  were  popular  adjectives ''''  Chaplain  Robnoit, 
tongue-in-cheek,  said  he  had  never  met  a  Collective  Protestant  and  did  not  wonder  that  most  people 
questioned  why  the  service  was  so  named.  The  "Faith  Balance  Rule"  used  by  PER  for  assigning 
chaplains  to  installations,  where  possible,  called  for  Catholic  coverage,  Jewish  chaplain  "availability," 
and  the  assignment  of  conservative  and  liturgical  Protestants  and  Orthodox  priests.  The  terms 
"conservative"  and  "liturgical"  in  the  field  were  quickly  translated  "adult-only  baptizers,"  and  "baby- 
baptizers"  for  practical  purposes 

At  the  end  of  1987  Chaplain  Edgren  published  the  Chiefs  policy  guidance  for  the 
denominational  issues: 

1.  To  protect  and  enhance  the  free  exercise  rights  of  soldiers  and  family  members,  all 
"distinctive  faith  groups"  have  equal  claim  upon  Chaplaincy  services. 

2.  Religious  groups  desiring  to  worship  separately  in  denominational  services  may  be 
viewed  as  distinctive  faith  groups  and  should  receive  an  equitable  share  of  resources, 
including  appropriated  funds. 

3.  These  issues  will  be  fiirther  clarified  in  AR  165-1  to  be  published  in  FY  88.*' 

In  many  chapels  around  the  world  "Collective"  and  "General"  Protestant  services  were  advertised 
simply  as  "Protestant"  worship    Denominational  services  were  then  advertised  separately. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 247 

Other  Identity  Issues 

With  the  "explosion"  of  distinctive  faith  groups  and  other  than  Judeo-Christian  religions  in 
the  military,  the  Armed  Forces  Chaplain  Board  (AFCB)  in  May  of  1987  requested  ideas  from  the 
three  services  with  regard  to  a  "third  insignia"  for  newly  accessioned  chaplains  who  were  neither 
Christian  nor  Jewish  ™  The  request  soon  added  a  joint  dimension:  Could  there  be  an  insignia  which 
Army,  Navy,  Marine,  Coast  Guard,  and  Air  Force  personnel  would  recognize  as  signifying  a  chaplain 
regardless  of  the  chaplain's  denomination?'''  Otherwise,  with  the  number  of  religious  faiths  in  the 
world,  military  personnel  would  need  a  published  "guide  for  chaplain  insignia,"  along  the  lines  of  "a 
birdwatcher's  handbook,"  as  Chaplain  Grubb  termed  it'" 

At  first  there  were  all  sorts  of  symbols  proposed  to  the  AFCB  Personnel  Advisory  Group 
There  were  flames  of  fire,  symbols  of  chapels,  the  sun's  rays,  an  open  book,  and  praying  hands 
Perhaps  the  most  practical  was  a  suggestion  that  each  chaplain  be  allowed  to  print  "CHAPLAIN"  on 
his  or  her  name  tags  and  tapes/^ 

Eventually  the  suggestions  were  returned  to  the  Army,  Navy  and  Air  Force  Chiefs  of 
Chaplains.  Since  in  1987  there  were  no  chaplains  on  duty  who  were  not  either  Christian  or  Jewish, 
the  issue  was  left  to  the  services  to  consider  when  appropriate.'^ 

Finally,  in  the  United  States  Army  Reserve  all  Civil  Affairs  chaplain  titles  were  changed  to 
"Religious  Relations  Officer."  Affecting  approximately  thirty  USAR  chaplains,  the  change  signaled 
a  "branch  immaterial"  approach  to  the  positions.  Many  chaplains  serving  in  Civil  Affairs  units  had 
performed  direct  religious  support  for  their  soldiers,  but  some  had  fianctioned  primarily  as  experts  in 
indigenous  religions  in  order  to  advise  commanders  about  the  effect  of  religion  on  missions  in  the  area 
of  operations.  The  change  in  title  did  not  result  immediately  in  the  transfer  of  chaplains  out  of  those 
positions,  but  it  did  make  possible  the  assignment  of  an  officer,  other  than  a  chaplain,  as  a  Religious 
Relations  expert." 


Continued  Attention  to  Training 

At  the  Command  Chaplain's  Conference  in  mid-July,  General  Carl  Vuono,  the  new  Chief  of 
Staff"  of  the  Army,  was  the  featured  speaker.  Chaplain  Einertson's  goals  for  the  Chaplaincy  in  1987, 
"The  Year  of  the  Constitution,"  centered  (as  ever)  on  ministry  to  soldiers.  As  implementing  goals 
Chaplain  Einertson  wanted  to  highlight  the  training  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  to  "minister 
during  the  drawdown,"  construction  of  new  worship  and  religious  educational  facilities,  and  the 
efficient  management  of  personnel  and  materiel  resources.'* 

Certainly  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  there  was  a  tremendous  emphasis  on  training  for  ministry,  as 
there  had  been  for  a  decade — emphasis  on  everything  from  computer  skills  to  survival  on  the 
battlefield  In  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Office,  Chaplain  James  Edgren  and  Chaplain  Louis  R.  Trebus 
from  IRML  monitored  training  in  the  Chaplain  Activity  Religious  Support  System  (CARSS),  in 
electronic  mail,  and  in  other  automated  systems,  not  only  in  the  United  States  but  also  in  Europe, 
Korea,  Japan,  Hawaii  and  Alaska."    At  the  National  Training  Center,  Ft  Irwin,  Chaplain  Richard 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


248  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


Whaley  sent  progress  reports  to  the  Chiefs  Office  and  to  the  Combat  Developments  Directorate  at 
the  Chaplain  School  on  the  performance  of  unit  ministry  teams  in  training  for  desert  warfare/'* 
Chaplain  Cliff  Weathers,  Director  of  PPDT  in  September,  sent  Chaplain  Whaley's  observations  to  all 
MACOM  Chaplains'*  As  an  extension  of  this  type  of  ministry  to  those  who  must  learn  to  survive, 
a  chaplain  also  was  assigned  as  an  observer  at  the  Joint  Readiness  Training  Center,  Ft.  Chaffee, 
Arkansas,  in  1987.*" 

At  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  School,  training,  plans  for  training,  and  the  production  of  training 
materials  continued  with  imagination  and  energy.  In  the  spring  and  summer  of  1 987,  Chaplain  John 
Scott,  Assistant  Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  appointed  a  committee  to  revise 
the  curriculum  and  organization  of  the  Advance  Course  (C22)  to  permit  small  group  instruction. 
Following  a  TRADOC  Mandate,  Chaplains  Robert  Vickers,  Jerry  Malone,  John  Patrick,  Harvey 
Brown,  John  Brinsfield,  and  Major  Al  Swilley  from  the  Military  Skills  Division  of  DTD,  examined 
every  block  of  instruction  and  then  reconfigured  the  Advance  Course  (C22)  curriculum  for  the 
Commandant's  approval.*'  Chaplain  Charles  T  Clanton,  Commandant  since  September  of  1986, 
approved  the  concept  and  the  appointment  of  Chaplain  Jerry  Malone  to  be  the  C22  Course  Director. 
Virtually  everyone  at  the  School,  students  and  faculty  alike,  thought  the  small  group  model  was  a  vast 
improvement  over  large  group  instruction. 

In  the  Unit  and  Individual  Training  Division,  Directorate  of  Training  and  Doctrine,  Chaplain 
Peter  Telencio,  a  veteran  of  the  Grenada  operation  in  1983,  and  Mrs.  Christine  Hunt,  assigned  to  the 
Analysis  Branch  as  an  analyst,  supervised  planning  for  a  Task  Review  Board  for  chaplain  and  chaplain 
assistant  tasks.*-  SFC  Elmer  Castro  and  SFC  Richard  Geiger  took  the  lead  in  UITD  in  collecting  and 
developing  chaplain  assistant  tasks  for  the  board's  consideration 

The  production  and  distribution  of  training  materials  from  the  Directorate  of  Training  and 
Doctrine  at  USACHCS  in  1987  likewise  continued  at  a  lively  pace.  Chaplain  Tom  Carroll,  Director 
of  DOTD,  monitored  the  production  of  military  qualifications  standards  manuals,  soldiers  manuals, 
job  books,  field  manuals  and  reference  books  from  the  Unit  and  Individual  Training  Division. 
Materials  for  non-resident  instruction,  frequently  distributed  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Frank 
Spang  in  DOTD,  made  important  contributions  to  Reserve  Component  UMT  readiness  by  fielding 
doctrinally-based  training  materials.*' 


Standardized  Designs  for  Army  Chapels*^ 

"On  J  July  1987,  Mr.  John  Baer  from  IRML  announced  that  the  Department  of  the  Army 
Standardization  Committee  had  approved  the  model  of  standards  for  unit  chapels.  " 

Chief  of  Chaplains  Staff  Minutes,  July  1987 

Prior  to  the  mobilization  for  World  War  II,  only  seventeen  of  the  160  Army  posts  in  the 
United  States  had  permanent  military  chapels.  As  a  result  of  the  mobilization,  604  temporary  wooden 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSQN  YEARS 249 

cantonment  chapels  were  hastily  erected.  Most  soldiers  remembered  them  as  their  churches  away 
from  home.  When  the  Vietnam  War  ended  in  1973,  over  a  third  (323  out  of  953  chapels  in  the 
inventory)  of  these  "temporary"  structures  continued  to  house  chapel  congregations  throughout  the 
Continental  (CONUS)  Army  A  total  "buyout,"  replacing  six  cantonment  chapels  per  year  at  the 
Army  standard  rate  of  two  percent  per  year  would  take  54  years. 

With  so  many  other  pressing  problems  facing  the  Army  in  the  1 970s,  replacing  old  chapels 
with  new  ones  was  not  a  high  priority  New  chapel  construction  lagged  as  military  construction. 
Army  (MCA)  dollars  were  dedicated  to  building  barracks  and  foreign  station  projects.  For  the 
twenty-year  period  prior  to  1987,  the  U.S.  Army  constructed  an  average  of  approximately  two  new 
chapels  per  year  That  average  slipped  to  less  than  one  per  year  during  the  Reagan  years.  The  old 
wooden  cantonment  chapels  with  a  single,  one-toilet  latrine,  no  hot  water,  the  absence  of  religious 
education  classrooms,  and  a  lack  of  fellowship  space  failed  to  meet  congregational  and  family  needs 

Other  important  changes  in  American  religion  impacted  on  the  Army's  chapel  communities. 
Less  than  one  fourth  of  all  Army  chaplains  came  from  fiandamental,  evangelical,  or  conservative 
Protestant  denominations  in  the  early  1970s.  Fifteen  years  later  less  than  a  third  of  all  chaplains 
represented  Catholic  and  mainline  Protestant  faiths.  This  dramatic  flip-flop  reflected  the  steady 
decline  in  clergy,  membership,  and  interest  experienced  by  the  once  popular  mainline  churches. 
Besides  recruiting  and  retention  problems  for  personnel,  the  reversal  also  created  a  definite  need  for 
architectural  change  in  chapels,  for  few  had  immersion  baptistries,  central  pulpits,  or  adequate 
activities  rooms. 


The  Chapel  of  the  Year  Program 

To  address  these  trends  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  and  the  Chief  of  Engineers  announced  a 
"Chapel  of  the  Year"  (COTY)  Program.  It  granted  senior  chaplains  more  flexibility  in  defining 
religious  facility  needs  and  allowed  each  Major  Army  Command  (MACOM)  the  opportunity  to 
submit  project  nominations  to  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains. 

Usually  in  early  spring  a  board  met  to  select  two  nominations  for  COTY  designation.  Board 
members  consisted  of  senior  chaplains  and  representatives  for  the  Assistant  Chief  of  Engineers'  (ACE) 
and  DCSPER's  offices  COTY  projects  received  the  advantage  of  having  design  costs  assured  from 
ACE  fijnds,  but  they  still  required  congressional  authorization  and  appropriation  in  the  MCA  bill. 
The  first  COTYs  entered  the  MCA  process  in  FY  88  The  program  was  successfijl  in  raising 
awareness  of  chapel  needs  and  contributed  to  getting  eight  chapel  projects  flinded  from  FY  88 
through  FY  92 


Standardized  Designs 

During  the  mid-1970s  the  Army  established  criteria  for  designing  community-type  facilities. 
A  design  guide  for  chapels  was  completed  in  1 979  that  attempted  to  meet  the  newly  emerging  needs 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


250  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


of  military  congregations.  The  design  was  modernistic  with  a  tetrahedron  shape  (all  seven  built  had 
serious  roof  leaking  problems)  Few  people  liked  them  The  concept  may  have  been  a  good  idea, 
but  it  was  ahead  of  its  time  and  any  available  technology 

Chaplain  James  A.  Edgren,  who  served  as  Director  of  IRML  from  1985  through  1991, 
captured  the  good  ideas  from  the  1979  design  guide  and  modified  the  rest.  He  established  a  series 
of  standardized  designs  for  constructing  religious  facilities.  Chaplain  Edgren  represented  the  Chief 
of  Chaplains  in  the  Army  Facilities  Standardization  Program.  He  chaired  the  Chiefs  subcommittee 
on  standardized  designs  for  chapels,  and  coordinated  supporting  work  from  the  Architectural  and 
Programming  Branch  of  the  Headquarters,  Army  Corps  of  Engineers,  and  from  Ware  Associates,  a 
commercial  architectural  firm  in  Chicago  that  specialized  in  designing  churches. 

Chaplain  Edgren's  leadership  and  guidance  resulted  in  ten  definitive  standardized  facility 
designs,  including  two  sizes  of  large  Army  chapels,  two  sizes  of  small  chapels,  two  sizes  of  chapel 
family  life  centers,  three  types  of  religious  education  facilities,  and  interior  packages  for  each  type 
design.  His  foresight  set  a  precedent  for  the  entire  Army,  as  the  Chaplain  Corps  established  a  model 
for  the  complete  Army  standardization  program.  In  fact,  the  Corps  of  Engineers  made  a  training 
video  featuring  standardized  designs  of  religious  facilities  to  demonstrate  how  the  program  worked. 

Standard  designs  did  not  come  easy  One  problem  was  how  to  design  a  facility  capable  of 
meeting  the  religious  requirements  of  over  a  hundred  faith  groups  in  any  one  religious  building.  Even 
the  external  appearance  of  the  building  could  not  convey  preference  for  one  faith  over  another.  The 
new  Army  chapels  featured  a  pyramid  roof  line,  movable  interior  walls  for  maximum  configuration 
of  worship  arrangements,  fellowship  space  and  religious  education  classrooms.  In  their  work  each 
member  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Standard  Committee  for  Chapels  and  Religious  Education  Facilities 
considered  the  faith  requirements  of  a  very  wide  range  of  distinctive  faith  groups,  and  honestly 
attempted  to  provide  religious  facilities  that  would  make  it  possible  for  all  their  needs  and  practices 
to  be  accommodated 

Depending  on  the  interior  arrangement,  each  standard  Army  chapel  could  seat  from  200  to 
600  people.  The  two  small  chapel  designs  were  drawn  primarily  for  sites  outside  the  U.S.  and  for 
depots  in  CONUS  The  designs  for  chapel  family  life  centers  gave  commanders  a  place  for 
community  activities  as  well  as  for  religious  education.  Because  many  older  chapels  did  not  need 
replacing,  three  types  of  religious  education  additions  were  made  available  to  modernize  them. 

While  COTY  and  standardized  designs  assured  a  high  level  of  interest  in  chapel  construction, 
getting  individual  projects  through  all  the  hurdles  of  the  MCA  process  was  another  story.  Dedicated 
IRML  chaplains  worked  the  system.  They  spent  many  hours  performing  a  "ministry  of  presence"  at 
long  meetings  to  ensure  religious  facility  projects  were  not  canceled  or  delayed.  Their  eflFective 
negotiating  skills  and  intentional  staff  work  tracked  projects  from  MACOMs  through  Construction 
Requirements  Review  Committee  meetings  and  "murder  boards"  at  ACE,  HQDA  and  Department 
of  Defense  (DOD)  levels  to  Presidential  budget  and  Congressional  Committees. 

During  the  fiscal  years  1987  through  1993  the  overall  MCA  budget  declined  significantly. 
But  during  those  years,  as  a  result  of  the  combined  emphasis  of  the  COTY  program,  standardized 
designs,  and  superb  staff  work,  twenty-one  religious  facilities  were  fiinded  by  Congress,  more  than 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EirMERTSON  YEARS 25j^ 

twice  the  number  than  had  been  constructed  in  the  preceding  decade. 


The  United  States  Army 
Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency 

The  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Board  was  organized  at  Fort  Oglethorpe,  Georgia,  (near  the 
Chicamaga  National  Battlefield),  in  1945.  The  mission  of  the  Chaplain  Board,  which  shared  a 
building  with  the  Chaplain  School  at  Fort  Oglethorpe,  was  to  report  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  on  any 
matters  as  might  be  referred  to  it  for  the  improvement  of  the  chaplaincy  "' 

One  of  the  first  Board  projects  was  the  development  of  the  Character  Guidance  Instruction 

program,  complete  with  scripts  and  films,  to  support  the  moral  improvement  of  soldiers  In  its 
subsequent  forty-two  year  history  the  Board  undertook  a  number  of  other  projects  for  the  Chief  of 

Chaplains  to  enhance  ministry  in  the  Army.     Among  these  were  family  life  programs,  parish 

development,  homiletics  workshops,  audio-visual  resource  production  and  procurement,  religious 

education,  Roman  Catholic  chaplain  recruitment,  chaplain  assistant  training  workshops,  multicuhural 

religious  education,  and  the  publication  of  the  Military  Chaplains  Review.^'' 

In  late  1987  Chaplain  Norris  Einertson  made  the  decision  to  redesignate  the  Chaplain  Board 

as  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency  and  to  move  it  from  Fort  Monmouth,  N  J  , 

where  it  had  been  located  for  almost  seven  years,  to  Washington,  DC    In  a  letter  to  the  Director  of 

the  Army  Staff,  Chaplain  Einertson  said: 

I  propose  to  restructure  the  agency  to  respond  more  efficiently  to  my  mission 
requirements  by  relocation  and  reorganization.  The  restructured  agency  is  to  be  more 
responsive  to  soldier  and  family  needs  ...  to  streamline  proponent  issues  ...  and  to 
focus  on  future  issues.^' 

Chaplain  Einertson's  proposal  was  approved  by  the  Army  Chief  of  Staff  and  on  1  December  1987  the 
U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency  was  activated  by  General  Orders  Number  70  as  a 
Field  Operating  Agency  of  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.^* 

The  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Chaplain  McDonnell,  was  named  Director  of  the  newly 
established  Agency  Chaplain  John  Hoogland,  the  former  President  of  the  Chaplain  Board,  was 
named  the  Deputy  Director  and  charged  with  supervising  the  day-to-day  operations.  Seven  chaplain 
positions  and  six  support  positions  were  included  in  the  new  organization.  The  major  functional  areas 
included  soldier  ministries.  Family  Life  Enrichment,  Religious  Education,  Proponent  Support, 
Homiletics  and  Journalism  Research,  Audio- Visual,  and  Recruitment.*'  In  March  of  1988  the  Agency 
moved  to  offices  on  K  Street  in  Washington,  DC.'" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


252  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


Serving  on  the  Edge  of  Freedom:" 

Ministry  in  the  Republic  of  Korea 

1986  -  1987 

Of  all  of  the  geographic  areas  of  interest  to  the  United  States  toward  the  "end"  of  the  Cold 
War,  none  appeared  more  challenging  than  that  of  the  Korean  border.  The  bulk  of  the  North  Korean 
ground  forces  were  deployed  well  forward,  65%  within  75  miles  of  the  demilitarized  zone  (DMZ). 
Less  than  4,000  meters  separated  U.S.  and  Republic  of  Korea  (ROK)  border  units  from  North  Korean 
troops.  Numerically  the  North  Koreans  could  count  850,000  soldiers,  3,000  tanks,  5,000  artillery 
tubes,  2,000  multiple  rocket  launchers,  and  the  world's  largest,  most  capable  special  operations  units 
in  their  offensive  inventory.''^  North  Korea  had  expended  20%  of  its  annual  gross  national  product 
for  military  purposes  since  1970  and  possessed  the  third  largest  army  in  the  Communist  world. '^ 

Opposing  this  threat  were  approximately  600,000  US  and  ROK  soldiers  reinforced,  as 
needed,  by  the  25th  Infantry  Division  from  Hawaii  and  other  units  from  Japan,  Alaska,  and  Fort 
Lewis,  Washington.  The  annual  "Team  Spirit"  deployments  to  Korea  in  1986-1987  were  the  largest 
Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff — directed  Field  Training  Exercises  (FTX)  in  the  world.  More  than  53,000  U.S. 
Army;  26,000  U.S.  Navy;  23,000  U.S.  Marine  Corps,  and  32,000  U.S.  Air  Force  personnel 
participated  in  the  joint  exercises.  For  the  first  time  in  1987  a  complete  U.S.  Marine  Amphibious 
Brigade,  including  the  command  group,  trained  with  ROK  forces — the  2d  ROK  Marine 
Division — and  with  the  soldiers  of  the  2d  Infantry  Division,  US.  Army.^^ 

Religious  support  for  thousands  of  these  soldiers,  both  those  stationed  in  Korea  and  those 
participating  in  exercises,  was  comprehensive  and  inspirational.  There  were  so  many  worship 
services,  retreats,  and  counseling  services  provided  by  the  55  chaplains,  60  chaplain  assistants,  and 
volunteer  lay  leaders  that  Chaplain  Wesley  V.  Geary,  the  Eighth  Army  Staff  Chaplain,  found  it  a 
challenge  just  to  keep  count  of  the  total  number  of  soldiers  served  In  his  1987  annual  historical 
report.  Chaplain  Geary  could  truthfully  list  the  following  achievements  in  soldier  ministries: 

1.  In  1987  more  than  372,321  people  worshiped  in  US  Forces  Korea  chaplain-led 
religious  services.  On  any  given  weekend  approximately  165  services  were  conducted 
with  a  total  estimated  attendance  of  6,800.^^  The  USFK  Family  Life  Center  in 
Hannam  Village,  Yongsan,  provided  services  for  more  than  300  family  members  on 
a  regular  basis. 

2.  Total  religious  education  attendance  for  1987  was  159,648  throughout  U.S.  Forces 
Korea  and  Eighth  Army.  Eighty-five  per  cent  of  the  religious  education  classes  were 
held  in  or  near  Seoul  and  Taegu.'* 

3.  Pastoral  counseling  cases  reported  by  all  chaplains  totaled  22,163. 

4.  Some  37,000  military  personnel  and  invited  guests  used  the  Eighth  Army  Religious 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 253 

Retreat  Center,  a  23%  increase  over  1986.  These  figures  included  soldiers  from 
Hawaii  deployed  on  "Team  Spirit,"  and  one  day,  "Duty  Day  with  God"  retreats 
implemented  by  the  2d  ID  unit  ministry  teams. 

5.  The  EUSA  Family  Life  Center  in  Yongsan  counseled  859  people  in  1987.  This  low 
figure  represented  the  success  of  many  unit  ministry  team  programs  implemented  in 
the  division  and  brigades  to  help  soldiers  cope  with  stress,  family  separation,  and 
other  personal  issues.  Chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  also  offered  suicide 
prevention,  assertiveness  training,  and  bilingual  and  cross-cultural  marriage  programs 
which  paid  big  dividends  for  soldier,  family,  and  unit  cohesion  and  readiness. 

6.  A  new  South  Post  Chapel  at  Yongsan,  built  at  a  cost  of  1 .9  million  dollars,  with  a 
seating  capacity  of  650  people  was  dedicated  on  27  September  1987. 

7.  The  U.S.  Forces  Korea  chaplains  in  1987  participated  in  the  first  Joint  Training 
Conference  for  chaplains  in  the  Pacific  Basin.  Some  50  Army,  1 5  Air  Force,  and  4 
Navy  (3  serving  with  Marines)  attended. **' 

Obviously  the  ministry  to  military  personnel  in  Korea  was  impressive,  especially  the  ministries 
of  "presence"  by  unit  ministry  teams  at  each  site.  Given  the  figures  in  Chaplain  Geary's  report,  each 
of  the  55  military  chaplains  in  USFK  ministered  to  an  average  of  200  different  soldiers  in  three 
worship  services,  eight  counseling  sessions,  one  religious  education  or  Bible  study  class,  and 
countless  brief  retreats,  unit  and  hospital  visitations,  moral  leadership  classes  and  staff  meetings  each 
day.  The  effect  of  these  unit  ministry  team  programs  for  soldiers,  as  well  as  the  impact  of  chaplain 
and  soldier  support  for  orphanages  and  other  charitable  projects  for  the  Korean  people,  was  hard  to 
measure.  At  the  least,  the  religious  support  efforts  by  the  unit  ministry  teams  in  Korea  in  1 987 
showed  the  largest  growth  in  soldier  and  family  attendance  in  40  years  both  in  worship  and  retreat 
center  activities  In  a  study  conducted  the  same  year  of  soldier  awareness  of  religious  support 
personnel  and  programs  available  for  them,  approximately  seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  soldier/family 
respondents  had  knowledge  of,  or  personal  experience  with,  the  services  provided  by  their  unit 
ministry  teams. '^ 


RufTles  and  Flourishes 

Toward  the  end  of  1987  Ms.  Jessica  Harding,  the  Public  Affairs  OfBcer  in  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  Office,  listed  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  who  had  been  recognized  for  outstanding 
achievements  in  ministry  during  the  year  in  her  PAO  file.  Ms.  Harding  did  not  intend  to  exclude  the 
hundreds  of  unit  ministry  teams  whose  ministries  were  outstanding  in  every  respect  throughout  the 
Army  She  simply  collected  and  saved,  for  the  historical  record,  the  press  releases  and  news  clippings 
regarding  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  whose  service  had  been  reported  in  the  media.  The  list 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


254  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


gives  an  interesting  snapshot  of  the  many  talents  which  chaplains  possessed  and  dedicated  in  their 
lives  of  service  for  God,  for  Country,  and  for  soldiers 


Historical  Achievements 

1.  The  year  1987  was  officially  designated  "The  Year  of  the  Constitution"  because  it 
marked  the  200th  anniversary  of  the  signing  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
the  oldest  democratic  constitution  in  the  world  and  the  document  which  every  soldier 
swore  to  defend  and  protect  upon  entry  into  military  service.  It  was  and  is  the  legal 
guarantor  of  basic  human  rights  for  all  Americans  including  the  right  to  worship 
freely,  to  publish  freely,  to  speak  freely,  to  live  in  a  society  of  law,  to  be  liberated  from 
any  threat  of  tyranny  or  slavery,  and  to  vote,  to  petition,  to  assemble,  to  hold  office, 
and  to  possess  the  blessings  of  liberty  without  fear  of  usurpation  by  any  sovereign 
power.  In  celebration  of  this  commemoration  and  of  the  values  implanted  within  the 
U.S.  Constitution,  the  United  States  Commission  on  the  Bicentennial  of  the  U.S. 
Constitution  in  1987  established  a  series  of  ceremonial  events  and  a  number  of  awards 
for  individuals  making  noteworthy  contributions  in  support  of  this  national 
observance.  One  of  these  national  awards  went  to  Chaplain  William  Noble,  U.S.  Army 
Chaplain  Board,  Editor  of  the  Military  Chaplains  Review,  for  the  Fall  1987  issue  of 
the  MCR  Chaplain  Noble's  work  in  creating  an  outstanding  anthology  of  articles  on 
the  relationship  between  religion,  government,  the  Chaplaincy  and  the  Constitution 
for  wide  dissemination  earned  him  a  well-deserved  award.  A  copy  of  the  Fall  1987 
issue  of  the  MHilary  Chaplains'Review  ,  subtitled  "The  Constitution,"  was  placed  in 
the  Archives  of  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Corps 

2.  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield,  Chief,  Unit  and  Individual  Training  Division,  Directorate  of 
Training  and  Doctrine,  USACHCS,  was  presented  the  TRADOC  Commander's 
Award  for  Outstanding  Contributions  to  the  Bicentennial  of  the  U.S.  Constitution. 
Chaplain  Brinsfield  wrote  two  articles  and  gave  five  addresses  on  the  free  exercise  of 
religion  and  the  history  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  for  each  of  the  CONUSA  Chaplain 
Training  Conferences,  which  hosted  more  than  1,500  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants 
throughout  the  United  States. 

3.  Chaplain  Robert  G.  Garrett  coordinated  a  rededication  ceremony  for  the  Memorial 
Chapel  at  Fort  Eustis,  Virginia.  The  Transportation  Corps  thereby  became  the  first 
regiment,  under  the  Army's  regimental  system,  to  record  a  Regimental  Memorial 
Chapel  with  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.** 

4.  Chaplain  Lawrence  E.  Hayworth,  former  Red  River  Army  Depot  Staff  Chaplain, 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 255 

dedicated  the  Veterans  Honor  Park  at  that  Texas  installation.  In  his  keynote  address. 
Chaplain  Hayworth  honored  all  veterans  especially  the  POWs  and  MIAs  who  served 
their  country.'"" 

5.  In  a  special  article  on  Afro- American  Chaplains  during  February,  Black  History 

Month,  Chaplain  John  Allen  DeVeaux  and  Chaplain  John  A.  DeVeaux,  Jr.,  were 
honored  for  their  service  as  father  and  son  chaplains  in  the  Corps.  Chaplain  John  A. 
DeVeaux,  Jr.,  was  the  first  black  Corps  and  MACOM  Chaplain  in  the  history  of  the 
Chaplaincy.'"' 


Pastoral  and  Soldier  Ministry  Awards 

1.  Chaplain  Wesley  V.  Geary,  Staff  Chaplain,  Eighth  Army,  Korea,  received  the  Roy 
Wilkins  Meritorious  Service  Award  given  by  the  NAACP.  He  was  cited  for  devoting 
his  ministry  of  24  years  to  soldiers  and  families  and  for  resolving  racial  tensions  in  the 
Army  in  the  1970s. '"^ 

2.  Chaplain  Vance  P  Theodore  and  Specialist  Dwayne  L.  Charlton  were  honored  as  the 
UMT  of  the  year  by  Chaplain  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman,  the  FORSCOM  Staff 
Chaplain,  for  their  ministry  to  soldiers  and  family  members  at  Fort  Ord.  Chaplain 
Theodore  and  Specialist  Charlton  collected  more  than  $22,000.00  and  provided  meals 
and  gifts  for  more  than  700  needy  soldiers  families  during  the  1986  Christmas 
season  '"^ 

3.  Chaplain  Fred  L  Maddox,  Eisenhower  Army  Medical  Center,  Augusta,  Georgia,  was 
honored  for  the  Staff  Chaplain's  Program  in  Drug  and  Alcohol  Abuse  Prevention.  Of 
the  612  soldiers  and  297  spouses  treated  at  Eisenhower  AMC  in  this  program,  71% 
returned  to  full  duty  status.  Chaplain  James  Robnolt,  from  PPDT,  paid  special  tribute 
to  Chaplain  Maddox  and  his  staff  for  establishing  a  spiritual  "role  relationship"  with 
the  patients  which  helped  lead  to  their  recovery.'"'' 

4.  CSM  James  J.  Schonefeld,  US.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  Ft.  Monmouth, 
received  a  Great  American  Family  Award  for  1987  for  volunteer  help  during  blood 
drives,  food  basket  drives,  and  retiree  support.  CSM  Schonefeld  and  his  family 
exemplified  the  principles  of  "going  the  extra  mile"  to  help  the  Army  "take  care  of  its 
own."'"' 

Certainly  there  were  many  other  honors  which  could  have  been  mentioned  as  well  as 
transitions  during  the  year  1987.'"*  In  tribute  not  only  to  the  hundreds  of  unnamed  unit  ministry 
teams  whose  selfless  service  helped  transform  the  lives  of  thousands  of  soldiers,  but  also  to  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


256  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


stalwart  leadership  of  Chaplain  Einertson  and  his  staff  in  a  year  of  controversy  over  many  essential 
issues.  Chaplain  Richard  Martin,  former  USAREUR  Chaplain,  wrote; 

Leadership  is  not  an  automatic  response  to  external  forces.  It  is  a  hard,  reasoned,  planned 
process  of  thought  and  action,  of  personal  values  applied  to  organizational  challenges.  A 
worthy  goal  is  to  be  the  effective  leader  that  a  Chinese  philosopher  described,  "when  his  work 
was  done,  his  aim  fijlfilled,  the  people  will  say,  we  did  it  ourselves."'"' 


Hail  to  the  Chief 

One  award  just  before  Christmas  stood  above  the  rest  and  signaled  the  Department  of  the 
Army's  recognition  of,  and  respect  for,  the  work  of  the  Total  Chaplaincy.  On  December  1 6th  General 
Art  Brown,  Vice  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army,  awarded  Chaplain  Einertson  the  Distinguished  Service 
Medal  as  an  impact  award  for  his  exceptionally  meritorious  service  over  the  20-month  period  from 
December  1985  to  October  1987.'°*  Chaplain  Einertson's  achievements  as  Deputy  and  then  as  Chief 
of  Chaplains  reflected  the  hard  work  of  scores  of  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants,  and  Department  of 
the  Army  (DA)  civilians  in  the  common  effort  of  performing  and  providing  religious  support  to  the 
Army,"* 


Yankee  Go  Home:  Panama,  1988 

The  Republic  of  Panama,  edging  ever  closer  to  sovereign  control  of  the  Panama  Canal, 
presented  an  increasing  problem  for  the  United  States  government  and,  by  extension,  for  the  US 
Army  in  1988.  After  a  lengthy  investigation.  Central  Intelligence  Agency  sources  confirmed  that 
General  Manuel  Noriega  had  made  contact  with  leaders  of  several  drug  cartels  in  Colombia,  including 
Pablo  Escobar,  presumably  for  the  purpose  of  offering  Escobar  a  headquarters  site  in  Panama  to 
support  illegal  drug  trafficking.""  While  it  was  true  that  Noriega  had  been  an  informant  for  the  CIA 
earlier,  he  had  played  a  dualistic,  manipulative  role  in  taking  money  from  the  U.S.  as  well  as  from  the 
enemies  of  the  United  States  President  George  Bush  wanted  Noriega  removed  from  power  in 
Panama.  In  February  a  Federal  grand  jury  had  indicted  Noriega  for  drug  trafficking,  following  the 
testimony  of  some  of  his  former  associates  in  the  Panama  Defense  Force. '"  President  Bush,  a  former 
Director  of  the  CIA,  placed  economic  sanctions  on  Panama  which  gave  Noriega  the  opportunity  to 
blame  the  United  States  for  all  of  Panama's  economic  problems"' 

Life  was  not  easy  for  the  1 3,000  American  soldiers  and  family  members  in  Panama. ' "  Subject 
to  constant  harassment  by  the  native  press  and  by  Panamanians  on  the  street,  most  elected  to  remain 
on  the  US.  Army  installations  as  much  as  possible  After  12  years  of  existence  as  the  193rd  Infantry 
Brigade,  US  Army  South  (USARSO)  had  been  reactivated  as  a  major  command  in  Panama  on  4 
December  1986"*  The  new  joint  headquarters,  U.S.  Southern  Command  (U.S.  SOUTHCOM)  was 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 257 

located  at  Quarry  Heights  (Ancon  Hill)  overlooking  Panama  City.  Both  the  position  and  the  presence 
of  US  SOUTHCOM  rankled  Noriega  who  had  the  local  press  portray  American  soldiers  as  "AIDS 
carriers,  rapists,  and  alcoholics.""^ 

From  January  through  March  of  1988,  a  series  of  senior  chaplains  from  the  Chiefs  Office  and 
U.S.  Forces  Command  visited  Panama  to  offer  spiritual  encouragement  to  the  soldiers  and  to  gather 
information  on  the  developing  problems  in  the  country.  In  January  Chaplain  Quincy  Scott  from 
DACH  joined  Chaplain  Eduardo  Spragg,  Chaplain  of  the  193rd  Infantry  Brigade  and  Pastor  for  the 
Gospel  Service  at  Fort  Clayton,  in  a  service  commemorating  the  birthday  of  Dr.  Martin  Luther  King, 
Jr  In  the  third  week  of  February  Chaplain  Matthew  A  Zimmerman,  the  FORSCOM  Staff  Chaplain, 
led  a  revival  at  Fort  Clayton's  Gospel  Service  during  Black  History  Month  '"■ 

On  March  24,  distressed  by  the  reports  he  had  received  from  Panama  concerning  not  only  the 
anxiety  of  Americans  but  also  the  poverty  of  the  Panamanian  people.  Chaplain  Norris  Einertson  sent 
the  following  message  to  all  staff  chaplains  and  chaplain  ftind  custodians  woridwide. 

As  many  of  you  are  aware,  the  people  of  Panama  are  facing  a  severe  crisis  due 
to  the  deteriorating  economic  situation  within  that  country.  The  USARSO 
Chaplain  has  announced  an  assistance  program  to  provide  aid  for  families  in 
crisis.  As  Chief  of  Chaplains  I  extend  to  each  of  you  this  opportunity  to 
provide  assistance  to  these  needy  families.  I  would  recommend  the  use  of 
designated  offerings  for  this  purpose."^ 

In  July  of  1988  the  Army  Emergency  Relief  dedicated  some  of  its  campaign  funds  to  Panamanian 
relief  By  June  of  1990  Army  chapel  congregations  had  donated  a  total  of  $134,000.00  to  support 
humanitarian  relief  efforts  in  assisting  homeless  and  otherwise  disadvantaged  Panamanian  people."* 


Plans,  Issues  and  Decisions: 
Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 

At  the  same  time  Chaplain  Einertson  was  appealing  for  help  for  Panama,  his  staff  was  setting 
the  agendas  for  the  1988  Chiefs  Conferences.  Among  these  were  the  Command  Chaplain's 
Conference,  the  Mobilization  Conference,  the  Muhi-cultural  Conference,  and  a  new  addition:  the 
Trans-Cultural  Families  (TCF)  Conference  "' 

In  1987  Chaplain  Gary  Bowker,  Director  of  PPDT,  had  designed  a  study  by  Dr.  Gary  L. 
Bowen  and  Dr  Barbara  Janofsky  of  the  University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill  (called  Caliber 
Associates)  to  examine  "family  values  and  expectations  across  racial/ethnic  groups  and  rank"  among 
military  families.  The  goal  of  the  study,  which  was  published  in  January  of  1988,  was  to  assist 
chaplains  in  planning  for  ministry  to  military  families  of  mixed  cultural  and  ethnic  composition.  The 
study,  which  polled  1 74  Army  members  and  88  "civilian"  spouses,  concentrated  on  Hispanic,  Black 
and  White  racial/ethnic  groups  primarily  in  the  grades  of  El  to  E6  The  recommendation  of  the 
study,  to  use  a  Values-Behavior  Congruency  Model  of  Family  Adaptation  as  a  counseling  and 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


258  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


enrichment  tool  by  Army  chaplains  in  Family  Life  Centers,  would  be  explained  and  discussed  at  the 
TCF  Conference.'""  Mrs.  Ida  Butcher  of  PPDT  would  monitor  the  progress  of  these  plans. 

Among  the  many  agenda  items  for  the  Command  Chaplains'  Conference  in  July  was  the  final 
draft  of  AR  165-1  which  Chaplain  Edgren,  Director  of  IRML,  had  prepared.  This  revision  of  the 
Chaplain  Corps'  basic  regulation  was  critical  because  it  addressed  "core  issues"  such  as  priorities  for 
the  scheduling  of  worship  services,  the  duties  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants,  the  status  of 
chaplains  as  noncombatants,  and  the  moral  leadership  program's  concept  and  design.'^' 

The  retirement  of  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Israel  Drazin,  USAR,  Assistant  Chief  of 
Chaplains  for  Mobilization,  in  March  also  was  recognized.  Chaplain  Drazin  had  entered  active  duty 
in  March  of  1981  to  help  prepare  the  defense  for  Katcoff  vs.  Marsh,  the  lawsuit  challenging  the 
constitutionality  of  the  Chaplaincy.  Chaplain  Drazin  performed  many  other  duties  in  an  outstanding 
fashion.  Chaplain  Einertson  awarded  him  the  Legion  of  Merit  upon  his  retirement  and  return  to 
civilian  ministry  and  to  the  practice  of  law.' ^  Chaplain  Drazin  was  succeeded  by  Chaplain  (Brigadier 
General)  George  Field,  a  distinguished  educator,  clergyman,  and  Reserve  Component  Chaplain. 

Other  new  arrivals  in  the  OflBce  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  in  FY  88  included  Chaplain  Robert 
E.  Lair,  Jr  ,the  Reserve  Advisor;  Chaplain  Jerry  W  Black  in  PER,  Chaplain  Quincy  J.  Scott  in  PER; 
and  Chaplain  Frederick  C.  Smith,  the  Pentagon  Pastor.  Mrs.  Norma  J.  Turner,  one  of  the  key 
civilians  in  the  Chiefs  Office,  announced  her  impending  retirement  in  July.  Mrs.  Turner  completed 
38  years  of  service  to  the  Chaplaincy  during  the  terms  in  office  of  eleven  Chiefs  of  Chaplains.  As  a 
specialist  in  ecclesiastical  relations  she  was  a  major  part  of  the  "institutional  memory"  of  the  Chaplain 
Corps.'" 

Of  the  duties  which  the  members  of  the  Chiefs  staff"  performed  in  the  spring  of  1988,  perhaps 
none  was  so  extraordinary  as  the  symbolic  burial  service  Chaplain  John  J.  "Jack"  Kaising  performed 
at  Arlington  National  Cemetery  for  the  Family  of  William  F.  Buckley.  Mr.  Buckley,  the  Central 
Intelligence  Agency  station  chief  in  Beirut,  Lebanon,  was  kidnaped  on  16  March  1984  and  reportedly 
killed  on  3  June  1985  by  his  captors.  He  was  a  retired  Lieutenant  Colonel  in  the  Army  Reserve  and 
the  recipient  of  two  purple  hearts  and  two  silver  stars  for  service  in  Korea  and  Vietnam.'^'* 

On  Friday,  May  13,  Chaplain  Kaising  read  the  burial  service,  "Lord  hear  our  prayer:  Welcome 
our  brother  to  paradise  and  help  us  to  comfort  each  other  with  the  assurance  of  our  faith.  Give  him 
eternal  rest,  O  Lord,"''*  as  a  headstone  in  memorial  section  1  at  Arlington  was  dedicated  to  Buckley's 
memory  Among  the  many  distinguished  Americans  who  were  present  to  pay  their  respects  were 
Secretary  of  the  Army  John  O  Marsh;  Director  of  the  CIA,  William  H.  Webster;  Ms.  Peggy  Say, 
sister  of  hostage  Terry  Anderson;  and  Ambassador  Bruce  Laingen,  former  hostage  in  Iran. 
Lieutenant  Commander  William  Beck,  USNR,  who  served  with  Buckley  in  Vietnam,  said  that  "in 
Arlington  we  naturally  think  of  heroes.  Many  served  our  country  and  died,  but  few  served  our 
country  as  many  times  or  as  often  as  Buckley  "''*' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 259 

The  Timeless  Topics: 

Accommodating  Religious  Practices, 

Managing  Careers,  and  Building  Chapels 

In  the  weekly  staff  meeting  at  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office  on  19  August  1987,  Chaplain 
Rodger  Venzke,  the  Executive  OflBcer,  had  recommended  that  a  file  of  "timeless  topics"  be  set  up  so 
that  the  Chaplaincy  could  stop  "reinventing  the  wheel"  every  five  years.'''  As  the  author  of  the 
volume  of  Chaplain  Corps  history  which  spanned  the  30-year  period  after  World  War  II  (1945  - 
1975),  Chaplain  Venzke  was  well  qualified  to  make  that  recommendation.  Even  a  casual  survey  of 
Chaplain  Corps  archives  would  reveal  about  20  topics  which  kept  appearing  each  five  to  ten  years. 
Among  those  topics  were  the  constitutional-legal  basis  for  uniformed  chaplains  paid  by  the 
government,  the  justification  of  TDA  chaplain  (and  chaplain  assistant)  positions,  the 
consolidation/collocation  of  chaplain  schools  from  the  three  services,  and  a  wide  variety  of  questions 
concerning  pluralism,  facilitating  the  free  exercise  of  religion,  and  accommodating  religious  practices. 

One  example  of  a  "timeless"  and  recurring  issue  came  to  Chaplain  Einertson's  attention  early 
in  1988  On  February  3,  the  Department  of  Defense  published  DOD  Directive  1300  17  on  the 
accommodation  of  religious  practices  in  the  military.  In  paragraph  g(6)  the  Directive  indicated  that 
in  some  situations  "a  complete  prohibition  on  the  wearing  of  any  visible  items  of  religious  apparel  may 
be  appropriate  under  unique  circumstances"  which  included  "basic  and  initial"  military  training  when 
"absolute  uniformity  is  necessary  to  instill  military  discipline  and  indoctrinate  new  members  in  the 
requirements  of  military  service."'"* 

Chaplain  Einertson  was  opposed  to  the  complete  prohibition  on  the  wearing  of  religious 
apparel  by  basic  entry  soldiers  since  it  would  effectively  deny  Jewish  soldiers  the  right  to  wear  a 
yarmeike  (cap  on  the  crown  of  the  head)  and  thereby  discourage  the  inclusion  of  Jewish  soldiers,  as 
one  example,  in  future  national  military  requirements.'''  Moreover  it  suggested  that  the  military 
regarded  issues  of  conscience  among  basic  trainees  to  be  of  lesser  importance  than  among  soldiers 
with  more  time  in  service.""  Chaplain  Einertson  thought  this  was  an  incorrect  perception  and  a 
departure  from  the  Army's  policy  "to  approve  requests  for  accommodation  of  religious  practices 
when  they  will  not  have  an  adverse  impact  on  military  readiness,  unit  cohesion,  standards,  health, 
safety,  or  discipline  or  otherwise  interfere  with  the  performance  of  the  soldier's  military  duties."'^' 
Accommodating  religious  practices,  within  such  constraints,  was  encouraged  and  supported  by  all 
chaplains  and  by  the  Army  itself  as  part  of  the  free  exercise  rights  of  all  soldiers  in  matters  of  religion. 

In  discussions  with  Chaplain  Ford  G'Segner  who  served  on  the  staff  of  Lt.  Gen.  Allen  K.  Ono, 
Deputy  Chief  of  StaflF  for  Personnel,  and  on  the  Army's  Committee  for  the  Review  of  the 
Accommodation  of  Religious  Practices  at  DA  level,  and  with  Chaplain  William  Hufham,  PPDT, 
Chaplain  Einertson  decided  to  request  a  change  in  Army  Regulation  600-20,  paragraphs  5-6,  which 
was  in  the  process  of  revision.  The  paragraph  in  March  of  1988,  which  reflected  the  wording  of  the 
3  February  1988  DOD  Directive  1300. 17,  read  as  follows: 

6.  A  complete  prohibition  on  the  wearing  of  any  visible  item  of  religious  apparel 

may  be  appropriate  under  unique  circumstances  in  which  the  soldier's  duties. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


260  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


the  military  mission,  or  the  maintenance  of  discipline  require  absolute 
uniformity.  Examples  of  this  include  but  are  not  limited  to:  the  wear  of 
historical  or  ceremonial  uniforms,  participation  in  review  formations,  parades, 
honor  or  color  guards,  and  while  undergoing  basic  or  initial  military  skills 
training  (other  than  during  designated  off-duty  hours)  when  absolute 
uniformity  is  necessary  to  instill  military  discipline  and  indoctrinate  new 
members  in  the  requirements  of  military  service. '^^ 

Chaplain  Einertson  thought  the  simplest  change,  to  protect  the  rights  of  basic  trainees,  would  be  to 
delete  the  words  "...and  while  undergoing  basic  or  initial  military  skills  training  ...  to  instill  military 
discipline  and  indoctrinate  new  members  in  the  requirements  of  military  service."  On  1 8  March  1988 
Chaplain  Einertson  recommended  this  change  to  Brigadier  General  John  a  Renner,  Director  of 
Military  Personnel  Management,  whose  office  was  responsible  for  drafting  changes  to  the  regulation. 
Chaplain  Einertson  told  Brigadier  General  John  A  Renner  that  he  feh  "deleting  these  two  phrases 
brings  the  Army  more  in  line  with  the  intent  of  the  legislation  (by  Congress)  than  the  DOD  Directive 
does."'" 

Two  months  later,  the  Hon  Frank  Carlucci,  Secretary  of  Defense,  received  a  letter  from 
Senator  Frank  R.  Lautenberg  asking  about  the  Department  of  Defense  position  on  the  religious 
apparel  question,  which  would  be  addressed  in  an  amendment  to  the  1988  DOD  Authorization  Act.'^'' 
Mr.  Carlucci's  staff  had  taken  a  conservative  position  upholding  the  possible  prohibition  of  the 
wearing  of  visible  religious  apparel  during  basic  training  as  reflected  in  DOD  Directive  1300. 17.  A 
letter  reflecting  this  position,  in  reply  to  Senator  Lautenberg's  question,  was  staffed  through  the 
Pentagon.  At  the  Armed  Forces  Chaplains  Board,  Chaplain  John  L  Mann,  USAF,  the  Executive 
Director,  issued  a  nonconcurrence  with  the  conservative  position.  "Relevant  to  the  discussion  is  the 
issue  of  conscience,"  Chaplain  Mann  wrote,  "also  the  Army  does  allow  basic  trainees  to  wear  visible 
religious  apparel  while  on  duty  during  basic  training,  so  I  am  informed."'" 

At  his  office  Chaplain  Einertson  was  determined  to  keep  the  Army  in  the  lead  on  this  issue. 
In  June  he  heard  that  the  Navy  and  the  Air  Force  wanted  to  support  the  more  conservative  DOD 
position  and  were  trying  to  influence  Lt  Gen  Allan  K  Ono,  the  Army's  DCSPER,  to  concur  with 
them  Chaplain  Einertson  called  Lt.  Gen.  Allan  K.  Ono  and  kept  a  handwritten  record  of  the 
conversation  in  his  notebook: 

I  found  out  that  the  DCSPERs  of  the  Navy  and  AF  are  putting  pressure  on 
General  Ono  for  the  Army  to  join  them  in  forbidding  the  wearing  of  religious 
accouterments  during  initial  entry  training  I  talked  with  General  Ono  and  he 
confirmed  that  this  subject  was  discussed  at  breakfast  this  morning. 

The  Army  has  been  the  leader  in  accommodating  religious  practices,  and  to 
cave  in  to  the  other  services  on  this  issue  would  be  in  my  opinion  a  giant  step 
backward. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 261 

The  Army  has  already  said  in  this  regulation  by  implication  that  the  wearing 
of  these  items  would  not  be  detrimental  to  good  order  and  discipline.  The  net 
impact  of  forbidding  it  now  would  be  to  say  that  issues  of  conscience  are  of 
lesser  importance  during  basic  training. 

I  am  prepared  to  discuss  this  (subject)  at  any  length  or  with  whomsoever  I 
must  to  lay  out  the  important  issues  involved.  At  its  base,  it  is  a  readiness 
issue  which  will  loom  large  for  the  Army  particularly  during  full 
mobilization.'^* 

Lt.  Gen  Allan  K.  Ono  concurred  with  Chaplain  Einertson's  position  and  issued  a 
memorandum  through  the  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army  for  the  Secretary  of  the  Army  on  24  June  1988. 
The  memo  was  entitled,  "Affirmation  of  Policy  on  Wear  of  Religious  Apparel  in  Initial  Entry 
Training."'^'  Lt.  Gen  Ono  observed  that  "the  Army's  current  position"  allows  commanders  to  make 
the  final  decision  and  is  "vigorously"  supported  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  and  endorsed  by  the 
Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Army  for  Manpower.  He  concluded,  "I  recommend  that  the  Army 
maintain  current  policy"  as  the  Office  of  the  Secretary  of  Defense  prepared  a  unified  service  response 
for  Congressional  inquiries.'^* 

On  September  29,  1988,  Mr  Carlucci,  the  Secretary  of  Defense,  rescinded  the  complete 
prohibition  on  "the  wearing  of  visible  items  of  religious  apparel  while  in  uniform  by  military  members 
undergoing  basic  and  initial  training. "  Secretary  Carlucci  ordered  the  deletion  of  words  in  paragraph 
6,  DOD  Directive  1300  17,  which  referred  to  initial  entry  training  (the  same  words  Chaplain 
Einertson  had  suggested  in  March  to  Brig.  Gen.  Renner)  in  order  to  have  full  compliance  with  "this 
poHcy  change."'^' 

Chaplain  Einertson  thought  it  was  one  of  his  "proudest  moments"  during  his  tenure  as  Chief 
of  Chaplains.  The  Chaplaincy  had  protected,  once  again,  the  free  exercise  of  religion  for  all  soldiers 
in  the  Army.'*" 


More  Alligator  Issues''" 

One  would  think  that  affer  such  a  long  and  involved  discussion  over  accommodating  religious 
practices,  the  other  issues  for  the  Chief  of  Chaplains'  consideration  would  be  much  simpler.  Yet  in 
August  some  of  the  staff  members  at  the  Office  of  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel  suggested 
that  PERSCOM  take  over  the  personnel  management  of  the  Chaplain  Corps  This  suggestion  got 
Chaplain  Einertson's  attention  immediately.'''^  If  followed,  such  a  realignment  would  return  the 
Chaplaincy  to  a  mere  part  of  the  personnel  branch  as  had  been  the  case  in  the  1880s! 

Chaplain  Einertson  very  patiently  explained  to  ODCSPER  that  the  endorsing  agencies  would 
never  tolerate  control  of  chaplains  by  line  officers,  that  chaplains  were  best  qualified  to  handle 
pluralism  and  professional  development  issues,  and  that  without  personnel  management  there  was  no 
need  for  a  Chief  of  Chaplains    Brigadier  General  Putnam  from  the  DCSPER  staff  decided  that  "we 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


262  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


don't  want  this  mission,"  and  the  DCSPER  himself  directed  his  staff  "to  put  this  issue  to  bed."'"  The 
Chaplaincy  would  be  managed  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains. 

While  Chaplain  Einertson  was  addressing  issues  of  policy  and  management  in  mid- 1988,  his 
staff  was  answering  yet  another  involved  inquiry  concerning  the  construction  of  faith-specific  chapels. 
In  April  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints  had  requested  permission  from  the 
Secretary  of  the  Army  to  build  a  Mormon  (LDS)  worship  center  at  Dugway  Proving  Ground,  Utah, 
to  meet  the  needs  of  LDS  soldiers  and  family  members.  A  second  request,  to  build  an  LDS  "private 
house  of  worship"  on  the  Plain  at  West  Point,  was  made  at  about  the  same  time.''''' 

Since  these  requests  had  gone  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Army,  then  to  the  Assistant  Secretary, 
and  then  to  the  Chief  of  Staff,  the  Director  of  the  Army  Staff  had  to  task  an  agency  to  answer  them. 
The  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  received  the  tasker  Chaplain  Gary  Councell  was  the  point  of 
contact  at  OCCH,  while  Chaplain  Donald  G.  Wilson,  the  Post  Chaplain  at  West  Point,  was  the  action 
officer  for  the  U.S.  Military  Academy. 

In  as  much  as  both  the  Roman  Catholic  and  Jewish  congregations  had  their  own  chapels  at 
West  Point,  the  issues  involved  in  answering  the  Mormon  request  included  a  fair  assessment  of  the 
needs  of  LDS  members  at  West  Point  and  the  facilities  and  resources  available  to  meet  those  needs. 
The  same  considerations  applied  at  Dugway. 

For  more  than  three  months  the  chaplain  project  officers  researched  and  wrote  information 
papers  and  formal  studies  on  the  current  population,  religious  demographics,  and  utilization  of  current 
facilities  at  West  Point.  Chaplain  Councell  and  Chaplain  Wilson  agreed  that,  "while  the  Army  has 
provided  sufficient  space  for  religious  activities  of  all  groups  on  par  with  the  same  level  of  support 
given  other  community  activities,  the  type  of  space  provided  for  religious  education  needs  in  the 
Latter  Day  Saints  program  is  not  flinctionally  adequate."'*'  They  recommended  the  initiation  of  a 
construction  project  in  FY  92  to  provide  a  permanent  education/family  life  facility  for  all  faith  groups 
at  the  U.S.  Military  Academy.'**  Since  there  were  no  married  cadets  at  West  Point,  the  "family  life 
facility"  applied  mainly  to  faculty  members.  The  facilities  at  Dugway  were  deemed  to  be  adequate 
to  meet  current  needs 

In  a  letter  drafted  for  the  signature  of  the  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Army,  and  addressed  to 
Mr  Robert  D.  Hales,  The  Presiding  Bishopric,  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,  Chaplain 
James  Edgren,  Director  of  IRML,  noted  that  the  construction  of  private  churches  on  military 
installations  might  open  the  door  to  charges  of  favoritism  and  establishment.  The  plan  to  construct 
a  religious  education  facility  at  West  Point,  one  of  55  needed  in  the  Army  world-wide,  was  obviously 
"long  range  in  target."'*^  Until  such  time  as  fiarther  consideration  could  be  given  to  priority  fiinding, 
it  was  feh  that"  sufficient  military  resources  can  be  provided  to  meet  the  religious  education  needs 
of  all  faith  groups  at  West  Point."''** 

The  conclusions  involved  in  this  study  were  not  quickly  nor  facilely  derived.  The  LDS  church 
was  a  vital  endorser  of  ministry  to  military  personnel.  More  than  35  LDS  chaplains  served  in  the 
active  Army  in  1988,  including  some  at  the  highest  levels  in  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Yet, 
in  the  case  of  the  U.S.  Military  Academy,  the  59  cadets  (1.5%  of  the  Corps  of  Cadets)  and  the  80 
other  members  of  the  LDS  community  (from  the  faculty,  retirees,  and  surrounding  town  areas)  were 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 263 

using  classrooms  in  Thayer  Hall  and  in  the  Youth  Activities  Center.  Five  other  religious 
denominations  (of  the  10  Protestant  faith  groups  at  West  Point)  were  using  rooms  in  six  other 
buildings.  There  was  simply  not  enough  space  for  every  denomination  to  have  its  own  private  facility. 


Developing  Ministries: 
Innovations  in  Specialized  Settings 

U.S.  Army  Europe 

In  1987-1988  the  ministry  in  US  Army  Europe  was  characterized  and  enhanced  by  a  number 
of  innovations  which  expanded  opportunities  for  even  greater  service  to  soldiers  and  family  members. 
Chaplain  Donald  W.  Shea,  who  had  served  for  two  years  in  a  dual  role  as  command  chaplain  both  for 
Headquarters,  U.S.  European  Command  (USEUCOM),  and  Headquarters,  U.S.  Army  Europe  and 
Seventh  Army,  was  able  to  transfer  his  duties  for  USEUCOM  in  1988  to  Chaplain  Raymond  H. 
Dressier,  Jr.,  USN,  who  became  the  first  full-time  USEUCOM  Command  Chaplain  ''*'* 

In  1987,  "The  Year  of  the  Constitution,"  and  in  1988,  when  the  Army's  annual  theme  was 
"Training,"  the  USAREUR  Chaplain's  Office  adopted  some  new  public  media  ministries,  innovations 
in  automation,  modifications  in  organization,  and  sponsored,  as  usual,  a  wide  variety  of  training 
conferences  for  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants,  directors  of  religious  education,  and  other  volunteers. 
In  Frankfijrt,  for  example,  the  Broadcast  Ministry  Team  provided  ministry  through  the  broadcast 
media  of  AM  and  FM  radio  and  television  in  1988  to  an  audience  of  more  than  625,000  military  and 
civilian  personnel.  Two  ongoing  programs,  the  daily  "The  Word  in  the  World,"  and  the  music 
program,  "The  Sounds  of  Sunday,"  were  exceptionally  popular  "The  Word  in  the  World"  won  first 
place  in  the  Radio  Information  Series  category  for  the  Army-wide  Keith  L.  Ware  Competition  for 
1988  and  second  place  in  the  same  category  for  the  Department  of  Defense  Thomas  Jefferson 
Competition.  Beginning  in  October  1988,  a  radio-TV  producer  was  contracted  to  work  on  religious 
radio  and  TV  spots  with  the  Broadcast  Ministry  Team."" 

In  1988,  following  the  purchase  of  Zenith  248  microcomputers,  the  USAREUR  Chaplain's 
Office  began  the  use  of  fax  machines,  autodial  MODEMs,  and  lap-top  computers  as  well  as  getting 
funded  for  Local  Area  Network  (LAN)  use.  The  USAREUR  Chaplain's  Bulletin  likewise  began  to 
be  pubHshed.'" 

Name  changes  also  reflected  some  new  developments.  The  Catholic  Religious  Education 
Advisory  Group,  which  had  been  formed  in  1987,  added  a  Director  of  Lay  Development  in  1988  and 
changed  its  name  to  the  Catholic  Lay  Development  Advisory  Council  The  USAREUR  Command 
Chaplains  Training  Conference  had  for  years  conducted  separate  annual  training  for  chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants.  In  November  1987  the  USAREUR  Chief  of  Staff  approved  a  USAREUR  Unit 
Ministry  Team  Training  Conference  to  combine  training  for  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants.  This 
combined  training  was  first  held  in  October  1988.'" 

In  the  retreat  ministry,  soldiers  throughout  USAREUR  were  allowed  annual  5-day  permissive 
TDY  to  participate  in  chaplain-sponsored  religious  retreats. '''  This  program  was  "field  tested"  for 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


264  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


one  year.  May  1987  -  May  1988,  and  found  to  be  beneficial  for  soldiers  whose  leave  time  could  be 
reserved  for  family  events. 

The  conference  schedule  in  USAREUR  in  1987  -  1988  continued  to  be  comprehensive  in 
providing  training  for  ministry.  Of  1 8  conferences  and  four  retreats  sponsored  by  the  USAREUR 
Chaplain's  Office,  four  were  targeted  for  chaplains,  four  for  approximately  420  chaplain  assistants; 
five  for  religious  education  directors  and  coordinators,  225  in  number,  one  for  Chaplain  Candidates; 
one  for  Youth  Leaders;  1  for  Church  Music  Leaders;  and  the  rest  targeted  for  general  attendance  by 
military  families.  Two  of  the  most  popular  were  the  international  pilgrimage  to  Lourdes  with  more 
than  500  military  personnel  taking  part,  and  the  1 1th  Annual  Ecumenical  Conference  for  the  Armed 
Forces  in  Bossey,  Switzerland."^ 


Medical  Ethics: 
Health  Services  Command 

For  many  years  U.S.  Army  hospital  chaplains  had  been  dealing  with  issues  of  medical  ethics 
as  they  ministered  to  patients  and  members  of  health  care  teams  including  physicians,  nurses,  medics, 
administrators,  and  other  staff  members  and  as  the  chaplains  were  trained  in  the  clinical  Pastoral 
Education  (CPE)  Program'".  In  the  early  1980s  both  active  and  reserve  component  chaplains  began 
to  apply  for  and  utilize  advanced  individual  training  in  the  specialized  field  of  medical  ethics.'^* 
Between  1978  and  1980  Chaplain  Sanford  L.  Dresin  offered  several  elective  courses  in  bioethics  at 
the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  the  first  of  their  kind  in  the  Chaplaincy.'"  In  1980  and 
in  1982  Chaplain  James  Travis  and  Chaplain  John  Rasmussen,  both  reserve  component  chaplains, 
published  articles  on  medical  and  biomedical  ethics  in  chaplain  journals."*  In  1986  Chaplain  Dresin 
was  assigned  to  the  Army  Surgeon  General's  Human  Subjects  Review  Committee. 

With  the  growth  of  interest  in  medical  ethics  both  in  civilian  and  military  communities  in  the 
United  States,  Chaplain  Einertson  decided  that  Army  Chaplains  as  a  whole  should  be  given  the 
opportunity  for  advanced  study  in  the  field."'  In  consultation  with  Chaplain  Dresin,  then  assigned 
to  Walter  Reed,  Chaplain  Einertson  approved  the  concept  for  the  training  of  chaplains  in  medical 
ethics  in  December  of  1988.'*" 


1989:  The  Year  the  Wall  Came  Down 

As  soon  as  the  people  heard  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  the  people  raised  a  great 
shout,  and  the  wall  fell  down  flat,  so  that  the  people  went  up  into  the  city 

...Joshua  6:20 

In  his  newsletter  to  the  Chaplain  Corps  in  January  of  1 989,  Chaplain  Einertson  urged  all 
chaplains  to  be  as  influential  as  possible  in  every  area  of  Army  life.  "We  cannot  afford  to  be  perceived 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 265 

as  'marginal'  to  the  system,"  he  wrote,  "We  owe  it  to  our  people  to  be  part  of  the  'fabric'  of  the  unit. 
We  must  speak  out  with  a  'prophetic  voice'  on  the  significant  issues  of  the  day."'*' 

Indeed  in  many  areas  of  ministry,  chaplains  were  addressing  issues  of  importance  to  the  Army. 
In  late  1988  and  early  1989,  for  example,  Chaplain  Timothy  Tatum,  Director  of  Ethical  Program 
Development,  U.S.  Army  War  College,  joined  General  William  Westmoreland,  Peter  Jennings  of 
ABC  News,  and  other  dignitaries  in  a  panel  discussion  of  ethical  issues  in  the  military  which  was 
televised  nationally.  The  total  ten  part  series,  entitled  "Ethics  in  America,"  appeared  on  the  Public 
Broadcasting  System  beginning  the  last  week  in  January.  Chaplain  Tatum  had  flown  to  Boston  for 
the  taping  session  which  lasted  for  four  hours  with  no  breaks  and  no  advance  questions.  His  only 
requirement  for  participation  was  that  he  appear  in  uniform,  be  recognized  as  an  Army  Chaplain  and 
that  any  comments  would  be  his  own  and  not  the  official  position  of  the  U.S.  Army.  "I  would  not 
hang  up  my  cross,"  Chaplain  Tatum  emphasized,  "and  that  was  our  agreement."'*^ 

In  February  the  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army,  General  Carl  Vuono,  initiated  a  monthly  Soldier 
Forum  to  discuss  significant  issues  impacting  on  soldiers  and  their  families  and  ultimately  on 
individuals  and  unit  readiness.  Examples  of  the  most  important  issues  included  the  impact  of  first 
term  soldier  pregnancies,  child  care  plans,  and  exceptional  family  member  programs  on  deployability. 
Chaplain  Einertson  felt  that  the  Soldier  Forum  was  an  important  colloquium  for  the  DCSPER,  the 
Chief  of  Chaplains,  the  Judge  Advocate  General,  the  Inspector  General,  the  Surgeon  General,  and 
representatives  of  other  agencies  and  offices  to  discuss  overall  soldier  welfare.  If  Chaplain  Einertson 
could  not  be  present  personally,  he  always  tried  to  have  a  senior  member  of  his  staff  represent  him 
at  these  meetings"'^  The  Council  of  Chaplain  Colonels  presented  issues  at  times  for  the  Chief  to 
relate  to  the  Forum. 

In  some  cases  Chaplain  Einertson's  desire  to  have  chaplains  involved  in  the  basic  "fabric"  of 
a  unit  or  organization  did  not  work  out  immediately.  For  years  various  Chiefs  of  Chaplains  had  tried 
to  convince  the  Superintendents  of  the  US.  Military  Academy  at  West  Point  to  recommend  that  a 
military  chaplain,  rather  than  a  civilian  minister,  be  appointed  as  the  Cadet  Chaplain.'*^  Even  though 
the  President  of  the  United  States  actually  made  the  appointment,  the  Superintendent's 
recommendation  was  influential.  Chaplains  Orris  Kelly,  Kermit  Johnson  (U.S. MA.  '50),  and  Norris 
Einertson  all  made  trips  to  West  Point  to  discuss  their  desire  for  such  an  appointment,  to  ensure  that 
when  Cadets  entered  active  duty  they  would  know  the  difference  between  a  chaplain  and  a  campus 
minister.  Cadets,  in  the  view  of  the  chaplains  in  the  Pentagon,  needed  to  know  "what  a  chaplain  can 
do,"  before,  during,  and  after  combat  in  support  of  the  command,  the  soldiers,  and  their  family 
members.'*^ 

The  problem  with  communicating  these  desires  to  the  Superintendent  and  his  staff  at  the 
Military  Academy  was  that  the  Academy's  senior  chaplain,  the  Rev.  Richard  P.  Camp,  was  an 
outstanding  preacher  and  pastor  and  was  very  popular  with  faculty  and  cadets  alike.  Appointed  by 
President  Jimmy  Carter,  Chaplain  Camp  and  his  staff  ministered  to  the  American  hostages  from  Iran 
when  they  landed  at  Stewart  Army  Airfield,  near  West  Point,  in  1981.  A  former  football 
quarterback.  Chaplain  Camp  related  exceptionally  well  to  cadet  athletes  (who  enjoyed  the  highest 
peer  standing  in  the  Corps  of  Cadets)  in  the  1980s.  In  spite  of  the  theoretical  views  of  the  various 
Chiefs  of  Chaplains,  the  idea  of  replacing  an  excellent  DA  civilian  minister'**  who  gave  continuity  and 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


266  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


guidance  to  the  whole  religious  program  at  West  Point  with  military  chaplains  of  various 
denominations  (who  might  rotate  each  three  or  four  years)  did  not  seem  advantageous  to  the  West 
Point  leadership.  After  discussions  with  Lieutenant  General  Palmer  and  his  Chief  of  Staff,  Chaplain 
Einertson's  request  of  the  Superintendent  to  support  the  nomination  of  a  military  chaplain  as  the 
senior  chaplain  at  West  Point  was  not  approved  at  that  time.'*' 

A  similar  type  problem  arose  with  the  staff  chaplain  position  at  U.S.  Central  Command 
(CENTCOM)  Early  in  March  the  CENTCOM  Commander,  General  George  D.  Crist,  U.S.  Marine 
Corps,  approved  the  conversion  of  the  staff  chaplain's  slot  to  that  of  a  Regional  Affairs  Officer.  All 
three  Chiefs  of  Chaplains — Army,  Navy,  and  Air  Force — opposed  this  action  They  pointed  out  that 
CENTCOM's  area  of  operations,  the  Middle  East,  was  "heavily  religious"  and  that  without  a  staff 
chaplain  there  would  be  no  coordination  for  coverage  of  American  soldiers  of  various  faiths.'** 

The  staff  of  the  CENTCOM  Commander  had  to  be  reduced,  however,  as  part  of  the  strength 
reduction  of  the  Armed  Forces  There  were  enough  Air  Force  chaplains  at  McDill  to  provide  direct 
support  for  the  staff  In  the  event  of  war,  CENTCOMs  plans  called  for  augmentation  which  included 
the  addition  of  a  staff  chaplain.  The  commander's  decision  stood.'*** 

On  the  17th  day  of  March  1989  the  issue  went  to  the  Office  of  the  Secretary  of  Defense. 
General  H  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  the  incoming  new  CENTCOM  Commander,  decided  that  he 
needed  the  Regional  Affairs  Officer  (MOS  94G)  on  his  staff  and  that  later,  if  war  occurred,  he  could 
add  a  staff  chaplain  If  he  needed  a  chaplain  for  an  immediate  crisis,  he  would  ask  the  Air  Force  to 
supply  one.  General  Szchwarzkopf  "fought  this  issue  hard,"  Chaplain  Einertson  recalled,  and  did 
convert  the  chaplain  slot.'™  The  Director  of  the  Army  Staff  closed  the  issue  for  the  Army  by  noting 
that  "CFNCs  can  configure  their  own  staffs."  '"'  This  decision  would  later  create  problems  during 
the  early  phases  of  Operation  Desert  Shield  (1990). 


Aloha  USARPAC 

Possibly  the  most  successful  initiative  to  keep  the  Chaplaincy  fully  woven  into  the  fabric  of 
the  Army  came  with  the  reorganization  of  WESTCOM  In  the  summer  of  1989  Western  Command 
changed  its  designation  to  US  Army  Pacific  (USARPAC),  a  title  which  had  been  used  earlier,  before 
the  Vietnam  War.  "'  The  name  change  was  not  the  main  subject  of  note,  however.  The  most 
important  change  was  that  USARPAC  assumed  command  supervision  of  Alaska  (from  U.S.  Forces 
Command),  Japan,  and  Okinawa.'"  USARPAC  was  thereby  responsible  for  more  than  100  million 
miles  of  area  coverage,  to  include  cold  weather  training  in  Alaska  and  field  training  as  far  away  as 
Australia  Seven  of  the  world's  ten  largest  armies  were  located  in  the  USARPAC  area  of 
responsibility"^  There  were  even  special  "expanded  relations"  missions  in  Southeast  Asia,  including 
a  program  to  build  elementary  schools  in  Laos,  for  example."' 

Chaplain  Ronald  Bezanson,  the  last  WESTCOM  Chaplain,  was  succeeded  by  Chaplain 
Timothy  Tatum  as  the  USARPAC  Chaplain  in  the  summer  of  1989  Chaplain  Tatum,  assisted  by  an 
excellent  staff,  including  Chaplain  Phil  Touw  and  Chaplain  Wilbur  Parker,  functioned  as  a  MACOM 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 267 

Chaplain,  a  CONUSA  Chaplain  (since  USARPAC  managed  its  own  reserve  components)  and,  when 
so  directed,  as  the  senior  joint  staff  chaplain  in  U.S.  PACOM  (U.S.  Pacific  Command  )"* 

The  duties  of  the  USARPAC  Chaplain  and  his  staff  included  sponsoring  regular  training 
sessions  for  unit  ministry  teams  fi^om  units  deployed  throughout  the  Pacific  area,  reviewing  the 
religious  support  annexes  to  war  plans,  and  supervising  religious  support,  personnel  and  resource 
management. '^^  The  USARPAC  Chaplain  also  would  ft^equently  fly  to  Anchorage,  Fairbanks,  Juno, 
or  to  Fort  Greeley,  Alaska,  in  order  to  offer  guidance  and  encouragement  to  the  division  responsible 
for  defending  "the  northern  approach. "  Chaplain  Tatum  regarded  the  I  Corps  Chaplain,  Tom  Norton, 
as  his  most  important  contact  for  reinforcing  religious  support  in  the  event  of  a  crisis  in  the  Pacific.'^' 
Chaplain  Jack  Kaising,  the  Community  Support  (Installation)  Staff  Chaplain  for  the  Hawaiian  Islands, 
managed  direct  religious  support  for  all  soldiers  and  family  members  assigned  to  units  in  the  islands. 

Chaplain  Robert  Loring,  assigned  to  the  1/21  Infantry  Battalion  ("The  Mighty  Gimlets")  of 
the  25th  Infantry  Division,  recalled  a  series  of  training  deployments  by  his  unit'™  which  included  troop 
movements  to  Korea,  Thailand,  and  Australia.  Chaplain  Loring's  chaplain  assistant.  Sergeant  Michael 
Kang,  was  particularly  interested  in  the  exercises  in  Australia  where  there  were  "24  varieties  of  deadly 
snakes"  and  a  few  other  certain  "attention  getters."'*"  The  deployments  to  Korea  ("Team  Spirit"), 
Thailand  ("Cobra  Gold")  and  Australia  ("Diamond  Dollar")  were  excellent  opportunities  for  ministry 
in  very  different  geographic  environments.'*'  The  ministry  to  soldiers,  including  field  services,  Bible 
studies,  retreats,  a  puppeteer/clown  ministry  in  garrison,  and  holiday  observances  helped  them 
immeasurably  in  overcoming  "Rock  Fever,"  the  feelings  of  isolation  and  boredom  common  to  remote 
tours. '*- 

Other  creative  ministries  in  the  25th  Division  included  evangelistic  work  by  the  Fellowship 
of  Christian  Athletes,  organized  and  sponsored  by  the  succeeding  Division  Chaplains,  Herman  Keizer 
and  James  D.  Masteller,  and  by  the  project  officer,  Chaplain  Philip  T.  Guistwite.  Frequently  football 
players  in  Hawaii  for  the  "Pro  Bowl"  would  offer  their  Christian  testimonies  to  encourage  soldiers 
in  their  own  religious  development.'*^ 

The  religious  support  program  in  Hawaii,  the  largest  in  geographical  area  coverage  in  the 
Army,  plainly  kept  chaplains  involved  in  the  "fabric"  of  their  units.  In  the  opinion  of  many 
commanders,  the  deployment  missions  of  the  25th  Infantry  Division  would  have  been  much  more 
difficult,  if  not  impossible,  without  the  unwavering  support  of  the  unit  ministry  teams  and  their 
supporting  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant  supervisors. 


Command  Chaplain  Issues: 
Questions  of  Plans  and  Standardization 

The  command  Chaplain's  Conference  for  FY  1989  featured  reports  of  solid  achievements, 
insightflil  initiatives  and  a  few  disappointments.  The  Chaplaincy  revised  regulation,  AR  165-1, 
Chaplain  Activities  in  the  United  States  Army,  was  practically  finished  in  its  staffing  phase  and  due 
for  publication  and  distribution  to  the  field  by  30  September.  Chaplain  James  Edgren,  Director  of 
IRML,  and  Chaplain  Don  Hanchett,  fi^om  the  same  directorate,  were  requesting  any  final  "corrections. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


268  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


clarifications,  or  updated  irformation"  for  evaluation  and  clearance,  if  not  for  the  present  edition  at 
least  for  fijture  "updates.""' 

Plans  for  a  woridwide.  Total  Chaplaincy  Mobilization  Conference,  to  be  conducted  in  the  fall, 
were  underway  Preliminary  steps  included  revising  and  reviewing  mobilization  plans  at  MACOM 
and  DACH  levels  and  integrating  Senior  Reserve  Component  unit  ministry  team  members  at  every 
level  of  the  review  and  advisory  process.'*^  The  entire  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  staff,  working  with  Mr. 
Roger  Able  from  DACH,  participated  in  one  way  or  other  in  preparing  for  this  conference. 

Chapel  construction  plans,  drawn  according  to  the  new  standardized  plans,  were  continuing 
apace,  although  there  were  some  reports  that  Congress  might  cut  construction  dollars  in  the  near 
fixture.  Training  of  unit  ministry  teams  to  minister  during  the  "drawdown"  was  being  implemented 
at  the  Chaplain  School  and  in  the  field  in  Phase  III  training  With  the  announcement  that  Chaplain 
Matthew  A.  Zimmerman  had  been  selected  to  be  the  new  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  thereby  vacating 
his  position  as  the  US  Forces  Command  Chaplain  in  August,  Chaplain  Einertson  nominated  Chaplain 
Charles  T  Clanton  to  succeed  Chaplain  Zimmerman  at  FORSCOM  and  Chaplain  Bernard  Windmiller 
to  succeed  Chaplain  Clanton  as  the  Commandant  of  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School.'** 


Directors  of  Religious  Education 

One  of  the  most  interesting  studies  to  be  initiated  in  the  summer  of  1989,  and  discussed  in 
broad  outline  at  the  Command  Chaplain's  Conference,  was  an  analysis  of  Director  of  Religious 
Education  (DRE)  positions  in  the  Army  Mr  Edward  J.  Horan,  a  Roman  Catholic  DRE  working 
at  the  Chaplain  Services  Support  Agency,  wrote  a  comprehensive  report  concerning  the  DRE  career 
life-cycle,  the  distribution  of  DRE  positions,  and  some  of  the  problems  which  needed  to  be  addressed 
for  the  fiiture  in  the  general  area  of  religious  education  leadership  in  the  Chaplaincy. 

Mr.  Horan  noted  that  the  75  DREs  on  duty  in  1989,  all  of  whom  had  graduate  degrees  and 
experience  in  religious  education,  were  holding  General  Schedule  (GS)  civilian  positions  ranked  from 
GS  9  to  GS  11.  Their  scope  of  responsibility  included  recruiting,  training,  and  supervision  the  large 
volunteer  work  force  that  staffed  the  Chaplaincy's  world-wide  religious  education  program.'*'  Since 
the  first  Army  DRE  was  hired  in  1956  by  the  USAREUR  Chaplain  in  Germany,  the  profession  had 
grown  to  become  an  integral  and  essential  part  of  the  Chaplaincy's  leadership  in  providing 
comprehensive  religious  support  to  soldiers  and  their  family  members 

There  were,  of  course,  some  problems  of  standardization  which  needed  to  be  addressed  in  the 
fijture.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  in  1989  the  Army  was  the  only  branch  of  service  to  recognize  and 
make  extensive  use  of  DREs  on  chaplaincy  staffs,  there  was  a  lack  of  guidance  to  civilian  personnel 
offices  concerning  DRE  unique  classification  and  grading.'**  There  was  no  standard  definition  of 
"religious  education,"  differing  job  descriptions  and  job  titles  for  DRE's  from  post  to  post,  and  some 
historical  aberrations,  or  "hiccups,"  in  the  distribution  of  DREs  on  installations.'*'  The  mobilization 
sustainment  role  of  DREs  on  installations  during  deployments  also  was  unclear 

Upon  publication  of  Mr.  Horan's  report,  the  issues  he  raised  were  reviewed  by  both  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 269 

Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains  and  the  Deputy  Director  of  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency. 
Chaplain  Zimmerman  tasked  Chaplain  Keizer  to  direct  the  Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  School  to 
add  a  separate  block  of  instruction  on  religious  education  to  the  Basic  and  Advanced  Courses  and 
a  block  of  instruction  on  the  supervision  of  DREs  to  the  curriculum  for  the  Installation  Chaplain 
Course.""  AR  165-1,  Chaplain  Activities  in  the  United  States  Army,  contained  a  section  on  DREs 
which  was  reviewed  for  content  and  completeness.  While  Mr.  Horan  did  not  indicate  a  wide 
dissatisfaction  among  DREs  with  their  positions  or  ministries,  he  did  feel  that  "The  Chaplain  Corps 
would  be  well  served  by  the  standardization  of  DRE  job  descriptions"  and  grading  criteria.'" 


Catholic 
Shortages  and  Retirements 

Some  minority  chaplain  quotas  were  desired  by  Chaplain  Einertson  to  ensure  a  future 
comprehensive  ministry  to  all  ethnic  and  gender  groups  in  the  Army.  Shortages,  especially  the 
shortage  of  Roman  Catholic  Chaplains,  continued  to  plague  the  Chaplain  Corps.  Chaplain  Charles 
E  Gunti,  recruiter  for  Catholic  priests  and  seminarians  at  the  US  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support 
Agency,  wrote: 

Like  the  weather,  the  decline  of  Catholic  priests  in  the  U.S.  is  an  interesting  focus  of 
attention.  The  forecast  is  not  comforting.  By  the  year  2000  there  will  be  50%  fewer 
priests  in  the  United  States  and  the  number  of  theology  students  will  decline."" 

The  New  York  Times  had  reported  in  March  that  although  "Catholics  make  up  24.5  percent  of  the 
Army,"  Catholic  Chaplains  comprised  only  13  percent  of  the  Chaplain  Corps,  or  201  priests  for 
189,630  Catholic  soldiers."^  Chaplain  Gunti  confirmed  that  Roman  Catholic  chaplains  comprised 
only  13  percent  of  the  chaplains  on  active  duty,  a  shortfall,  for  the  immediate  fliture,  of  250  priests."'' 
In  America,  as  a  whole,  the  number  of  priests  in  active  ministry  declined  from  62,000  in  1965  to 
56,000  in  1989,  although  there  were  more  than  4,000  married  priests  who  might  have  served  in 
parishes  if  they  could."'  The  forecast  for  the  Chaplaincy's  fliture  indicated  a  predicted  loss,  by  age, 
administrative  requirement  or  retirement,  of  1 19  priests  by  the  year  2000."*' 

On  the  side  of  positive  initiatives  to  help  make  the  ministry  to  Catholic  soldiers  and  family 
members  more  efficient,  Chaplain  D  J  Donahue,  the  United  Nations  Command  and  8th  Army 
Chaplain  in  Korea,  had  encouraged  some  experiments  in  the  utilization  of  Catholic  laity  in  sharing 
ministry  in  the  Catholic  parishes  on  Korean  "rear  area"  installations.  Chaplain  Wayne  L.  Schmid,  the 
Division  Chaplain  for  the  2nd  Infantry  Division,  had  attempted  some  utilization  of  lay  ministers  at 
Fort  Leavenworth  before  his  assignment  to  Korea.  Working  with  Father  Finian  Meis,  Director  of  Lay 
Ministry  for  the  Archdiocese  of  Kansas  City,  Chaplain  Schmid  helped  develop  a  course  in  lay  ministry 
which  he  used  both  at  Fort  Leavenworth  and  at  the  19th  Support  Command  in  Taegu,  South 
Korea."' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


270  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


Publication  of  FM  16-1: 

Religious  Support  Doctrine 

The  Chaplain  and  Chaplain  Assistant 

By  the  fall  of  1 989  there  was  a  great  deal  of  activity  taking  place  in  the  Directorate  of 
Training  and  Doctrine,  US.  Army  Chaplain  School,  as  the  final  draft  of  Field  Manual  16-1  was  being 
prepared  for  delivery  to  TRADOC's  Soldier  Support  Center  at  Fort  Eustis  for  publication.  After 
approval  by  Chaplain  Bernard  L.  Windmiller,  the  new  Commandant  at  the  Chaplain  Center  and 
School,  the  manual's  camera  ready  pages,  mounted  on  cardboard,  were  carefially  stacked  and  loaded 
into  boxes  for  delivery  to  Fort  Eustis.  The  completed  project  had  to  arrive  at  the  Soldier  Support 
Center  by  1600  hours  on  Friday,  30  September,  or  the  flinding  for  the  manual  would  expire  with  the 
end  of  the  FY.  At  approximately  0600  on  30  September,  two  officers  from  the  Unit  and  Individual 
Training  Division  at  USACHCS  left  Fort  Monmouth  in  two  sedans  (in  case  one  broke  down)  for  the 
seven-hour,  350-mile  drive  to  Fort  Eustis.  The  manual  was  in  the  trunk  of  the  lead  car."" 

The  mission  to  produce  a  new  field  manual  for  the  Chaplaincy  had  originated  early  in  1987 
with  a  request  from  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne,  Director  of  PPDT  at  the  Chiefs  Office,  to  the 
Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  School.  Chaplain  Kuehne  had  been  collecting  references  to  the  role, 
functions,  and  duties  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  in  various  Army  regulations  and  field 
manuals  for  use  in  writing  justifications  for  force  structure  and  policy.  He  noticed  that  the  training 
circular  (which  he  helped  write  at  the  Combat  Developments  Directorate)  and  the  old  FM  16-5,  The 
Chaplain  and  Chaplain  Assistant  in  Combat  Operations,  needed  a  stronger  section  defending 
(doctrinally)  the  installation  UMT  BASOPs  positions  as  "sustaining"  positions  during  mobilization 
and  deployment.  A  newly  revised  manual  could  combine  all  of  the  "pieces"  (training  circulars, 
TRADOC  pamphlets,  and  field  manuals)  into  a  single  "battle  focused"  doctrinal  publication  that 
would  justify  not  only  unit  ministry  teams  in  maneuver  battalions,  but  also  UMTs  on  installations  and 
in  hospitals,  sustaining  the  soldiers  deployed  and  the  families  at  home  stations.  At  about  the  same 
time,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Doctrine  (DCSDOC)  at  TRADOC  directed  all  branch  service 
schools  to  consolidate  their  branch  doctrinal  literature.  In  effect,  both  DACH-PPDT  and  DCSDOC 
wanted  the  same  task  accomplished. 

The  mission  to  consolidate,  revise,  edit,  and  publish  the  new  doctrinal  manual  went  first 
through  Chaplain  Wayne  Lehrer,  the  Assistant  Director  of  Military  Ministries,  to  Chaplain  Theodore 
Sirotko  and  other  chaplains  and  staff  in  DMM  including  Chaplain  David  H.  Tessman,  Chaplain  Peter 
K,  Christy,  Chaplain  Dwight  C.  Jennings,  Sergeant  First  Class  Peter  O.  Dissmore,  and  Mrs  Mary 
Anna  Lewis  for  execution.  The  first  draft  of  the  new  manual  was  submitted  for  staffing  late  in  1987. 

In  1988  the  project  was  transferred  to  the  Directorate  for  Training  and  Doctrine  (DTD)  for 
additional  work  Chaplain  Tom  A  Carroll,  Director  of  DTD,  assigned  the  mission  to  the  Unit  and 
Individual  Training  Division  in  August  For  more  than  a  year  the  UITD  personnel  collected,  edited, 
and  circulated  drafts  of  Field  Manual  16-1 .  At  least  35  individual  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants  and 
line  officers  wrote  chapters  and  parts  of  chapters.'*^  Major  Michael  Hobson,  Chief  of  the  Publications 
Branch,  worked  with  each  author  to  standardize  the  submission  according  to  TRADOC  guidelines. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS TU 

Major  Don  Kiszka  from  UITD  reviewed  content  for  combat  arms  consistency.  No  less  than  700 
editorial  and  content  changes  were  made  to  the  first  coordinating  draft  by  Major  Hobson  and  his  staif, 
Mrs  Doris  Ryan,  Mrs.  Judy  Lyons,  Mrs.  Karen  Dooney,  Master  Sergeant  Richard  Geiger,  Staff 
Sergeant  Gary  Ouellette,  and  Mr.  Jack  Stem.^"" 

The  major  parts  of  each  of  six  chapters  were  assigned  to  senior  subject  matter  experts. 
Chaplain  William  Eberle,  Assistant  Director  of  DMM  in  1989,  revised  Chapter  One,  Chaplain  James 
Robnolt,  Director  of  Combat  Developments,  and  Chaplain  Lou  Scales  from  DCD  wrote  Chapter 
Five,  Chaplain  Peter  Christy  from  DMM  wrote  most  of  Chapter  Six,  Master  Sergeants  Richard 
Geiger,  Lou  Guiliano,  and  Thomas  Prost  wrote  Chapter  Four  on  the  duties  of  chaplain  assistants, 
and  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield,  Chief  of  UITD,  coordinated  the  input  for  the  rest  from  two  dozen 
chaplains  including  Chaplain  Charles  T.  Clanton,  the  Commandant  from  1986  -  1989,  Chaplain  Basil 
Ballard,  the  Director  of  DTD,  Chaplain  Douglas  Pond,  Chief  of  Military  Skills,  DTD,  and  later 
Executive  Officer  for  the  Commandant,  and  from  both  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne  and  Chaplain  Gil 
Pingel  (DACH-PPDT),  who  spent  a  week  each  at  the  Chaplain  School  reviewing  every  page  of  the 
manuscript  for  doctrinal  content. 

As  a  final  review  before  submission  to  Chaplain  Windmiller  and  then  to  Chaplain  Einertson 
for  approval.  Chaplain  Ballard  convened  a  committee  to  resolve  any  differences  between  subject 
matter  experts.  Chaplains  Robnolt,  Pond,  Brinsfield,  Christy,  Sergeant  Geiger,  Major  Hobson,  and 
others  who  had  written  or  coordinated  sections  were  invited  to  attend.  Just  before  he  left  to  become 
the  FORSCOM  Chaplain,  Chaplain  Charles  T.  Clanton  approved  the  content,  including  a  new  list  of 
duties  for  chaplain  assistants,  for  Chaplain  Windmiller's  consideration 

The  new  FM  16-1,  reviewed  prior  to  publication  possibly  by  more  chaplains,  chaplain 
assistants,  TRADOC  and  other  MACOM  and  integrating  center  personnel  than  any  other  Chaplain 
Corps  document  in  recent  history,  was  sent  to  Chaplain  Einertson  and  approved  for  publication  in  late 
July  In  August,  Chaplain  Ballard  and  Mrs  Marylou  Corcoran,  Assistant  Director  of  DTD,  fianded 
the  rapid  production  of  the  camera-ready  mechanicals  by  commercial  contract.  At  1300  hours  on  30 
September,  Major  Hobson  and  Chaplain  Brinsfield  delivered  the  manual  "on  time"  (with  three  hours 
to  spare)  to  Fort  Eustis,  Virginia. 


From  Russia  with  Love 

One  of  the  discussions  that  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  conducted  throughout  1989  was 
whether  the  Cold  War  was  over;  and  if  so,  would  there  still  be  PCS  moves  to  Germany?  When  had 
the  first  signs  that  the  Soviets  were  truly  in  trouble  been  evident?  Those  who  did  some  reflecting  may 
have  recalled  many  treaties,  confrontations,  and  other  clues  which  stretched  over  the  entire  quarter 
century  from  the  1963  Cuban  Missile  Crisis  to  the  opening  of  the  Berlin  Wall  in  November  1989.  It 
seemed  almost  irrefutable,  however,  that  the  crumbling  of  the  vast  Soviet  economy  and  all  of  the 
tangible  walls,  fences,  and  barriers  began  with  the  decisions  of  the  Russians  themselves  to  ignore 
resource  conservation  and  their  own  sound  economic  plans  in  favor  of  gargantuan  military 
expenditures. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


272  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


Professor,  historian,  and  statesman  Eugene  V.  Rostow  believed  that  "the  revolutionary  cycle" 
which  transformed  the  Communist  World  began  in  China  during  the  early  1980s  when  Deng  Xiaoping 
"announced"  a  far-reaching  program  for  shifting  China  to  a  market-oriented  economy,  and  began  to 
allow  its  people  more  freedom  of  speech,  of  assembly,  and  of  travel  than  befbre."-"'  Chinese  students 
and  professors,  in  increasing  numbers,  began  to  study  at  foreign  universities.  Air  travel  to  China  for 
European,  Japanese,  and  Ainerican  business  executives,  not  to  mention  ordinary  tourists,  became 
common  place.  Deng's  agricultural  reforms  began  to  show  positive  results.-"-  Soon  other  Communist 
countries,  including  Vietnam,  were  seeking  the  golden  fleece  of  Western  investment. 

When  Russian  Premier  Mikhail  Gorbachev  came  to  power  in  1985,  he  conveyed  the  sense 
that  he  was  leading  a  revolutionary  movement  intended  to  transform  the  Soviet  Union  as  well  into 
a  free  and  humane  society,  faithful  to  the  rule  of  law.-"'  After  President  Reagan's  first  trip  to  Moscow, 
news  correspondent  John  Chancellor  exclaimed,  "The  Cold  War  is  over  and  we  have  won.  All  that 
remains  is  to  declare  victory,  bring  home  the  troops,  and  have  a  parade."-*^ 

Yet  behind  the  scenes  in  Russia,  where  most  things  in  1985  -  1988  were  behind  the  scenes, 
there  was  evidence  that  Gorbachev  and  his  colleagues  were  maintaining  if  not  accelerating  Soviet 
defense  expenditures.  Russian  plans  called  for  a  public  pohcy  of  "giving  up  expansion  and  cutting 
both  arsenals  and  mihtary  expenditures."-"'  In  fact,  according  to  plans  approved  until  the  very  end 
of  Gorbachev's  rule,  the  gap  between  Soviet  miUtary  power  and  that  of  the  West  would  have  continued 
to  increase.-*  From  1973  to  1988  the  United  States  had  fallen  behind  the  Soviet  Union  in  terms  of 
nearly  every  index  of  mihtary  power;  and  until  1988  that  gap  widened.-"' In  she  final  days  of 
Gorbachev's  authority,  Soviet  military  spending  was  projected  to  rise  from  18  to  21  percent  of  the 
G.N.P.  to  25  percent  while  the  miUtary  share  of  the  American  national  income  fell  from  6  to  about 
4  per  cent.  ™  Even  that  estimate  may  have  been  conservative,  for  in  March  of  1992  the  Institute  of 
World  Economy  and  International  Relations  of  the  Russian  Academy  of  Sciences  suggested  that 
defense  industries  in  1989-1990  constituted  60  to  80  percent  of  the  Russian  G.N.P. — an  astonishing 
revelation  for  Western  Strategists.-"'' 

With  this  excessive  emphasis  on  military  spending  and  preparedness  in  the  Soviet  Union  came 
historic  quotas  on  production  by  farmers  and  workers  throughout  the  U.S.S.R.,  quotiis  which  had  increased 
steadily  since  the  days  of  Stalin  to  shore  up  the  vast  military  capstone  of  the  state.  Personal  loyalty, 
careers,  and  well-being  of  party  members  were  measured  by  the  percentage  of  quotas  met.  Agricultural 
production  quotas  depleted  the  land,  oil  wells  were  over-pumped  until  salt  water  fouled  the  oil,  and 
rivers  were  hopelessly  polluted  in  the-quest  of  meeting  industrial  out  put  goals. 

In  the  satellite  countries,  Poland  in  particular,  the  plight  of  workers  was  ignored  as  they 
were  urged  to  produce  more  with  less.  Machinery  was  obsolete  and  broken,  wages  poor,  and  housing 
for  laborers  barely  survivable.  The  alcohohsm  rate  from  vodka  consumption,  one  of  the  few  cheap 
commodities  in  Cenral  Europe,  went  up  and  created  the  ultimate  communist  conundrum:  "why 
does  production  go  down  when  the  workers'  quotas  go  up?"  The  answers  in  Poland  fell  on  deaf  ears 
until,  surviving  threats  and  the  temporary  imprisonment  of  the  workers'  leaders,  the  Solidarity  labor 
movement  emerged  to  serve  as  the  voice  of  the  people  and  the  base  for  political  and  economic 
reform. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 273 

If  Poland  was  somewhat  successful  in  embarrassing  the  Soviet  Communist  leadership,  whose 
60-year  dominance  was  based  on  its  claim  to  be  "the  party  of  the  workers,"  other  Central  European 
Countries  quickly  emulated  the  Poles'  success.  "Decay  of  the  Communist  World  started  with  the 
liberation  of  satellite  countries  of  the  Soviet  bloc,"  wrote  Professor  Antoni  Z.  Kaminski,  Director  of 
the  Department  of  Strategic  Studies,  Polish  Ministry  of  National  Defense,  "and  then  went  through 
the  disintegration  of  the  USSR."'"'  If  disintegration  "always  chaperons  the  end  of  a  social  order," 
reintegration  "must  accompany  the  appearance  of  a  new  order."-"  The  creation  of  "new  orders"  in 
the  satellite  countries,  unfortunately,  involved  the  reawakening  of  old  ethnic  conflicts  and  the 
obliteration  of  artificial  boundaries  which  had  been  imposed  at  the  end  of  one  or  both  of  the  twentieth 
century  World  Wars 

As  the  fever  of  liberation  spread  to  East  Germany,  the  Soviet  strategists  devised  an  interesting 
rationalization  for  supporting  German  reunification.  If  they  could  insist  that  German  reunification 
proceed  only  with  the  proviso  that  Germany  withdraw  from  NATO  and  establish  itself  as  a  neutral 
country,  the  goals  of  Soviet  policy  since  1945  would  be  realized.  As  Professor  Rostow  observed: 

The  neutralization  of  Germany,  now  a  country  of  85  million  people,  would  destroy 
NATO,  force  the  United  States  to  withdraw  fi-om  Europe,  and  leave  former  NATO 
allies,  to  say  nothing  of  China  and  Japan,  incapable  of  self-defense.  Under  such 
circumstances  the  American  nuclear  guaranty  would  lose  all  credibility.^'^ 

In  essence  Russia  would  rule,  rule  the  area,  with  its  nuclear  and  conventional  forces,  fi"om 
Dublin  to  Vladivostok,  and  succeed  where  Napoleon,  Hitler  and  Stalin  had  all  failed  ''^ 

Yet  this  Russian  fantasy,  a  denuclearized  and  neutral  Central  Europe,  itself  failed  because 
again  the  Communists  had  lost  touch  with  their  own  people,  in  a  sense  a  loss  of  touch  with  reality. 
When  a  new  Hungarian  government  tore  down  the  barbed  wire  fence  between  Hungary  and  Austria 
in  1989,  intending  "only  a  fiiendly  gesture  in  the  spirit  of  the  Hapsburg  past,"  tens  of  thousand  of  East 
Germans  began  to  "take  vacations"  in  Hungary,  then  Austria.''^  Soon  they  overwhelmed  the  German 
Embassy  with  requests  to  enter  West  Germany.  "The  movement  became  a  flood,"  wrote  Professor 
Rostow.  "Gorbachev  had  no  chance  to  stop  it  without  a  large-scale  use  of  force,  so  the  miraculous 
unification  of  Germany  within  NATO  took  place,  an  event  no  student  of  European  politics  would 
have  predicted  as  even  a  remote  possibility  without  war."-'' 

For  even  the  hard  of  hearing,  the  "tectonic  plates"  of  the  old  Soviet  bloc,  had  groaned  and 
shifted.-"'  A  new  order  was  at  hand.  Ironically,  in  response  to  pressure  from  the  East  rather  than 
threats  from  the  West.  The  doors  to  fi-eedom  in  the  Berlin  Wall  opened  near  the  Brandenburg  Gate 
on  the  night  of  November  9,  1989.  Not  long  after,  the  search  began  for  East  German  leaders  charged 
with  crimes  against  their  own  people.  In  answer  to  the  questions  of  American  soldiers,  to  include 
chaplains  and  chaplains  assistants,  there  might  not  be  as  many  soldiers  rotating  to  Germany  as  in  the 
past;  but  it  was  certain  that  there  would  be  some. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


274  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


Operation  Just  Cause' 

While  many  Americans  watched  their  televisions  in  amazement  as  East  Germans  poured  into 
the  West,  other  areas  of  the  world  began  to  demand  a  share  of  attention  as  well  In  Panama  Major 
General  Marc  Cisneros,  commander  of  U.S.  Army  combat  forces,  conferred  with  General  Maxwell 
R.  Thurman,  the  SOUTHCOM  Commander,  over  operation  plans  which  he  and  his  troops  had 
rehearsed  in  August..  There  had  been  some  dangerous  confrontations  between  the  5th  Panama 
Defense  Force  Rifle  Company  and  the  U.S.  508th  Parachute  Infantry  Regiment  during  military 
movements  in  the  "neutral  zone"  at  Fort  Amador."'^  General  Thurman,  everyone  knew,  did  not 
maneuver  his  troops  without  a  reason. 

At  Boiling  Air  Force  Base  near  Washington,  DC,  Chaplain  Norris  Einertson,  Army  Chief 
of  Chaplains,  was  having  Sunday  dinner."'*  Earlier  that  morning.  President  George  Bush  had 
attended  worship  services  at  Fort  Myer  Chapel.  It  was  said  by  some  people  that  when  the  President 
worshiped  at  Fort  Myer,  there  was  likely  to  be  a  job  for  the  military  soon.  Chaplain  Einertson  noticed 
that  the  dinner  host,  Lt.  Gen.  Thomas  Kelly,  JCS  Director  of  Operations,  was  conspicuously  absent. 
Although  it  might  not  signal  anything,  the  absent  friend  was  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for 
Operations."'^ 

The  next  morning  at  the  Pentagon  there  was  a  briefing  on  the  situation  in  Panama.  Units  from 
Fort  Stewart,  Georgia,  to  Fort  Lewis,  Washington,  were  placed  on  alert.  Seventy-two  hours  later 
Operation  Just  Cause  began. 


Ministry  of  Vision  and  Challenge:   1990 

Alexander  Solzhenitsyn,  the  Russian  author  and  Nobel  laureate,  wrote  that  no  matter  what 
restraints  may  be  placed  on  the  human  spirit,  "God  has  laid  on  man  the  duty  to  be  free.""""  In 
numerous  places  and  for  a  variety  of  reasons,  including  the  worldwide  availability  of  instant 
communications,  the  urge  to  challenge  old  boundaries  and  to  assert  ethnic  and  nationalistic  aspirations 
seized  many  societies  from  the  Baltic  to  the  Caribbean  Sea.  Above  all,  the  perception  of  Soviet 
weakness  and  lack  of  resolution  fed  the  separatist  opportunism  of  the  time.  In  America  President 
George  Bush's  advisors  began  to  speak  not  of  a  "balance  of  power,"  but  of  a  "new  world  order  " 

At  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  in  the  Pentagon,  Chaplain  Einertson  challenged  the 
Chaplaincy  in  his  March  1990  newsletter  to  consider  the  events  of  the  previous  year; 

Without  the  luxury  of  historical  distance,  world  happenings  are  passionately  lived  and 
experienced,  not  impassionatley  reflected  upon.  We  are  caught  up  in  the  swirl  of 
world-changing  events.  The  Berlin  Wall  came  down.  Perestroika  and  Glasnost  raced 


'See  Part  Two  for  more  information  on  the  role  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  during 
Operation  Just  Cause  in  Panama. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 275 

through  the  Soviet  Empire  dismanthng  Eastern  bloc  governments  faster  than  anyone 
could  have  predicted.  Jews  desiring  to  leave  the  Soviet  Union  have  increasingly  been 
able  to  do  so.  The  Armenian- Azerbaijani  dispute  signaled  serious  ethnic  problems 
facing  the  Soviet  leadership.  The  threat  to  the  free  world  changed.  America  sent 
troops  to  Panama.  Nelson  Mandela  was  freed  after  27  years  in  prison;  apartheid  is 
unraveling.  The  Sandinistas  were  voted  out  at  the  ballot  box.  The  Congress  and  the 
Administration  examined  base  closings,  reassessed  procurement  priorities  and  troop 
reductions.  The  Peace  Dividend  became  the  target  to  identify  and  redistribute. 
Macro-forces  and  events  demanded  our  attention  and  got  it.  What  is  God  up  to?^^' 

Chaplain  Einertson's  question  was  both  a  challenge  for  thought  as  well  as  a  statement  of  faith.  The 
events  of  1989-1990  seemed  to  verify  John  Chancellor's  comment  made  five  years  earlier,  "The  Cold 
War  is  over  and  we  have  won  " '"  For  many  people  the  hand  of  God  was  evident  in  history,  but  the 
future  "new  world  order"  remained  to  be  defined.  Chaplain  Einertson  counseled  the  Chaplaincy  to 
be  patient  in  a  remark  both  insightful  and  humorous: 

Allowing  God  to  work  his  wonder  in  a  life  is  testimony  to  our  faith  .  God's  education 
processes  when  viewed  in  our  terms  are  slow.  God's  time  cannot  be  hurried.  God 
educated  Israel  by  wilderness  wanderings,  captivities  and  occupations.  Forty  years 
in  the  wilderness  is  a  long  time  to  teach  one  lesson.  '" 

Yet  even  in  patient  waiting,  the  Chaplain  Corps  needed  to  make  plans  and  preparations  for  the  fiiture. 
The  lessons  learned  by  UMTs  during  Operation  Urgent  Fury  in  Grenada  and  Operation  Just  Cause 
in  Panama  revealed  that  one  never  knows  when  "the  balloon  may  go  up."  The  questions  which 
followed  the  Chiefs  Newsletter  in  March  of  1990  were  "what's  next'^"  and  "when?" 


The  UMT  Vision  Conference 

If  there  is  one  thing  that  Chaplains  seemed  to  enjoy,  it  was  talking  with  one  another  about 
their  experiences  in  ministry.  In  order  to  capitalize  on  this  willingness  to  share  and  in  order  to  take 
advantage  of  the  thinking  of  some  of  the  most  perceptive  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  in  the 
Corps,  Chaplain  Einertson  and  Chaplain  Zimmerman  directed  Chaplain  Herman  Keizer,  Deputy 
Director  of  the  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency,  to  support,  organize,  and  coordinate  a  Unit 
Ministry  Team  Vision  Conference  in  the  spring  of  1990.  This  was  not  a  solo  initiative,  for  the  Air 
Force  Chaplain  Service  had  prepared  an  issue  paper  on  "Chaplain  Ministry  in  the  1990s"  for  their 
Command  Chaplains  Conference  at  Homestead  Air  Force  Base  in  April.  The  opening  paragraph  in 
the  Air  Force  publication  was  a  story  about  the  British  philosopher,  John  Stuart  Mill,  which  seemed 
to  summarize  the  challenge  of  efforts  to  think  analytically  about  the  future: 

John  Stuart  Mill  is  reported  to  have  awakened  one  morning  with  an  overwhelming 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


276  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


feeling  that  he  had  come  upon  the  answer  to  "the  question  of  the  ages." 
Unfortunately,  he  forgot  what  it  was.  So  he  placed  a  paper  and  quill  beside  his  bed. 
A  few  mornings  later  he  awoke  with  a  similar  feeling.  This  time,  however,  he  found 
on  the  paper  in  his  own  handwriting,  "think  in  different  terms.  "^''' 

There  was  no  questions  that  the  ministry  in  the  1990s  would  require  new  thinking  about  past 
experiences  and  new  opportunities.  The  mission  of  the  UMT  Vision  Conference,  which  met  at  the 
Appleton  Inn  in  Tinton  Falls,  New  Jersey,  the  first  week  in  May  1990,  was  to  put  some  detail  to  these 
generalities. 

In  preparing  for  the  Vision  Conference,  Chaplain  Keizer  and  his  staff  at  USACSSA,  located 
then  on  K  Street  in  Washington,  DC,  gathered  issues  from  UMT's  worldwide  and  then  prepared 
packets  of  informative  articles  from  a  wide  variety  of  civilian  and  military  publications.'"'  In  response 
to  requests  from  Chaplain  Gary  Perkins  and  Chaplain  Maria  Snyder,  who  were  serving  on  Chaplain 
Keizer's  staff  at  the  Agency,  MACOM  chaplains  forwarded  input  addressing  the  vertical,  horizontal, 
and  transitional  dimensions  for  thinking  about  the  future  of  the  Chaplaincy  As  Chaplain  Keizer 
defined  the  terms,  the  vertical  focus  related  to  present  projects,  programs,  and  activities.  The 
horizontal  focus  included  normal  functions,  and  roles  and  missions  that  were  "always  part  of  our 
business."  The  transitional  focus  related  to  "things  moving,  changing,  shifting,  or  needing  to  be 
established."  ''* 

The  response  to  Chaplain  Keizer's  request  for  ideas  from  the  MACOM  staff  chaplains  was 
impressive  though  mixed  Chaplain  G  T  Gunhus,  the  USAREUR  Chaplain,  forwarded  a  packet  in 
April  containing  23  pages  of  reflections  from  10  senior  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants.^^'  From 
Fort  Ord  the  senior  chaplain  assistants  replied  with  one  page  which,  though  brief,  was  packed  with 
thoughtftil  suggestions  for  the  71M  MOS."* 

To  supplement  these  UMT  responses.  Chaplains  Perkins  and  Snyder  gathered  articles  from 
the  Air  Force  Chaplain  Service,  the  US  Navy  Chaplaincy,  the  World  Future  Society,  the  Bama 
Research  Group,  the  Center  for  Christian  Leadership  at  Dallas  Theological  Seminary,  the  Office  of 
the  Secretary  of  the  Army,  and  from  many  other  sources.  All  suggested  trends  and  ideas  for  the 
fiiture,  not  only  in  military  and  religious  organizations  but  in  civic,  educational  and  business 
institutions  as  well."'^  Each  participant  at  the  conference  received  a  packet  which  was  the  size  of  a 
small  telephone  directory!  The  ideas  included  in  the  packet,  however,  were  excellent  stimuli  for 
thought. 

The  participants  at  the  Vision  Conference  were  the  senior  leaders  of  the  Corps:  Chaplain 
Norris  Einertson,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains;  Chaplain  Matthew  Zimmerman,  the  Deputy  Chief,  Chaplain 
Don  Shea,  the  DACH  Executive  Officer,  Chaplain  Herm  Keizer  and  his  staff  from  the  Agency; 
Chaplain  Bernard  Windmiller,  the  Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  and  Chaplain 
Douglas  Smith,  the  Deputy  Commandant;  Chaplain  Billy  Libby  from  the  National  Defense  University; 
Chaplains  Wayne  Kuehne,  John  Scott,  and  James  Edgren,  Directors  of  PPDT,  PER,  and  IRML 
respectively  from  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains;  Chaplain  George  Schwantes  from  the  National 
Guard  Bureau,  Chaplain  George  Fields,  Assistant  Chief  of  Chaplains  (USAR),  Chaplain  James  M. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 277 

Hutchens,  Assistant  Chief  of  Chaplains  (ARNGUS),  SM  OHver  "Irish"  Corbett,  Senior  Staff  NCO 
at  DACH;  and  CSM  Aaron  Gibson,  Regimental  Command  Sergeant  Major — to  mention  but  a  few.^^" 

On  30  April  the  Conference  met  for  devotions  and  a  three-hour  discussion  led  by  Chaplain 
Libby  on  "constructing"  the  recent  history  of  the  Chaplaincy  since  1960.  Some  65  major  events  in 
the  history  of  the  Cold  War,  the  United  States  Army,  and  the  Army  Chaplaincy  were  placed  on  a 
timeline.  At  the  bottom  of  the  timeline  the  years  and  the  figures  for  active  duty  chaplain  personnel 
strength  were  listed:  1960  (1,000  chaplains);  1962  (1,100),  1968  (1,900),  1977  (1,475),  1982 
(1,450);  1990  (1,575)."'  Chaplain  Libby  observed  that  a  cyclical  history  of  the  Chaplain  Corps 
would  present  a  view  of  ministry  in  terms  of  organizational  (and  program)  life  cycles,  charting 
personnel  strength,  appropriations,  and  programs  on  a  single  graph.  In  general,  the  personnel 
strength  of  the  chaplaincy  of  recent  history  rose  during  Vietnam  and  then  leveled  off  between  1,450 
and  1,550  for  approximately  15  years  (which  paralleled  the  cap  on  the  active  Army  end  strength  of 
about  750,000  during  the  same  time  fi'ame.)  It  would  normally  be  expected  to  drop  after  1990  with 
the  downsizing  of  the  Army 

The  one  function  which  was  not  graphed  was  an  estimate  of  the  level  of  brilliant  or  inspired 
leadership  in  the  Chaplaincy  over  the  course  of  15  years,  although  most  participants  thought  the  trend 
was  "upward"  in  the  last  decade."'^  Leadership  may  be  independent  of  any  life  cycle  measurement. 
"Hopefully  it  is  trained  at  every  echelon  of  the  chaplaincy  to  emerge  whenever  it  is  needed,"  Chaplain 
Libby  observed."^ 

The  subsequent  topics  discussed  at  the  Conference  were  equally  lengthy  and  fascinating  with 
enough  material  to  fill  a  small  book.  Briefings  were  given  by  Chaplains  Einertson,  Zimmerman,  Shea, 
Kuehne,  Scott,  Edgren,  and  representatives  from  the  Reserve  Components,  USACHCS,  USACSSA, 
and  Command  Sergeant  Major's  group  on  enlisted  issues.  On  the  last  two  days  the  Conference 
discussed  "Building  a  Corporate  Vision,"  "Strategic  Issues  in  Priority,"  and  "Making  Commitmants: 
Integration  of  Plans.  "^  The  final  product  from  the  Conference  was  not  a  list  of  prioritized  program 
initiatives,  although  those  had  been  discussed.  The  final  product  was  a  commitment  to  the 
fiindamental  principles  of  "continuing  to  provide  quality  ministry  and  spiritual  leadership  to  meet  the 
challenging  demand  of  the  future"  and  plans  to  produce  a  brochure,  comprised  of  the  accumulated 
vision  statements,  as  a  corporate  vision  of  the  Chaplaincy  for  use  by  the  new  Chief  of  Chaplains."^ 
The  measure  of  success  for  the  Conference,  however,  was  not  quantified  in  a  final  product  as  much 
as  in  the  analysis  process  and  in  the  enthusiastic  response  of  the  participants."* 


The  Medical  Ethics  Conference 

Ten  days  after  the  UMT  Vision  Conference  adjourned,  another  exceptional  conference 
convened  in  San  Antonio,  Texas,  for  chaplains,  physicians,  nurses  and  health  care  providers.  The  title 
and  theme  for  this  assembly  of  health  professionals  was  "Medical  Ethics  and  the  Health  Care  Provider 
Team  on  the  Battlefield."  Sponsored  by  Chaplain  Robert  Campbell,  Heahh  Services  Command 
Chaplain,  and  coordinated  by  Chaplain  Gerald  Conner  and  Chaplain  David  DeDonato,  the  Conference 
hosted  more  than  300  participants  including  Chaplain  Norris  Einertson,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  who 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


278  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


gave  the  opening  address  on  "Medical  Ethics  and  the  Soldier." 

Chaplain  DeDonato,  the  Conference  project  officer  who  did  the  largest  share  of  preparatory 
work  for  the  gathering,  had  done  pioneering  work  as  the  Chaplain  Instructor  at  the  Academy  of 
Health  Services  in  teaching  medical  and  clinical  ethics  to  both  officer  and  enlisted  personnel. 
Chaplain  DeDonato  also  served  as  the  medical  ethics  advisor  to  the  Brooke  Army  Medical  Center 
Bioethics  Committee,  the  Health  Services  Command  Staff  Chaplain,  and  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy 
Services  Support  Agency.'" 

The  list  of  exceptionally  well  qualified  speakers  authors  and  seminar  leaders  included  Major 
General  William  L  Moore,  Jr  ,  Commander,  Brooke  Army  Medical  Center,  Colonel  James  G  Van 
Straten,  USA  Retired,  Dean  of  Allied  Sciences,  University  of  Texas  Health  Science  Center,  Chaplain 
John  Brinsfield,  U  S.  Army  Chaplain  School;  Chaplain  Albert  Isler,  U  S  Army  Chaplain  School; 
Major  Michael  E.  Frisina,  Philosophy  Department,  U.  S.  Military  Academy,  Lt  Col.  Catherine  Call, 
Army  Nurse  Corps;  Chaplain  Kenneth  M  Ruppar,  Academy  of  Health  Sciences;  Dr.  Robert  Mosebar, 
Academy  of  Heahh  Sciences;  Chaplain  Thomas  J.  Naughton,  Deputy  Post  Chaplain  at  Carlisle 
Barracks;  Father  Douglas  F  Bailey,  Campus  Minister  at  Florida  Institute  of  Technology,  and 
Chaplain  Melvin  G.  Brinkley,  U.  S.  Air  Force,  to  mention  but  a  few. 

The  issues  discussed  for  five  days  at  the  Medical  Ethics  Conference  ranged  from  the  Practice 
of  Battlefield  Health  Care  to  Euthanasia  and  the  Right  to  Die.  Chaplain  Libby  and  Dr.  Van  Straten, 
who  gave  exceptionally  informative  and  moving  accounts  of  their  ministries,  were  equally  engaging 
with  regard  to  their  own  fields  of  expertise. 

Fortunately,  as  a  service  for  the  Army  Chaplaincy  as  well  as  for  many  other  organizations, 
institutions,  and  libraries.  Chaplain  DeDonato  had  collected  the  Conference  papers  and  had 
videotaped  the  presentations.  In  the  spring  of  1991  Chaplain  Granville  E.  "Gene"  Tyson,  Editor  of 
the  Military  Chaplain  Review',  and  Chaplain  David  DeDonato,  who  edited  the  Conference  papers, 
combined  their  skills  to  produce  a  special  issue  of  the  Military  Chaplains  Review  dedicated  to  the 
theme  of  Medical  Ethics.  ^^* 


The  Training  Strategy 

A  project  as  complex  and  as  lasting  as  the  Medical  Ethics  Conference,  but  done  at  a  less 
hectic  pace,  was  the  production  of  the  chief  of  Chaplains  Training  Strategy  in  1990.  Tasked  by 
Chaplain  Bernard  Windmiller,  the  Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  to  research  and 
write  a  detailed  plan  for  "bringing  a  system  and  some  organization  to  the  training  of  all  chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants  in  the  corps,"  Chaplain  Donald  Crippen  of  the  Directorate  of  Training  and 
Doctrine  knew  he  had  a  full-time,  year-long  job."'''  Since  the  new  AR  1 65- 1 ,  Chaplain  Activities  in 
the  United  States  Army,  stressed  the  supervision  and  implementation  of  training  at  every  echelon  in 
the  Chaplaincy,  Chaplain  Crippen's  mission  was  of  interest  not  only  to  the  Commandant  but  also  to 
Chaplain  Kuehne  in  PPDT  and  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  as  well. 

With  support  from  Chaplain  Windmiller,  Chaplain  Basil  Ballard,  Director  of  Training  and 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 279 

Doctrine;  and  Chaplain  Stan  Esteriine  from  PPDT  at  the  Chiefs  Office,  Chaplain  Crippen  conducted 
more  than  25  interviews  and  collected  an  impressive  collection  of  documents  in  his  office  in  the  Unit 
and  Individual  Training  Division  of  DTD.  Chaplain  Crippen's  post-graduate  work  in  Educational 
Psychology  at  Vanderbilt  and  his  experience  with  airborne  soldiers,  at  Fort  Bragg  during  a  previous 
assignment,  combined  to  make  him  a  "natural"  for  this  task. 

As  the  project  developed.  Chaplain  Crippen  enlisted  the  help  of  other  chaplains  and  chaplain 
assistants  to  write  short  sections  on  their  areas  of  responsibility  if  they  impacted  on  training.  Chaplain 
Janet  Horton  from  the  Directorate  of  Personnel  and  Ecclesiastical  Relations  at  DACH,  for  example, 
wrote  a  brief  paper  on  personnel  regulations,  selection  boards  and  training  opportunities  for  chaplains. 
Chaplain  Stan  Esteriine  spent  several  days  at  the  Chaplain  School  helping  Chaplain  Crippen 
incorporate  items  of  special  interest  to  Chaplain  Kuehne  and  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains. 

When  the  Training  Strategy  was  completed  and  had  been  staflFed  as  thoroughly  as  possible, 
it  was  approved  by  both  the  Commandant  and  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  as  a  signal  contribution  to 
training  management  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Eventually  the  Chiefs  Training  Strategy  became  the 
guide  and  checklist  for  training  at  MACOMs  and  on  installations  throughout  the  Chaplaincy.''"' 


Downsizing  Challenges 

In  spite  of  the  burst  of  creative  energy  evident  in  much  of  the  Chaplaincy's  leadership  in  the 
spring  of  1990,  there  also  were  some  warning  shots  of  base  closures  and  personnel  reductions  which 
must  inevitably  occur  as  part  of  the  end  of  the  Cold  War  and  of  the  United  States'  forward  deployed 
force  strategy.  For  example,  in  the  winter  of  1 989- 1 990,  the  House  Armed  Services  Subcommittee 
on  Installations  and  Facilities,  chaired  by  Congresswoman  Patricia  Schroeder  (D-Colorado),  selected 
the  Army's  request  to  build  chapels,  religious  education  facilities,  or  child  care  centers  as  specified 
in  the  standardized  chapel  design  program.  The  committee  reported  that  it  deleted  these  projects 
"because,  in  times  of  tight  budgets,  such  facilities  are  of  lower  priority.  Members  of  the  military  can 
attend  religious  services  in  the  communities  surrounding  bases.  Moreover,  the  committee  has  a 
certain  hesitation  about  using  public  flinds  for  the  support  of  religious  activities."""" 

Chaplain  Einertson  was  informed  by  the  Director  of  the  Army  Staff  that  the  House 
Subcommittee  had  deleted  all  FY  90  religious  facility  construction. ^""^  Yet  the  Senate  Subcommittee 
had  voted  separately  at  the  same  time  to  authorize  all  chapel  and  religious  education  facilities  which 
the  Army  had  requested.  Chaplain  Edgren  and  Chaplain  Councell  immediately  began  work  to  help 
the  Chief  reverse  the  House  Committee  report's  impact  and  implement  damage  control  measures.  ^''^ 
Contacting  Senators  Jack  Armstrong  (Colorado),  Dan  Coates  (Indiana),  and  Sam  Nunn  (Georgia) 
to  rally  some  sympathetic  support  on  Capitol  Hill,  Chaplain  Einertson  and  Chaplain  Edgren  worked 
through  the  National  Conference  for  Ministry  to  the  Armed  Forces  (NCMAF)  to  alert  Senators, 
Congressmen  and,  by  extension,  the  American  people  that  service  members  from  all  over  the  United 
States  might  soon  be  denied  suitable  religious  facilities  for  use  by  themselves  and  their  family 
members.  Chaplain  CliflF  Weathers,  U.S.  Army  Retired,  one  of  Chaplain  Einertson's  former  staff 
members,  represented  the  NCMAF.  Chaplain  Weathers  wrote  to  several  congressmen  and  senators 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


280  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


indicating  tliat  the  House  Subcommittee's  action  was  inappropriate.  Chaplain  Weathers  reminded 
them  that  the  NCMAF  hada  constituency  of  140  million  Americans,  the  membership  of  the 
denominations  which  endorsed  chaplains  and  which  were,  in  turn,  represented  by  his 
organization. That  figure  always  attracted  attention  in  Congress  ! 

One  representative  who  was  on  the  House  Subcommittee,  Congressman  Dave  K  McCurdy 
of  Oklahoma,  was  troubled  by  the  expenditure  of  federal  funds  for  religious  facilities.  He  asked 
Chaplain  Einertson,  "How  long  has  the  Federal  Government  been  financing  religion  in  the  Army 
anyway?"  With  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  Chaplain  Einertson  answered  respectfijlly,  "For  over  200  yejirs, 
gjj.  .1244  Senator  Armstrong  thought  there  were  some  contacts  which  could  be  made  to  help  the 
chaplains,  especially  through  Senator  Nunn  who  was  Chairman  of  the  Senate  Armed  Forces 
Committee  and  who  would  be  working  on  appropriations  with  his  colleagues  in  the  House  of 
Representatives.  "If  all  else  fails,"  Senator  Armstrong  reportedly  said,  "We  can  build  a  fire  under 
Pat  Schroeder  in  Denver  "^^' 

Evidently,  enough  Congressmen  got  the  message,  for  one  day  in  the  late  spring  of  1990  a  call 
came  to  the  Chief  fi"om  Representative  Schroeder's  office  asking  that  "Chaplains  call  off  their  dogs. 
We  do  not  need  any  more  mail  to  get  the  point "  In  June  of  1990  the  Congressional  mid-year 
emergency  appropriations  restored  everything  that  was  lost  and  "favorable  language  applauding  the 
role  of  chaplains  appeared  in  the  supplemental  bill."'*^ 

Unfortunately  the  closure  of  some  other  facilities  in  1990  could  not  be  avoided  In  his  annual 
historical  report  for  1990,  Chaplain  G  T.  Gunhus  noted  that  while  a  construction  contract  for  one 
chapel  (at  Giebelstadt)  was  awarded,  another  (planned  for  Vilseck)  was  deleted  by  Congress  at  least 
until  FY  1991.  Even  though  the  Retreat  House  in  Berchtesgaden  finished  calendar  year  1989  with 
the  largest  number  of  retreats  in  its  35-year  history,  and  hosted  28  additional  retreats  and  five 
conferences  in  the  first  five  months  of  1990,  the  BASOPS  support  was  withdrawn.  The  Religious 
Retreat  House  Ministry  in  Berchtesgaden  was  therefore  discontinued  on  22  June  1990."''^ 

The  closure  of  facilities  also  brought  some  additional  pressure  on  community  chaplains  to 
justify  chaplain  assistant  positions.  Community  commanders  and  installation  commanders  in  the 
States,  under  pressure  to  reduce  strength  levels,  reasoned  that  if  the  unit  is  being  reduced  and  there 
is  no  chapel,  there  also  must  be  no  need  for  a  chaplain  assistant.  Some  chaplains  thought  that  "our 
Chaplain  Corps  doctrine  covers  this,"  but  Chaplain  Gary  Perkins,  studying  the  issue  at  the  Agency, 
warned,  "Since  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  does  not  hold  any  protective  authority  for  chaplain  assistants, 
battles  are  won  or  lost  at  the  local  level  of  command.  If  civilian  authorizations  are  accepted  in  return 
for  loss  of  chaplain  assistants  spaces  at  any  level  of  command,  the  use  of  chaplain  assistant  in  TDA 
organizations  is  seriously  undermined."'''* 

Ironically,  at  the  same  time  that  chaplain  assistant  positions  were  coming  under  review 
(again),  many  chaplain  assistants  were  demonstrating  outstanding  performance  of  duty  in  tribute  to 
the  upgrading  of  the  71M  MOS  which  had  begun  in  1984.  In  Stuttgart  for  example.  Master  Sergeant 
Thomas  J.  Prost  had  been  selected  to  serve  as  the  first  U.S.  Army  chaplain  assistant  in  the  Joint  Billet 
of  the  Executive  to  the  Command  Chaplain  of  EUCOM.''*''  Master  Sergeant  Prost  was  at  that  time 
a  recent  graduate  of  the  Sergeant  Majors  Academy.  In  the  same  month.  Sergeant  First  Class  Charles 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 28^ 

Butts,  famous  for  years  for  his  physical  fitness  instruction  at  the  Chaplain  School,  was  initiated  into 
the  Sergeant  Morales  Club,  a  signal  honor  for  any  noncommissioned  officer  in  the  Army. 


Retirements:  Turning  Another  Corner 

As  mid-summer  approached,  the  lists  of  retirees  began  to  be  released  by  the  Chiefs  Office. 
In  July,  1 3  field  grade  chaplains  retired  including  Chaplain  Wesley  V.  Geary,  Chaplain  James  D 
Masteller,  Chaplain  George  H.  Gray,  Chaplain  Dorsey  E.  Levell,  USAR,  and  Chaplain  Philip  L. 
Olsen,  USAR  One  general  officer  also  said  farewell.  Chaplain  (Major  General)  Norris  L  Einertson, 
the  Army's  17th  Chief  of  Chaplains 

It  was  with  sincere  regret  that  the  Chaplain  Corps  fell  in  line  for  Chaplain  Einertson's 
retirement  ceremonies  and  parade    As  he  noted  in  his  last  official  newsletter  to  the  Corps: 

My  ministry  as  an  Army  Chaplain  has  spanned  the  entire  period  of  the  Berlin  Wall, 
While  I  will  retire  from  the  Army  Chaplaincy,  I  will  not  retire  from  the  ministry.  I  was 
a  pastor  when  I  entered  the  Army,  have  been  one  during  the  past  29  years,  and  will 
be  a  pastor  as  I  leave.  I  ask  for  your  prayers  as  I  ask  God  to  make  me  sufficiently 
flexible  to  remain  faithfiji  to  my  call  to  ministry."" 

Before  Chaplain  Einertson  left  the  Pentagon,  General  Carl  E.  Vuono,  Chief  of  Staff"  of  the  Army, 
presented  him  with  his  retirement  award,  a  second  Distinguished  Service  Medal.  General  Vuono 
cited  Chaplain  Einertson's  "remarkable  foresight,  unique  ability  to  perceive  key  issues,  and  firm 
leadership  during  this  tenuous  period  which  resuhed  in  a  stronger  and  even  more  dedicated  branch, 
revitalizing  religious  programs  and  providing  uninterrupted  ministry  to  soldiers  and  families 
worldwide""' 

At  the  US  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  Chaplain  Einertson  bade  farewell  to  the  staff" 
and  faculty  and  to  the  students.  After  his  retirement  parade,  selected  members  of  the  faculty  led  by 
Chaplain  Basil  Ballard  and  Chaplain  Al  Isler  put  on  a  slide-show  skit,  "This  is  Your  Life,  Chaplain 
Einertson.""^ 

Chaplain  Einertson's  pastoral  concern  for  all  soldiers  and  families  and  for  every  member  of 
the  Total  Chaplaincy  had  left  a  profound  impression  on  all  who  met  him.  Yet  if  there  was  any  higher 
quality  upon  which  he  had  to  draw  as  Chief,  it  was  the  quality  of  moral  courage.  Chaplain  Cliff 
Weathers,  Director  of  PPDT  in  1988,  said  that  Chaplain  Einertson's  tenure  as  Chief  was  marked  by 
"years  of  battles"  to  defend  and  preserve  the  Chaplaincy  from  those  who  wanted  to  reduce  its  size, 
deny  its  ftinding,  and  manage  its  personnel  Chaplain  Einertson  personally  stood  "toe  to  toe"  with 
senior  officers,  even  those  who  outranked  him,  on  important  issues.  "He  was  a  pastor  with  a 
backbone  of  steel,"  Chaplain  Weathers  reflected.  "Chaplain  Einertson's  character  could  be  described 
in  three  words;  integrity,  integrity,  integrity.""^ 

Chaplain  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman,  who  succeeded  Chaplain  Einertson  as  Chief  of  Chaplains 
on  1  August  1990,  wrote  of  his  predecessor,  "Under  Chaplain  Einertson,  the  Chaplaincy  did  not  just 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


282  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


survive  a  difficult  period  ..we  are  stronger  today  than  we've  ever  been  in  our  history.  We  are 
ministering  better,  counseling  better,  preaching  better,  being  better  staff  officers  and  NCOs,  and 
training  smarter  than  we  have  ever  done  before.  And,  given  the  challenges  of  the  "build-down  times" 
in  which  we  find  ourselves,  we  have  an  unquestioned  need  to  continue  down  the  trail  already  blazed 
and  blessed  by  my  and  your  predecessors.  We  owe  them  an  enormous  debt  of  gratitude  for  their 
stewardship.""* 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 283 

ENDNOTES 

I.  The  editor  is  aware  that  the  word  "pastor"  is  a  noun.  The  semantically  constructed  participle 
"pastoring"  was,  however,  in  common  use  in  the  1980s. 

2  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  "Newsletter",  1  July  1990,  p  1,  draft.  The  Berlin  Wall  was 
opened  near  the  Brandenburg  Gate  on  9  Nov.  1989.  The  Warsaw  Pact  dissolved  in  1991 .  U.S. 
News  and  World  Report,  25  Oct.  1993,  p  64. 

3  Mary  Luthi,  "The  American  Politician:  The  Second  Oldest  Profession,"  Drew  Universily 
Magazine,  Winter,  1994-95,  p.  27    "Star  Wars"  was  a  space-based  anti-ICBM  defense  system 
which  was  proposed  for  development  to  shoot  down  possible  incoming  Russian  missiles. 

4.   U.S.  News  and  Wor/d Report,  Oct.  25,  1993,  p.  60. 

5  Ibid,  p  61. 

6  Jessica  Harding,  Public  Affairs  File,  "Biography  of  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen  )  Norris  Einertson: 
1985,"  Chaplain  Corps  Archives 

7.  OCCH  Newsletter,  1  July  1990,  p.  1. 

8  As  cited  from  Chaplain  Einertson's  address  on  Feb  6,  1985,  by  Greg  Kayne,  Public  Affairs 
Officer,  US  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  "The  68th  Anniversary  of  the  Chaplain  School  " 
p   1    Copy  in  PAO  File,  1985,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

9  Department  of  the  Army,  General  Orders  No  24,  30  May  1986  as  cited  in  OCCH  Newsletter, 
1  July  '86. 

10.  OCCH,  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  30  Sept  '86,  p.  2. 

I I .  Other  joint  use  facilities  based  on  this  standardized  model  were  built  at  Forts  Rucker,  Sill, 
Belvoir,  Sam  Houston,  Leavenworth  and  Yuma  PG    OCCH  Newsletter,  1  June  '86,  Sect  III 

12  OCCH,  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  30  Sept  '86,  p  3. 

13  OCCH  Newsletter,  1  July  86,  pp.  2-3. 

14.  Jessica  Harding,  PAO  File,  July  1986,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

15.  Ibid,  Including  Chaplains  John  Rasmussen  and  Don  Turkelson  and  Sergeant  Barbara  Taylor. 

16  "Dedication  Ceremony"  Bulletin,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives;  "Army  Chaplaincy's  Birthday,"  in 
the  Monmouth  Message,  25  July  1986,  and  Jessica  Harding,  "Chaplain  Corps  Established,"  Aug. 
1986,  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives,  PAO  File,  1986. 


284 THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 

17.  OCCH,  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  30  Sept.  1986,  pp.  3-7. 

18.  OCCH  Newsletter,  1  July  1986,  p.  1, 

19.  FY  86  Strength  Report,  6  Sept  86.  Among  the  retirees  were  Ch  (Col.)  Leroy  Johnson  and  Ch 
(Col.)  Roy  Peters,  Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  School  in  1980. 

20.  OCCH  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  30  Sept  86,  p.  18. 

21.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Norris  Einertson,  Sioux  Falls,  SD,  27  May 
1994. 

22.  OCCH,  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  30  Sept  86,  p.  16.  Later  Chaplain  Einertson  received  special 
recognition  from  General  Max  Thurman  for  the  5-Year  Plan  Chaplain  Hufham  developed. 

23.  Roger  Able,  Information  Paper,  OCCH  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  1986,  p.  19. 

24.  Ibid,  pp.  28-31. 

25.  OCCH  Newsletter,  1  July  1986,  p.  2. 

26.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Herb  Kitchens,  Ft.  Gillem,  GA,  29  Dec  1993. 

27.  OCCH  Newsletter,  1  July  1986,  p.  2. 

28.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Herb  Kitchens,  29  Dec  93. 

29.  OCCH  Newsletter,  1  Oct  1986,  p.  1. 

30.  Ibid 

31.  OCCH  Newsletter,  1  Jan  87,  p.  2  and  Ibid,  1  April  88,  p.  1 1. 

32.  OCCH  Newsletter,  1  Oct  86,  Op  cil.,  p.  1. 

33.  OCCH  Newsletter,  1  Nov  86,  p.  1. 

34.  Captain  Chester  Paul  Beach,  Jr.,  Memorandum  Through  Executive,  OTJAG,  For  Executive 
OCCH,  10  Dec  1986,  pp.  1-3.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

35.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  James  Robnolt,  Ft.  Monmouth,  1 1  July  1993. 

36.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col  )  Hugh  M.  Grubb,  Warm  Springs,  GA  ,  4  March  1995. 
See  also  Anson  P  Stokes,  Church  and  Stale  in  the  United  Slates  (New  York:  Harper  &  Bros., 
1950),  I,  preface  and  pp.  166-167.  Winthrop  Hudson  traced  "pluralism"  back  to  immigration 
patterns  after  World  War  I  in  ^/M<?/"/ca« /'/'o/<?.yto/?/7.vw,  (Chicago:  Univ  of  Chicago,  1968)  p.  129. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 285 

Actually,  America  was  pluralistic  in  its  origins  and  perhaps  not  as  "Protestant"  as  "revivalist." 

37.  C.H  Jacquet,  Yearbook  of  American  Churches,  1978,  p. 897 

38.  Sidney  Meade,  "The  Post-Protestant  Concept,"  Issues  in  American  Protestantism,  1969,  p. 
369. 

39.  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield,  "Our  Roots  for  Ministry,"  MiUtary  Chaplains  Review,  Fall,  1987,  p. 
25,  David  Chambers,  "The  Protestant  Prohlem,^^  Mihtary  Chaplains  RevieM',  Fall,  1987,  p.  81, 
Interview  with  Chaplain  Gil  Pingel,  PPDT,  21  March  1989    In  1 987- 1 988  there  were  40  different 
denominations  represented  on  the  Staff  and  Faculty  of  the  Chaplain  School  at  Ft.  Monmouth. 

40.  Ibid,  p.  81. 

41.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  James  Robnolt,  1 1  July  1993. 

42.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Active  Duty  Fact  Book,  3 1  March  1987,  p.  17 

43.  A  religion  founded  by  Guru  Nanak  in  India  about  1 500  Common  Era. 

44.  Gregory  J.  Darr,  "For  God  and  Country,"  Mihtary  Chaplains  Review,  Winter,  1992,  p   102, 
and  Senate  Bill  248  and  House  Bill  1269  "To  Amend  title  10,  US  Code,"  Appendix  to  Staff 
Notes,  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  as  reported  by  Chaplain  William  Hufham,  PPDT,  28  Jan 
87  and  13  May  87.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

45  Ibid    13  May  1987. 

46.  Chaplain  Ted  Sirotko  in  the  Department  of  Military  Ministries  approved  such  courses  at 
USACHCS  in  1987.  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield  was  the  first  instructor  followed  by  Chaplain 
Joanne  Knight  upon  her  graduation  fi-om  Princeton.  One  course  also  was  provided  for  chaplain 
assistants. 

47.  On  27  Oct.  1987. 

48.  Gregory  Darr,  Op.  cit.,  p.  103. 

49.  OCCH  Staff  Meeting  Minutes,  4  Feb  1987. 

50.  OCCH,  Staff  Meeting  Minutes,  14  Jan  87. 

5\.Ibid,  24  Feb  87. 

52.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Norris  Einertson,  27  May  1994,  OCCH  Staff 
Minutes,  4  Feb  87,  report  by  Chaplain  Jerry  Reynolds,  PER 

53  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Hugh  M.  Grubb,  4  March  95. 


286 THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 

54.  Memo  for  the  Vice  Chief  of  Staff,  SUBJECT:  Officer  Scrub,  8  May  87    Appendix  to  OCCH 
Staff  Minutes,  13  May  87. 

55.  Ibid.,  p.2 

56.  OOCH  Fact  Book,  31  March  87,  p    15.   (Chap  Pingel's  Information  Paper  on  p   15  was 
written  after  14  May  87  ) 

57.  OCCH  StaflFMinutes,  13  May  87,  p  2. 

58.  Jerry  Filteau,  "Uncle  Sam  Wants  You,  Father,"  The  Catholic  Review,  6  Aug  87,  p  A-4. 

59.  Jessica  R.  Harding,  "Army  Chaplain  Meets  with  Pope,"  Chief  of  Chaplains  Newsletter,  19 
Aug  87,  Attachment  4 

60.  Jerry  Filteau,  Op.  cit.,  p.  A-4. 

61.  OCCH  StaflFMinutes,  28  July  87  and  Jerry  Filteau,  loc.  cit. 

62.  OCCH  StaflFMinutes,  18  March  87,  p   1. 

63.  Personal  interviews  with  Chaplain  Hugh  Grubb,  4  Mar  95. 

64.  Chaplain  (Brig.  Gen.)  Charles  McDonnell,  the  Air  Force  and  Navy  Chiefs  of  Chaplains,  and 
other  dignitaries  had  an  audience  with  Pope  John  Paul  II  in  August  1987    OCCH  StaflFMinutes, 
19  Aug  1987. 

65.  Gregory  Darr,  Op.  cit.,  p.  103. 

66.  Ibid. 

67.  OCCH  StaflFMinutes,  14  Jan  87,  p.  1. 

68.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Hugh  Grubb,  4  Mar  95. 

69.  OCCH  Newsletter,  1  Jan  88,  p.  5. 

70.  OCCH  StaflFMinutes,  13  May  1987. 
71. /A/c/.,  28  July  87. 

72.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Hugh  M.  Grubb,  4  March  95. 

73.  During  Operation  Desert  Storm  in  1991  chaplains  in  their  protective  suits  (MOPP  gear)  wrote 
CHAPLAIN  on  masking  tape  and  stuck  it  to  the  outside  of  their  jackets. 

74.  The  Army  Chaplaincy  developed  a  crescent  insignia  in  1993  for  the  first  Muslim  chaplain. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 287 

75.  OCCH  Staff  Minutes,  18  March  1987. 

76  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Norris  Einertson,  27  May  1994. 

77  OCCH,  Staff  Minutes,  30  Sept  87 

78. //)/J.,  16  Sept  87 

79  Ibid.   Almost  prophetically.  Chaplain  Whaley  urged  more  training  in  how  to  function  in 
MOPP  4  for  extended  periods  of  time.  His  observation  in  1 987  was  validated  during  Desert 
Storm  in  1991    See  OCCH,  Chiefs  Newsletter,  1  Jan  87,  Attachment  10. 

80.  OCCH,  Staff  Minutes,  13  May  87. 

81.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt  Col)  Harvey  Brown,  Ft  Jackson,  7  Mar  95. 

82  OCCH  Chiefs  Newsletter,  1  July  87    The  Joint  Task  Review  Board  was  scheduled  for  the 
Fall  of  1988. 

83  In  October  1987,  copies  of  The  UMT Handbook  (RB  1-1,  first  edition),  developed  by  Major 
Morgan  Flom,  Chaplain  Jesse  Thronton,  and  Major  Mike  Hobson  in  UITD  were  distributed  to 
each  MACOM  and  CONUSA  for  every  active  and  reserve  component  UMT.  See  OCCH,  Chiefs 
Newsletter,  1  Jan  88,  p.  3. 

84.  This  section  is  taken  primarily  from  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gary  Councell,  "Resourcing  the 
Chaplaincy  in  the  Post- Vietnam  Years,  1973-1993,  "U.S.  Army  War  College  Directed  Study 
Paper,  Carlisle,  PA,  1994,  pp  35-39  and  OCCH  Staff  Minutes,  1  July  1987. 

85  Chaplain  (Col  )  Thomas  R.  Smith,  "The  US  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency," 
Military  Chaplains  Review^  Winter  1992,  p  23. 

86  //>/J.,p  24. 
^7  Ibid,  p  27. 

88.  OCCH,  Chief s Newsletter,  1  Dec  87,  GO.  No.  70,  Attachment  2. 

89.  Ibid ,  p  27  Among  the  outstanding  staff  members  were  Chaplains  John  Hoogland,  Richard 
Adams,  James  Herndon,  Ignatius  Butler,  William  Noble  and  Paul  Vicalvi,  MSG  Ronald  Bowren, 
Mrs.  Patricia  Jennings,  Mrs.  Bess  Ballard,  and  Ms.  Beth  Armstrong. 

90  Ibid.,  In  1992  the  Agency  moved  to  OCCH  in  the  Pentagon  as  a  cost  saving  measure. 
Chaplain  Herman  Keizer  succeeded  Chaplain  John  Hoogland  as  Deputy  Director  and  was,  in  turn, 
succeeded  by  Chaplain  Tom  Smith. 


288 THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 

91   Chaplain  (Col  )  James  B.  Lonergan,  Deputy  FORSCOM  Staff  Chaplain  in  1993,  suggested 
this  title. 

92.  U.S.  Forces  Korea  and  Eighth  US.  Army,  Annual  Historical  Report,  1986  -  1987, 
(unclassified)  p  ix 

93.  Ibid.,  and  USFK  and  EUSA,  Annual  Historical  Report,  1975,  Introduction 

94.  Ibid.,  USFK  and  EXiSk,  Annual  Historical  Report,  1986  -  1987,  (unclassified),  p.  x. 

95.  Ibid ,  p.  15-13,  or  41.2  persons  at  each  service. 

96.  Ibid,  p   15-13. 

97.  Ibid,  p.  15-14. 

98.  Caliber  Associates,  Family  Strengths  and  Adaptation  to  Army  Life,  (Chapel  Hill,  N.C  :  Univ. 
ofN.C,  Jan.  1988),  p.  ii. 

99.  Rededication  Ceremony  Bulletin,  1  Aug  87,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

100.  OCCH,  Chief s  Newsletter,  1  Jan  1988. 

101.  Jessica  Harding,  "Black  History  Month  Story,"  submitted  to  the  Pentagram,  January,  1987. 
PAO  Files,  OCCH 

102  OCCH,  Chiefs  Newsletter,  1  July  1987.  The  award  was  presented  in  New  York  City  on  8 
July  1987. 

103.  Jessica  Harding,  "Chaplaincy  Honors  Its  Own,"  PAO  News  Release,  OCCH,  3  Dec  1987. 

104.  Jessica  Harding,  "Chaplain  Helps  Soldiers,"  Ft.  Rucker  Flier,  30  April  1987. 

105.  OCCH,  Chiefs  Newsletter,  1  Jan  88,  p.  6. 

106.  For  example.  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  John  Lincoln,  one  of  the  most  dedicated  Catholic  chaplains 
in  USAREUR,  died  of  a  heart  attack  while  playing  softball  with  his  parish  members  on  27  May 
1987.  SGM  John  Rainey  retired  and  Chaplain  J  L.  Goudreau  entered  active  duty 

107.  Richard  Martin,"Ten  Leadership  Commandments,"  MC/?,  Winter,  1987,  p.  7. 

108.  Letter  from  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Norris  Einertson  to  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  16 
May  1995.  Copy  in  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 289 

109.  OCCH,  Chiefs  Newsletter,  1  Jan  1988,  p   1 .  Among  the  specific  achievements  mentioned  in 
the  award  of  Chaplain  Einertson's  DSM  were  supervision  of  the  development  of  a  5-year  training 
plan  for  multi-cultural  ministry,  the  fielding  of  UMT  Training  Doctrine,  Chaplain  Mobilization 
Training,  an  audit  of  all  chaplaincy  spaces,  and  a  comprehensive  study  to  help  alleviate  the 
shortage  of  Roman  Catholic  chaplains 

1 10.  Bob  Woodward,  The  Commanders  (New  York:  Simon  &  Schuster,  1991),  p.  114. 
Ill  Malcolm  McConnell,  Just  Cause  (New  York:  St.  Martin's  Press,  1991),  p.  32. 
112. /^>/a'.,  pp  4,  35. 

113.  Bob  Woodward,  Op.  oil.,  p   135    Less  than  half  of  the  total  of  35,000  Americans  in  Panama. 

1 14.  OCCH,  Chiefs  Newsletter,  1  Dec  86,  p.  4.  USASO  was  deactivated  in  Oct.  74  and 
reactivated  in  Dec.  86. 

1 15.  Malcolm  McConnell,  Jm.sY  Cause,  p.  3;  Dolores  de  Mena,  "Operation  Just  Cause/Promote 
Liberty,  "Supplement  to  USARSO  Annual  Command  History  {\9S9  -  1990),  p.  4.  Copy  in  the 
Center  for  Military  History,  Washington,  D.C. 

WeVSARSO  Annual  Command  History,  1988,  p.  187. 

117.  Routine  message,  241530Z,  Mar  88,  DACH-IMB,  copy  in  the  Papers  of  Chaplain  (MG) 
Norris  Einertson,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives 

118.  OCCH,  Chief  s  Newsletters,  1  July  1988  and  1  July  1990. 

1 19.  OCCH,  Staff  Minutes,  23  March  1988.  Chaplain  William  Hufham,  PPDT,  noted  that  the 
Chief  spent  $16,000  on  conferences  in  1987,  but  had  budgeted  $35,000  in  1988. 

120.  Caliber  Associates,  Op.  cit.,  p.  23.  Ft.  Belvoir,  Ft.  Bragg  and  Ft.  Riley  furnished  the  families 
polled. 

121.  Chaplain  Henry  L.  Hunt,  Deputy  FORSCOM  Chaplain,  wrote  an  excellent  article  which 
appeared  in  the  Militaiy  Chaplains  Review  in  the  Fall  of  1988.  Chaplain  Hunt  noted  (on  page  4), 
"I  do  feel,  even  firmer  than  I  did  in  1969,  that  we  must  protect  the  status  of  non-combatancy  for 
chaplains."  See  Chaplain  (Colonel)  Henry  Lamar  Hunt,  "Pillars  of  the  Regiment,"  MCR,  Fall, 
1988,  p.  1. 

122.  OCCH,  Chief s  Newsletter,  1  April  1988. 
\23.Ihid.,  1  July  1988. 

124  The  Washington  Post,  14  May  1988;  TJie  Pentagram,  19  May  1988,  p.  2. 


290  THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 


125.  OCCH,  Chiefs  Newsletter,  1  June  1988,  Attachment  4. 

126.  The  Pentagram,  "Service  Honors  Buckley,"  19  May  1988,  p.  2. 

127.  OCCH,  StaflfMeeting  Minutes,  19  Aug  1987,  p  1. 

128.  DOD  Directive  1300.17,  g(6),  3  Feb  1988  in  the  papers  of  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Norris 
Einertson,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

129.  Memo  for  Brig.  Gen.  Renner,  18  Mar  88,  Einertson  Papers,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

130.  Einertson  telephone  record  of  call  to  Lt.  Gen  Allan  K.  Ono,  DCSPER,  May  1988  in  the 
Einertson  Papers,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

131.  Memorandum  for  the  Secretary  of  the  Army  from  Lt.  Gen.  A.  K.  Ono,  24  June  88,  Chaplain 
Corps  Archives. 

132.  AR  600-20,  para  5-6,  1988  draft,  p  97. 

133.  Memorandum  for  Brig.  Gen.  Renner,  18  Mar  88,  p.  2  in  the  Einertson  Papers,  Chaplain 
Corps  Archives. 

134.  Letter  from  the  Secretary  of  Defense  to  Senator  Lautenberg,  Einertson  Papers,  Chaplain 
Corps  Archives.  (The  letter  was  undated  but  was  written  after  6  May  1988  ) 

135.  Memo  for  Major  Ketler  from  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  L  Mann,  USAF,  24  May  88  in  the 
Einertson  Papers,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

136.  Telephone  record.  Chaplain  Einertson  to  Lt.  Gen  Allan  K.  Ono,  June  1988.  Copy  in  the 
Einertson  Papers,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

137.  Copy  in  the  Einertson  Papers,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

138.  Ibid.,  Note:   Lt  Gen  Ono  polled  eight  basic  training  station  commanders  and  five 
installation  chaplains  to  discover  that  there  had  been  no  requests  by  soldiers  to  wear  religious 
apparel.  It  was  a  policy  issue,  not  a  problem. 

139.  Memo  for  Secretaries  of  Military  Departments,  29  Sept  1988.  Copy  in  the  Einertson  Papers. 


140.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (MG)  Norris  Einertson,  27  May  1994. 

141 .  Issues  which  can  pop  up  and  bite  you  if  you  don't  pay  attention  to  them. 

142.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Norris  Einertson,  27  May  1994. 


I 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 291 

\43.  Ibid 

144.  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  "Report  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Army  on  the  Religious 
Needs  at  the  US  Military  Academy,  West  Point,  NY.,  5  June  1988,  p  2    Copy  in  the  Chaplain 
Corps  Archives. 

\45.  Ibid,  p.  11. 

] 46  Ibid,  p   13. 

147.  Undated  letter,  as  cited,  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives  for  1988 

\4S.Ibid,p  2. 

149.  USAREUR  and  7th  Army,  Annual  Historical  Report,  1988,  p.  288. 

\50  Ibid,  p  288 

151.  Ibid 

152.  Ibid,  p.  289. 
\ 53.  Ibid 

154.  Ibid.,  pp  369-370,  (1987). 

155.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col  )  Tom  Harris,  USA  Rtd.,  22  April  1994.   Chaplain 
Harris  and  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Betzold  helped  design  CPE  training  for  Chaplains  in  1969-1972. 
Chaplain  Harris  served  on  the  staff  of  the  Army  Surgeon  General. 

1 56.  Chaplain  David  M.  DeDonato,  Chaplain-Clinical  Ethicist  for  Walter  Reed  Army  Medical 
Center,  distinguished  between  medical  ethics  which  addresses  any  moral-ethical  decision-making 
process  including  topics  for  research  from  clinical  ethics  (decisions  involving  patients  at  the 
bedside)  and  biomedical  ethics  (any  medical  patient  care  issue  possibly  involving  the  whole  health 
care  team).  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  D.  M.  DeDonato,  22  April  94 

157.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Sanford  L.  Dresin,  USA  Rtd.,  22  April  1994. 

158.  In  the  Military  Chaplains  Review  and  in  Chaplain.  1980-1982. 

159.  Chaplain  David  DeDonato's  article,  "Ministry  to  Critical  Care  Givers,"  Military  Chaplains 
Review,  Fall,  1988,  generated  considerable  interest  among  Chaplains  in  medical  ethics. 

160.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  S.  L.  Dresin,  22  April  1994.  Chaplain  Einertson 
staflFed  the  question  as  well  with  the  Council  of  Chaplain  Colonels  in  1988  and  received  a  positive 
response  for  initiating  the  program. 


292 THE  EINERTSQN  YEARS 

161.  OCCH,  Chief  s  Newsletter,  1  Jan  1989,  p.  2. 

162.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Timothy  Tatum,  4  Nov  1994. 

163.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Norris  Einertson,  27  May  1994. 

164.  In  the  late  1980s  this  title  changed  to  "the  Academy  Chaplain"  and  the  old  Post  Chaplain 
position,  once  held  by  Chaplains  Kermit  Johnson,  Al  Brough,  and  later  by  David  Peterson, 
became  known  as  the  Community  Support  Chaplain 

165.  Personal  interviews  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Cliff  Weathers,  23  Feb  95,  and  with  Chaplain  (Maj. 
Gen.)  Norris  Einertson,  28  May  94. 

166.  Chaplain  Camp  held  senior  government  service  rank. 

167.  "At  times  the  discussion  grew  quite  heated  and  at  one  point  required  the  mediation  of 
General  Vuono,  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army."  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Cliff 
Weathers,  Director  of  PPDT  in  1988,  23  Feb  95    Chaplain  Einertson  concluded,  as  Chaplain 
Hessian  had  in  1984,  "there  was  no  way  to  carry  on  a  rational  discussion  with  West  Point  on  the 
subject  of  the  Chaplaincy,"  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Einertson,  27  May 
1994. 

168.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Einertson,  27  May  1994. 

169.  Telephone  interview  with  General  H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Tampa,  Florida,  20  March 
1995. 

170.  Ibid.  In  1990  CENTCOM  asked  for  a  staff  chaplain  as  Operation  Desert  Shield  began. 
Chaplain  David  Peterson  joined  General  Szchwarzkopf  s  staff 

\l\.Ibid. 

172.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Timothy  Tatum,  4  Nov  94. 

Ml,.  Ibid 

174.  OCCH,  Chief  s  Newsletter,  1  Oct  1991,  p.  1. 

175.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Wilbur  Parker,  25  May  94. 

176.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Timothy  Tatum,  4  Nov  94. 
177./*/^. 

{I'&.Ibid. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 293 

179.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Robert  Loring,  Ft.  Belvior,  8  Mar  95.  The  1/21  Infantry 
historically  was  the  first  unit  deployed  in  Task  Force  Smith  during  the  Korean  War. 

\SO.Ibid 

\S]   Ibid 

182  Chaplain  Loring's  wife,  Peggy,  had  refined  both  a  puppeteer  and  a  clown  ministry  for 
soldiers  children.  Personal  interview,  Chaplain  Robert  Loring,  8  Mar  95 

\S3  Ibid 

184  OCCH,  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Newsletter,  p.  2. 

185.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen.)  Norris  Einertson,  27  May  94. 

186.  In  retrospect,  this  was  an  excellent  shift  for  the  Chaplaincy's  mission  during  Operation  Desert 
Shield/Desert  Storm,  for  both  Chaplain  Zimmerman  and  Chaplain  Clanton  were  intimately  familiar 
with  the  organization  and  fianctioning  of  U.S.  Army  FORSCOM. 

187.  Edward  J.  Horan,  "Director  of  Religious  Education  Positions  in  the  Department  of  the 
Army;   A  State  of  the  Profession  Report  "  July  1989  -  May  1990,  pp.  1-2. 

\SS.Ibid.,pp.  1-2. 

189.  Ibid.,  pp.  7,  58.  Ft.  Belvior,  for  example,  had  three  DREs  while  Ft.  Hood  and  Ft.  Bragg  had 
two  each 

\90.  Ibid,  p  41 

\9]  Ibid,  pp   18,23. 

192.  Charles  E.  Gunti,  "The  Priest  Isn't  There:  Recruiting  Catholic  Chaplains,  Military  Chaplains 
Review,  Spring,  1989,  p  27. 

193.  Richard  Hailoran,  "Military  is  Short  of  Catholic  Chaplains,"  New  York  Times,  4  March 
1989 

194.  Ibid.,  and  Chaplain  (Lt  Col.)  Charles  Gunti,  Op.  cit.,  p.  28. 

195.  Ibid.,  and  Chaplain  Gunti,  Op.  cit^,  p.  28. 

196  Chaplain  Gunti,  Op.  Cit.,  p.  28.  Even  if  young  priests  volunteered  in  record  numbers,  they 
would  not  be  able  to  immediately  replace  older  priests,  such  as  Chaplains  Richard  D'Arcy  and 
Charles  D.  Logue  who  retired  in  July,  1989,  in  terms  of  experience  in  the  Army. 


294 THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 

197.  Chaplain  Wayne  L  Schmid,  "Catholic  Chaplain  and  Laity,  Sharers  in  Ministry,"  Military 
Chaplains  Review,  Spring  1989,  p.  15. 

198.  Major  Michael  W.  Hobson,  Chief  of  the  Publications  Branch,  UITD,  and  the  Inspector 
General  for  USACHCS,  drove  the  lead  car  which  was  rented  from  "Rent-a-Wreck"  in  Eatonton. 
Chaplain  (Lt  Col  )  John  Brinsfield,  Chief  of  UITD,  followed  in  his  own  station  wagon. 

199.  Including  Major  Mike  Hobson,  Chief  of  UITD's  Publications  Branch  and  Major  Don  Kiszka, 
Chief  of  UITD's  Analysis  Branch. 

200.  Mrs.  Ryan,  Mrs.  Dooney,  Master  Sergeant  Geiger  and  Major  Hobson  worked  on  FM  16-1 
more  or  less  constantly  for  a  year.  Other  UITD  personnel,  in  a  true  team  spirit,  helped,  whenever 
they  were  asked,  to  do  whatever  needed  to  be  done. 

201.  Eugene  V.  Rostow, /i  Breakfast  for  Bonaparte:   US  National  Security  Interests 
(Washington,  DC:  National  Defense  Univ.,  1993),  p.  412. 

202.  M/c/,  p  413 
202,.  Ibid. 

204. //)/J.,p.  414. 
205  Ihid.,  p.  427 

206.  Ibid. 

207.  Ihid 

208.  Ihid 

209.  Ibid.,  p.  428. 

210  Jeffrey  Simon,  NATO  ITie  Challenge  of  Change  (Washington,  DC:  National  Defense 
University  Press,  1993),  p  41. 

IW.lhid 

212.  Eugene  V.  Rostow,  Op  tit.,  p.  432. 

2\2.  Ibid.,  p.  433. 

2\4.  Ibid 

2\5.Ibid 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 295 

2\6.  Ibid,  p.  4\2. 

217.  Malcolm  McConnell,  Jtist  Cause  (New  York:   St  Martin's  Press,  1991),  p  36. 

218.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Norris  Einertson,  27  May  1994. 

2\9.Ibid 

220  A  I  Solzhenitsyn,  a  veteran  of  service  in  the  Soviet  Army  from  1941-1945,  was  imprisoned 
and  then  exiled  for  anti-Stalinist  remarks.  He  wrote  3  novels  denouncing  censorship  and 
government  oppression.  In  1970  he  was  awarded  the  Nobel  Prize  in  literature.  Norma  Dickey 
(ed.)  Fu?ik  and  Wagtialls  Encyclopedia,  1986,  v.  24,  p.  105 

221.  OCCH,  Chief  s  Newsletter,  1  March  1990,  p   1. 

222  Eugene  V.  Rostow,  Op  cil.,  p.  414. 

223.  OCCH,  Chief s  Newsletter,  1  March  1990,  p.  2. 

224.  Air  Force  Chaplain  Service,  "Thinking  in  Different  Terms,"  30  Mar  1990.  Copy  in  the 
Chaplains  Corps  Archives. 

225.  Chaplain  Einertson  wrote  in  1995,  "Chaplain  Herm  Keizer  was  a  strong  right  arm  for  me 
while  he  headed  the  Agency.  He  and  Wayne  Kuehne  worked  extremely  hard  and  smart  together 
on  many  systems  issues.  Herm's  work  reflected  great  intelligence,  dedication  and  integrity. 
Einertson  letters  to  Chaplain  Brinsfield,  16  May  1995,  p. 2. 

226.  Chaplain  (Col  )  Herman  Keizer,  Vision  Conference  Papers,  1990,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives, 
"Memo  for  MACOM  Staff  Chaplain,"  2  Feb  1990,  message  format,  p.  1. 

227  Ibid.,  "Memorandum  for  Chaplain  (Col.)  Herman  Keizer,  13  April  1990.  "Responses  were 
from  Chaplains  Ron  Benzing,  J.L  Young,  Roger  Schalm,  Lawrence  A.  Kelly,  Sanford  Dresin, 
Master  Sergeant  E.  S.  Pippin,  Don  Turkelson,  Gary  Mayer,  David  O.  Davis  and  Jerry  D. 
Reynolds. 

228. Ibid 

229.  Ibid 

230.  Ibid.,  "Revised  Schedule  for  Vision  Conference  " 

231.  Ibid.,  photocopy  of  timeline  in  Chaplain  Keizer's  Vision  Conference  Papers. 

232.  Ibid.,  Notes  from  Vision  Conference,  Monday,  30  April  1990,  p. 4. 

233.  Ibid 


296 THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 

234.  Ibid.,  "Revised  Schedule,"  p.l. 

235.  The  UMT  Visions  Conference  was  the  first  Chaplaincy-wide  UMT  Conference,  although 
Chaplain  Shea  had  used  that  title  in  USAREUR  in  1988.  Later  Chaplain  Zimmerman 
"rebaptized"  the  Command  Chaplains  Conference  as  the  Chiefs  UMT  Conference. 

236.  Ibid.,  Chaplain  Herm  Keizer,  Vision  Conference  Papers,  Friday  4  May    Three  months  after 
the  Conference,  Chaplain  Edgren  suggested  a  reality  check  on  the  issue  of  money  to  publish  the 
brochure.  In  a  memo  to  Chaplain  Keizer  dated  1 7  August  90,  Chaplain  Edgren  advised,  "Because 
of  the  current  Mideast  crisis  &  Gramm-Rudman-HoUings — the  Army  is  curtailing  all  dollar 
authority  for  anything  they  view  as  non-mission  essential  ...  will  have  to  hold  on  to  this  [brochure] 
until  the  new  FY." 

237.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  David  M.  DeDonato,  22  April  1994. 

238.  As  cited:  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Spring  1991. 

239.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Stan  Esterline,  Pentagon  Chaplain,  16  March  1995. 

240.  In  addition  to  these  duties.  Chaplain  Crippen  wore  a  second  hat  as  a  Branch  Chief  in  UITD 
at  the  Chaplain  School.  As  evidence  of  his  "team"  spirit,  he  took  a  break  from  his  Training 
Strategy  work  to  help  edit  and  proof  the  final  copy  of  FM  16-1,  Religious  Support  Doctrine. 

241.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gary  Councell,  "Resourcing  the  Chaplaincy  in  the  Post-Vietnam  Years," 
U.S.  Army  War  College  directed  study,  1993,  p.  39. 

242.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Einertson,  27  May  1994. 

243.  Chaplain  Gary  Councell,  Op.  cit.,  p.  39. 

244.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Einertson,  27  May  94. 

245.  Ibid 

246.  Chaplain  Gary  Councell,  loc.  cit. 

247.  USAREUR  and  7th  Army  Annual  Historical  Report,  1990,  p.  399.  Copy  in  the  Center  for 
Military  History. 

248.  OCCH,  Chief  s  Newsletter,  1  July  1990. 

249.  Biographical  sketch.  Sergeant  Major  Thomas  J.  Prost,  Jr.,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

250.  OCCH,  Chief  s  Newsletter,  1  July  1990. 

251.  Chaplain  Einertson's  DSM  Citation,  1 1  May  1990.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 


THE  EINERTSON  YEARS 297 

252.  Chaplain  Einertson  told  humorous  stories  about  two  "Hittites"  named  Sven  and  Olle  from  his 
home  state  of  Minnesota.  These  stories  could  not  offend  any  ethnic  group.  Chaplain  Einertson 
reasoned,  because  the  Hittites  presumably  have  been  extinct  for  3,000  years. 

253.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Cliff  Weathers,  USA,  Rtd,  23  Feb  95. 

254.  OCCH,  Chiefs  Newsletter,  1  Aug  1990,  pi 


PERSONNEL  CENTER  TEAM 


Chaplain  (COL)  Henry  L.  Hunt      Chaplain  (COL)  Eugene  S.  Peterson 


Chaplain  (LTC)  Stephen  W.  Leonard 
Personnel  Management  Officer 


Chaplain  (LTC)  James  D.  Bruns 
Chaplain  Candidate  Program  Manager 


CHIEF'S  TEAM 


Chaplain  (BG)  Paul  G.  Durbin 
ARNG  Special  Assistant 


'^'■^^' 


:iifford  T.  Weathers,  Coordinaror 

National  Conference  on        Chaplain  (COL)  Robert  E.  Lair,  Jr. 
Ministry  to  the  Armed  Forces         Reserve  Affairs  Advisor 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 


301 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS: 

SUPPORTING  AND  SUSTAINING  SOLDIERS 

ON  RAPID  DEPLOYMENT  MISSIONS 

1990-1994 


After  fifteen  years  of  modernization  and  training,  a  new  Army  had  come  into  existence. 
Much  better  motivated,  educated,  and  technologically  equipped,  the  United  States  Army  was  ready 
for  worldwide  deployment.  In  every  sense  of  the  word,  this  was  a  fortuitous  development;  for 
within  the  two  years  following  the  dissolution  of  the  Soviet  Union,  American  soldiers  were 
scattered  over  ten  thousand  miles  of  the  earth 's  surface,  punishing  aggression,  feeding  migrants 
and  reftigees,  and  rebuilding  cities  devastated  by  natural  disasters.  In  every  instance,  from  Saudi 
Arabia  to  Antarctica,  wherever  soldiers  went,  unit  ministry  teams  accompanied  them. 


Milestones: 

Religious  Support  During... 

Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm 

Joint  Task  Force  Guantanamo 

Operation  Andrew 

Hurricane  Initci  Relief 

Los  Angeles  Riots 

Operation  Restore  Hope— Somalia 

See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


302 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

MINISTRY  IN  THE  MIDST  OF  GLOBAL  STRIFE: 

Bringing  Peace  to  the  World  and 

Spiritual  Strength  to  the  Army 

The  American  success  in  the  Cold  War  is  our  most  important  achievement,  at  least  since 
World  War  II.  Everything  was  at  stake  for  the  United  States  and  the  world  in  the  Cold  War.  Not 
swprisingly,  it  dominated  U.S.  foreign  policy,  national  security  strategy,  major  defense  decisions, 
including  alliances  and  defence  budgets,  and  some  key  domestic  issides.  Despite  occasional  lapses, 
we  maintained  our  military  strength ...  and  we  applied  the  containment  strategy  over  a  long  time. 
Our  success  in  the  Cold  War  was  achieved  at  enormous  costs.  We  should  recognize  and  honor  this 
achievement. 

Zalmay  Khalilzad 
Assistant  Undersecretary  of  Defense  for  Policy 

1990/1993 

We  have  drawn  a  line  in  the  sand. 

President  George  Bush 
on  the  deployment  of  the  S2"^  Airborne  Division  to  Saudi  Arabia 

1990 

We  ha\>e  the  finest  Chaplaincy,  in  the  best  Army,  in  the  world. 

Chaplain  (Maj  Gen.)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman 
Retirement  Address,  Fort  Myer,  Virginia 

1994 

From  the  end  of  the  Vietnam  War  to  the  end  of  the  Cold  War  the  United  States  Army  went 
through  a  1 5-year  period  of  reorganization,  modernization  and  reformation  in  every  aspect  from 
weapons  development  to  moral  leadership.  The  Army  was  prepared  to  serve  in  any  climate,  at  any 
time,  in  any  place,  and  to  fight  if  necessary,  at  any  intensity  the  President  and  Congress  might  direct. 
The  combat  service  support  branches,  to  include  the  Army  Chaplain  Corps,  followed  suit  in 
modernizing  doctrine,  equipment  and  training. 

Beginning  in  1989  and  lasting  through  1994,  the  strategic  environment  in  which  the  Army  had 
to  plan  for  operations  changed  dramatically  The  Berlin  Wall  cracked  in  1989,  followed  by  the 
disbanding  of  the  Warsaw  Pact,  the  Communist  Party  in  the  Soviet  Union,  and  the  Soviet  Union 
"itself  in  1991.  The  Iranian  Ayatollah  Ruhollah  Komeini  died  in  1989  and  Kim  II  Sung  of  North 
Korea  in  1994.  Libya  and  Cuba  were  left  to  stand  alone  as  major  foes  of  the  United  States.  The 
greatest  threats  to  the  security  of  the  American  democracy  seemed  to  be  its  own  domestic  crime  rate 
and  its  ever-mounting  deficit. 

Yet  the  fall  of  the  Soviet  Union  and  the  temporary  confiision  in  other  nations  was  a  mixed 
blessing.  Although  9,000  strategic  nuclear  warheads  were  no  longer  targeted  on  American  cities  after 
1994,  neither  was  the  Red  Army  a  dependable  force  for  law  and  order  within  the  bounds  of  former 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 303 

Communist  countries  As  Professors  PA  Sorokin  and  Francis  Beer  hypothesized  in  their  respective 
studies  on  war  and  peace,  the  absence  of  a  strong  military  power  may  have  encouraged  rather  than 
discouraged  localized  geographical  conflict.' 

With  the  dissolution  of  the  Soviet  Union  and  the  perception  of  a  power  vacuum  in  many 
formerly  dependent  regions,  including  ten  former  Soviet  Republics,  came  a  number  of  military 
adventures  led  largely  by  political  amateurs.  Civil  war  broke  out  in  some  locations  along  the  old 
Soviet  border  as  well  as  in  the  nation  previously  known  as  Yugoslavia.  In  satellite  nations  such  as 
Somalia  and  Cuba,  which  had  been  dependent  for  years  on  Soviet  aid,  governments  held  on  to  power 
with  desperation  or  not  at  all 

In  the  Caribbean,  the  Middle  East,  and  in  many  other  Third  World  regions,  power  struggles 
erupted  between  and  among  ethnic  groups,  tribes,  and  former  neighbors.  In  some  cases  ethnic  wars 
were  waged  for  no  purpose  other  than  acquisition  of  territory  and  control  of  resources. 

In  order  to  keep  a  balance  of  order,  if  not  of  power,  in  parts  of  the  world  gone  mad  for  "self- 
rule,"  the  United  Nations  began  to  undertake  its  most  active  peace  keeping  role  in  40  years.  Most 
particularly  in  the  Middle  East  and  in  Africa  where  war,  famine,  disease  and  death  threatened  25 
million  people,  the  United  Nations  performed  essentially  police  functions.  As  the  largest  and 
wealthiest  single  member  of  the  United  Nations,  the  United  States  found  itself,  in  the  period  from 
1990  to  1994,  restoring  and  guarding  borders  from  Korea  to  Kenya  to  Kuwait. 


Spiritual  Leadership  for  the  Army  and  for  the  World 

On  1  August  1990,  the  day  Chaplain  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman  was  promoted  to  Major 
General  and  assumed  office  as  the  Army's  18th  Chief  of  Chaplains,  the  Army  was  on  the  brink  of 
thirteen  separate  operational  deployments  ranging  from  heavy  combat  to  humanitarian  relief  missions. 
Eleven  of  these  deployments  took  place  within  two  years,  from  1990  to  1992  The  leadership  skills 
required  to  inspire,  encourage,  manage,  and  sustain  the  spiritual  strength  of  550,000  soldiers  and 
1,200  unit  ministry  teams  deployed  to  every  continent,  including  Antarctica,  during  this  period  were 
extraordinary.  Blessed  with  years  of  hard  preparation  and  by  an  outstanding  staff  and  outstanding 
unit  ministry  teams  throughout  the  Chaplain  Corps,  Chaplain  Zimmerman  met  each  challenge 
successfully  for  the  spiritual  benefit  of  soldiers,  the  Chaplaincy,  the  Army  leadership,  and  the 
American  people 

Throughout  his  27-year  career,  Chaplain  Zimmerman  liked  to  refer  to  himself  simply  as  "a 
Baptist  preacher."  While  that  self-effacing  description  was  true  and  warranted  a  high  degree  of 
respect  as  would  be  due  to  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  it  was  too  modest.  To  describe  Chaplain 
Zimmerman  as  "a  Baptist  preacher"  without  further  qualification  would  be  akin  to  describing 
Benjamin  Franklin  as  "a  printer,"  George  Washington  as  "a  planter,"  or  Albert  Einstein  as  "a 
mathematician  " 

Chaplain  Zimmerman  would  be  better  described  as  one  of  the  finest  preachers  in  the  history 
of  the  Chaplain  Corps,  an  outstanding  chaplain  at  every  echelon  in  the  Army,  a  genius  at  organization 
and  conflict  resolution,  and  a  courageous  and  intuitive  leader  who  rarely  needed  to  hear  the  same 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


304 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

information  twice.  Perhaps  one  of  Chaplain  Zimmerman's  most  remarkable  qualities,  however,  was 
his  ability  to  genuinely  relate  to  every  person  he  met  regardless  of  rank,  gender,  race,  age  or  class. 
Without  pretense,  he  enjoyed  people.  Throughout  the  Pentagon  and  indeed  throughout  the  Army  he 
was  the  best  known  chaplain  in  the  Corps 

Chaplain  Matthew  A  Zimmerman,  Jr  ,  was  bom  in  Rock  Hill,  South  Carolina,  and  educated 
at  Benedict  College  and  Duke  University.  After  his  graduation  fi^om  Duke  Divinity  School  where  he 
was  the  first  Afro- American  to  attain  a  Master  of  Divinity  degree.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  served  as 
the  campus  pastor  for  Idaho  State  University  and  later  for  Morris  College  in  Sumter,  South  Carolina. 
He  was  ordained  by  the  National  Baptist  Convention  of  which  his  father  was  a  ministerial  member 
also.  He  entered  the  Army  Chaplaincy  as  a  captain  by  direct  appointment  in  April  of  1967. 

Chaplain  Zimmerman's  initial  assignments  included  serving  as  Battalion  and  then  Brigade 
Chaplain  of  the  3d  Advanced  Individual  Training  Brigade,  Ft  Gordon,  Georgia,  Assistant  IV  Corps 
Tactical  Zone  Chaplain,  Vietnam;'  Assistant  Division  Support  Command  Chaplain,  1st  Armored 
Division,  Ft.  Hood,  Texas;  DIVARTY  Staff  Chaplain,  3d  Armored  Division,  Hanau;  and  Assistant 
V  Corps  Chaplain,  Frankfurt,  West  Germany  His  senior  assignments  later  included  service  as  the 
Division  Staff  Chaplain,  3d  Infantry  Division;  Deputy  Staff  Chaplain,  Training  and  Doctrine 
Command;  and  United  States  Forces  Command  Staff  Chaplain,  Fort  McPherson,  Georgia.  Chaplain 
Zimmerman  was  nominated  and  confirmed  as  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains  in  1989  and  as  Chief  of 
Chaplains  in  1990. 

At  the  time  of  Chaplain  Zimmerman's  assumption  of  office  as  Chief  of  Chaplains,  the  Chaplain 
Corps  was  staffed  from  top  to  bottom  with  many  outstanding  leaders.  In  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains,  the  Executive  Officer  was  Chaplain  Donald  W.  Shea,  a  Roman  Catholic  priest  and  a 
former  Special  Forces  chaplain  in  Vietnam.  Chaplain  Shea's  most  recent  assignment  prior  to 
reporting  to  DACH  was  as  the  U.S.  Army  Europe  and  Seventh  Army  Staff  Chaplain,  Heidelberg, 
West  Germany  When  Chaplain  Shea  became  the  Deputy  Chief  in  November,  he  was  succeeded  in 
due  time  by  Chaplain  Henry  F  Wake,  previously  the  1st  Infantry  Division  Chaplain  at  Fort  Riley. 
Chaplain  Wayne  E.  Kuehne,  also  a  Vietnam  veteran  and  a  War  College  graduate,  was  the  Director 
for  Plans,  Policy  Development  and  Training  For  more  than  1 5  years  Chaplain  Kuehne  had  worked 
on  force  structure  and  doctrinal  issues  for  the  Chaplaincy.  Chaplain  Kuehne's  staff  included  Chaplain 
Gilbert  H  Pingel,  one  of  the  principal  contributors  to  FM  16-1,  Chaplain  Stanley  R  Esterline,  one 
of  the  project  officers  for  the  Chiefs  Training  Strategy,  and  Mr.  Roger  Able,  the  Mobilization  Plans 
Officer  Chaplain  John  C.  Scott,  formeriy  the  WESTCOM  Chaplain  in  Hawaii  and  later  the  Assistant 
Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  School,  served  as  Director  of  Personnel  and  Ecclesiastical  Relations 
with  the  excellent  assistance  of  Chaplains  Gregory  P.  Sykes,  Janet  Y  Horton,  Hugh  L  Dukes,  Jr., 
and  Ms.  Shiriey  Womack.  Sergeant  Major  Oliver  "Irish"  Corbett  was  the  Chiefs  Senior  Staff  NCO. 

The  Director  of  Information,  Resource  Management  and  Logistics  was  Chaplain  James  A. 
Edgren  who  had  secured  the  standard  design  for  Army  chapels  and  who  had  authored  AR  165-1,  the 
basic  regulation  for  the  Chaplain  Corps  Chaplain  Edgren's  staff"  included  Chaplains  Gary  R  Councell 
and  Donald  G  Hanchett  At  the  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency,  Chaplain 
Herman  Keizer,  Jr  ,  served  as  Deputy  Director.  He  was  assisted  by  Chaplains  Winfield  D.  Buzby, 
Robert  J.  Richter,  John  A.  Wells,  Samuel  B.  Cooper,  Maria  J.  Snyder,  Granville  E.  Tyson,  Paul  M. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 305 

Bomba,  Ms.  Patricia  M.  Jennings,  and  Ms.  Bess  Ballard. 

The  command  chaplains  in  key  positions  included  Chaplain  Bernard  L.  Windmiller, 
Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  Center  and  School;  Chaplain  Charles  T.  Clanton,  U.S.  Forces 
Command;  Chaplain  Robert  L.  Campbell,  Health  Services  Command;  Chaplain  John  A.  De  Veaux, 
Jr.,  Information  Systems  Command;  Chaplain  Ward  Hagin,  Intelligence  and  Security  Command; 
Chaplain  Donald  W.  Gover,  Army  Materiel  Command,  Chaplain  Richard  N  Donovan,  Military 
District  of  Washington;  Chaplain  William  F.  Bateman,  USA.  Special  Operations  Command, 
Chaplain  Roy  Mathis,  Training  and  Doctrine  Command,  Chaplain  James  H.  Robnolt,  U.S.  Army 
South;  Chaplain  Timothy  C.  Tatum,  U.S.  Army  Pacific,  Chaplain  G.T.  Gunhus,  U.S.  Army  Europe, 
and  Chaplain  D  J  Donahue,  US  Forces  Korea 

On  the  Reserve  side  of  the  Chaplaincy,  Chaplain  David  W.  Hoh  was  the  Staff  Chaplain  at 
ARPERCEN;  Chaplain  Robert  E.  Lair,  Jr ,  was  the  Reserve  Affairs  Advisor  to  the  Chief;  Chaplain 
George  W  Schwantes  was  the  National  Guard  Bureau  Chaplain,  and  the  CONUSA  Chaplains  were 
Chaplain  Richard  L.  Adams  (First  Army),  Chaplain  Gerald  M.  Mangham  (Second  Army),  Chaplain 
Phillip  P  Cassibry  (Fourth  Army),  Chaplain  Michael  G.  Ortiz  (Fifth  Army),  and  Chaplain  Henry  L. 
Hunt  (Sixth  Army).^  The  Third  Army  Chaplain,  fi^om  the  U.S.  Army  Reserve,  was  Chaplain  Dan 
O'Conner. 

Within  the  Pentagon  at  other  commands  were  Chaplains  Jack  N.  Anderson  (ODCSPER), 
Thomas  R.  Smith  (The  Pentagon  Chaplain),  and  Meredith  R  Standley  (Executive  Director,  Armed 
Forces  Chaplains  Board)  The  senior  Army  chaplain  at  West  Point  was  Owen  J.  Mullen,  a  Roman 
Catholic  priest  from  the  Army  Reserve.  Chaplain  John  W.  Schumacher  served  on  the  faculty  of  the 
U.S.  Army  War  College.  Mrs.  Jody  Dunning  was  the  Chaplain  Corps'  Public  Affairs  Officer  at  the 
Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains. 

All  in  all,  as  General  Carl  Vuono,  the  Army  Chief  of  Staff,  promoted  Chaplain  Matthew  A. 
Zimmerman  to  Major  General  on  1  August  1990,  there  was  much  about  which  the  Chaplain  Corps 
could  be  pleased  and  proud.  In  his  first  address  to  the  Corps  on  1  August,  Chaplain  Zimmerman 
wrote: 

As  I  assume  the  role  as  your  Chief  of  Chaplains,  I'm  very  much  aware  of  both 
the  heavy  responsibility  that  is  mine,  and  the  many  decisions  which  lie  ahead 
for  me.  Before  Chaplain  Einertson  stepped  down  and  passed  the  mantle  to 
me,  I  was  quite  confident  that  I  knev/  the  answers,  or  at  least  the  directions 
the  Chaplaincy  needed  to  go.  Today  there's  a  different  complexion  on  it  all.* 

Chaplain  Zimmerman's  words  were  more  prophetic  than  perhaps  he  realized,  for  within  24  hours  of 
his  investiture  the  news  arrived  of  potentially  the  greatest  combat  operation  the  Army  had  faced  since 
Vietnam.  In  the  early  morning  hours  of  2  August,  some  100,000  Iraqi  troops  crossed  into  Kuwait.' 
It  would  not  be  long  before  American  soldiers  and  their  unit  ministry  teams  would  be  on  the  move 
and  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  and  his  staff  would  be  in  prayer  for  them  all. 


^See  Part  Two  for  more  information  on  the  role  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  in 
Operations  DESERT  SHIELD/DESERT  STORM 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


306 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

ON  THE  HOME  FRONT 

"Ch'er  the  past  months,  both  during  Operations  Desert  Shield  and  Desert  Storm,  the  ministry 
you  ha\>e  provided  has  been  absoUitely  awesome.  In  my  years  as  an  Army  Chaplain,  I  don 't  think 
I  have  ever  seen  the  Spirit  at  work  in  such  a  way. 

Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Matthew  A  Zimmerman 

Chief  of  Chaplains 
1  March  1991 

The  engines  of  war  had  scarcely  come  to  a  halt  in  the  Persian  Gulf  when  the  task  of  analyzing 
the  "Lessons  Learned"  began.  Chaplain  Donald  Shea,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  was  the  driving 
force  behind  the  collection  of  materials  which  would  impact  on  Chaplain  Corps  mobilization  planning, 
religious  support  doctrine,  and  historic  appreciation  for  the  ministries  performed  not  only  in  the  desert 
but  in  supporting  commands  as  well.  Initially,  Chaplain  Gilbert  Pingel  from  PPDT  collected  and  read 
more  than  400  questionnaires  from  deployed  UMT  members.'  Chaplain  Calvin  Sydnor  compiled 
statements  from  VII  Corps  UMT  members  relating  to  every  phase  of  Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert 
Storm  Dr  William  Hourihan  at  the  Chaplain  School  conducted  oral  interviews  of  many  senior 
participants,  and  Chaplains  John  Rasmussen  and  Greg  Hill  went  to  Saudi  Arabia  to  gather  responses 
to  questions  from  active  and  Reserve  component  chaplains  alike.  Added  to  more  than  1 00  oral,  taped 
interviews  of  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm  veterans  taken  during  the  writing  of  the  Chaplain  Corps 
history,  from  1993  to  1995,  the  Chaplaincy  had  done  a  creditable  job  in  documenting  its  religious 
support  efforts  during  the  Gulf  War. 

For  more  than  six  months,  March  to  September  of  1991,  hundreds  of  speeches  and  sermons 
delivered  by  chaplains  dwelled  on  the  military  and  religious  experiences  they  had  encountered  in  the 
Gulf  Chaplains  Zimmerman  and  Shea  found  the  statistics  of  great  interest  to  their  audiences  With 
529  unit  ministry  teams  in  Saudi  Arabia  in  February  of  1991,  the  ratio  of  chaplains  to  soldiers  was 
1 :530,  one  of  the  lowest  in  history.*  Of  the  495  Protestant  chaplains  deployed,  10  were  female,  a 
significant  but  not  a  large  number  in  comparison  to  the  40,000  women  of  all  services  who  deployed 
to  the  Gulf'  In  final  tally,  the  Reserve  components  furnished  49%  of  the  unit  ministry  teams  involved 
in  Operations  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm  (included  backfill  missions  in  the  United  States  and 
Europe) 

There  were,  of  course,  "spin-offs"  from  the  lessons  of  the  Gulf  War.  In  spite  of  the  excellent 
performance  of  UMTs  in  the  desert.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  felt  that  there  were  some  areas  in  which 
the  Chaplaincy  could  be  improved  In  a  briefing  he  gave  for  unit  ministry  teams  in  Hawaii  and  Korea 
in  September  1991,  Chaplain  Zimmerman  noted:* 

1.  Data  on  religious  support  in  SWA  was  difficult  to  obtain  quickly  and  accurately. 

Sometimes  DACH,  FORSCOM,  and  ARCENT  had  different  numbers  to  report, 
principally  because  some  UMTs  passed  through  mobilization  stations  without 
reporting  to  the  installation  chaplains. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 307 

2.  Some  supervisory  chaplains  did  not  want  to  write  reports  because  "they  were  too 
busy  doing  ministry." 

3.  Some   supervisory  chaplains  must  be  more  aggressive  in  understanding  and 
implementing  mobilization  plans. 

4.  Logistics,  the  supply  of  essential  ecclesiastical  items  as  well  as  resupply  kits,  hymn 
players,  and  worship  materials,  must  be  improved. 

5.  Reunion  materials  and  a  viable  reunion  plan  must  be  part  of  the  pre-deployment 
preparation  and  planning. 

6.  Newly  commissioned  chaplains  must  be  school-trained;  they  must  not  be  mobilized 
and  deployed  until  they  are. 

In  order  to  address  some  of  the  issues.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  directed  a  review  of  the  DACH 
mobilization  policies  and  procedures  The  Chiefs  action  officers  reviewed  reports  from  Desert 
Shield,  the  UMT  Information  Handbook  on  Mobilization,  and  the  Army  study,  "Chaplain  UMT 
Religious  Coverage  during  Desert  Shield/Storm,"  and  made  recommendations  directly  to  him.' 

Among  the  measures  implemented  during  the  Gulf  War  to  address  problems  of  immediate 
concern  were:  1)  the  standardization  of  mobilization  and  contingency  planning  for  UMTs  throughout 
the  Army,  2)  the  addition  of  chaplain  Mobilization  TDA  (MOBTDA)  spaces  at  Casualty  Assistance 
Centers,  3)  the  design  and  requirements  for  chaplains  to  serve  on  Crisis  Ministry  Teams,  4)  the 
development  of  multi-faith  meals  for  soldiers  with  special  religious  dietary  needs,  and  5)  the 
development  of  a  new  chaplain  kit  for  Protestants  and  Catholics.  These  "combat  contributions"  were 
among  the  fastest  and  best  responses  in  Chaplain  Corps  history  to  the  needs  of  a  single  operational 
deployment.'" 


Using  The  B  Word 

"The  big  word  in  the  Army  is  BUDGET. 

Budget  is  driving  force  structure. 

Budget  is  driving  personnel  and  strength. 

Budget  end  strength  Jlgures  are  revised  constantly.  " 

Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 

Fort  Carson  Update 

1992 

Although  Operations  Just  Cause  (1989)  and  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm  (1990-91)  had 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


308 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

provided  models  for  how  the  Army  would  fight  in  the  future,  they  were  from  a  budgetary  viewpoint 
actually  "intermissions"  in  a  larger  political  process.  The  end  of  the  Cold  War,  with  the  resulting 
mandate  by  Congress  to  reduce  the  size  of  American  military  forces  by  20  to  25%  in  order  to  shrink 
the  deficit  and  redirect  funding  to  other  areas  of  the  economy,  was  the  irrepressible  historical  catalyst 
of  the  1990s  for  the  Department  of  Defense.  In  1991  the  Defense  Authorization  bill  set  the  end 
strength  slope  for  the  Army  which  would  reduce  the  active  force  from  710,000  soldiers  and  18 
divisions  to  535,000  soldiers  and  12  divisions  in  FY  1995.  While  Operations  Desert  Shield/Desert 
Storm  delayed  the  attainment  of  the  FY  91  end  strength,  the  Army  was  back  "on  slope"  in  FY  92." 
The  parallel  "slope"  for  the  Chaplain  Corps  would  decline  from  1,551  chaplains  and  1,597  chaplain 
assistants  on  active  duty  in  1991  to  1,212  chaplains  and  1,128  chaplain  assistants  in  1996.'^  Even 
these  figures  were  subject  to  flirther  revision.  As  Chaplain  Hugh  Dukes  observed  at  the  Chiefs 
Office  in  1992:  "the  Office  of  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel  is  currently  working  on 
Notional  Force  24.  They  have  cranked  out  that  many  notional  forces  since  January  of  1990,  better 
than  one  a  month."'^ 

The  Chaplaincy's  plans  for  the  fliture,  therefore,  called  for  a  ministry  in  a  smaller,  more 
CONUS-based  and  financially  constrained  Army  Garrison  staffing  would  face  cutbacks  and 
increased  civilianization.  Unit  chaplains  would  have  to  assume  more  family  life  ministry 
responsibilities.  The  composition  of  the  Army  would  be  expected  to  change  as  well.  In  1991  the 
Army  Personnel  Command  recorded  148  different  religious  preference  codes  for  soldiers.  Chaplains 
on  active  duty  represented  1 1 1  distinctive  faith  groups.  '^  The  Army  was  63%  white  and  89%  male. 
The  Department  of  Defense  Task  Force  on  Human  Resource  Management  estimated  that  by  the  year 
2000,  85%  of  the  new  entrants  to  the  national  work  force  would  be  women,  minorities,  handicapped, 
and  immigrants."  Presumably  the  Chaplaincy  would  in  the  fijture  have  to  plan  for  a  more  diverse 
environment  for  ministry. 

Among  the  assets  available  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  to  help  meet  operational  requirements 
were  the  Reserve  component  unit  ministry  teams.  By  mid- 1991,  53%  of  the  Total  Army's  chaplain 
personnel  and  55%  of  the  chaplain  assistants  were  in  the  National  Guard  or  U.S.  Army  Reserve. 
Chaplain  James  M  Hutchens,  ARNG,  Special  Assistant  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  wrote  in  May  of 
1991  that  "a  renewed  emphasis  on  the  quality  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants,"  accessioned, 
trained,  and  retained,  would  produce  "the  most  professionally  competent,  technically  proficient,  and 
cohesively  trained  Unit  Ministry  Team  in  the  history  of  the  Chaplain  Corps.""" 

As  with  the  active  duty  component,  however,  the  Reserve  Components  had  to  be  conscious 
of  federal  budget  constraints  since  they  too  would  be  reducing  their  total  end  strength.  In  an  effort 
to  give  the  U.S.  Army  Reserve  more  control  over  the  training,  funding,  and  administration  of  their 
programs,  which  affected  700,000  soldiers.  Congressman  G.  V.  "Sonny"  Montgomery  of  Mississippi 
initiated  the  concept  of  a  new  Army  headquarters — the  U.S.  Army  Reserve  Command  (US  ARC). 
The  new  command,  located  initially  at  Fort  McPherson,  Georgia,  began  operation  in  June  of  1991 ." 

Chaplain  William  L  Hufham,  just  returning  from  the  Gulf  War,  was  selected  to  be  the  first 
USARC  chaplain  Among  his  other  duties.  Chaplain  Hufham  was  given  the  responsibility  for  setting 
up  his  office,  forming  his  staff,  and  writing  the  tasks  and  flinctions  mission  statement  for  the  USARC 
Chaplain's  Section    Chaplain  Hufham's  staff  consisted  of  his  Deputy  Command  Chaplain  Stephen 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 309 

W.  Leonard,  the  first  USAR  chaplain  to  graduate  from  the  U.S.  Army  War  College;  his 
Administrative  Chaplain  Steve  Parker,  just  back  from  Korea,  and  Sergeant  Major  Rudy  Naylor.  Ms. 
Linda  Vaughn  was  the  secretary  for  the  US  ARC  Chaplain.'* 

The  major  tasks  and  functions  the  USARC  Chaplain  performed  included  overseeing  the 
funding,  personnel  administration  (including  accessioning,  promotion  boards  and  assignments),  and 
training  policy  and  design  for  USAR  unit  ministry  teams.  The  CONUSA  Chaplains  (1st,  2nd,  3rd, 
4th,  5th,  and  6th  U.S.  Armies)  were  responsible  for  the  training,  evaluation  and  mobilization  of 
chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  serving  in  troop  units." 

The  USARC  Commander  in  August,  Major  General  Roger  Sandler,  was  triple-hatted  as  the 
USARC  Commander,  the  Senior  Reserve  Advisor  to  the  FORSCOM  Commander,  and  the  Chief  of 
the  U.S.  Army  Reserve  in  Washington,  DC  Major  General  Max  Baratz  succeeded  General  Sandler 
in  1993  after  USARC  moved  to  East  Point,  Georgia.^" 

In  due  course  Chaplain  Leonard  succeeded  Chaplain  Hufham  as  the  USARC  Chaplain  when 
Chaplain  Hufham  was  selected  to  attend  the  U.S.  Army  War  College  in  1992.''  Chaplain  Steve 
Leonard's  responsibilities  for  ministry  in  1993  included  support  for  21  Army  Reserve  Commands, 
nine  training  divisions,  five  exercise  divisions  and  13  flinctional  commands.^^ 


Personnel,  Policy  and  Program  Reflnements 

Throughout  1991,  as  had  been  the  case  with  all  previous  Chiefs  of  Chaplains,  Chaplain 
Zimmerman  refined  and  updated  many  of  the  policies  and  programs  he  had  inherited.  In  addition, 
there  were  significant  personnel  changes  to  fill  vacancies  caused  by  retirements,  promotions,  and 
opportunities  for  training.  The  old  Command  Chaplains  Conference  was  re-named  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  Unit  Ministry  Team  Conference  and  expanded  to  include  a  significant  number  of  Reserve 
component  participants.'''  In  May  of  1991  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  accepted  coordination 
responsibilities  for  the  Army's  Family  Member  Suicide  Prevention  Program. 

A  new  Noncommissioned  Officer  Leader  Associate  Degree  (NCO  LEAD)  Program  was 
inaugurated  for  chaplain  assistants  completing  advanced  individual  training.-^  In  June  Chaplain 
Zimmerman  reiterated  Chief  of  Chaplains  Policy  Number  25:  "that  every  chaplain  on  active  duty, 
assigned  to  a  TOE  or  TDA  unit  with  responsibility  for  ministry  to  soldiers  and  family  members  will 
conduct  a  religious  service  at  least  once  each  week  for  members  of  the  unit  or  activity  to  which  he 
(she)  is  assigned."^'  The  intent  of  this  policy,  founded  in  Title  10  of  the  U.S.  Code,  was  to  put  the 
highest  priority  on  ministry  to  soldiers  and  family  members  at  the  installations  to  which  they  were 
assigned."* 

One  of  the  key  policy  developments  in  the  Chaplaincy  from  1991  through  1994  involved  the 
drafting  and  approval  of  a  written  policy  for  chaplain  personnel  actions — from  accessioning  through 
retirement.  As  early  as  1990,  Chaplain  John  Scott,  Director  of  Personnel  and  Ecclesiastical  Relations, 
proposed  a  formal  policy,  staffed  with  PERSCOM,  for  personnel  actions  Chaplain  Jerry  Black, 
formerly  the  assignments  officer  in  "PER,"  wrote  his  major  Army  War  College  paper  on  Chaplain 
Corps  personnel  policies.   In  1992  various  parts  of  a  draft  policy  were  refined  by  action  officers  at 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top) 
Chaplain   John   C.    Scott 

(Bottom) 
Chaplain    Timothy  C.    Tatum 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 3n 

DACH  including  Chaplains  W.  D  Goldman,  Winfield  D  Buzby,  and  Janet  Y  Horton  In 
September  of  1992,  Chaplain  Goldman  staffed  two  chapters  of  a  proposed  policy  'Smart  Book"  with 
MACOM  assignment  officers  including  Chaplain  Jack  Anderson  fi"om  USAREUR,  Chaplain  John 
McRae  fi-om  Korea,  Chaplain  Greg  Hill  from  Hawaii,  Chaplain  Malcolm  Roberts  from  TRADOC, 
and  others."  By  June  of  1993  the  Personnel  Policy  Committee  included  13  members'*  In  August 
of  1993  Chaplain  George  Pejakovich,  who  had  succeeded  Chaplain  B.F.  Nass  as  Director  of  PER, 
directed  a  field  test  for  the  complete  nine  chapter  document,  DA  Circular  165-93-1,  Chief  of 
Chaplains  Personnel  Policy."'' 

In  the  area  of  personnel  assignments  there  were  some  important  changes  in  1991 .  Chaplain 
John  Scott,  formerly  the  Director  of  PER,  retired  in  June.  Chaplain  B.  F.  Nass  was  assigned  as  the 
new  Director  of  PER.  Chaplain  James  Edgren,  Director  of  Information,  Resource  Management  and 
Logistics,  retired  in  September,  succeeded  by  Chaplain  Timothy  C.  Tatum.  Chaplain  Henry  E.  Wake 
assumed  the  position  of  Executive  Officer,  exchanging  jobs  with  Chaplain  Wayne  E.  Kuehne  who 
became  (again)  the  Director  of  Plans,  Policy  Development  and  Training  Chaplain  James  Jones,  a 
Roman  Catholic  priest,  was  assigned  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office  as  the  Logistics  Officer.'" 

Chaplain  Donald  L.  Davison  replaced  Chaplain  Meredith  R  Standley  as  Executive  Director, 
Armed  Forces  Chaplain  Board,  Office  of  the  Secretary  of  Defense.  Chaplain  Thomas  R.  Smith 
assumed  duties  as  Deputy  Director,  US  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency,  replacing 
Chaplain  Herman  Keizer,  Jr ,  who  entered  the  Class  of  1991,  U.S.  Army  War  College. 

On  the  retiree  list  for  October  1,  1991,  were  Chaplains  William  F.  Bateman  fi-om  Eisenhower 
Army  Medical  Center;  Max  E.  Burgin  fi"om  Walter  Reed  AMC;  Ocie  I  Courtney,  Jr  ,  from  Fort 
Hood,  Robert  R.  Covington,  Jr  ,  formerly  the  Assistant  Academy  Chaplain  at  West  Point;  John  A. 
DeVeaux,  Jr ,  the  Chaplaincy's  first  African- American  corps  chaplain;  and  Gaylord  E.  Hatler, 
formerly  the  ARCENT  Command  Staff  Chaplain  during  Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm. 

Outside  of  the  continental  United  States,  Chaplain  Anthony  M.  Imberi  was  assigned  in  1991 
as  the  dual-hatted  USARSO/SOUTHCOM  Chaplain  in  Panama,  and  Chaplain  Elvemice  "Sonny" 
Davis  completed  a  tour  as  the  only  Combined  Field  Army  Staff  Chaplain  in  the  military  at  Uijongbu, 
Korea. ^'  In  Germany  the  USAREUR  Chaplain'sstaff  met  with  ecclesiastical  and  military  officials 
from  Poland,  Romania,  Czechoslovakia  and  Hungary  to  advise  them  concerning  their  efforts  to 
establish  military  chaplaincies  in  their  own  countries.^' 

In  Korea,  which  constituted  the  last  vestige  of  the  Communist  threat,  there  were  still 
rumblings  of  anti-American  sentiment.  In  North  Korea  there  were  complaints,  which  had  been 
repeated  intermittently  for  more  than  40  years,  of  U.N.  cease  fire  violations,  especially  at  the  DMZ. 
In  South  Korea  students  occasionally  would  riot,  especially  in  the  spring,  in  protest  over  some 
government  policy  which  supposedly  reflected  evil  American  business  or  diplomatic  interests. 

In  May  of  1991,  for  example,  some  75,000  students  went  on  a  rampage  through  Seoul,  only 
to  be  met  by  85,000  members  of  regular  and  special  units  of  South  Korean  riot  police.  Chaplain 
James  A.  Durham,  assigned  to  the  8th  Army  Chaplain's  Office,  was  caught  on  a  bus  in  the  midst  of 
one  such  riot."  Directed  to  a  hotel  already  filled  with  tear  gas.  Chaplain  Durham  spent  a  most 
uncomfortable  evening  as  the  street  fighting  raged  back  and  forth  outside  the  building.  Usually, 
however,  agreements  were  made  after  a  while  between  the  police  and  the  students  and  the  protests 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


312 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

would  die  down  until  the  next  student  vacation.  By  Korean  War  standards,  the  protests  were  mere 
safety  valve  expressions  of  a  democracy  still  in  late  natal  stages.  As  a  potential  opportunity  for 
terrorists,  however,  such  demonstrations  still  warranted  a  close  watch.  As  Chaplain  Cecil  Ryland, 
Protestant  pastor  and  staff  chaplain  of  the  34th  Support  Group,  observed:  "We  had  demonstrations 
almost  every  weekend  in  1992.  We  had  worn  out  our  welcome  after  the  Olympics  of  1988."'*''  The 
young  generation  of  Koreans  wanted  its  emerging  prosperity  to  be  free  of  all  foreign 
influences — including  that  of  the  United  States. 

By  the  end  of  1991  the  major  military  threats  to  the  security  of  the  United  States  had 
diminished.  The  United  States  and  the  Soviet  Union  had  signed  a  Strategic  Arms  Reduction  Treaty 
before  the  latter  country  fragmented  into  its  constituencies.  The  military  forces  of  Iraq  had  been 
driven  out  of  Kuwait  in  a  conflised  rout.  Yet  in  Third  World  countries  there  were  pressures  which 
were  leading  to  confrontation  and  conflict.  In  1991  Serbian  forces  invaded  Croatia,  and  in  Haiti 
hundreds  of  Aristide  supporters  fled  to  the  sea  in  boats.  At  U.S.  Forces  Command,  the  modem  era 
of  "operations  other  than  war"  took  form  with  Joint  Task  Force  Guantanamo  in  November  and 
December  of  1991.' 

From  California  to  Croatia: 

Rotating  Ministries  in  a  Switchback  Year 

1992 

Upoti  arrival  in  South  Florida  yon  con  Id  fee  I  a  cloud  of  shock  atid  depression.  I  had 
never  experienced  such  devastation.  Over  2, 000  soldiers  from  F'  COSCOM  were  deployed 
to  provide  fuel,  trucks,  maintenance,  medical  sen>ices,  laundry  and  baths  fro  the  X17II 
Airborne  Corps  soldiers  and  disaster  victims.  Many  lessons  on  flexibility  and  readiness  were 
learned  in  the  deployment  of  combat  forces  for  humanitarian  aid  ... 

Staff  Sergeant  Judy  Pukansky 

Chaplain  Assistant,  1"  COSCOM 

Joint  Task  Force  Andrew,  1992 

In  some  mountainous  areas  of  the  United  States  there  are  roads  which  go  directly  down  a 
mountain  side  in  a  series  of  "switchbacks."  The  path  will  go  in  one  direction  for  a  half  mile  and  then 
make  several  270°  turns  back  and  forth  to  zig-zag  to  the  bottom.  In  a  sense,  the  history  of  ministry 
in  the  Army  in  1992  involved  a  series  of  changes  in  direction,  though  not  so  often  in  theory  or 
doctrine  as  in  mission  and  geography.  From  May  of  1 992  through  July  of  1 994,  Chaplain  Corps  unit 
ministry  teams  were  deployed  to  California,  Florida,  Hawaii,  the  Midwest,  Croatia,  Antarctica, 
Somalia,  Macedonia,  Jordan,  Saudi  Arabia,  Kuwait,  and  Cuba,  among  other  locations.  Missions  for 
the  Army  in  these  "operations  other  than  war"  ranged  from  humanitarian  relief  to  peace  enforcement 


^See  Part  Two  for  more  information  on  the  role  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  in 
Joint  Task  Force  Guantanamo 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 313 

to  preparation  for  combat.  In  some  cases  the  variety  of  missions  pushed  the  envelope  of  doctrine  and 
experience  with  specific  community  restoration/nation  building/law  enforcement  challenges 

In  the  midst  of  these  constant  deployment  requirements,  which  kept  U.S.  Forces  Command 
exceptionally  busy  with  often  overlapping  missions,  the  Chaplain  Corps  attempted  to  perform  its 
normal  ftmctional  duties  of  religious  support,  doctrinal  development,  training  and  evaluation  both  in 
CONUS  and  overseas.  The  description  of  these  efforts  of  "flexible  response"  to  the  needs  of  the 
Army  is  truly  a  picture  of  juggling  diminishing  resources  to  meet  an  increasing  number  of  overseas 
contingency  requirements^'  while  continuing  to  conduct  "business  as  usual"  at  home. 


Building  Foundations: 
The  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 

In  the  spring  of  1992  the  Directorate  of  Information,  Resource  Management  and  Logistics 
completed  contracting  requirements  for  pending  chapel  center  construction  for  several  new  religious 
facilities.  From  1990  to  1991,  some  13  new  chapels,  religious  education  facilities,  and  family  life 
centers  had  been  built  or  contracted.  A  new  standard  design  for  small  unit  chapels  was  approved  as 
well  as  a  plan  for  replacing  World  War  II  wooden  chapels  with  the  mission  designation  "Project 
Nehemiah."'* 

Another  "new"  development  in  building  for  the  future  was  the  assignment  of  Sergeant  Major 
Thomas  J.  Prost,  Jr.,  as  the  Senior  Enlisted  Advisor  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  on  May  1 ,  as  Sergeant 
Major  Oliver  T.  "Irish"  Corbett  retired.  Among  Sergeant  Major  Prost's  objectives  and  interests 
were  total  support  for  chaplain  assistants  leaving  active  duty,  compiling  a  history  of  chaplain 
assistants  in  the  Total  Army,  and  facilitating  the  opportunities  Active  and  Reserve  Component 
chaplain  assistants  to  train  and  work  together.^' 

Chaplain  Zimmerman  had  a  high  regard  for  the  work  chaplain  assistants  performed  and 
particularly  for  the  dedicated  service  Sergeant  Major  Oliver  "Irish"  Corbett  had  modeled  during  his 
career.  At  Sergeant  Major  Corbett's  retirement.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  spoke  of  Corbett's 
contributions: 

Sergeant  Major  Oliver  "Irish"  Corbett  is  regarded  as  a  totally  professional  soldier,  "a 
lifetime  member  of  the  Corps."  Always  his  concern  has  been  for  the  soldier.  The 
Chief  and  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains  have  relied  on  him  for  ideas.  As  a  team  NCO 
he  has  worked  closely  with  the  Command  Sergeant  Major  at  USACHCS  to  present 
a  positive,  unified  approach  on  enlisted  issues.  Most  importantly.  Sergeant  Major 
Corbett  has  not  only  espoused  but  modeled  Unit  Ministry  Team  doctrine.  Ireland's 
loss  was  truly  America's  gain  when  an  18-year-old  from  County  Galway  decided  to 
"adopt"  America.  It  is  we,  the  U.S.  Army  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  who  have 
had  the  "Luck  of  the  Irish"  when  you  decided  to  adopt  us.^* 

Sergeant  Major  Corbett,  one  of  the  original  committee  members  who  had  developed  the  unit  ministry 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


Sergeant  Major  Oliver    "Irish"   Corbett 


Sergeant  Major    Thomas    J.    Prost 


316 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

team  concept  at  the  Chaplain  School  in  1 984,  had  indeed  demonstrated  personally  how  teamwork 
could  work  throughout  the  Chaplain  Corps. 

Two  days  after  Sergeant  Major  Prost  assumed  his  duties.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  addressed  a 
conference  on  "Ethical  Dilemmas  in  Military  Health  Care"  in  San  Antonio,  Texas.  Recalling  that  U.S. 
Army  hospitals  had  included  chaplains  on  their  staffs  since  1862,  Chaplain  Zimmerman  pointed  out 
that  "Army  chaplains  were  instrumental  in  identifying  the  needs  that  resulted  in  the  establishment  of 
such  institutions  as  the  Army  Community  Service,  the  Drug  and  Alcohol  Abuse  Prevention  Program, 
and  the  Family  Advocacy  Program."^'  Army  chaplains  and  health  care  providers  had  worked  together 
in  MEDCENs,  MEDDACs  and  field  hospitals  as  a  team  to  recognize  the  unique  skills  and  talents 
each  member  contributes  to  the  healing  of  the  patient  and  to  the  welfare  of  the  other  team  members. 
"Army  chaplains  are  involved  in  health  care  and  clinical  ethics  in  two  ways,"  Chaplain  Zimmerman 
observed.  "First,  chaplains  have  had  an  important  role  in  initiating  and  participating  in  health  care 
ethics  education  opportunities  for  the  staffs  of  our  MEDCENs  and  MEDDACs.  These  have  been 
interdisciplinary  efforts  which  brought  physicians,  nurses,  chaplains,  attorneys,  administrators,  and 
allied  health  providers  together  to  identify,  discuss,  and  resolve  key  patient  care  ethical  issues.  The 
Ethical  Dilemmas  and  the  Health  Care  Provider  Team  on  the  Battlefield  Conference,  held  in  1990, 
and  this  course  are  examples  of  chaplain-initiated  ethics  training."'*" 

Army  chaplains  had  educated  themselves  also  in  the  principles  of  health  care  ethics  and  the 
resolution  of  ethical  dilemmas  at  the  bedside.  In  1992  Chaplain  Rick  D.  Matthis  became  the  first 
chaplain  to  complete  a  one-year,  full-funded  Masters  Degree  program  in  clinical  ethics  Chaplain 
Matthis  was  assigned  to  the  Army  Medical  Department  Center  and  School  as  the  heahh  care  and 
clinical  ethics  instructor  for  the  AMEDD  Chaplain  David  M  DeDonato,  who  had  been  a  pioneer 
in  the  development  of  educational  programs  in  medical  ethics  since  1988,  was  assigned  by  Chaplain 
Zimmerman  to  be  the  Chaplain  Clinical  Ethicist  at  Walter  Reed  Army  Medical  Center.*' 

Another  of  Chaplain  Zimmerman's  initiatives  in  the  field  of  innovative  ethics  instruction  was 
the  nomination  and  assignment  of  Chaplain  Thomas  H.  Norton  as  the  Director  of  Ethical 
Development  Programs  at  the  U.S.  Army  War  College.  A  graduate  of  Princeton  Theological 
Seminary  with  a  Doctorate  of  Ministry  degree  from  San  Francisco  Theological  Seminary,  Chaplain 
Norton  had  served  two  tours  in  Vietnam  as  both  a  battalion  and  a  brigade  chaplain.  In  1984-85  he 
was  the  25th  Infantry  Division  StaflF Chaplain  in  Hawaii  and  in  1988  the  I  Corps  and  Installation  Staff 
Chaplain  at  Fort  Lewis,  Washington  Chaplain  Norton  was  graduated  fi'om  the  Army  War  College 
in  1988  and  became  in  1992  the  sixth  chaplain  to  serve  on  the  faculty  of  the  Army  War  College  at 
Carlisle  Barracks.*" 


Operation  Garden  Plot: 
The  Los  Angeles  Riots 

On  April  30,  1992  the  670th  Military  Police  Company,  California  National  Guard,  deployed 
to  Los  Angeles  to  assist  local  law  enforcement  authorities  in  dealing  with  riots  which  produced  vivid 
images  of  a  potential  race  war  with  both  Rodney  King,  an  African- American,  and  Reginald  Denny, 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 317 

a  Caucasian,  beaten  almost  to  death  by  police  officers  and  rioting  citizens  respectively.  By  May  3, 
some  60  people  were  reported  killed  in  the  riots.  More  than  2,200  were  injured,  9,400  people  had 
been  arrested,  5,000  buildings  had  been  damaged,  and  20,000  other  people  were  out  of  work.''^ 
Damages  were  estimated  in  excess  of  a  billion  dollars.  President  Bush  allocated  $700  million  in 
federal  funds  to  help  South  Central  Los  Angeles  riot  victims.^^ 

The  49th  Military  Police  Brigade  and  members  of  the  40th  Division,  California  National 
Guard,  backed  up  by  soldiers  from  Fort  Ord's  7th  Infantry  Division,  rendered  excellent  service  in 
controlling  looting  and  in  discouraging  further  violence  by  the  estimated  100,000  gang  members  in 
Los  Angeles."*'  "Strong  animosity  prevailed  between  the  gangs  and  the  Guard,"  said  Chaplain  Gary 
Coad,  a  senior  Guard  chaplain.*''  In  spite  of  the  high  emotions  evident,  the  Guard  and  active  duty 
chaplains  from  the  7th  Infantry  Division,  led  by  Chaplain  Dou^as  Wooten,  executed  their  duties  well. 
Chaplain  Matthew  Zimmerman  told  a  Reserve  Training  conference  audience  in  1992;  "The  California 
Army  National  Guard  UMTs  performed  laudable  duty  on  short  notice."*'  Given  the  instances  when 
soldiers  were  "shot  at,  harassed,  and  provoked,  they  showed  outstanding  discipline  and  control."** 

The  ashes  of  the  Los  Angeles  riots  had  barely  cooled  and  the  businesses  scarcely  reopened 
when  a  different  kind  of  disaster  occurred  on  the  east  coast  of  the  United  States.  Again,  Reserve  and 
active  component  Army  units  responded,  this  time  to  a  Presidential  and  Department  of  Defense 
imperative  when  Hurricane  Andrew  struck  southern  Florida.  *'  ^ 


More  Innovations 

One  of  our  shortcoming  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  is  that  we  fail  to  tell  our  story. ^^ 

Chaplain  (Brig.  Gen  )  Donald  W  Shea 

Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains 

1  September  1992 

As  fiscal  year  1 992  drew  to  a  close,  several  new  initiatives  came  to  fruition  which  held  a  good 
deal  of  future  promise  for  the  Chaplain  Corps  In  August  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  established  a  UMT 
Reserve  Advisory  Council  (RAC)  to  identify  and  resolve  Reserve  issues  The  Deputy  Chief  of 
Chaplains  chaired  the  Council.  Among  the  topical  issues  discussed  were  force  structure, 
mobilization,  deployment  and  redeployment,  demobilization,  accessioning  the  force  and  unit  ministry 
team  training. 

A  new  TDA  for  the  US  Army  Recruiting  Command,  headquartered  at  Fort  Knox,  Kentucky, 
placed  chaplains  in  each  recruiting  region  to  help  Army  recruiters  and  their  families  deal  with  stresses 
involved  in  meeting  recruiting  quotas  Chaplain  Dwane  L  Ferguson  served  as  the  first  Command 
Staff  Chaplain.    As  support  for  Army  recruiters  stationed  in  remote  areas  in  the  United  States,  a 


See  Part  Two  for  more  information  on  the  role  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  in 
Joint  Task  Force  Andrew 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


318 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

Reserve  Chaplain  Support  Program  was  instituted  to  furnish  pastoral  and  counseling  ministries. 
Chaplains  Lamar  Hunt,  James  Rennell,  and  Larry  Racster  at  ARPERCEN  maintained  a  roster  of  500 
Individual  Ready  Reserve  (IRR)  chaplains  who  were  available  for  this  duty.  Reserve  retirement 
points  were  awarded  to  IRR  chaplains  who  performed  counseling,  baptisms,  marriages,  or  other 
ministerial  services  for  Army  recruiters. '' 

The  Chief  of  Chaplains  inaugurated  a  chaplain  training  program  to  help  train  chaplains  as 
coordinators  for  the  Army's  Soldier  Suicide  Prevention  Program  as  outlined  in  Army  Regulation 
600-63.  Some  163  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  completed  the  first  iteration  of  training  at  the 
Menninger  Clinic  on  18  September  1992.  The  focus  of  the  soldier  suicide  prevention  training  was 
on  officers  and  NCOs.  The  nature  of  the  program  was  multi-disciplinary  to  include  participation  by 
psychiatrists,  psychologists,  social  workers,  emergency  room  staff,  ward  nurses  and  chaplains. 
Chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  also  emphasized  programs  to  prevent  morale  problems  and  to  help 
soldiers  cope  with  stress  and  disappointment." 

In  another  type  of  assistance  effort.  Chaplain  William  Clark  and  his  staff  at  Fort  Sam  Houston, 
Texas,  established  a  mentor  program  in- local  elementary,  middle  and  high  schools  to  help  marginal 
students  improve  grades,  decrease  disciplinary  problems,  and  increase  self  esteem.  Chaplain  Donald 
Shea  called  the  program  "one  of  the  many  wonderful  stories  of  proactive  ministry  by  our  Total  Army 
Chaplaincy."" 


Planning  to  Tell  a  Story 

By  the  fall  of  1992,  a  number  of  histories  of  Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm  had 
appeared  in  print,  but  very  few  mentioned  the  role  of  unit  ministry  teams  in  performing  religious 
support.  General  H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf  did  mention  his  staff  chaplain  in  his  book,  //  Doesn  't 
Take  A  Hero,  but  that  was  an  exception  There  was  virtually  no  discussion  in  other  works  of  the 
numbers  of  unit  ministry  teams  deployed,  the  contributions  of  chaplains,  or  the  importance  of 
religious  faith  to  thousands  of  soldiers  during  that  conflict. 

It  was  apparent  to  Chaplain  Zimmerman  and  to  Chaplain  Shea  that  the  Chaplaincy  would  have 
to  tell  its  own  story,  a  story  that  would  be  enlarged  to  include  the  ministries  of  more  than  9,000  Total 
Army  chaplains  over  the  course  of  20  years.  The  history  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  from  1975  to  1995 
would  form  the  seventh  volume  in  a  series  that  was  begun  by  a  directive  from  Chaplain  (Major 
General)  Hyatt 

Chaplain  (Colonel)  John  C  Scott,  USA,  Retired,  formerly  the  Director  of  Personnel  and 
Ecclesiastical  Relations  during  Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm,  was  invited  to  write  the 
history.  For  personal  and  financial  reasons,  however.  Chaplain  Scott  could  not  accept  the  project  on 
a  paid  basis.  He  did  volunteer  to  write  parts  of  the  history  without  payment  as  evidence  of  his  interest 
in  and  support  of  the  effort. 

On  a  trip  to  US  Forces  Command,  Fort  McPherson,  Georgia,  in  November  of  1992  to 
dedicate  a  monument  to  Chaplain  Mihon  Haney,  a  Civil  War  chaplain  who  was  awarded  the  Medal 
of  Honor,  Chaplain  Zimmerman  mentioned  the  history  project  to  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield.  Chaplain 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 319 

Brinsfield  had  taught  history  at  West  Point  and  had  originated  the  concept  of  the  Haney  Memorial, 
the  first  battlefield  monument  to  a  chaplain  who  had  received  a  Medal  of  Honor.  Chaplain  Brinsfield 
immediately  volunteered  to  help  in  any  way  he  could. ^^  After  several  months  of  negotiations, 
including  his  deletion  fi-om  orders  to  report  to  Korea  as  the  Division  Chaplain  for  the  2nd  Infantry 
Division,  Chaplain  Brinsfield  reported  to  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency  in  July 
of  1993  with  the  mission  of  writing  the  history  of  the  Chaplain  Corps  since  Vietnam. 


Expanding  the  United  Nations'  Presence 

The  end  of  the  Cold  War  has  seen  the  United  Nations  assume  a  more  active  role  in  resolving 
regional  conflicts.  In  the  last  four  years  alone  U.N.  Forces  ha\>e  mounted  over  a  dozen 
military  operations,  more  than  in  the  previous  four  decades. 

William  H.  Lewis  &  John  OB.  Sewall 

Senior  Fellows 

National  Defense  University 


It  is  interesting  that  the  word  "peacekeeping"  does  not  appear  in  the  United  Nations  Charter. 
In  its  initial  phases  of  international  involvement  (1948-1956),  the  United  Nations  established  observer 
missions  to  monitor  cease-fire  agreements.  The  first  modem  peacekeeping  effort,  the  U.N. 
Emergency  Force  in  Egypt  (1956),  was  introduced  to  separate  the  military  forces  of  Egypt  and 
Israel."  Subsequently,  additional  multinational  forces  were  sent  to  the  former  Belgian  Congo 
(1960),  to  the  Sinai  (1973),  to  the  Golan  Heights  (1973)  and  to  Southern  Lebanon  (1978). 

The  end  of  the  Cold  War  produced  a  challenging  international  security  environment 
characterized  by  the  unleashing  of  divisive  forces  once  held  in  check  by  superpower  rivalry  and  by 
the  transformation  of  international  politics  from  bipolar  to  multilateral  relations.'*  As  former  British 
Prime  Minister  Margaret  Thatcher  observed: 

Wars  are  not  caused  by  a  buildup  of  weapons.  They  are  caused  when  an  aggressor 
believes  he  can  achieve  his  objectives  at  an  acceptable  price.  Naked  aggression  by  the 
Serbs  is  the  root  cause  of  the  terrible  civil  war  in  what  was  once  Yugoslavia  ...  which 
has  produced  a  toll  of  2  million  people  displaced  and  hundreds  of  thousands  dead." 

The  impact  of  these  and  similar  developments  worldwide  increased  pressure  on  international 
organizations  to  engage  in  preventive  diplomacy  to  resolve  conflicts.  For  instance,  fi"om  1988  to 
1992  the  United  Nations  launched  13  peacekeeping  operations,  roughly  equal  to  all  the  missions  of 
the  previous  four  decades.'*  The  scale  and  scope  of  these  operations,  excluding  Operation  Desert 
Shield/Desert  Storm,  involved  54,000  military  personnel  and  an  estimated  cost  in  1992  alone  of  $3 
billion.'' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


320 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

Croatia 

One  of  the  first  unit  ministry  team  support  missions  for  a  United  Nations  operation  began  in 
1992  with  the  deployment  of  the  212th  Mobile  Army  Surgical  Hospital  (MASH)  from  Germany  to 
Camp  Pleso,  Croatia,  18  kilometers  east  of  the  city  of  Zagreb/*  Chaplain  Gary  Stickney  was  the  first 
chaplain  deployed.  The  mission  of  the  212th  MASH  was  to  provide  medical  support  for  the  U.N. 
Soldiers  in  Operation  Provide  Promise  Chaplain  Robert  Spiegel,  V  Corps  Chaplain  in  Germany, 
provided  technical  supervision  and  support  for  the  deployed  unit  ministry  team(s). 

Camp  Pleso,  a  former  military  airfield  camp,  was  on  the  edge  of  the  Zagreb  International 
Airport.  The  hospital  personnel  were  housed  in  tents  with  wards  inside  a  hanger.  In  addition  to 
latrines,  showers,  a  weight  room,  a  Morale- Welfare-Recreation  (MWR)  tent,  a  library,  a  post  office, 
a  post  exchange  (PX),  and  dining  halls,  there  were  also  basketball  and  volleyball  courts,  rugby  and 
baseball  fields,  and  British,  Dutch,  Swedish,  and  Norwegian  bars.*' 

The  camp  chapel  was  included  in  a  large  tent  with  office,  library,  and  living  areas  at  either  end. 
Chaplain  Stickney  had  equipped  the  chapel  with  an  altar,  pews,  tables,  and  a  shelf  made  by  a  Finnish 
Construction  Battalion.  There  was  also  an  altar  cloth,  a  cross,  a  crucifix,  a  pulpit.  Bibles,  devotional 
literature,  a  coffee  pot  and  office  supplies."  French,  Dutch,  Norwegian,  British,  Finnish,  and 
American  military  chaplains  shared  the  chapel.  As  many  as  2,000  soldiers  attended  Catholic  and 
Protestant  services  during  the  week,  with  another  170  attending  choir  practice  and  130  in  Bible 
study." 

The  mission  of  the  MASH,  which  fluctuated  between  85  to  350  staff  personnel,  was  to 
provide  medical  support  for  soldiers  fi'om  the  United  Nations  Protection  Force,  soldiers  from  20 
nations  including  Russia,  Ukraine,  Slovakia,  Nepal,  Kenya,  and  Argentina.**  At  any  one  time  there 
could  be  300  patients  admitted,  including  some  Muslim  children  from  Mostar,  Bosnia-Herzegovina.*' 
Religions  found  among  patients  in  the  hospital  included  Catholic,  Orthodox,  Protestant,  Muslim, 
Buddhist,  and  Atheist  preferences.** 

Chaplain  Stickney,  who  was  a  United  Methodist,  was  joined  in  December  1992  for  Christmas 
services  by  Chaplain  Joseph  P  Rappl,  a  Roman  Catholic  priest.  Christmas  trees  were  set  up  and 
international  services  conducted.  Although  there  were  language  difficulties,  most  soldiers  and 
patients  communicated  with  the  chaplains  by  sign  language  if  they  didn't  understand  one  another's 
vocabulary. 

One  of  the  toughest  memories  Chaplain  Rappl  brought  back  from  Croatia  was  of  the  large 
number  of  amputees.  Various  Yugoslav  Guard  units  had  mined  the  area  after  the  Bosnian  attack  in 
1991,  and  patients  with  missing  legs  and  feet  were  not  uncommon.*^ 

The  ministry  in  Croatia  was  busy,  comprehensive,  and  totally  engaging.  As  it  was  just  getting 
organized,  a  much  larger  deployment  began  ostensibly  with  a  similar  mission  The  Operation  was 
titled  "Restore  Hope,"  and  the  location  was  in  the  east  African  country  of  Somalia.* 


■*  See  Part  Two  for  more  information  on  the  role  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  in 
Operation  Restore  Hope. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 321 

Plans  for  Transforming  the  Army:  1993  -  1994 

How  does  one  move  from  intellectual  change  to  physical  change?  How  does  one 
accommodate  the  requirement  to  do  both  simultaneously?  The  first  step  is  to  undertake  the 
major  surgery  required  to  reshape  the  orgatiization — to  divest  elements  which  are  not  needed 
while  reshaping  the  remainder. 

General  Gordon  R.  Sullivan 

Chief  of  Staff,  USA 

America's  Army,  1993 

Two  years  after  Operation  Desert  Storm  ended,  the  Army  was  well  on  the  way  to  a  major 
transformation  to  meet  the  national  security  needs  of  the  United  States  in  the  21st  century.  As 
General  Gordon  R  Sullivan  told  more  than  500  senior  Army  leaders  and  defense  industry 
representatives  at  the  Louisiana  Maneuvers  Symposium  in  Orlando,  Florida,  in  May  of  1993  "This 
symposium  is  about  21st  century  warfare.  Do  more,  fight  more  efficiently,  apply  scarce  resources 
more  efficiently.  Louisiana  Maneuvers,  in  its  largest  sense,  is  the  structured  way  for  us  to  think  about 
the  application  of  scarce  resources. "'"''  The  publication  of  a  new  Field  Manual  100-5,  Operation,  in 
1993  fit  into  this  transformational  agenda.  As  the  first  "updated  keystone  operations  doctrine 
manual"  since  1 986,  it  was  hailed  by  the  Army  leadership  as  "a  singularly  important  event  in  the 
development  of  a  21st  century  Army."*' 


Firsts  and  Lasts 

In  the  Chaplain  Corps,  as  a  microcosm  of  events  in  the  Army  at  large,  simultaneous  planning 
for  the  future  was  coupled  with  increasing  demands  to  meet  immediate  ministry  needs.  From  the  visit 
of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  to  Russia  to  the  deployment  of  unit  ministry  teams  to  Missouri  and 
Macedonia  in  the  same  month,  1993  was  a  year  of  "firsts  and  lasts." 

Among  the  "firsts"  in  Chaplain  Corps  history  for  1993  were  visits  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 
to  Hungary  and  Russia  to  discuss  the  development  of  ministry  and  the  re-establishment  of  mihtary 
chaplaincies  in  those  countries  In  February  Chaplain  Zimmerman  flew  to  Budapest  to  attend  the 
Fourth  Annual  European/North  American  Chiefs  of  Chaplains  Conference.  The  Hungarian  Ministry 
of  Defense  sponsored  a  formal  banquet  followed  by  meetings  with  leaders  of  major  Hungarian 
churches  and  faith  groups.™  This  was  the  first  known  visit  by  a  Chief  of  Chaplains  to  a  former 
Communist  Bloc  country 

The  following  month  Chaplain  Zimmerman  and  Chaplain  Herman  Keizer  from  the  Armed 
Forces  Chaplains  Board  flew  to  Russia  to  advise  the  Commandant  of  the  Russian  Military  Academy 
on  the  ministry  of  chaplains."  "I  recall  that  one  Russian  Brigadier  General  became  quite  angry  at  his 
own  briefing  officer,  a  lieutenant  colonel,  I  believe,  when  he  told  us  that  in  a  recent  survey  of  the 
Russian  Army  some  75%  of  enlisted  soldiers  and  56%  of  the  officers  desired  the  return  of  a  religious 
presence  in  the  Army.  This  was  evidently  not  the  information  we  were  supposed  to  hear,"  Chaplain 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


322 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

Zimmerman  said/*  In  spite  of  this  faux  pas,  the  Russians  did  meet  not  only  with  the  American 
chaplains  and  with  Alexis  II,  Patriarch  of  the  Russian  Orthodox  Church,  but  they  also  added  a 
chaplain  position  on  the  staff  of  the  Academy." 

Shortly  before  Chaplain  Zimmerman  made  his  visits  to  Hungary  and  Russia,  Chaplain  George 
Pejakovich  and  Mrs.  Marie  Walker  from  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  and  the  Rev.  Jane 
Heaton,  DRE,  and  Chaplain  Gary  Sanford,  the  Installation  Staff  Chaplain  for  Fort  Belvoir,  Virginia, 
accompanied  20  ladies  from  various  regional  groups  of  the  Protestant  Women  of  the  Chapel — USA 
to  Omsk,  Siberia  Part  of  the  PWOC  "Operation  Hearts,  Open  Doors"  program,  the  ladies  visited 
soldiers  and  family  members  of  the  Strategic  Rocket  Forces  at  Omsk  The  PWOC  group  presented 
their  former  adversaries  with  1 1,000  Russian  New  Testaments,  gifts  of  warm  clothing,  food,  medical 
supplies,  candy  and  school  supplies  paid  for  by  donated  fijnds.^^  Mrs.  Caroline  Grube,  Vice  President 
of  the  PWOC-USA,  Mrs.  Nancy  Smith  and  Mrs.  Mary  Wake  were  three  of  the  key  leaders  in  the 
PWOC  mission  to  these  new  friends  in  Siberia. 

Other  "firsts"  for  1993  included  the  accessioning  of  the  first  Muslim  chaplain  in  the  Chaplain 
Corps,  Chaplain  Abdul  Rasheed  Muhammad,  who  was  endorsed  by  the  newly  created  American 
Muslim  Council. ''  Chaplain  Muhammad  was  assigned  to  the  28th  Combat  Support  Hospital  at  Fort 
Bragg.  In  May,  Chaplain  Janet  Y  Horton  became  the  first  female  chaplain  to  serve  as  a  Division 
Staff  Chaplain  (1st  Armored  Division,  Bad  Kreuznach,  Germany)  With  her  senior  NCOIC,  Staff 
Sergeant  Iraida  Velazquez,  Chaplain  Horton  and  her  assistant  also  comprised  the  first  all-female  unit 
ministry  team  at  Division  level. ^* 

In  October,  after  five  years  of  outstanding  work  by  Command  Sergeant  Major  James  J. 
Schonefeld,  CSM  Aaron  Gibson,  and  staff  NCOs,  the  NCO  Academy  at  the  U.  S.  Army  Chaplain 
School  was  accredited  for  the  first  time  by  the  Commanding  General,  TRADOC  This  event  was 
followed  in  December  by  the  certification  of  the  Army  Chaplain  Museum  under  the  leadership  of  Ms. 
Renee  Klish,  the  Curator,  and  Mrs  Marsha  McManus,  the  Assistant  Curator.  Support  for  the 
Museum  continued  to  be  implemented  by  Chaplain  Richard  Tupy,  USA,  Retired,  and  other  officers 
of  the  Chaplain  Museum  Association.^^ 

Finally,  in  1993  the  Military  Chaplains  Review  ceased  to  be  published  after  2 1  years. ^*  The 
new  publication  in  its  place,  The  Army  Chaplaincy,  was  designed  as  a  professional  bulletin  with 
shorter  articles  in  a  more  flexible  format.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  proudly  called  it,  "our  new  Chaplaincy 
magazine."™  Chaplain  Bernard  H.  Lieving,  Jr.,  Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  Center  and  School, 
congratulated  Chaplain  Jerry  L  Leverett,  the  Editor-in-Chief,  and  Ms.  Nella  Hartog,  the  Managing 
Editor,  on  the  production  of  the  first  issue.  Subsequently,  in  the  Spring  issue.  Chaplain  John  J. 
Kaising,  the  Assistant  Commandant,  succeeded  Chaplain  Leverett  as  the  Editor-in-Chief  Ms.  Hartog 
continued  to  serve  as  both  the  Chaplain  School  Public  Affairs  Officer  and  as  the  Managing  Editor. 

Most  of  the  events  in  1993  which  affected  the  Chaplaincy  were  not,  of  course,  first 
occurrences.  There  were  a  few  "lasts."  For  example,  the  chapel  at  Sinop,  Turkey,  where  soldiers 
had  worshiped  since  1958,  was  transformed  into  a  mosque  in  1993  upon  the  departure  of  American 
military  personnel.  Chaplain  Calvin  Sydnor,  VII  Corps  Chaplain,  described  the  transition: 

Closing  the  Sinop  Chapel  was  a  unique  experience   It  was  built  by  soldiers  at  the  field 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 323 

station.  What  made  the  constmction  so  meaningful  [was  that]  their  chapel  became 
the  building  around  which  all  the  other  permanent  buildings  were  constructed  It  was 
truly  at  the  center  of  the  installation.  Last  week  an  American  soldier  handed  a 
Turkish  soldier  a  plaque  showing  the  chapel  construction  in  1958  At  the  end  of  the 
short  ceremony,  the  Muslim  call  to  prayer  was  sung  and  the  Turkish  soldiers  began 
their  first  Friday  prayer  in  their  new  mosque.*"*  Chaplain  John  J.  Prendergast,  the  last 
chaplain  at  Sinop,  was  assigned  to  Berlin  as  the  Brigade  Chaplain. 

In  a  positive  light,  most  of  the  ministry  performed  by  unit  ministry  teams  in  1993  was  not 
performed  with  an  eye  to  unique  historical  notice  but  rather  with  the  intent  simply  of  serving  soldiers. 
With  a  prescient  view  of  that  goal.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  convened  a  Strategic  Planning  Committee 
to  address  "the  perpetual  white  water  of  change"  in  the  Chaplain  Corps.**'  Fifty  unit  ministry  team 
members  from  MACOMs,  USACHCS,  and  DACH  were  trained  in  the  mechanics  of  Applied 
Strategic  Planning.  From  this  number  Chaplain  Zimmerman  selected  1 3  members  to  serve  as  the  first 
(annual)  group  to  present  a  vision  of  the  future  "and  develop  the  necessary  procedures  and  operations 
to  achieve  that  future."'^  The  members  of  the  first  committee  included  Chaplains  Matthew 
Zimmerman,  Brock  Watson,  Henry  Wake,  John  Hannah,  Donald  Gover,  Donald  Shea,  Wayne 
Hoffmann,  Elvemice  Davis,  Lamar  Hunt,  and  Donna  Weddle  Other  members  included  Command 
Sergeant  Major  Aaron  Gibson,  Mr.  Roger  Able,  Sergeant  Major  Tom  Prost,  and  Mr.  Ed  Horan." 

The  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy's  Strategic  Plans,  FY  94-99,  published  in  July  of  1993, 
addressed  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  goal  of  developing  an  ongoing  strategy  which  would  carry  the 
Chaplaincy  into  the  21st  century.  Six  critical  success  indicators  (imperatives)  were  developed  to 
measure  success:  customer  satisfaction,  quality  chaplaincy,  pluralism,  chaplaincy  team  satisfaction, 
force  structure,  and  unit  ministry  team  role  clarification.  Each  of  these  indicators  were  defined  with 
an  implementation  plan.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  thought  the  vision  was  a  good  starting  point  for  the 
future  Chaplaincy.*'' 

One  of  the  areas  of  soldier  support  which  was  critical  to  the  Army  and  to  the  mission  of  the 
Chaplain  Corps  was  that  of  family  ministry.  As  a  part  of  fijture  planning.  Chaplain  Donald  W.  Shea, 
Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  addressed  the  1993  Army  Family  Life  Chaplains  Conference  in  late 
March.  With  3,286  chaplains  and  2,560  chaplain  assistants  in  the  Total  Army,  and  6,263,742  soldiers 
and  family  members  as  "customers"  for  ministry,  the  family  life  chaplain  unit  ministry  team  had  never 
been  more  important.  Indeed  the  ratio  of  chaplains  to  soldier/family  members  in  1993  was  1 : 1 ,906. 
With  59%  of  active  duty  soldiers  married  and  81%  under  the  age  of  30,  the  Army  had  become,  with 
respect  to  support  requirements,  a  self-perpetuating  population.*'  In  his  address  Chaplain  Shea 
observed:  "We  must  have  a  preventative  ministry  at  the  soldier  level.  Chaplains  have  to  minister  to 
the  real  issues  in  the  soldier's  life,  things  like  divorce,  step-parenting,  abdication  of  parental  roles  or 
single  parenting.  Don't  ever  underestimate  your  ability  to  bring  change  to  soldiers  and  their  families, 
and  thereby  make  a  better  fijture."'* 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


324 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

Come  Hell  or  High  Water 

If  there  were  two  areas  of  the  world  which  captured  the  attention  of  the  press,  the  nation,  the 
Army,  and  the  Chaplain  Corps  in  the  summer  of  1993,  they  were  the  Balkan  nations  of  Europe  and 
the  Great  Plains  of  the  United  States.  As  the  ethnic  wars  continued  to  rage  between  the  Orthodox 
Serbians,  the  Roman  Catholic  Croatians,  and  the  Muslim  faithflil  among  the  Bosnians,  the  United 
Nations,  NATO,  the  United  States  and  the  American  citizenry  became  weary  of  the  killing  in  and 
around  many  geographic  regions  of  the  former  nation  of  Yugoslavia.  Neither  the  European  NATO 
powers  nor  the  United  States  wanted  to  become  mired  in  the  "ethnic  cleansing"  conflicts  which 
seemed  to  be  a  mixture  of  revenge  for  World  War  II  atrocities  and  naked  opportunistic  aggression. 

Nevertheless,  the  United  States  deployed  several  Army  medical  units  in  rotation  from 
Germany  to  Croatia  and  Macedonia  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1993  to  support  U.N.  missions. 
Sergeant  Michael  Schmiesing,  Chaplain  Andrew  R.  Mulvaney,  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  Chaplain 
Robert  Whitlock,  a  Full  Gospel  Protestant,  deployed  with  the  502nd  MASH  to  Zagreb,  Croatia,  on 
28  April  1993. 

The  first  site  for  ministry  was  at  Camp  Pleso,  where  Chaplain  Gary  Stickney  had  established 
a  chapel  program.  By  July  Chaplain  Mulvaney  and  Sergeant  Schmiesing  also  were  covering  troops 
in  Macedonia,  part  of  Operation  Able  Sentry,  twice  a  month  Chaplain  Mulvaney  said  Mass  for  an 
average  congregation  of  21  soldiers  in  Macedonia.  The  Bishop  of  Macedonia,  Bishop  Goagim 
Herbut,  agreed  to  celebrate  the  sacrament  for  soldiers  when  Chaplain  Mulvaney  was  in  Croatia. 

One  of  the  supporting  religious  leaders  in  Macedonia  was  the  Reverend  John  D  "J  D." 
Lawtum  of  San  Antonio,  Texas,  whose  ministry  of  Christian  music  had  been  known  to  soldiers 
throughout  Europe  for  a  decade.'*'  Reverend  Lawtum  was  a  talented  songwriter  and  musician  who 
had  performed  an  evangelical  music  ministry  from  Germany  to  Africa.  From  August  1 5th  to  the 
22nd,  Reverend  Lawtum  performed  his  ministry  of  music  and  testimony  at  four  concerts  for  more 
than  165  soldiers  and  was  well  received  at  each  service.** 

As  the  fighting  in  Bosnia  increased  in  the  summer  of  1993,  U.S.  combat  troops  were  deployed 
to  Macedonia  "to  monitor,  observe,  and  report  activities  along  the  Serbian  border.""'  Chaplain  John 
M  Stepp  and  Specialist  David  Colen  deployed  from  Berlin  with  the  6th  Battalion,  502nd  Infantry 
Chaplain  John  "Jack"  Prendergast,  the  Berlin  Brigade  Chaplain,  trained  four  Lay  Eucharistic 
Ministers  (LEMs)  from  among  the  soldiers  to  provide  religious  support  for  Catholics.'"  A  total  of 
315  soldiers  deployed  with  the  Task  Force  to  the  Former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia 
(FYROM) 

Chaplain  Stepp' s  duties  were  to  support  soldiers  at  a  base  camp  and  five  observation  posts. 
He  organized  Protestant  and  Catholic  worship,  Bible  studies,  a  film  ministry,  and  retreats  to  Skopje 
and  Ohrid.  In  working  with  United  Nations  soldiers,  Roman  Catholic,  Byzantine  Catholic,  Orthodox, 
and  Protestant)  in  a  peacekeeping  operation.  Chaplain  Stepp  concluded:  1 )  UMTs  are  peacekeepers 
...  by  working  with  local  clergy;  2)  the  UMT  plays  a  key  role  engendering  good  will  with  host  nation 
civilians;  3)  the  UMT  is  essential  in  maintaining  the  spiritual  fitness  of  soldiers  ...  one  third  of  the 
force  attended  spiritual  fitness  events  and  more  would  have  if  the  mission  requirements  had  permitted; 
4)  UMTs  are  mission  essential  in  peacekeeping  operations." 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 325 

At  the  same  time  that  the  European-based  Army  chaplains  were  rotating  through  Croatia  and 
Macedonia,  chaplains  from  the  National  Guard  were  providing  ministry  in  another  extensive  disaster 
area.  In  the  summer  of  1993  the  Mississippi  and  other  rivers  of  the  American  Midwest  swelled  with 
water  from  the  El  Nino  rains  to  create  a  monumental  flood  in  six  states.  The  record  rainfall  caused 
the  Mississippi  River  to  crest  at  17  feet  above  normal  flood  stage  in  some  areas. '^  A  hundred  rivers 
in  an  area  twice  the  size  of  New  Jersey  flooded  farmlands  and  town  sites  too  saturated  to  absorb  the 
excess  water.'^  More  than  50  people  died  and  over  $12  billion  worth  of  crops  and  property  were 
lost.'^ 

Ten  thousand  National  Guard  members  from  nine  Midwestern  states,  including  23  chaplains 
and  chaplain  assistants  under  the  technical  supervision  of  Chaplain  John  Hemann,  fought  the  flood 
waters,*"  2, 1 00  soldiers  from  the  Iowa  National  Guard  helped  protect  their  state  which  Vice  President 
Al  Gore  called  another  one  of  the  "Great  Lakes."'"'  Some  4,000  Guardsmen  concentrated  their 
efforts  along  the  Mississippi's  580-mile  border  with  Illinois  and  Missouri.  More  than  90  National 
Guard  units,  from  medical  companies  to  transportation  detachments,  responded  to  the  crisis. *'  Before 
the  waters  subsided,  70,000  people  were  displaced,  421  counties  declared  disaster  areas,  50  towns 
ravaged,  and  70%  of  the  region's  levees  overwhelmed  for  a  record  80  days.'^  The  Associated  Press 
called  the  Flood  of  '93  the  top  news  story  of  1993,  followed  by  the  Branch  Davidian  tragedy  near 
Waco,  Texas.'' 


Reorganization,  Plans  and  Policies 

With  the  continual  offsetting  requirements  to  reduce  personnel  and  strength  while 
simultaneously  supporting  deployments  from  California  to  Africa,  U.S.  Forces  Command  in  1993 
reviewed  a  number  of  Department  of  Defense  concepts  to  promote  more  efficiency  in  the 
organization  of  the  armed  forces.  There  were  essentially  two  force  structure  scenarios  entitled  "the 
TAA  2001/The  Army  Plan"  and  "the  Bottoms  Up  Plan.""*  The  2001/Army  Plan  called  for  12  active 
duty  divisions  with  eight  in  US  FORSCOM  The  Bottoms  Up  Plan  called  for  ten  divisions  to 
execute  a  Win/HoldAVin  strategy — fighting  with  a  large  force  in  one  geographic  area  while  holding 
with  a  smaller  force  in  another  area.  When  the  large  force  defeated  its  opposition,  it  would  reinforce 
the  smaller  force  to  win  in  that  area  This  scenario  was  very  similar  to  the  "Europe  First"  grand 
strategy  of  the  World  War  II  Western  Alliance.  The  smallest  number  of  divisions  in  the  Bottoms  Up 
Plan,  a  total  of  8,  assumed  one  major  conflict  at  a  time."" 

In  order  to  further  simplify  the  command  and  control  functions  necessary  for  rapid  joint 
deployments  in  such  scenarios,  U.S.  FORSCOM  became  the  Army  component  of  US  Atlantic 
Command  (USACOM),  based  in  Norfolk,  Virginia,  on  October  1,  1993  All  Joint  Staff  designations 
at  FORSCOM  were  changed  to  G-Staff  and  all  joint  responsibilities  transferred  to  USACOM.'"* 

The  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  concerns  over  these  developments  were  numerous  Not  the  least 
of  the  critical  questions  was  how  to  mobilize  and  deploy  individual  Reserve  component  unit  ministry 
teams  to  meet  time  sensitive  requirements  such  as  had  been  the  case  in  JTF  Guantanamo  and 
Operation  Restore  Hope  in  Somalia    Chaplain  Thomas  Cook,  the  Operations  and  Training  Officer 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


326 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

at  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office,  had  often  received  missions  at  the  FORSCOM  Battle 
Staff  which  required  a  chaplain,  usually  Roman  Catholic,  to  volunteer  for  deployment  for  up  to  179 
days.  Moreover,  there  were  sometimes  less  than  14  days  to  have  the  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant 
prepared  for  overseas  movement  and  actually  deployed. 

Chaplain  Eugene  Ennis,  who  had  worked  on  deployments  at  the  FORSCOM  Chaplains  Office 
for  more  than  two  years,  suggested  that  the  various  Reserve  component  chaplain  personnel  managers, 
to  include  the  U.S.  Army  Reserve  Command,  the  CONUSA  Chaplains,  the  ARPERCEN  Staff 
Chaplain,  and  the  National  Guard  Bureau  Chaplain,  scan  their  rosters  to  create  an  equivalent  Rapid 
Deployment  Support  Force  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants.  These  selected  "quick  start"  UMTs 
would  be  volunteers,  in  excellent  physical  condition,  who  could  deploy  within  72  hours.  Chaplain 
David  Peterson,  the  FORSCOM  Staff  Chaplain,  and  Chaplain  James  B  Lonergan,  the  Deputy 
FORSCOM  Chaplain,  approved  further  study  of  the  idea  to  see  how  such  rosters  could  be  created 
and  continuously  updated  when  the  UMTs  were  assigned  to  different  organizations. 

In  the  spring  of  1993  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Wayne  Hoffmann,  the  Assistant  Chief  of 
Chaplains  for  Mobilization,  visited  FORSCOM  and  discussed  the  idea  of  creating  a  roster  of 
Individual  Mobilization  Augmentees — chaplains  who  could  deploy  quickly.  The  advantage  in  calling 
up  IMA  chaplains  was  that  they  were  already  assigned  to  FORSCOM  At  the  same  time  these 
options  were  developing,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  gained  proponency  for  Individual  Ready  Reserve 
chaplain  assistants.  This  would  enable  IRR  UMTs  to  be  deployed  quickly  as  well.'"^ 


Studies  at  DACH 

One  of  the  more  exhaustive  studies  at  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  generated  by  the 
need  of  the  government  to  conserve  funds  and  provide  for  a  more  cost  effective  defense 
establishment,  was  the  Inter-service  Training  Review  (ITRO)  of  1993.  In  essence.  Congress  and  the 
Department  of  Defense  (DoD)  wanted  to  know  if  Army,  Navy  and  Air  Force  chaplains  could  be 
trained  together  to  do  common  ministry  tasks,  if  the  three  Chaplain  Schools  could  be  collocated  or 
combined,  if  a  DoD  "purple  suit"  chaplaincy  would  be  more  advantageous  to  supply  religious  support 
to  the  Army,  Navy,  Marine  Corps,  Coast  Guard,  and  Air  Force,  and  if  Chaplain  Assistants/Religious 
Program  Specialists  could  be  trained  together  to  learn  common  tasks. 

Even  though  some  of  these  questions  were  identical  to  those  considered  by  Chaplain  Orris 
Kelly,  Chief  of  Chaplains,  in  1976  and  even  though  Chaplain  Al  Ledebuhr,  the  TRADOC  Chaplain 
at  that  time,  wrote  a  comprehensive  report  demonstrating  that  collocating  the  three  chaplain  schools 
was  not  economically  feasible,  such  archival  views  were  not  sufficient  to  address  the  modem 
questions. '"'*  What  was  necessary  was  to  examine  the  questions  (down  to  the  individual  task  lists) 
to  see  if  DoD  common  training  was  a  viable  alternative. 

For  at  least  six  months  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne,  Director  of  Plans,  Policy  Development  and 
Training,  and  his  staff  at  DACH  collected  data  which  impacted  on  the  ITRO  issues  Chaplain  William 
L  Hufham,  a  student  in  residence  at  the  Army  War  College  in  1993,  wrote  an  excellent  monograph 
entitled  The  Feasibility  of  a  Department  of  Defense  Chaplaincy    Chaplain  Hufham  concluded  that 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 327 

chaplains  in  all  of  the  services  could  share  "joint  and  unified  training  opportunities,"  but  he 
recommended  against  a  "radical  restructure  of  the  service  chaplaincies  into  a  DoD  Chaplaincy"  due 
to  minimal  financial  savings  at  a  great  cost  in  effectiveness.'"^  Other  materials,  including  approved 
71M  task  lists,  were  furnished  by  the  US.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  to  be  compared  with 
similar  Navy  and  Air  Force  lists,  programs  of  instruction,  and  course  descriptions. 

The  ITRO  questions  Chaplain  Kuehne  was  addressing  each  had  "flip"  sides  The  issue  over 
whether  Air  Force  and  Army  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  could  be  trained  together  also 
contained  the  implied  question:  "if  not,  why  not?"  Thus  task  lists,  course  requirements,  task- 
condition-standard  statements,  training  site  requirements,  and  the  expected  competencies  for  specific 
missions  had  to  be  comparatively  analyzed.  In  October  Chaplain  Kuehne  personally  reviewed  83  skill 
level  one  tasks  for  chaplain  assistants.  Only  40  of  these  tasks  (less  than  half)  appeared  to  be  combat 
related."*  Without  further  notation,  it  appeared  that  the  remaining  43  "garrison  ministry"  tasks  could 
be  easily  trained  in  a  combined  service  environment.  Only  specific  "Army  green"  tasks  justified 
separate  training,  and  the  definition  of  a  "green"  task  was  slippery  at  best  in  the  light  of  the  fact  that 
Navy  chaplains  and  religious  program  specialists  performed  ministry  with  "green"  maneuver 
battalions  when  they  were  assigned  to  Marine  Corps  units. 

The  entire  ITRO  process  was  complicated,  of  course,  by  the  planned  move  of  the  U.S.  Army 
Chaplain  School  to  Fort  Jackson,  South  Carolina,  again  seen  as  a  cost-saving  move  for  the  Army."" 
Congress  already  had  approved  the  money  for  new  building  construction  through  the  BRAC  process, 
but  the  ITRO  group  wanted  to  revisit  the  move  if  the  chaplain  schools  were  collocated.  The  Navy 
Chaplaincy  in  particular  wanted  to  train  chaplains  near  ships  and  the  fairly  shallow  Broad  River  near 
Fort  Jackson  did  not  appear  too  practical  for  training  survival  skills  such  as  fire  fighting  and  boat 
drills. 

There  were  many  other  issues  which  the  1 8-member  joint  ITRO  Detailed  Analysis  Group 
(DAG)  considered  including  cost  analysis,  a  list  of  bases  available  for  consolidation/collocation,  plans 
of  action  and  milestones.  The  Army  representatives.  Chaplain  Kuehne,  Chaplain  G  T.  Gunlius  (the 
TRADOC  Chaplain  at  the  time).  Chaplains  Donald  Troyer  and  James  Daniels  from  the  Army 
Chaplain  School,  and  Master  Sergeant  James  Roberts  from  DACH  participated  in  numerous  meetings 
at  various  locations  including  Langley  Air  Force  Base  and  the  Marine  Corps  Combat  Development 
Center  at  Quantico,  Virginia.'"*  Chaplain  Kuehne  kept  Chaplain  Zimmerman  constantly  informed 
concerning  the  status  of  the  discussions  and,  in  turn,  received  Chaplain  Zimmerman's  guidance  on 
the  critical  issues 

Eventually,  after  all  of  the  analysis  was  complete,  it  appeared  that  collating/consolidating  the 
three  service  chaplain  schools  would  not  be  cost  effective.  In  1 994  General  Gordon  Sullivan,  Chief 
of  Staff  of  the  Army,  recommended  against  consolidation  and  for  the  planned  move  of  USACHCS 
to  Fort  Jackson  General  Colin  Powell,  Chairman  of  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff,  concurred  in  his 
recommendations  to  the  Armed  Services  Committee  on  the  issue. '"* 

Other  studies  at  DACH  which  had  long-term  effects  included  a  new  five-year  Religious  and 
Cultural  Diversity  Training  Plan  The  plan  called  for  annual  training  for  UMTs  and  an  expansion  of 
previous  multicultural  efforts  to  develop  an  awareness  of  lifestyles  and  stages  of  development  for 
soldiers  and  their  families.    Much  of  this  plan  had  resulted  from  small  group  discussions  at  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


328 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

September  1993  Multicultural  Training  Conference  at  Hampton,  Virginia.  Mrs  Brenda  Sherrer  from 
the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  was  the  project  officer  and  facilitated  the  group  discussion 
processes. 

In  October  Dr  Stephen  D  Clement,  a  civilian  expert  contracted  to  examine  Chaplain  Corps 
training,  reported  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  on  his  study  entitled,  "An  Analysis  of  the  Existing 
Chaplain  Corps  Training  Strategy."""  Dr.  Clement  pointed  out:  "it  is  clear  that  generally  the  extant 
training  strategy  is  to  prepare  individuals  to  perform  tasks  and  not  to  function  in  a  variety  of  roles  at 
a  specific  organizational  level.  The  difficulty  is  that  the  sum  of  all  the  tasks  inherent  in  a  given  role 
does  not  necessarily  equal  the  totality  of  that  role,  nor  does  it  encompass  the  fijll  scale  complexity  of 
work  at  a  given  organizational  level.  The  traditional  job  task  analysis  approach  simply  does  not  work 
well  at  the  more  senior  levels."'"  Dr.  Clement  recommended  that  the  Division  and  Installation 
Chaplain  courses  at  USACHCS  continue  "as  currently  designed"  and  that  the  NCOES  school  system 
be  resequenced  to  meet  chaplain  assistant  training  needs."" 

Several  previous  studies,  notably  on  logistics,  also  came  to  fruition  in  1993.  In  October 
Chaplain  Wilfi-ed  Brewster  from  IRML  announced  the  availability  of  a  revised  Chaplains'  Logistics 
Handbook,  a  Soldiers'  Book  of  Worship,  new  Combat  Assault  Chaplain  Kits  (Christian),  and  a  field 
test  for  a  Multi-Faith  Ration  (MFR)."^  All  of  these  products  were  most  welcome  in  the  modernized 
Chaplain  Corps  inventory 

Perhaps  the  biggest  political  question  of  late  1993,  wliich,  in  turn,  involved  chaplains  as  "the 
conscience  of  the  Army,"  centered  on  the  discussion  of  whether  there  should  be  a  new  policy  for 
soldiers  with  a  homosexual  orientation  to  allow  them  to  serve  on  duty.  Chaplain  Philip  R.  Touw, 
assigned  to  the  Office  of  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  personnel,  became  the  proponent  for  the 
development  of  the  policy.  "For  months  we  received  mail  running  about  4  to  1  against  making  any 
change  in  the  Army's  position,"  Chaplain  Touw  recalled.  "There  was  so  much  mail  we  could  not 
answer  much  more  than  the  Congressional  issues.""''  When  the  President  approved  the  "Don't  Ask, 
Don't  Tell,  Don't  Pursue"  policy  in  August,  the  mail  dwindled  a  bit,  but  the  workload  increased."' 

For  five  months  Defense  Department  lawyers  lay  down  strict  limits  on  when  the  military  could 
initiate  investigations  into  homosexual  conduct.  On  February  5,  1994,  some  140  pages  of  regulations 
on  the  policy  became  effective.  In  sum,  service  members  could  say  they  were  homosexual  in 
orientation  "but  they'd  have  to  prove  that  they  had  no  intention  of  acting  upon  it.""'' 

Chaplain  Touw  had  to  help  draft  specific  details  informing  the  Army  how  to  implement  the 
regulations  and  guidelines  Chaplain  Herman  Keizer  at  the  Armed  Forces  Chaplains  Board  also 
became  involved  in  advising  the  Secretary  of  the  Army  on  several  issues  dealing  with  homosexuality 
in  the  military. 

Within  the  Chaplain  Corps  itself  there  were  some  endorsing  denominations  which  opposed 
any  toleration  of  homosexuality  while  other  denominations  accepted  those  with  homosexual 
orientation  into  religious  leadership  roles.  This  split  among  the  civilian  faith  groups  made  it  difficult 
for  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  to  represent  all  of  the  various  theological  views  on  this  issue.  In  general, 
chaplains  remained  available  for  counseling  all  soldiers  regardless  of  sexual  orientation. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 329 

Farewells 

By  the  end  of  1993  more  than  30  chaplains  and  several  senior  chaplain  assistants  had  retired. 
Among  them  were  many  who  had  served  in  positions  of  high  responsibility.  On  the  retiring  colonels' 
retirement  list  were  Chaplains  Charles  V.  Adams,  Bernard  F.  Nass,  Bernard  Windmilier,  Richard 
N  Donovan,  John  R  Hannah,  James  H.  Robnolt,  Robert  F  Berger,  George  W.  Gudz,  Michael  G. 
Oritz,  and  Michael  J  Yunk  Others  included  Chaplains  Joe  R  Colley,  Gerald  W.  Conner,  Joseph 
S.  Lizor,  David  Sandifer,  Louis  R.  Trebus,  and  Temple  G.  Matthews."' 

On  an  even  sadder  note,  the  Chaplain  Corps  lost  Chaplain  Jerry  Ambler,  husband  of  Chaplain 
Linda  Ambler  of  Fort  Sill  on  May  8,  and  Master  Sergeant  Lynette  Riding,  123rd  Army  Reserve 
Command,  on  September  12.  Both  Chaplain  Ambler  and  MSG  Riding  were  memorialized,  along  with 
15  retired  chaplains,  at  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  UMT  Conference  in  May  of  1994."" 


Changing  Times,  Steady  Leadership 

The  new  world  order  seems  to  be  long  on  new  and  short  on  order. 

Secretary  of  Defense  Les  Aspen 

There  is  clearly  a  line  below  which  we  cannot  go.  Our  armed  forces  must  still  be  able  to 
fight  and  win  on  a  moment 's  notice.  If  you  do  not  work  to  make  change  your  friend,  the  nit  will 
certainly  become  your  enemy. 

President  William  Clinton 
West  Point,  New  York 

The  future  ain  7  what  it  used  to  be. 

Yogi  Berra 

Hall  of  Fame  Catcher 

New  York  Yankees 

The  world  situation  during  the  first  six  months  of  1994  resembled  the  aftermath  of  a  major 
forest  fire.  The  most  significant  blazes  had  diminished,  though  there  still  were  brush  fires  that  could 
flare  up  if  they  went  unwatched  for  too  long 

In  Europe  there  was  talk  of  a  "Partnership  for  Peace"  which  would  open  NATO  membership 
to  Poland,  the  Czech  Republic,  and  Hungary.  There  were  even  discussions  of  including  in  NATO 
some  of  the  component  countries  of  the  old  Soviet  Empire — the  15  republics  that  had  declared  their 
independence."''  Former  Secretary  of  State  Henry  Kissinger  warned,  however,  that  moving  NATO 
into  an  East  European/Asian  power  vacuum  could  backfire: 

The  European  Security  Conference  seems  the  ideal  instrument  for  enabling  Russia  to 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


330 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

cooperate  with  other  nations  ...  But  when  even  the  Russian  reform  leadership 
continues  to  maintain  armies  in  nearly  all  the  successor  states  ...  and  when  these 
armies  participate  in  civil  conflicts — it  is  surely  not  the  moment  to  hold  out  the 
prospect  of  NATO  membership  to  Russia.'^" 

The  Partnership  for  Peace,  inclusive  of  some  satellite  countries  but  exclusive  of  Russia,  might 
generate  a  series  of  endless  confrontations  with  Russia.  "If  things  turned  out  badly,"  Dr.  Kissinger 
warned,  there  could  be  "the  emergence  of  a  no-man's-land  between  Germany  and  Russia,  a  condition 
that  has  caused  many  European  wars."''' 

Russia  itself  had  approved  a  new  constitution  in  December  of  1993  which  guaranteed  "basic 
democratic  rights  to  all  Russians"  for  the  first  time  since  the  Federation  of  Soviet  National  Republics 
was  formed  in  July  of  1918.'"  In  January  of  1994  President  Clinton  and  Russian  President  Boris 
Yeltsin  agreed  to  re-target  or  disassemble  more  than  8,000  strategic  nuclear  missiles,  including 
Minuteman  III,  MX  Peacekeeper  ICBMs,  and  about  336  Trident  missile  warheads  deployed  on  14 
ballistic  missile  submarines  The  process  of  re-targeting  all  strategic  nuclear  missiles,  the  first  such 
effort  in  35  years,  was  completed  by  June  1.'"' 

There  were  still  security  problems  in  Croatia,  Bosnia,  Kuwait,  the  Gaza  Strip,  and  in  Jericho 
where  Yasser  Arafat  and  the  Palestinian  Authority  police  relieved  Israeli  officials  of  the  city's  military 
administration.'^^  The  Saudi  Arabian  government,  suffering  from  falling  oil  prices,  had  to  ask  the 
United  States  for  more  time  to  pay  for  $30  billion  in  American-made  weapons  it  had  agreed  to  buy.'^^ 
North  Korea  had  reportedly  manufactured  enough  plutonium  to  build  one  or  two  nuclear  bombs,  and 
the  Haitians  continued  to  build  rafts,  canoes,  and  small  boats  to  escape  from  their  island  life  of  fear 
and  poverty.'"'' 

The  greatest  challenge  for  the  Army,  however,  was  how  to  complete  the  Congressionally 
mandated  reductions  without  producing  a  "hollow"  force  incapable  of  meeting  national  security 
requirements  In  a  provocative  article  entitled,  "Could  the  U.S.  Win  another  Desert  Storm?"  David 
Eisenstadt  of  the  Hearst  News  Service  pointed  out  that  in  three  years  the  Army  had  deactivated  six 
divisions,  downsizing  from  18  in  1991  to  12  in  1994  Troop  levels  were  reduced  by  500,000  and  the 
national  defense  budget  by  $60  billion  '"  The  two  rounds  of  base  closings  in  1988  and  1991  had 
affected  6 1  military  installations  nationwide.  "Right  now,  much  less  in  a  year  or  two  from  now," 
observed  General  Brent  Scowcroft,  security  advisor  for  former  President  George  Bush,  "we  could 
not  repeat  what  we  did  in  Desert  Storm. "'"^ 


Unwavering  Faith 

Speaking  to  the  Chaplain  Officer  Advanced  Course  at  the  United  States  Army  Chaplain 
Center  and  School  in  January  of  1994,  Chaplain  Matthew  Zimmerman,  Army  Chief  of  Chaplains, 
observed  that  while  the  8th  Infantry  Division,  the  VII  Corps,  and  the  3rd  Armored  Division  in  Europe 
had  been  inactivated  as  well  as  the  5th,  6th,  7th,  and  9th  Infantry  Divisions  in  CONUS,  there  were 
still  1 45,000  soldiers  deployed  in  65  countries  around  the  world  involved  "in  a  variety  of  demanding 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 3M 

and,  at  times,  life  threatening  missions."'"'  The  programmed  withdrawal  of  U.S.  forces  from  Somalia 
in  March  of  1994  was  a  case  in  point. 

There  were  still,  amidst  all  of  these  changes,  daily  opportunities  for  pastoral  care  by  chaplains 
and  chaplain  assistants.  "In  the  majority  of  deployments  around  the  world,"  Chaplain  Zimmerman 
noted,  "a  unit  ministry  team  is  also  back  at  the  installation — caring  for  families.""" 

Yet  as  the  Army's  end  strength  declined,  so  also  did  that  of  the  Chaplain  Corps.  The  targets 
for  downsizing  the  chaplaincy  called  for  a  reduction  of  265  active  duty  chaplains  in  three  years,  from 
1,347  in  1994  to  1,082  in  1997.  Active  duty  chaplain  assistants  would  draw  down  from  1,345  to 
1,091.'^'  In  the  Reserve  components,  TPU  Chaplains  would  be  reduced  from  705  to  525;  but  60% 
of  the  Total  Chaplaincy's  unit  ministry  teams  would  continue  to  be  in  the  Army  Reserve  and  National 
Guard '^- 

In  spite  of  these  reductions,  the  plans  and  programs  for  the  chaplaincy's  mission  of  ministry 
to  the  Army  continued  at  a  steady  pace  At  the  14th  Annual  Logistics,  Information  Management,  and 
Financial  Management  (LIFT)  Conference  in  Orlando  in  January,  100  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants, 
and  Department  of  the  Army  civilians  planned  for  the  ftiture  logistical  support  of  the  Chaplaincy. '^^ 
The  Directorate  of  Information,  Resource  Management,  and  Logistics  at  DACH  validated  the 
requirements  for  the  move  and  construction  of  a  new  Chaplain  School  at  Fort  Jackson,  South 
Carolina.  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne  and  his  staff  in  the  Plans,  Policy  Development  and  Training 
Directorate  articulated  the  Army  Chaplaincy's  roles  and  ftinctions  for  friture  planning  in  the  Joint 
Roles,  Missions,  and  Functions  study  of  the  Armed  Forces.  A  second  training  center  for  the  U.S. 
Army  Family  Life  Chaplain  Training  Program  at  Fort  Benning  was  planned  for  June  of  1 994  and  an 
enriched  training  program  for  Chaplain  Candidates,  with  45-day  practicums  in  various  fields  of  service 
to  soldiers,  was  established.""' 

One  issue  which  generated  a  mound  of  paperwork  for  Chaplain  Kuehne  was  the  change  in  the 
Chaplain  Corps  Regimental  Crest.  Since  there  were  more  than  1,400  Muslims  and  1,240  Buddhist 
soldiers  in  the  Total  Army,  and  since  the  Chaplaincy  already  had  commissioned  its  first  Muslim 
chaplain,  it  seemed  that  the  Regimental  Crest,  which  portrayed  a  cross  and  a  tablet  for  the  Christian 
and  Jewish  faiths,  should  be  more  inclusive."'  Rather  than  add  a  circle  of  microscopic  symbols,  due 
to  the  small  size  of  the  crest,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  approved  simply  an  open  book  symbolizing 
God's  word  from  all  faiths  for  soldiers  of  many  faiths 

Some  of  the  more  conservative  Christian  denominations,  led  by  Chaplain  Jim  Edgren,  USA, 
Retired,  the  denominational  endorsing  agent  for  the  National  Association  of  Evangelicals,  objected 
to  the  removal  of  the  cross  from  the  Regimental  Crest.  In  a  letter  dated  March  20,  1994,  Chaplain 
Edgren  suggested:  "Why  not  give  each  Chaplain  the  option  of  wearing  the  crest  of  his  choice — old 
or  new?  It  would  seem  that  this  could  meet  the  objections  of  both  sides,  and  could  defiise  the 
issue""" 

Whereas  the  Army  is  not  usually  keen  on  "uniform  options,"  Chaplain  Kuehne  had  already 
accomplished  the  same  result  by  deliberately  postponing  "a  wear-out  date"  for  the  old  crests.  For 
the  time  being,  there  was  a  de  facto  choice  available  between  wearing  the  old  or  the  new  Regimental 
Crest"' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


332 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

Green  Ramp 

The  smell  of  burning  flesh  is  something  neither  you  nor  your  soldiers  ever  forget. 

Chaplain  Mary  Pitts 

46*  Corps  Support  Group 

Fort  Bragg,  North  Carolina 


On  March  23,  ten  days  before  Easter  Sunday,  1994,  two  hundred  soldiers  from  the  2-504th 
and  the  2-505th  Parachute  Infantry  Regiments,  Fort  Bragg,  North  Carolina,  waited  to  board  a  C-141 
transport  aircraft  at  Pope  Air  Force  Base.  It  was  a  beautifijl,  balmy  day — excellent  weather  for 
making  a  jump. '^*  Other  airborne  troops  from  the  1st  Brigade,  the  18th  Aviation  Brigade,  the  525th 
Military  Intelligence  Brigade,  Military  Police,  COSCOM,  and  headquarters  units  were  present  as  well. 
There  was  a  Jumpmaster  School  in  session.  Chaplain  Paul  Vicalvi,  the  Aviation  Brigade  Chaplain, 
and  Chaplain  Gerald  Bebber  from  the  525th  MI  Brigade  were  waiting  with  their  troops  at  the 
passenger  shed  on  Green  Ramp 

Above  the  runway  an  F-16  fighter  jet  brushed  the  wing  of  a  C-130  transport  while  both  were 
in  the  Pope  AFB  traffic  pattern  The  C-130  landed,  but  the  F-16  crew  ejected  The  F-16  aircraft  then 
struck  the  ground  and  bounced  into  a  C-141  which  was  being  loaded  with  paratroops  for  a  jump 
mission.. 

On  the  adjacent  runway  there  was  a  loud  booming  sound  as  the  F- 1 6  sent  flaming  debris  into 
the  C-141  Starlifter  and  the  passenger  shed  where  many  of  the  troops  were  waiting. '''  Chaplain  Paul 
Vicalvi  saw  a  ball  of  fire  billowing  toward  the  C-141 .  "Run,  run,"  he  told  the  soldiers,  pushing  those 
near  him  away  from  the  aircraft  Sergeant  Daniel  E.  Price  of  the  505th  Parachute  Infantry  Regiment, 
saw  the  fireball  too.  Even  though  he  had  never  met  Specialist  Estella  Wingfield  of  the  525th  M.I. 
Brigade,  he  threw  himself  between  her  and  the  explosion  of  the  fiiel-filled  C-141.  "After  the 
explosion  and  the  rounds  stopped  going  off",  he  whispered  in  my  ear,  'crawl  out  from  underneath  me.' 
I  did  and  took  off  running."''"'  Specialist  Wingfield  survived  the  tragedy,  but  Sergeant  Price  died 
where  he  fell.  "He  saved  my  life,"  Wingfield  said.  "The  soldiers  who  were  there  did  everything 
right,"  reflected  Lieutenant  Colonel  Greg  Kaufinann,  commander  of  the  1st  Battalion,  58th  Aviation 
Regiment.'^' 

In  what  turned  out  to  be  one  of  the  Army's  worst  training  accidents,  23  soldiers  died  and 
more  than  100  were  injured.'''*  Most  of  the  casualties  resulted  from  the  explosion  and  resulting  fire. 
There  were  many  heroes  at  Green  Ramp,  among  them  Captain  Daniel  Godrey  and  Chaplain  Gerald 
Bebber  of  the  525th  MI  Brigade  who  used  their  hands  to  extinguish  burning  clothing  worn  by  the 
soldiers  caught  in  the  blast. '""^ 

As  the  dead  were  being  evacuated  to  a  temporary  morgue  at  the  airfield,  every  available 
chaplain  from  Pope  and  Fort  Bragg  reported  for  backup  duty.  Many  of  the  bum  casualties  went  to 
Chapel  Hill  or  to  Duke  University  Hospital  The  23  most  seriously  burned  went  to  the  Brooke  Army 
Medical  Center  bum  unit  in  San  Antonio.  Chaplain  Steve  Walsh  worked  with  the  death  notification 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 333 

personnel.  Chaplain  Mary  Pitts  joined  Chaplain  Paul  Clark,  Chaplain  William  McAllister,  the  Corps 
Support  Command  Chaplain,  Chaplain  Ronald  Van  Schenkhof,  Chaplain  Jerome  A.  Haberek,  the 
82nd  Airborne  Division  Chaplain,  and  others  in  the  Emergency  Operations  Center  at  Fort  Bragg' s 
Womack  Army  Hospital.  Chaplain  McAllister  directed  the  chaplains  to  stand  by  with  their  Class  A 
uniforms  in  anticipation  of  multiple  death  notification  missions.''*'' 

Some  of  the  bodies  were  burned  too  badly  for  immediate  identification.  Notification  teams 
located  families  with  presumptive  messages,  only  to  return  later  with  confirmations.  Chaplain  Pitts 
recalled  going  to  the  home  of  a  20-year-old  service  wife  and  leaving  later  with  her  shoulder  soaked 
with  the  wife's  tears.  For  days  the  chaplains  at  Fort  Bragg  delayed  their  preparations  for  Easter  in 
order  to  minister  to  those  soldiers  and  families  whose  needs  were  immediate. 

On  March  29,  1994,  the  Honorable  William  J  Perry,  Secretary  of  Defense;  Lieutenant 
General  Henry  H  Shelton,  Commanding  Officer,  XVIII  Airborne  Corps;  Major  General  William  M. 
Steele,  Commander  of  the  82nd  Airborne  Division,  and  Chaplain  (Major  General)  Matthew  A. 
Zimmerman,  Chief  of  Chaplains,  joined  Chaplain  Jerome  A.  Haberek,  82nd  Airborne  Division 
Chaplain,  and  an  overflow  crowd  at  Fort  Bragg' s  Memorial  Ceremony  for  the  fallen  soldiers  Mr. 
Perry  and  Major  General  Steele  joined  the  battalion  commanders  from  the  2-504th  and  the  2-505th 
in  eulogizing  the  troops.  Three  Command  Sergeants  Major  presented  wreaths  in  their  honor. 
Chaplain  Haberek  read  fi'om  Isaiah  40:  "they  shall  mount  up  with  wings  like  eagles,  they  shall  run  and 
not  be  weary,  they  shall  walk  and  not  faint. "'*^ 

A  month  later,  at  another  memorial  service  for  soldiers  and  airmen  killed  over  Iraq  in  yet 
another  aircraft  incident.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  delivered  a  homily  at  Fort  Meyer,  Virginia,  which 
could  apply  to  all  of  the  service  members  who  were  killed  that  spring: 

...  not  for  money,  not  for  privilege,  and  not  for  glory  did  these  young  men  and  women 
join  the  ranks  of  those  who  protect  our  Nation  and  its  people.  But,  they  joined 
because  they  had  a  "sense"  of  who  they  were,  and  what  our  Nation  stands  for  in  this 
world;  and  they,  each,  felt  the  call  to  do  more,  and  to  risk  more,  so  that  others  might 
continue  to  live  under  the  blessings  of  liberty.  So  honor  we  give  them  now,  and 
honor  them  we  will  in  our  hearts,  and  though  we  grieve  while  we  honor,  we  will  not 
lose  heart.  For  we  who  live  by  faith  know  that  greater  honor  than  we  could  ever  give 
them  is  most  certainly  theirs:  and  that  is  eternal  glory  and  our  eternal  gratitude.''** 

Chaplain  Zimmerman's  words  rang  true  for  many,  fi^om  the  services  at  Fort  Bragg  and  Fort  Meyer 
to  the  service  for  former  President  Richard  Nixon  who  was  buried  in  California  with  an  honor  guard 
fi"om  the  3rd  Infantry  Regiment  on  April  27th. '^^  Each  person  that  was  memorialized,  fi"om  Army 
private  to  Commander-in-Chief  indeed  had  demonstrated  by  his  service  those  values,  rights  and 
human  ideals  which  remain  part  of  America's  promise  to  the  world. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Above)    Chaplains   Zimmerman   and  Shea    attend  Memorial    Service   at 
Ft.    Myer ,    Virginia,    April    25,1994,    for   those   who  perished  in   a 
fratricide   incident    in   northern    Iraq.    General    Shalikashvili    and 
Dr.    Perry  are   seated  behind  President    Clinton. 


(Top)    Chaplain   Zimmerman   and  SM  Prost  present    UMT  of   the    Year 
Award   to   Chaplain  Her r on   and  SSG   Taylor;     (Bottom)    Chaplain 
Zimmerman   and  staff   ,    DACE  and   USACSSA,    in    1995 


336 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

Summer  Trips 

Although  there  were  intense  and,  at  times,  highly  emotional  debates  in  the  United  Nations  and 
in  the  European  capitals  concerning  the  fighting  in  Bosnia,  it  was  the  position  of  President  Clinton 
and  his  military  advisors,  including  General  John  Shalikashvili,  Chairman  of  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff, 
that  the  insertion  of  large  numbers  of  American  soldiers  would  exacerbate  rather  than  limit  the 
conflict.  The  U.S.  soldiers  which  were  sent  to  Macedonia  symbolized,  in  1993-1994,  the 
administration's  commitment  to  Europe  to  contain  the  ethnic  bloodshed. 

The  saber  rattling  in  North  Korea  over  the  demands  by  the  United  Nations  to  allow 
international  inspection  of  North  Korea's  nuclear  facilities,  which  included  the  implicit  threat  of 
SCUD  missile  attacks  against  South  Korea,  was  met  by  a  low  key  approach  as  well  A  patriot  ADA 
battalion  was  deployed  to  South  Korea  fi-om  the  United  States,  and  the  annual  Team  Spirit  exercises 
were  postponed  On  July  3rd,  North  and  South  Korea  reached  agreement  on  logistical  arrangements 
for  a  summit  scheduled  for  July  25th  in  Pyongyuang.'"*^  The  proposed  discussions  were  delayed  by 
the  death  on  July  8th  of  Kim  II  Sung,  President  of  North  Korea,  "the  only  time  our  alert  status 
increased,"  Chaplain  Peter  Christy,  Eighth  Army  Staff  Chaplain,  stated.''*''  Nevertheless,  armed 
conflict  was  averted  as  the  discussions  resumed  two  months  later. 

With  respect  to  humanitarian  operations,  both  active  and  Reserve  component  unit  ministry 
teams  were  busy  with  deployments  in  the  summer  of  1994.  Some  fifteen  chaplains  and  fifteen 
chaplain  assistants,  mainly  from  III  Corps,  Fort  Hood,  Texas  went  to  Guantanamo  Navy  Base  as  part 
of  JTF  160.  Chaplain  Reese  Hutcheson  fi-om  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  and  Chaplain  Eduardo  Spragg 
from  the  89th  MP.  Brigade  were  the  senior  chaplains.  Staff  Sergeants  Saundra  Polk-Jackson  and 
Patricia  Pruitt  were  the  senior  non-commissioned  officer  chaplain  assistants."" 

In  deploying  these  task  force  unit  ministry  teams.  Chaplain  William  DeLeo  ,  the  personnel 
action  officer  at  FORSCOM,  had  decided  to  short-circuit  the  problem  of  cross-leveling.  He  requested 
that  the  Corps  with  the  deployment  mission  fill  all  of  the  personnel  requirements,  except  those 
involving  critical  Roman  Catholic  and  Jewish  shortages  which  were  referred  to  DACH  In  this  way 
the  ministry  teams  were  filled  and  cross-leveled  by  the  Corps,  not  the  MACOM  .''' 

On  the  Reserve  component  side,  four  chaplains  from  the  4 1 6th  Engineer  Command,  Chicago, 
Illinois,  deployed  with  their  unit  to  Zarqa,  Jordan,  from  May  to  August.'"  The  mission  of  the  416th 
Eastern  Castle  Task  Force  was  to  assist  with  engineer  projects  and  construction  in  cooperation  with 
the  Jordanian  Army.  Chaplain  John  P  Schmeling,  the  Command  Staff"  Chaplain,  and  his  staff 
provided  religious  support  for  the  engineers.  Chaplain  Jerry  Reynolds,  the  3rd  Army  (ARCENT) 
Staff" Chaplain,  provided  technical  advice  and  support.'" 

In  addition  to  these  deployments  there  also  were  a  number  of  ceremonies  and  observances 
overseas,  principally  World  War  II  commemorations,  which  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  attended 
personally  On  the  6th  of  June,  the  50th  Anniversary  of  the  D-Day  Landings  in  Normandy  were 
observed  at  the  American  Cemetery,  Colleville,  France  President  Clinton  recognized  hundreds  of 
American  veterans  in  whose  debt  America  and  Europe  remained  Chaplain  Zimmerman  offered  a 
prayer  at  the  Point-du-Hoc  Ranger  ceremony  and  gave  the  invocation  at  the  American  Cemetery 
which  included  the  petition  "O  God,  we  thank  you  for  the  heroes  of  this  beach      grant  that  we  may 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 337 

be  true  as  they  were  tme,  loyal  as  they  were  loyal,  that  in  that  final  day  we  might  join  those  soldiers 
we  remember  here  in  wearing  the  victor's  crown."''^ 

From  Normandy  Chaplain  Zimmerman  flew  to  Berlin  to  deliver  an  address  on  the  occasion 
of  "closing  out  our  military  presence  and  our  ministry  in  this  city."'"  For  48  years,  beginning  in 
1946,  the  Army  and  the  Berlin  Brigade  had  kept  the  window  to  the  West  open.  Chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants  had  performed  valuable  religious  ministries,  in  whose  number  were  Chaplains  Jerry 
L  Robinson,  Peter  Telencio,  John  J.  "Jack"  Prendergast,  and  Sergeant  DA.  Crumley  among  many 
others. 

Upon  Chaplain  Zimmerman's  return  from  Europe  he  found  some  rumblings  in  the  Pentagon 
concerning  a  possible  "invasion"  of  Haiti.'"'  President  Clinton  told  a  group  of  reporters  in  Naples, 
Italy,  during  his  European  trip;  "Human  rights  violations  in  Haiti  are  on  the  increase;  the  use  of 
murder,  rape  and  kidnaping  as  a  means  of  maintaining  political  control  has  intensified,  we  have  seen 
the  gripping  pictures  of  more  people  lying  dead  in  the  streets  ...  we  have  a  moral  stake  in  democracy 
and  human  rights  everywhere.  Our  capacity  to  uphold  our  principles  varies,  but  when  gross  abuses 
take  place  nearby,  we  can  and  must  act."'"  Although  President  Clinton's  "moral  ethic  of 
intervention"  did  not  differ  materially  from  that  of  some  previous  presidents,  it  was  not  yet  clear  in 
July  if  Haiti  would  be  the  next  destination  for  American  combat  troops. 

On  the  same  day  President  Clinton  gave  his  news  conference  from  Italy,  Regent  University 
in  Virginia  announced  the  production  of  a  motion  picture  film  honoring  former  Army  Chaplain  Merlin 
Carothers.'^*  Chaplain  Carothers,  whose  life  changed  from  a  brash,  court-martialed  World  War  II 
soldier  to  that  of  a  chaplain  "on  fire  for  God,"  had  written  his  106-page  autobiography  Prison  to 
Praise  in  1970.  For  210  weeks  his  book,  which  contained  a  simple  secret  for  happiness,  "praise  God 
not  only  in  the  midst  of  problems,  but  for  problems" — was  on  many  best  seller  lists  for  Christian 
books.  In  24  years,  ten  million  copies  had  been  printed,  many  distributed  free  to  prisoners  and  to 
military  personnel.  By  1994  Prison  to  Praise  had  been  translated  into  35  languages  Regent 
University  President  Terry  Lindvall,  son  of  former  Army  Chaplain  John  Lindvall,  accepted  a  grant 
of  $58,000  to  help  defray  costs  for  the  biographical-evangelical  movie.''' 


Recognizing  Contributions — Prizing  Diversity 

As  Chaplain  Zimmerman's  retirement  as  Chief  of  Chaplains  grew  closer,  he  took  time  to 
recognize  some  historic  contributions  to  the  ministry  in  the  military  by  a  number  of  individuals  and 
organizations  He  directed  that  copies  of  the  new  book.  For  God  and  Country,  by  Chaplain 
(Brigadier  General)  Israel  Drazin  and  Chaplain  (Colonel)  Cecil  Currey,  which  detailed  many  events 
in  the  constitutionality  case  of  1979-1986,  be  purchased  and  distributed  throughout  the  Chaplaincy. 
He  initiated  discussions  with  Chaplain  WiHiam  Hufham,  Deputy  Director  of  the  Chaplaincy  Services 
Support  Agency,  and  with  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield,  Chaplain  Corps  History  Project  Officer,  on 
developing  a  plan  to  better  preserve  Chaplain  Corps  historical  records  and  reports.  He  also  gave  his 
personal  attention  to  the  preservation  of  the  award-winning  Chaplain  Museum  in  its  move  with  the 
Chaplain  Center  and  School  to  Fort  Jackson.'^ 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


338 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

Yet  one  of  the  major  interests  Chaplain  Zimmerman  had  was  the  inclusive  recognition  of  all 
of  the  people — without  regard  to  rank,  race,  gender,  faith  group,  or  ethnic  origin — whose  ministries 
had  strengthened  the  Chaplaincy  and  the  Army  as  a  whole  over  the  years.  As  the  first  African- 
American  Chief  of  Chaplains,  perhaps  it  was  natural  for  Chaplain  Zimmerman  to  be  sensitive  to  the 
contributions  of  minority  members  of  the  Corps  On  another  level,  however.  Chaplain  Zimmerman 
was  also  the  pastor  and  preacher  for  all  of  his  people.  His  sense  of  compassion  and  encouragement 
was,  in  short,  the  greatest  motivator  for  his  interest  in  the  whole  people  of  God  and  of  the 
Chaplaincy. 

In  his  "Statement  on  Equal  Opportunity,"  dated  May  12,  1994,  Chaplain  Zimmerman 
highlighted  not  only  his  policy  but  also  a  contribution  the  Chaplain  Corps  had  made  to  the  Army  in 
the  field  of  human  relations: 

America's  Army  is  ministered  to  by  a  chaplaincy  that  is  multi-faith,  ethnically  and 
religiously  diverse,  and  supportive  of  the  soldier's  right  to  free  exercise  of  religion 
We  must  be  a  model  of  equal  opportunity  in  our  policies,  practice  of  ministry,  and 
support  of  every  soldier  and  family  member.    The  Army  must  continue  to  be  the 
Nation's  leader,  and  the  Chaplaincy  the  model  of  the  Army. 

The  Army  Chaplaincy  affirms  these  Regimental  Values:  Integrity,  Human  Dignity, 
Spirituality,  Religious  Diversity,  Competence,  and  Teamwork.  We  affirm  the  spiritual 
dimension  of  life  and  the  legal  mandate  embodied  in  the  First  Amendment  ensuring 
the  right  of  each  member  of  America's  Army  to  the  fi"ee  exercise  of  religion.  We 
recognize  the  intrinsic  dignity  and  worth  of  each  person  and  the  right  of  each  to 
receive  just  treatment  and  compassionate  care  which  the  exigencies  of  life  require. 
We  celebrate  the  immense  diversity  of  religious  practices,  gender  and  racial 
differences,  ethnic  and  cultural  traditions,  and  various  gifts  and  talents  among  all.  We 
pursue  a  vision  of  caring  individuals  and  communities  committed  to  a  partnership  with 
the  Divine,  creating  a  world  of  justice  and  peace 

Unit  ministry  team  members  will  practice  and  enforce  Army  standards  of  conduct. 
We  will  provide  an  environment  of  mutual  respect  and  support  Each  Unit  ministry 
team  member  has  a  right  to  compete  for  advancement  based  upon  abilities  and  merit, 
regardless  of  race,  color,  religion,  gender,  or  national  origin.  Discrimination, 
harassment,  or  inequities  of  opportunity  is  not  tolerated  No  chaplain  serving  in  the 
Army  is  expected  to  compromise  the  tenets  of  his  or  her  religion,  nor  will  the  fi"ee 
exercise  of  any  chaplain's  faith  be  inhibited. 

We  lead  the  way  in  America's  Army  Chaplaincy  The  fijll  potential  of  every  person 
in  uniform  and  every  family  member  can  be  realized  in  our  ranks.  The  denial  of  equal 
opportunity  to  any  one  diminishes  the  worth  of  the  whole  Army,  and  ultimately  the 
Nation."" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 339 

Chaplain  Zimmerman's  policy  was  meticulously  balanced  guidance  for  the  Chaplain  Corps.  It 
affirmed  the  dignity  of  all  persons  without  compromising  the  conscience  or  rights  of  any.  The 
challenge  to  the  Corps  was  to  implement  and  model  its  precepts  for  the  Army  as  a  whole. 


Women  and  the  Chaplaincy: 
The  Impact  of  Ministries 

The  erasure  of  distinctions  between  the  sexes  is  not  only  the  most  striking  issue  of  our 
time,  it  may  he  the  most  profound  the  race  has  ever  confronted. 

William  Manchester, 

U.S.  NeM's  World  Report 

October  25,  1993 

For  more  than  200  years  women  have  made  positive  and  often  irreplaceable  contributions  to 
the  quality  of  life  and  to  the  mission  of  the  United  States  Army  From  the  American  Revolution  in 
the  1 770s  through  operations  other  than  war  in  the  1 990s  women  served  in  combat,  combat  service, 
and  combat  service  support  units.  Others  performed  valuable  service  at  installations,  in  volunteer 
organizations,  and  in  government  and  industry.  Most,  perhaps,  supported  the  Army  and  the  nation 
as  wives,  mothers,  sisters  and  daughters  who  held  families  together  as  millions  of  men  were  deployed 
overseas  to  difficult  and  dangerous  places. 

Prior  to  1973  there  had  not  been  a  female  chaplain  commissioned  in  the  U.S.  Armed  Forces.'" 
By  1975  there  were  seven  female  chaplains:  three  in  the  Navy,  two  in  the  Army,  and  two  in  the  Air 
Force.  By  1978  there  were  five  in  the  Army;  Chaplains  Alice  M.  Harris,  Betty  W.  Pace,  Delores 
L.  Doench,  Diana  McNeil  James,  and  Janet  Y.  Horton.'" 

Although  the  contributions  of  the  more  than  40  female  chaplains  who  served  in  the  Army  fi-om 
1974  through  1995  have  been  exemplary,  their  initial  reception  into  the  previous  six  battalions  at  Fort 
Sill  in  1976  before  a  commander  finally  accepted  "a  female  chaplain."  Chaplain  Linda  George 
reported  to  her  first  commander  only  to  be  told  "I  didn't  want  a  woman  chaplain."  There  were 
instances  of  sexual  harassment,  direct  insults,  attempts  at  humiliation,  and  loss  of  orders  and  letters 
of  nomination  relating  to  female  chaplains  as  late  as  1993.""*  Some  female  chaplains  who  were  also 
African-Americans  stated  that  they  could  not  tell  whether  the  hostility  they  encountered  from  some 
of  their  fellow  officers  stemmed  from  their  race,  denominational  identity,  or  gender.'*' 

At  the  first  conference  of  female  chaplains  in  the  Army,  held  in  FY  1978,  the  same  year  that 
the  Women's  Army  Corps  disbanded,  the  focus  was  on  some  of  the  barriers  to  ministry  by  female 
chaplains  and  strategies  for  overcoming  them.  Topics  at  that  and  subsequent  conferences  ranged 
fi^om  providing  better  support  group  networks  for  female  chaplains  and  female  assistants  to  the  use 
of  more  inclusive  language  in  worship.'**  By  1980,  female  chaplain  issues  were  included  in  the  Chief 
of  Chaplains  Multi-Cultural  Ministries  Conference.  Every  Chief  of  Chaplains  to  that  time,  to  include 
Chaplains  Hyatt,  Kelly,  and  Johnson,  had  pledged  to  help  "defeat  racism  and  sexism  in  the  Army.""'' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


340 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

In  the  Winter  1983,  issue  o{  the  Military  Chaplains  Review,  entitled  "Women's  Issues,"  Captain 
Linda  Ewing  from  the  Ethics  Division,  Directorate  of  Training  Development,  Soldier  Support  Center, 
noted: 

An  effective  ministry  must  be  directed  at  women  as  persons,  not  as  stereotypes.  A 
person-centered  ministry  established  an  environment  in  which  issues  and  concerns  can 
be  communicated  without  sexual  ranking,  provides  a  forum  for  understanding  these 
issues  and  concerns  free  of  stereotypical  discounting,  and  is  actively  supportive  of 
women  as  persons. 

In  spite  of  these  and  other  integrative  problems  in  bringing  more  women  into  leadership  roles 
in  the  Army  and  in  the  Chaplaincy,  female  chaplains  performed  the  same  duties  required  of  male 
chaplains  and,  in  some  cases,  performed  them  better.'*"  Examples  of  their  service  include  the 
assignment  of  Chaplains  Donna  Weddle,  Janet  Horton,  Maria  Snyder  and  Jo  Ann  Knight  as 
instructors  at  Army  Service  Schools  or  at  the  U.  S.  Army  Chaplain  School  during  the  period  1982- 
1990;  the  deployment  of  Chaplain  Rebecca  Leckrone  as  the  first  female  chaplain  in  a  combat  zone, 
1990-1991;  subsequent  deployments  of  female  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  to  Operations 
Andrew  in  Florida  and  Restore  Hope  in  Somalia,  the  assignment  of  female  chaplains  to  significant 
hospital  ministries  including  Chaplain  Diana  James  to  Womack  Army  Hospital  at  Fort  Bragg, 
Chaplain  Mary  A.  Pitts  to  U.S.  Army  MEDDAC,  Panama,  and  Chaplain  Sonja  Thompson  to  Walter 
Reed  AMC;  service  at  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  and  the  US  Army  Chaplaincy  Services 
Support  Agency  by  four  female  chaplains  from  1990-1994,  and  the  appointment  of  Chaplain  Janet 
Horton  as  the  1st  Armored  Division  Staff  Chaplain  and  the  first  female  chaplain  to  attend  the  U.S. 
Army  War  College. 

Of  the  service  of  female  chaplains  in  the  Army,  Chaplain  Carol  A  Van  Schenkhof,  264th 
Corps  Support  Battalion,  Fort  Bragg,  wrote  in  1995: 

I  suppose  I  have  been  lucky.  None  of  my  commanders  have  opposed  having  a  female 
chaplain.  I  believe  female  chaplains  serve  as  positive  role  models  for  female  soldiers. 
Many  times  female  soldiers  come  and  confide  in  me.  They  have  said  they  were  glad 
to  have  a  female  chaplain  to  relate  to.  Since  I  was  a  "Family  Member"  for  ten  years, 
I  can  relate  to  family  members  very  well.  I  understand  their  situations  and  feelings 
since  I  was  in  their  shoes.'*' 

By  1995  many  female  chaplains  reported  that  during  training  and  during  deployments  they  were 
accepted  by  enlisted  soldiers  with  no  evidence  of  stereotypical  bias.  "I  personally  do  not  try  to  fulfill 
all  my  soldiers'  needs,"  one  female  battalion  chaplain  wrote.  "If  they  want/need  to  see  a  Catholic 
Priest,  I  arrange  it  for  them.  I  refer  soldiers  to  whoever  I  think  can  best  help  them."'™ 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 341 

Female  Chaplain  Assistants 

Even  though  the  71 M  military  occupational  speciality  (MOS)  was  awarded  to  enlisted 
graduates  of  the  chaplain  assistant  course  at  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  beginning 
in  September  of  1967,  it  was  not  until  1973  that  the  MOS  71M  was  made  an  option  for  Women's 
Army  Corps  personnel  '''  In  October  1972,  Specialist  Lorraine  Doleshal  of  Fort  McCleilan, 
Alabama,  became  the  first  school-trained  female  chaplain  assistant.'"  It  took  almost  20  years  before 
the  first  female  chaplain  assistant  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Sergeant  Major.  Sergeant  Major  Mary 
Razel,  USAR,  Sergeant  Major  Susan  Dahl,  and  Sergeant  Major  Jane  Burris  were  among  the  first  in 
the  Total  Chaplaincy.'" 

If  anything,  female  chaplain  assistants  saw  more  combat  and  humanitarian  service  duty  than 
did  female  chaplains  because  there  were  more  of  them  and  because  they  were  "regular"  soldiers  who 
pulled  additional  combat-related  duties.  Yet  female  chaplain  assistants  also  performed  critical  duties 
in  training  and  doctrine  development  At  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  School,  for  example.  Master 
Sergeant  Sadie  L.  Lennon  served  as  a  Drill  Sergeant  for  AIT  students  as  well  as  NCOIC  for  the  Unit 
and  Individual  Training  Division,  Directorate  of  Training  and  Doctrine  in  the  period  of  1988-1990. 
Sergeant  Elizabeth  Sifijentes  performed  administrative  duties,  Sergeant  First  Class  Barbara  Taylor 
and  SFC  Judith  Kelly  worked  in  the  Combat  Development  Directorate  as  project  officers  with  Master 
Sergeant  Roger  L.  Clark,  and  Specialist  Wendy  England  helped  support  retreats  for  AIT  students 
in  the  same  time  fi-ame. 

Female  chaplain  assistants  performed  a  wide  variety  of  duties  and,  as  was  the  case  with  female 
chaplains,  they  did  their  jobs  well  Chaplain  Calvin  Sydnor,  reflecting  on  his  experience  at  VII  Corps 
Headquarters  during  Operation  Desert  Storm,  noted  simply:  "My  assistant,  Sergeant  Lucille 
Singleton,  did  an  outstanding  job.  I  could  not  have  gotten  a  better  assistant."'^'' 

Female  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants,  however,  formed  only  a  small  (though  important) 
part  of  the  ministry  of  women  to  the  Army  The  vast  majority  of  lay  ministry  and  administrative  tasks 
performed  by  women  in  support  of  religion  in  the  military  was  done  by  volunteers  and  by  Department 
of  the  Army  civilians.  As  Chaplain  Zimmerman  observed  in  a  speech  to  a  group  of  Christian  women 
in  1994; 

In  1977,  36%  of  all  church  workers  were  women.  Today  that  number  has  exceeded 
50%.  Denominations  with  restrictions  on  how  women  may  participate  are  having  to 
stretch  themselves  to  provide  leadership."^ 

Certainly  the  figures  fi-om  the  U.S.  Army  Europe  Chaplain's  Office  confirmed  the  fact  that  more  than 
half  of  the  lay  ministry  in  the  Army  was  performed  by  women  volunteers.  One  Military  Council  of 
Catholic  Women  Conference  in  Europe  had  more  than  1,256  participants  while  the  Protestant  Women 
of  the  Chapel  in  Europe  had  various  sessions  attended  by  more  than  700  women.''* 

In  November  of  1990  the  1st  International  Reunion  and  35th  Anniversary  gathering  of  the 
Protestant  Women  of  the  Chapel  was  held  in  St  Louis,  Missouri.  Mrs  Ann  Besson,  Publicity 
Coordinator,  and  later  President  of  the  PWOC-USA,  noted  that  "the  event  marked  the  first  time  that 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


342 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

active  PWOC  participants  and  former  members  had  come  together  as  a  body  of  believers  on  a 
national  scale  in  the  United  States.'"  Throughout  the  past  34  years  our  conferences  and  retreats  have 
been  held  mainly  in  Europe."  With  troop  reductions  in  Europe,  the  PWOC  anticipated  the  need  to 
reunite  in  the  United  States;  hence  the  PWOC-USA  was  bom 

Since  all  active  duty  and  retired  Protestant  female  soldiers  as  well  as  service  wives,  daughters 
and  other  family  members  are  automatically  members  of  PWOC,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  determine 
accurate  membership  figures.  Mrs.  Caroline  Grube,  Vice  President  of  PWOC-USA,  thought 
humorously  that  at  least  40%  of  the  Army  would  be  eligible. 

At  Fort  Belvoir,  Virginia,  where  140  women  were  registered  as  PWOC  participants,  Mrs. 
Jennie  Chandler,  the  PWOC  President,  counted  20  separate  projects  sponsored  by  the  chapter  in 
1994  Among  these  were  newcomer  orientations,  retreats,  Bible  studies,  an  Easter  basket  program, 
gifts  for  residents  of  the  Springfield  Mental  Health  Clinic  and  the  inmates  of  Lorton  Prison, 
sandwiches  provided  to  shelter  residents,  visits  to  the  Fairfax  Nursing  Home  and  birthday  cards  to 
the  Mt  Vernon  Nursing  Home,  among  many  others  Clearly,  the  women  had  adopted  their 
International  Theme  "Embrace  the  Cross"  to  include  works  of  charity  and  compassion  for  the  entire 
military  and  civilian  community. 

In  CONUS  there  also  was  an  enormous  amount  of  work  in  support  of  chaplains'  programs 
at  local  installations  directed  and  organized  by  women.  At  Fort  Belvoir,  Virginia,  which  in  1994  had 
one  of  the  largest  Roman  Catholic  and  Jewish  congregations  on  a  U.S.  Military  post,  Mrs.  Bemice 
Kovel,  the  Jewish  Director  of  Religious  Education,  taught  Hebrew  and  religious  history  to  children. 
Sister  Michael  Bochnowski,  the  Catholic  DRE,  led  programs  for  more  than  800  children  in  her  parish 
Sister  Regina  Oliver  served  as  parish  coordinator  for  an  extremely  busy  group  of  volunteers  The 
Reverend  Jane  Heaton,  the  Protestant  DRE,  who  was  a  former  missionary  to  Africa  and  an  ordained 
Disciples  of  Christ  minister,  not  only  led  the  religious  education  program  but  also  assisted  140 
Protestant  Women  of  the  Chapel  with  their  programs."*  Chaplain  Gary  Sanford,  the  Installation  Staff" 
Chaplain,  and  Mrs.  Liz  Brown,  the  resource  manager,  estimated  that  more  than  65%  of  the  46,000 
hours  of  volunteer  service  performed  in  support  of  the  Fort  Belvoir  chapels  in  1994'^''  were  due  to 
the  service  of  dedicated  women  in  their  ministries  of  compassion,  healing,  encouragement,  outreach 
and  education 

At  the  US.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  virtually  every  office  was  vitally  dependent  on 
the  assistance  and  leadership  of  women.  Mrs.  Mary  Lou  Corcoran  had  been  the  Assistant  Director 
of  Training  and  Doctrine  in  the  critical  period  just  before  Desert  Shield  She  not  only  found  critical 
dollars  for  the  publication  of  field  manuals  and  reference  books  used  at  that  time,  but  also  doubled 
as  the  School's  Mobilization  Officer  Ms  Nella  Hartog  also  doubled  as  the  School's  Public  Affairs 
Officer  and  as  the  Managing  Editor  of  The  Army  Chaplaincy  the  professional  bulletin.  Mrs.  Terri 
Newsome  served  as  the  School  Librarian,  Ms  Renee  Klish  as  the  Museum  Curator,  and  Ms  Dora 
Tucker  as  the  Commandant's  Secretary  Ms  Margaret  Robertson,  of  the  Combat  Developments 
Directorate,  became  in  1993  the  first  civilian  at  the  School  to  graduate  from  the  U.S.  Army  Command 
and  General  Staff  College  Ms  Robertson  was  also  an  author  for  the  chapter  on  Operations  Other 
Than  War  for  FM  16-1  (1995). 

Finally,  the  service  of  women  in  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  in  the  Chaplaincy 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS  343 

Services  Support  Agency,  at  MACOM  Chaplain  Offices,  and  at  installations  around  the  world  not 
only  "kept  the  chaplaincy  running,"  but  also  provided  continuity  for  ministry  in  a  world  of  change. 
At  DACH,  three  women — Nellie  Burton,  Norma  Turner,  and  Shirley  Womack — each  spent  40  years 
in  government  service,  the  majority  of  years  in  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.  Ms.  Bess  Ballard 
spent  20  years,  Ms.  Cherie  Felts  16  years,  and  Ms  Pat  Jennings  13  years  in  assisting  the  Chaplain 
Board,  the  Agency,  and  DACH  with  numerous  budgetary,  administrative  and  personnel  tasks  They 
exemplified  the  many  "unsung  heroines"  of  the  Chaplaincy  in  whose  debt  thousands  of  chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants  remain  for  their  dedication  and  commitment  to  the  ministry  of  administration 


Honor  Enough  for  Me 

On  31  July  1994,  Chaplain  (Major  General)  Matthew  A  Zimmerman  retired  as  Chief  of 
Chaplains  At  his  Fort  Meyer  retirement  parade,  attended  by  General  Gordon  Sullivan,  Army  Chief 
of  Staff  and  a  host  of  chaplains,  friends,  and  family  members  Chaplain  Zimmerman  received  the 
Distinguished  Service  Medal  for  his  leadership  during  one  of  the  most  difficult  and  complex  periods 
in  recent  Chaplain  Corps  history.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  saluted  the  best  soldiers  in  the  world  and 
the  best  chaplaincy  in  the  best  Army  in  the  world  in  his  retirement  address.  Messages  of 
congratulations  came  from  around  the  country  and  around  the  world.  A  special  word  of  thanks  came 
from  General  Colin  Powell,  the  former  Chairman  of  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff  during  many  operations 
and  deployments,  for  Chaplain  Zimmerman's  pastoral  leadership  of  the  Army 

At  his  farewell  dinner.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  received  even  more  compliments  and  farewell 
mementos.  His  immediate  staff  prepared  a  video  tape  of  farewell  messages  as  Chaplain  Zimmerman 
prepared  to  transition  to  his  new  ministry  as  the  Director  of  Veteran's  Administration  National 
Chaplain  Center  at  Hampton,  Virginia. 

Yet  Chaplain  Zimmerman  had  already  written  his  farewell  in  his  many  accomplishments  to 
make  the  Chaplaincy  an  inclusive  professional  and  spiritual  compass  for  the  Army.  If  there  was  one 
compliment  he  treasured,  it  may  have  been  suggested  in  a  sermon  he  gave  at  a  ceremony  to  honor 
Civil  War  soldiers  at  the  National  Cemetery  in  Alexandria,  Virginia,  on  22  May  1993.  Chaplain 
Zimmerman  told  the  assembled  congregation: 

One  hundred  and  twenty-eight  years  from  now,  will  people  be  standing  over  our 
graves,  honoring  our  memory  and  our  sacrifices'^  I  pray  with  you  that  we  will  live  the 
kind  of  lives  that  deserve  that  kind  of  honor  I  also  pray  that  when  we  have  done  our 
all,  we  can  stand  before  our  creator  and  hear  the  words,  "Well  done,  thou  good  and 
faithfiil  servant."'^"  Those  words  will  be  honor  enough  for  me.'*' 

Without  presuming  to  pre-empt  such  a  compliment,  the  Chaplain  Corps  at  least  reflect  it  in  its  many 
expressions  of  respect  and  affection  for  the  18th  Chief  of  Chaplains  whose  leadership  had  covered 
the  world. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


Chaplain   Jack   Raising,    Asst.    Commandant;    Chaplain   Bernard 

Lieving,    Commandant,    and  Chief  of  Chaplains  Matthew  Zimmerman   at 

Ft.    Monmouth    on    the   218th   Anniversary  of   the   Chaplain    Corps 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 345 

ENDNOTES 

1 .  PA.  Sorokin  analyzed  862  wars  waged  from  1 100  AD  to  1925  in  his  book,  Social  and 
Cultural  Dynamics  while  Dr  Francis  Beer  in  Peace  Against  War  examined  63  major  conflicts 
between  world  powers  since  1816.  Great  Britain,  France,  Germany,  and  the  United  States  were 
the  countries  most  frequently  involved  in  military  operations — though  often  ft)r  different  reasons. 

2.  OCCH,  "Biographical  Sketch:  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman,"  Copy  in  the 
Chaplain  Corps  Archives    Note:  The  last  seven  Chiefs  of  Chaplains,  from  Chaplain  Hyatt 
through  Chaplain  Shea,  were  Vietnam  veterans. 

3.  OCCH,  Unit  Ministry  Team  Directory,  1  Jan  1991,  pp  ii  -  xviii 

4.  OCCH,  August  1990  Information  Letter,  1  August  1990,  p  1 

5.  Chaplain  MA.  Zimmerman,  "Speech  to  the  78th  Training  Division,  USAR,"  November  19, 
1991,  p  2.  Copy  in  Zimmerman  files,  OCCH 

6.  Chief  of  Chaplains  Brief,  February  15,  1991,  Zimmerman  files,  OCCH. 

7  Chaplain  (Brig  Gen  )  Donald  W    Shea,  OCCH  Information  Letter,  July  1,  1991,  p  1  and 
Chief  of  Chaplains  Brief,  Pre-Command  Course,  Zimmerman  files,  OCCH 

8  UMT  Brief,  Hawaii  and  Korea,  September  1991,  Slide  6  and  text,  copy  in  the  Zimmerman 
file,  OCCH. 

9  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen.)  MA.  Zimmerman,  "Briefing  for  UMTs  in  Hawaii  and  Korea," 
September  1991,  pp.  15- 16 

10  See  Chaplain  Gary  Councell,  "Resourcing  the  Chaplaincy,"  USAWC  Paper,  Chaplain  Corps 
Archives. 

1 1  "Notes  for  Chaplain  Zimmerman  for  Fort  Carson  Update,"  1992,  p.  1,  and  Fort  Bragg 
Speech,  August  19,  1991,  p.  1,  in  Zimmerman  Files,  OCCH. 

12.  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman,  "Fort  Bragg  Speech,"  August  19,  1991,  p.  1. 
By  1995  the  predicted  end  strength  for  chaplains  had  dropped  to  less  than  1,100. 

13.  "Notes  for  Chaplain  Zimmerman  for  Fort  Carson  Update,  "1992,  pi    Copy  in  the 
Zimmerman  Files,  OCCH. 

14.  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman,  "The  Army  Chaplaincy:  Into  the  Future  with 
the  Army  of  the  Future,"  Address  to  the  Association  of  the  U.S.  Army,  October  1 1,  1991,  pp.  8- 
10    Copy  in  the  Zimmerman  Files,  OCCH. 


346 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

15.  Ibid. 

16.  OCCH  Information  Letter,  May  1,  1991.  Comments  by  Chaplain  (Brig  Gen.)  James  M. 
Hutchens,  ARNG,  on  the  Chief  of  Chaplains'  UMT  Training  Strategy,  published  in  1991. 

17.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col )  William  L    Hufham,  March  31,  1995. 

18.  Ibid. 

19.  Ibid. 

20.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Stephen  W    Leonard,  May  7,  1995. 

21.  Ibid 

22.  Chaplain  (Col.)  James  B.  Lonergan,  ed.  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Newsletter,  iu\y- August 
1993,  p.5. 

23.  PPDT,  "Overview  of  the  Chaplaincy,  1990-1994,"  p.  10.  By  1994  some  40%  of  the  UMT 
Conference  participants  were  from  the  Reserve  components.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps 
Archives. 

24.  Ibid 

25     OCCH  Information  Letter,  June  1,  1991,  p.4. 

26.  Ibid 

27.  OCCH  Information  Letter,  September  1,  1992,  p.5. 

28.  On  June  1,  1993,  Chaplain  Zimmerman  wrote,  "The  goal  is  to  have  a  clear,  concise,  and 
consistent  Personnel  Policy  ..  increasing  the  efficiency  of  management  [and  providing]  us  with  a 
policy  that  is  in  accordance  with  the  rest  of  the  Army.  My  personal  thanks  to  the  Task  Force 
members.  Chaplains  George  Pejakovich,  Jerry  Black,  Jack  Anderson,  Greg  Hill,  Mike  Broyles, 
Jesse  Thornton,  Sir  Walter  Scott,  Dick  Buzby,  Janet  Horton,  Daryl  Goldman,  Shirley  Womack, 
Roger  Able  and  special  thanks  to  Hugh  Dukes,  whose  effiarts  brought  all  things  together  and 
made  things  happen."  OCCH  Information  Letter,  June  1,  1993,  p.l. 

29.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  George  Pejakovich,  December  20,  1993. 

30  Chaplain  (Maj.)  James  W.  Jones,  Jr.,  Officer  Record  Brief  940901 . 

3 1  Biography  of  Chaplain  (Col.)  Elvemice  (Sonny)  Davis,  Command  StatT  Chaplain,  Fort 
Gordon,  Georgia,  1994    Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives 

32.    Personal  interview  with  Sergeant  Major  Tom  Prost,  DACH,  April  18,  1995. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 347 

33.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  James  A.  Durham,  March  30,  1995. 

34.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Cecil  Ryland,  Fort  Belvoir,  Virginia,  March  14, 
1995. 

35.  Some  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  from  Fort  Bragg  and  Fort  Drum,  for  example,  were 
deployed  successively  to  Panama,  Saudi  Arabia,  Cuba,  Florida,  Somalia  and  Haiti  from  1989  - 
1995    One  military  police  unit  from  Fort  Bragg  spent  four  successive  Christmas/Passover  holiday 
seasons  deployed  away  from  home. 

36  OCCH  Information  Letter,  June  1,  1991,  p  3  and  DACH  "Overview  of  the  Chaplaincy, 
1990-1994" 

37  OCCH,  Information  Letter,  May  1 ,  1992,  p.  1 .  Command  Sergeant  Major  James  J 
Schonefeld  also  retired  in  1992  after  29  years  of  service    Command  Sergeant  Major  Schonefeld 
served  at  USACHCS  from  1985  to  1989  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Commander  Sergeant  Major 
Aaron  Gibson 

38  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen  )  MA  Zimmerman,  "Remarks  on  Sergeant  Major  Corbett's 
Retirement,"  Zimmerman  File,  OCCH 

39  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen  )  Matthew  A    Zimmerman,  "Speech  for  the  Ethical  Dilemmas  in 
Military  Health  Care  Course,"  Airport  Hihon  Hotel,  San  Antonio,  Texas,  May  4,  1992,  p.  1. 
Copy  in  the  Zimmerman  Speech  Files,  OCCH, 

40.  IhiJ.,  pp.   3-4. 

41 .  Ihid.,  p    4  and  Personal  interviews  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  David  M    DeDonato,  April  22, 
1994  and  Chaplain  (Col.)  Thomas  R    Smith,  Walter  Reed  Army  Medical  Center,  July  28,  1994. 
Chaplain  Matthis  studied  at  the  University  of  Virginia 

42.  "Vita,  Chaplain  (Col.)  Thomas  Howell  Norton,"  pp.    1-2    Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps 
Archives,  Chaplains  Charles  Kriete,  Ed  O'Shea,  Don  Davidson,  Tim  Tatum,  John  Schumacher, 
Tom  Norton  and  John  Brinsfield  served  on  the  War  College  faculty  from  1975  -  1995. 

43.  Darrell  Cochran,  "Mission  LA."  6'o/i//<?/-.s,  July  1992,  p.    17. 

44.  Drew  Magazine,  Winter  94-95,  p.   28. 

45     Chaplain  (Col.)  Gary  Councell,  "Chaplain  Roles  in  Humanitarian  Operations,"  U.S.  Army 
War  College  research  paper,  p.  77.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

46.    Ibid 


348 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

47.  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman,  "Reserve  Component  Training  Conference 
Speech,  1992,  p    1  "  Copy  in  the  Zimmerman  Speech  Files,  OCCH. 

48.  Chaplain  Gary  Councell, /oc.  c/7.,p  78. 

49.  Followed  by  Hurricane  Iniki  in  Hawaii  and  "Operation  Garden  Isle"  which  began  September 
12,  1992. 

50  OCCH,  Information  Letter,  September  1,  1992    p    1 

5 1  OCCH,  "Overview  of  the  Chaplaincy,  1990  -  1994,"  p  8    Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps 
Archives. 

52  Chaplain  (Col.)  George  Pejakovich,  OCCH  Information  Letter,  October  1,  1992,  p.  6. 

53  OCCH,  Information  Letter,  September  1,  1992,  p.  1. 

54.    Chaplain  Milton  L    Haney,  55th  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  was  awarded  the  Medal  of 
Honor  for  leading  a  counter  attack  to  recover  Federal  earthworks  during  the  Battle  of  Atlanta, 
July  22,  1864.  His  granite  monument  was  in  the  form  of  a  pulpit  surrounded  by  brass  cannonballs 
outside  the  Post  Chapel  at  Fort  McPherson.  Chaplain  Brinsfield  had  written  an  article  on 
Chaplain  Haney  for  the  Civil  War  Times  Illustrated  {Sept  -  Oct ,  1992).  Chaplain  Henry  Wake, 
the  Executive  Officer  at  DACH,  secured  $2,500.00  for  the  monument.  Chaplains  David  Peterson 
and  James  B    Lonergan  at  FORSCOM  approved  the  effort.  Chaplain  H.  P.  Camillus  Gott  served 
as  the  project  officer  to  secure  command  approval  at  post  level.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  dedicated 
the  monument  on  November  13,  1992.  Chaplain  Joe  R.  CoUey  and  Chaplain  Jerry  Reynolds,  the 
3d  Army  Chaplain,  utilized  the  "pulpit"  for  the  first  time  at  the  Easter  Sunrise  Service,  April  1 1, 
1993.  The  monument  was  produced  by  Mr.  W  B.  Rainwater  of  Atlanta  as  a  special  project  for 
the  Chaplaincy. 

55  William  H    Lewis  and  John  O.  B.  Sewall,  "United  Nations  Peacekeeping  Ends  versus 
Means,"  Joint  Force  Quarterly,  Summer,  1993,  p  49 

56  Ibid. 

57.    Paul  Greenberg,  "The  Iron  Lady,"  The  Washington  Times,  May  6,  1995,  p.  A-13. 

58     William  Lewis  and  John  Sewall,  Of.  O/.,  pp.  49,52,53.  Operations  included  forces 
deployed  to  Angola,  Mozambique,  Somalia,  Cambodia,  Kuwait,  Croatia,  Western  Sahara,  El 
Salvador,  Cyprus,  Palestine,  Lebanon,  Syria,  and  Pakistan.  (The  last  five  missions  began  before 
1988  but  are  continuing.)  Before  December  of  1992,  448  Americans  served  with  UN.  missions 
in  these  1 3  areas. 

59.    Ibid,  p.  49. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 349 

60     Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)Harvey  Brown,  Fort  Jackson,  S.C.,  January  20, 
1995;  Chaplain  (Maj  )  Andrew  Muivaney,  "After  Action  Review — Operation  Provide  Promise," 
October  12,  1993.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

61 .  Chaplain  Andrew  Muivaney,  AAR,  p.  7. 

62.  Ibid.,  p  8. 

63.  Ibid. 

64.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Joseph  P.  Rappl,  DACH,  January  20,  1995. 

65.  Former  Federated  Republic  of  Yugoslavia,  capital  at  Sarajevo. 

66.  Chaplain  Andrew  Muivaney,  AAR,  p  9 

67.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Joseph  Rappl,  January  20,  1995. 

68.  Sergeant  First  Class  Elroy  Garcia,  "Louisiana  Maneuvers,"  Soldiers,  September  1993,  p  7. 

69.  General  Gordon  R.  Sullivan,  America 's  Army  (Cambridge,  Massachusetts:  Institute  for 
Foreign  Policy  Analysis,  1993),  p. 26. 

70.  OCCH,  "Overview  of  the  Chaplaincy,  1990-1994,"  p.9. 

71     Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen  )  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman,  April  24,  1995. 

72.  Ibid 

73.  Ibid ,  Note:  The  Russian  Military  Academy  was  established  by  Peter  the  Great  and  was  not 
only  a  training  ground  for  officers  but  it  was  also  the  site  at  which  ballet  originated  in  Russia 
Walter  Kirchner,  History  of  Russia  (New  York:  Barnes  &  Noble,  1976),  p.  181. 

74.  OCCH,  "Overview  of  the  Chaplaincy,  1990-1994,"  p.9,  data  furnished  by  Ms.  Jane  Heaton 
and  Ms.  Marie  Walker. 

75.  Laurie  Goodstein,  "For  Muslims  in  the  Military,  a  Chaplain  of  Their  Own,"  77?^  Washington 
Post,  December  4,  1993,  p.  1. 

76     Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Janet  Y.  Horton,  US.  Army  War  College,  May 
3,  1995.  In  1994  Chaplain  Horton  became  the  first  female  to  attend  the  Army  War  College 
course  in  residence 

77.  Historically,  the  Chaplain  Museum  Association  raised  money  to  help  the  Museum  acquire 
artifacts,  equipment  or  supplies  not  readily  available.  Past  officers  of  the  Museum  Association 
have  included  Chaplain  John  C.  Scott,  Chaplain  James  E.  Pierce,  USAR,  Major  Morgan  Flom; 


350 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

Mrs.   Susan  Flom,  Dr.  William  Hourihan;  Mrs.  Margaret  Robertson  and  Chaplain  Richard  Tupy. 

78     Due  in  part  to  personnel  reductions  at  USACSSA  which  necessitated  the  move  of  the 
journal/magazine  to  USACHCS. 

79.  The  Army  Chaplaincy,  Winter  1993,  p.  1 . 

80.  OCCH,  Information  Letter,  June  1,  1993,  p  6. 
81  OCCH,  Information  Letter,  March  1,  1993,  pi 
82.  Ibid 

83  Chaplain  Wayne  W    Hoffmann,  Assistant  CCH  for  Mobilization,  and  Chaplain  Brock 
Watson,  Assistant  CCH  (USANG),  was  promoted  to  Brigadier  General  on  March  23,  1993.  Mr. 
Ed  Horan  was  a  DRE  assigned  to  USACSSA 

84  The  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy's  Strategic  Plans  FY  94-99,  July  1993,  pp.    1,  6    Copy 
in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives 

85  A  Summary  Report  of  the  Army  Family  Life  Chaplains  Conference,  "Soldier-Family  Ministry 
in  an  Era  of  Change,"  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado,  March  29,  1993,  pp.  5-6. 

86  /hid,  p.  7. 

87.  Personal  interview  with  Ms.  Holli  Bush,  former  Young  Adult  Ministries  Coordinator,  Mark 
Twain  Village  Chapel,  1986 

88.  Chaplain  Andrew  Mulvaney,  After  Action  Review,  Operation  Able  Sentry,  p  13.  Copy  in 
the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

89     Chaplain  (Capt.)  John  M.   Stepp,  "The  UMT  and  Peace  Keeping  Operations,"  The  Army 
Chaplaincy,  Spring  1995,  p  17 

90.  By  1993  the  number  of  Roman  Catholic  chaplains  in  the  active  duty  Army  had  dropped  to 
140.  See  Paul  Mason,  "Chaplain  Recruiting,"  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Newsletter,  August  1993, 
p.I. 

91.  Chaplain  John  Stepp,  Op.  cit.,  pp.  18-19.  Chaplain  Stepp  served  with  the  82nd  Airborne 
Division  and  the  Berlin  Brigade  in  Honduras,  Turkey,  Iraq,  and  Macedonia 

92.  Donna  Miles,  "Fighting  the  Floods,"  Soldiers,  September  1993,  pp  10-1 1 . 

93.  Robert  Dvorchak,  "Great  flood  leads  news  of  1993,"  New  Orleans  Times-Picayune, 
January  1,  1994,  p.I. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 351 

94     Angela  Bowman,  "The  Flood  of  1993,"  National  Guard,  LXVII  (September,  1993),  p.  20. 

95.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gary  Councell,  "Chaplain  Roles  in  Humanitarian  Operations,"  US.  Army 
War  College,  1994,  p. 76. 

96.  Ibid.,  p.  16,  Donna  Miles,  Op.  cit.,  pp.  10-11. 

97.  I  hid 

98.  Robert  Dvorchak,  Op.  cit.,  p.  1. 

99.  Ihid 

100.  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Lilton  Marks,  "Force  Structure,"  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Newsletter, 
August  1993,  p.3. 

101.  Ihid. 

102.  Ihid 

1 03 .  OCCH,  "Overview  of  the  Chaplaincy,  1 990- 1 994,"  p.  1 5 . 

104.  Chaplain  (Colonel)  Al  Ledebuhr's  study  is  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives  at  the  U.S.  Army 
Chaplain  School. 

105  Chaplain  (Col )  William  L    Hufham,  Vie  Feasihility  of  a  Department  of  Defense 
C/?flp/a///cv  (Carlisle  Barracks:  U.S.  Army  War  College,  1993),  p.  ii. 

106  Memorandum  from  Chaplain  Kuehne  to  the  Commandant,  USACHCS,  October  14,  1993, 
p.l. 

107.    The  annual  rent  on  the  Communications  and  Electronics  Command  building  in  Eatontown, 
New  Jersey,  was  said  to  be  in  excess  of  $1  million.  By  moving  the  Chaplain  School,  CECOM 
could  move  on  the  Fort  Monmouth  installation  into  old  school  facilities  and  save  the  government 
millions  of  dollars  over  the  course  often  years. 

1 08     OCCH,  Report  on  the  Detailed  Analysis  Group  (DAG)  Meeting,  Quantico,  Virginia, 
October  12-13,  1993,  p.l.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives 

109.  Personal  interview  with  Mr.  Roger  Able  ,  DACH  ,  16  May  1995. 

1 10.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives.  The  report  was  92  pages  in  length  and  had  been 
contracted  by  OCCH. 

111.  //)/c/.,  pp.39-40. 


352 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

112  Ibid.,  p.46. 

113  OCCH,  Information  Letter,  October  1,  1993,  IV,  p  4. 

1 14  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt  Colonel)  Philip  R    Touw,  OCCH,  May  1 5,  1995 

115  Ibid.,  Phillis  W    Jordan,  "Pentagon  spells  out  policy  on  gays,"  77?^  Virginian  Pilot, 
December  23,  1993,  p.  1. 

1 1 6.    Phillis  Jordan,  he.  cit. 

117     OCCH,  Information  Letters,  1993. 

118.  Memorial  Service  Bulletin,  May  27,  1994    Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives 

1 19.  Henry  Kissinger,    "Not  This  Partnership,"  The  Washington  Post,    November  24,  1993, 
p  A-17. 

120.  Ibid 

121.  Ibid 

122     Margaret  Shapiro,  "Russians  Approve  New  Constitution,"  The  Washington  Post, 
December  13,  1993,  p.  1,  Walther  Kirchner,  History  of  Russia  (New  York:  Barnes  and  Noble; 
1976).  P.  245. 

123.  Bill  Gertz,  "Missiles  no  longer  aimed,"  The  Washington  Times,  June  1,  1994,  p  A-3. 

124.  WafaAmr,  "Arafat  prepares  to  enter  Jericho,"  The  Washington  Times,  July  5,  1994, 
p  A-9. 

125     John  Lancaster,  "Strapped  Saudis  Seek  to  Stretch  Out  Payments,"  The  Washington  Post, 
January  7,  1994,  p.  1. 

126.  William  Claiborne,  "North  Korea,"  The  Washington  Post,  December  13,  1993,  p.  A-13. 

127.  The  Washington  Times,  June  30,  1 994,  p.  A- 1 0 

128.  Ibid. 

129.  Copies  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives  and  in  the  Zimmerman  Files,  OCCH, 

130.  Ibid 

131      Ibid.   See  also  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen.)  M    A    Zimmerman,  "Speech  at  the  Maine  ARNG 
Prayer  Breakfast,  April  7,  1994  "  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 353 

132.     Ibid,  p A. 

133      Chief  of  Chaplains  Speech,  LIFT  Training,  January  31,  1994,  p.  1,  Copy  in  the  Zimmerman 
Files,  OCCH 

134.  OCCH,  "Overview  of  the  Chaplaincy,  1990-1994,"  pp.7-15.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps 
Archives. 

135.  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Speech  to  the  Maine  ARNG,  April  7,  1994,  p.2. 

136.  Chaplain  Jim  Edgren  to  Chaplain  (Col.)  Wayne  Kuehne,  March  20,  1994,  p.2.  Copy  in  the 
Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

137.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Kuehne,  December  16,  1994 

138      Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Mary  Pitts,  46th  Corps  Support  Group  Chaplain, 
April  5,  1995. 

139.  Sergeant  Cameron  Porter  and  Specialist  Shannon  Rasmussen,  "The  Heroes  of  Green 
Ramp,"  Soldiers,  May  1994,  pp.4-5. 

140.  Ibid 

141.  Ibid 

142.  Ibid.   Another  soldier  died  nine  months  later  of  his  bum  injuries. 

143.  Ibid.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Pitts,  April  5,  1995. 

144.  Ibid 

145.  Bulletin,  82nd  Airborne  Division  Memorial  Ceremony,  March  29,  1994.  Copy  in  the 
Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

146.  "Memorial  Homily," April  25,  1994,  pp.  1-2.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

147.  Donna  Miles,  "Farewell  to  the  Chief,"  Soldiers,  June  1994,  p. 5. 

148.  Sang-Hun  Choe,  "Korea's  ink  pact,"  The  Washington  Times,  July  3,  1994,  p. 9. 

149.  Michael  Breen,  "North  Korea  says  Kim  is  dead  at  82,"  The  Washington  Times,  July  9, 
1994,  p.  1 ;  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col. )  Peter  K.  Christy,  December  7,  1994 

150.  OCCH,  "JTF  160  UMTs  Deployed  to  GTMO"  July  28,  1994    Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps 
Archives    This  was  the  third  deployment  to  GTMO  by  chaplains  from  FORSCOM  since  1991 . 


354 THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 

151.      Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  William  DeLeo  ,  23  May  1995. 

1 52      Chaplains  Bacon,  Downing,  Kilmurray,  and  Schmeling. 

153.     Chaplain  (Col.)  John  P.  Schmeling,  After  Action  Report,  Command  Staff  Chaplain,  416th 
Engineer  Command,  August  10,  1994    Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

1 54      Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  MA.  Zimmerman,  Prayers  at  Normandy  and  Berlin,  June  6-8,  1994. 
Copies  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives 

155.     Ibid. 

156      Paul  Bedard,  "Clinton  sees  Cause  for  Haiti  invasion,"  The  Washington  Times,  July  9, 
1994,  p.  1. 

157.     M/(/.,  pp.  Al,  A9. 

158      Mark  O'Keefe,  "Praise  Worthy,"  The  Virginian  Pilot,  July  9,  1994,  p.El. 

159.  Ibid. 

160.  The  Chaplain  Museum  Curator,  Ms.  Renee  Klish,  received  a  $100,000  grant  to  fund  a 
traveling  display  of  Chaplain  Corps  Museum  exhibits. 

161     Chaplain  (Maj  Gen  )Zimmerman,  Army  Chaplaincy  Statement  on  Equal  Opportunity,  May 
12,  1994.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

162.    The  first  female  chaplain  was  commissioned  in  the  Navy  on  July  2,  1973.  "Women  in  the 
Chaplaincy — A  Symposium,"  The  Chaplain,  v. 32,  n.3,  1975,  p. 20. 

163      Interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col )  Janet  Yarlott  Horton,  USAWC,  May  3,  1995. 

164.     Ibid. 

165      Ibid 

166.     Chaplain  (Capt )  Lorraine  K    Potter,  USAF,  "An  Open  Letter  to  Christian  Chaplains," 
Chaplaincy,  II,  4,  1979,  pp  39flF;  and  Captain  Linda  M.  Ewing,  "Ministry  to  Women  as  Persons," 
MiUlary  Chaplains  Review,  Winter  1983,  pp  3  Iff. 

1 67      OCCH,  Historical  Review,  1 976- 1 977,  p  30. 

168.  I  hid. 

169.  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Carol  A.  Van  Schenkhof  to  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  April  25, 
1995    Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 


THE  ZIMMERMAN  YEARS 355 

170.     Ihid. 

171      OCCU,  Annual  Report  of  Major  Activities,  1972-1973,  p.  143;  Rodger  R.  Venzke, 
Confidence  in  Battle,  Inspiration  in  Peace,  The  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy,  1945-1975,  p  57. 

1 72.  Melodie  Russell,  "Chaplain's  Assistant  first  WAC  to  hold  MOS,"  Fort  McClellan  News, 
October  23,  1972,  p.4. 

173.  Personal  interview  with  Sergeant  First  Class  Ed  Parton,  3rd  Army,  January  6,  1994. 

174      Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Sydnor,  April  8,  1994. 

175.     Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  MA.  Zimmerman,  "Contributions  of  Women  from  the  New 
Testament  to  the  Present."  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

1 76  Department  of  the  Army,  USAREUR  and  7th  Army  Annual  Historical  Report,  1982-1983, 
p.420. 

177  Ann  Besson,  "PWOC-USA:  More  Than  We  Dare  Ask,"  Military  Chaplain  Review,  Fall 
1991,  p.97. 

178  Mrs.  Jennie  Chandler,  "Protestant  Women  of  the  Chapel — Fort  Belvoir,"  pp.  1-3.  Copy  in 
the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives 

179.  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col  )  Gary  Sanford,  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  May  24,  1995. 

180.  The  Gospel  According  to  Matthew,  Chapter  25:21 . 

181.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives,  p.  5 . 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  SHEA  YEARS  : 
DEDICATED  SERVICE  IN  A  NEW  WORLD 

1994-1995 


America's  Army  is  on  a  course  of  change...  the  Army  Chaplaincy  is  also  in  transition  .  .  . 
Trained,  ready,  versatile  ministry  teams  will  support  famihes  and  soldiers  as  they  hm'e  through  two 
centuries  ofsen>ice  .  .  .   This  is  our  pledge. 

Chaplaincy  White  Paper,  Force  XXI 


MILESTONES: 


Unit  ministry  teams  deployed  around  the  world 


Chaplain  Support  for  Force  XXI 


Publication  of  revised  FM  1 6- 1 


Emphasis  on  character  development  and  ethics 


Operations  Uphold/Maintain  Democracy 


Relocation  of  the  US.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


357 


358  THE  SHEA  YEARS 

Envisioning  Ministry  for  the  21st  Century: 
Encouraging  Faith,  Sustaining  Hope,  Serving  America's  Army 

What  we  set  in  motion  is  an  entirely  new  era  in  warfare....  What  is  changing  is  the  very  nature  of 
modern  battle. 

General  John  M.  Shalikashvili 

Chairman,  Jomt  Chiefs  of  Staff 

21  February  1995 

When  General  Gordon  Sullivan,  Army  Chief  of  Staff",  promoted  Chaplain  Donald  W  Shea  to 
Major  General  and  installed  him  formally  as  the  Army's  19th  Chief  of  Chaplains  at  the  Pentagon  on 
1  September  1994,  there  was  a  sense  of  a  new  mission  orientation  for  the  Chaplain  Corps.  Chaplain 
Shea's  primary  interest  as  Chief  of  Chaplains,  as  reflected  in  his  acceptance  speech,  was  to  model  the 
value  of  "selfless  service"  and  instill  it,  by  example,  in  every  member  of  the  Chaplain  Corps.  Chaplain 
Shea's  vocation  was  to  serve  soldiers,  wherever  they  might  be  assigned,  in  whatever  danger  or 
hardship,  for  as  long  as  they  or  their  family  members  needed  him  Endowed  with  a  keen  sense  of 
humor  and  sharp  analytic  insight.  Chaplain  Shea  motivated  others  by  his  own  example  of  total 
dedication  to  ministry. 

Bom  in  Butte,  Montana,  and  educated  at  Carroll  College  and  St.  Paul  Seminary  in  Minnesota, 
Chaplain  Shea  was  ordained  a  Roman  Catholic  priest  in  1962  for  the  Diocese  of  Helena,  Montana. 
In  August  of  1966  Chaplain  Shea  entered  active  duty  and  was  assigned  to  the  5th  Infantry  Division, 
Fort  Carson,  Colorado.  Subsequently  he  served  with  the  101st  Airborne  Division  and  the  5th  Special 
Forces  Group  (Airborne)  in  Vietnam,  the  7th  Infantry  Division  in  Korea,  the  1 5th  Field  Artillery 
Group  in  Vietnam,  the  10th  Infantry  in  Panama,  the  9th  Infantry  Division  at  Fort  Lewis  and  the  1st 
Armored  Division  in  Germany,  where  he  also  served  as  the  Division  Staff  Chaplain.  From  1985  to 
1995  Chaplain  Shea  held  a  series  of  senior  positions;  VII  Corps  Staff  Chaplain;  U.S.  Army  Europe 
and  Seventh  Army  Staff  Chaplain;  Executive  Officer,  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains;  Deputy  Chief 
of  Chaplains,  and  Chief  of  Chaplains,  US  Army.  ' 

In  addition  to  his  incredible  record  of  service  to  combat  arms  soldiers.  Chaplain  Shea  held 
three  Master's  degrees  from  the  University  of  Oklahoma,  Long  Island  University,  and  Central 
Michigan  University.  He  was  also  a  graduate  of  the  Army  Command  and  General  Staff  College  and 
the  Army  War  College.  " 


Staff  Support 

Chaplain  Shea's  supporting  staff,  which  included  those  serving  in  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains,  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency,  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and 
School,  and  in  other  major  commands  around  the  world,  reflected  an  incredible  amount  of  experience 
and  wisdom  in  enabling  the  Chaplaincy  to  respond  to  the  Army's  needs.  Almost  all  of  the  senior 
chaplains  were  combat  veterans  with  extensive  experience  in  soldier  ministries. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 359 

Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Gaylord  T.  Gunhus,  who  was  installed  as  Deputy  Chief  of 
Chaplains  on  November  1,  1994,  was  a  native  of  North  Dakota  He  had  attended  Seattle  Pacific 
University,  the  Lutheran  Brethren  Seminary,  and  Princeton  Theological  Seminary.  After  serving  two 
tours  in  Vietnam  (1968-69,  1972-73),  he  spent  five  years  at  the  Directorate  of  Combat 
Developments,  Fort  Benjamin  Harrison,  Indiana.  In  the  early  1980s  Chaplain  Gunhus  worked  with 
Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne,  Director  of  Combat  Developments  at  the  Chaplain  School,  as  well  as  with 
other  subject  matter  experts  in  the  development  of  Chaplain  Corps  doctrine  which  included  the  Unit 
Ministry  Team  concept  and  the  battle-focusing  of  doctrine  and  training  Subsequently,  Chaplain 
Gunhus  served  as  the  9th  Infantry  Division  Staff  Chaplain,  the  Corps  Chaplain  for  I  Corps  and  Fort 
Lewis,  the  U.S.  Army  Europe  and  7th  Army  Command  Chaplain  during  Operation  Desert 
Shield/Desert  Storm,  and  the  Training  and  Doctrine  Command  Chaplain  from  1992  to  1994. 

Chaplain  John  J.  "Jack"  Kaising,  Executive  Officer  for  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  had  served  in 
Germany,  Hawaii,  and  at  DACH  before  becoming  Assistant  Commandant  of  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain 
Center  and  School.  In  September  of  1994  Chaplain  Kaising  was  invested  a  Prelate  of  Honor  to  His 
Holiness,  Pope  John  Paul  II,  by  Archbishop  Joseph  T  Dimino,  Roman  Catholic  Archbishop  for 
Military  Services 

The  Directors  of  the  major  staff  sections  in  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  included 
Chaplain  Charles  D.  Camp,  Director  of  Personnel  and  Ecclesiastical  Relations;  Chaplain  Wayne  E. 
Kuehne,  Director  of  Plans,  Policy  Development  and  Training;  and  Chaplain  Timothy  C  Tatum, 
Director  of  Information,  Resource  Management  and  Logistics.  Chaplain  William  L  Hufham  was 
the  Deputy  Director  of  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency;  Chaplain  Willard  D. 
Goldman  the  Personnel  Staff  Officer  in  the  Office  of  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel,  and 
Chaplain  Stanley  R.  Esterline  the  Pentagon  Chaplain  ' 

At  the  US.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  Chaplain  George  Pejakovich  served  as  the 
Commandant;  Chaplain  Malcolm  Roberts  the  Assistant  Commandant,  Chaplain  Robert  J.  Richter  as 
the  Director  of  Combat  Developments  Chaplain  David  Howard  succeeded  Chaplain  Wayne  Lehrer 
as  Director  of  Training  in  1985  when  Chaplain  Lehrer  moved  to  assume  duties  as  the  I  Corps 
Chaplain  at  Fort  Lewis,  Washington. 

In  the  larger  major  commands  Chaplain  Henry  Wake  served  as  the  USAREUR  and  7th  Army 
Command  Chaplain,  Chaplain  Peter  Christy  was  the  United  Nations  Command/U  S.  Forces 
Korea/Eighth  US  Army  Staff  Chaplain;  Chaplain  Calvin  Sydnor  III  moved  to  the  TRADOC 
Command  Chaplain  position  and  Chaplain  Ken  Seifried  succeed  Chaplain  David  Peterson  as  the 
FORSCOM  Chaplain  in  March  of  1995.  Chaplain  Herman  Keizer  became  the  Joint  European 
Command  Chaplain  and  Chaplain  D  J  Donahue  the  USASETAF  Command  Chaplain  in  Vicenza, 
Italy. 

In  the  Reserve  Components,  Chaplain  Stephen  Leonard  continued  to  serve  as  the  U.S.  Army 
Reserve  Command  Staff  Chaplain,  Chaplain  John  Rasmussen  was  the  Reserve  Advisor  to  the  Chief 
of  Chaplains  until  his  retirement  in  1995;  and  Chaplains  Wayne  Hoffman  and  Bumey  H  Enzor  were 
Assistant  Chiefs  of  Chaplains  for  Mobilization  and  for  the  U.S.  Army  National  Guard  position 
respectively. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


360 THE  SHEA  YEARS 

In  the  CONUSA  organizations,  the  Sixth  Army  area  was  included  within  the  Fifth  Army  when 
the  Sixth  Army  stood  down  in  1995.  Chaplain  Willie  P.  Peacock  moved  ft^om  the  Sixth  Army 
Chaplain  position  to  the  Military  District  of  Washington  Chaplain  Robert  Vickers,  the  Fifth  Army 
Chaplain,  inherited  Sixth  Army  responsibilities.  At  Third  Army  Chaplain  Jerry  D.  Reynolds  and 
CSM  Oscar  L.  Crumity  continued  to  serve  as  the  Third  Army/ARCENT  Command  unit  ministry 
team. 


A  Chaplain  for  the  Joint  Staff 

One  of  the  personnel  coups  for  the  Chaplaincy  in  1994-1995  was  the  assignment  of  Chaplain 
Wilbur  D.  Parker  to  The  Joint  Staff:^  In  June  1995,  when  Chaplain  Parker  was  assigned  to  the  Joint 
Staff",  his  job  title  was  "Religious  Affairs  Specialist  "  Only  in  the  job  10  days,  he  presented  a  position 
paper  recommending  that  his  job  title  be  changed  to,  "Joint  Staff"  Chaplain,"  and  that  his  office  not 
be  called  the  "Office  of  Religious  Affairs,"  but  rather,  "Office  of  the  Chaplain  "  The  proposal  was 
signed  by  the  Director  of  the  Joint  Staff".  This  was  just  the  first  of  many  changes  Chaplain  Parker  was 
to  make  in  that  position 

The  second  thing  the  new  Joint  Staff  Chaplain  did  was  to  rewrite  the  Job  Description  Basing 
this  new  description  on  the  Joint  Universal  Task  List  (JUTL  4.2.7),  his  mission  became  "to  plan  and 
coordinate  defense-wide  religious  support  with  the  Joint  Staff  and  the  Unified  Commands."  Again, 
the  Director  signed  the  proposal  after  discussing  it  at  some  length  with  Chaplain  Parker. 

Using  the  new  job  description  as  a  springboard.  Chaplain  Parker  launched  into  a  multitude 
of  tasks.  He  initiated  training  for  the  nine  Unified  Command  Chaplains  and  their  enlisted  assistants 
and  started  making  staff  visits  to  their  commands.  In  addition,  he  began  to  write  Joint  Religious 
Ministry  Support  Doctrine  into  Joint  Publications.  Along  with  this  initiative,  he  integrated  the  first 
religious  support  play  into  the  Chairman's  exercise  program  and  provided  training  to  teach  the 
Unified  Command  chaplains  how  to  participate  in  the  exercises.  Chaplain  Parker  relied  heavily  at 
times  on  Chaplain  Herman  Keizer,  the  EUCOM  Chaplain,  for  assistance  and  advice  They  made  an 
effective  team  and  together,  made  significant,  lasting  contributions  to  the  development  of  Joint 
Doctrine  and  ministry. 

Chaplain  Parker  early  began  to  discover  inconsistencies  between  his  responsibilities  and  those 
of  the  Armed  Forces  Chaplain  Board  Executive  Director.  The  responsibilities  overlapped  and  were 
not  in  concert  with  the  Goldwater-Nichols  concept.  The  Operational  line  of  authority  and  the 
Administrative  line  of  authority  were  confused  So  he  drew  up  what  he  thought  to  be  the  correct 
lines  of  responsibility  and  discussed  them  with  the  Executive  Director.  His  proposal  was  theoretically 
correct  and  together,  they  re-drew  the  lines  which  delineated  their  individual  responsibilities  more 
clearly. 

As  the  proponent  for  Joint  Religious  Ministry  Support  doctrine.  Chaplain  Parker  was  asked 
by  the  Armed  Forces  Chaplain  Board  to  develop  a  training  vehicle  to  equip  10,500  chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants,  active,  reserve,  and  National  Guard,  to  provide  religious  support  in  Joint 
operations.  This  was  monumental  task  that  required  great  negotiating  skill  and  coordination.  The 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 361^ 

Navy  provided  Captain  (Ret.)  Ray  Dressier,  CHC,  USN,  for  several  weeks  to  assist  with  the  project. 
He  brought  superb  experience  and  expertise  and  was  a  stalwart  in  the  project.  This  was  the  first 
major  effort  to  provide  Joint  Training  to  all  religious  support  providers. 

As  the  Joint  Staff  Chaplain,  Chaplain  Parker  served  as  the  Chairman's  representative  to  the 
Central  and  Eastern  European  countries  for  Chaplaincy  matters  Much  of  the  day  to  day  work  was 
done  by  the  Joint  Contact  Team  working  for  the  J-5  in  EUCOM  and  the  EUCOM  Command 
Chaplain,  Chaplain  Herman  Keizer.  Occasionally  Chaplain  Parker  visited  these  countries,  once 
encountering  thieves  on  the  streets  of  Bucharest  and  frequently  searching  for  anyone  who  spoke 
English. 

The  most  distracting  part  of  the  Joint  Staff  Chaplain's  job  according  to  Chaplain  Parker,  was 
that  of  being  layered  under  the  J-1  for  administrative  support  This  proved  to  be  a  constant  problem 
because  in  the  Joint  bureaucracy  it  was  difficult  to  stay  in  the  main  stream  of  information.  Not  only 
was  this  an  unaccustomed  working  relationship,  but  Chaplain  Parker  was  without  an  assistant  and  no 
office  help  so  he  did  everything  alone.  He  enjoyed  what  he  called  the  honor  and  distinction  of  being 
both  the  Joint  Staff  Chaplain  and  the  most  incompetent,  least  efficient  and  lest  productive  clerk  typist, 
not  only  in  the  military,  but  also  in  the  entire  government  service. 


Wars  and  Rumors  of  Wars 

An  overview  of  potential  areas  of  conflict  in  the  world  at  the  time  Chaplain  Shea  assumed  his 
new  responsibilities  revealed  a  mix  of  tragedy  and  hope.  According  to  the  National  Defense  Council 
Foundation,  a  research  group  in  Alexandria,  Virginia,  more  than  70  regional  wars  and  insurgencies 
were  in  progress  in  the  world  in  the  latter  part  of  1994,  an  increase  often  percent  over  1993.  '  Even 
though  the  threat  of  superpower  conflict  had  diminished  vastly,  in  its  place  ethnic  and  religious 
conflicts  had  developed.  There  were  tribal  conflicts  in  Rwanda,  Sudan  and  Afghanistan,  ethnic 
fighting  in  Burundi  and  Bosnia,  religious  conflict  in  Ethiopia,  political  strife  in  Malawi  and  insurgency 
in  Sierra  Leone,  to  give  but  a  few  examples.  In  Turkey  some  1,000  villages  had  been  destroyed  and 
13,000  people  killed  in  the  ten-year  struggle  between  the  Kurdish  Workers'  Party  and  the  Turkish 
government.*  The  fighting  continued.  In  Guatemala,  where  more  than  1000.000  people  had  been 
killed  in  a  34-year  old  civil  war,  firefighters  reported  in  1994  an  average  of  13  killings  daily  in  the 
capital.'  Many  of  the  bodies  recovered  showed  signs  of  torture  and  mutilation.*  On  the  Bosnia  - 
Herzegovina  border  with  Croatia,  there  were  100,000  civilians  killed  and  5,000  homeless  as  the  result 
of  three  years  of  fighting.  ^  Casualties  in  the  remainder  of  the  Serbian  war  zone  continued  to  mount. 

On  the  more  hopeful  side  of  current  peace  efforts,  some  serious  attempts  at  international 
conflict  resolution  were  beginning  to  bear  fiojit.  Discussions  in  Israel,  Ireland  and  Korea  were 
defusing  ancient  antipathies.  The  United  Nations  continued  its  peacekeeping  operations  with  more 
than  30,000  soldiers  in  such  places  such  as  Rwanda,  Cyprus,  Liberia,  Lebanon,  India  and  Kuwait. 
For  the  first  time,  possibly  ever,  60  percent  of  the  world's  nations  were  formal  democracies.'"  Seven 
new  democratic  nations  had  been  created  within  1994,  the  largest  number  since  the  end  of  World  War 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


362 THE  SHEA  YEARS 

II.  In  the  bloodiest  century  in  recorded  history,  which  included  two  world  wars,  there  was  hope  that 
the  flames  of  ethnocentric  wrath  would  someday  be  smothered 

The  response  to  the  rise  in  regional  conflicts  at  the  international  level  was  a  combination  of 
action  and  uncertainty.  The  United  Nations  had  functioned  occasionally  in  a  major  peace 
enforcement  role  as  in  Korea,  in  the  Persian  Gulf,  and  in  Somalia,  and  with  mixed  results.  The  new 
European  Order,  the  synthesis  which  must  inevitably  arise  from  the  fragmentation  of  the  old  Soviet 
Union,  was  still  to  be  defined."  There  were  doubts  that  NATO  could  or  would  expand  from  its 
nucleus.'" 


New  Doctrine 

In  the  United  States  Army  the  response  was  more  direct  and  more  focused  In  1993  General 
Gordon  R. '  Sullivan  had  written  a  national  security  paper  for  the  Institute  for  Foreign  Policy  Analysis 
Washington  entitled,  America  sArmy  into  the  Twenty-First  Centmy.^^  In  General  Sullivan's  seminal 
paper,  he  discussed  the  new  strategic  environment  at  the  end  of  the  Cold  War  and  the  Army's  vision 
and  missions  in  the  future  to  include  fielding  a  total  strategic  force,  trained,  ready,  and  capable  of 
decisive  victory.'^  General  Sullivan  recognized  that  other  operational  capabilities,  from  humanitarian 
assistance  to  peacekeeping,  might  be  required  as  well.  From  1975  to  1989  the  Army  participated  in 
147  contingency  operations  involving  50  or  more  soldiers.  From  1990  to  1992  Army  personnel 
participated  in  47  of  these  type  operations — an  average  yearly  increase  of  fifty  percent — at  a  time 
when  six  of  the  Army's  18  divisions  were  being  disbanded  or  consolidated,  two-thirds  of  the  Cold 
War  Army  force  in  Europe  withdrawn,  and  360  posts  and  bases  closed  around  the  world.'' 

Even  with  a  promised  "end  to  the  drawdown"  and  a  stable  end  strength  of  475,000  soldiers 
(including  1,200  active  duty  chaplains)  by  1998,  it  was  clear  to  General  Sullivan  that  strong  measures 
needed  to  be  taken  to  avoid  "a  hollow  army"  such  as  had  been  debated  at  the  end  of  the  Vietnam  War 
in  1975."^  General  Sullivan  therefore  described  six  imperatives  to  achieve  "the  balance  that  must  be 
maintained  within  a  fiscally-constrained  Army  program  to  ensure  that,  whatever  its  size  or  structure, 
the  force  remains  trained  and  ready."''  The  six  imperatives  were:  quality  people,  leader  development, 
modernization,  doctrine,  force  mix,  and  training  '* 

In  the  spring  of  1 994  General  Sullivan  issued  the  following  statement,  designed  to  incorporate 
the  Army  XXI  vision  into  the  Department  of  the  Army's  conceptual  thinking: 

I  want  each  of  you  [primary  staff  agencies]  in  the  Army  chain  of  command  to  develop 
a  vision  for  what  Force  XXI  means  to  your  command.  I  want  my  staff  to  do  the 
same.  Identify  proponency,  network,  challenge  the  processes  we  need  to  change. 
Take  risks,  encourage  innovation  Send  me  your  visions,  your  thoughts,  your  papers, 
send  them  to  each  other.  Press  the  envelope..." 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 363 

As  a  catalyst  for  thought,  concepts  and  doctrine.  General  Sullivan  approved  the  publication 
ofFM  100-1,  The  Army,  in  June  of  1994  and  Decisive  Victory:  America's  Power  Projection  Army, 
the  Army  White  Paper  on  Force  XXI,  in  October  of  the  same  year 

The  Chaplain  Corps  had  long  anticipated  changed  in  the  Army's  strategic  and  tactical 
thinking  Discussion  began  at  the  end  of  Operation  Desert  Storm  in  1991  around  revising  the 
Chaplaincy's  basic  Field  Manual  16-1,  Religions  Support  Doctrine.  The  Director  of  Combat 
Developments  at  the  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  Chaplain  Robert  Richter,  had  put  some  excellent 
doctrine  writers  to  work  gathering  information,  synthesizing  lessons  learned,  interviewing  veterans 
of  major  operations,  and  drafting  a  new  manual  The  project  officers  included  Chaplain  William 
Noble,  a  former  editor  oi Xht  Military  Chaplains'  Review,  Chaplain  Wayne  MacKirdy,  who  had 
served  at  the  Combined  Military  Training  Center  in  Hohenfels,  Germany;  and  Mrs.  Margaret 
Robertson,  formerly  an  analyst  in  the  Unit  and  Individual  Training  Division,  Directorate  of  Training 
and  Doctrine 

In  early  September  of  1994,  as  the  first  draft  of  FM  16-1  (revised)  was  being  prepared  for 
review  by  Chaplain  George  Pejakovich,  the  Commandant  of  the  Chaplain  Center  and  School, 
Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne,  Director  of  PPDT  at  the  Chiefs  Office,  sent  messages  to  Chaplain  Richter 
and  to  Chaplain  Pejakovich.""  In  response  to  Chaplain  Shea's  directive  for  the  Chaplaincy  to  produce 
a  White  Paper  on  Force  XXI  for  General  Sullivan's  approval.  Chaplain  Kuehne  began  exploring 
ideas,  concepts,  and  regulations  as  he  had  for  similar  projects  since  1976.  In  light  of  the  newly 
produced  TRADOC  Pam  525-5  which  the  TRADOC  Commander  felt  would  "lead  to  change  for  the 
Army,"  Chaplain  Kuehne  suggested  a  TRADOC  Pam  525-16  which  could  flesh  out  the  Chaplaincy's 
developing  White  Paper."'  Chaplain  Pejakovich  agreed  that  the  lead  for  doctrinal  concept 
development  belonged  to  the  Combat  Developments  Directorate,  but  suggested  that  perhaps  the 
Combined  Arms  Center  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  the  CASCOM  combat  developers,  and  students  at 
CGSC  and  at  the  War  College  could  help  in  a  "Combat  Developments  network"" 

In  effect  the  Chaplain  Corps  would  produce  a  revised  field  manual,  a  White  Paper,  a  revised 
basic  regulation,  and  concept  studies  to  capture  the  new  Power  Projection  Army  vision  inherent  in 
Force  XXI"'  Among  other  new  doctrinal  concepts  was  a  more  accurate  description  of  ministry  teams 
—  the  unit  ministry  team  in  TOE  organizations  and  the  complementary,  sustaining  installation  ministry 
teams  for  the  TDA  base. 

In  addition  to  the  mega-installations,  such  as  Fort  Bragg  and  Fort  Hood,  which  served  as 
power  projection  platforms  for  deploying  units,  there  were  Army  and  Corps  headquarters 
organizations  which  could  perform  the  same  functions  with  USAR  units  if  required.  Third  Army,  I 
Corps,  and  IX  Corps  (17th  Area  Support  Group,  Honshu,  Japan)  were  examples.''' 

The  Chief  of  Chaplains  White  Paper,  "Chaplain  Support  for  Force  XXI:  A  Journey... 
Encouraging  Faith,  Sustaining  Hope,"  was  vvritten  over  the  course  of  five  months  Chaplain  William 
Hufham,  Deputy  Director  of  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency,  secured  the 
approval  of  both  General  Sullivan  and  Chaplain  Shea  in  time  for  distribution  at  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 
UMT  Conference  in  May  1985.  The  Chiefs  White  Paper  summarized  the  rationale  for  the 
Chaplaincy,  the  goals  of  ministry  in  the  military,  and  the  relationship  of  doctrine  and  ministry  to  the 
vision  of  Force  XXI. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


364 THE  SHEA  YEARS 

Other  publications  highlighted  developments  in  Chaplain  Corps  strategic  thinking  in  1994- 
1995  as  the  Chiefs  White  Paper  was  being  written  At  Fort  Lewis  the  Call  Forward  1994 
Mobilization  Exercise  assessed  installation  mobilization  capabilities.  At  the  Office  of  the  Joint  Chiefs 
of  Staff  a  study  was  done  on  "Religious  Ministry  Support  in  Joint  Operations."  At  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  1994  UMT  Mobilization  Planning  Conference  in  Atlanta  the  focus  was  on  "Mobilizing  for 
Joint  Operations  Other  Than  War  "  In  the  Spring  (1995)  issue  of  The  Army  Chaplaincy  professional 
bulletin,  "Operations  Other  Than  War"  was  also  the  featured  theme. 


Operation  Uphold  Democracy 

While  some  senior  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  were  writing  new  doctrine  concerning 
religious  support  for  Operations  Other  Than  War,  other  unit  ministry  teams  already  were  putting 
many  of  the  doctrinal  principles  into  action.  As  early  as  July  of  1994  the  "word"  went  quietly  around 
Fort  Bragg  that  there  might  either  be  an  armed  invasion  of  Haiti  or,  conversely,  a  mission  for 
humanitarian  relief"'  Supervisory  chaplains  in  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  began  updating  their  SOPs 
and  reinforcing  training  for  their  UMTs  in  combat  survival  skills. 

Haiti,  a  country  of  6  5  million  people  with  one  of  the  lowest  per  capita  income  levels  in  the 
world,  had  a  rich  but  often  violent  history.  Since  Jan-Claude  Duvalier  had  been  over  thrown  in  1986 
and  Jean-Bertrand  Aristide  driven  into  exile  in  1 99 1 ,  the  poor  people  of  Haiti  had  existed  with  rising 
disease  and  mortality  rates.  In  some  areas  more  than  half  of  the  people  had  AIDS,  with  measles  and 
malnutrition  almost  as  deadly.  At  least  3,000  Haitians  had  been  killed  during  the  reign  of  terror  by 
government  forces  after  1991."'' 

As  a  desperate  survival  measure,  whole  families,  including  pregnant  women  and  children,  took 
to  the  sea  in  leaky  boats  bound  hopeflilly  for  the  United  States  but  more  likely  for  Cuba.  In  July  of 
1 994  the  population  of  Haitian  migrants  rescued  at  sea  and  detained  at  Guantanamo  Naval  Base 
soared  to  20,000."'  Both  the  United  Nations  Secretary  General,  Boutros  Boutros-Gali,  and  President 
Bill  Clinton  tried  to  find  a  solution  to  the  Haitian  hemorrhage. 

In  mid-July  the  Haitian  government  of  Lieutenant  General  Raoul  Cedras  had  expelled  United 
Nations  and  OAS  human  rights  monitors  after  reports  of  increasing  government  atrocities  reached 
the  international  press  In  August  the  U.N.  Secretary  General  ceased  all  efforts  to  achieve  a 
diplomatic  solution.  In  early  September  the  Reverend  Jean-Marie  Vincent,  a  popular  priest  and  old 
friend  of  Aristide,  was  murdered,  ostensibly  by  Cedras  supporters.  In  the  same  week  reports  reached 
President  Clinton  of  the  alleged  murder  of  children  from  orphanages  by  Cedras'  soldiers."* 

By  September  17,  the  President  had  put  the  Ready  Brigade  from  the  82nd  Airborne  Division 
at  Fort  Bragg  on  alert  for  an  assault  on  Haiti.  The  planes  were  ready  to  take  off  on  September  18 
from  Green  Ramp 

As  a  last  diplomatic  resort,  former  President  Jimmy  Carter,  General  Colin  Powell,  USA, 
Retired  and  Senator  Sam  Nunn  of  Georgia  flew  to  Port  au  Prince  to  meet  with  Lt.  Gen  Cedras.  As 
the  talks  dragged  on,  the  planes  took  off  from  Fort  Bragg  President  Clinton  sent  a  message  to  Carter 
to  leave — the  paratroopers  would  start  to  land  in  two  hours.  Mr.  Carter  asked  President  Clinton  if 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 365 

he  could  inform  Lt.  Gen.  Cedras  of  that  development,  Clinton  agreed.  Within  the  hour  Cedras 
accepted  terms  for  transferring  power  to  Aristide  and  for  his  own  subsequent  departure.  The  planes 
from  Fort  Bragg  turned  around  and  went  home 

On  September  20  two  days  after  the  meeting,  3,000  American  troops  landed  peacefully  in 
Haiti. ^^  Operation  Uphold  Democracy  had  begun. 

For  the  first  six  months  of  the  Haitian  mission,  a  total  of  22,000  American  soldiers,  part  of 
a  multinational  force  under  US  command,  deployed  to  the  island.  Joint  Task  Force  190,  comprised 
of  soldiers  from  the  10th  Mountain  Division,  Fort  Drum,  New  York;  the  1st  Corps  Support 
Command,  XVIII  Airborne  Corps,  Fort  Bragg,  and  other  units  fi"om  six  U.S.  installations,  had  the 
mission  of  sustaining  a  secure  and  stable  environment,  protecting  international  personnel,  and 
assisting  "in  establishing  an  environment  conducive  to  the  organization"  of  free  government 
fiinctions.'" 

Religious  support  for  the  U.S.  soldiers  was  provided  by  the  unit  ministry  teams  organic  to  the 
force.  The  Joint  Task  Force  Chaplain  was  Chaplain  Karl  Willoughby,  also  the  10th  Mountain 
Division  Chaplain.  Jesse  G.  Saddler,  the  1st  Corps  Support  Chaplain,  and  his  NCOIC,  Sergeant 
First  Class  James  K.  Flack,  supervised  the  1st  COSCOM  unit  ministry  teams.  After  90  days  the  10th 
Mountain  Division  and  the  1st  COSCOM  were  replaced  by  elements  from  the  25th  Infantry  Division, 
Hawaii,  and  from  reserve  units  based  at  Fort  Lewis,  in  Colorado,  and  in  Alabama.  The  3rd  Squadron, 
2nd  Armored  Cavalry  Regiment,  from  Fort  Polk,  assisted  the  1/2 1st  Infantry  with  security.^' 

Since  the  situation  in  Haiti  was  uncertain,  the  first  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  deployed 
with  full  combat  gear,  up-to-date  shot  records,  and  at  least  30  days  of  ecclesiastical  supplies  Living 
conditions  in  Haiti  were  Spartan  at  best.  The  8th  Ordnance  Company  set  up  camp  on  a  ridge 
overlooking  Port-au-Prince  with  fairly  rustic  facilities.  The  46th  Corps  Support  Group  from  Fort 
Bragg  was  quartered  in  an  old  cigarette  factory  with  cots,  netting,  and  almost  no  privacy.  Male  and 
female  soldiers  occupied  cots  next  to  one  another,  often  to  the  discomfort  of  all. ^' 

Religious  support  for  soldiers,  overall,  was  well  coordinated.  Chaplain  Jesse  Saddler  had  a 
detailed,  comprehensive  religious  support  plan,  a  mission  essential  task  list,  and  even  an  in-country 
telephone  directory  for  his  unit  ministry  teams. ""  There  was  frequent  coordination  between  almost 
all  of  the  area  unit  ministry  teams  to  include  the  supervisory  chaplains.  Chaplain  Willoughby,  Chaplain 
Saddler,  and  Chaplain  David  Hicks,  the  Special  Operations  Command  Stafi" Chaplain."  Chaplain  Karl 
Willoughby  was  able  to  arrange  for  soldiers  to  go  on  "A  Duty  Day  with  God"  to  a  Baptist  mission 
site  in  the  mountains  which  featured  an  approved  restaurant  complete  with  hamburgers.^'  Chaplain 
Ed  Hartman  from  the  10th  Mountain  Division,  and  a  veteran  of  Operations  Andrew  and  Restore 
Hope  in  Somalia,  provided  Catholic  Mass.  Basic  religious  programs  in  the  units  included  worship, 
Bible  studies,  counseling,  and  the  critical  ministry  of  presence. 

The  46th  Corps  Support  Group  was  comprised,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  Chaplain 
Corps,  of  an  all-female  team.  Chaplain  Mary  A.  Pitts  was  the  Group  Chaplain  assisted  by  Staff" 
Sergeant  Azelia  Hailey.  Chaplain  Carol  VanSchenkhof  and  Specialist  Nicole  Rodriguez  formed  the 
UMT  for  the  264th  Corps  Support  Battalion,  and  Chaplain  Susan  Addams,  in  the  1st  COSCOM  Main 
Area,  was  the  189th  CSB  Chaplain  assisted  by  Specialist  Randy  Robertson.  Chaplain  Sung  Jung  Lee 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


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(Top)    Chaplain   Richard   Kuhlbars   and    (Bottom)    Chaplains   James 
Madden   and  Scottie  Lloyd  provide   ecumenical    religious   support   in 

Haiti 


368 THE  SHEA  YEARS 

from  the  10th  Transportation  Battalion,  Fort  Eustis,  which  was  in  the  1st  COSCOM,  was  also  a 
female  chaplain. 

Chaplain  Paul  Clark,  the  Deputy  COSCOM  Chaplain,  and  Sergeant  Derma  Close  supervised 
ministry  for  soldiers  and  family  members  at  1  st  COSCOM  home  station  and  provided  basic  support 
for  the  Forward  element.^*  Chaplain  Clark  and  Chaplain  Addams  shared  an  increased  counseling  load 
at  Fort  Bragg,  worked  with  Family  Support  Groups,  and  supported  numerous  family  members  in  time 
of  stress." 

On  October  15,  President  Jean-Bertrand  Aristide  returned  to  Haiti  after  an  exile  of  three 
years.  He  maintained  a  very  low  profile  at  first,  appearing  at  church  once.  After  he  urged  his 
supporters  not  to  retaliate  against  their  former  persecutors,  especially  in  the  police  force,  the 
President  was  able  to  appear  in  public  more  frequently  without  the  fear  of  inciting  a  riot  of  killing  and 
looting. 

By  the  second  week  in  November,  the  first  JTF  contingent  redeployed;  most  units  were 
replaced  by  the  second  wave  of  U.S.  troops.'*  The  new  multinational  force  was  commanded  by 
Major  General  George  Fisher  from  the  25th  Infantry  Division  Eventually,  when  all  of  the  units 
arrived,  there  were  19  companies  of  Infantry,  three  Military  Police  companies,  and  three  Cavalry 
troops. 

Chaplain  O.  Wayne  Smith,  the  2d  Armored  Cavalry  Regimental  Chaplain  and  a  veteran  of 
Operation  Desert  Storm,  thought  the  conditions  the  people  of  Haiti  endured  were  depressing.^' 
American  soldiers  were  not  accustomed  to  stand  by  while  people  were  beaten  in  the  streets  or 
children  stood  hungry  and  naked  in  the  gutters.  One  American  officer  was  even  court-martialled  for 
disobeying  an  order  not  to  inspect  or  visit  a  local  prison  which  was  a  model  of  inhumane  treatment. 
Eventually  American  MP's,  soldiers  and  Marines  began  to  be  more  assertive.  In  one  incident  at  Cap- 
Haitian,  U.S.  Marines  killed  10  Haitians  during  an  armed  clash  with  a  mob.*"  Not  long  thereafter,  at 
the  request  of  the  U.S.  government,  former  New  York  City  Police  Commissioner  Raymond  Kelly 
arrived  in  Haiti  to  help  deal  with  civil  organization  and  security.""  General  John  Shalikashvili, 
Chairman  of  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff",  pressed  efforts  to  disarm  Haitian  communities.'*^ 

On  March  31,  1995,  President  Clinton  arrived  in  Haiti  to  mark  the  assumption  of  the 
humanitarian  mission  by  the  United  Nafions.  The  U.N.  Mission  in  Haiti  (UNMIH),  with  6,000  troops 
from  18  nations,  was  to  operate  in  six  tactical  zones  with  special  operations  forces  located  in  each." 
U.S.  forces,  2,400  strong,  comprised  more  than  one-third  of  the  total  military  presence.  Major 
General  Joseph  Kinzer,  a  veteran  of  Operation  Just  Cause  in  Panama  and  the  officer  responsible  for 
nation-building  in  Panama  thereafter,  was  appointed  the  U.N.  Commander  for  UNMIH.^''  Plans 
called  for  U.N.  forces  to  remain  in  Haiti  until  at  least  1996. 

In  his  speech  at  the  U.N.  ceremony  on  March  31,  President  Aristide  said  that  as  a  result  of 
the  U.S.  intervention,  "Haiti  was  moved  from  death  to  life;  the  water  of  violence  was  transformed 
into  the  wine  of  peace."*^  Certainly  the  U.S. -led  multinational  force  had  given  Haiti  a  fresh  chance 
at  a  democratic  government  and  perhaps  had  given  the  people  a  jump-start  on  a  new  and  healthier 
life  for  the  time  in  this  century.  During  Operation  Uphold  Democracy,  U.S.  aid  fed  more  than  one 
million  Haitian  women  and  children,  U.S.  health  team  workers  immunized  600,000  Haitian  children 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 369 

against  measles    It  was  estimated  that  62,000  jobs  were  created  or  restored,  2,000  Haitian  men 
placed  in  retraining  programs,  and  130,000  weapons  taken  oif  the  streets. ''^ 

If  there  was  a  problem  with  Haiti  and  Operation  Uphold  Democracy,  it  was  not  due  to  the 
conduct  of  the  U.S.  Army.  Both  the  soldiers  and  the  unit  ministry  teams  which  accompanied  them 
did  an  outstanding  job.*^  The  problem  was  with  the  cost  of  the  Operation.  The  deployment  of  U.S. 
Forces  to  Haiti  from  September  1994  to  March  1995,  according  to  the  Department  of  Defense,  cost 
$594.6  million  dollars,  more  than  the  1994  deployments  in  Somalia,  Rwanda,  Bosnia,  and  Korea 
added  together.**  In  fact  the  cost  of  Operation  Uphold  Democracy  ($594.6  million)  was  57%  of  the 
U.S.  cost  of  Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm  ($1,040.5  million).  Moreover,  from  October  of 
1993  through  January  of  1995,  the  U.S.  deployed  a  total  of  100,000  troops  on  13  missions  costing 
$2.6  billion  or  40%  of  the  budgeted  readiness  money  in  the  Department  of  Defense.  General  John 
Shalikashvili  warned  that  if  the  money  for  readiness  were  not  re-appropriated  by  Congress,  "the  Air 
Force  would  cut  flying  hours  for  pilots  to  polish  their  skills;  the  Army  would  cancel  exercises,  the 
Navy  would  delay  ship  maintenance.'"" 

In  the  long  view,  however,  the  Clinton  Administration,  the  Army,  and  most  chaplains  felt  that 
Operation  Uphold  Democracy,  if  it  continued  to  be  successftil,  would  be  worth  the  cost.  Not  only 
were  thousands  of  lives  saved,  on  land  and  sea,  but  a  real  eflFort  had  been  made  to  rebuild  a  country 
and  a  people  as  a  symbol  of  hope  for  the  entire  Caribbean. 


Hot  Spots 

Haiti  was  not  the  only  operational  area  in  1995,  of  course,  where  the  Army  Chaplaincy  was 
hard  at  work  supporting  soldiers.  At  Guantanamo  Navy  Base  (GTMO),  which  had  been  a  collection 
point  for  Haitian  migrants  since  1991,  unit  ministry  teams  in  Joint  Task  Force  160  counted  more  than 
23,000  Haitian  and  Cuban  reftigees  in  need  of  help  in  August  of  1994.  Chaplain  Reese  M. 
Hutcheson,  the  JTF  Chaplain,  and  his  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  from  III  Corps  and  other 
FORSCOM  units  were  on  duty  constantly  trying  to  keep  pace  with  the  rapidly  changing  reftigee 
situation  A  chronology  of  events  presented  an  impression  of  the  logistical,  personnel,  security,  and 
religious  support  challenges: 

July  1994  20,000  Haitian  migrants  detained  at  Guantanamo. 

Cuban  refugees  begin  leaving  Cuba  for  Guantanamo 
Navy  Base  and  for  Florida.  U.S.  Army  South  and  the 
Panamanian  government  opened  camps  in  Panama  for 
Cuban  refugee  overflow.  The  Panama  mission  was 
described  as  "Operation  Safe  Haven."  Chaplain  Vern 
E.  Jordin  II,  a  Southern  Baptist  with  the  5/87 
Infantry,  provided  coverage  initially  in  Panama.'" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


370 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 


September  1994 


Some  2,218  military  and  civilian  family  members,  287 
pets  and  193,000  pounds  of  luggage  left  GTMO  for 
Norfolk  Water  reserves  of  14  million  gallons  for  the 
18,000  Haitians  in  7  camps  declined  by  3  million 
gallons  per  day."  More  than  3,000  Cuban  refligees 
arrived  at  GTMO 


December  1994 


February  1995 
March  1995 


Haitian  population  at  GTMO  reduced  to  4,400  as 
15,000  were  repatriated  to  Haiti  following  President 
Aristide's  return.  Cuban  population  in  GTMO  and 
Panama  rose  to  21,000.  Cubans  in  Panamanian  Camps 
1,  2,  3  coordinated  a  break-out  Some  1,000  Cubans 
fled  to  a  canal.  Two  Cubans  drowned,  978  returned, 
20  were  missing  Unarmed  US.  troops  injured  by 
flying  rocks." 

Cuban  population  in  Panama  numbered  8,500. 

Operation  Safe  Haven  in  Panama  ended  "  About  16% 
of  the  Cubans  went  to  the  USA,  the  rest  back  to  Cuba 


Chaplain  David  McClary,  USAR,  who  had  served  at  Guantanamo  in  1991  and  who  returned 
to  duty  to  assist  with  religious  coverage  in  Panama,  wrote  in  his  diary:  "Some  say  Operation  Safe 
Haven  was  a  waste,  but  it  did  help  the  Panamanian  economy  and  the  Cubans.'"*  The  cost  for  the 
Operation  was  estimated  at  $180  million  dollars  and  employed  5,000  personnel."  The  chaplains 
worked  themselves  silly  to  give  support  to  the  troops,  Cubans,  and  Panamanians  Ministry  had 
priority  over  careers  and  awards.  Not  much  publicity...  a  lot  of  giving  and  caring...  revivals,  baptisms, 
gifts,  musicals,  bibles,  long  hours,  candy,  services,  and  money/donations.'*"  The  505th  has  gone  and 
the  MPs  are  pulling  up  stakes  My  tent  is  gone,  but  found  most  of  my  stutf  way  down  the  road  in  a 
still-standing  tent  My  Chaplain's  Kit  is  missing  Two  uniforms  missing.  Watch  broken.  No 
electricity  for  troops  Hot  (107  degrees),  no  fan,  no  food  except  "JTF  stuff.""  I  am  the  only 
Chaplain  out  here."*  Called  wife  for  first  time  in  a  month  and  half  Wife  hurt  in  automobile  crash. 
Bills  still  a  problem,  and  not  sure  why.  I  will  have  to  move  tomorrow,  will  probably  start  in 
processing  to  out  process...  Could  have  been  worse.  Good  just  to  sit  here  and  rest,  feeling  a  job 
well  done."'' 

In  Korea,  where  former  President  Carter  also  had  helped  deflise  a  US  -  North  Korean  stand- 
off over  a  potential  nuclear  threat,  the  64  Army  chaplains,  61  chaplain  assistants,  59  KATUSA 
augmentees,  and  1 3  civilian  administrative  assistants,  clerks,  an  auxiliary  priest,  secretaries,  cooks, 
religious  affairs  specialists,  a  family  life  director,  program  coordinator,  language  specialist,  and 
bookkeeper  in  United  States  Forces  Korea  kept  up  a  "forward  thrust  ministry"  with  a  forward 
deployed  force."'   For  the  first  time  since  the  end  of  the  Korean  War,  a  unit  ministry  team  was 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 371 

assigned  to  the  Joint  Security  Area  (Camp  Bonifas)  to  support  the  soldiers  in  the  Demilitarized  Zone. 
Chaplain  William  H    Liptrot,  Jr ,  assumed  that  position  in  November  1994"' 

The  ministry  in  Korea  continued  to  be  focused  on  the  needs  of  soldiers  in  a  forward-deployed, 
armistice  environment."  Training  was  always  conducted  at  a  high  intensity  level  with  a  "real  world" 
mission  always  in  view."  Major  exercises  throughout  the  year  involved  units  at  all  levels  of  U.S. 
Forces  Korea  to  include  Team  Spirit,  Courageous  Channel,  and  Ulchi/Focus  Lens.'"'  Worship 
opportunities,  Bible  studies,  family  life  ministries,  religious  education,  suicide  prevention  training,  and 
retreats  at  the  Eighth  Army  Religious  Retreat  Center  in  Seoul,  which  logged  more  than  22,000 
spiritual  fitness  training  days  annually,  were  examples  of  backbone  religious  support  programs  offered 
by  unit  ministry  teams  throughout  the  peninsula. *"'  Chaplain  Peter  K.  Christy,  who  had  succeeded 
Chaplain  Kenneth  A.  Seifried  as  United  States  Forces  Korea  Command  Chaplain  in  1994,  noted  in 
May  of  1995: 

The  South  Korean  Army  (ROK)  went  on  alert  more  often  than  we  did.  When  Kim 
II  Sung  died,  the  South  Korean  Army  went  on  alert.  Korea  now  is  really  the  only 
show  in  town  We  are  resourced  well  for  ministry  due  to  the  threat.  We  have  about 
7 1  Army,  Navy  and  Air  Force  chaplains  The  North  Koreans  are  trying  to  bypass  the 
UN  Military  Commission  and  South  Korea  to  negotiate  directly  with  the  United 
States.  The  South  Korean  government  knows  if  there  were  a  reunification  now  there 
would  be  economic  chaos.  A  lot  of  the  posturing  is  a  matter  of  politics  and  saving 
face,  but  some  of  it  deals  with  economic  reality  The  South  Korean  economy  is  much 
stronger  than  that  of  North  Korea.  They  all  watched  what  happened  to  Germany 
when  the  Berlin  Wall  came  down.  They  don't  want  the  same  chaos  in  Korea.** 

As  of  mid- 1995  the  Defense  Department  planned  no  reduction  in  Korea  or  in  the  rest  of  the  Pacific 
Rim  Assistant  Defense  Secretary  Joseph  Nye  said  that  the  37,000  US  troops  in  Korea,  as  well  as 
the  63,000  other  US  military  personnel  in  the  Pacific,  would  remain  in  the  area  "as  long  as  they  are 
wanted  and  needed  "*' 

In  Germany,  even  with  the  massive  reductions  and  base  closures  since  1989,  mission  calls  had 
increased.  "U.S.  Army  Europe  (USAEUR)  has  become  its  own  power  projection  platform,  noted 
Chaplain  James  B  Lonergan,  V  Corps  Chaplain,  in  1995.  "With  deployments  over  the  past  several 
years  to  the  Middle  East,  Africa,  and  Croatia,  we  are  constantly  sending  unit  ministry  teams  on 
intercontinental  operations  "**  Chaplain  Henry  Wake,  the  USAREUR  Command  Staff  Chaplain, 
noted  that  he  spent  a  good  deal  of  his  time  fijmishing  advice  to  former  Communist  countries  in 
Eastern  Europe  whose  leadership  wanted  to  create  military  chaplaincies  fashioned  on  the  US  model 
"Chaplain  Herman  Keizer  at  European  Command  has  frequently  requested  chaplain  briefing  teams 
to  assist  our  former  adversaries  in  Russia  and  in  Eastern  Europe,"  Chaplain  Wake  recalled.*'  Even 
with  fewer  chaplains  with  which  to  respond,  the  USAREUR  Chaplain  staff  much  preferred  the  tasks 
of  fijmishing  support  for  humanitarian  and  advisory  missions  to  those  involved  in  preparing  for  total 
war,  which  had  been  their  most  frequent  duty  but  few  years  earlier.™ 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


372 THE  SHEA  YEARS 

Statements  and  Studies 

Although  a  significant  part  of  the  Chaplaincy's  senior  leadership  was  involved  with  the  daily 
discipline  of  performing  religious  support  as  well  as  with  a  multitude  of  training  and  deployment 
missions,  there  also  were  some  areas  of  interest  at  the  Pentagon  which  generated  new  or  revised 
statements,  policies,  and  studies.  On  March  1,  1995,  Chaplain  Shea  published  the  Army  Chaplaincy 
Statement  on  Equal  Opportunity  As  much  a  statement  of  moral  leadership  as  policy.  Chaplain  Shea 
reminded  the  Corps: 

The  Army  continues  to  be  the  Nation's  leader,  reflecting  the  soul  of  the  nation,  and 
the  Chaplaincy  the  model  for  the  Army.  The  Army  Chaplaincy  must  be  a  model  of 
equal  opportunity  in  our  policies,  practice  of  ministry,  and  religious  support  of  every 
soldier  and  family  member.  .  We  affirm  these  Regimental  values:  Integrity,  Human 
Dignity,  Spirituality,  Religious  Diversity,  Competence,  and  Teamwork.  Ministry 
Team  members  will  practice  and  enforce  Army  standards  of  conduct.  We  lead  the 
way...^' 

While  the  chiefs  statement  reinforced  some  earlier  concepts  such  as  equal  opportunity. 
Regimental  values,  and  fi"ee  exercise  of  religion,  some  new  terms  replaced  older  ones.  Diversity  was 
preferred  over  "multi-cultural,"  Ministry  Team  rather  than  "unit  ministry  team,  abilities  and  merit  to 
other  background  considerations.  The  concept  that  the  "Army  continues  to  be  the  Nation's  leader" 
in  the  application  of  principles  of  equality,  justice  and  morality,  was  striking  as  well  and  highlighted 
the  many  changes  which  had  occurred  in  the  Army  since  the  end  of  the  Vietnam  War  almost  exactly 
twenty  years  earlier. 

Exactly  how  the  Chaplaincy  was  related  to  the  moral  leadership  of  the  Army,  how  the  Army 
was  training  soldiers  in  character  development,  and  what  impact  the  Chaplaincy's  programs  were 
having  on  Reserve  component  chaplains  who  were  also  pastors,  counselors  and  teachers  in  America's 
civilian  religious  communities  were  approved  subjects  for  research  by  senior  chaplains  in  1995. 
Although  these  projects  had  just  gotten  underway  in  1995,  some  work  already  had  revealed 
promising  areas  of  interest  for  fijture  study  and  development. 


DCSPER 

For  more  than  fifteen  years,  active  duty  chaplains  had  served  on  the  staff  of  the  Deputy  Chief 
of  Staff  for  Personnel  in  the  Pentagon  The  duties  of  the  chaplains  who  were  assigned  there  as 
Personnel  Staff  Officers  included  reviewing,  interpreting,  and  writing  policy  for  DCSPER  approval. 
Chaplain  Ford  G'Segner,  who  held  the  position  in  the  early  1980s  spent  a  good  deal  of  time  working 
on  policy  dealing  with  the  accommodation  of  religious  practices,  as  did  his  successors.  Chaplains  Jack 
N    Anderson,  Philip  R    Touw,  and  Willard  D.  Goldman. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 373 

After  1991  the  issue  of  policy  for  retaining  homosexual  soldiers  in  the  Army  also  wound  up 
on  the  desk  of  the  DCSPER  Chaplain  Staff  officer  as  well  as  on  the  desk  of  Chaplain  Herman  Keizer 
at  the  Armed  Forces  Chaplain's  Board.  When  U.S.  District  Judge  Eugene  Nickerson  ruled  on  30 
March  1995,  that  the  government's  "Don't  ask.  Don't  tell"  policy  was  not  only  unconstitutional  but 
also  "Orwellian"  because  it  equated,  by  assumption,  "sexual  orientation  with  personal  misconduct," 
the  homosexual  policy  issue  at  ODCSPER  came  back  to  life."  Although  the  Army's  policies  did  not 
immediately  change,  pending  appeal  to  the  U.S.  Supreme  Court,  the  paperwork  for  the  chaplain  at 
DCSPER  increased/' 

As  a  part  of  Chaplain  Goldman's  job  at  ODCSPER,  he  reviewed  regulations  and  policies 
dealing  with  moral  leadership  in  the  Army.  As  early  as  1976  Chief  of  Chaplains  Orris  Kelly  had 
recommended  that  the  Chaplaincy  not  be  the  proponent  for  ethical  instruction  in  the  Army  even 
though  the  old  Character  Guidance  program  of  the  previous  decade  had  engaged  the  attention  of 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  soldiers  and  commanders  alike.  Chaplain  Kelly  thought,  as  did  succeeding 
Chiefs  of  Chaplains  thereafter,  that  moral  and  ethical  leadership  should  be  a  command  program  with 
chaplains  in  the  role  of  advisors  and  facilitators. 

In  1993-1994  Chaplain  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman  had  asked  for  staff  input  on  a  proposed  new 
character  guidance  program  to  address,  primarily,  the  needs  of  junior  enlisted  soldiers  in  values  and 
character  formation.  Since  the  DCSPER  was  the  proponent  for  ethics  training  in  the  Army,  the 
questions  and  issues  went  to  that  office  and  ultimately  to  Chaplain  Goldman. 

The  first  step  in  considering  the  possibility  of  a  new  program  in  character  development  was 
to  describe  what  the  Army  was  teaching  and  training  currently  In  a  comprehensive  survey  of  the 
materials  available  to  unit  commanders,  as  well  as  curricula  used  at  West  Point,  in  R.O.T.C. 
programs,  in  the  Sergeant  Majors  Academy,  at  the  Command  and  General  Staff  College,  and  at  the 
Army  War  college.  Chaplain  Goldman  became  convinced  that  there  was  no  systematic  horizontal  and 
vertical  integration  of  moral  leadership  or  character  development  programs  in  the  Army  "  Most 
institutions  developed  their  own  curricula  or  programs  which  generally  did  reflect  appropriate  levels 
of  instruction,  but  which  had  not  been  subject  to  a  standardized  review,  analysis  and  design  process. 

In  early  1995  Chaplain  Goldman  wrote  a  staff  study  for  Brigadier  General  R.  Dennis  Kerr 
at  ODCSPER  entitled,  "Character  Development  in  the  U.S.  Army:  A  Proposal  to  Change  the  Future  " 
In  his  paper  Chaplain  Goldman  proposed  a  strategy  for  a  Character  Development  Program  in  the 
Army  which  would  reflect  "a  developmental  and  progressive  process"  of  training."  Although  this 
concept  is  still  under  review.  Chaplain  Goldman's  proposal  raised  some  excellent  issues  for 
consideration  by  both  the  DCSPER  and  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  issues  dealing  with  an  integrated 
strategy  for  character  development  in  the  Army  and  for  the  role  of  chaplains  and  advisors  in  that 
process. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


374 THE  SHEA  YEARS 

How  Does  the  Army  Chaplaincy  Impact  on  Religion  in  America? 

In  a  completely  different  and  much  less  formal  study  in  1994-1995,  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield, 
with  the  approval  of  Chaplain  William  Hufham,  the  Deputy  Director  of  USACSSA,  began  a  survey 
of  Reserve  Component  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  to  discover  how  service  in  the  Total  Army 
Chaplaincy  impacted  on  their  civilian  ministries  This  study  was  generated  by  Chaplain  Brinsfield' s 
research  into  the  history  of  the  Chaplain  Corps  from  1975  to  1995. 

One  question  which  had  emerged  from  a  study  of  Chaplain  Corps  history  over  the  last  25 
years  dealt  with  the  relationship  between  the  ministry  in  the  Army  and  ministry  in  civilian 
communities.  How  did  one  influence  the  other  over  the  course  of  time'i'  What  contributions  was  the 
Total  Chaplaincy  making  to  American  religious  life  and  to  American  religious  history'^  How  could 
these  be  best  described'^  Although  it  was  clear  that  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  had  ministered 
to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  soldiers  and  family  members  who  presumably  returned  to  American 
communities,  were  there  any  other  contributions  which  could  be  noted'i' 

In  an  article  in  the  Militaiy  Chaplains  Review,  the  Reverend  Pat  H  Davis,  Sr  ,  a  Worid  War 
II  veteran  and  former  Director  for  the  Military  Chaplaincy,  Home  Mission  Board  of  the  Southern 
Baptist  Convention,  suggested  that  there  had  been  (and  could  be  more)  ideas  shared  between 
chaplains  and  pastors: 

...Chaplains  who  maintain  an  awareness  of  new  programs  developed  and  implemented 
within  their  denomination  might  find  those  programs  usable  and  beneficial  within  the 
military.  On  the  other  hand,  chaplains  could  assist  their  denomination  by  sharing  with 
them  new  and  innovative  programs  developed  within  the  military  that  might  be 
tailored  and  effectively  utilized  within  the  denomination.'* 

Other  chaplain  endorsing  agents  and  members  of  the  National  Conference  on  Ministry  to  the  Armed 
Forces  supported,  and  continue  to  support,  strong  ties  and  continuous  interchange  of  ideas  among 
denominations,  their  chaplains  on  active  duty,  and  the  senior  leadership  of  the  Chaplaincy." 

Wondering  what  positive  insights  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  would  share  with  their 
denominations  and  with  the  other  members  of  the  Total  Chaplaincy,  if  they  were  asked.  Chaplain 
Brinsfield  drafted  a  one-question  survey.  The  question  was,  "How  has  my  experience  as  a  military 
chaplain  or  chaplain  assistant  assisted  me  in  my  civilian  ministry'^"  Assuming  that  Reserve  component 
UMTs  were  closer  to  "civilian  ministry"  than  their  active  duty  counter  parts.  Chaplain  Brinsfield 
posed  the  question  to  two  hundred  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  attending  training  at  the  6th  U.S. 
Army  Conference  in  Nevada  in  January  of  1995  and  to  a  similar  group  of  one  hundred  2nd  U.S.  Army 
chaplains  at  a  training  conference  in  North  Carolina  in  March  The  most  fi"equently  cited  benefits  of 
service  as  a  military  chaplain  or  chaplain  assistant  in  the  words  of  some  of  the  respondents  themselves 
were  as  follows; 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 375 

1 .  Having  the  chance  to  minister  daily  to  people  where  they  work  or  go  to  school; 
"living  where  soldiers  live  and  training  where  they  train  "  is  an  experience  I  cannot 
have  in  my  own  parish. 

(Chaplain  Larry  Hendel,  California  ARNG  ) 

2.  Experiencing  what  a  soldier 's  discipline  means  has  enabled  me  to  understand  better 
"what  it  means  to  be  a  soldier  of  the  Lord.  " 

(Chaplain  Anita  Castillo,  California,  IRR  ) 

3 .  /  hm'e  been  given  new  skills  (in  management  and  leadership)  and  exposed  to  a  wide 
variety  of  religious  heritages  and  climates.  This  has  been  very  valuable  to  me  to  be 
pushed  outside  my  comfort  zone. 

(Chaplain  Steven  E.  Cummings,  IMA,  Fort  McNair.) 

4.  /  use  material  from  suicide  prevention  to  teach  within  the  law  enforcement 
community.  The  Army  chaplaincy  has  tremendously  impacted  my  own  personal  life 
as  well  as  the  police  ministry. 

(Chaplain  John  South,  164th  Support  Group,  USAR,  Police  Chaplain,  Phoenix,  Arizona.) 

5.  The  Re.sen>e  Chaplaincy  enabled  me  to  overcome  my  own  provincialism,  to  learn  to 
minister  to  the  unchurched,  and  gave  me  a  great  background  in  administration, 
pastoral  counseling,  and  suicide  prevention. 

(Chaplain  James  R    Shell,  IMA,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming  ) 

6.  One  word:  pluralism.  "I  hcn'e  found  myself  in  a  scholar 's  heaven  in  the  militaiy  as 
I  was  exposed  to  and  worked  with  fellow  chaplains  from  all  religions.  " 

(Chaplain  Cynthia  King,  171st  Support  Group,  North  Carolina.) 

7.  My  experience  as  a  military  chaplain  has  assisted  me  through  disciplined  attention 
to  detail,  through  the  development  of  self-confidence,  through  acknowledgment  of 
my  faith,  trust,  and  reliance  upon  God. 

(Chaplain  Carlene  Carlson-Cassem,  151st  Signal  Battalion,  South  Carolina.) 

8  My  experience  as  a  chaplain  assistant  "challenged  me  to  organize,  procure,  and 
lead  with  Be,  Know.  Do  "  attitude. 

(Master  Sergeant  Gene  Harris,  120th  ARCOM,  Fort  Jackson.) 

9  "Being  a  chaplain  has  helped  me  understand  the  needs  of  people  outside  the 
church.  " 

(Chaplain  Lawrence  Davis,  South  Carolina,  ARNG.) 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


376 THE  SHEA  YEARS 

10         "I've  experience  several  occasions  that  only  miracles  of  God  could  have  saved  our 

lives.   This  life  bridges  and  overlaps  the  spirituality  I  've  developed  by  God's  help.  " 

(Staff  Sergeant  William  Daugherty,  Chaplain  Assistant  and  Vietnam  Veteran,  California  ) 

It  was  clear  from  the  many  thoughtful  responses  that  service  in  the  Army  Chaplaincy  has  had 
a  positive  and  profound  impact  on  clergy  who  serve  in  civilian  parishes.  As  studies  of  this  type  may 
be  undertaken  and  more  fully  developed  in  the  future,  one  might  predict  an  even  greater  body  of 
evidence  linking  Army  training  and  experience  in  ministry  to  the  improvement  of  religious  awareness 
and  spiritual  leadership  in  America.'* 

On  an  even  larger  scale,  one  might  suggest  that  just  as  civilian  denominations  measure  their 
impact  on  American  religious  history  in  terms  of  membership,  numbers  of  churches,  synagogues  or 
temples,  construction  of  colleges  and  seminaries,  development  of  theology  and  doctrine,  and 
missionary  outreach,  the  Army  Chaplaincy,  though  pluralistic,  has  contributing  statistics  in  each  one 
of  these  categories  within  the  definition  of  its  special  setting.  The  Chaplaincy  has,  just  in  the  period 
since  1941,  ministered  to  more  than  20  million  soldiers,  built  thousands  of  chapels  and  religious 
education  facilities,  developed  doctrinal,  training,  and  devotional  literature,  designed  curricula  for 
every  level  of  education,  trained  ordained  and  lay  clergy  and  directors  of  religious  education,  and 
provided  humanitarian  and  religious  support  to  people  around  the  world.  A  thorough  comparative 
analysis,  if  ever  done,  would  probably  show  a  much  greater  impact  by  the  Army  Chaplaincy  on 
religious  life  in  America  than  has  previously  been  described. 


Envisioning  Ministry: 
A  Global  Chaplaincy  of  Excellence 

At  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Ministry  Team  Conference  in  St  Louis  in  May  of  1995,  Chief  of 
Chaplains  Donald  W.  Shea  focused  his  presentation  on  Army  XXI  and  his  vision  of  ministry  for  the 
Total  Chaplaincy  In  tracing  changes  in  the  Army  since  1983,  the  Chief  pointed  out  that  while  the 
Army's  missions  had  gone  up  300%,  the  Army's  strength  had  dropped  by  580,000  soldiers  and  $45 
billion.  "In  that  period  since  the  Berlin  Wall  came  down,  our  Army  has  issued  over  700  Purple 
Hearts,"  Chaplain  Shea  said,  "and  two  Congressional  Medals  of  Honor."'' 

Since  the  American  soldiers  of  the  mid-1990s  had  assumed  missions  in  social,  political  and 
technological  environments  significantly  different  and  more  diverse  than  those  of  the  Cold  War,  the 
Chief  said  that  the  Chaplaincy  had  to  adopt  its  doctrine  as  well.""  The  approach  of  the  Chaplaincy 
to  provide  religious  support  for  Force  XXI  had  been  published  in  the  Chaplaincy  White  Paper,  "A 
Journey,  Encouraging  Faith,  Sustaining  Hope,  Serving  America's  Army  into  the  21st  Century."  "The 
task  of  this  Chaplaincy  White  Paper,"  Chaplain  Shea  pointed  out,  was  "to  reach  into  every  nook  and 
cranny  of  the  Chaplain  Corps  so  the  vision  of  the  Chaplaincy  can  be  used  to  focus  the  energy  of  every 
component."*' 

The  formal  definition  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  Vision  was  that  of 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 377 

A  CHAPLAINCY  DEDICATED  TO  EXCELLENCE,  TRAINED  AND  READY  TO 
PROVIDE  RELIGIOUS,  SPIRITUAL,  MORAL  AND  ETHICAL  SUPPORT  TO 
AMERICA'S  ARMY  IN  ANY  CONTINGENCY;  A  CHAPLAINCY  THAT  IS 
DIVERSE,  INCLUSIVE  AND  RESPONSIVE  TO  ARMY  LEADERSHIP;  A 
CHAPLAINCY  SERVING  SOLDIERS,  FAMILIES,  AND  THE  NATION.'' 

The  key  concept  for  Chaplain  Shea  in  further  explaining  "a  Chaplaincy  dedicated  to 
excellence"  (to  be  sure  there  was  a  common  understanding  in  the  Corps)  was  that  "excellence  of 
God's  work  and  soldier  care;  not  in  a  self-serving  manner  but  in  selfless  service  ""  The  Chaplaincy 
of  Excellence  would  feature  ministry  teams  trained  and  ready  to  do  God's  work  in  providing 
religious,  spiritual,  moral  and  ethical  support  to  America's  Army  in  any  contingency.** 

Even  as  he  spoke  to  the  conference.  Chaplain  Shea  recognized  that  the  Chaplaincy  of 
Excellence  already  was  being  bom  around  the  world.  If  one  started  in  Kuwait,  where  Chaplain  John 
Powers  and  Staff  Sergeant  James  Henderson  formed  the  ministry  team  for  United  States  Army 
Training  and  Support-Kuwait  (USTASK),  the  sun  which  once  never  set  on  the  British  Empire  now 
never  set  on  the  Army  Chaplain  Corps.*'  In  1994-95  there  were  unit  ministry  teams  in  Saudi  Arabia, 
Egypt,  Rwanda,  Croatia,  Macedonia,  Germany,  Italy,  Belgium,  Haiti,  Honduras,  Panama,  Cuba, 
Puerto  Rico,  Guatemala,  Mexico,  the  United  States,  Japan,  Korea,  Okinawa,  and  Thailand,  among 
other  places.'* 

In  describing  some  key  words  one  might  use  in  thinking  about  implementing  the  Chaplaincy 
of  Excellence  concept.  Chaplain  Shea  told  the  Conference  that  Chaplain  (Brig.  Gen.)  Wayne 
Hoffman,  the  Assistant  Chief  of  Chaplains  for  Mobilization,  had  suggested  that  the  word  "VISION" 
was  a  mnemonic  device.  The  letters  stood  for  Venture,  Intention,  Strategy,  Implement, 
Operationalize,  and  Negotiate  In  venturing  into  new  areas  of  ministry,  the  Chaplaincy  must  be  clear 
in  its  intent  to  do  God's  work,  with  religious  support  strategies  for  soldiers  of  all  faiths  and 
backgrounds,  which  could  be  implemented  in  any  type  of  operational  deployment  depending  on  the 
negotiated  resources  and  the  priority  of  the  mission. 


Honors  and  Milestones 

As  the  summer  of  1995  approached,  the  Chaplain  Corps  began  to  focus  its  work  more  sharply 
on  specific  dates.  For  example,  July  29  would  mark  the  Army  Chaplaincy's  220th  anniversary 
celebration.  The  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  would  begin  its  move  by  November  1  to 
Fort  Jackson,  South  Carolina.  The  Chaplaincy's  revised  doctrinal  publications  would  be  distributed 
and  the  History  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy,  1975-1995,  completed  before  the  end  of  the  calendar  year. 
Approximately  one-third  of  the  1,200  chaplains  on  active  duty  would  change  assignments,  perhaps 
20  or  30  would  retire.  The  Chaplaincy,  like  the  Army  of  which  it  was  a  part,  was  always  in  motion. 

Some  of  the  changes  were  already  known  by  June.  General  Gordon  Sullivan,  Chief  of  Staff 
of  the  Army,  announced  his  retirement.  In  presenting  General  Sullivan  with  the  Aaron  and  Hun- 
Award  for  outstanding  service  to  the  Chaplaincy  at  a  ceremony  in  General  Sullivan's  office  on 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


378 THE  SHEA  YEARS 

Tuesday,  May  16,  Chaplain- Shea  thanked  the  Chief  of  Staff  for  his  support  of  ministry  to  soldiers. 
Chaplain  Shea  also  expressed  his  appreciation  for  General  Sullivan's  personal  concern  for  his  Chiefs 
of  Chaplains.  "As  General  William  T  Sherman  wrote  to  General  U.S.  Grant  in  1863  during  the 
Vicksburg  Campaign,  'I  knew  that  no  matter  where  1  was,  if  1  needed  help  you  would  come  if 
alive.'"" 

General  Sullivan  in  turn  expressed  his  thanks  to  the  chaplains  for  their  support  of  soldiers 
"deployed  to  places  they  could  not  even  spell"  over  many  years  General  Sullivan  truly  appreciated 
his  award  as  the  Chaplain  Corps  appreciated  the  opportunity  to  honor  him. 

There  were  other  changes  and  transitions,  of  course,  which  affected  the  Corps.  The 
deactivation  of  the  1st  U.S.  Army  and  the  6th  U.S.  Army  left  only  two  active  CONUSA's.  Chaplain 
Robert  Vickers,  the  5th  Army  Staff  Chaplain,  and  Chaplain  Marvin  Vickers,  the  2nd  Army  Staff 
Chaplain,  divided  the  responsibilities  for  training,  evaluation  and  mobilization  of  Reserve  component 
unit  ministry  teams  throughout  the  United  States  between  them.*^  Chaplain  Quincy  Scott,- the  1st 
Army  Chaplain,  announced  his  retirement.  Chaplain  Willie  Peacock,  the  6th  Army  Chaplain, 
succeeded  Chaplain  John  G.  Cottingham  as  the  Staff  Chaplain  for  the  Military  District  of 
Washington.*' 

Other  early  retirements  included  Chaplain  John  Rasmussen,  Reserve  Advisor  to  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains,  Chaplain  Paul  Mason,  Reserve  Affairs  Chaplain  at  FORSCOM;  Chaplain  Harvey  R. 
Brown,  former  Protestant  pastor  at  Fort  Monmouth,  and  Chaplain  Richard  L  Adams,  XVIII 
Airborne  Corps  Chaplain  Transitions  at  the  Ofiice  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  included  the  assignment 
of  Chaplain  Gilbert  H.  Pingel,  Installation  Staff  Chaplain  at  Fort  Campbell,  to  succeed  Chaplain 
William  L.  Hufham  as  the  Deputy  Director  of  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency. 
Chaplain  Hufham  succeeded  Chaplain  Richard  L  Adams  as  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Staff 
Chaplain.  Chaplain  Douglas  L.  Carver  succeeded  Chaplain  Sir  Walter  Scott  as  the  Chaplain  Actions 
Officer  in  the  PER  Directorate  when  Chaplain  Scott  was  selected  to  attend  the  U.S.  Army  War 
College  Chaplain  John  H.  McRae  from  Korea  succeeded  Ms  Shirley  Womack  in  Chaplain 
Accessioning  at  DACH  when  Ms  Womack  retired. 

Those  who  retired  from  the  Chaplaincy  in  early  1995  represented  more  than  140  years  of 
experience  in  ministry  to  the  Army  and  to  the  Chaplain  Corps  itself  Although  their  places  were  filled, 
their  contributions  would  always  be  unique  and  would  be  recalled  by  those  who  knew  them  with  great 
respect  and  affection 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Clockwise   from    top   left)    Chaplains   David  Zalis,    Jan  Norton,    and 
Bob  Hutcherson   at    the  Army  War   College;    General    Sullivan   receives 
the  Aaron   and  Hur  Award  from   Chaplain   Shea;    Chaplain   Shea 
presents   awards    to  Ms . Shirley  Womack   and    (bottom   right)    to 
Chaplain    William  Hufham,    1995 


chief   of   Chaplains   Donald   Shea,    Chaplain    Wayne   Kuehne,    and  Deputy 
Chief  of   Chaplains   G.T.    Gunhus .    Chaplain   Gunhus   saluted   Chaplain 
Kuehne  as    "the   father  of    the   Chaplaincy' s   doctrine   and  force 
structure . " 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 381 

Conclusion: 
A  Pause  on  the  Journey 

The  Lord  our  God  said  to  us. . .  "You  ha\>e  stayed  long  enough. . .  turn  and  take  your 
journey...  " 

Deuteronomy  1:6-7 

As  Chaplain  Donald  Shea's  first  year  as  Chief  of  Chaplains  began  to  reach  its  conclusion,  so 
too  did  the  effort  to  record  the  history  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  fi-om  1975  to  1995.  The  history  of 
dedicated  service  by  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  alike,  from  the  end  of  Vietnam  to  the  end  of 
the  Cold  War,  has  been  marked  by  vision,  innovation,  competence,  commitment  and  self-sacrifice. 
Collecting,  compiling  and  writing  this  history,  though  laborious,  was  hopefijUy  a  ministry  in  itself  for 
the  modest  illumination  and  inspiration  of  the  Corps.  History  never  ends,  but  sometimes  one  must 
pause  in  the  recording  of  it  until  another,  with  longer  perspective,  takes  up  the  pen  to  write  again. 
A  few  observations,  however,  may  be  in  order  before  closure. 

At  the  beginning  of  Chaplaincy  history,  in  1 775,  chaplains  did  not  join  the  Continental  Army 
because  they  were  recruited  by  their  churches  or  by  the  government.  They  went  to  the  Army  because 
the  soldiers,  who  were  fi-equently  from  their  communities  and  congregations,  asked  and  expected 
their  pastors  to  go  with  them.  Soldiers  did  not  want  to  die  without  benefit  of  clergy.  Most  of  the 
clergy,  avid  supporters  of  the  American  cause,  responded  willingly. 

The  pattern  of  clergy  responding  to  the  needs  of  soldiers  continued  spontaneously  through 
the  Civil  War  and  World  War  I.  In  1920  the  modem  Chaplain  Corps  was  organized  with  a  Chaplain 
School  two  years  old  and  a  Chief  of  Chaplains  in  the  grade  of  colonel. 

The  accomplishments  of  the  Chaplaincy  in  World  War  II,  Korea  and  Vietnam  were  well 
documented.  After  the  Vietnam  War,  the  question  arose:  what  fiinctions  does  the  Chaplaincy 
perform,  not  just  for  soldiers  but  for  the  Army's  goals?  In  other  words,  can  one  justify  the 
Chaplaincy  from  a  secular,  non-religious  perspective? 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  Vietnam  conflict,  in  1973-1975,  when  the  Army  turned  its  attention 
to  the  professionalization  and  modernization  of  its  forces,  the  Chaplain  Corps  responded  with  more 
than  48  programs  administered  from  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  through  the  major  agencies 
and  commands  to  assist  with  those  overall  Army  objectives.  Many  of  these  programs — Personal 
Effectiveness  Training,  Drug  and  Alcoholic  Abuse  Prevention,  Family  Life  Centers,  Instruction  in 
Ethics  and  Moral  Leadership,  Organizational  Effectiveness,  and  Seminars  in  Overcoming  Racism  and 
Sexism  directly  addressed  the  needs  of  Army  soldiers  and  family  members  and  contributed  not  only 
to  the  professionalism  of  the  Army  of  Excellence  but  also  translated  into  strengthening  the  readiness 
and  cohesion  of  the  force. 

In  the  1980s,  at  the  height  of  the  Cold  War,  Army  chaplains  helped  teach  ethics  and  moral 
leadership  at  West  Point,  Fort  Leavenworth's  Command  and  General  StaflF College,  the  U.S.  Army 
War  College,  and  at  23  U.S.  Army  branch  service  schools  throughout  the  United  States.  Army 
chaplains  not  only  helped  officers  and  soldiers  think  through  the  issues  of  ethics  in  a  nuclear 
environment,  they  also  served  as  pastors  and  counselors  at  the  missile  sites  in  Germany  and  in  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


382 THE  SHEA  YEARS 

United  States  to  encourage  soldiers  to  practice  their  free  exercise  of  religion  and  to  help  them  resolve 
any  matters  of  conscience.  At  the  same  time  the  Chaplain  Corps  sponsored  new  ideas  for  the 
accommodation  of  religious  practices  such  that  a  truly  pluralistic  Army  could  work  together  with  the 
highest  degree  of  religious  freedom  of  expression  possible  and  with  continued  mutual  respect  New 
standardized  worship,  religious  education,  and  child  care  facilities  were  built  for  families  throughout 
the  Army.  These  programs  translated  into  strengthening  the  preparedness  of  the  force  for  deployment 
and  combat. 

In  the  1990s  the  Chaplain  Corps  ftimished  more  than  1,000  unit  ministry  teams  from  the 
active  and  reserve  components  to  perform  ministry  with  soldiers  involved  in  20  major  overseas 
combat,  peacekeeping,  peace  enforcement,  and  humanitarian  operations.  Chaplains  helped  staff 
Family  Life  Centers,  organize  Family  Support  Groups,  make  death  notifications,  perform  memorial 
services,  staflF  hospitals,  and  create  new  programs  in  medical  ethics  education  for  physicians,  nurses, 
medics  and  chaplain  therapists.  These  programs  translated  into  the  sustainment  of  the  force  during 
missions  for  world  stability. 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  contributions  the  Chaplain  Corps  has  made  to  supporting  the 
Army's  mission  during  and  after  the  Cold  War  Other  contributions,  increasing  the  spiritual 
awareness  of  soldiers  and  family  members  by  preaching  and  worship  functions,  organizing  and 
sponsoring  religious  programs  for  retreats  for  men,  women,  youth  and  children,  teaching  the  major 
tenets  of  World  Religions  to  increase  tolerance  and  mutual  understanding,  and  providing  religious 
support  for  soldiers  from  more  than  100  different  denominations  and  faith  groups  fall  into  the 
category  of  religious  and  spiritual  leadership.  They,  too,  are  important  to  the  Army,  or  should  be  if 
as  General  George  Marshall  wrote:  "the  soldier's  spirit  is  everything" 

There  probably  could  be  an  almost  endless  list  of  contributions  by  the  Chaplain  Corps  if  all 
of  the  activities  of  the  12,000  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  who  have  served  in  the  Total  Army 
since  1975  could  be  recorded.  Yet  there  is  one  thing  that  is  true  about  history:  it  is  that  history  is 
continuous  and  contiguous.  Every  event  has  a  prior  cause  and  usually  an  end  result.  If  one  can  grasp 
the  trends  and  relationships  in  the  long  series  of  historic  events,  perhaps  the  reasons  for  them  will  be 
clearer  and  the  lessons  one  might  learn  from  them  will  be  better  understood. 

In  the  title  of  the  Chaplaincy  White  Paper  of  1995,  Chaplain  Shea  described  the  ministry  in 
the  military  as  a  journey  for  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  as  they  encourage,  sustain  and  serve  the 
Army.  The  journey,  of  course,  is  a  metaphor  for  the  internal  pilgrimage  of  the  spirit  and  intellect  as 
well  as  for  the  physical  trip  through  time  and  space 

The  journey,  the  pilgrimage  of  the  Chaplaincy,  will  not  end  as  long  as  soldiers  desire  the 
direction,  encouragement  and  comfort  of  God's  Word  It  has  been  sometimes  said  that  chaplains 
bring  soldiers  to  God  and  God  to  soldiers.  It  has  also  been  claimed  that  chaplains  are  the  conscience 
of  the  Army  because  they  are  the  only  military  service  members  with  primary  allegiance  to  both  the 
Army  and  to  the  religious  denominations  which  endorse  them  Yet  one  might  suggest  that  these 
statements  need  modification.  Every  officer,  soldier  and  family  member,  if  they  are  religious,  have 
allegiances  to  God  and  to  Country  They  too,  as  God's  laity,  are  the  extended  conscience  and  soul 
of  the  Army.  They  have  been  for  220  years.  The  true  job  of  the  chaplain  is  to  remind  them  of  God's 
love  and  faithfulness  and  of  the  balance  they  must  maintain  in  serving  God  and  Country. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


THE  SHEA  YEARS  383 

The  Army  contains  the  People  of  God  The  history  of  the  Chaplaincy  in  its  best  sense  is  the 
record  of  the  religious  leaders  and  their  people  journeying  together  to  do  the  work  of  God  and 
Country  to  build  a  stronger  and  more  peaceful  world  The  history  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy,  especially 
from  1975  to  1995,  has  been  an  illustration  in  detail  of  that  caUing  and  of  that  effort.'" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


I 


Chief  of   Chaplains  Donald  Shea   and  Sergeant  Major  Elmer   Castro 
honor    the   dead  at   Arlington   National    Cemetery 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 385 

ENDNOTES 

1      OCCH,  "Biographical  Sketch— Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Donald  W.  Shea."  Copy  in  the 
Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

2.     Ibid. 

3  OCCH  Personnel  Roster,  1994-1995.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives.  The  Pentagon 
Chaplain  coordinated  the  Pentagon's  religious  activities,  served  as  a  pastoral  counselor  for 
personnel  assigned  to  the  Pentagon,  and  performed  other  direct  religious  support  ministries 
including  weddings,  Bible  studies,  and  worship  services.  The  Pentagon  Chaplain  provided 
religious  resources  for  persons  of  all  faiths  as  requested. 

4  In  January  1995,  Chaplain  Parker  became  the  first  Chaplain  to  be  officially  enrolled  in  the  Joint 
Professional  Management  Education,  Phase  II,  (Senior)  Course  at  the  Armed  Forces  Staff 
College  in  Norfolk,  Virginia    While  there,  he  and  two  classmates,  one  Air  Force  and  one  Navy, 
were  presented  the  McArthur  Award  for  their  research  and  writing  project  on  the  Falklands 
Campaign.  Letter  from  Chaplain  Wilbur  Parker  to  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield,  4  Jan.  1997. 

5.  Associated  Press,  "Fighting  Reported  on  rise  in  world,"  The  Washington  Times  Jan  1,  1995, 
p.A4. 

6.  Refet  Kaplan,  "Turkey's  10-year  War,"  The  Washington  Times  Nov.  28,  1994,  p.  1. 

7  Fiona  Neil,  "UN  Steps  Up  Civil  Rights  Watch,"   The  Washington  Times  Nov.  28,  1994, 
p.A18. 

8  Ibid 

9  Teddie  Weyr,  "Serbs  Continue  to  Bomb  Zagreb,"  The  Washington  Times  May  4,  1995, 
p.A13. 

10.  Refet  Kaplan,  "More  Democracies  Than  Ever,"  The  Washington  Times  Dec.  16,  1994, 
p.A23. 

1 1 .  Richard  Hass,  "The  Search  Goes  On  For  The  New  European  Order,"  The  Washington  Times 
Decembers,  1994,  p.  A23. 

12.  Harry  Summers,  "The  Glue  That  Holds  Alliances  Together,"  The  Washington  Times  March 
5,  1995,  p.  B3 

13.  Published  by  the  Institute  in  1993  in  association  with  Tufts  University. 

14    Gordon  R.  Sullivan,  America 's  Army  (Cambridge,  Massachusetts:  Institute  for  Foreign  Policy 
Analysis,  1993,  p.  14. 


386 THE  SHEA  YEARS 

15.  Ibid,  ^.19 

16    Army  Times,  May  15,  1995,  p.  12,  OCCH  Briefing  for  Assistant  Secretary  Sara  Lister,  August 
11,  1994,  p.  13. 

1 7.  General  G.R.  Sullivan,  America 's  Army,  p  1 9 

18.  Ibid. 

19.  As  cited  in  Memorandum,  "Force  21,"  Chaplain  (Colonel)  Wayne  Kuehne  to  Chaplain 
(Colonel)  Robert  Richter,  September  1,  1994,  p.2. 

20.  Memorandum,  "Force  21,"  September  1,  1994  and  Memorandum  from  Kuehne  to 
Pejakovich,  "Force  21 — The  Lead,"  September  6,  1994. 

21.  Ibid. 

22.  Ibid. 

23.  Rather  than  a  massive  forward  deployment,  the  Army  conceptualized  (and  implemented)  a 
few  mega-installations,  such  as  Fort  Bragg  and  Fort  Hood,  to  serve  as  power  projection  platforms 
for  deploying  units. 

24.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Lowell  Moore,  May  24,  1995. 

25.  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Mary  A.  Pitts,  46th  Corps  Support  Group,  April  7,  1995. 
26    Donna  Miles,  "Passing  the  Torch  in  Haiti,"  Soldiers,  May  1995,  p. 4. 

27.  The  Washington  Times,  January  8,  1995,  p.  A-6 

28.  TheNew  York  Times  Index,  July-September,  1994,  pp.    140-142. 

29.  77?^  New  York  Times  Index,  loc.cit. 

30    Donna  Miles,  "Passing  the  Torch  in  Haiti,"  Soldiers,  May,  1995,  pp.  4-5. 

31.  For  the  complete  unit  list  see  Donna  Miles,  op.cil.,  pp.  4-5. 

32.  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Mary  A.  Pitts,  April  7,  1995. 

33.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Jesse  G    Saddler,  Operation  Uphold  Democracy  After  Action  Report,  April 
21,1995,  pp.   1-12    Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

34.  Ibid. 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 387 

35.  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Mary  A.  Pitts,  April  7,  1995. 

36.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Jesse  Saddler,  After  Action  Report,  April  21,  1995,  p.6. 

37.  Ihid. 

38.  Some  chaplains  remained  behind  in  Haiti  to  continue  ministry  there.  Chaplain  Randy  Wendt 
and  Chaplain  Donald  Wilson  were  two  of  those. 

39.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt  Col  )  O  Wayne  Smith. 

40.  New  York  Times  Index,  inXySe'piemhQr,  1994,  p.  142. 

41.  Ibid. 
42  Ibid 

43.  Soldiers,  May  1995,  p. 5.  This  phase  was  entitled  "Operation  Maintain  Democracy"  by  the 
U.S.  Army 

44.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  William  Hufham,  March  31,  1995. 

45.  Soldiers,  May  1995,  p. 4. 

46.  Jennifer  Lin,  "US  Earmarks  $1.2  Million  to  Retrain  Former  Haitian  Soldiers,"  Las  Vegas 
Review,  January  25,  1995,  p.    15E,  Ben  Barber,  "Haiti  Still  Seems  Shaky,"  The  Washington 
Times,  March  30,  1995,  p.  All,  Soldiers,  May  1995,  p. 5. 

47  Chaplain  (Col.)  Jesse  Saddler,  Op.cil.,  p  5. 

48  Rowan  Scarborough,  "Congress  Still  Waiting  for  Pentagon's  Request,"  The  Washington 
7//we5,  January  26,  1995,  p.  AlO. 

49  Ihid 

50  Chaplain  (Capt  )  Vem  E    Jordin  II,  "Religious  Coverage  Plan — Operation  Safe  Haven,"  July 
4,  1994.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives 

51  Rudi  Williams,  "Forces  Combine  in  Cuba,"  Pentagram,  September  16,  1994,  p. 3. 

52  Diary  of  Chaplain  David  McClary,  USAR,  December  16,  1994,  p  3 

53.  Ibid.,  February  17,  1995  entry. 

54.  //>/c/.,  February  10,  1995. 


388 THE  SHEA  YEARS 

55.  /A/c/.,  February  17,  1995. 

56.  //»/J.,  February  11,  1995. 

57.  Ibid.,  February  14,  1995. 

58.  /Wo'.,  February  18,  1995. 

59.  /A/c/.,  February  28,  1995. 

60.  Memorandum  from  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Herbert  B    Strange,  HQ,  US  Forces,  Korea,  to 
Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  May  15,  1995,  pp.    1-20. 

61 .  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Peter  Christy,  May  23,  1995. 

62.  Chaplain  Herbert  Strange,  Op.cil.,  "Ministry  in  Korea,"  p.  1 .  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps 
Archives. 

63.  Ibid. 

64.  Ibid 

65.  Ibid.,  p. 2.  Chaplain  Peter  Christy  reported  in  May  of  1995  that  General  Luck  had  a  personal 
interest  in  supporting  retreats  at  the  Center. 

66    Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Peter  K.  Christy,  May  23,  1995. 

67.  Bill  Gertz,  "Pentagon  Plans  No  Pacific  Rim  Cuts,"  The  Washington  Times,  February  28, 
1995,  p.A9. 

68  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col )  James  B.  Lonergan,  May  23,  1995. 

69  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col  )  Henry  Wake,  May  23,  1995. 

70.  In  particular  Chaplain  Lindsey  E.  Arnold,  Executive  Officer,  and  Chaplain  Michael  T. 
Bradfield,  who  managed  resources  for  Chaplain  Wake,  and  authored  numerous  articles  for  The 
Army  Chaplaincy  on  the  subject. 

71    OCCH,  Army  Chaplaincy  Statement  on  Equal  Opportunity,  March  I,  1995.  Copy  in  the 
Chaplain  corps  Archives. 

72.  Los  Angeles  Times  News  Service,  "Defense  Department  Wants  Appeal,"  Morning  Star, 
Wilmington,  N.C.,  March  31,1 995,  p.  1 . 

73    Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  WD.  Goldman,  DCSPER,  June  7,  1995. 


THE  SHEA  YEARS 389 

74.  Chaplain  Goldman  was  assisted  greatly  by  Colonel  Anthony  Hartle,  English  Department, 
U  S.M.A  ,  and  by  materials  furnished  by  Chaplain  Irv  Wichner  from  Fort  Leavenworth  and 
Chaplain  Thomas  Norton  from  the  Army  War  College    Interview  with  Chaplain  WD.  Goldman, 
June?,  1995 

75.  Staff  study  as  cited,  p. 2.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

76.  Pat  H.  Davis,  Sr.,  "The  Chaplain  and  His  Denominational  Relationship,"  MZ/tory  Chaplains 
/?mm.  Fall  1983,  pp    18,21. 

77    Military  Chaplains  Review,  Vd\\\9^'i,^^    11-67 

78.  The  remaining  surveys  were  preserved  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives  awaiting  a  researcher 
who  might  like  to  undertake  a  thesis  or  dissertation  on  the  subject  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  and 
Religion  in  America 

79.  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Donald  W.   Shea,  "Opening  Speech  -  Chief  of  Chaplains'  Ministry 
Team  Training  Conference  -  May  23,  1995,"  p. 2.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

80.  IbiJ.,p3. 

81.  IhiJ,  p.3. 

82.  Ibid,  p.5. 

83.  IhiJ,  p.6. 

84.  Ibid 

85.  Even  in  mid-ocean  there  were  usually  TDY  flights,  phone,  cable  and  microwave 
transmissions  carrying  people  and  messages  for  the  Chaplain  Corps 

86.  OCCH,  Information  Letter,  April  1995,  p.  1;  Captain  Skip  E.  Blancett,  Chaplain,  USN, 
"Operation  Support  Hope-Rwanda,"  AAR,  September  28,  1994;  and  Chaplain  (Maj. Gen  ) 
Donald  W.  Shea,  "A  Day  in  the  Life  of  Ministry  to  Soldiers,"  May  12,  1995,  pp.    1-2.  Copy  in 
the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

87.  Chaplain  (Maj. Gen.)  D.W.  Shea,  Presentation  Speech,  May  16,  1995. 

88.  The  two  Chaplain  Vickers  were  not  related  as  far  as  is  known.  Chaplain  (Lt. Col  )  Doug 
McLeroy,  former  2nd  Infantry  Division  Staff  Chaplain  in  Korea,  served  as  Chaplain  Robert 
Vickers'  Deputy. 

89.  Chaplain  Peacock's  Deputy  at  MDW  was  Chaplain  Joseph  L  Goudreau 


390 THE  SHEA  YEARS 

90.  To  paraphrase  Geoffrey  Chaucer,  for  what  we  may  have  done  well  will  we  give  thanks  to  the 
Lord  from  whom  all  good  things  come. 


APPENDICES 


APPENDIX  "A" 

History  of  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School 


APPENDIX  "B" 

Historical  Milestones  for  the  Total  Army  Chaplaincy 


APPENDIX  "C" 

Chaplains  and  Chaplain  Assistants  at  Work 


391 


^MiirrQijr's^Tj'9" 


JUQIJUU     'i' 


(Top)    United  States   Army  Chaplain   School    at    Ft.    Hamilton 

(Brooklyn) ,    New   York;     (Bottom)    United  States   Army  Chaplain   Center 

and  School    at   Ft.    Wadsworth    (Staten   Island),    New   York 


HISTORY  OF  THE  U.S.  ARMY  CHAPLAIN  CENTER  AND  SCHOOL,  1975-1995 


BACKGROUND 

The  very  same  day  that  the  final  U.S.  Army  soldiers  withdrew  from  the  Republic  of  Vietnam, 
March  28,  1973,  the  last  Army  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant  also  left  that  war-torn  country.  The 
departure  of  Chaplain  (COL)  Emil  F.  Kapusta,  the  MACV/USARV  Support  Command  Chaplain  and 
his  assistant.  Sergeant  First  Class  Douglas  R.  Carpenter,  brought  to  a  close  the  involvement  of  the 
Chaplaincy  in  a  conflict  which  began  eleven  years  before  when  the  first  two  Army  chaplains.  Chaplain 
(MAJ)  William  S.  Staudt,  and  Chaplain  (ILT)  Elmore  W.  Lester,  arrived  in  the  Republic  of  Vietnam 
on  March  3,  1962.'  The  agony  of  the  Vietnam  War  would  not  finally  end  until  1975,  but  the  stains 
and  stresses  engendered  by  this  conflict  on  the  U.S.  Army  and  its  Chaplaincy  would  have  a  profound 
effect  upon  both  of  these  institutions. 

An  important  resource  for  Army  chaplains  serving  in  Vietnam  in  this  period  was  the  U.S.  Army 
Chaplain  School,  the  main  focus  of  training  for  the  Chaplaincy.  During  the  war  the  school  was 
located  at  Fort  Hamilton,  New  York.  Fort  Hamilton  was  officially  opened  in  1 825  as  a  defense 
fortification  guarding  the  entrance  to  New  York  harbor.  It  was  named  after  Alexander  Hamilton. 
The  Chaplain  School  moved  to  this  site  in  1962  from  Fort  Slocum,  New  York.  During  the  Vietnam 
War  the  need  for  an  increased  number  of  chaplains  necessitated  larger  classes  at  the  school. 
However,  the  training  they  received  "rather  than  being  directed  only  toward  ministry  in  Southeast 
Asia  .  .  .  continued  to  be  geared  to  a  ministry  that  would  benefit  the  Army  wherever  and  whatever 
situation  a  chaplain  was  assigned.""  Even  as  chaplains  and  chaplains  assistants  rotated  back  to  the 
school  ft^om  service  in  Vietnam,  "the  emphasis  in  formal  instruction  .  .  .  was  always  focused  on  skills 
and  training  that  would  serve  the  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant  in  all  assignments."^  As  United 
States  involvement  deepened  in  the  conflict,  "seminars,  training  packets,  and  'Lessons  Learned  in 
Vietnam,"'^  began  to  be  included  in  the  curriculum.  Additional  training  in  the  religions  and  customs 
of  Vietnam  were  introduced,  as  were  classes  which  addressed  some  of  the  unique  problems  emerging 
from  the  conflict;  e.g.,  dealing  with  illegal  orders  and  the  means  of  properly  reporting  real  or  alleged 
atrocities  (such  as  the  My  Lai  incident),  the  question  of  conscientious  objectors,  as  well  as  problems 
associated  with  racial  matters.^ 

As  part  of  his  research  to  write  He  Was  Always  There:  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Ministry  In  The 
Vietnam  Conflict,  Chaplain  (COL)  Henry  F.  Ackermann  conducted  a  selected  survey  of  Army  chap- 
lains who  had  served  in  Vietnam.  One  of  the  sections  in  the  survey  dealt  with  the  training  these 
chaplains  received  at  the  Chaplain  School  in  preparation  for  their  combat  ministry.  Chaplain  training 
was  rated  as  "good"  by  54  percent  of  the  respondents,  whereas  38  percent  rated  their  training 
experience  as  only  "fair  "  Eight  percent  rated  chaplain  training  as  poor.  Chaplain  Ackermann  notes 
that  most  of  the  chaplains  who  chose  "fair,"  were  those  still  on  active  duty  in  1985.  Almost 
three-quarters  of  the  respondents  recommended  that  chaplain  training  be  changed.  The  recommended 
changes  included  more  field  training,  simulated  combat  training,  and  a  more  realistic  orientation  to 
combat  ministry.*  As  the  Vietnam  conflict  began  to  wind  down  after  1969,  the  Army  and  the 
Chaplaincy  began  to  try  and  answer  the  questions  raised  by  the  conflict.   The  answers  they  found 


393 


would  have  a  profound  effect  upon  the  Chaplain  School. 

When  the  U.S.  Army's  direct  involvement  in  Vietnam  ended  in  1973,  the  Chaplain  School  could 
look  back  on  55  years  of  existence  as  the  Chaplaincy's  primary  training  facility.  The  school  was 
created  out  of  a  need  to  adequately  train  chaplains  to  staff  the  large  military  machine  which  the  United 
States  was  creating  in  1917,  in  order  to  fight  the  war  in  Europe.  Prior  to  World  War  I,  training  for 
Army  chaplains  was  minimal,  with  new  chaplains  essentially  being  informally  mentored  by  older,  more 
experienced  chaplains.  The  small  size  of  the  Chaplaincy  was  the  key  reason  for  this  lack  of  training 
school.  In  1916,  just  74  chaplains  were  on  active  duty  in  the  Army.  The  plan  for  the  school  was 
developed  by  Chaplain  (MAJ)  Aldred  A.  Pruden.  On  February  9,  1918,  the  War  Department  formally 
approved  Chaplain  Pruden's  plan,  and  the  first  session  of  the  Chaplain  School  commenced  on  March 
3,  1918.  For  its  second  session  the  school  moved  to  Camp  Zachary  Taylor,  Kentucky.  This  initial 
move  only  one  month  after  the  first  formal  session  of  the  school  was  to  be  a  prophetic  one,  since  it 
began  an  odyssey  of  relocation  which  has  continued  down  to  the  present  day.^ 

In  the  general  demobilization  which  followed  the  end  of  World  War  I,  the  Chaplain  School 
suspended  operations  on  January  19,  1919  It  was  reactivated  on  a  permanent  basis  at  Camp  Grant, 
Illinois,  in  April  1920,  with  a  staff  of  fifteen  and  a  student  body  of  the  same  size.  After  four  sessions 
the  school  was  moved  to  Camp  Henry  Knox  (now  Fort  Knox),  Kentucky,  in  September  1921  One 
year  later  it  was  relocated  to  Fort  Wayne,  Michigan.  It  finally  found  a  more  or  less  stable  home  at 
Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  in  the  summer  of  1924,  where  it  would  remain  located  for  the  next  four 
years.  By  1928,  there  were  only  125  chaplains  on  active  duty  in  the  Army,  and  the  school  at  Fort 
Leavenworth  that  year  trained  only  one  Regular  and  eleven  Reserve  Army  chaplains.  The  next  step 
was  an  obvious  one  ~  the  activities  of  the  Chaplain  School  were  suspended  (although  it  was  never 
officially  inactivated),  and  would  remain  so  until  World  War  II.* 

By  1940,  "all  that  was  left  of  the  Chaplain  School. ..was  the  name,  together  with  a  fund  of  $101 .92, 
two  hundred  pounds  of  records,  a  library  of  fifteen  books,  and  ten  framed  pictures  of  past  classes."' 
On  February  2,  1942,  the  school  was  reactivated  at  Fort  Benjamin  Harrison,  Indiana.  In  August  of 
that  same  year  it  was  moved  to  Harvard  University  in  Cambridge,  Massachusetts.  It  remained  here 
for  two  years,  in  August,  1944,  it  was  transferred  to  Fort  Devens,  Massachusetts.  It  ended  the  war 
at  Fort  Oglethorpe,  Georgia.  Between  1942  and  1945,  the  Chaplain  School  graduated  more  than 
8,000  chaplains.'" 

In  mid- 1946,  because  of  the  deactivization  of  Fort  Oglethorpe,  the  Chaplain  School  moved  to 
Carlisle  Barracks,  Pennsylvania  —  its  eleventh  "new"  home  since  1918.  In  I95I,  it  moved  to  Fort 
Slocum,  New  York,  which  was  located  on  an  island  off  the  town  of  New  Rochelle."  It  was  a  move 
which  the  school's  commandant.  Chaplain  (COL)  Joseph  P.  Koch,  hailed  as  "the  first  step  toward 
making  Fort  Slocum  the  West  Point  of  the  Chaplain  Corps."'"  Chaplain  Koch  felt  that  this  site  of- 
fered the  best  location  that  the  school  had  had  during  its  entire  history.  Despite  this  judgement,  the 
school  moved  for  the  thirteenth  time  in  1961,  to  Fort  Hamilton,  New  York,  mainly  to  come  to  grips 
with  an  obvious  need  for  a  larger  physical  plant  and  more  readily  available  housing."  The  next  move 
would  come  in  the  wake  of  the  Vietnam  War,  and  would  also  find  the  Chaplain  School  a  part  of  a 
program  of  reorganization  and  reform  which  would  transform  the  United  States  Army. 


394 


REORGANIZATION  AND  REFORM 

For  the  Chaplain  School  the  process  of  change  officially  began  on  October  2,  1972,  when  General 
Bruce  Palmer,  Jr  ,  the  Acting  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  U.S.  Army,  signed  the  document  which  put 
forward  the  process  under  which  a  sweeping  reorganization  of  the  U.S.  Army  would  take  place. 
Called  Operation  STEADFAST,  its  goals  were  to  improve  readiness;  harness  school  and  combat 
development  activities;  and  improve  management.  This  reorganization  would  create  the  Training  and 
Doctrine  Command  (TRADOC),  under  which  the  school  would  be  aligned.'* 

Other  important  changes  also  took  place  at  the  school.  The  Department  of  the  Army  announced 
on  January  15,  1973,  that  the  school  would  be  relocated  from  Fort  Hamilton  to  Fort  Wadsworth,  on 
Staten  Island,  New  York.  Situated  across  the  Verrazano  Narrows  from  Fort  Hamilton,  Fort 
Wadsworth  was  the  fourteenth  home  of  the  school.  It  was  also  decided  that  the  Chaplain  Board 
would  move  to  Fort  Wadsworth  from  Fort  Meade,  Maryland  Additionally,  chaplain  elements  from 
the  Combat  Development  Command  at  Fort  Bel  voir,  Virginia,  were  sent  to  the  school.  All  of  these 
changes  were  completed  by  1974  The  end  of  1973  also  saw  the  Chaplain  School  formally 
redesignated  as  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  (USACHCS).'^  The  reorganization  and 
reform  of  the  Army  in  this  period  had  a  profound  effect  upon  the  Chaplaincy.  Under  the  direction 
of  two  dynamic  Chiefs  of  Chaplain's,  Chaplain  (MG)  Gerhardt  W.  Hyatt  (1971-1975),  and  Chaplain 
(MG)  Orris  E.  Kelly  (1975-1979),  these  reforms  and  reorganizations  were  initiated  at  the  school  by 
a  series  of  vigorous  commandants:  Chaplain  (COL)  Chester  H.  Lindsey  (1971-1975),  Chaplain  (COL) 
John  J.  Murphy  (1975-1976),  Chaplain  (COL)  Clifford  T.  Weathers  (1976),  and  Chaplain  (COL) 
Charles  F.  Kriete  (1976-1978). 

On  September  7,  1976,  just  a  week  before  his  tragic  and  unexpected  death.  Chaplain  John  J. 
Murphy  submitted  to  General  William  E  DePuy,  the  head  of  TRADOC,  a  detailed  study  which 
looked  to  the  fliture  of  training  at  USACHCS.  Chaplain  Murphy  had  appointed  an  ad  hoc  study 
group  to  look  at  professional  development  in  the  Chaplaincy  in  August  1975.  It  was  chartered  to 
examine  all  facets  of  training  at  the  school.  The  study  was  completed  on  August  31,  1976,  at  a 
special  ratification  conference  of  major  command  Staff"  Chaplains.  The  process  used  to  develop  the 
plan  was  a  modified  Delphi  process  which  involved  every  chaplain  in  the  Army  in  an  iterative  process 
of  sharing  and  expanding  both  written  and  oral  insights.'* 

From  the  outset,  as  an  integral  part  of  TRADOC,  USACHCS  was  tied  to  the  training  reforms 
developed  by  Generals  William  DePuy  and  Donn  Starry,  who  headed  TRADOC  during  this  period. 
While  the  Army  Surgeon  General  and  Judge  Advocate  General  retained  schools  independent  of 
TRADOC,  the  Chaplaincy  was  the  only  professional  branch  to  cast  its  lot  with  the  Army's  trainer  and 
architect  of  the  fijture.  It  was  not  an  uncontroversial  choice  and  it  created  a  triangular  relationship 
among  the  Commander  of  TRADOC,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  and  the  Commandant  of  USACHCS. 
This  relationship  was  frequently  difficult.'^ 

For  example,  in  the  TRADOC  system  the  commandant  of  a  branch  school  is  the  chief  and 
proponent  for  the  branch.  However,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  remained  the  branch  chief  while  the 
commandant  of  USACHCS  held  fianctional  proponency  for  training.  Additionally,  as  professionals, 
chaplain  training  was  necessarily  out  of  step  with  that  of  other  Army  officers.  The  Chaplain  Officer 
Basic  Course  (CHOBC)  was  the  chaplain  lieutenant's  first  military  training  to  prepare  for  service  as 
a  battalion  chaplain.  Other  branches'  second  lieutenants  had  completed  ROTC  training  before 


395 


Chaplain  (Colonel)  Roy  V.   I'ctprs 

(\>Mini 'iidanl.  U.S.   Army  Chaplain  Cenler  anti  School 

1970   -    1901 


Chaplani  (Colonel)  Kiehaiil   K     lupy,   ,li' 

Conim'UMianl    U.S.   Army  Chaplain  Cejilei    anil  Si  hool 

190  1    -    1905 


Chaplain  (Colonel)  Charles  J.   McDonnell 

Comm.^ndant  U.S.   Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School 

1984  -    1986 


Chaplain  (Colonel)  Charles  T.  Clanton 
Comm-.ndant  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School 
1986  - 


reaching  OBC  in  preparation  for  service  as  platoon  leaders.  The  Chaplain  Officer  Advanced  Course 
(CHOAC)  prepared  chaplains  for  service  on  battalion  staffs  while  other  OACs  prepared  company 
commanders.  The  development  of  doctrine  created  similar  opportunities  for  disagreement.  The  Chief 
of  Chaplains,  like  the  Judge  Adjutant  General  and  the  Surgeon  General,  has  significant  peacetime 
responsibilities  as  well  as  a  wartime  mission.  "The  Army  Trains  as  it  Fights,"  DePuy's  maxim,  turned 
out  to  be  very  complex  because  the  Chaplaincy's  critical  battlefield  mission  extended  from  the  front 
line  of  troops  (PLOT),  back  through  the  rear  area  to  the  families  at  the  installations  and  to  the  home 
stations  of  the  reserve  components.'^ 

Nevertheless,  the  fact  that  the  school  was  a  TRADOC  school  created  advantages  and  opportunities 
for  the  Chaplaincy.  TRADOC  provided  a  powerful  model  for  school  operations  in  Instructional 
Systems  Development  (ISD),  later  called  the  Systems  Approach  to  Training  (SAT),  SAT  made  it 
possible  to  link  school  training  to  field  performance.  It  focussed  energies  on  preparing  chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants  who  could  perform  the  tasks  required  to  do  the  work  of  the  Chaplaincy.  The 
system  required  that  USACHCS  continuously  monitor  both  the  nature  of  jobs  in  the  field  and  the 
performance  of  USACHCS  graduates.  Data  collected  in  the  field  along  with  student  reaction  was 
fed  back  into  the  curriculum  in  order  to  improve  its  effectiveness.''' 

TRADOC  also  provided  a  direct  link  to  the  changes  which  were  sweeping  through  the  Army. 
From  1973  onward  the  USACHCS  staff  and  faculty  participated  in  designing  curriculum  for  all 
service  schools.  At  the  same  time,  USACHCS  students  received  common  core  and  common  leader 
training  instruction  in  line  with  that  taught  at  other  service  schools.  During  Chaplain  Hyatt's  tenure 
as  Chief  of  Chaplains,  the  school  took  on  the  coloration  which  served  it  during  the  1970's  and  1980's. 
Commandants  such  as  Charles  Kriete,  Clifford  Weathers,  and  Richard  Tupy  all  had  served  on  Hyatt's 
staflf  As  a  result,  many  of  his  initiatives  in  management  and  organizational  development  found  their 
way  into  the  USACHCS  curriculum.  The  Leadership  and  Management  Division,  in  particular,  was 
active  in  promulgating  by  Objectives  for  Results.  This  Division  was  also  heavily  involved  in 
formulating  and  disseminating  computer  programs  for  managing  nonappropriated  chaplain's  fijnds 
Chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant  programs  of  instruction  show  heavy  emphasis  on  parish  development, 
parish  programs,  and  pastoral  counseling  Courses  such  as  the  Installation  Chaplain  Course,  Division 
Chaplain  Course,  Pastoral  Coordinator,  Nonappropriated  Chaplain  Fund  Clerk,  and  Nonappropriated 
Chaplain  Fund  Custodian  courses  are  tied  in  directly  and  closely  with  policy  directives  and  initiatives 
from  the  installation  management  section  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office.  In  short,  commandants 
are  clearly  in  tune  with  the  objectives  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains. ~° 

At  the  same  time  the  influence  of  the  TRADOC  system  on  the  Chaplain  School  grew.  Working 
under  the  SAT  methodology,  USACHCS  produced  Field  Manuals,  Field  Circulars,  Task  Lists, 
Soldiers  Manuals,  Individual  Training  Plans,  Programs  of  Instruction,  Training  Extension  Courses 
(TEC),  educational  television  tapes,  lesson  plans,  job  performance  aids,  reference  books,  and 
correspondence  courses.  All  of  these  were  based  on  the  tasks  that  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants 
did  on  their  jobs.  From  TRADOC,  also  came  the  push  for  "Battle  Focus  Training,"  to  train  for 
combat.  The  schools  were  to  write  exclusively  on  doctrine  and  training  which  prepared  soldiers  to 
perform  their  tasks  in  combat.  The  potential  for  conflict  between  TRADOC  and  the  Chaplaincy  was 
also  part  of  this  equation.  The  TRADOC  orientation  was  on  hard  skills,  combat  critical  tasks  for 
soldiers,  for  the  Army  in  the  field.  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office  saw  the  world  in  terms  of  human 
relations  skills  with  a  first  application  to  the  human  community  of  the  Army  installation."' 


397 


In  late  1978,  as  he  left  his  post  as  commandant  of  USACHCS,  Chaplain  (COL)  Charles  F.  Kriete 
detailed  for  the  TRADOC  commander.  General  Donn  A.  Starry,  a  summary  of  his  experiences  in  his 
two-year  tenure.  When  he  assumed  command  on  December  1 ,  1 976,  Chaplain  Kriete  said  that  he  was 
faced  with  the  task  of  implementing  the  Chief  of  Chaplains'  Professional  Plan,  which  had  been 
approved  by  the  Army  in  November.  It  was  a  plan  which  called  for,  he  pointed  out,  radical  surgery 
on  CHOAC  and  CHOBC  CHOBC  was  to  be  reduced  from  9  weeks  to  6  weeks,  and  two  additional 
phases  required  development;  a  pre-commissioning  text  to  be  completed  by  correspondence  before 
the  students  arrived,  and  a  Phase  III  hands  on  experience  to  continue  at  the  chaplain's  first  duty 
station,  under  the  tutelage  of  a  mentor  for  the  remainder  of  the  chaplain's  first  year  of  active  duty. 
The  school  dealt  with  this  challange  by  initiating  a  detailed  front  end  analysis,  and  then  devoting 
most  of  the  officer  resources  available  at  USACHCS  to  the  mission.  The  feedback  from  battalion 
commanders,  post  chaplains,  and  graduates  was  an  important  part  of  this  process.  Chaplain  Kriete 
felt  that  this  part  of  the  change  in  training  of  chaplains  was  "probably  the  most  successfiil  training 
program  in  the  Chaplaincy  today.""" 

Chaplain  Kriete  judged  the  reorganization  of  the  Advanced  course  less  of  a  success.  Two  major 
problems  existed  The  first  was  to  reduce  a  39  week  existing  course  to  a  7  week  core  which  would 
be  compatible  with  a  3  week  self-assement  and  an  1 1  week  self-selected  program  of  studies.  The 
second  problem  was  to  learn  how  to  teach  ministry  in  the  course  with  a  faculty  selected  for  other 
skills.  Finally,  Chaplain  Kriete  saw  the  organization  prescibed  by  School  Model  76  as  the  most 
difficult  and  persistent  problem  faced  at  USACHCS."^ 


USACHCS  AT  FORT  MONMOUTH 

(1979-1995) 

In  1979  the  Chaplain  School  moved  for  the  fifteenth  time,and  its  destination  was  Fort  Monmouth, 
New  Jersey.  It  was  to  remain  at  this  location  for  the  next  16  years,  which  is  the  longest  period  the 
school  has  stayed  at  any  one  location.  The  order  to  move  came  on  July  25,  1979,  ending  more  than 
a  year  of  speculation.  It  was  to  be  a  move  involving  not  a  little  bit  a  drama.  "^ 

In  the  middle  of  the  move  the  opposition  of  the  Hon.  Joseph  P.  Addabbo,  Democratic 
Congressman  from  Queens  and  Chairman  of  the  House  of  Representatives  Defense  Appropriations 
Subcommittee,  threatened  to  derail  the  process.  Congressman  Addabbo  wanted  the  school  moved 
back  to  Fort  Hamilton.  Already,  however,  69  of  the  123  assigned  military  and  civilian  personnel  had 
been  moved.  A  number  of  families  had  purchased  homes,  and  vans  had  moved  the  Command  and 
Administrative  sections.  At  the  last  moment  a  deal  was  hammered  out,  and  on  September  12,  1979, 
the  Congressman  dropped  his  opposition.  In  exchange  for  letting  the  Chaplain  School  move  to  Fort 
Monmouth,  the  Army  promised  to  renovate  Fort  Hamilton,  as  well  as  to  keep  open  Fort  Totten,  New 
York.  The  compromise  came  none  too  soon.  By  September  4,  1979,  about  85%  of  the  school's 
assigned  personnel  were  already  in  place  at  Fort  Monmouth.  The  remainder  of  the  staff"  and  faculty 
stayed  behind  at  Fort  Wadsworth  to  manage  and  teach  the  last  CHOAC  class  to  be  held  there.  This 
class  graduated  on  December  3,  1979.  The  commandant  of  USACHCS,  Chaplain  (COL)  Roy  V. 
Peters,  could  report  to  TRADOC  that  the  move  was  made  without  the  school  losing  any  instructional 
time  in  accomplishing  its  objective."' 


398 


IMM 
■WW 
illrini 


Chaplain    Officer  Advanced   Course    (C22)    of  June,    1980,     the   first 

at   Ft.    Monmouth.    Chaplain   Bernard   F.    Nass,    Course   Director,    is 

seated   fifth   from    the   left.    Chaplain  Alice  Henderson  Harris,     the 

first    commissioned  female   chaplain   in    the  Army,    is   seventh   from 

the   left   on    the   second  row. 


Fort  Monmouth,  the  new  home  of  the  Chaplain  School  began  its  life  in  1917,  when  the  Army 
established  a  post  at  Little  Silver,  New  Jersey,  to  serve  as  a  training  camp  for  the  Signal  Corps. 
Originally  named  Camp  Alfred  Vail,  its  name  was  changed  in  1925  to  Fort  Monmouth  The  new 
name  honored  the  men  of  the  Revolution  who  fought  and  died  at  the  battle  of  Monmouth  Court 
House,  which  took  place  on  June  28,  1778,  about  fifteen  miles  to  the  west  of  the  installation.'* 

Chaplain  Roy  Peters  was  the  first  commandant  of  the  school  at  its  new  location.  A  Catholic  priest 
from  Sacramento,  California,  he  entered  active  duty  with  the  Chaplain  Corps  in  1962.  He  served  in 
Vietnam  in  1967-1968,  and  had  been  assistant  commandant  under  Chaplain  Kriete  from  1977  to 
1978,  when  he  was  appointed  commandant  of  USACHCS.  He  held  this  position  until  March  25, 
1981." 

Writing  to  General  Dorm  A.  Starry,  the  TRADOC  commander,  on  February  2,  1981,  Chaplain 
Peters  detailed  three  areas  in  which  he  saw  that  USACHCS  had  made  substantial  progress.  Training 
development  activities  he  judged  to  be  the  school's  greatest  challange.  He  was  proud  of  the  school's 
heavy  involvement  in  SQT.  Also  that  the  Soldier's  and  Commander's  Manuals,  with  a  subsequent 
merge  into  Trainer's  Guides  for  CMF  71M,  had  resulted  in  the  successfial  establishment  of  basic 
design,  content  and  operational  procedures  for  succeeding  products  as  evidenced  by  USACHCS 
enlisted  developers  meeting  the  second  generation  guideline.  Another  area  of  accomplishment  was 
the  completion  by  a  Task  Force  of  a  three  year  RETO  Job/Task  Analysis  in  December,  1980. 
Completion  enabled  the  school  to  drive  ahead  into  the  analysis  and  design  phases  of  fiiture  officer 
training,  as  well  as  with  plans  for  functional  courses  in  accord  with  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 
Professional  Development  Plan,  to  include  an  exportable  mode  The  process  was  seen  as  a  validation 
of  the  task  team  matrix  which  forced  all  staff  and  faculty  to  become  developers/instructors.  Finally, 
Chaplain  Peters  saw  a  great  deal  of  progress  in  the  work  of  the  Combat  Developments  Directorate 
at  USACHCS  with  Division  86.  The  recently  adopted  doctrine  of  Forward  Thrust  gave,  he  said, 
"punch,  presence  and  area  coverage  capability  desperately  needed  by  combat  chaplains."  The  school's 
concepts  and  studies  people,  he  informed  General  Starry,  were  continuing  to  look  at  chaplain 
involvement  in  battlefield  stress,  trauma  and  related  areas.'^* 

A  number  of  problem  areas  still  existed.  Chaplain  Peters  told  General  Starry: 

We  continue  to  experience  difficulty  in  motivating  our  staff  and  faculty  to  conform 
to  the  ISD  process.  Often  the  Chaplains  grumble  that  even  God  could  not  have 
created  the  world  in  six  days  if  he  had  to  use  ISD.  Our  basic  problem  lies  in 
theidentification  and  analysis  of  soft  skills  critical  to  ministry;  behaviours,  knowledge, 
and  competencies  that  are  rather  difficult  to  measure.  However,  we  are  convinced 
that  this  systemic  approach  is  critical  to  guaranteeing  that  training/educational 
deliverables  are  geared  to  student  needs  rather  than  staff  and  faculty. 

Another  frustration  was  experienced  in  identifying  reserve  components 
training  needs  and  bring  them  on  line  with  active  duty.  The  One  Army  concept  and 
stress  on  mobilization  are  making  dents  in  the  resistance  of  our  civilian  chaplain 
counterparts.^' 

Chaplain  Peters  gave  the  majority  of  credit  for  the  schoors  success  to  Chaplain  (COL) 


400 


Richard  R.  Tupy,  Jr.,  who  was  the  Director  of  Training  Development  Peters  felt  that  his 
development  of  mandatory  staff  and  faculty  training  prior  to  begirming  analysis  and/or  design  roles, 
as  well  as  his  establishment  of  a  two  week  training  course  for  Basic  Chaplain  Phase  III  trainers  in 
instructional  methodology  and  curriculum,  were  examples  of  his  outstanding  work.^°  It  was  Chaplain 
Tupy  who  would  follow  Chaplain  Peters  as  commandant  of  the  school. 

Chaplain  Tupy  became  commandant  of  USACHCS  on  March  26,  1981,  following  a  seven  month 
tour  as  the  Director  of  Training  Development  at  the  school.  A  native  of  Detroit,  Michigan,  and  a 
pastor  in  the  American  Lutheran  Church,  he  had  entered  the  Chaplain  Corps  in  1957.  He  served  in 
Vietnam  with  the  54th  General  Support  Group  and  3rd  Brigade  (Separate),  1st  Air  Cavalry  Division, 
This  was  his  second  time  at  USACHCS.  He  had  been  an  extension  course  writer  and  a  curriculum 
developer  during  a  previous  tour  of  duty.  Chaplain  Tupy  had  also  been  the  Deputy  Director  of  the 
Personnel  Directorate  at  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.^'  Chaplain  Peters  thought  that  he  was 
uniquely  qualified  to  hold  the  post  of  commandant,  with  his  strong  academic  and  managerial 
background  He  informed  the  TRADOC  commander.  General  Starry,  that  under  Chaplain  Tupy, 
"you're  going  to  be  enthusiastic  and  proud  of  our  school  in  coming  years.  "^" 

Chaplain  Tupy,  after  one  year  in  his  post  as  commandant,  wrote  to  the  new  TRADOC 
commander.  General  Glenn  K.  Otis,  on  how  he  viewed  the  school  and  its  future  He  referred  to  his 
time  as  commandant  thus  far,  as  a  "Getting  Ourselves  Together"  year.  A  new  team  was  in  place  at 
USACHCS,  built  from  scratch,  and  "working  on  organizational  roles  and  relationships  as  [they] 
learned  to  cope  with  new  systems  and  procedures."  The  schoolhouse  was  being  refurbished,  with 
only  two  major  projects  yet  to  begin,  i.e.,  the  renovation  of  the  air  conditioning  system  in  the 
classroom  building,  and  the  modernization  of  the  enlisted  barracks.  Faculty  training,  he  told  General 
Otis,  was  being  developed  on  an  ongoing  basis  A  program  had  been  added  in  which  all  staff 
members  are  attached  to  a  Task  Team  (teaching  department)  as  adjunct  faculty  and  give  15  days  a 
year  to  training  development  and  teaching." 

Chaplain  Tupy  was  convinced  that  the  school  needed  a  logical  rational  process,  such  as  ISD,  to 
develop  training: 

We  have  not  yet  become  comfortable  in  applying  that  process  to  training  and  in 
interpersonal  skills  required  by  chaplains  and  enlisted  students  or  to  training  that 
requires  our  students  to  examine  their  stance  in  regard  to  the  ministry  and  beliefs  of 
others.  We've  left  the  term  'Ecumenism'  behind  and  taken  'pluralism  -  muhi-cultural, 
multi-denominational  ministry'  as  our  watchword,  but  are  just  learning  to  do  hard 
thinking  required  to  teach  these  soft  skills  well.^"* 

In  regard  to  Officer  Training,  he  admitted  that  feedback  from  the  field  made  it  clear  that  most  of 
the  training  given  at  the  school  since  1976  was  a  failure.  Chaplain  Tupy  thought  that  a  complete 
revision  of  the  training  program  was  needed,  "to  renew  our  training  in  staff"  and  military  skills."^'  It 
was  a  course  in  which,  he  told  Otis,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Chaplain  (MG)  Kermit  D.  Johnson,  was 
deeply  interested.  USACHCS  was: 

Pressing  ahead  while  trying  to  stay  synchronized  with  CASS  training.  Mobilization 
actions,  RETO  initiatives,  MQS  levels,  ethics  and  history  requirements,  course 


401 


development  constraints  and  new  technologies.  By  the  end  of  June  1982,  we  expect 
to  have  courses,  lengths  and  resource  requirements  targeted  for  the  core  officer 
courses.  Implementation  is  targeted  for  FY84.^'' 

In  enlisted  training  Chaplain  Tupy  admitted  to  General  Otis  that  USACHCS  had  published  a  poorly 
thought  out  Soldier's  Manual  on  its  first  try,  simply  to  meet  a  DA  deadline.  The  new  FY  81  revision 
was  vastly  improved,  he  held,  and  the  school  was  now  going  back  to  "lay  the  foundation  using  survey 
and  analysis  data  not  available  before.  By  FY  83  we  should  have  an  acceptable  task  and  site  selection 
list  in  hand."" 

The  commandant  thought  that  the  Combat  Developments  Directorate  had  finally  been  integrated 
into  the  training  system.  "Mission  Area  Analysis  has  begun  to  use  Training  Development  task  lists. 
Division  86  and  Chaplain  Forward  Thrust  doctrine  which  totally  change  Brigade  and  Battalion 
chaplain  relationships  are  being  integrated  into  the  training."^* 

For  Chaplain  Tupy  in  early  1982  then,  the  future  remained  a  challange: 

Most  of  our  training  and  training  products  are  not  really  done  right.  We're  often 
forced  to  short  cut,  bastardize  processes,  and  do  dumb  things  to  meet  a  deadline, 
because  we're  too  busy  covering  all  the  action  to  focus  our  energies  on  priority 
projects  or  because  an  action  officer's  priorities  don't  match  ours.  The  support  we've 
received  fi"om  TRADOC  has  been  more  than  fair,  however,  requirements  that  divert 
us  fi'om  important  missions  still  flow  regularly  through  the  system.^' 

Chaplain  Tupy  referred  to  his  next  year  as  commandant,  in  a  letter  to  the  new  TRADOC 
commander,  General  William  R.  Richardson,  as  a  "moving  out"  year.  He  was  still  as  optimistic  about 
the  school  as  he  had  been  with  General  Otis  in  1982,  but  the  problems  USACHCS  faced  appeared 
to  loom  larger  than  they  had  in  the  previous  year.  Maintaining  the  schoolhouse  was  a  serious  issue. 
The  buildings  occupied  by  USACHCS  were  thirty  years  old  with  many  defects  in  plumbing,  heating, 
and  electrical  supply.  A  major  overhaul  was  needed  The  school  was  working  hard  on  laying  the 
groundwork  for  a  chaplain  staff"  section  ARTEP,  establishing  a  pattern  of  Mobile  Training  Team 
service  to  the  field,  organizing  to  manage  and  distribute  training  support  packages,  and  tightening  up 
the  training  materials  support  system.*" 

The  Commandant  saw  some  potentially  serious  disconnects  in  the  realm  of  chaplain  officer 
training  strategies: 

The  major  problems  to  be  addressed  were  the  impact  of  these  strategies  on  Reserve 
Forces  and  Mobilization.  The  Army  Training  1990  Chaplain  Training  Strategy 
has  been  approved  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  and  will  be  implemented  with  courses 
beginning  in  January  1984.  A  major  problem  in  implementation  will  be  the 
responsiveness  of  the  ARPRINT  and  POI  approval  system."" 

As  far  as  enlisted  training  was  concerned,  Chaplain  Tupy  informed  General  Richardson  that  the 
AT  7IM  Training  Strategy: 


402 


Is  being  built  on  the  foundation  of  survey  and  analysis  data  not  previously  available. 
The  major  weakness  we  see  in  the  data  is  our  inability  to  clearly  identify  71M  soft 
skills-interpersonal  relations  with  volunteer  chapel  organizations  and  their  members, 
self-perception  as  a  helping  person,  and  ability  to  operate  with  a  pluralistic  world 
view.  A  second  order  of  problem  is  the  need  to  incorporate  shared  tasks  and  training 
developed  and  taught  at  other  service  schools.**' 

Chaplain  Tupy  worried  about  the  effect  of  what  he  termed  "Action  Officer  Overkill"  on 
USACHCS.  As  the  commandant  of  a  small  school,  he  pointed  out  to  General  Richardson,  he  could 
count  on  about  fifty  action  officers,  while  TRADOC  had  five  hundred  "Message  traffic,  verbal  and 
non-verbal  taskings,  and  formal  and  informal  reports  make  it  clear  that  your  staff  can  identify  far  more 
work  for  my  staff  to  do  than  the  manpower  system  will  provide  or  we  can  manage."''^ 

On  the  whole,  however,  Chaplain  Tupy  remained  optimistic.  His  goal  was  to  see  the  Chaplain 
Center  and  School  settled  in  for  the  long  run: 

I've  not  seen  morale  and  productivity  so  high  nor  interest  in  our  common  goals  and 
service  to  the  Army  and  the  Chaplaincy  so  great  I  am  proud  to  be  a  member  of  the 
team  that  has  been  assembled  here  to  helpshape  the  future  This  is  a  rewarding 
assignment  and  with  your  continued  support,  it  will  continue  to  be  exciting  fun.*'* 

Within  the  next  year  all  of  this  would  change,  and  the  US.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  was 
plunged  into  what  may  be  considered  its  most  defining  moment  in  the  twenty  year  period  between 
1975  and  1995.  The  issue  at  base  was  the  continuing  debate  over  where  the  soul  of  the  Chaplain 
School  ultimately  lay.  It  was  the  conflict  between  religious  and  academic  ends,  and  what  was  referred 
to  under  the  rubric  of  "soldierization."  The  debate  was  an  old  one.  When  the  War  Department  was 
examining  the  options  available  to  it  in  establishing  a  school  to  train  chaplains  in  1917,  a  serious 
alternative  was  considered  which  would  have  trained  chaplains  in  a  school  run  by  four  seminaries  in 
the  Boston-Cambridge  area,  and  which  emphasized  the  spiritual  mission  of  the  chaplain/" 

The  proposal  was  rejected  in  favor  of  a  traditional  Army  school,  but  the  fissures  inherent  in 
this  debate  in  1917  were  still  real  in  1984. 

In  a  very  real  sense  this  issue  of  soldierization  at  USACHCS  was  compounded  by  the  question  of 
control;  i.e.,  the  role  of  the  TRADOC  commander  in  relation  to  the  school  regarding  training  and 
integrating  that  training  into  the  rest  of  the  Army.  In  1983  and  1984,  Chaplain  Tupy  and  the  Chief 
of  Chaplains,  Chaplain  Patrick  J.  Hessian  discussed  this  issue.  In  mid-1984,  Chaplain  Tupy 
volunteered  to  leave  his  post  as  commandant  feeling  that  after  four  years  at  USACHCS  a  change 
might  be  in  the  best  interests  of  both  him  and  the  school.  At  that  time  Chaplain  Tupy  decided  to  stay. 
He  felt  that  USACHCS  was  making  progress  as  far  as  soldierization  was  concerned,  although  he 
admitted  that  it  was  not  fast  enough  as  far  as  the  TRADOC  commander  was  concerned.  The  issue 
came  to  a  head  in  late  1984,  not  over  the  question  over  who  had  the  power  and  control,  but  over  the 
negative  results  of  an  IG  Assessment  visit  examining  a  separate  problem.  In  the  end  Chaplain  Tupy 
was  reassigned  in  December  1984,  in  order  to  write  the  Division  and  Installation  Chaplain  courses 
for  USACHCS,  which  he  completed  before  his  retirement  in  1985.*^ 

The  new  commandant  of  USACHCS,  Chaplain  (COL)  Charles  J    McDonnell,  was  a  56  year  old 


403 


(Top)  Watters  Hall, U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  at  Ft. 
Monmouth;  (Bottom)  Chaplain  School  Commandants  Windmiller, 
Clanton,  Tupy,  and  Kriete  at  reception  in  1992. 


Roman  Catholic  priest  bom  in  Brooklyn,  New  York.  A  graduate  of  Seton  Hall  University,  he 
attended  Immaculate  Conception  Seminary  in  Darlington,  New  Jersey,  and  was  ordained  in  1954. 
He  had  served  as  a  parish  priest,  and  was  commissioned  as  a  U.S.  Army  chaplain  in  August  1965. 
Chaplain  McDonnell  served  in  Vietnam,  and  before  coming  to  USACHCS  to  be  assistant 
commandant  in  June  1984,  he  was  Staff  Chaplain,  U.S.  Army  Europe  (USAREUR)  and  Seventh 
Army  in  Heidelberg,  Germany.  He  would  hold  the  position  as  Commandant  of  USACHCS  from 
December  1984  to  September  1986,  when  he  was  appointed  to  be  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains. ""^ 
Chaplain  McDonnell  brought  to  his  post  a  background  of  strong  field  experience,  a  background  which 
would  be  shared  by  all  commandants  in  the  future:  Chaplain  (COL)  Charies  T.  Clanton  (1986-1989); 
Chaplain  (COL)  Bernard  L.  Windmiller  (1989-1992);  Chaplain  (COL)  Bernard  H  Lieving 
(1992-1994);  and  Chaplain  (COL)  George  Pejakovich,  who  became  commandant  in  1994. 

In  1986  Chaplain  McDonnell,  looking  back  at  what  he  held  to  be  his  main  accomplishments  as  the 
commandant  of  USACHCS,  saw  them  falling  into  three  categories:  the  development  of  FTX  training, 
the  creation  of  a  firm  base  of  doctrinal  literature;  and  a  significant  advance  in  evaluation  and 
standardization.  ■"* 

The  insertion  of  FTX  training  into  the  AIT  POI  in  1985,  he  felt,  was  an  "extremely  important 
addifion"  to  training  at  USACHCS.  Field  exercises  were  also  integrated  into  all  training,  both  officer 
and  enlisted,  during  1985-1986.  Chaplain  McDonnell  saw  these  steps  as  increasing  the  preparation 
of  the  Unit  Ministry  Team  to  serve  in  a  combat  setting.  Three  new  field  circulars  (FC  16-50,  Unit 
Ministry  Team;  FC  16-5-4,  Installation  Religious  Support,  and  FC  15-61,  Battle  Fatigue)  were 
written.  Also  one  new  field  manual  (FM  16-22,  Conducting  Military  Funerals  and  Memorials)  was 
published.  He  saw  these  products  as  establishing  "a  solid  foundation  for  our  training  and  give  a 
much-needed  specificity  to  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  in  critical  areas  of  ministry  to  soldiers 
and  their  families."  Finally,  he  felt  that  "significant  advances"  had  been  made  in  evaluation  and 
standardization.  Branch  training  teams  had  been  expanded.  In  1984  this  had  been  a  negligible 
activity  at  USACHCS,  but  in  1985  there  were  16  visits.  This  process  was  being  enlarged,  and  already 
the  school  was  "beginning  to  gather  very  helpfiil  information  which  supports  the  efforts  of  our  new 
curriculum  review  process."*' 

Other  important  milestones  at  USACHCS  were  a  drastic  upgrading  of  enlisted  training.  The 
school  assumed  responsibility  for  all  of  the  71M  ANCOC  course.  The  staff  was  actively  engaged  in 
the  development  of  training  support  packages  in  the  area  of  Religious  Practices,  which  were  to  be 
made  a  part  of  all  service  school  instruction  in  the  fijture.  Curriculum  at  USACHCS  was  being 
modified  to  insure  that  the  UMTs  were  being  prepared  to  deal  with  providing  ministry  to  patients  and 
families  coming  to  terms  with  the  trauma  associated  with  AIDS,  as  well  as  ministry  to  soldiers  with 
suicidal  tendencies.  Two  new  senior  leadership  courses  were  implemented,  both  as  fianctional 
courses:  A  Division  Chaplain  Course  and  an  Installation  Chaplain  Course  Also,  an  Instructor 
Training  program  was  started.  Finally,  Chaplain  McDonnell  felt  that  the  addition  of  drill  sergeants 
had  made  a  dramatic  impact  on  "soldierization"  at  USACHCS.  In  particular,  there  was  "a 
trememdous  improvement  in  soldier  skills,  appearance  and  discipline  as  a  direct  result  of  their 
leadership  and  interaction  with  our  AIT  students."'"  The  school  was  beginning  to  heal  itself  Irom 
the  trauma  of  1984. 

Chaplain  (COL)  Charles  T.  Clanton  succeeded  Chaplain  McDonnell  as  commandant  on  September 
9,  1986.  A  native  of  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  he  was  the  first  Southern  Baptist  to  become  commandant 


405 


^^P^^V^'^''  ^^7^  ''^' 


(Top,    L-R)    Chaplain    Theodore    "Ted"  Sirotko  discusses    the   Chaplain   Officer  Basic 
Course   with    Chaplain    Thomas   Cook;   Sergeant  Major  James   Schonefeld  and  leaders 
from   the   NCO  Academy,    US  Army  Chaplain    Center  and  School,    Ft.    Monmouth;     (Bottom) 
Division    Chaplain's   Course   1989,    Chaplain   Charles   Clanton,    Commandant,    second 
from  right   on   front   row. 


Chaplain   James  H.    Robnolt    and 
Commandant    of   the    U.S.    Army 


Chaplain  Bernard  H.    Lieving, 
Chaplain   Center   and  School, 


at    Ft.    Monmouth,    New  Jersey 


of  the  Chaplain  School.  A  graduate  of  Furman  University,  Greenville,  South  Carolina,  he  was 
originally  commissioned  as  a  Second  Lieutenant  in  Armor  from  ROTC  at  Furman  University. 
Chaplain  Clanton  was  reappointed  as  a  chaplain  with  concurrent  duty  on  June  15,  1966.  He  saw 
service  in  Vietnam,  and  prior  to  coming  to  USACHCS  he  had  been  Corps  and  Post  Chaplain, 
Headquarters,  III  Corps  and  Fort  Hood,  Fort  Hood,  Texas.  Holder  of  a  Silver  Star  and  a  Bronze 
Star,  as  well  as  having  an  Armor  background.  Chaplain  Clanton  was  singularly  qualified  to  continue 
the  process  of  "soldierization"  at  the  school.^' 

In  two  oral  interviews  conducted  in  1989,  Chaplain  Clanton  gave  a  wide-ranging  assessment  of 
his  stewardship  at  USACHCS.  The  two  major  accomplishments  in  the  area  of  training,  he  felt,  were 
the  introduction  of  the  small  group  method  of  instruction  in  CHOAC  as  well  as  in  the  newly  created 
NCO  Academy,  and  in  the  continued  emphasis  on  "soldierization."  The  FTX  had  been  strengthened, 
which  was  helping  young  chaplains  to  understand  how  to  survive  on  the  battlefield.  Chaplain  Clanton 
stressed  both  the  "soldierization"  process,  as  well  as  spiritual  development: 

In  regard  to  the  soldierization  process,  we  always  have  to  keep  a  balance  and  I 
understand  that,  do  not  want  to  become  just  a  military  school,  but  we  have  to  think 
about  ministering  in  the  combat  environment  because  that's  where  we  are  being 
trained  to  go.  Ive  also  stressed,  and  I  think  it  has  taken  hold,  the  spiritual 
development.  We're  not  only  to  be  staff  officers,  which  we  must  be,  but  we're  also 
pastors  to  our  people  -  that's  why  we  are  in  the  Army!  We  have  to  be  spiritually 
developed  ourselves.  We  have  to  be  in  touch  with  God  if  we  are  going  to  be  able  to 
feed  the  flock." 

Chaplain  Clanton  noted  the  value  to  USACHCS  of  other  programs  which  had  been  introduced  or 
strengthened  during  his  tenure.  Especially  important  were  the  newly  created  Leadership  Assessment 
Program  and  the  Basic  Human  Interaction  Course.  He  placed  a  strong  emphasis  upon  a  viable  PT 
program." 

It  is  a  very  strenuous  PT  program  thatwe  have  for  the  students  and  the  cadre  We 
have  seen  remarkable  results  in  the  AIT  classes,  extremely  good  scores  in  class  after 
class  ....  Since  we've  had  small  group  instruction  in  the  advanced  course  -  we've 
seen  phenomenal  scores. ''* 

During  Chaplain  Clanton's  tour  as  commandant  the  physical  plant  of  the  school  was  continually 
being  updated,  not  without  considerable  discomfort  to  the  staff"  and  faculty,  as  well  as  the  students. 
The  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Museum  began  a  process  of  renewal  which,  under  a  new  curator  and 
assistant  curator  hired  under  Chaplain  Clanton's  auspices,  put  it  well  on  its  way  towards  eventual 
accreditation  as  a  fiill  fledged  Army  Museum  in  1994  The  Library  at  USACHCS  was  also  built  up 
during  this  period,  and  in  1990  it  was  awarded  the  Commander's  Excellence  Award  as  the  best  library 
in  the  TRADOC  system  " 

Chaplain  (COL)  Bernard  L.  Windmiller  took  over  the  reins  of  the  Chaplain  School  from  Chaplain 
Clanton  in  July  1989.  His  three  years  as  commandant  would  see  the  United  States  participate  in  its 
largest  military  conflict  since  the  Vietnam  War.  These  three  years  would  also  see  the  end  of  the  Cold 
War  and  the  beginning  of  a  new  restructuring  of  the  United  States  military. 


408 


(Left)    Ms.    Nella   H.    Hobson    ,    Public  Affairs   Officer   and  Managing 
Editor   of   The  Army  Chaplaincy,    with    Chaplain   John   Patrick   in 
field  exercises   near   Ft.    Monmouth 


Command  Sergeant  Major  Aaron   Gibson 


Command  Sergeant  Major  Oscar  L.    Crumity 


Chaplain  Windmiller  first  entered  the  Army  as  an  enhsted  man  in  1954.  He  served  in  Korea,  and 
after  release  fi'om  active  duty  in  1956,  he  completed  his  B.A.  degree  in  History  at  Bluffton  College, 
Bluffton,  Ohio.  He  was  an  ordained  minister  of  the  Evangelical  Covenant  Church  of  America,  and 
while  a  civilian  minister  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  from  1963-1966,  he  was  a  reserve  chaplain  with  the  85th 
Training  Division.  In  March  1966  he  came  on  active  duty  as  a  chaplain,  and  served  in  Vietnam  Prior 
to  his  selection  as  commandant  of  the  Chaplain  School,  Chaplain  Windmiller,  like  Chaplain  Clanton 
before  him,  had  been  the  III  Corps  and  Fort  Hood  Chaplain."" 

Chaplain  Windmiller  came  to  the  school  with  a  priority  to  see  trained  the  very  best  chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants  that  the  USACHCS  could  put  into  the  field.  He  felt  that  in  many  ways  the  school 
was  running  quite  smoothly,  however  there  was  one  area  that  was  of  very  great  concern  to  him,  and 
he  saw  it  as  a  major  organizational  problem.  The  big  change  that  he  introduced  was  the 
reorganization  of  the  Directorate  of  Military  Ministry  (DMM): 

When  I  came  here,  it  was  evident  to  me  that  the  organization  of  having  one  person 
as  a  course  manager  for  the  Chaplain  Officer  Basic  Course,  the  AIT  Course,  and  the 
Functional  Courses,  was  not  working  well.  What  I  did  was  to  take  the  Chaplain 
Officer  Advanced  Course  as  a  model ....  I  took  the  CHOAC  model  and  set  up  a 
CHOBC  Division  Chief,  and  an  AIT  Division  with  a  Division  Chief" 

Much  of  his  energy.  Chaplain  Windmiller  admitted,  was  focused  on  this  reorganization.  He  felt 
that  problems  in  how  the  school  was  organized  still  remained.  "The  only  area  that  is  always  a 
question  mark  in  my  mind,  and  it's  been  a  problem  area  ever  since  I've  been  associated  with  the 
school,  is  the  relationship  between  the  Directorate  of  Military  Ministry  and  the  Directorate  of 
Training  and  Doctrine."'*  Chaplain  Windmiller  was  not  able  to  correct  this  problem  on  his  watch, 
however  the  organizational  disconnect  was  settled  by  combining  the  two  directorates  under  the  next 
commandant.  On  the  whole.  Chaplain  Windmiller  felt,  USACHCS  fitted  well  into  TRADOC  School 
Model  89.5' 

The  other  important  event  during  Chaplain  Windmiller's  tenure  at  the  school  was  the  Gulf  War. 
The  question  was  just  what  would  happen,  "not  knowing  what  the  Army  was  going  to  have  to  do, 
ultimately,  you  have  to  deal  with  mobilization."*^'  Besides  struggling  with  how  the  school  would  deal 
with  a  large  scale  mobilization,  USACHCS  had  to  address  the  concerns  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  on 
how  to  supply  training  to  a  number  of  Reserve  and  National  Guard  chaplains  who  were  not  branch 
qualified.  In  addition  the  school  took  a  key  role  in  helping  to  get  on  line  the  Chaplain  Resupply  Kit. 
USACHCS  "also  sent  mobile  training  teams  around  to  five  mobilization  centers  to  train  chaplains  in 
mass  casualties,  how  to  deal  with  families,  conduct  memorial  services,  etc."*'' 

The  Gulf  War  was  the  first  conflict  in  the  history  of  the  United  States  that  the  American  military, 
especially  the  Army,  was  flilly  prepared  to  fight  from  the  onset  of  hostilities.  Its  ability  to  do  this  was 
a  direct  product  of  the  reforms  and  reorganization  in  the  United  States  Army  which  had  occurred 
since  the  end  of  the  Vietnam  conflict.  TRADOC  had  done  its  job.  Yet  the  Army  and  the  Chaplain 
School  was  also  caught  in  a  terrible  contradiction.  The  Cold  War  had  ended  during  this  period,  and 
the  Soviet  Union  had  ceased  to  exist.  The  apocryphal  sign  rumored  to  hang  in  the  Pentagon,  "The 
Russians,  they  were  always  there  when  you  needed  them,"  was  no  longer  valid.  In  many  ways  the 
Chaplain  School  was  ending  this  twenty  year  period,  right  back  where  it  started  in  1975.  What  was 


412 


the  threat'^  What  sort  of  a  Army  did  the  nation  require  in  this  new  era?  How  was  the  Army  to  train? 
How  big  was  it  to  be*^  In  practical  terms  the  period  after  the  conclusion  of  the  Gulf  War  meant  an 
overall  reduction  in  the  size  of  the  Army  TRADOC  between  1991  and  1995  lost  37%  of  its  civilian 
work  force,  and  38%  of  its  military  staff.  The  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  was  similarly 
effected.  The  two  commandants  who  followed  Chaplain  Windmiller,  Chaplain  (COL)  Bernard  H. 
Lieving,  Jr.,  (1992-1994),  and  Chaplain  (COL)  George  Pejakovich  who  became  commandant  in 
mid- 1994,  were  to  struggle  with  the  effects  of  this  great  change. 

Chaplain  Lieving  was  a  native  of  West  Virginia,  ordained  by  the  United  Methodist  Church,  and  a 
member  of  the  West  Virginia  Annual  Conference.  He  received  a  B.A.  degree  from  Otterbein 
University  in  Westerville,  Ohio,  and  entered  the  Chaplain  Corps  in  1967  Prior  to  his  assignment  as 
commandant,  he  served  as  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  and  Installation  Chaplain,  Fort  Bragg,  North 
Carolina.  In  that  assignment  he  served  seven  months  in  Southwest  Asia  on  Operation  Desert 
Shield/Desert  Storm.  Chaplain  Lieving  would  serve  two  years,  1992-1994,  as  the  commandant  of 
USACHCS" 

When  he  became  commandant.  Chaplain  Lieving  said  that  he  did  not  know  what  to  expect.  He 
had  been  at  USACHCS  in  the  late  1970's,  but  he  feh  that  much  had  changed  since  that  time.  His 
central  focus  was  on  what  he  saw,  to  be  the  main  mission  of  the  school,  i.e.,  "to  train  chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants.  Unit  Ministry  Teams,  to  be  prepared  to  go  out  fi"om  here  to  provide  ministry  to 
soldiers  and  their  families."*^  Two  issues  which  Chaplain  Leiving  had  to  deal  with  besides  keeping 
up  training  in  the  face  of  declining  resources  and  staff,  were  the  reorganization  of  USACHCS  under 
the  Combat  Arms  Support  Command  (CASCOM),  and  the  decision  coming  out  of  the  Base 
Realignment  Commission  (BRAC)  that  the  Chaplain  School  would  be  moved  to  a  new  location,  its 
sixteenth,  at  Fort  Jackson,  South  Carolina. 

The  CASCOM  reorganization  created  some  confusion  as  to  where  the  school  stood.  When 
Chaplain  Lieving  became  commandant  he  brought  his  concerns  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Chaplain 
(MG)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman: 

I  went  to  him  and  said,  sir,  you're  listed  as  my  rater,  the  TRADOC  commander  is  my 
senior  rater.  Where  does  CASCOM  fit  into  all  of  this''  Chaplain  Zimmerman's  reply 
was  I  like  it  the  way  it  is,  leave  it  that  way.  And  I  said,  yes,  sir.*'' 

Chaplain  Lieving  feh  that  after  two  years  on  the  job,  the  question  of  the  role  of  CASCOM  in  relation 
to  USACHCS  had  still  not  really  been  answered  to  anyone's  satisfaction.**' 

The  1993  BRAC  implementation  plan  to  move  the  school  to  Fort  Jackson  was  an  issue  that 
involved  a  considerable  amount  of  planning  at  USACHCS.  Under  Chaplain  Lieving's  direction,  work 
was  also  completed  on  an  Interservice  Training  Review  Organization  for  the  consolidation  or 
collocation  of  tri-service  chaplain  training.  In  the  end  the  idea  of  a  joint  or  "Purple"  Chaplain  School 
was  rejected  ~  for  the  present.  In  mid- 1994,  having  decided  to  retire  from  the  Army  early,  Chaplain 
Lieving  reviewed  his  two  year  tenure  as  commandant.  He  judged  that  he  and  USACHCS  could  look 
back  to  a  number  of  solid  accomplishments,  despite  the  great  changes  and  declining  resources  faced 
by  the  Army.  The  school,  he  felt,  had  "trained  every  seat  filled  by  the  components  in  every  course." 
USACHCS  had  prepared  senior  level  training  for  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  annual  training,  "recruiting 
a  world  class  faculty  to  teach  school  directed  training."  It  had  actively  utilized  the  TRADOC  Middle 


413 


(Top)    Chaplains   Shea    and  Pejakovich    assist    with    ground-breaking 
for   new  Chaplain   School    at   Ft.    Jackson,    SC;     (Bottom)    Chaplains 
Malcolm  Roberts   and  George   Pejakovich    examine   new  structure 


SUBJECT:    WHAT    DO   WE   AS    CHAPLAINS    DO    FOR   SOLDIERS    AND   SOLDIER 
FAMILIES? 

SOURCE:    Interviews  with  Chaplain  Officer  Advanced   Course   Students 

POC:    Chaplain    (LTC)    Peter  Christy 

Fajoily  Support  Groups 

Marriage   Counseling 

Family/Individual   Counseling 

Crises   Counseling 

Suicide   Counseling 

Suicide   Prevention  Workshop 

Premarital   Counseling 

Premarital   Workshops 

Home  Visitation 

Family  Retreats 

Divorce  Counseling 

Stress  Workshops 

Stress   Counseling 

Separation  Preparation  Workshops 

P.E.T. 

Early  Return  Workshops 

Teen-age  Counseling 

Parent/Teen  Counseling 

Grief  and  Loss  Counseling 

Weddings 

Wedding   Renewal 

Orientation/New  Arrival  Workshop 

Emergency   Leave 

Religious  Education 

Lay  Leadership  Training 

Single   Parent  Training 

Single   Parent  Counseling 

Blended   Family  ketreats 

Worship   Services 

Prayer  Meetings 

Hospital    Lay  Training 

Assist.    Exceptional   Family  Program 

NEO 

Counsel  AIDS  Patients 

Train  Volunteers 

Cross-cultural  Communication  Workshops 

Drug-Alcohol  Counseling 

Drug-Alcohol  Prevention  Workshop 

Moral  Leadership  Classes  -  OPD 

Christmas/Thanksgiving  -  Dinners/ Caroling/Toy  Giving/Food  Baskets 

Holiday  Celebrations  -  M.L.  King,  Sweetheart  Banquets,  etc. 

Food  Lockers 

Clothes  Closets 

Child  Abuse  Counseling 

Financial  Assistance  Finance  Workshops 

Bible  Studies 


and  Senior  Managers'  Training  Program  to  bring  the  best  SAT  knowledge  into  the  schoolhouse 
Numerous  ARTEPS,  FMs,  as  well  as  several  doctrinal  concepts  papers  and  studies  had  been  reviewed 
for  doctrinal  sufficiency,  and  USACHCS  had  undertaken  the  writing  of  the  religious  support  portions 
of  FM  100-23.  The  school  was  deeply  involved  in  the  staffing  and  writing  of  FM  100-1.  Other 
milestones  at  USACHCS  included  an  NCO  LEAD  program  which  now  offered  college  credit  and 
school  college  training  to  every  AIT  student  who  participated,  a  complete  revision  of  the  Reserve 
Componant  Advanced  Course;  and  the  implementation  of  the  TRADOC  Common  Teaching  Scenario 
which  is  used  in  all  other  TRADOC  schools.** 


MOVING  AND  REDESIGNING  THE  SCHOOL 

In  July  1994  Chaplain  Lieving  was  succeeded  as  commandant  of  USACHCS  by  Chaplain  (COL) 
George  Pejakovich.  A  native  of  New  York  City,  Chaplain  Pejkovich  was  a  1967  graduate  of  the 
United  States  Military  Academy  at  West  Point.  Commissioned  a  2nd  Lieutenant  in  the  Infantry,  he 
served  1 0  years  as  an  Infantry  officer,  including  tours  of  duty  in  Vietnam  as  a  company  commander. 
He  resigned  his  Regular  Army  commission  in  1977,  and  attended  Trinity  Lutheran  Seminary  in 
Columbus,  Ohio.  Graduating  in  1979,  he  was  ordained  by  the  American  Lutheran  Church  and 
immediately  returned  to  active  duty  as  a  chaplain.  He  came  to  USACHCS  from  his  post  as  the 
Director  of  Personnel  and  Ecclesiastical  Relations,  in  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.*^ 

Two  remarkable  tasks  faced  Chaplain  Pejakovich  as  he  took  over  the  reins  of  USACHCS  in  July 
1994.  First,  he  would  have  to  oversee  the  move  of  the  school  to  Fort  Jackson,  South  Carolina. 
Second,  he  would  initiate  a  process  of  course  redesign  that  would  produce  a  fundamental  change  in 
the  way  the  school  would  conduct  future  training. 

The  original  milestone  set  by  the  1993  BRAC  saw  USACHCS  in  place  at  Fort  Jackson,  occupying 
a  new  school  building  in  fiscal  year  1997.  At  the  time  Chaplain  Pejakovich  became  commandant,  it 
was  necessary  to  speed  up  the  movement  schedule. 

Increased  influence  placed  on  the  U.S.  Army  Communications-Electronics  Command  (CECOM) 
to  vacate  its  high-cost  leased  building  in  Tinton  Falls,  New  Jersey,  and  occupy  buildings  on  the  main 
post  of  Fort  Monmouth,  including  Watters  Hall,  resulted  in  Chaplain  Pejakovich  being  asked  by  U.S. 
Army  Training  and  Doctrine  Command  if  USACHCS  could  move  one  year  earlier  than  scheduled. 
Such  a  move  would  necessitate  an  interim  facility  at  Fort  Jackson,  the  new  building  construction 
schedule  would  not  change. 

Chaplain  Pejakovich  was  willing  to  move  early  if  an  interim  facility  was  available  for  training  and 
if  he  could  move  with  the  personnel  spaces  necessary  to  flinction  at  Fort  Jackson  before  undergoing 
further  downsizing  actions.  Using  good  personnel  management  leverage  in  obtaining  the  best 
manpower  situation  for  the  school  (no  fijrther  cuts  would  be  made  prior  to  the  move),  and  with 
assurances  from  Fort  Jackson  that  an  interim  facility  would  be  ready,  Chaplain  Pejakovich  consented 
to  moving  USACHCS  from  Fort  Monmouth  to  Fort  Jackson  earlier  than  initially  scheduled  by 
BRAC  93. 

Prior  to  the  move,  efforts  to  draw  down  the  personnel  strength  of  USACHCS  as  a  TRADOC 
school  had  been  at  work  already.  Of  significant  note  was  the  Combined  Arms  Support  Command 
(CASCOM)  Realignment  Study,  briefed  in  March  1993  to  school  commandants  (the  USACHCS 


416 


commandant  was  not  included). 

The  intent  of  the  realignment  was  to  move  Proponency,  Combat  Developments,  Evaluation  and 
Standardization,  and  Training  Development  to  CASCOM  control.  The  schools  would  retain  only 
training  instructor  base  and  commandant  command  and  control  functions  at  their  sites.  If  applied  to 
USACHCS,  the  school  personnel  strength  would  drop  from  182  spaces  (45  officer,  87  enlisted,  50 
civilian)  to  a  minimum  command  and  control  section  plus  17  instructors.  This  did  not  happen  due 
to  the  agreement  of  Lieutenant  General  Samuel  Wakefield,  CASCOM  commander,  with  the  briefing 
given  by  Chaplain  Bernard  Lieving  on  March  25,  1993  as  the  justification  for  leaving  USACHCS  as 
a  stand-alone  school. 

With  the  decision  to  leave  USACHCS  "intact,"  the  school  did  not  fall  under  the  combat  service 
support  school  organizational  model.  USACHCS  did,  however,  adopt  an  end  strength  substantially 
smaller  than  the  January  1994  TDA  strength  level.  In  December  1993,  the  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army 
approved  the  revised  Combined  Arms  Support  Command  (CASCOM)  study  which  placed  the 
USACHCS  end  strength  at  129.  Approval  to  add  one  space  requirement  in  February  1994  resulted 
in  an  approved  strength  of  130   -  34  officers,  64  enlisted,  and  32  civilian 

Fort  Jackson  selected  Building  Number  2179  as  the  interim  facility  for  USACHCS.  Meanwhile, 
the  school  awaited  completion  of  its  new  building,  scheduled  for  early  1997 

By  June  1995,  an  advance  party  was  established  at  Fort  Jackson.  On  August  1,  1995,  the 
construction  of  the  new  facility  began  with  a  ground-breaking  ceremony.  The  new  school  building 
would  be  the  first  structure  built  from  the  ground  up  to  house  the  Chaplain  School.  It  was  designed 
to  be  a  state-of-the-art  training  facility  in  terms  of  its  configuration  as  well  as  its  technology,  and 
designed  to  take  USACHCS  into  the  next  century. 

The  other  great  change  which  Chaplain  Pejakovich  would  oversee,  with  the  fijll  support  of  the 
Chief  of  Chaplains,  was  a  fiindamental  redesign  of  instruction  involving  the  fiiture  direction  of  training 
and  the  US  Army  Chaplaincy.  Driven  to  a  large  extent  by  diminishing  resources,  this  review  of 
training  priorities,  conducted  during  1994-1995,  asked  the  question;  what  is  it  the  school  needs  to 
do  and  what  does  the  school  need  not  to  do*^  The  focus  of  the  course  redesign  for  CHOBC  would 
be  essential  training  with  a  battalion  focus.  The  course  would  train  chaplains  in  those  key  skills 
needed  to  perform  their  mission.  Their  professional  skills  as  ministers,  priests,  rabbis  and  imams 
would  be  presupposed  to  be  in  place.  A  new  CHOAC  blueprint  would  center  on  reduced  training 
that  concentrates  on  training  the  leadership  skills  that  can  be  used  at  the  division  and  corps  level. 

The  following  changes  in  course  curriculum  were  made: 

The  Chaplain  Officer  Advanced  Course  (CHOAC)  was  shortened  fi"om  20  to  eight  weeks  in 

response  to  concerns  about  availability  of  family  housing  at  Fort  Jackson.    The  advanced 

course  thus  became  a  temporary  duty  (TDY)  rather  than  permanent  change  of  station  (PCS) 

course.   Resourcing  implications  of  this  change  required  a  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army-level 

approval. 

The  Division  Chaplain  and  Installation  Chaplain  courses  were  combined  for  improved  training 

efficiency.    Rescheduling  accomplished  during  school  year  1995  would  permit  the  first 

combined  course  trained  at  the  interim  facility  in  October  of  1996. 

The  Chaplain  Officer  Basic  Course  (CHOBC)  was  restructured  to  increase  the  required 

resident  training  and  also  improve  its  accessibility  for  reserve  component  chaplains  and 

417 


chaplain  candidates.  Among  the  modifications: 

•  Conduct  of  initial  officer  training  was  taken  over  by  the  108th  Training  Division 
(Individual  Training) 

•  Students  with  prior  Army  officer  experience  could  now  forego  attending  the  common 
core  phase  for  chaplains  and  chaplain  candidates. 

•  Required  resident  training  was  increased  from  five  weeks  to  ten  weeks. 

The  Pastoral  Coordinator  and  Nonappropriated  Chaplain  Funds  Manager  courses  were 
combined  and  the  new  course  was  entitled  Chaplaincy  Resource  Manager.  This  change  was 
made  to  improve  overall  training  efficiency  and  to  target  more  closely  on  the  needs  of 
chaplains  with  management  responsibility  After  the  move  to  Fort  Jackson,  USACHCS 
would  not  train  appropriated  funds  management;  students  would  attend  the  Soldier  Support 
Institute  course  as  a  prerequisite  or  complete  the  Army  Correspondence  Course  on  Planning, 
Programming,  Budgeting,  and  Execution  Systems. 

While  these  changes  in  training  were  being  planned  and  implemented,  the  Chaplain  Center  and 
School  prepared  for  the  second  task  facing  it  C  the  physical  relocation  to  Fort  Jackson.  Chaplain 
Pejakovich  issued  a  directive  to  his  command  for  making  the  move;  "There  will  be  no  detriment  in 
training."  Based  on  that  principle,  every  decision  was  made  with  the  goal  to  continue  training 
uninterrupted  while  the  new  interim  building  was  prepared  for  training.*^ 

The  advance  party  at  Fort  Jackson  was  responsible  for  supervising  preparation  of  the  interim 
facility  and  becoming  operational  with  the  Fort  Jackson  installation  staff.  Training  at  Fort  Monmouth 
would  proceed  to  a  natural  wind-down  point  and  the  school  would  systematically  vacate  its  quarters 
as  fijnctions  were  transferred  to  the  new  location.  It  was  an  operational  plan  that  mirrored  the  Chief 
of  Chaplains  -  concept  of  "footprint  forward,  footprint  rear"  -  providing  religious  support  during 
force  projections  (deployments).*''' 

In  accordance  with  the  commandant's  policy,  beginning  in  May  1995,  incoming  personnel  began 
reporting  to  Fort  Jackson,  establishing  homes  for  their  family  members,  then  traveling  to  Fort 
Monmouth  and  attending  the  Instructor  Trainer  Course  before  working  temporary  duty  as  trainers 
until  the  school  move  was  consummated.  This  policy  precluded  families  from  making  two  moves  in 
a  short  period.  Replacement  soldiers  were  assigned  directly  to  Fort  Jackson  for  the  advance  party. 

Chaplain  (Col.)  James  Rennell  headed  the  advance  party  and  began  operations  with  an  initial  staff 
of  two  -  Chaplain  (Maj.)  William  B.  Broome  and  Sgt.  First  Class  Margarita  Burkhart.  Working  out 
of  five  mobile  trailers  down  the  hill  fi^om  Building  2179,  the  advance  party  eventually  swelled  to  85 
people  by  the  time  the  interim  building  was  ready  for  occupancy.  The  missions  of  the  advance  party 
were: 

•  prepare  the  interim  building  for  classroom  training 

•  coordinate  with  installation  staff  elements  in  such  areas  as  training  aid  support, 
logistics,  and  housing  as  would  pertain  to  the  school 

•  train  the  USACHCS  staff  in  the  Fort  Jackson  rules  and  regulations  (range  operations, 
driving,  etc.) 

By  the  time  Walters  Hall  at  Fort  Monmouth  closed,  only  15  people  remained  at  USACHCS  to 

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complete  the  movement  requirements,  headed  by  the  Assistant  Commandant,  Chaplain  (Col.) 
Malcolm  Roberts  III.  The  list  of  tasks  was  by  no  means  small  and  included  the  final  preparations  to 
load  22  moving  vans  full  of  office  furniture  and  supplies.  An  additional  five  vans  of  furniture  and 
other  materials  were  filled  and  left  at  Fort  Monmouth  for  turn-in  action.  Just  days  before  Christmas 
1995,  the  doors  were  secured  to  USACHCS  -  New  Jersey  home  of  16  years  -  and  the  keys  were 
turned  in  to  Fort  Monmouth.™ 

The  Chaplain  School's  temporary  home  -  Building  2179,  Fort  Jackson  -  was  a  concrete 
structure  built  in  1968.  In  its  "former  life,"  it  had  served  as  an  applied  instruction  facility  for  Light 
Wheeled  Vehicle  Maintenance.  Its  48,000+  square  feet  of  space  had  been  devoted  to  shop  bays,  live 
engine  laboratories  and  classroom  areas  under  one  roof  Over  some  1 3  months,  the  building  shell  was 
gutted  and  refurbished  to  accommodate  training  and  administrative  office  space  for  the  Chaplain 
Center  and  School  and  NCO  Academy.  All  of  the  museum  materials,  displays,  etc.,  were  put  into 
storage  within  the  building,  a  traveling  exhibit  was  constructed  for  display  in  the  large  central  corridor 
running  the  length  of  the  building.  The  $1.4  M  renovation  of  Building  2179  would  be  completed  in 
early  January  1966  and  the  keys  to  the  building  were  signed  over  to  USACHCS  that  same  month. 

Chaplain  Rennell  and  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Jim  Phelps  designed  the  interior  details  of  the  interim 
building.  They  based  their  layout  on  the  functional  realignment  downsizing  of  the  staff  that  was  in 
progress  at  the  time.  Each  new  development  implemented  from  the  changing  the  school's 
Organization  and  Functions  Manual  and  the  TDA  brought  follow-on  adjustments  in  space  allocations 
and,  subsequently,  room  assignments  for  the  interim  building. 

A  ribbon-cutting  ceremony  on  January  1 1,  1996  marked  the  official  opening  of  building  2179  as 
the  interim  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School.  Of  the  reception  by  Fort  Jackson  for  the 
Chaplain  School,  Chaplain  Rennell  said: 

A  Major  General  William  J.  Bolt  (commanding  general  of  Fort  Jackson)  treated 
USACHCS  the  same  as  (the  larger)  Soldier  Support  Institute.  The  post  gave  us  its 
full  attention  in  making  the  move  to  Jackson  as  easy  as  possible. 

It  was  Chaplain  RennelFs  impression  that  General  Bolt  saw  the  arrival  of  the  Chaplain  School  as 
a  boon  to  the  post  and  the  local  community  as  well  Indeed,  all  of  Fort  Jackson's  agencies  seemed 
of  one  mind:  to  work  whole-heartedly  in  helping  USACHCS  settle  in  its  new  environment  The 
efforts  of  post  public  affairs  and  protocol  offices  smoothed  the  way  for  handling  VIPs  visiting  during 
the  opening  ceremony  of  the  interim  facility.  The  Fort  Jackson  Military  Personnel  Office  staff 
performed  most  admirably  in  dealing  with  the  myriad  of  orders  that  assigned  soldiers  to  Fort  Jackson 
with  duty  at  Fort  Monmouth,  to  Fort  Monmouth  with  duty  at  Fort  Jackson,  and  with  every  possible 
variation  involved  with  operating  from  two  locations  at  one  time.  Coordination  was  effected  between 
the  Chief  of  Chaplains'  ofBce  and  PERSCOM  to  ease  the  inprocessing  inundation  of  soldiers  flowing 
into  Fort  Jackson. 

In  addition  to  managing  its  military  manpower,  USACHCS  moved  16  civilian  employees  from 
Fort  Monmouth  to  Fort  Jackson  who  found  new  homes  in  the  Columbia  area.  Making  the  Army 
relocation  as  civilian  employees  were  Stephanie  Alexander,  Gary  Blatt,  Terri  Binn,  Gary  Bobo,  Mary 
Lou  Glidden,  Nella  Hobson,  William  Hourihan,  Meta  Jackson,  Renee  Klish,  Marcia  McManus, 
Cynthia  Munn,  Teri  Newsome,  Margaret  Robertson,  Frank  Spang,  Johanne  Stavola,  and  Paul  Villano. 
During  the  transfer,  the  personnel  records  of  12  employees  were  lost  by  the  U.S.  Postal  Service. 
Before  the  move  actually  began,  USACHCS  underwent  a  series  of  downsizing  initiatives 

419 


experienced  by  all  TRADOC  schools.  The  downsizing  would  continue  after  the  school  made  its 
move  to  Fort  Jackson. 

One  such  effort  resulted  in  the  loss  of  the  Directorate  of  Evaluation  and  Standardization  in  all 
TRADOC  schools.  The  TRADOC  "school  model"  allowed  for  schools  on  non-TRADOC 
installations  to  perform  functions  normally  handled  by  installation  staff  directorates.  While  at  Fort 
Monmouth,  USACHCS  was  responsible  for  its  own  museum,  library.  Civilian  Personnel  Office 
liaison,  academic  records,  logistics/facility,  information  management,  adjutant  and  personnel 
administrative  center  functions. 

Moving  to  Fort  Jackson  coupled  with  budget  reductions  eliminated  the  need  to  have  a  School 
Secretary  Directorate  overseeing  a  multitude  of  activities.  Those  functions  were  realigned  for  the 
new  school  organization  and  placed  under  the  Assistant  Commandant,  the  RMO,  and  the  Training 
Directorate: 


Prior  to  the  move: 
Adjutant  and  Adjutant  functions 
to  Asst.  Commandant 
Logistics/facilities  to  RMO 


With  the  move: 

Library,  Museum  to  Asst.  Commandant 
Academic  Records  to  Training  Directorate 
CPO  liaison  to  RMO 


Decentralization  was  maintained  for  the  Resource  Management  Office  functions  at  Fort  Jackson. 
The  Chaplain  Center  and  School  was  the  last  in  TRADOC  to  have  a  School  Secretary  Directorate. 

The  long-standing  goal  to  upgrade  the  classrooms  and  oflBces  at  USACHCS  to  the  level  of  "current 
technology"  in  computerization  began  to  be  realized  in  the  wake  of  the  move  to  Fort  Jackson.  The 
school's  automated  data  processing  (ADP)  plan  would  be  implemented  shortly  after  taking  up 
quarters  in  the  interim  facility.  One  of  two  computer  laboratories  would  be  operational  with  the  first 
AIT  class  to  be  trained  there,  and  the  coming  months  would  see: 

•  linking  of  offices  and  classrooms  on  a  local  area  network  (LAN) 

•  network  connection  with  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  office  in  the  Pentagon 

•  creation  of  the  USACHCS  home  page  on  the  World  Wide  Web. 


Future  automation  plans  for  the  new  building  still  under  construction  call  for  the  total  upgrading 
of  the  school  to  industry-standard,  state-of-the-art  equipment  in  both  classroom  and  offices. 

The  year  1995  is  notable  in  that  it  marked  the  Chaplaincy's  entrance  into  Armywide  battlefield 
simulation.  At  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  a  group  of  chaplain  players'^  participated  in  "Prairie 
Warrior  95"  and  introduced  religious  support  actions  into  normal  operational  planning.  An  annual 
exercise  of  warfighting  simulation  for  joint,  combined,  corps  and  echelons-above-corps  operations, 
"Prairie  Warrior  95"  provided  the  opportunity  to  demonstrate  the  relevancy  of  unit  ministry  team  staff 
functions  to  the  maneuver  unit  commander.  So  valuable  was  the  chaplains'  contribution  of  real-world 
considerations  to  overall  play  that  the  Chaplaincy  would  be  fully  integrated  with  every  maneuver 
unit's  command  and  control  during  "Prairie  Warrior  96" 

The  wheel  has  come  full  circle  since  1975.  In  1995  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School 
completed  a  move  to  Fort  Jackson  to  an  interim  structure  before  making  its  final  move  to  a  new 
"home."  Many  expect  the  move  to  be  the  Chaplain  School's  last,  foreseeing  Fort  Jackson  as  being 
a  permanent  residence.  In  a  very  real  sense,  the  Chaplain  School  finds  itself  much  in  the  same 
position  as  it  did  in  1975.  History  has  proved  again  and  again  that  the  past  is  but  prologue.  The 

420 


(Top)  Chaplain  Telencio,SFC  Scott , Chaplains  Quinn,  Gunhus,  and 
Pejakovich  test  Field  Immersion  Baptismal  Liner  at  Ft.  Jackson 
(Bottom)    Chaplain   Pejakovich    instructing  in    the   field 


lessons  that  caii  be  learned  from  the  events  of  the  past  two  decades  at  USACHCS  may  help  to  shape 
its  future.  The  21st  century  is  ahead  and  the  staff,  faculty  and  students  look  in  anticipation  to  find 
what  the  fijture  holds. 


422 


ENDNOTES 

1.  Henry  F.  Ackermann,  He  was  Always  There:  The  U.  S.  Army  Chaplain  Ministry  in  the 
Vietnam  Confliet.  (Washington,  D.C.:  Department  of  the  Army,  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains.  1989),  p.  213.  5. 

2.  Ibid-  179. 

3.  Ibid. 

4.  Ibid. 

5.  Ibid.;  Roger  R.  Venzke,  Confidence  In  Bailie,  Inspiration  In  Peace:  The  United  Slates 
Army  Chaplaincy.  1945-1975.  (Washington,  D.C.:  Department  of  the  Army.  Office  of 
the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  1977).  p.  159-160.  169. 

6.  Ackermann,  He  was  Always  There,  p.  221-223. 

7.  Earl  F.  Stover,  Up  From  Handymen:  The  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy,  1865-1920. 
(Washington,  D.C.:  Department  of  the  Army,  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  1977), 
p.  205-206,  215-217;  Roy  J.  Honeywell,  Chaplains  OJ  The  United  States  Army. 
(Washington,  D.C.:  Department  of  the  Army,  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  1958), 
p.  171,  174-178;  Arthur  C.  Piepkorn,  "A  Chronicle  Of  The  Training  School  For 
Newly-Appointed  Chaplains  and  Chaplain  Candidates  During  The  First  World  War," 
(Mss.,  n.d..  Archives,  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  Fort  Monmouth,  N.I). 

8.  Robert  L.  Gushwa,  The  Best  And  Worst  Of  Times:  The  United  States  Army 
Chaplaincy,  1920-1945.  (Washington,  D.C.:  Department  of  the  Army,  Office  of  the 
Chief  of  Chaplains,  1977),  p.  18-19;  Honeywell,  Chaplains,  p.  204-209. 

9.  As  quoted  in,  Arthur  C.  Piepkorn,  "A  Chronicle  Of  The  United  States  Army  Chaplain 
School  During  The  Second  World  War:  The  First  Two  Years,"  (Mss.,  n.d..  Archives, 
U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  Fort  Monmouth,  NJ),  p.  1. 

10.  Gushwa,  Up  From  Handymen,  p.  107-111;  Honeywell,  Chaplains,  p.  243-249. 

11.  Venzke,  Confidence  in  Battle,  p.  48.  51-57,  72-73,  1 16-120. 

12.  As  quoted  in,  Arthur  Ibid.,  p.  117. 

13.  Ibid.,  p.  116-120. 

14.  Memorandum,  U.  S.  Army  CONUS  Reorganization,  October  2,  1972,  USACHCS 
Historical  File,  1972-1973. 

15  USACHCS  Historical  File,  1972-197 3. 

16  Memorandum,  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  J.  Murphy  to  General  William  DePuy. 

423 


17.  Oral  Interview,  Mr.  Frank  Spang,  April  2,  1995. 

18.  Ibid. 

19.  Ibid. 

20.  Ibid. 

21.  Ibid 

22.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  F.  Kriete  to  General  Donn  A.  Starry,  October  25,  1979,  USACHCS 
Historical  File,  1979. 

23.  Ibid 

24.  Historical  Summary,  USACHCS  Move  to  Fort  Monmouth,  September  30,  1980,  USACHCS 
Historical  File.  1980. 

25.  Ibid. 

26.  A  Concise  History  of  Fort  Monmouth,  New  Jersey,  (Fort  Monmouth,  NJ:  Historical  Office, 
U.  S.  Army  Communications-Electronics  Command,  1985),  p.  1-11. 

27.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Roy  V.  Peters  Biographical  Sketch,  USACHCS  Historical  File,  1979. 

28.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Roy  V.  Peters  to  General  Donn  A.  Starry,  February  2,  1981,  USACHCS 
Historical  File.  1981. 

29.  Ibid 

30.  Ibid 

31.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Richard  R.  Tupy,  Jr.  Biographical  Sketch,  USACHCS  Historical  File,  1981. 

32.  Peters  to  Starry,  Febaiary  2,  \9^\,  USACHCS  History  File,  1981. 

33.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Richard  R.  Tupy,  Jr.  to  General  Glenn  K.  Otis,  April  1,  1982,  USACHCS 
Historical  File,  1982. 

34.  Ibid. 

35.  Ibid 

36.  Ibid. 

37.  Ibid 

38.  Ibid. 

424 


39.  Ibid 

40.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Richard  R.  Tupy,  Jr.  to  General  William  R.  Richardson,  April  7,  1983, 
USACHCS  Historical  File.  1983 

41.  Ibid. 

42.  Ibid. 

43.  Ibid 

44.  Ibid. 

45.  Piepkom,  "A  Chronicle,"  p.  4-5. 

46    Materials  relating  to  this  incident  are  contained  in,  f/5/IC//C5'///5tor/crt/F/7t?,  1984.  It 
includes  a  long,  detailed  personal  letter  (undated)  from  Chaplain  Tupy  to  General  Richardson 
defending  his  tenure  as  commandant,  Oral  Interview,  Chaplain  (Col.)  Richard  R.  Tupy,  Jr.,  9 
September  1995. 

47.  Biographical  Sketch,  f/&4C//C5'///5/or/ca/F//^,  1985. 

48.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  J  McDonnell  to  General  William  R  Richardson,  January  24,  1986, 
USACHCS  Historical  File.  1986. 

49.  Ibid. 

50.  Ibid. 

51.  B\o%v!i\)\(\cASkQlch,  USACHCS  Historical  File,  1987. 

52.  Oral  Interview,  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  T.  Clanton,  June  29,  1989. 

53.  Ibid. 

54.  Oral  Interviews,  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  T.  Clanton,  June  29,  1989,  February  9,  1989,  July 
21,  1988,  USACHCS  Historical  File,  1990. 

55.  Ibid. 

56.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Bernard  L.  Windmiller  Biographical  Sketch,  USACHCS  Historical  File, 
1990. 

57.  Oral  Interview,  Chaplain  (Col.)  Bernard  L.  Windmiller,  April  16,  1992. 
58    Ibid 

59.  Ibid. 


425 


60.  Oral  Interview,  Chaplain  (Col.)  Bernard  L.  Windmiller,  January  16,  1992. 

61.  Ibid. 

62.  Biographical  Sketch,  f/&4C//C5///5/OA-/ca/F//^,  1993. 

63.  Oral  Interview,  Chaplain  (Col.)  Bernard  H.  Lieving,  Jr.,  June  29,  1994. 

64.  Ibid. 

65.  Ibid. 

66.  Ibid,  USACHCS  Historical  File,  1994. 

67  Biographical  Sketch,  (AS'^C//C5'///5/oA-7Cfl/F/7f,  1995. 

68.  Oral  Interview,  Chaplain  (Col.)  James  Rennell,  23  October  1993. 

69.  Chief  of  Chaplains  White  Paper,  Sen'ing  America's  Army  into  the  21st  Century,  April  1995. 

70    December  22,  1995  was  recalled  by  Chaplain  (Col.)  Mai  Roberts  as  the  date  that  Ft. 
Monmouth's  Watters  Hall  was  closed  as  the  Chaplain  School  for  the  last  time. 

71 .  Chaplain  (Maj.)  James  Agnew,  Chaplain  (Maj  )  Lawrence  Barry,  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Duncan 
Baugh,  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Stephen  Cook,  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Scott  Davis,  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Archie 
Linnear,  and  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Richard  Pace  participated  in  Prairie  Warrior  '95, 


426 


HISTORICAL  MILESTONES 
FOR  THE  TOTAL  ARMY  CHAPLAINCY 

1970-1995 

Over  the  course  of  the  quarter  century  from  1970  to  1995,  the  Army  Chaplaincy  was  characterized 
by  increasing  service  to  soldiers  and  family  members  in  peace  and  war.  For  sixteen  years,  from  1973 
to  1989,  the  Army  went  through  a  process  of  reorganization  and  modernization  between  the  end  of 
the  Vietnam  War  and  the  end  of  the  Cold  War.  The  Army  Chiefs  of  Chaplains  during  this  period 
established  multiple  programs  to  provide  comprehensive  religious  support  for  soldiers  and  to  increase 
the  efficiency  of  the  Chaplaincy  itself  Several  ongoing  "threads"  of  ministry,  both  pastoral  and 
administrative,  were  reflected  in  the  Total  Chaplaincy  Goals  of  the  various  Chiefs  of  Chaplains. 
Although  these  goals  varied  slightly  each  year  in  response  to  the  religious  needs  of  the  Army, 
generally  they  included  the  following: 


Goals 


The  Leadership  Goal. 


The  Human  Goal. 


The  Future  Development  Goal.  . 
The  Materiel  Goal... 

The  Readiness  Goal... 

The  Management  Goal... 
The  Training  Goal.  . 


Action  Areas 

Developing  UMT  professionalism,  providing  Multicultural 
Diversity  Training  and  ethical  and  moral  leadership  guidance 
for  the  total  Army  community. 

Affirming  the  individual  worth  of  all  persons;  facilitating  the 
free  exercise  of  religion  and  advising  the  Commander  on  the 
accommodation  of  religious  practices,  providing  quality 
programs  of  worship  and  spiritual  development  and  designing 
multi-cultural  awareness  programs  for  soldiers. 

Developing  policy,  technology  and  doctrine  for  ftiture 
ministries. 

Procuring  materiel  and  facilities,  to  include  ftjnding,  acquiring 
equipment,  and  planning  construction  to  sustain  ministry  in  the 
military. 

Developing  force  structure,  UMT  combat  doctrine  and 
mobilization  plans  to  enable  the  Total  Chaplaincy  to 
accomplish  its  wartime  mission. 

Managing  programs,  personnel  and  resources  for  total 
ministry. 

Designing  and  implementing  Active  and  Reserve  Component 
individual  and  collective  training  strategies  to  ensure  tactical 
and  technical  expertise  for  all  unit  ministry  teams. 


427 


The  milestones  indicated  below  reflect  the  consistent  attention  of  the  Total  Chaplain  Corps  to  the 
implementation  of  these  goals. 

TOTAL  ARMY  CHAPLAINCY: 
MILESTONES 

Chiefs  of  Chaplains 
1970  -  1995 

Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Francis  L.  Sampson  (1967  -  1971) 
Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Gerhardt  W.  Hyatt  (1971  -  1975) 
Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Orris  E  Kelly  (1975  -  1979) 
Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Kermit  D.  Johnson  (1979  -  1982) 
Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen  )  Patrick  J.  Hessian  (1982  -  1986) 
Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Norris  L.  Einertson  ( 1 986  -  1990) 
Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman  (1990  -  1994) 
Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Donald  W.  Shea  (1994  -  Present) 

The  Sampson  -  Hyatt  Years  (1970-1975) 

Precipitating  /  Defining  Events  : 

•  1970  Publication  of  Peers  Report  on  the  My  Lai  Incident  in  Vietnam  prompted 

General  Westmoreland  to  direct  a  study  of  the  moral  and  ethical  climate  of  the 
Army  by  the  Army  War  College. 

•  1970  Racial  unrest,  drug  abuse  and  morale  problems  throughout  the  Army  from 

Vietnam  to  Germany. 

•  1970  Total  Force  Policy  established  by  Secretary  of  Defense  Melvin  Laird  following 

an  initiative  by  General  William  Westmoreland,  Army  Chief  of  Staff. 
Roundout  and  Affiliation  programs  began. 

•  1973  Peace  Treaty  signed  in  Paris  ending  the  Vietnam  War. 

•  1973  Yom  Kippur  War  in  Israel. 

•  1 973  Operation  STEADFAST  reorganized  the  Army  and  established  TRADOC  and 

FORSCOM 

•  1973  -  1974     First  year  of  the  All  Volunteer  Amy  (VOLAR). 


428 


Chaplain  Corps  Responses  /  Initiatives  : 

1971  Chaplains  established  the  first  Human  Relations  Council  in  U.S.  Army  Europe 

to  address  problems  of  racism,  sexism  and  drug  abuse. 

1 97 1  Chaplain  Joseph  Beasley  appointed  to  teach  history  and  ethics  at  West  Point. 

1972  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  conducted  a  "Conference  for  the  Recruitment  of 
Minority  Clergymen  for  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy." 

1972  Human  Self  Development  replaced  the  Character  Guidance  Program. 

1972-1973  Clinical  Pastoral  Education  Community  Model,  Fort  Knox,  Kentucky, 
approved. 

1973  Twenty-three  positions  approved  for  chaplain  instructors  in  Army  Service 
Schools. 

1 973  Chaplain  Theo  Holland  served  as  National  Guard  Adviser  and  Chaplain  Elmer 

C.  Smith  served  as  Reserve  Adviser  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 

1973  Reduction  of  the  Chaplain  Corps  from  1,925  to  1,491. 

1974  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Thaddeus  F.  Malanowski  became  Deputy 
Chief  of  Chaplains. 

1973  -  1974  US  Army  Chaplain  School  moved  from  Fort  Hamilton  to  Fort  Wadsworth 
and  became  the  US  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  (USACHCS)  with  the 
addition  of  the  Combat  Development  Directorate  and  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain 
Board. 

1973  -  1974  First  Gospel  Services  held  in  CONUS  at  Fort  Carson,  Colorado,  at  Fort 
Lewis,  Washington,  and  at  Fort  Hood,  Texas. 

1973  -  1974     Chaplain  William  T.  Smith  appointed  the  first  minority  chaplain  recruiter. 

1974  Chaplain  Glenn  Pratt,  USAR,  wrote  Annual  History  for  OCCH. 

1974  Initiation  of  Chaplain  Assistant  (71M)  Paraprofessional  Training  Program  to 

rewrite  the  71M  MOS  job  description  and  to  redesign  71M  training. 

1974  Concept  of  Reserve  Component  Chaplain  Command  and  General  Staff 

College  Course  discussed  at  USACHCS. 

1974  Development  of  Minority  Chaplains  Training  Conference. 


429 


•  1974  Chaplain  Alice  M  Henderson  entered  active  duty  as  the  first  commissioned 

female  chaplain  in  the  Army. 

•  1974-1975     Chief  of  Chaplains  Race  Relations  Workshops  and  Human  Relations 

Conference  met. 

•  1975  Chaplain  Charles  Kriete  assigned  to  the  faculty  of  the  Army  War  College. 

•  1975  The  Chief  of  Chaplains  and  the  DACH  Staff  designed  and  directed  the 

implementation  of  48  programs  to  address  the  religious,  moral  and  morale 
needs  of  the  Total  Army.  Many  of  these  initiatives,  using  expertise  fi"om  both 
Active  and  Reserve  Component  Chaplains,  became  pilot  programs  for  the 
Army  as  a  whole. 

•  1975  Chaplain  Herman  A.  Norton  assigned  as  Assistant  Chief  of  Chaplains  for 

Reserve  Affairs  with  the  rank  of  Brigadier  General,  USAR. 

•  1975  Chaplain  Jack  Boozer,  USAR,  wrote  Annual  History  for  OCCH. 


The  Kelly  Years  (1975-1979) 
Precipitating\Defining  Events: 

1975  Fall  of  Saigon,  Vietnamese  refijgees  to  U.S. 

1975  Republic  of  Turkey  closes  all  joint  Turkish/ American  bases  in  that  country, 

1975  Army  Training  and  Evaluation  Program  (ARTEP). 

1 976  TRADOC  Development  of  FM- 1 00-5,  Operations;  Strategy  of  Attrition. 

1 978  Review  of  Education  and  Training  of  Officers  (RETO). 
1978-7  Development  of  Doctrine:  Division  86  TOE. 

1 979  Creation  of  AGR  Program 
1979  Iran  took  American  Hostages. 
1979  Soviets  invaded  Afghanistan 

1979  The  Tactical  Command  Readiness  Program  (TCRP). 

1979  Camp  David  Accords  between  Israel  and  Egypt  signed  at  the  White  House. 

430 


Chaplain  Corps  Responses/Initiatives: 

•  1975  Chaplain  Kenneth  Edwards  assigned  as  the  second  chaplain  for 

Minority  Recruiting. 

•  1975/1976       Organizational    Refinements         "One    Army    Concept",    emphasis    on 

Mobilization  and  Readiness,  USAR/ARNG,  Organization  Development 
Programs  conducted  on  19  installations  Parish  Development  program 
initiated  by  the  Army  Chaplain  Board. 

•  1976  Joint  Training  of  Regular  Army/Reserve  Components  through  the  Overseas 

Deployment  Training  Program 

•  1976  MBOR:  Management  of  Personnel  and  Resources  by  Objectives  for  Results. 

•  1976  Training  Initiatives:  Chaplain  Professional  Development  Plan  approved. 

First  Chaplain  Training  Strategy  linked  CPE  training  to  utilization 

•  1976  Minority  Workshop   Conference   held   in   Atlanta,   Georgia.      Chaplain 

Zimmerman  greeted  Chaplain  Carlton  Harper  as  the  "token"  white  chaplain. 

•  1 976  First  Standard  Design  Program  for  Army  Chapels. 

•  1977  Chaplain  Robert  Rose  appointed  as  the  first  US AR  chaplain  at  ARPERCEN. 

•  1977  Human  Self  Development  changed  to  Chaplain  Support  Activities. 

•  1977  Chaplain  Assistants  renamed  Chapel  Activity  Specialists. 

•  1978  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Kerniit  D.  Johnson  became  Deputy  Chief  of 

Chaplains. 

•  1977-1978       Reserve  Component  Command  and  General  Staff  Course  implemented 

at  the  Chaplain  School.  Curriculum  desgin  working  group  included  Chaplain 
James  Robnolt  and  Chaplain  James  E.  Pierce,  USAR. 

•  1977-1979       History  of  the  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy  (5  volumes)  published. 

•  1978-1979        Forward  Thrust  became  Army  doctrine. 


431 


The  Johnson  Years  (1979-1982) 
Precipitating/Defining  Events: 

•  1979  Lawsuit  against  Army  Chaplaincy  and  Secretary  of  the  Anny  initiated  by 

two  law  students. 

•  1 979  Guerrilla  warfare  in  El  Salvador 

•  1979/1980       Commander,  U.S.  Army  Recruiting  Command,  Ft.  Sheridan,  Illinois, 

requested  an  Authorization  for  Assignment  of  a  USAREC  Chaplain. 

•  1979/1980         U.S.  Communications  Command  (USACC),  Ft.  Huachuca,  Arizona, 

requested  Chaplains  to  support  the  1st  Signal  Brigade  (USACC)  in  Korea. 

•  1979/1980         U.S.  Health  Services  Command,  Fort  Sam  Houston,  Texas,  requested  an 

authorization  for  a  Chaplain  to  serve  at  the  Alcohol  Treatment 
Facility,  William  Beaumont  Army  Medical  Center,  El  Paso,  Texas. 

•  1980  Joint  Training  of  Regular  Army /Reserve  Components  through  the 

Capstone  Program  (Reserve  Training  Program  to  Augment  the  Regular 
Army)  and  the  Component  Partnership  Program. 

•  1980  The  establishment  of  National  Training  Centers. 

•  1980  Failed  attempt  to  rescue  hostages  in  Iran. 

•  1980  Ratification  of  the  Panama  Canal  Treaty. 

•  1981  TRADOC  publication  ofAirLand  Battle  Concept. 

•  1981  Army  introduced  the  Regimental  System. 

•  1981  DOPMA  implemented 

•  1982  Revised  FM  100-5.  Operations,  containing  AirLand  Battle  Doctrine 

published. 

Chaplain  Corps  Responses/Initiatives: 

•  1979  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Patrick  J.  Hessian  became  Deputy  Chief  of 

Chaplains. 

•  1979  -  1986     Court  Case  challenging  the  Constitutionality  of  the  Chaplaincy. 

432 


1979  Chaplain  Johnson  put  highest  priority  on  soldier  ministries. 

1979  Development  of  insignia  for  Chapel  Activity  Specialists. 

1979  Chief  of  Chaplains  initiatives  to  increase  the  number  of  Catholic  chaplains 

on  duty. 

1979/1980       USACHS  moved  to  Ft  Monmouth,  New  Jersey. 

1979  -  1982     Chaplain  Johnson  published  multiple  articles  which  raise  the  ethical 

consciousness  of  the  Army. 

1980  Study  of  Chaplain  Activity  Specialist  (CAS)  Career  Development. 

1980  -  1982     Chaplain  James  L  Travis,  USAR,  and  Chaplain  John  Rasmussen  published 
articles  on  biomedical  ethics. 

1 980  Project  "Milestone"  addressed  prejudice,  racism,  sexism,  and 

communication  barriers. 

1980  The  Office  of  Chief  of  Chaplains  conducted  "Project  Milestone"  to  develop 
skills,  attitudes,  and  understanding  for  muhicuhural  needs  presented  by 
soldiers. 

1981  Chaplain  Academic  Board  reviewed  functions  accomplished  by  USACHCS 
to  improve  policies  and  procedures. 

1981  Parish  Development  Training  Program  introduced. 

1981  Office  of  Chief  of  Chaplains  initiated  a  study,  "Pre  -  and  Post  -  Marital 

Chaplain  Ministry  to  Military  Personnel  and  Korean  Nationals"  to  develop 
strategies  for  ministering  to  Korean  spouses. 

1981  Chaplain  Richard  Stenbakken  and  Chaplain  Thomas  Smith  provided 

leadership  for  the  development  of  marriage  and  family  life  ministry. 

1981  A  Multi-Ethnic/Cultural  Religious  Education  workshop  was  conducted  for 

chaplains  and  directors  of  religious  education. 

1981  "Ministry  in  Combat"  Conference  sponsored  jointly  by  TRADOC  and 

FORSCOM    General  Donn  Starry,  the  TRADOC  Commander,  was  the 
keynote  speaker. 


198 1  The  Chaplain  Candidate  Program  changed  to  allow  training  on  installations 

and  at 

433 


hospitals. 

1982  Chaplain  Donna  Weddle  assigned  to  teach  ethics  at  the  U.S. Army  Engineer 

School  as  the  Chaplaincy's  first  female  chaplain  service  school  instructor. 

1982  The  first  female  faculty  member  assigned  to  the  United  States  Army 

Chaplain  School. 

1982  A  Homiletics  Planning  Group  met  to  consider  the  quality  of  homiletics  and 

worship  in  the  Army  Chaplaincy 

1982  A  Minority  Ministry  Training  Course  was  conducted  in  Atlanta,  Georgia, 

that  focused  on  "The  Challenge  of  Cultural  Ministry  Amidst  Multicultural 
Needs". 

1982  A  Mobilization  and  Army  Reserve  Chaplain  (MARCH)  Conference  was 

held  in  Atlanta,  Georgia,  to  discuss  new  Army  mobilization  requirements. 


Hessian  Years  (1982  -  1986^ 
Precipitating/Defining  Events: 

1982  Threat  of  a  major  conventional  war  with  the  Soviet  Union. 

1982  U.S.  Army  deployed  572  Pershing  and  Cruise  missiles  in  five  NATO 

countries. 

1982  Terrorist  bombed  two  US  military  bases  in  West  Germany. 

1982  Widespread  protests  in  England  and  Germany  over  deployment  of  missiles 
to  Europe. 

1982/1983        Army  initiated  high  technology  TEST  BED  project  at  Fort  Lewis, 
Washington. 

1983  U.S.  Forces  invaded  Grenada  (Operation  URGENT  FURY). 

1983  In  Beirut,  241  Marines  died  in  bomb  attack. 

1985  Major  reorganization  in  FORSCOM's  Reserve  Component  Management 

Structure  resulted  in  total  elimination  of  Army  Readiness  and  Mobilization 
Regions. 

1985  Fourth  U.S.  Army  was  established. 


434 


1986  Department  of  Army  modernized  its  inventory  of  weapons  and  forecast  a 

28-divisional  land  force. 

1986  TEAM  SPIRIT  in  Korea  involved  200,000  ROK  and  U.S.  troops  in  two 

field  armies. 


Chaplain  Corps  Responses/Initiatives: 

1 982  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General )  Paul  Forsberg  became  Deputy  Chief  of 

Chap/ains. 

1982  The  Staff  Specialist  program  was  changed  to  Chaplain  Candidate  program. 

1983  TRADOC  PAM  525-26,  Religious  Support  In  Combat  published. 
1983  Chapel  Activity  Specialists  redesignated  Chaplain  Assistants. 

1983  -  1984     Development  of  the  Unit  Ministry  Team. 

1 984  Publication  of  Field  Manual  16-5. 

1984  Assignment  of  a  Chaplain  to  the  National  Guard  Bureau. 

1984  Chaplain  Corps  gained  additional  seats  at  Army  War  College. 

1984  The  UMT  concept  approved  by  OCCH 

1984  Chaplain  Automated  Religious  Support  System  (CARSS)  was  created. 

1984  Chaplain  Israel  Drasin  succeeded  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Oral  D. 

Nelson  as  Assistant  Chief  of  Chaplains  for  Mobilization. 

1984  Chaplain  Henry  F.  Ackerman  began  writing  the  history  of  the  Chaplaincy 
during  the  Vietnam  War. 

1985  Ministry  after  the  Gander  Tragedy. 

1985  The  first  utilization  of  Reserve  Component  Chaplains  in  support  of  Active 

Component  Chaplain  missions  by  regular  policy. 

1985  AR  165-20,  Duties  of  Chaplains  and  Responsibilities  of  Commanders,  was 

published 

1 985  Chaplain  assistants  issued  new  branch  insignia. 


435 


1985  Orders  drafted  creating  Chaplain  Corps  (Regiment)  as  part  of  the  Army 

Regimental  System. 

1985  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General )  Morris  Einertson  became  Deputy  Chief  of 
Chaplains. 

1985/1986       A  Federal  Court  upheld  the  constitutionality  of  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy. 

1986  AR  600-20.  Accommodation  of  Religious  Practices  Within  the  U.S.  Army, 
went  into  effect. 

1986  First  Annual  Unit  Ministry  Team  Award  dedicated  to  the  memory  of 

Chaplain  Troy  Carter. 

1986  Chaplain  Jere  Kimmell  received  two  awards  for  excellent  broadcasting 

work  at  AFN  Europe. 


The  Einertson  Years  n986-l990> 
Precipitating/Defining  Events: 

1986  "El  Dorado  Canyon"  raid  on  Libya 
1987-1988         Tanker  Escort  Operation  in  the  Persian  Gulf 

1987  Goldwater-Nichols  Defense  Reorganization  Act/Establishment  of  U.S. 
Transportation  Command  (TRANSCOM). 

1989  Berlin  Wall  came  down. 

1989  WESTCOM  changed  designation  to  U.S.  Army  Pacific  Command 

(USARPAC) 

1989  Free  elections  were  held  in  Poland,  Hungary,  Czechoslovakia  and 

Romania 

1989  Chinese  troops  crushed  student  demonstrations  in  Tiananmen  Square. 
1989/1990       Operation  JUST  CAUSE:  US.  Forces  occupied  Panama 

1990  Famine  in  East  Afiica  responsible  for  the  deaths  of  25%  of  children  below 
the  age  of  five  (Ethiopia). 

Chaplain  Corps  Responses/Initiatives: 

436 


1986  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Charles  J.  McDonnell  became  Deputy 

Chief  of  Chaplains. 

1986  Ceremony  held  at  United  States  Army  Chaplain  Center  &  School 

(USACHCS)  marking  the  addition  of  the  Chaplain  Corps  to  the  Army 
Regimental  System. 

1986  Standardized  designs  for  118  Army  chapels  and  religious  facilities  initiated. 

1986  Information,  Resource  Management  and  Logistics  Directorate  completed 

the  establishment  of  electronic  mail  accounts  for  chaplains  throughout  the 
Army. 


1986  Chaplain  William  Hufham,  PPDT,  wrote  5  year  plan  for  multicultural 

ministry  training. 

1986  First  Joint  Task  Selection  Board  at  the  United  States  Army  Chaplain 
Center  &  School. 

1987  Buddhist  Churches  of  America  became  the  first  non-Judeo-Christian 
endorsing  agency. 

1987  Chaplain  William  Noble  receives  DOD  award  for  excellence  in  editing  the 

Military  Chaplains  Review  issue  commemorating  the  Bicentennial  of  the 
U.S.  Constitution. 

1987  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency  replaces  the  U.S.  Army 
Chaplain  Board. 

1988  Chaplain  Robert  E.  Lair,  Jr.,  appointed  as  Reserve  Adviser  to  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains. 

1988  DOD  Directive  1300.17.  Accommodation  of  Religious  Practices, 
published. 

1989  Chaplain  Timothy  Tatum  represented  the  Chaplaincy  in  the  PBS  series, 
"Ethics  in  America." 

1989  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman  became  Deputy 

Chief  of  Chaplains. 

1989  United  States  Army  Chaplain  Service  and  Support  Agency  (USACSSA) 

study  of  roles  and  fijnctions  for  Directors  of  Religious  Education. 

1989  Active  duty  chaplains,  1,524  in  number,  represent  more  than  100  religious 

437 


denominations 

•  1989  Publication  of  AR  165-1,  Chaplain  Activities  in  the  U.S.  Army,  and  FM 

16-1,  Religious  Support  Doctrine 

•  1990  Chaplain  Don  Crippen,  assisted  by  Chaplain  Stan  Esterline,  drafted 

Chaplain  Corps  Training  Strategy  for  approval  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains. 

•  1990  Medical  Ethics  Conference  in  San  Antonio. 


The  Zimmerman  Years  (1990-1994) 
Precipitating\Defining  Events 

1990  Iraqi  Troops  invaded  Kuwait. 

1990  Operation  DESERT  SHIELD  began. 

199 1  Operation  DESERT  STORM  was  initiated. 

199 1  Operation  PROVIDE  COMFORT  effected. 

1991  U.S.  Army  Reserve  Command  (US ARC)  established. 

1 99 1  Warsaw  Pact  disbanded  following  a  failed  coup  in  Moscow. 

1991  Communist  Party  disbanded  throughout  the  Soviet  Union. 

1991  Soviet  Union  and  U.S.  signed  Strategic  Arms  Reduction  Treaty  (START). 

1991  Soviet  Union  disbanded  following  a  failed  coup  in  Moscow. 

1991  Cuban  troops  withdrawn  ft^om  Angola. 

1991  VII  Corps  cased  their  colors 

1991  Army  divisions  abroad  limited  to  two  divisions  in  Europe  and  two  in  the 

Pacific. 

1991  Plans  called  for  reduction  of  active  Army  strength  fi^om  78 1 ,000  to 

535,000  by  1995. 

1991/1992         Joint  Task  Force  Guantanamo. 


438 


1992 

1992/1994 

1992 

1992 

1993 

1994 

1994 

1994 


Joint  Task  Forces  Andrew  and  Iniki. 

Operations  RESTORE  HOPE/CONTINUE  HOPE  in  Somalia 

Army  Hospital  deployed  to  Croatia. 

California's  National  Guard  assisted  in  maintaining  peace  in  Los  Angeles. 

General  John  Shalikashvili  succeeded  General  Colin  Powell,  CJCS. 

All  U.S.  and  former  Soviet  Union  missiles  retargeted  to  point  away  from 
one  another.  There  were  9,000  strategic  nuclear  warheads  involved. 

Secretary  William  Perry  succeeded  Secretary  Les  Aspin,  Secretary  of 
Defense. 

Army  missions  conducted  in  Jordan  and  Rwanda 


Chaplain  Corps  Responses/Initiatives 

•  1990 


Chaplain  (Major  General)  MattheM'  A.  Zimmerman  became  the  first 
African-A  me r icon  Chief  of  ( 'hap/ains. 


1990  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Donald  W.  Shea  became  the  Deputy  Chief 

of  Chaplains. 

1990/1991  860  Chaplains  (active  duty  and  reserve  components)  were  mobilized  for 

(DESERT  SHIELD/DESERT  STORM) 

1990/1994        Thirteen  new  chapels,  religious  eduction  facilities  and  family  life  centers 
constructed. 


1991 


1991 


1991 


1991 


First  female  chaplain  and  first  female  chaplain  assistant  deployed  to  a 
combat  zone. 

More  than  200,000  Bibles  sent  to  soldiers  in  Southwest  Asia  (DESERT 
STORM) 

Managed  the  deployment  of  UMTs  for  Operation  PROVIDE  COMFORT, 
northern  Iraq. 

USAREUR  Chaplain  hosted  representatives  from  Hungary, 
Czechoslovakia,  Romania  and  Poland  for  discussions  on  establishing 
chaplaincies  in  their  countries. 


439 


•  1991/1992       FORSCOM  managed  the  deployment  of  UMTs  to  Guantanamo(GTMO) 

for  humanitarian  relief  efforts  (twice). 

•  1 992  Deployed  UMTs  for  Operation  PROVIDE  HOPE  in  Somalia 

•  1992  Formation  of  Reserve  Advisory  Council.  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General) 

Donald  Shea 
served  as  Chairman. 

•  1992  Chaplain  Abdul  R.  Muhammad  became  the  first  Islamic  chaplain  on  active 

duty. 

•  1992  FORSCOM  deployed  UMTs  to  Florida  and  Hawaii  for  humanitarian  relief 

efforts  to  victims  of  Hurricanes  Andrew  and  Iniki. 

•  1992  Activation  and  deployment  of  chaplains  for  the  Los  Angeles  riots. 

•  1993  The  first  female  division  chaplain  in  the  Army  assigned  in  Germany. 

•  1993  Chaplain  Zimmerman  attended  meeting  in  Russia  to  assist  in  the 

development  of  a  Russian  Army  chaplaincy  and  a  position  for  a  religious 
leader  on  the  staff  of  the  Russian  Military  Academy. 

•  1993  Russian  Relief  mission  with  the  Protestant  Women  of  the  Chapel  (PWOC) 

for  Operation  Open  Doors-Open  Hearts,  to  Military  and  Families  of  the 
Strategic  Rocket  Forces  at  Omsk 

•  1993/1994       An  enriched  training  program  for  Chaplain  Candidates  —  45-day 

practicums  in  various  fields. 

•  1 994  A  five-year  Religious  and  Cultural  Diversity  Training  plan  which  expanded 

the 
concept  of  diversity  and  multiculturalism  for  the  chaplaincy  was  approved. 

•  1994  Fifteen  UMT's  deployed  to  Guantanamo  with  Joint  Task  Force  160. 

•  1994  Requirements  for  the  move  and  construction  of  new  Chaplain  School 

buildings  at  Fort  Jackson,  South  Carolina,  were  validated 

•  1994  Established  a  second  training  center  for  the  U.S.  Army  Family  Life 

Chaplain  Training  Program  at  Fort  Benning,  Georgia. 


440 


The  Shea  Years  n994-Present) 

Precipitating\Defining  Events: 

1994  The  Reserve  Officer  Personnel  Management  Act  (ROPMA)  passed  both 

Houses  of  Congress. 

1994  Pubhcation  of  Army  White  Paper;  Force  XXI  —  Vision  for  the  Future 

Army. 

1994  70  conflicts  were  documented  world-wide  from  Bosnia  to  West  Africa. 

1994  60%  of  the  world's  191  nations  were  formal  democracies. 

1994  Army  conducted  missions  in  Jordan  and  Rwanda. 

1994  Operations  Uphold  Democracy/Maintain  Democracy  conducted  in  Haiti. 

Chaplain  Corps  Responses/Initiatives: 

1994  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  Gaylord  T.  Gunhus  became  the  Deputy  of 

Chief  of  Chaplains. 

1994  UMTs  deployed  to  Somalia,  Rwanda,  Macedonia,  the  Sinai,  Kurdish  Iraq, 

Kuwait,  Haiti,  Guantanamo  and  Panama. 

1994  Office  of  Chief  of  Chaplains  conducted  annual  Mobilization  Planners 
Training  Course 

1995  Chaplain  William  Hufham  began  draft  of  "Chaplaincy  White  Paper  Force 
XXI". 

1995  Chaplain  Wil  Parker  assigned  to  the  Joint  Staff. 

1995  History  of  US  Army  Chaplaincy  (1975-1995)  submitted  for  staffing  by 

Chaplain  John  Brinsfield. 

1995  Chaplain  Willard  D.  Goldman  developed  a  proposal  for  character 

development  in  the  Army.    It  represented  an  attempt  to  standardize  the 
teachings  of  morals  and  ethics  as  related  to  leadership  in  the  Army. 

1995  The  curriculum  at  the  United  States  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School 

reviewed  and  changed. 

1995  Plans  to  relocate  the  Office  of  Chief  of  Chaplains. 


441 


1995  Termination  of  deployment  of  UMTs  for  UPHOLD 

DEMOCRACY/MAINTAIN  DEMOCRACY  in  Haiti. 

1995  Final  arrangements  for  relocating  the  United  States  Army  Chaplain  Center 

&  School  from  Ft.  Monmouth,  New  Jersey  to  Ft  Jackson,  South  Carolina. 


442 


CHAPLAINS  AND  CHAPLAIN  ASSISTANTS  AT  WORK 


(Top)    Chaplain  Robert  'Spiegel  ' s  ministry  of  presence   encourages 

soldiers 


(Top)    Chaplain   David   Peterson,    Jump  Master,    at   Ft.    Bragg; 
(Bottom)    Tiger   Chapel    demonstrates  natural    air   conditioning 


(Top)    Chaplain  Assistant  helps   with   administration   of   Coimnunion 
for  2nd   Infantry  Division   soldiers;     (Bottom)    LTC  Herbert   Harback, 
Lay  Eucharistic  Minister,    assists   Chaplain   Charles    Wheeler  at 
Easter   Service   for  Ft.    Ord   Engineer  Battalion,    National    Training 
Center,     1990 


(Top)    Chaplain   Doug  McLeroy   conducts    counseling   session   in   his 
office;     (Bottom)    Chaplain   Joseph   Batluck   discusses    the   Carlisle 
Barracks    Chapel   program  with   Sergeant    Tom  Dawson,    Chaplain 
Assistant 


(Top)    Conmand  Sergeant  Major  Aaron   Gibson  addresses   the   Corps;    (Bottom,    L-R) 
Sergeant   First   Class  Michael   Swingler  opens   the  Fourth   of  July  celebration   with 
the  Nashville  Symphony  in    Tennessee,    Major  Michael   Hobson   as   Santa   at    USACHCS 


(Top)    Chaplain  Donna    C.    Weddle  brings    the   Good  News   from    the 
pulpit ;  (Bottom)    Chaplain  Brinsfield   invites  pilgrims    from  Mark 
Twain    Chapel    in   Heidelberg    to   a   baptismal    service   at    the   Jordan 
River   in    Israel,     1986 


(Top)    Chaplain   Frank   Somera   baptizes    infant   at   Ft.    Hood,    1995; 
(Bottom)    Chaplain   John   Stake  baptizing   in    the   Black   Sea   near 

Sinop,    Turkey 


^f^?=i^^-^?^i!:-^^f^: 


(Top)    Chaplain  James   Jones   conducts  Mass   on    the  Beach,    Ft.    De 
Russy,    Hawaii;     (Bottom)    Chaplain    Charles   E.    Smith,     72nd   Signal 
Battalion,    conducts   service   at    Wirth,    Germany,    during  exercise 
RETRAIN- 86 


^tf» 


(Top)    PFC  Hope,    Chaplain   Assistant,    3d   Infantry  Division,    leads 

Bible   study  at    the   42nd  International   Assembly  of  Military 

Protestants,    Gagniers,    France,    June,    1993    (Bottom)    Chaplain 

Lavern    Clark    ,    fourth   from   left,    with   American   and  Austrian 

soldiers   at    the   same   Conference 


(Top)    Chaplain   Leo    "Joe"    O'Keeffe   with   assistants   and  soldiers   at 

Christmas    time   in   Somalia;     (Bottom)    Chaplain   George   Pejakovich 

and   CSM  Oscar  Crumity    (far  right)    observe   chaplains  practicing 

for  government    service   at    Ft.    Jackson 


Chaplain   Lloyd  provides   comfort    to  a   Bangladeshi    soldier   in 
Haiti,    1995;    Chaplain   Zalis    conducts   a   Jewish  prayer   service   in 

Saudi    Arabia 


Sergeant   Pringel,    NCOIC  for    the   Old  Guard   Unit  Ministry  Team  at 
Ft.    Myer,    Virginia,    prepares   for   a  field   service    .    Contributed  by 

Chaplain  Al    Isler. 


(Top)    Chaplain   Thomas  R.    Wesley  instructs   Chaplain  Advanced 
Course   students   during  FTX;     (Bottom)    Chaplain    Wayne  Mac   Kirdy 
conducts  map  analysis   in   Germany 


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(Topj  Thanksgiving  in    the  AMR   Chapel,    SPC  Greta   Reyes,    Chaplain 

Assistant,    at   left,    with   SSG   Charlotte   Lee   at   right;     (Bottom) 

Chaplain   Geoff  Moran   drums    up   a    song   for    the   youth 


Chaplain   Athletes:    Chaplain  Mary  Pitts   in  Heidelberg,    Chaplain 
Barbara    Sharer  in   Somalia 


(Top)    Chaplain   Shea    celebrates   Spiritual    Fitness    emphasis    with 
unit   ministry    teams   at   Ft.    Bliss ;  (Bottom)    Master   Sergeant   David 
Berrier   and   Sergeant   Major   Tillman   Hatcher   accompany   Chaplain 
Gunhus    on   a    fun   run    in   St.    Louis 


Diogenes    Chapel    Touch  Football    Team,    Sinop,    Turkey,    1976.    The 
Chapel    sponsored   five   athletic    teams   and  numerous   activities    to 
break   up    the   boredom  at   a    site   400   miles    east   of   Istanbul .    OJT 
Chaplain   Assistant   Dan    Taylor   is    third   from   right   on    the   front 
row. 


(Top)    Sergeant   Major   Elmer   Castro   and    (Bottom)    Chaplain   Jerry- 
Robinson   at  Arlington  National    Cemetery 


'm 


Retreat    Center   Chaplains :     (Top)    Chaplain  Anthony  Imheri 
(Bottom)    Chaplain   Sam   and  Mrs.    Gini    Lamback    with    Christy  and  Mark 


Chaplain   Robert    Loring   ,    25th   Division   from  Hawaii,    holds   baby- 
kangaroo   during  exercises   in  Australia 


(Top)    Chaplain   Einertson  pins   one   of   the   first    Chaplain   Corps   crests   on    Chaplain 
John  Rasmussen' s    uniform.  (    The   first    crest   had  been  presented   to  Sergeant  Major 
Frank   Gugudan   for   the   Chaplain   Corps  Museum.)    Chaplain  Don    Turkelson   is   at   far 
right.     (Below)    Rabbi   Daina   at    the  Regimental   Dedication   Ceremony 


(Top)    Chaplains   Don   Breland  and  Ken   Ruppar   lead  a    Palm    Sunday 
parade   at    Ft.    Hood  and    (Bottom)    Chaplains  Matthew  Zimmerman   and 
Henry  Wake   celebrate   at    a    Chaplain    Corps   Dining  Out 


^^fli! 


:3#d/,^-'.!^;;-':^^^. 


(Top)    Chaplain   and  assistants   at    worship   during  field   training; 
(Bottom)    ANCOC  Physical    Fitness    Test    at    Ft.    Monmouth 


(Top)    Chaplain   Joseph    L.    Goudreau   and  SFC  Barbara   A.    Taylor   greet 
President    Clinton;     (Bottom)    SSG  Judith   Kelly  on   PX  run   at    Ft. 

Monmouth 


■Li^'JjJJLlJ-i>ljJ? 


(Top)    Chaplain   Wayne   Schmid  conducts   Arlington   funeral;     (Bottom) 
Chaplain   William  Morrison    with    Family  Support    Group   at   Ft.    Bliss 

during  Operation  DESERT  SHIELD 


(Top)    Old  Post    Chapel    at   West   Point   hosts  multiple   weddings   each 
year   after   cadet   graduation;   Happy  couple  at   Ft.    Myer 


Chaplains   Gott,    Reynolds   and  Colley  at   Easter  Sunrise   Service, 
Haney  Plaza,    Ft.    McPherson,    Georgia 


Mr.    Ed  Matthiessen  ^ 


T;hc  chaplain  Corps 


(Top,L-R)    Chaplain  Harvey  Brown,    Pastor   of   the   Ft.    Monmouth    Post 

Chapel;    Unit    and  Individual    Training  Division   Staff  at    USACHCS ; 

Chaplain  Marvin  Mills,    USAR,    Milestones   Project    Officer;     (Bottom) 

Second  Crest   as   designed  for  approval   by  Chaplain  David  Sandifer 

and  Ms.    Karen  Dooney,    UITD,    US  Army  Chaplain   Center  and  School, 

Ft.    Monmouth 


GLOSSARY 


AAP 

AMC 

AOC 

ARCENT 

ARPERCEN 

ARTEP 

ASI 

BBC 

CARRS 

CIA 

CINCLANT 

CMRP 

CONARC 

CONUSA 

COSCOM 

CPE 

DA 

DACH 

DAJA 

DCSPER 

DOPMA 

DRE 

EVAC 

FOA 

FOC 

FORSCOM 

FY 

HTTB 

IMA 

JCS 

JTF-GTMO 

KATUSA 

MACV 

MARCENT 

MBOR 

MDW 

MOS 

NTC 

OCCH 

OTJAG 

PDP 

PPBS 

RDF 


Affirmative  Action  Program 

Army  Materiel  Command 

Area  of  Command 

Army  Central  Command 

Army  Personnel  Center 

Army  Training  and  Evaluation  Program 

Additional  Skill  Indentifier 

British  Broadcasting  Company 

Chaplain  Administrative  Religious  Support  System 

Central  Intelligence  Agency 

Commander  -in-Chief,  Atlantic 

Command  Master  Religious  Program 

Continental  Army  Command 

Continental  United  States  Army 

Corps  Support  Command 

Clinical  Pastoral  Education 

Department  of  the  Army 

Department  of  the  Army  Chaplains  [see  OCCH] 

Department  of  the  Army  Judge  Advocate 

Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  Personnel 

Defense  Officer  Personnel  Management 

Director  of  Religious  Education 

Evacuation 

Field  Operating  Agency 

Forward  Observer/Controller 

Forces  Command 

Fiscal  Year 

High  Technology  Test  Bed 

Individual  Mobilization  Augmentee 

Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff 

Joint  Task  Force  Guantanamo 

Korean  Augmentation  to  the  U.S.  Army 

Military  Advisory  Command  Vietnam 

Marine  Central  Command 

Management  By  Objective  for  Results 

Military  District  of  Washington 

Military  Occupational  Specialty 

National  Training  Center 

Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 

Office  of  the  Judge  Advocate  General 

Professional  Development  Plan 

Planning,  Programming,  Budgeting,  &  Execution  System 

Rapid  Deployment  Force 


473 


REFORGER 

ROTC 

SITREP 

SSI 

SWA 

TAADS 

TDA 

TOE 

TRADOC 

UN 

USACHCS 

USAREUR 

USSR 


Return  of  Forces  to  Germany 

Reserve  Officer  Training  Command 

Situation  Report 

Special  Skill  Identifier 

Southwest  Asia 

The  Army  Authorization  Document  System 

Table  of  Distribution  and  Allowances 

Table  of  Organization  and  Equipment 

Training  and  Doctrine  Command 

United  Nations 

United  States  Army  Chaplain  Center  &  School 

United  States  Army  Europe 

Union  of  Soviet  Socialist  Republics 


474 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

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1987. 

Brinsfield,  John  W.  Developing  a  Ministry  of  Teaching  the  History  of  Ethics  an  World  Religions  at 
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Caliber  Associates  Family  Strengths  and  Adaptation  to  Army  Life  Chapel  Hill,  N.C.:  Univeristy 
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Commager,  Henry  Steele    Pocket  History  of  the  United  States.  New  York:  Pocket  Books,  1992. 

Cortright,  David.  Soldiers  in  Revolt.  New  York:  Anchor  Press/Doubleday,  1975. 

Drazin,  Israel  and  Currey,  Cecil  B.  For  God  and  Country.  Hoboken,  New  Jersey:  KTAV  Publishing 
House,  1955. 

Hudson,  Winthrop    American  Protestantism.  Chicago:  University  of  Chicago,  1968. 

Johnson,  Kermit  D.  Realism  and  Hope  in  a  Nuclear  Age  Atlanta:  John  Knox  Press,  1988. 

Leonard,  Thomas  Day  by  Day:  The  Seventies  1970-75.  New  York,  NY:  Facts  on  File  Publications, 
1985. 

Lewy,  Guenter.  America  in  Vietnam.  New  York:  Oxford  University  Press,  1978. 

Norton,  Herman  A.  Struggling  for  Recognition,  the  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy.  1791-1865. 
Washington,  DC:  Department  of  the  Army,  1977. 

Romjue,  John  L.,  Prepare  the  Army  for  War.  Fort  Monroe,  Virginia:  Office  of  the  Command 
Historian,  United  States  Army  Training  and  Doctrine  Command,  1993. 

Rostow,  Eugene  V  A  Breakfast  for  Bonaparte.  U.S.  National  Security  Interest:  Washington,  DC: 
National  Defense  University,  1993. 

Scales,  Robert  H.,  Certian  Victory    Washington,  DC:  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Staff,  1993. 


475 


Simon,  Jeffrey.  NATO  The  Challenge  of  Change    Washington,  DC:  National  Defense  University 
Press,  1993. 

Stavrianos,  L.S.,  The  World  Since  1500.  Englewood  Cliffs,  New  Jersey;  Prentice  Hall,  1982. 

Stokes,  Anson  P.  Church  and  State  in  the  United  States.  New  Your;  Harper  &  Bros.,  1950. 

Sullivan,  Gordon  R.  America's  Army.  Cambridge,  Massachusetts;  Institute  for  Foreign  Policy 
Analysis,  1993. 

Thompson,  Parker  C.  From  Its  European  Antecedents  to  1791.  The  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy. 
Washington,  DC;  Department  of  the  Army,  1978. 

Venzke,  Rodger  R.,  Confidence  in  battle.  Inspiration  in  Peace.  The  United  States  Army  Chaplaincy 
1945-1975.  Washington,  DC;  OfTice  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  1977. 


476 


ARTICLES 

Bedsole,  Timothy  K.  "Forward  Thrust,"  Mihtary  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1991,  p.  45. 

Boyles,  Lemuel  M.  "Grenada;  Ministry  in  Time  of  Crisis,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Winter  1985,  pp. 
11-12. 

Brinsfield,  John  W.  "Our  Roots  for  Ministry,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Fall  1987,  p.  25. 

Brooten,  Kenneth,  Jr.  "The  U.S.  Special  Operations  Command,"  Journal  of  Defense  &  Diplomacy.  1987, 
pp.  21-23. 

Buckley,  William,  Jr.   "Assertive  Multi-Lateralism,"  The  Washington  Times.  August  5,  1994,  p.  A- 18. 

Bush,  Albert  W.,  Jr.   "First  In:  Unit  Ministry  Teams,  Hurricane  Andrew,  Miami,  Florida,"  The  Army 
Chaplain.  Spring  1993,  p.  3. 

Chambers,  David.   "The  Protestant  Problem,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Fall  1987,  p.  81. 

Church,  George  J.  "Mission  Half  Accomplished,"  Time  Magazine.  May  17,  1993,  p.  42 

Cochran,  Darrell.  "Restoring  Hope  in  Somalia,"  Soldiers.  February  1993,  p.  10. 

Darr,  Gregory  J.   "For  God  and  Country,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Winter  1992,  p.  102 

DeDonato,  David.   "Ministry  to  Critical  Care  Givers,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Fall  1988,  p.39ff. 

Dickey,  Norma  H.  (ed.)  "Somaha,"  Funk  and  Wagnalls  New  Encyclopedia.  1992,  pp.  105-109. 

Duffy,  Michael.  "Anatomy  of  a  Disaster,"  Time.  October  18,  1993,  p.  45 

Elson,  John.  "Somaha;  War  Lord  Country,"  Time  Magazine.  January  11,  1993,  p.  24. 

Evans,  Thomas  G.  "The  Privilege  of  Serving,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1990,  pp.  15-17. 

Filteau,  Jerry.  "Uncle  Sam  Wants  You,  Father,"  The  Catholic  Review.  August  6,  1987,  p.  A-4. 


477 


Garcia,  Elroy.  "Where  Anarchy  Rules,"  Soldiers  Magazine.  March  1993,  p.  16. 

Gertz,  Bill.  "General  Says  U.S.  Has  Learned  from  Grenada  Mistakes,"  The  Washington  Times.  August 
31,  1994,  p.  A-8. 

Gilbert,  Floyd  R.  "Can  These  Bones  Live  Again?,"  The  Army  Chaplaincy.  Spring  1993,  p.  8. 

Gunti,  Charles  E.   "The  Priest  Isn't  There:  Recruiting  Catholic  Chaplains,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review. 
Spring  1989,  p.  27. 

Halloran,  Richard.  "Military  Is  Short  of  Catholic  Chaplains,"  New  York  Times.  March  4,  1989,  p.AlfF, 

Harding,  Jessica  R.   "Army  Chaplain  Meets  with  Pope,"  Chief  of  Chaplains  Newsletter.  August  19,  1987, 
Attachment  4. 

.  "Black  History  Month  Story,"  submitted  to  the  Pentagram.  January  1987,  p.  1 . 

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Hasenauer,  Heike.   "Medals  of  Honor,"  Soldiers.  July  1994,  p.  5. 

Hufham,  William  L.  "Ministry  in  Contingency  Operations,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1990, 
pp.  23-24. 

Hunt,  Henry  Lamar.  "Pillars  of  the  Regiment,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Fall  1988,  p.  1 . 

Jaynes,  Gregory.  "Into  the  Storm,"  Life  Magazine.  March  1991, p.  45 

Johnson,  Ronald  N.  "A  Brigade  Chaplain's  Ministry:  The  Plan  and  Execution,"  Military  Chaplains' 
Review.  Summer  1986,  p.  62. 

Krause,  Lawrence  C.   "Tokumen  to  Panama  City:  Ministry  in  the  4/325  Airborne  Infantry  Regiment," 
Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1990,  p.  38. 

Lederer,  Edith  M.  "The  Face  of  Famine  in  Africa,"  The  Washington  Times.  August  19,  1994,  p.  A-6. 

Luthi,  Mary.  "The  American  Politician:  The  Second  Oldest  Profession,"  Drew  University  Magazine. 
Winter  1994-95,  p.  27. 

Martin,  Richard.  "Ten  Leadership  Commandments,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Winter  1987,  p  7. 

McAllister,  J.  F  O.  "Pity  the  Peace  Makers,"  Time  Magazine.  June  28,  1993,  p  46 

McCoy,  James  Benjamin.   "Division  Rear  Area  Ministry,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1990,  p 
46. 


478 


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Michaels,  Marguerite.   "Peace  Making  War,"  Time  Magazine,  July  26,  1993,  p.  48. 

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20. 

Physioc,  Wray.   "Good  News  in  a  War  Zone,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1990,  p.  32. 

Puchy,  James  J    "An  Army  Ranger  Chaplains'  Story,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1990,  p.  48. 

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Sinai,  Ruth.   "Somalia:  What  Went  Wrong,"  Associated  Press  News  Release,  November  4,  1993,  p.  4. 

Smith,  Thomas  R.   "The  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review. 
Winter  1992,  p.  23. 

Stevens,  Rees  Ryder.   "First  Brigade  Task  Force  Ministry,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1990,  p. 

27. 

Thomsen,  Darrell  E.,  Jr.   "Ministry  in  Panama,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1990,  p.  42. 

Waldman,  Steven.   "Deadbeat  Dads,"  Newsweek.  May  4,  1992,  pp.  46-52 

Warren,  Dwight.  "Higher  Call  to  Duty:  The  Ministry  of  Chaplain  Barbara  Sherer,"  News  Tribune.  May 
23,  1993,  pp.  1-Aand  13-A. 

Wells,  John  A    "The  Gift  of  Unit  Ministry  Teams,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1990,  p.  3. 

Yates,  Kenneth  W    "Battalion  Ministry  in  Panama,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1990,  p.  34. 


479 


480 


INTERVIEWS 


Able,  Roger  Mr , 

Camp,  Dennis  Chaplain, 

Castilli,  Rolando  Chaplain, 

Christy,  Peter  Chaplain, 

Collum,  Wayne  SFC, 

Cook,  Terry  Chaplain, 

Copeland,  Pat  Ms., 

Cottingham,  John  Chaplain, 

Councell,  Gary  Chaplain, 

De  Leo,  William  Chaplain, 

Dempsey,  Terry  Chaplain, 

Duke,  Horace  Chaplain 

Durham,  James  Chaplain, 

Einertson,  Norris  Chaplam  (MG), 

Ennis,  Eugene  Chaplam, 

Esterline,  Stan  Chaplain, 

Ettershank,  Jack  Chaplam, 

G'Segner,  Ford  Chaplam, 

Goldman,  WD  Chaplam, 

Gover,  Don  Chaplam, 

Gunhus,  G  T  Chaplain, 

Hatcher,  Tillman  MSG, 

Hill,  Greg  Chaplain, 

Hoffmann,  Wayne  W  Chaplain  (BG) 

Horton,  Janet  Y  Chaplain, 

Hufham,  William  Chaplain, 

Inghilterra,  Vincent  Chaplain, 


The  Pentagon, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft  Riley,  KS, 
St  Louis,  MO, 
Ft  Lee,  VA, 
Ft.  Riley,  KS, 
Ft.  Mcpherson,  GA, 
St  Louis,  MO, 
Carlisle,  PA, 
Ft.  McPherson,  GA, 
The  Pentagon, 
St  Louis,  MO, 
St  Louis,  MO, 
Sioux  Falls,  SD, 
Ft.  McPherson,  GA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft.  Monroe,  VA, 
Ft  Benning,  GA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft.  Gillem,  GA, 
Ft.  Monroe,  VA, 
Ft.  Monroe,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
The  Pentagon, 
Carlisle,  PA, 
The  Pentagon, 
St  Louis,  MO, 


9  Dec  93 

11  Oct  94  and  12  Sept.  94 

29  Mar.  94 

23  May  95 

24  Aug  94 
29  Mar.  94 
4  Jan  94 

25  may  95 

24  Apr  94 
23  May  95 
18  Apr  95 

25  May  94 

25  May  9  and  30  Mar  95 

27  May  94 

1  July  93 

16  Mar.  95 

14  Dec  93 

4  Jan  93 

7  June  95 
29  Dec  93 
14  Dec.  93 

14  Dec.  93  and  30  Dec  94 
18  Nov.  94 

8  Sept  94 
3  may  95 

16  Dec  93  and  31  Mar  95 
25  May  94 


481 


Jennings,  Pat  Ms , 
Johnson,  Irven  Chaplain, 
Johnson,  Kermit  Chaplain  (MG), 
Kaising,  John  Chaplain, 
Keizer,  Herman  Chaplain, 
Kelly,  Oris  Chaplain  (MG), 
Kimmell,  Jere  Chaplain, 
Kithcens,  Herbert  Chaplain, 
Kriete,  Charles  Chaplain, 
Kuehne,  Wayne  Chaplain, 
Kuhlbars,  Richard  Chaplain, 
Lamback,  Samuel  P  Chaplain, 
Lamm,  Harold  Chaplain, 
Lehrer.  Wayne  Chaplain, 
Leonard,  Stephen  Chaplain, 
Lieving,  Bernard  Chaplain, 
Lonergan,  James  B.  Chaplain, 
Loring,  Robert  Chaplain, 
Mack,  Larry  Chaplain, 
Mason,  Paul  Chaplain, 
Millraney,  Joseph  P.  SFC, 
Moore,  Lowell  Chaplain, 
Nardotti,  Michael  J.  MG, 
Norton,  Thomas  Chaplain, 
O'Keeffe,  Leo  J  Chaplain, 
Parker,  Wilbur  Chaplain, 
Pejakovich,  George  Chaplain, 
Peterson,  David  Chaplain, 


Alexandria,  VA , 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
Fairfax,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
The  Pentagon, 
Manhattan,  KS, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft  Gillem,  GA, 
Gardner,  PA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft  Lee,  VA, 
Ft  Monmouth,  NJ, 
Alexandria,  VA, 
Ft  Monmouth,  NJ, 
St  Louis,  MO, 
Ft.  Monmouth,  NJ, 
Ft.  McPherson,  GA, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft  McPherson,  GA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
St  Louis,  MO, 
The  Pentagon, 
Carlisle,  PA, 
The  Pentagon, 
St  Louis,  MO, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft  McPherson,  GA, 


23  Mar.  95 
18  Jan.  95 

10  Nov  93 

23  Mar  95 
4  Apr.  94 
30  Mar  94 

28  Sept  94 

29  Dec  93 
12  Oct  94 
16  Dec  93 

24  Aug  94 
7  Dec.  93 

1 1  Jan  94 
7  Dec  93 

25  May  94 

7  Dec.  93  and  29  June  94 

23  May  95 

8  Mar  95 
18  Aug  94 
4  Jan  94 
18  Jan.  95 

24  May  95 
20  Mar  95 
1  Dec  94 
18  Aug  94 

25  may  94 
20  Dec  93 

27  Sept  93  and  28  Apr  94 


482 


Pierce,  James  E  Chaplain, 
Pitts,  Mary  Chaplain, 
Prost,  Tom  MSG, 
Rappl,  Joseph  Chaplain, 
Rasmussen,  John  Chaplain, 
Rennell,  James  Chaplain, 
Reynolds,  Jerry  Chaplain, 
Robnolt,  James  Chaplain, 
Rodriguez,  Jose  Chaplain, 
Romer,  Ben  Chaplain, 
Rutherford,  Donald  Chaplain, 
Ryland,  Cecil  Chaplain, 
Sanford,  Gary  Chaplain, 
Schmeling,  John  Chaplain, 
Scott,  John  C.  Chaplain, 
Shea,  Donald  W.  Chaplain  (MG), 
Smith,  Betty,  Ms , 
Smith,  Thomas  Chaplain, 
Spang,  Frank  Mr , 
Springthorpe,  Anet  R  N  , 
Sydnor,  Calvin  Chaplain, 
Tatum,  Timothy  Chaplain, 
Telencio,  Peter  Chaplain, 
Thompson,  Carl  Chaplain, 
Thornton,  Jesse  Chaplain, 
Touw,  Philip  R  Chaplain, 
Tupy,  Richard  Chaplain, 
Turner,  Trevor  Chaplain, 


Valley  Forge,  PA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
The  Pentagon, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft  Monmouth,  NJ, 
Ft  McPherson,  GA, 
Ft  Monmouth,  NJ, 
Ft  Riley,  KS, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
St  Louis,  MO, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Alexandria,  VA, 
Walter  Reed  AMC, 
Ft.  Mormiouth,  NJ, 
Alexandria,  VA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft  Monmouth,  NJ, 
Ft.  Riley,  KS, 
The  Pentagon, 
The  Pentagon, 
Oceanport,  NJ, 
Front  Royal,  VA, 


1  Jan  95 

2  Sept  94 
18  Apr.  95 
20  Jan.  95 

18  Nov  94 

23  Oct  93 

27  Sept  94 
1 1  July  93 
29  Mar  94 

9  Feb  94 

19  Aug  94 

14  Mar  95 

28  Apr.  94 

25  May  94 

24  Dec  94 

10  Jan.  94 
23  Mar  95 

28  July  94 
2  Apr.  95 
19  July  95 
8  Apr  94 

4  Nov.  94,  28  Dec.  94,  and  16  Jan  95 

4  mar.  97 

29  Mar  94 
18  Nov  94 

15  May  95 

5  Nov.  93 

26  Oct  94 


483 


Vickers,  Robert  Chaplain, 

Wake,  Henry  Chaplain 

Walker,  Marie  Ms., 

Weathers,  Cliff  Chaplain, 

Weddle,  Donna  Chaplain, 

Weimer,  Kerby  Chaplain, 

Windmiller,  Bernard  L  Chaplain, 

Womack,  Shirley,  Ms , 

Yeosock,  John  LTG, 

Yuhas,  Debbie  Ms , 

Zalis,  David  Chaplain, 

Zimmerman,  Matthew  Chaplain  (MG), 


Ft.  McPherson,  GA,      4  Jan  94 
The  Pentagon,  10  Jan  94 


The  Pentagon, 

Arlington,  VA, 

The  Pentagon, 

Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 

Ft  Monmouth,  NJ, 

Alexandria,  VA, 

Ft.  McPherson,  GA. 

Ft.  McPherson,  GA,      4  Jan  94 

Ft.  McPherson,  GA,      8  June  93 

The  Pentagon,  9  Dec  93 


24  Apr  95 

19  Feb  95  and  23  Feb  95 

12  Dec  94  and  23  Mar  95 

1 7  June  94 
16  Jan  92 

18  April  95 

13  July  93 


484 


TELEPHONE  INTERVIEWS 


Adams,  Richard  Chaplain,  Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 

Brown,  Harvey  Chaplain,  Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 

Clanton,  Charles  Chaplain,  Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 

Colley,  Joe  R  Chaplain,  Atlanta,  GA, 

Covington,  Robert  Chaplain,  Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 

Currey,  Cecil  Chaplain,  Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 

Davis,  Dan  Chaplain,  Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 

DeDonato,  David  Chaplain,  Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 

Dresin,  Sanford  Chaplain,  Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 

Flom,  Morgan,  Mr.,  Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 

Graham,  William  Chaplain,  Atlanta,  GA, 

Grubb,  Hugh  Chaplain,  Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 

Hannah,  John  Chaplain,  Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 

Harris,  Tom  Chaplain,  Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 

Hatler,  Gay  Chaplain,  Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Hessian,  J  Patrick  Chaplain,  (MG)       Alexandria,  VA, 

Hutcherson,  Robert  Chaplain,  Ft  Belvoir.  VA, 

Johnson,  Leroy  Chaplain,  Atlanta,  GA, 

Kelly,  Larry  Chaplain,  Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 

Libby,  Billy  Chaplain,  Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 

Mangham,  Gerald  Chaplain,  Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 

Natkin,  Ian  Col  (I),  Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 

O'Shea,  Edward  Chaplain,  Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 

Pappas,  Kristi  Chaplain,  Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 

Parker,  Leon  Chaplain,  Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 

Parton,  Ed  MSG,  Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 


16  Aug.  94 

20  Jan.  95  and  7  Mar  95 

6  Jan  94 

4  Jan  94 

18  Jan  95 

30  June  94 

18  Apr  94 

22  Apr.  94 

22  Apr.  94 

2  Jan  95 

23  Sept.  94 

4  Mar,  95 

5  Jan  95 

22  Apr.  94 

3  May  94 
10  Dec  94 

24  Jan.  95 

1 2  July  94 
1  Dec  94 
30  Dec.  94 
3  Aug.  94 

23  Feb.  95 

17  July  95 
3  Aug  94 

13  May  94 

6  Jan  94 


485 


Plummer,  Roy  Chaplain, 
Racster.  Larry  Chaplain, 
Salinero,  Ben  Chaplain, 
Schwarzkopf,  H.  Norman  General, 
Schweitzer,  Gordon  Chaplain, 
Scott,  Sir  WalterChaplain, 
Sherer,  Barbara  Chaplain, 
Smith,  O  Wayne  Chaplain, 
Solhjem,  Tom  Chaplain, 
Stock,  Joseph  Chaplain, 
Van  Scheinkhof,  Carol  Chaplain, 


Atlanta,  GA,  12  July  94 

Ft.  Belvoir,  VA,  25  May  94 

Ft  Belvoir,  VA,  3  Aug  94 

The  Pentagon  20  Mar  95 

Ft.  Belvoir,  VA,  30  Dec  94 

Ft.  Belvoir,  VA,  1  May  95 

Ft  Belvoir,  VA,  1 1  Sept  94 
Aberdeen  Proving  Ground,  MD,      23  May  95 

Ft.  Belvoir,  VA,  5  May  94 

Woodbridge,  VA,  1 5  Nov  94 

Ft  Belvoir,  VA,  20  Apr  95 


486 


INDEX^ 


10th  Mountain  Division  365 

172nd  Infantry  Brigade  99,  100 

1st  Cavalry  Division  63,  336 

Aaron  and  Hurr  Award  379 

Abrams,  Creighton  W  ,  General  10,  11,  14,  24,  34,  37,  51, 

144,  193,204 
Academy  of  Health  Sciences  42,  87,  277 
Ackermann,  Henry  F  ,  Chaplain  19,  136,  193,  198,  199, 

207,  220 
Adams,  Charles,  Installation  Staff  Chaplain,  Ft  Campbell 

329 
Adams,  Richard  L  ,  XVIU  Airborne  Corps  Staff  Chaplain 

238,  287,  305,  380 
Addams,  Susan,  Chaplain  365 
Adickes,  Donald  K  ,  Chaplain  42,  77 
Affirmative  Action  7,  40,  70.  101.  |91,  195,  205,  237 
African  Methodist  Episcopal  (AME)  40 
Agnew,  Spiro,  Vice  President  25 
Air  Florida  Crash  142 

Alaska  8,  99,  100,  101,  109,  167,  247,  252,  266 
Alexander,  Clifford  75,  121,  127,  150 
Allen,  Eugene.  Chaplain  37.  138 
American  Institute  for  Family  Relations  (AlFR)  30 
American  Civil  Liberties  Union  26 
Anderson,  Jack  ,  Chaplam  305,  311,  347,  374 
Arctic  Regions  Test  Center  1 00 
Aristide,  Jean-Bertrand  312,  366,  370 
Armed  Forces  Chaplain  Board  39,  71,  73,  74,  151,  246, 

311,362 
Armed  Forces  Radio  Network  (AFN)  33,  206 
Army  of  Excellence  17,  18,  164,  218,  190,  204,  382 
Army  Training  and  Evaluation  Program  (ARTEP)  1 1 
Army  WarCollege55,  40,  41,57,  61,65,  67,  106.  115, 

117,  151,  153,  166,  171,215,220,221,223,264, 

296,  305,  308,  309,  311,  316,  348,  350,  352,  360, 

375,391, 
Arnold,  Lindsey  E  ,  Chaplain  388 
Arvay,  Alfred  S  ,  Chaplain  100 
Askew,  Ruben,  Chaplain  42 
Autry,  Jerry,  Chaplain  42,  43,  57,  76 
Ax  Attack,  Korea  68 
Bagnal,  Charles  W,  General     127 
Bander,  William,  Chaplain  42 
Barton,  Jim  141 
BASOPS  78,  269,  279 
Beasley,  Joseph,  Chaplain,  Associate  Professor,  United 

States  Military  Academy  67,  103,  105,  134,  136 


Betzold,  John,  Chaplain  30,  291 

Bezanson,  Ronald,  Chaplain  151,  155,  166,  186,  200,  266 

Biersdorf,  John  E.,  Dr    83 

Black  Sea  46,  50,  93,  95,  97,  108 

Black  History  33,  254,  256,  288 

Blancett,  Skip  E  ,  Chaplain.  USN  389 

Bonner.  Bob  .  Sergeant  6 

Bosnia324,  330,  336,  363,  371 

Boyce,  David,  Chaplain  77 

Bradfield,  Michael  T  ,  Chaplain  388 

Brennan.  William  Justice  121 

Brewer,  Earl  D  C  ,  Dr    83 

Brinsfield,  John  ,  Chaplain,  Director,  Ethical  Program 

Development,  US  Army  War  College  41,  50,  58, 
59,  94,  95,  96,  97,  104,  105,  108,  134,  163,  151, 
153,  156,  157,  218,  224,  225,  248,  254,  270,  277, 
285,  288,  294,  295,  318,  319,  337,  348,  349,  357, 
375,  376,  387,  390, 

Brown.  Harvey,  Chaplain  248,  287.  349,  380 

Brown,  Liz  Mrs    342 

Brown,  Harold,  Secretary  of  Defense  13,  14,  16,  20,  216 

Buddhist  Churches  of  Amenca  243 

Burttram,  Darmy,  Chaplain  92 

Butcher,  Ida  71,  167.257 

Buzby,  W  D,  Chaplam  3 1 1 

Camp,  Charles  D  ,  Chaplain  ,  Director  of  Personnel  and 
Ecclesiastical  Relations  361 

Campbell.  Robert,  Chaplain  277 

Carlisle  Barracks  57,  67,  132,  277,  316,  352 

Carlson-Cassem,  Carlene,  Chaplain    377 

Caro.  Richard  123 

Carroll.  Tom,  Chaplain  270 

Carter,  Jimmy,  President  13-16,  58,  62,  74,  114,  126,  131, 
265,  366,  372 

Carver,  Douglas,  Chaplain  223,  380 

Castillo,  Anita,  Chaplam  USAR-IRR  376 

Cedras,  Raoul  Lieutenant  General,  Haiti  366 

Chapel  Activity  Speciahst  113,  119,  130,  165,  177,  179 

Chapel  Activity  Specialists  56,  61,  1 17,  1 18,  144,  159, 
160,  168,  169,  173-177,  179,239 

Chaplam  Assistant  6,  7,  23,  44,  46,  54.  61,  65,  83,  96, 

100,  101,  132,  148,  159,  160,  177,  179,  180-185, 
189,  190,  192,  193,  195-199,  201-203,  206,  208- 
211,  217,  231,  236-239,  241,  243,  247,  248,  251- 
254,  256-258,  262,  263,  266,  267,  269,  270,  273, 
274,  278,  279,  309,  313,  318,  323,  325,  326,  328, 
329,  331,  336,  337,  340,  341,  343,  366,  367,  372, 


487 


376,  383 

Chaplain  Board  31,  38,  39,  45,  71,  73,  74,  77,  83,  117, 

131,  137,  138,  163,  166,  169,  172,  179,  186-190, 
195,  205,  214,  217,238,  246,  250,  251,  254,  362 

Chaplain  Center  and  School  23,  36,  42,  45,  65-67,  71,  72, 
87,  89,  90,  92,  105,  109,  131,  132,  136,  159,  166- 
169,  171,  177,  179,  180-183,  185,  185,  188,  189, 
190,  195-200,  213,  231,  236,  238,  239,  243,  247, 
248,  250,  255 

Chaplain  Candidate  Program  1 1 9 

Chaplain  Basic  Course  40.  89,  166,  169 

Chaplain  Advanced  Course  35,  89,  136,  169,  202,  330 

Chaplain  Academic  Board  168,  169 

Chaplaincy  White  Paper  357,  376,  381 

Character  Development  357,  372,  373 

Chief  of  Staff,  Army  10,  1 1,  24,  26,  32,  34,  41,  45,  51,  62, 
63,  64,  70,  73,  74,  92,  1 14,  115,  127,  134,  145, 
146,  168,  176,  184,  186,  187,  188,  193,  195,  199, 
204,  210,  243,  244,  247,  251,  255,  259,  260,  261, 
263,  264,  265,  269,  273,  280,  305,  308,  321,  327, 
328.  343,  358,  359,  372,  377 

Christian  Methodist  Episcopal  (CME)  6 

Christy,  Peter,  Eighth  Army  Chaplain  270,  336,  359,  371 

Clanton,  Charles  T  ,  Chaplain  239 

Clark,  Donald,  Chaplain  42,  71 

Clark,  Paul,  Chaplain  333,  368 

Clinical  Pastoral  Education  (CPE)  52,  91,  159,  166,  263 

Clinton,  Bill,  President  329,  330,  336,  337,  364,  368,  369 

Cold  War  376,  380,  381 

Combined  Arms  and  Services  Staff  School  132,  169 

Command  Chaplain  Conference  29,  1 18,  173,  236 

Command  and  General  Staff  College  42,  66,  115,  117,  132, 
166,  342,  358,  373,  380 

Command  Master  Religious  Program  78 

Connor,  Gerald,  Chaplain  277 

Conscientious  Objection  43 

Constitutionality  Case  142,  168,  193,  337 

Constitutionality  83,  120-122,  125,  126,  129,  164,  210, 
257 

Continental  United  States  (CONUS)  6,  7,  1 1,  3 1 1 

Cottingham,  John,  Chaplain  1st  Infantry  Division  378 

Councell,  Gary,  Chaplain  262,  278,  304 

Cox,  Harvey  ,  Professor  26 

Cnppen,  Donald,  Chaplain  277,  278 

Croatia  312,  320,  324,  325,  330,  361,  371,  377 

Crumity,  Oscar ,  Sergeant  Major  360 

Cummings,  Steven  E  ,  Chaplain  375 

CunnifFe,  John  J.,  Chaplain  75,  80,  1 18 

Currey,  Cecil,  Chaplain  124,  125,  337 


Cyprus48,  49,  93,  361 

Daleshal,  Lorraine,  Chaplain  Assistant  44 

Daniel,  W  C.  .  US.  Congressman  73,  1678,  327,  332 

Daugherty,  William,  SSG,  Chaplain  Assistant  376 

Davidson.  Donald,  Chaplam  41,  136,  143.  171 

Davis.  Franklin  M  .  Jr .  Major  General  41 

Davis,  Lawrence,  Chaplain  ARNG  375 

Davis,  Elvemice.  Chaplain  7.  31 1,  323 

Davis,  Harold,  Chaplain  42 

Day.  Roland,  Chaplain  42 

DeDonato,  David,  Chaplain  Ethicist  277,  316 

Defense  Officer  Personnel  Management  (DOPMA)  131 

Dempsey,  Terry,  Chaplain  97-99 

Department  of  Defense  (DOD)  14,  39,  46,  65,  123,  130, 

132,  207,  236,  250,  258,  259,  263,  308,  317,  325, 

326,  369 
Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel  (DCSPER)  26,  32,  34, 

51,  70,  74,  134,  184,  188,  199,  243,  259,  261, 

308,  328,  359,  372 
Depuy,  William,  General  1 1,  12,  14,  45,  63,  87 
DeVeaux.  John,  Chaplain  255,  31 1 
Dimino,  Joseph  T  Archbishop  359 
Diogenes  Station  47,  49.  93.  94,  95 
Director  of  Religious  Education  (DRE)  39,  267,  342 
Dodson,  Roy,  Major  123,  125,  127 
Donahue,  D  J  ,  Eighth  Army  Chaplain  269,  305,  359 
Douglas.  William  O  ,  Justice  121 
Drazm.  Israel,  Chaplain,  Bngadier  General  125-127,  167, 

188,  193,236,257,337 
Dresin.  Sanford.  Chaplain  123,  136,  167,  263,  264 
Drucker,  Peter  37 

Drug  and  Alcohol  Abuse  3,  5,  6,  23,  31,  255,  316 
Dulles.  John  Foster,  Secretary  of  State  16 
Duncan,  Rosemary  83 
Dunne,  Joseph  A  ,  Monsignor  133 
Dyck.  Arthur  J  ,  Professor  133 
Edgren,  James,  Chaplain  124,  166,  177,  179,  237,  246, 

247,  249,  250,  257,  262,  267,  276,  278,  304,  311, 

331 
Education  Programs  39.  80.  198.  209,  268,  342 
Eisenhower.  Dwight  D  ,  General  of  the  Army  16 
El  Salvador  120,  144,  145,  146,  147 
Endorsing  Agents  1 17,  172,  374 
Enzor,  B  H  ,  Assistant  Chief  of  Chaplains,  National  Guard 

359 
Equal  Rights  Amendment  39 

Esterlme.  Stanley  R  ,  Pentagon  Chaplain  278,  304,  359 
Ethics  30,  41-43,  66,  67,  122,  126,  132-134,  136,  146, 

163.  168.  171.  173,  198,  201,  205,  229,  263,  264, 


488 


276,  277,  316,  340,  357,  373,  380,  381 
Ettershank,  John,  Chaplain  76,  140,  172,  176 
Falwell,  Jerry,  Rev    1 14 
Family  Life  Centers  PI,  101,  138,250,252,257,313,380, 

381 
Family  Life  30,  31,45,  65,  77,  01,  1 13,  131,  138,  167, 

168,  18Q,  238,  251,  262,  308,  323,  331,  370,  371 
Female  Chaplain  Assistant  40,  P6,  341 
Female  Chaplain  23,  39,  40,  70,  71,  136,  169,  198,  237, 

322,339,340,341,368 
Field  Manual  16-1  269,  270,  362 
Field  Manual  16-5  67,  159,  179,  182,  191 
Fisher,  George,  Major  General  36" 
Five  Year  Plan  29 

Flack,  James  K  ,  Chaplain  Assistant  365 
Fleming,  Martin,  Chaplain  100 
Force  XXI  357,  362,  363,  376 
Forces  Command  (FORSCOM)  10,  1 1,  17,  40,  46,  63, 

115,  117,  189,  198,202,231,256,266,267,304, 

305,312,313,318,325 
Ford  ,  Gerald,  President  24,  25,  69,  93,  97,  164 
Forsberg,  Paul  ,  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains  70,  117,  141, 

166,  169,200 
Fort  Meade  45,  71 

Fort  Hood  6,  7,  9,  33,  63,  64,  94,  160,  162,  311,  336,  363 
Fort  Wadsworth  23,  45,  67,  71 
FortGreely  100,  101 
Fort  Jackson  45,  327,  331,  337,  375,  377 
Fort  Chaffee,  Arkansas  3 1 ,  203 
Fort  Leonard  Wood  37,  65,  172 
Fort  Monmouth  45,  72,  167,  168,  188,  199,  236,  238,  251, 

269,  378 
Fort  Belvoir  10,  136,  142,  143,  144,  191,  322,  342 
Fort  Richardson,  Alaska  99,  100 
Fort  Wainwright  100 
Fort  Hamilton  45,  72 
Fort  A  P  Hill  143,  144 
Forward  Thrust  Doctrine  61,  64,  182,  197 
Frankfort  92,  201,  202,  206,  207,  208,  262,  304 
Fort  Riley  65,  304 
Fulbright,  J  William,  Senator  24 
Futunsm  83 

Gafftiey,  Edward,  Chaplain  44 
Galle,  Joseph,  Chaplain  77 
Gard,  Bobby  ,  Bngadier  General  32 
Gardella,  Don  L  ,  Chaplain  100 
Garrett  Theological  Seminary  64 
George  Washington  University  26 
GiUy,  Ken  J  ,  Chaplam  100 


Go,  Marilyn  127 

Goals  ,  Chief  of  Chaplains  83 

Goellen,  Richard,  Chaplain  176 

Goldman,  Willard  D  ,  Chaplain  ,  Office  of  the  Deputy 

Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel    311,  359.  372,  373 
Goodpaster,  Andrew  J  ,  Lieutenant  General  74,  133 
Gospel  Service  7,  23,  33,  141,  142,  168,  256 
Gover,  Donald,  Chaplam  134 
Government  Prmting  Office  82 
Gremmels,  Delbert,  Chaplain  3 1 
Guatemala  120,  145,  147,  361.  377 
Gunhus,  Gaylord  T  ,  Brigadier  General,  Deputy  Chief  of 

Chaplams  179.  180,  182,  198,  275,  279,  305,  327, 

359 
Gushwa,  Robert  L  ,  Chaplam  82 
Guyana  97,  98 

Haberek,  Jerome,  Chaplam  333 
Haefher,  Paul,  Chaplam  93,  94 
Hailey,  Azelia  ,  SSG,  Chaplam  Assistant  365 
Handbook  for  Mmonty  Chaplams  71 
Harris,  Tom,  Chaplam  Assistant  94 
Hams,  Bill,  Chaplam  69,  70 
Hams,  Thomas,  Chaplain  30 

Hams,  Gene,  Master  Sergeant,  Chaplam  Assistant  375 
Harrison,  Benjamm,  Bngadier  General  1 79 
Harvard  Crimson  121 
Hatler,  Gaylord,  Chaplam  93,  31 1 
Heidelberg  6,  92,  201,  207,  208,  304 
Hemo,  David,  Chaplam  125 
Hendel,  Larry,  Chaplam  ARNG  375 
Henderson,  James,  Chaplain  Assistant  377 
Henderson,  Alice  M  ,  Chaplam  40 
Hessian,  Patnck  J  ,  Major  General,  Sixteenth  Chief  of 

Chaplams  75,  117,  119,  129,  159-163,  165-169, 

171,  172,  175,  177,  182-188,  190,  191,  196,  198, 

199,210,211,237 
Hicks,  David  ,  Special  Operations  Conmiand  Staff 

Chaplam  365 
Hill,  Greg  ,  Chaplam,  Chaplamcy  Assignments  Officer 

306,311 
Hilliard  ,  Henry  ,  Chaplam  66,  79,  86,  92 
Hispanic  32,  34,  70,  82,  140,  169,  205,  257 
History  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  61,  82,  160,  254,  318, 

377,  380,  382 
Hobart,  Ella  40 
Hobson,  Michael  W  ,  Major,  Editor,  Field  Manual  16-1 

239,  270 
Hoffmann,  Wayne,  Brigadier  General,  Assistant  Chief  of 

Chaplams  323,  326,  359,  377 


489 


Holland.  Theo  D  ,  Chaplain  45 

Holley,  Frank,  Chaplain  44 

HomiieticsSl,  113,  131,  137,  138,  163,  167,  168,  173, 

189,238,251 
Honduras  62,  144,  145,  193,  204,  377 
Honor  Code  120,  133 
Hoogland,  John,  Chaplain  77,  167,  251 
Horan,  Edward  J    267,  268,  323 
Horton,  Janet  Y  .  Chaplain  40,  136,  278,  304,  311,  322, 

330,  340 
Howard,  David,  Chaplain,  Director  of  Training,  US  Army 

Chaplain  School  359 
Howerton,  Robert  B  ,  Chaplain  100 
Hufham,  William  L  ,  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  StafF Chaplain 

100,  101,  196,  203,  237,  243,  259,  308,  309,  326, 

337,  359,  363.  373,  378 
Hughes,  Marvin,  Chaplain  44,  51,  209 
Human  Self  Development  26.  29.  38,  39 
Hutcherson,  Robert.  Chaplain  69,  70 
Hutcheson,  Reese  M  ,  Chaplain  336,  369 
Hyatt  ,  Gerhardt  W  (  Thirteenth)  Chief  of  Chaplams  7,  23, 

24,  26,  27,  29,  30,  33,  34,  36,  37,  38,  40,  41,  43, 

45,  51,  52,  64,  65,  71,  73,  77,  82,  84,  85,  91,  92, 

127,  133,318,339 
Imberi,  Anthony,  Chaplain  191 
Ingram.  Billy  ,  Chaplain  64 
Inspector  General  82.  264 
Installation  Management  Study  73 

Interservice  Training  and  Review  Organization  (ITRO)  72 
Iran  17,  24,  1 14,  164,  258,  265,  302 
Jack  Frost,  Operation  99 
Jackson,  Ross  B  ,  Chaplain  134 
Jennings,  Dwight,  Chaplain  270 
Jennmgs,  Irving,  Chaplain  7,  33 
Jesus  94,  96,  137,  191,  203,  261,  262 
Jewish  Welfare  Board  39,  188,  191 
Johnson,  Lyndon,  President  1,  2 
Johnson,  Kermit  D.,  Major  General,  Fifteeiitli  Chief  of 

Chaplains  5,  90,  101,  113,  115,  117,  118,  119, 

120,  123,  125,  126-128,  130-134,  136,  137,  141- 

148,  163,  168,  179,  196,  197,  265,  339 
Johnson,  Leroy,  Chaplain  7,  33 
Joint  Security  Area  68,  370 
Joint  Task  Force  190  301,  312,  364,  365,  369 
Jonestown  97-99 
Jopp,  Frank,  Chaplain  89 
Jordin,  Vem  E  II,  Chaplain  369 
Judge  Advocate  General  74,  87,  123,  129,  241,  264 
Raising,  John  J  ,  Chaplain,  Executive  Officer,  Office  of  the 


Chief  of  Chaplains  206,  245,  258,  266,  322,  359 
KatcoflF,  Joel  120-122,  125,  128,  129,  131,  193,  241,  242, 

257 
Keizer,  Herman,  Joint  European  Command  Chaplain  266, 

268,274,275.304.311.  321.  328.  359,360,361, 

371,372 
Kelly,  Orris  ,  (Fourteenth)  Chief  of  Chaplains  3,  27,  32, 

52,  61,  64-67,  71-76,  82,  84,  85,  87,  90,  91,  93, 

101,  137,  162,  175.  180,  265,  273,  326,  339,  341, 

373 
Kerr,  Dennis,  Brigadier  General  373 
Kerwin,  Walter  T  ,  General  64 
Key  Results  Areas  85 
Keys,  Clifford,  Chaplain  37 
Kinzer.  Joseph,  Major  General  368 
Kissinger,  Henry.  Secretary  of  State  46.  93,  330,  329 
Kitchens,  Herbert,  Chaplain  239 
Korea  330,  336,  358,  359.  361,  369.  370,  371,  377,  378, 

380 
Korean  War  3,  15,26,115,312,370 
Kowski,  John  ,  Chaplain,  Eighth  Army  70 
Knete,  Charles  ,  Chaplain  27,  35,  40,  41,  42,  67 
Kroesen,  Frederick  J  .  General  127 
Kuehne.  Wayne  E  .  Chaplain.  Director  of  Plans,  Policy 

Development,  and  Training  64,  76,  123,  127,  130, 

167,  175,  177,  179,  180,  182,  184,  188,  198,  179, 

180,  182,  184,  188,  198,  269,  270,  276,  278,  304, 

311,326,327,331.359,363 
Lair.  Robert  E  .  Reserve  Advisor  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains 

258.  305 
Lamback,  Samuel,  Chaplain  191,  201,  206,  207 
Lamm,  Harold,  Chaplain  36,  42,  79,  86,  87 
Ledebuhr,  Albert,  Chaplain  6,  35,  51,  87,  326 
Lee,  Sung  Jung,  Chaplain  365 
Lee,  Leonard,  Chaplain  100 
Lehrer,  Wayne,  I  Corps  Staff  Chaplain  270,  359 
Leonard,  Stephen,  US.  Army  Reserve  Command  Staff 

Chaplam  308,  309,  359 
Liptrot,  William,  Chaplain  371 
Logue,  Charles  D  ,  Chaplain  47,  50.  93 
Lonergan.  James  B  .  V  Corps  Chaplam  326,  371 
Loring,  Robert,  Chaplain  267 
Loud,  Irwin,  Chaplain  100 
Lynn,  Otis,  Bngadier  General  99 
Macedonia  312,  321,  324,  325,  336,  377 
Magers,  Scott,  Lt  Col     123 
Major  Commands  (MACOMS)  41.  85.  100.  140.  141,  238, 

358,  359 
Malanowski,  Thaddeus  F  ,  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains  27, 


490 


101 
Management  Philosophy  84 
Management  of  Grade  Authorization  (MOGA)  51 
Management  by  Objectives  for  Results  (MBOR)  37,  52, 

61,65,  84,  85,  101,  119,  138 
Manressa  Retreat  House  125 
Marcantonio,  Clement,  Chaplain  100 
Marsh,  John  O  ,  Secretary  of  the  Army  1 14,  127,  129,  163, 

164,  258 
Marshall,  George,  General  1 
Martin,  William,  Chaplam  37 
Martm,  Richard,  Chaplain  27,  201 
Mason,  Paul,  Chaplain  378 
Mathis,  Roy,  Chaplain  89,  167,  186,  305 
Matthew,  Richard,  Chaplain  42 
McAllister,  William,  Chaplain  191 
McClary,  David  .  Chaplain  USAR  370 
McDonnell,  Charles,  Bngadier  General,  Deputy  Chief  of 

Chaplains  172,  173,  183,  190,  236.  238,  239,  241, 

244,245,251 
McElwee,  Aloysius  J  ,  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplams  27 
McLaughlin,  Joseph,  Judge  127,  128 
McMinn,  Thomas,  Chaplain  7,  33,  42 
McRae,  John,  Chaplam  31 1,  378 
Medical  Ethics  Conference  276,  277 
Medical  Centers  30,  92 
Melnick,  Arnold,  Colonel  123 
Meyer,  Edward  C  ,  General  1 14,  1 15.  127,  145,  146.  147, 

333,343 
Miles,  Joel,  Chaplain  6 
Miles,  Paul  L  ,  Colonel  136 

Military  Chaplams  Review  31,  43,  64,  77,  101,  117,  134, 
'  167,  169,  205,  238,  251,  254,  277,  322,  340,  363, 

374 
Military  Council  of  Catholic  Women  140,  173,  206,  341 
Ministry  Team  Conference  148,  309,  376 
Minnesota  52,  115,  117,  160,230,358 
Mmonty  Mmistry  Conference  70,  7 1 
Mmonty  6,  23,  32,  34,  48,  70,  71,  101,  138,  139,  165, 

169,  172,  191,  195,  205,  237,  268,  338 
Mishler,  Jacob,  Judge  125,  127 
Mondale,  Walter  F  ,  Vice  President  120 
Monk,  John  Paul,  Chaplam  7,  31,  33 
Moore,  Paul,  Bishop  83 
Moral  Leadership  198,  201,  208,  242,  253,  302,  372,  373, 

380 
Moral  hitegnty  67 
Multiple  Integrated  Laser  Engagement  System  (MILES) 

11,197 


Muslims34,  70,  71,96,  331 

My  Lai  1,40  41 

Nardotti,  Michael  J  ,  Judge  Advocate  General  of  the  Army 
123,  127,  128 

National  Guard  45,  48,  63,  159,  166,  169,  186,  195,  198, 
199,  210,  276,  305,  308,  316,  317,  325,  326,  331, 
359,  360 

National  Traming  Center  (NTC)  II,  193,  196,  204,  247 

National  Traming  Laboratories  (NTL)  35 

Newburgh,  New  York  78 

Nickerson,  Eugene,  US  District  Judge  372 

Noble,  William  ,  Editor,  Military  Chaplains  Review  191, 
238,  254,  363 

Noms,  John  Lt  Col    49,  50,  93-96 

North  Atlantic  Treaty  Organization  fNAT0)I5 

Northern  Warfare  Trainmg  Center  100 

Norton,  Herman  A  ,  Chaplain  46,  82,  191 

Norton,  Thomas,  Chaplam  41,  136,  191,  200,  266,  316 

Nunn,  Sam  ,  U  S  Senator  (D-Georgia)  278,  279,  364 

Nye,  Joseph,  Assistant  Defense  Secretary  371 

O'Shea,  Edward  ,  Chaplam  27,  35,  36,  41,  67,  72,  87,  88 

Odiome,  George  37 

Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplams  (OCCH)  7,  23,  29,  32-36, 
43,  46,  64,  65,  67,  75,  123,  127,  130,  138,  139, 
141,  166,  171,  177,  181,  182,  186,  187,  189,  195, 
196,  200,  203,  209,  210,  242,  243,  245,  249,  251, 
254,  257,  261,  262,  274,  276,  304,  305,  307,  313, 
322,  326,  328,  340,  342,  343,  38,  359,  378,  380 

Operation  Restore  Hope  301,  325 

Operations  Uphold/Ma intam  Democracy  327 

Organizational  Development  23,  35-38,  52,  92 

Pace,  Betty,  Chaplam  40 

Panama  Canal  Treaty  46,  62,  1 14 

Panama  8,  9,  91,  238,  256,  273,  274,  368,  369,  370, 

Panmunjom,  Korea  68,  70 

Pans  Peace  Talks  24 

Parish  Development  35,  37,  38,  61,  77,  92,  101,  1 13,  138, 
159,  167,  189,  251 

Parker,Wilbur  , Chaplain  ,  Office  of  the  Joint  Chiefs  of 
Staff266,  360,  361, 

Paul  Bunyan  ,  Operation  69 

Peacock,  Willie,  Sixth  Army  Chaplam  359,  360,  378 

Pearson,  John,  Chaplain  42 

Peers  Inquiry  40,  41 

Pejakovich  ,  George,  Commandant ,  US  Army  Chaplain 
School3ll,322,  359,  363 

Pentagon  Pulpit  Series  140 

Perry,  William  J  ,  Secretary  of  Defense  14,  333 

Personal  Effectiveness  Trammg  23,  34,  89,  380 


491 


PET  II  136,  140 

Peters,  Roy  ,  Commandant ,  U  S  Amiy  Chaplain  School 

72 
Peterson,  David  P  ,  CENTCOM  Staff  Chaplain  100,  203, 

326,  359 
Phase  111  Training  89,  101,  267 
Pingel,  Gilbert  H  ,  Deputy  Director,  US  Amiy  Chaplaincy 

Services  Support  Agency  244,  270,  304,  306,  378 
Pitts,  Mary  A  ,  Chaplain  332,  333,  340,  365 
Plummer,  Roy,  Chaplain  7,  33,  207 
Polhemus,  David,  Chaplain  42 
Pope  John  Paul  II  190,  245,  359 
Potter,  Ralph  B  ,  Professor  133 
Powell,  Colin,  General  327,  343,  364 
Powers,  John,  Chaplain  377 
Pnce,  Benjamin,  Chaplain  42 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  1 15,  120,  132,  316,  359 
Professional  Development  29,  80,  85-88,  90,  168,  173, 

174,201,206,239,261 
Professional  Development  Plan  61,  86-88,  101,  169 
Program  Budget  Guidance  76,  77 
Protestant  Women  of  the  Chapel  173 
Prout,  Gordon,  Chaplain  89 
Puckett,  Daniel  49 
Pugh,  Loren,  Chaplain  136 
Quality  of  Life  Program  68 
Rasmussen,  John,  Reserve  Advisor  to  the  Chief  of 

Chaplains  134,  136,  263,  306,  359,  378 
Rawlinson,  William  E  ,  Colonel  133 
Reagan,  Ronald,  President  1 14,  147,  163,  164,  170,  181, 

190,230,271 
Reduction  in  Force  (RIF)  8,31,51 
Reserve  Components  45,  85,  164,  166,  181,  185,  187,  191, 

193,  196,  239,  243,  266,  276,  306,  308,  331,  359, 

381 
Reserve  Advisor  23,  45,  257,  309,  317,  359,  378 
Reynolds,  Jerry  D.,  Third  Army  Chaplain  184,  185,  336, 

360 
Richter,  Robert  J  ,  Chaplain,  Director,  Combat 

Developments  363 
Rickover,  Hyman  G  ,  Admiral  133 
Roberts,  Archie,  Chaplain  42,  182 
Roberts,  Malcolm  ,  Deputy  Commandant,  U  S  Army 

Chaplain  School  311,  359 
Robertson,  Randy,  Chaplain  Assistant  365 
Robnolt,  James,  Chaplain  1 84 
Rodriguez,  Nicole  365 

Rogers,  Bernard,  General  34,  62,  64,  74,  92,  193 
Rogers,  Michael,  Chaplain  42 


Romero,  Oscar,  Archbishop  145,  146 

Russell,  James,  Chaplain  7 

Rwanda  361,  369,  372 

Ryan,  Leo  J  ,  US  Congressman  98 

Ryan,  Joseph  T  ,  Archbishop  75,  1 18 

Ryland,  Cecil,  Chaplain  93,  312 

Saddler,  Jesse,  Chaplain  ,  1st  COSCOM  365 

Sampson,  Francis, (  Twelfth)  Chief  of  Chaplains      3,  26, 

28,31,48,  199 
Sandifer,  David,  Chaplain  329 
Sanford,  Gary,  Chaplain  342 
Scales,  Robert,  Brigadier  General  1 
Schonefeld,  James,  CSM  255 
School  of  the  Americas  82,  144,  145,  147 
Schumacher,  John,  Chaplain  41,  182,  305 
Schwarzkopf,  H  Norman,  General  99,  265,  318 
Scott,  Quincy,  Chaplain  256,  257,  378 
Scott,  John  ,  Chaplam  36,  42,  66,  72,  73,  76,  81,  86,  88, 

89,  123-127,  198,  200,  237,  248,  276,  304,  309, 

311,318 
Scott,  Sir  Waiter,  Chaplain  378 

Seifned,  Ken  ,  FORSCOM  Staff  Chaplain  191,  359,  371 
Service  School  Instructor  23,  42,  43 
Seward,  William  H  ,  Secretary  of  State  99 
Shalikashvili,  John  M  ,  Chairman,  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff  67, 

336,  358,  368,  369 
Shea,  Donald  W  ,  Major  General,  (Nineteenth)  Chief  of 

Chaplains  127,  167,  231,  262,  275,  276,  304,  306, 

3178,  318,323,357,  358,361,363,372,376, 

377,380,381 
Shell,  James  R  ,  Chaplain  USAR  375 
Shimek,  Andrew  A  ,  Chaplain  100 
Shoberg,  Lawrence,  Chaplain  USN  143 
Shockley,  Grant  83 
Sikhs  70,  187 

Silverstein,  Philip,  Chaplain  99,  208 
Sinop  46,  47,  49,  50,  93-97,  322,  323 
Sittler,  John,  Chaplam  100 
Skill  Qualification  Test  (SQT)     63 
Smitli,  WE,  Chaplain  33 
Smith,  DeWitt,  Major  General,  Commandant,  US  Army 

War  College  74,  133 
Smith,  Elmer  G,  Chaplain  45 
Smith,  Benjamin,  Chaplain  42 
Smith,  Thomas  R,  Chaplain  30,  138,  305,  311 
Smith,  O  Wa>Tie,  Chaplain  368 
Snyder,  John,  Chaplain  89,  275 

Somalia  301,  313,  312,  320,  325,  331,  340,  361,  365,  369 
South,  John,  Chaplain  USAR  375 


492 


South  Command  (SOUTHCOM)  46,  204,  256,  273,  31 1 
Soviet  Union  8,  Q,  13,  14-16,  19,  114,  163,  170,230,244, 

271,274,301-303,312,362 
Spragg,  Eduardo,  Chaplain  257 
Standley.  Mereditli,  Chaplain  42,  305,  3 1 1 
Stanton,  Edwin  M  ,  Secretarv'  of  War  40 
Starry,  Donn,  General  13-15,  76,  140,  175,  176 
STEADFAST.  Operation  10,  45,  46,  63 
StefFey,  Chester  R  ,  Chaplain  47.  50,  167 
Stegman,  Leonard,  Chaplain    8 
Stevens.  Carl,  Chaplain  Q2 
Stillwell,  Richard  .  General  60,  70 
Stock,  Joseph,  Chaplain  64 
Stockdale,  James  B  ,  Vice  Admiral  134 
Stone,  Dwight  .  Pvt    28 
Stover,  Earl  F  ,  Chaplain  82 
Strange,  Herbert.  Chaplain  388 
Strawser,  Ray  .  Chaplain  26,  208 
Sullivan,  Gordon,  General ,  Chief  of  Staff  Army  67,  321, 

327,  343,  358,  362,  363.  373 
Summers,  Harry  191 

Supreme  Court  (US  )   17.  18.25.  121.  124.  129,236,373 
Sydnor,  Calvin  III,  TRADOC  Staff  Chaplam  139,  141. 

142,  167,306,  322.341,350 
Task  Force  Andrew  312 
Tatum,  Timothy,  Chaplam.  Director,  Information, 

Resource  Management  and  Logistics41,  28,  167, 

176,  177,  179,  186.264.266.305,311,359 
Taylor,  Dan  46,  129,  203.  236,  237,  341 
Taylor,  Don,  Chaplain  233,  236 
Thompson,  Parker  C  ,  Chaplain  82,  210,  340 
Thornton,  Jesse,  Chaplam  239 
Thurmond.  Strom.  Senator  137,  236 
Total  Chaplamcy  168,  175,  230,  237,  238,  255,  267,  280, 

331,341,  374.  376 
Touw,  Phihp  R  ,  Chaplain  266,  328,  372 
Trammg  and  Doctrine  Command  (TRADOC)  10,  17.  35. 

38,  46.  63.  87,  136,  140,  175,  304,  359 
Trammg  Managers  52,  89,  90 
Travis.  James,  Chaplain  136,  263 
Truer,  Warren.  Chaplam  87 
Tupy,  Richard.  Commandant.  US  Army  Chaplam  School 

27,35,51,  79,87,92,  181,  182,322 
Turkey  46-49,  93,  95,  97,  322,  361 
Turkey,  Republic  46 
Turner,  Trevor,  Chaplain  36,  100 
UN   Mission  m  Haiti  (UNMIH)  368 
US  Army  Chaplam  Board  31,  39,  45,  166,  167,  186-188, 

195,  199,205,238,250,254 


US  Amiy  Europe  6,  35,  140,  142,  162,  172,  176,  177, 

189,  201,  205-207,  210,  231,  262,  304,  305,  358, 

359,  371 
US  Army  Chaplam  Center  and  School  (USACHCS)  42, 

67,  132,  159,  187,231,255,263,267,280,327, 

341,342,357.358.359,377 
US  Army  South  (USARSO)  46,  256,  305,  369 
Unit  Mmistry  Team  Conference  148,  309 
United  Nations  Command  68,  69,  269,  359 
United  Nations  91,  303,  319,  320,  324,  336,  359,  361, 

364,  368 
United  Methodist  Church  83,  101 
United  Church  of  Chnst  25,  26,  83,  100 
United  States  Military  Academy  at  West  Pomt  74.  1 15, 

171 
University  of  Chicago  67 
Usher.  Donald  W  ,  Pilot  143 
Values  Clarification  68,  136,  140 
Van  Dusen,  Lewis  133 
Van  Schenkhof.  Ron  ,  Chaplam  333 
Van  Schenkhof  Carol  .  Chaplain  340.  365 
Venzke,  Rodger,  Chaplam  77,  82,  138,  206,  231,  241,  243, 

246,  258 
Vessey,  John  W  ,  General  127 

Vickers,  Marvm,  Second  Army  Chaplam  167,  189,  378 
Vickers,  Robert,  Fifth  Army  Chaplam  248,  360,  378 
Viet  Cong    2 
Vietnam  1-18,  23-25,  28,  30-32,  34,  40-43,  51,  62,  65,  66, 

75,  83,  115,  128,  132,  143.  159,  160,  162,  163, 

172,  187,  191,  193,  198,  199,  203,  231,  237,  248, 

258,  266,  271,  276,  302,  304,  305,  316,  319,  358, 

359,  362,  372,  375,  380 
Vruwink,  Paul  H  ,  Chaplain  99 
Wake,  Henry  ,  US  Army  Europe  Staff  Chaplam  311,  328, 

350,371 
Walter  Reed  Army  Medical  Center  30,  92.  1 80.  3 16 
Washmgton.  George,  General  26,  33.  41.  48.  78 
Watergate  24.  25 

Weathers.  Cliff,  Chaplam  79,  121,  191,  247,  279,  280 
Weddle.  Donna,  Chaplam  136,  143.  144,  323,  340 
Weimer,  Kirby,  Chaplain    9 
Weltge,  Ralph  ,  Rev.  25 
Westmmster  College  24 

Westmoreland.  William  C  ,  General  2,  10,  24,  41,  264 
Weyand,  John.  Chaplain  69,  70 
Wieder,  Allen  M,    120-122,  128,  129,  193 
Wilk,  Max,  Chaplam  76,  136,  140,  175,  176 
Williams,  Arland  143 
Willoughby,  Carl,  Division  Chaplam  365 


493 


Wilson,  Donald,  Chaplain  262 

Windsor,  ME.  "Gene"  143 

Wisconsin  Evalgelical  Lutlieran  Synod  83,  123,  128 

Woniack,  Shirley  Mrs.    167,  304,  333,  340,  343,  378 

Women's  Army  Corps  39,  44,  339,  341 

Wounded  Knee  25 

Wnght,  Wendell,  Chaplain  83 

Yom  Kippur  War  24,  1 80 

Young,  Jimmy,  Chaplain  100 

Zimmerman,  Matthew  A  ,  (Eighteentli)  Chief  of  Chaplains 
5,  6,  34,  44,  71,  139,  174,  203,  231,  255,  256, 
267,  268,  274-276,  280,  301-307,  309,  313,  316- 
318,  321-323,  327,  330,  331,  333,  336-339,  341, 
343,  373 


*Due  to  the  size  of  the  manuscript  there  may  be  personal  names  and  events  which  were  missed  in 

the  index  but  which  can  be  found  in  the  text  494 


ENCOURAGING  FAITH  ,  SUPPORTING  SOLDIERS 


THE  UNITED  STATES  ARMY  CHAPLAINCY 

1975-1995 

Part  Two 
by 

John  W.  Brinsfield  ,  Jr. 


OFFICE   OF   THE   CHIEF  OF  CHAPLAINS 
DEPARTMENT   OF   THE  APMY 
WASHINGTON    ,    D.C.     1997 


"History  is,    above  all   else,    the  creation  and  recording  of  our 
heritage;   progress   is   its   increasing  abundance,    preservation , 
transmission   and  use.     To    those   who   study  history  not  merely  as   a 
warning  reminder  of  human   follies  and  crimes,    but  also  as  an 
encouraging  remembrance   of  generative   souls,    the  past   ceases    to 
be   a  depressing  chamber  of  horrors;    it  becomes   a   spacious   country 
of  the  mind,    wherein  a    thousand  saints,    warriors ,    statesmen, 
scientists,    poets,    artists ,    musicians,    and  philosophers   still 
live  and  speak,    teach  and  carve  and  sing.    The  historian   will  not 
mourn  because  he   can   see  no  meaning  in  human   existence   except 
that   which  man  puts  into   it;    let   it  be  our  pride    that   we 
ourselves  may  put  meaning  into   our  lives.    If  we  are   fortunate   we 
will,    before   we  die,    gather  up  as  much  as   we   can   of  our  heritage 
and   transmit   it    to   our  children   and   to   others   who   follow  us.    And 
to   our   final  breath   we   should  be   grateful    for   this   inexhaus table 
legacy   which   sometimes  may  have   a  significance    that    transcends 
our   time   upon    this  stage. " 

Paraphrase  from  The  Lessons  of  History 
by  Will  and  Ariel  Durant  (1968) 


PART  TWO 

RELIGIOUS  SUPPORT  IN  COMBAT, 
PEACEKEEPING  AND  HUMANITARIAN 

OPERATIONS 


"For  not  in  my  bow  do  I  trust,  nor  can  my  sword  save  me.  But  thou  hast 
saved  us  from  our  foes,  and  hast  put  to  confusion  those  who  hate  us.  hi 
God  we  have  boasted  continually,  and  we  will  give  thanks  to  thy  name 
forever."    Psalms  44 


PREFACE 


Part  Two 


During  the  period  from  1975  through  1995  ,  the  United  States 
Army  deployed  more  than  a  half  million  soldiers  around  the  world 
on  combat,  peacekeeping,  humanitarian  and  peace  enforcement 
missions.  As  of  June  30,  1995  there  were  108,000  U.S.  soldiers 
deployed  in  39  foreign  countries  to  include  25  soldiers  in 
Anarctica . 

In  this  part  of  the  history  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  from  1975 
to  1995,  the  contributions  of  unit  ministry  teams  during  five 
operations  and  two  joint  task  force  missions  are  outlined  as  a 
representative  sample  of  the  religious  support  the  Chaplain  Corps 
provided  to  soldiers  and  to  their  family  members  during  this 
period.  These  operations  are  cross  referenced  in  Part  One  with 
the  tenure  of  each  of  the  following  Chiefs  of  Chaplains  : 

Chaplain  (MG)  Patrick  Hessian ...  OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 

Chaplain  (MG)  Norris  Einertson ...  OPERATION  JUST  CAUSE 

Chaplain  (MG)  Matthew  Zimmerman ...  OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

JTF  Guantanamo 

JTF  Andrew 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

Other  operational  deployments  ,  such  as  those  to  Haiti  and  Panama 
during  Chaplain  (MG)  Donald  Shea's  first  year  as  Chief  of 
Chaplains  are  discussed  in  Part  One. 


In  presenting  this  representative  sample,  the  author  had  to 
depend  on  oral  interviews  for  much  of  the  information.  Even  so  , 
there  were  many  great  stories  which  went  untold  for  lack  of  time 
and  space.  To  all  those  who  served  in  the  effort  to  bring 
soldiers  to  God  and  God  to  soldiers  in  difficult  and  dangerous 
places,  the  thanks  not  only  of  the  Chaplaincy  ,  but  also  of  the 
nation,  is  due. 


CONTENTS 

PART  TWO 

Title  Page 

Preface 

Table  of  Contents 

List  of  Illustrations 

PART  TWO:    Religious  Support  in  Combat,  Peacekeeping  and  Humanitarian 
Operations 

Chapter  I  Operation  URGENT  FURY  (Grenada)  ^ 

Chapter  II  Operation  JUST  CAUSE  (Panama)  21 

Chapter  III  Operation  DESERT  SHIELD  (Southwest  Asia)  ^"^ 

Chapter  IV  Operation  DESERT  STORM  '^^ 

Chapter  V  Joint  Task  Force  Guantanamo  (Cuba)  ' 

Chapter  VI  Joint  Task  Force  Andrew  (Florida) 

Chapter  VII  Operation  RESTORE  HOPE  (Somalia)  ^45 

Epilogue 


283 


Bibliography  ^85 


Index 


297 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

PART    TWO 

PAGE 

Chaplain  Frank  Whalen  Celebrating  Mass        Frontispiece 
Chaplain  Larry  Mack  with  Rangers  xi 

U.S.  Military  Operations  in  Grenada  xii 

Chaplains  Larry  Mack  and  Don  Brown  1983-84  11 
Operation  JUST  CAUSE:  Troops  Arrive  17 

Operation  JUST  CAUSE:  Geography  18 

Chaplain  Jack  Prendergast  leading  worship  19 
Operation  JUST  CAUSE:  Major  Points  of  Attack  20 
Operation  DESERT  SHIELD:  Chaplain  Sumbler  35 
Map  of  Saudi  Arabia  36 

CENTCOM,ARCENT  Chaplains  and  Prince  Charles  58 
24th  Infantry  Division  Deployment  64 

Chaplain  Gary  "Sam"  Sanford,  1st  Cav  Division  67 
Chaplain  Vincent  Inghilterra:  Mass  in  Dhahran  70 
Chaplain  Ford  G'Segner  with  Air  Force  Chief  76 
Chaplains  Zimmerman,  Kegley  and  Joseph  Smith  97 
Chaplains  Zimmerman  and  Kitchens,  101st  Abn  102 
Map:  DESERT  STORM  Operations  116 

Chaplain  Don  Rutherford,  First  into  Iraq  117 
Chaplain  William  Sterling,  Delaware  Guard  118 
SCUD  Impact  Zones:  UMT  Presence  128 

DESERT  STORM  Major  Command  UMTs  148 

Chaplains  Parker  and  Inghilterra:  Oil  on  Fire  152 
Chaplain  David  Zalis  and  Gen.  Schwarzkopf  166 
Jewish  Chaplains  and  the  Cunard  Princess  167 

Easter:  Chaplains  Schmeling,  Watson  and  Choir  171 
Chaplain  Dennis  Whitaker:  Service  in  Iraq  172 
Chaplain  Wayne  Smith:  Memorial  Service  179 
U.S.  Naval  Base,  Guantanamo,  Cuba  192 

Chaplain  Phil  Spence  leads  worship  193 

Chaplain  Marceaux  and  Sargeant  Cuellar  194 
Chaplain  William  Graham,  USAR,  in  Cuba  198 
Chaplain  James  McDonald  leads  UMTs  in  worship  211 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

PART    TWO. . .CONTINUED 

Page 

Chaplain  Mary  A.  Pitts  during  Andrew  Recovery  221 

Florida  Map  (US  Army  War  College  Library)  222 

Chaplain  Sonny  Moore  227 

Chaplain  Ed  Hartmann  228 

Chaplains  Rutherford  and  Hutcherson  235 

Chaplain  Ed  Hartmann  at  Communion  238 

Somalia  Map  (US  Army  War  College  Library) '  242 

Chaplain  Barb  Sherer  in  Somalia  243 

Somali  Boy  and  a  "Technical"  244 

Chaplain  Jolin  and  Specialist  Grayson  247 

Passover  and  Catholic  Mass  260 

Chaplain  Kristi  Pappas  and  Sergeant  Carter  274 

University  Compound  UMTs  281 

Chaplain  (Brig.  Gen.)  Gaylord  T.  Gunhus  282 


Photo  credits:  Donations  from  members  of  the  Chaplain  Corps;  U.S. 
Army  War  College  Library;U. S .  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School 
Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains;  U.S.  Army  Military  History 
Institute,  Carlisle  Barracks,  Pennsylvania 

Map  credits:  U.S.  Army  War  College  Library;  U.S.  Army  Topographic 
Engineering  Center,  Alexandria,  Virginia 


OPERATION   URGENT    FURY: 


Religious    Support 


CHAPTER  I 

HOSTAGE  RESCUE:  OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 
US  FORCES,  GRENADA 


Grenada  seemed  an  unlikely  target  for  the  fury,  urgent  or  otherwise,  of  American  mihtary  power. 
Precisely  because  Grenada  was  the  first  sustained  American  military  action  since  Vietnam,  each  of 
the  four  services  was  hungry  for  a  piece  of  the  action. 
Rick  Atkinsoa  77?^^  lof^g  Gray  Line 


Barely  twenty  miles  long  and  twelve  miles  wide,  Grenada  in  1983  was  a  sleepy  remnant  of 
the  British  Empire  in  the  West  Indies.  The  capital,  St  George's,  population  35,000,  featured  a  small 
harbor  from  which  its  primary  industries,  centered  on  nutmeg,  bananas,  and  tourists,  found  moderate 
profit. 

The  politics  of  Grenada  were,  however,  more  complicated  than  were  those  of  its  sister  islands. 
In  1979,  a  pro-Western  prime  minister  had  been  toppled  in  a  bloodless  coup  by  Maurice  Bishop,  a 
home-grown  Marxist  who  headed  an  organization  called  the  New  Jewel  Movement.'  Bishop 
immediately  aligned  his  administration  with  Havana  and  Moscow  to  form  a  base  of  communist 
influence.  Among  his  more  ambitious  projects  was  a  new  airfield  at  Point  Salines  It  had  a  9,000  foot 
runway,  built  with  the  aid  of  Cuban  workers,  capable  of  accommodating  large  military  aircraft  to 
include  those  of  the  Soviet  Union 

In  October,  1983,  Bishop  was  overthrown  by  one  of  his  more  radical  followers,  Bernard 
Coard,  also  a  member  of  the  New  Jewel  Movement.  Bishop's  supporters  organized  themselves  and 
fought  back;  but  People's  Revolutionary  Army  (PRA)  soldiers,  under  the  command  of  General 
Hudson  Austin,  killed  almost  50  of  them  and  then  executed  Bishop  himself  Sir  Paul  Scoon,  the 
British-appointed  Governor  General,  was  placed  under  guard  at  his  residence  by  General  Austin  who 
assumed  leadership  of  the  government  from  Coard.  Some  700  Americans,  most  of  them  students 
at  St.  George's  University  School  of  Medicine,  were  detained  by  2,000  PRA  soldiers  pending 
negotiations  with  the  US  State  Department. 

President  Ronald  Reagan,  already  concerned  over  the  leftist  government  in  Nicaragua,  was 
determined  not  to  become  enmeshed  in  the  kind  of  hostage  crisis  which  had  dogged  the  Carter 
Administration  three  years  before.  On  October  14  the  National  Security  Council  asked  the  Joint 
Chiefs  of  Stafi~to  draft  plans  for  a  military  evacuation  of  American  students  from  Grenada.  There 
was  the  hope  that  such  action  might  not  be  necessary  if  diplomatic  initiatives  succeeded,  but  no 
drawn-out  bickering  over  the  safety  of  American  citizens  would  or  could  be  tolerated  at  America's 
back  door. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 


Operation  Urgent  Fury:  Concept  Of  Operations 

Since  Grenada  was  part  of  the  West  Indies,  the  U.S.  Navy  had  command  responsibility  for 
Operation  Urgent  Fury.  Vice  Admiral  Joseph  Metcalf  was  appointed  the  Task  Force  Commander. 
Major  General  H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Commander  of  the  24th  Infantry  Division  from  Fort 
Stewart,  Georgia,  was  appointed  the  Deputy  Commander  and  Advisor  to  Admiral  Metcalf  for  Ground 
Force  Deployment. 

The  operation  was  to  be  what  military  strategists  called  a  "coup  de  main,"  a  one-punch 
knockout.  While  the  Navy  isolated  the  island  with  ships  and  planes,  a  Marine  amphibious  force 
would  assault  Grenada's  eastern  shore.  The  Marines'  objectives  were  Pearls  Airfield,  the  island's  only 
operating  airport,  and  the  town  of  Grenville,  which  housed  a  military  garrison.  At  the  same  time  two 
battalions  of  Army  Rangers  would  fly  in  and  seize  the  Point  Salines  Airfield,  the  large  installation 
under  construction  at  the  island's  southern  tip,  as  well  as  the  True  Blue  Campus  of  St.  George's 
University  Medical  School,  where  it  was  reported  that  American  students  were  being  detained.  As 
soon  as  the  airfield  was  secured  by  the  Rangers,  two  battalions  of  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  would 
reinforce  them.  Meanwhile,  Special  Operations  Forces  would  fly  their  helicopters  into  St.  George's, 
the  capital,  on  the  island's  west  coast.  There  they  would  rescue  Sir  Paul  Scoon,  the  Governor 
General,  who  was  under  house  arrest  at  his  residence.  Thereafter  the  Special  Operations  Forces 
would  capture  Fort  Rupert  downtown  and  Richmond  Hill  Prison  above  the  city.  As  the  day 
progressed,  American  units  would  fan  out  fi'om  the  airfields  and  gain  control  of  the  rest  of  the  island.^ 

None  of  the  Urgent  Fury  Operation  planners  believed  that  the  Grenadian  Army  would  put  up 
much  of  a  fight.  The  anti-aircraft  gunners  near  Point  Salines  and  St  George's  were  believed  to  be 
poorly  trained  and  not  a  true  threat.  The  Cuban  construction  workers  at  Point  Salines  Airfield — 600 
to  800  men  with  military  training — were  armed  but  believed  unwilling  to  fight  The  Operation  Plan, 
in  fact,  called  for  the  Army  Rangers  to  drive  to  the  Cuban  Compound  and  announce  that  they  were 
there  to  reinstall  the  legitimate  government  of  Grenada.  General  Schwarzkopf,  in  hearing  of  this 
assessment,  wondered,  "How  do  we  know  the  Cubans  aren't  going  to  fight?"^ 

On  Saturday,  October  22,  the  first  Ranger  Battalion,  75th  Infantry,  at  Fort  Stewart,  and  the 
2nd  Ranger  Battalion  at  Fort  Lewis,  Washington,  were  alerted  for  immediate  deployment  to  Grenada. 
The  next  day  U.S.  Forces  Command  sent  an  alert  message  to  the  2nd  Brigade,  82nd  Airborne 
Division,  at  Fort  Bragg,  North  Carolina,  to  deploy  on  Tuesday,  October  25 

The  first  two  Army  chaplains  to  be  alerted  for  deployment  to  Grenada,  Chaplain  Don  B. 
Brown,  a  Southern  Baptist  in  the  1  st  Ranger  Battalion  at  Fort  Stewart,  and  Chaplain  Lawrence  R. 
"Larry"  Mack,  a  United  Methodist  in  the  2nd  Ranger  Battalion  at  Fort  Lewis  ,  had  their  hands  fiill. 
In  order  to  preserve  security,  the  2nd  Ranger  Battalion  was  confined  to  its  staging  base  beginning  on 
Saturday,  October  22,  in  order  to  prepare  for  deployment.  During  the  meal  hours  Chaplain  Mack 
conducted  worship  services  and  counseled  individually  with  personnel  who  requested  to  see  the 
chaplain.  From  October  23  till  noon  on  October  24,  Chaplain  Mack  conducted  14  services  with  a 
total  of  450  Rangers  attending  Some  of  the  soldiers  asked  for  the  chaplain  to  hold  letters  written 
by  them  for  their  families  since  mail  was  not  allowed  out  of  the  holding  area.  If  they  returned  from 
the  mission,  these  letters  were  to  be  returned  to  the  service  members    If  they  did  not  return  from  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 3 

mission,  the  chaplain  was  to  pass  them  on  to  their  wives  and  families.  These  letters  were  locked  in 
the  chaplain's  locker  at  the  staging  area.  During  this  time  at  least  one  soldier  requested  to  be 
baptized    The  baptismal  service  was  held  on  Sunday,  October  23 

Space  and  weight  limitations  were  very  critical  to  the  Ranger  Battalion.  Ranger  chaplains 
therefore  had  to  take  as  little  equipment  as  possible.  Chaplain  Mack  modified  his  chaplain's  kit  to  a 
small  demolition  bag  carrying  a  communion  cup  and  a  host  container  plus  some  New  Testaments,  a 
Jewish  Prayer  Book,  and  rosary  beads.  Sacramental  wine  was  carried  in  an  extra  canteen.  Moreover, 
Chaplain  Mack,  who  was  trained  as  an  Emergency  Medical  Technician,  carried  additional  medical 
supplies  to  include  compress  bandages  and  extra  intravenous  bags  and  supplies  in  his  rucksack 

Chaplain  Don  B.  Brown's  soldiers  in  the  1st  Ranger  Battalion  at  Fort  Stewart  did  not  have 
time  to  stop  for  a  worship  service  on  Sunday.  Chaplain  Brown  visited  as  many  men  as  possible  in 
the  barracks  and  at  the  hanger  at  Hunter  Army  Airfield.  Groups  of  Rangers  joined  Chaplain  Brown 
for  prayer.  "Knowing  what  they  were  going  into  and  not  being  able  to  call  and  speak  to  families  was 
tough,"  Chaplain  Brown  wrote,  "I  could  see  the  anxiety  in  their  faces.""*  On  Monday  evening 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Wes  Taylor,  Commander  of  the  1st  Ranger  Battalion,  spoke  to  the  men  and  led 
them  in  prayer  himself  as  they  prepared  for  battle.  Parachutes  were  rigged  for  a  possible  water 
landing  because  Point  Salines  Airfield  was  bordered  on  its  south  side  by  the  sea. 

As  the  Rangers  prepared  to  deploy  from  Hunter  Army  Airfield,  there  was  concern  in  the 
Special  Operations  Command  about  how  the  Rangers  would  get  on  the  ground  in  Grenada.  They 
could  parachute  in  if  necessary,  but  the  operation  would  be  more  effective  if  they  could  simply  land 
in  their  transport  planes  at  Point  Salines.  Since  D-Day  was  to  be  on  Tuesday,  October  25,  there  was 
simply  no  time  to  check  the  condition  of  the  runway  at  Point  Salines.  Consequently  the  1st  Ranger 
Battalion  would  have  to  jump  into  Grenada. 

On  Monday,  October  24,  the  2nd  Brigade  of  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  at  Fort  Bragg  went 
on  alert.  Chaplain  Nicholas  Waytowich,  a  Roman  Catholic  Priest  and  the  82nd  Airborne  Division 
chaplain,  attached  himself  to  the  2nd  Brigade  in  order  to  assure  himself  that  there  was  Catholic 
support  for  the  soldiers  going  into  Grenada  Chaplain  Robert  Knox  Herndon,  the  2nd  Brigade 
chaplain,  was  the  Brigade  Duty  Chaplain  on  Monday  the  24th  of  October.  Chaplain  Herndon  quickly 
responded  to  the  alert  and  returned  to  his  chapel  to  get  ready  to  deploy.  A  total  of  1 7  chaplains  and 
16  chapel  activity  specialists  were  alerted  to  go  to  Grenada  by  the  close  of  business  on  Monday  the 
24th.  The  first  four  chaplains  to  deploy  included  Chaplain  Waytowich  and  Chaplain  Herndon  as  well 
as  Chaplain  Bill  Merrifield  and  Chaplain  John  Owings.'  Chaplain  Glenn  Bloomstrom,  in  his  first 
assignment  on  active  duty,  assumed  the  Duty  Chaplain  responsibility  from  Chaplain  Herndon  and 
immediately  began  to  organize  for  family  support  ministry  at  Fort  Bragg. 

The  rapidity  and  secrecy  of  the  deployment  tended  to  alarm  many  service  families  at  Fort 
Bragg.  Chaplain  Lemuel  Boyles,  the  Staff" Chaplain  at  Pope  Air  Force  Base,  adjacent  to  Fort  Bragg, 
recalled: 

Chapel  personnel  answered  telephone  calls  and  received  visitors  who  were  frantic 
about  Grenada  and  who  were  afraid  for  their  loved  ones.  Chaplains  were  on  duty, 
counseling  day  and  night,  while  other  chapel  personnel  went  into  action  on  the  flight 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 


line,  in  work  areas,  and  at  the  Chapel  Control  Center.  On  the  flight  line,  chapel  teams 
visited  workers  to  express  pastoral  concern  and  to  distribute  massive  amounts  of  food 
and  refreshments. 

As  families  began  to  see  the  news  reports  on  television,  the  telephones  began  to  ring 
incessantly.  A  few  men  called  home  from  Barbados,  and  this  turn  of  events  generated 
fiirther  rumors.  Misinformation  is  always  a  problem,  and  there  was  a  continuous 
struggle  to  reassure  families  with  the  limited  but  reliable  information  that  we  received. 
Commanders,  aided  by  chaplains,  set  up  support  groups  to  bring  together  wives, 
children,  and  others  concerned  about  the  plight  of  their  loved  ones  going  to  Grenada.* 

At  Fort  Bragg,  Chaplain  Bloomstrom  received  more  than  30  telephone  calls  on  the  morning 
of  October  25  Chaplain  Ryder  Stevens,  the  Division  Artillery  Chaplain,  prepared  to  brief  the 
Enlisted  Wives  organization  on  the  25th  as  well.  Chaplain  Stevens  had  not  yet  been  told  that  he 
personally  would  go  to  Grenada.  Likewise  other  chaplains,  including  Chaplain  Frank  Bruning  in  the 
46th  Support  Group,  counseled  and  briefed  families  of  departing  troopers. 


A  Furious  Beginning 

Admiral  Metcalf  and  General  Schwarzkopf  had  their  command  post  on  board  the  Helicopter 
Carrier  Guam  At  1730  hours  on  the  afternoon  of  October  24,  Admiral  Metcalf  was  informed  that 
the  operation  had  been  approved.  H-hour  would  be  at  0500  the  next  morning.  The  Marine 
Amphibious  Force  was  already  present  in  the  area,  and  the  Ranger  battalions  were  in  route  from  the 
United  States.  With  no  time  left  to  scout  the  Point  Salines  Airfield,  the  Rangers  were  informed  that 
they  would  have  to  parachute  into  an  unknown  combat  situation. 

At  0500  on  Tuesday,  October  25,  Task  Force  124,  the  Marine  Amphibious  Force,  launched 
a  wave  of  helicopters  against  Pearis  Airfield  and  took  it  almost  without  a  fight.  The  Marines,  their 
morale  stiffened  by  a  showing  of  the  John  Wayne  movie  "The  Sands  Of  Iwo  Jima  "  the  night  before, 
quickly  seized  all  of  their  initial  objectives  on  the  northern  half  of  Grenada,  encountering  very  little 
resistance.'  However,  when  the  1st  Ranger  battalion  arrived  at  Point  Salines  at  0530,  the  enemy  was 
waiting  for  them.  It  was  now  daybreak  and  the  Rangers,  in  their  airborne  assault,  were  in  plain  sight 
of  the  enemy  gunners.  General  Schwarzkopf  recalled,  "from  the  bridge  of  the  Guam  we  could  see 
the  parachutes  coming  down  and  the  green  tracers  of  antiaircraft  fire  reaching  up  past  them.  As  the 
Rangers  hit  the  ground,  they  reported  that  the  Cuban  construction  workers  were  not  only  heavily 
armed  but  dug  in;  they  occupied  sand  bag  bunkers  on  the  hills  all  along  the  airfield."* 

During  the  next  two  hours.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Wes  Taylor,  Commander  of  the  1st  Ranger 
Battalion,  75th  Infantry,  set  about  with  a  handful  of  Rangers  to  clear  obstacles  from  the  runway  and 
prepare  an  assault  on  the  Cuban  defenses.  One  company  commander  from  Taylor's  A  Company 
climbed  the  heights  east  of  the  runway  and  shouted  in  Spanish  to  the  Cubans  to  surrender,  but  the 
Cubans  replied  with  bilingual  obscenities  and  increased  their  fire.  To  reach  high  ground  the  Rangers 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 


needed  an  armored  vehicle  Sergeant  Manous  Boles  improvised  one  in  the  form  of  a  Cuban 
bulldozer  which  he  found  on  the  runway  and  hot  wired  it  on  the  spot.  Boles  raised  the  blade  for 
protection,  slouched  in  the  drivers  seat,  and  charged  the  enemy  fortifications.  Other  Rangers 
crouched  behind  the  blade  and  fired  in  every  direction.  When  they  reached  the  top,  the  Cubans  were 
gone  and  the  airfield  was  secure.'' 

Chaplain  Don  Brown  had  parachuted  with  the  1st  Ranger  Battalion  with  a  TIO  parachute,  but 
was  dragged  by  the  wind  into  a  mud  hole  near  an  oflFramp  on  the  airfield.  With  small  arms  and  light 
machine  gun  fire  "cracking  and  popping"  overhead.  Chaplain  Brown  ran  in  a  crouched  position  to  a 
dump  truck  which  had  become  the  emergency  aid  station.  He  reported: 

Some  twenty  to  thirty  minutes  later  the  first  wounded  Ranger  was  brought  to  our  location. 
He  was  hit  in  the  upper  right  arm.  Seeing  the  first  wound  made  combat  real  to  me.  We  loaded  the 
one  wounded  Ranger  in  front,  with  myself  and  the  Doc  lying  down  in  the  rear.  By  the  time  we 
reached  the  airstrip  there  were  two  more  wounded  being  given  aid.  They  were  in  bad  shape  and  were 
screaming  as  the  pain  came  and  left.  At  one  point,  before  we  reached  the  medical  school  library, 
which  was  to  be  the  aid  station,  a  machine  gun  opened  up  so  close  that  we  had  to  get  down  and  run 
the  rest  of  the  way.'" 

As  the  wounded  and  dying  Rangers  were  brought  to  the  library,  some  of  the  American 
medical  students  who  had  been  held  there  pitched  in  to  help.    It  was  an  intense  and  emotionally 
draining  time  as  doctors,  medics,  chaplains  and  students  worked  to  save  lives.  Chaplain  Brown 
recalled  that  while  he  was  helping  with  medical  care  he  was  also  able  to  minister  to  his  men, 
"praying,  encouraging,  listening,  holding  an  IV  bag,  and  just  being  there."" 

In  St  George's,  meanwhile,  the  Special  Operations  helicopters  ran  into  intense  anti-aircraft 
fire  They  could  not  reach  any  of  their  objectives,  though  a  few  managed  to  land  at  the  Governor- 
General's  house  only  to  find  themselves  surrounded  and  trapped  It  was  total  chaos  and  confijsion. 
General  Schwartzkopf  recorded,  "from  the  bridge  of  the  Guam  we  could  see  Army  helicopters  on 
their  way  back  fi"om  the  island.  Two  crashed  into  the  ocean.  Others  set  down  on  our  flight  deck  shot 
full  of  holes  and  leaking  hydraulic  fluid."''  In  response  to  this  fire  Admiral  Met  calf  ordered  the 
bombing  of  Fort  Fredrick,  the  headquarters  of  the  rebel  force.  The  air  strike  effectively  destroyed  Fort 
Fredrick,  though  the  bombs  also  accidentally  wrecked  a  mental  hospital  next  door  which  Task  Force 
intelligence  had  not  known  was  there. 

By  1 000  hours  the  Rangers,  having  secured  the  runway  at  Point  Salines,  moved  through  the 
True  Blue  Campus  to  find  more  of  the  students  they  were  to  rescue.  It  was  an  unpleasant  shock  to 
discover  that  only  a  few  of  the  students  were  there.  Most  of  them  were  at  a  beach  front  hotel  two 
miles  away  at  a  place  called  Grand  Anse. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 


Reinforcements 


We  went  in  there  and  found  a  bunch  of  Rangers  all  shot  up  and  Cubans...we  didn  't  know  they 
were  going  to  fight  as  long  and  as  hard  as  they  did 

Colonel  Silvasy,  82nd  Airborne 

While  the  Rangers  were  securing  the  airfield,  a  total  of  six  battalions  of  troops  fi-om  the  XVIII 
Airborne  Corps  began  arriving  at  Point  Salines.  Chaplain  Waytowich,  the  82nd  Airborne  Division 
chaplain,  was  the  first  chaplain  to  arrive  from  Fort  Bragg.  By  the  close  of  the  day  he  was  joined  by 
Chaplain  Herndon,  the  2nd  Brigade  chaplain.  Chaplain  William  Merrifield  of  the  2/325th  Infantry, 
Chaplain  John  Owings  of  the  2/325th  Infantry,  and  Chaplain  Frank  Whalen  of  the  320th  Artillery. 

Almost  immediately  the  Fort  Bragg  chaplains  began  to  experience  difficulties.  Many  had 
packed  their  chaplain  kits  in  A  Bags  with  the  promise  that  these  bags  would  be  delivered  to  them  in 
Grenada  upon  arrival.  When  they  were  delayed,  the  chaplains  had  no  communion  equipment  or  other 
necessary  supplies.  Likewise  there  was  very  little  transportation  available,  which  presented  difficulties 
in  uniting  chaplains  and  their  chapel  activity  specialists  who  sometimes  arrived  on  different  aircraft.'^ 
A  lack  of  maps  and  communication  equipment  also  presented  bewildering  situations  to  chaplains  who 
had  to  spend  time  searching  for  their  units. 

Nevertheless,  Chaplain  Waytowich  joined  the  1st  Ranger  Battalion  as  soon  as  he  could  to 
provide  comfort  for  the  wounded  and  to  assist  Chaplain  Brown  with  any  Catholic  coverage  needs. 
Throughout  the  night  chaplains  and  their  chapel  activity  specialists  worked  to  link  up  with  their  units 
and  to  provide  ministry.  Chaplain  Merrifield  found  the  bodies  of  three  soldiers,  two  Grenadians  and 
one  Cuban  killed  in  the  first  attack.  With  snipers  still  in  the  area,  most  of  the  soldiers  were  on  high 
alert.  Even  as  late  as  0630  on  the  morning  of  October  26,  Chaplain  Herndon  reported  that  there  was 
rifle  fire  "pinging  over  their  heads." 

Throughout  the  first  two  days  there  also  was  a  concern  for  mistakes  in  identity  and  casualties 
by  "fiiendly  fire. "  Chaplain  Herndon  recalled  intervening  personally  to  limit  one  such  occurrence: 

Our  2nd  Brigade  headquarters  was  on  the  top  of  a  hill  overlooking  seven  warehouses 
with  all  the  munitions  in  them,  when  an  A7A  American  fighter  jet  fi"om  one  of  the 
carriers  mistook  our  headquarters  for  an  enemy  position.  The  jet  staffed  our 
headquarters  which  caused  16  casualties.  Two  soldiers  lost  their  legs  and  one  died 
later.  I  was  approximately  400  meters  away  at  the  warehouses  when  we  believed  the 
same  jet  came  over  us.  Everybody  hit  the  ground.  He  came  very  low  overus  and  came 
back  around  again  for  what  appeared  to  be  another  staffing  run.  As  he  was 
approaching,  1  said  to  myself, '  I  don't  want  to  die  lying  down,'  so  I  jumped  up  and 
grabbed  an  illuminating  panel  off  a  truck  and  stood  there  waving  off  the  aircraft.  I 
didn't  want  a  repeat  of  what  tragically  had  just  happened.'^ 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 


Day  Two 

By  mid-morning  on  Wednesday  the  26th,  General  Schwartzkopf  had  advised  Admiral  Metcalf 
not  to  wait  on  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  to  move  across  land  to  rescue  the  students  at  Grand  Anse. 
Rather  the  2nd  Ranger  Battalion  from  Fort  Lewis  would  be  flown  in  by  Marine  helicopters  to  rescue 
the  students.  This  raid  took  only  a  few  hours  to  prepare  and  was  simplified  by  the  fact  that  one 
student,  a  former  Special  Forces  medic,  had  simply  picked  up  the  telephone  at  Grand  Anse  and  called 
the  Point  Salines  Airfield  The  student  explained  that  the  enemy  troops  were  entrenched  and  facing 
south  for  a  possible  land  attack.  The  students  were  told  to  tie  white  arm  bands  on  their  upper  arms, 
put  mattresses  against  the  windows  and  lie  on  the  floor  until  the  Marines  could  land  the  helicopters 
and  rescue  them  The  Rangers  on  Marine  helicopters  went  in  at  1615  hours  and  the  plan  worked 
flawlessly.  The  Marines  shuttled  Rangers  to  Grand  Anse  and  students  back  to  Point  Salines.  Within 
30  minutes  224  students  had  been  rescued  with  only  two  Rangers  slightly  injured. 

Although  casualties  were  light,  the  rescue  was  not  completely  uneventftjl.  While  the  students 
were  being  picked  up,  the  enemy  was  firing  mortars  at  the  helicopters  from  the  top  of  the  Russian 
consulate.  As  the  last  helicopter  of  Rangers  was  leaving,  it  was  hit  and  downed.  The  Rangers  used 
the  onboard  life  raft  to  escape  capture  and  paddled  1 2  miles  out  to  sea  where  they  were  picked  up 
by  a  U.S.  Navy  destroyer.  Chaplain  Mack  remembered  the  gloom  in  the  Regiment  until  the  radio  call 
came  in  from  the  Navy,  "Did  you  guys  lose  some  Rangers?  One  of  our  destroyers  just  picked  up  a 
gaggle  in  a  raft.  They  were  waving  at  us  and  yelling,  'Hey  we're  Rangers.'  They're  on  board  and 
safe.'"' 

Meanwhile,  a  battalion  task  force  from  the  82nd  Airborne,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant 
Colonel  George  Crocker,  moved  to  the  east  end  of  Point  Salines  Airport.  There,  after  a  brief  fire 
fight,  the  82nd  liberated  183  students  at  Lance  aux  Epines  Chaplain  Hemdon,  the  2nd  Brigade 
Chaplain,  located  an  abandoned  yellow  golf  cart  which  he  used  to  visit  his  units.  Although  the  vehicle 
was  a  bit  odd-looking,  transportation  was  at  a  premium.  Chaplain  Hemdon  asked  the  G4  supply 
ofiicer  for  some  USO  stationary  and  envelopes.  These  he  delivered  to  the  troops  so  they  could  write 
at  least  one  letter  home.  "Postage  was  free,"  Chaplain  Hemdon  said,  "so  hundreds  of  letters  got  to 
families  of  deployed  soldiers.""" 

On  the  morning  of  Thursday,  October  27th,  the  Marines  finished  sweeping  the  high  ground 
above  St.  George's  and  encircled  the  town.  The  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff  wanted  the  Task  Force  to  take 
the  Calivigny  Barracks  by  the  end  of  the  day.  Calivigny  was  a  garrison  situated  on  a  peninsula  about 
five  miles  east  of  Point  Salines.  It  had  been  a  Cuban-run,  terrorist  training  camp.  The  82nd  Airbome 
was  headed  in  that  direction  but  moving  slowly  in  order  to  clear  enemy  soldiers  from  each  possible 
hiding  place.  Consequently  the  2nd  Ranger  Battalion  was  ordered  to  secure  Calivigny  Barracks. 

Ironically,  on  the  morning  of  October  27th,  Chaplain  Larry  Mack  was  celebrating  company- 
level  Communion  and  Thanksgiving  services  within  the  2nd  Ranger  Battalion.  They  had  not  suffered 
any  deaths  to  that  point  and  they  had  expected  to  redeploy  that  night  to  Fort  Lewis.  However,  as  he 
was  beginning  a  service  in  B  Company,  they  received  another  mission.  The  Rangers  quickly  loaded 
on  Army  Blackhawk  helicopters  for  the  airmobile  assault  on  the  Cuban  training  camp  at  Calivigny. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


8 OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 

At  approximately  1645  hours  the  Rangers  went  in.  The  operation  had  all  the  markings  of  a 
disaster.  At  least  a  squad  of  Grenadians  and  Cubans  with  automatic  weapons  fired  on  the  helicopters 
as  they  crowded  into  a  small  landing  zone.  Shattered  rotor  blades  flew  in  every  direction  and  cut 
down  almost  a  dozen  Rangers.  Chaplain  Mack  immediately  joined  the  medics  to  try  to  save  lives. 
Two  Rangers  had  been  immediately  killed  by  flying  rotor  blades,  one  had  been  hit  in  the  neck  by  small 
arms  fire  from  the  enemy.  These  three  Rangers,  killed  in  action,  had  attended  the  Thanksgiving 
service  that  morning. 


Peace  Again 

By  Friday,  October  28th,  the  battle  for  Grenada  was  effectively  over.  The  Marines  moved 
into  St.  George's  where  the  townspeople  emerged  from  their  hiding  places  and  welcomed  them  as 
liberators.  A  total  740  American  citizens,  595  of  them  students,  were  liberated  and  flown  back  to  the 
United  States.  The  multiple  problems  involved  in  Operation  Urgent  Fury — the  lack  of  joint  doctrine, 
the  lack  of  transportation  and  communication  for  chaplains,  and  the  short  time  available  for  hasty 
deployment — all  provided  lessons  for  fijture  joint  operations  planning. 

The  United  States  Government  listed  19  US  troops  killed  and  1 16  wounded  as  opposed  to 
84  Cubans  and  160  PRA  troops  killed  or  wounded  on  the  opposing  side  "  Additionally,  civilian 
casuahies  were  estimated  at  45  dead,  some  of  whom  died  as  a  result  of  the  bombing  of  the  mental 
hospital. 

President  Ronald  Reagan  called  Operation  Urgent  Fury  a  "brilliant  campaign."  Army 
Secretary  John  Marsh  praised  the  invasion  as  a  "great  success."  However,  the  Pentagon  sharply 
criticized  the  operations,  particularly  the  communication  and  the  intelligence  defects.  Colonel  Stephen 
Silvasy,  82nd  Airborne  Division,  said  his  brigade  could  see  the  command  ship  about  a  mile  oflfshore 
in  Grenada,  but  because  of  differences  in  radio  equipment  could  not  communicate  with  it." 
Nevertheless  more  than  9,000  medals  for  valor  and  achievement  were  awarded,  far  exceeding  the 
number  of  soldiers  who  actually  deployed  to  Grenada  An  Army  spokesman  defended  the  plethora 
of  decorations  as  "a  valuable  and  effective  leadership  tool  to  build  unit  morale."" 

As  the  first  sustained  joint  military  operation  since  the  Vietnam  War,  Operation  Urgent  Fury 
pointed  out  that  American  troops  were  still  highly  motivated  when  properly  led.  Eventually  Congress 
passed  the  Goldwater-Nichols  Act  which  empowered  the  Chairman  of  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff  to 
take  a  more  directive  role  in  fiiture  operations.  Likewise,  many  of  the  communications  problems 
between  the  separate  services  went  back  to  the  drawing  board  for  correction. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 


The  Chaplain  as  Interpreter 

One  of  the  tasks  which  fell  to  American  troops  after  the  shooting  stopped  was  policing  up 
weapons  on  the  island.  Members  of  the  diplomatic  missions  from  the  Eastern  Bloc  countries  (under 
the  influence  of  the  Russian  embassy  in  Grenada)  were  particularly  suspect  when  it  came  to  smuggling 
weapons  out  of  the  country.  Most  of  these  diplomats  were  processed  off  the  island  though  a 
checkpoint  manned  by  the  82d  Airborne  Division  Support  Command  (DISCOM)  Chaplain  Peter 
Telencio  ,  who  was  serving  as  the  DISCOM  Chaplain  at  the  time,  recalled  an  incident  in  which  his 
fluency  in  Russian  as  an  Eastern  Orthodox  priest  paid  off : 

We  (the  DISCOM)  were  responsible  for  all  the  logistics  support  on  the  island.  One 
of  the  other  responsibilities  we  had  was  outprocessing  the  Eastern  Bloc  personnel  . 
DISCOM  was  used  as  a  kind  of  rallying  point  prior  to  their  being  sent  back  to  their 
own  posts  On  one  of  my  breaks,  I  went  into  the  back  of  the  DISCOM  headquarters 
building  There  I  saw  a  deuce  and  a  half  with  all  the  embassy  supplies  in  it.  The 
Russian  ambassador  and  his  aide  were  talking  very  secretively.  '" 

Chaplain  Telencio  eavesdropped  on  their  conversation,  conducted  in  Russian.  "I 
overheard  the  ambassador  state  that  'we  have  to  get  these  people  processed  quickly 
and  get  this  truck  unloaded  and  onto  the  plane.'  I  thought  it  was  strange  that  they 
were  concerned  about  something  having  diplomatic  immunity  tied  to  it." 

Chaplain  Telencio  reported  his  suspicion  of  contraband  in  the  truck  to  the  DISCOM 
commander  who,  in  turn,  promptly  contacted  the  State  Department  representatives. 
The  truck  was  found  to  be  carrying  small  arms  weapons.  "I  found  it  ironic  that  as  a 
chaplain  I  was  also  playing  the  role  of  an  interpreter  who  eavesdropped  on  the 
Russian  ambassador  to  hear  that  there  were  weapons  [in  that  truck],  "  Chaplain 
Telencio  added.  "Whether  they  were  going  to  cause  some  harm  or  not  wasn't  known." 


Staying  Behind 

For  two  months  after  the  firing  stopped,  U.S.  forces  remained  in  Grenada  to  help  with 
peacekeeping  and  nation-building  operations.  Weapons  from  the  local  population  were  collected  and 
normal  security  restored. 

The  Rangers  and  most  of  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  returned  to  their  home  installations,  but 
units  from  the  1st  Corps  Support  Command  stayed  until  January  1984.  Chaplain  Marion  Kirk,  the 
Deputy  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain,  who  deployed  to  Grenada  on  October  30,  provided  technical 
supervision  for  the  chaplains  and  chapel  activity  specialists  who  remained.  Chaplains  James  Bishop, 
Samuel  E  Smith,  Robert  Hall,  Ronald  Reddell,  Michael  Travaglione  and  Jacob  Goldstein,  a  Jewish 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


jO OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 

chaplain  from  the  US  Army  Reserves,  provided  religious  support  for  the  soldiers  from  November 
1983  through  the  holiday  season. ■' 

Chaplain  Kirk  coordinated  closely  with  Governor-General  Scoon;  the  Grenada  Conference 
of  Churches;  Bishop  Sydney  Charles,  the  Anglican  Bishop  of  Grenada,  and  Vicar  General  Cyril 
Lamontage  of  St.  George's  Roman  Catholic  Cathederal  regarding  religious  facilities,  services  and 
concerns.  Both  Bishop  Charles  and  Monsignor  Lamontagne  agreed  that  the  American  military 
intervention  not  only  rescued  the  medical  students  but  also  liberated  their  island  from  an  increasingly 
oppressive  government  of  terrorists.  In  fact,  one  government  "hit  list,"  recovered  by  82nd  Airborne 
soldiers,  included  civic  leaders,  ministers,  priests,  and  nuns  to  be  eliminated  in  the  fixture."  The 
rescue  mission,  these  religious  leaders  told  the  chaplains,  could  not  have  come  soon  enough.-'' 

Chaplain  Michael  Travaglione,  who  flew  to  Grenada  with  a  plane  load  of  turkey  dinners, 
cookies,  brownies,  and  Christmas  presents  from  Fort  Bragg  for  the  soldiers,  said  the  Grenadian 
people  were  most  gratefijl  for  American  help.'"*  Chaplain  Marion  Kirk  wrote,  "...  it  was  a  privilege 
to  be  part  of  our  ministry  and  see  chaplains  responding  faithfully  as  they  have  been  called  to  do  in  this 
unique  ministry.""' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


Ranger   Chaplains   Larry  Mack   and  Don   Brown,    Operation    URGENT  FURY 


12 


OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 


UNIT  MINISTRY  TEAMS 
DEPLOYED  FROM  FORT  BRAGG 


NAME 

82""  AIRBORNE  DIVISION 
Waytowich,  Nicholas 
Whalen,  Frank  J. 
Deglopper,  James  C. 
Hemdon,  Robert  K 
Merrifield,  William  L. 
Oliver,  Howell  R 
Owings,  John  M 
Anthony,  Terry  L. 
Smith,  Samuel  L. 
Simpson,  Oscar  W. 
Campbell,  Robert  L. 
Leever,  Richard  T. 
Niermeyer,  William  D. 
Bradford,  David  E. 
Gass,  Shane  A. 
Abraham,  Jerome  M. 
Hirachita,  Phillip 
Stevens,  Ryder  R. 
Deglopper,  James  C. 
Bailey,  Charles  R 
Rosenstein,  Michael  A. 


RANK 


UNIT 


LTC 

HQ  82d  ABN 

MAJ 

320"^  ARTY 

SP6 

HHB  Divarty 

MAJ 

HHC  2d  Bde 

CPT 

2/3 25th  Inf 

PFC 

HHC  2d  BDE 

ILT 

3/325th  Inf 

PV2 

HHC,  3d  BFE 

MAJ 

3/ 108th  Div 

SP5 

HHC,  3d  Bde 

CPL 

2/505th  Inf 

ILT 

2/505th  Inf 

PV2 

HHC,  3d  Bde 

CPT 

2/108  DIV 

SP4 

HHC  r'Bde 

CPT 

l/505th  Inf 

SP4 

HHC  3d  Bde 

CPT 

DIVARTY 

SSG 

HHB  Divarty 

CPT 

HHC,  2d  Bde 

SGT 

FIHC  307*  Engr  BN 

See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 


13 


Bruning,  James  B. 

CPT 

46*  Sp  Gp 

Vargas,  David 

SP4 

HHC,  82d  CAB 

Bishop,  James 

CPT 

1/17  Cav 

Stott,  Stephen  A. 

SGT 

HHT  1/17  Cavb 

Telencio,  Peter 

MAJ 

DISCOM 

Foulk,  Damiy  R. 

SP4 

HHC  DISCOM 

r'COSCOM 

Hall,  Robert  D 

MAJ 

V  COSCOM 

Blackwell,  Thomas  H. 

PFC 

HHC,  COSCOM 

Matthews,  Temple  G.,  Ill 

MAJ 

16*  MP 

Blackmon,  Roger  M. 

SP5 

HHC  16*  MP 

XVIII  AIRBORNE  CORPS 

Kirk,  Marion  R. 

LTC 

HHC  XVIII  ABN 

McKenzie,  Rick  E 

SP5 

HHC  XVIII  ABN 

See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


14  OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  URGENT  FURY l^ 

ENDNOTES 

I  Rick  Atkinson,  The  Long  Gray  Line,  (New  York:  Pocket  Books,  1989),  p.  607.  Note: 
JEWEL  stood  for  Joint  Endeavor  for  Welfare,  Education,  and  Liberation  See  Lee  E.  Russell, 
Grenada  I983X  London:  Osprey  Publishing  Co  ,1985),p.3. 

2.  H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  //  Doesn't  Take  A  Hero,  p  247. 

3.  Ihid 

4    Chaplain  (Capt.)  Don  Brown,  After  Action  Report  (Urgent  Fury),  1st  Battahon  (Ranger),  75th 
Inf,  Hunter  Army  Airfield,  Ga.,  28  November  1983,  p.  1 . 

5.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Robert  Knox  Hemdon,  22  Aug  1994    Note:  Merrifield, 
Owings  and  Hemdon  were  all  Southern  Baptists  and  received  Bronze  Star  medals  for  their  service 
in  Grenada. 

6  Lemuel  M.  Boyles,  "Grenada:  Ministry  In  Time  Of  Crisis,"  Military  Chaplains  Review 
(Winter  1985)  pp.  11-12. 

7  Rick  Atkinson,  The  Long  Gray  Line,  p.  608. 

8.  H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  It  Doesn't  Take  A  Hero,  p.  250. 

9.  Robert  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  p.  30. 

10    Chaplain  (Capt.)  Don  Brown,  After  Action  Report,  p.  2. 

I I  Chaplain  Don  Brown,  Op.  cit.,  p. 2. 

12.  H.  Norman  Schwartzkopf,  //  Doesn't  Take  A  Hero^  p.  250. 

13.  Note:  In  1983  chaplain  assistants  were  still  officially  "chapel  activity  specialists  "  The  old 
term  is  used  here  to  prevent  anachronistic  historical  writing. 

14.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Knox  Hemdon  ,22  Aug  1994. 

15  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Lawrence  Mack,  23  August  1994.  Note:  The 
facts  in  this  account  are  tme.  The  exact  wording  of  the  radio  transmission  from  the  Navy  has  been 
preserved  only  third-hand  in  Ranger  oral  tradition 

16  Ibid 

17.  Lee  Russell,  Grenada  1983,  p.35. 


16 OPERATION  URGENT  FURY 

18.  Bill  Gertz,  "General  Says  U.S.  has  learned  from  Grenada  mistakes,"  The  Washington  Times, 
August  31,1994,  p  A-8. 

19  Rick  Atkinson,  The  Long  Gray  Line,  p  617 

20  .  Personal  interview  of  Chaplain  (Col.)  Peter  Telencio  by  Mr.  Michael  Hobson,  writer-editor 
for  the  Combat  Developments  Division,  US.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  Ft.  Jackson, 
S.C.,4March  1997. 

21.  Letter  from  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Marion  R.  Kirk  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  19  November  1983, 

P   1 

22. Interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Knox  Herndon,  22  August  1994. 

23.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Michael  Travaglione,  Ft  Belvoir,  Va.,  9  August 
1994. 

24.  Ibid. 

25    Letter  from  Chaplain  Kirk  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  19  November  1983,  p.  2. 


OPERATION    JUST    CAUSE: 


Religious   Support 


m^^'f. 


>•# 


-j^ 


i-^ 


■m. 


I  > 


Operation   JUST  CAUSE:    Chaplain   John   J.    Prendergast    at    Catholic 
Mass    on    Christmas  morning  for   82nd  Airborne   Division   soldiers, 
Dec.    25,    1989.    Major   General    James  H.    Johnson,    Jr.,    82nd  ABN 
Division    Commander,    is    standing  at    right. 


CHAPTER  II 

OPERATION  JUST  CAUSE: 
THE  LARGEST  POSSE  IN  HISTORY^ 


A  freezing  was  falling  when  we  Iramped  up  the  tailgate  of  the  C-141  Star  Lifter 
Aircraft.  My  mind  was  focused  on  staying  warm,  but  when  I  finally  buckled  myself 
in,  I  thought  about  the  trip  ahead. . .  about  2, 000  soldiers  from  three  parachute 
infantry  battalions  who  would  be  jumping  into  a  combat  zone  in  Panama  in  a  few 
short  hours.  What  would  it  be  like?  There  was  no  way  I  could  know,  but  it  was  a 
good  time  to  exercise  my  faith  and  send  up  some  serious  prayers  for  the  troopers  and 
myself. 

Chaplain  Wray  B.  Physioc 

1  St  Battalion,  504th  Parachute  Infantry  Regiment 

Fort  Bragg,  North  Carolina 


A  Dictator  In  The  Canal  Zone 

On  Friday,  December  15,  1989,  the  Panamanian  National  Assembly  issued  a  proclamation  that 
a  state  of  war  existed  between  Panama  and  the  United  States.  General  Manuel  Antonio  Noriega  was 
appointed  "Maximum  Leader,"  a  position  with  unlimited  extra  constitutional  power.  Supporting 
General  Noriega  were  15,000  members  of  the  Panama  Defense  Force  (PDF),  approximately  6,000 
of  whom  were  combat  trained  and  ready  to  suppress  any  outbreaks  of  dissent. 

For  almost  two  years  General  Noriega  had  been  a  thorn  in  the  side  of  the  United  States.  As 
early  as  February  1988  a  Federal  Grand  Jury  had  indicted  Noriega  for  drug  trafficking,  following 
testimony  by  former  key  PDF  associates  of  his.  The  already  tense  relations  between  Panama  and  the 
United  States  deteriorated  badly.  For  the  first  time  the  Pentagon  had  to  consider  the  Panama  Defense 
Forces,  not  just  Noriega  and  his  cronies,  a  potential  military  foe.  On  February  22,  1988,  the  Joint 
Chiefs  of  Staff"  issued  a  planning  order  for  US  Army  South  (SOUTHCOM)  to  write  a  plan  for  the 
defense  of  the  Panama  Canal  and  American  lives  and  property  in  Panama." 

Between  February  1988  and  December  1989  General  Noriega  had  survived  two  military  coup 
attempts,  the  most  recent  one  in  October  resulting  in  the  execution  of  a  number  of  his  key  officers. 
Noriega  blamed  much  of  the  unrest  and  descent  in  his  country  on  covert  American  operations. 
Indeed  one  American  business  man,  Kurt  Muse,  had  been  imprisoned  for  assisting  the  CIA  by 
monitoring  some  of  Noriega's  private  radio  transmissions. 

The  American  intelligence  community  had  researched  details  concerning  Noriega's  private  life 
Although  he  gave  lip  service  to  Roman  Catholicism,  Noriega  was  not  only  a  devotee  of  Caribbean 
Santeria,  an  Animist  Cult  of  African  origin.   He  also  employed  at  least  three  Brazilian  sorceresses 
whom  he  maintained  in  comfort  in  two  "witch  houses"  at  Fort  Amador.  Noriega  was  also  reportedly 


See  endnote  at  end  of  chapter.  21 


22 OPERATION  JUST  CAUSE 

a  bisexual  satyr.  He  often  relieved  the  stress  of  his  precarious  grasp  on  power  by  partaicing  in  orgies 
of  sex,  cocaine,  and  liquor.  Some  reports  indicated  that  Noriega  sometimes  enjoyed  dressing  in 
perfumed  drag  on  these  occasions.  Even  more  distasteful  was  evidence  that  Noriega  had  increasingly 
turned  to  torture  and  sadistic  sexual  abuse  of  prisoners  for  his  personal  gratification.  And,  of  course, 
the  mounting  irrefutable  evidence  that  Noriega  was  deeply  involved  with  the  Columbian  drug  cartels 
was  a  direct  threat  to  the  mission  of  the  DEA  and  U.S.  military  forces  to  interdict  drugs  coming  into 
the  United  States.^ 

Given  these  adverse  reports.  President  George  Bush  and  his  advisors  became  increasingly 
concerned  for  the  safety  of  the  35,000  Americans  who  lived  in  Panama  as  well  as  for  the  security  of 
the  Panama  Canal  itself  As  if  to  underscore  the  Presidents  concern,  two  incidents  occurred  on 
Saturday,  December  16,  which  further  increased  tensions  between  the  United  States  and  General 
Noriega 

On  the  night  of  December  16  four  American  Marine  officers  attempting  to  drive  from  a  local 
bar  back  to  Fort  Clayton  were  detained  at  a  road  block  when  they  saw  bearded  PDF  soldiers  in  black 
T-shirts  carrying  AK-47  assault  rifles,  the  young  Marines  decided  to  speed  through  the  startled 
soldiers  As  they  hit  the  accelerator  in  their  small  Impala  the  PDF  troops  fired  on  the  car.  Lieutenant 
Bob  Paz  was  mortally  wounded  and  died  before  he  could  reach  the  Gorgas  Army  Hospital.  Back  at 
the  road  block  an  American  Navy  Lieutenant  and  his  wife  were  witnesses  to  the  unprovoked  shooting 
were  arrested,  hand  cuffed,  and  blindfolded  with  duct  tape  they  were  then  taken  to  a  nearby  station 
of  the  National  Department  of  Investigation  and  interrogated  for  most  of  the  night.  Lieutenant  Curtis 
was  kicked  and  punched  while  his  wife  was  insulted  and  fondled  Finally,  by  midnight,  the  couple  was 
released  to  American  Military  Police  from  Fort  Clayton. 

The  next  afternoon  General  Maxwell  Thurman,  the  Commander  in  Chief  of  SOUTHCOM, 
at  his  office  in  Quarry  Heights  opened  a  binder  marked  OPERATION  BLUE  SPOON,  it  was  the 
contingency  operation  from  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff  to  crush  Manuel  Noriega  and  his  army.  In  a 
telephone  conversation  with  the  Chairman  of  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff,  General  Colin  Powell,  General 
Thurman  understood  that  the  President  had  approved  the  operation.  "The  President  said  I  should  be 
sure  to  tell  you  that  enough  is  enough,"  General  Powell  said  "Execute  Blue  Spoon  "  "D-Day," 
Powell  continued,  "will  be  December  20  H-hour  will  be  0100."  General  Thurman  responded  "Yes 
sir,  I  understand  my  orders."  The  United  States  was  about  to  invade  Panama.* 


The  Most  Complex  Operation  Since  Vietnam 

Operation  Blue  Spoon,  as  Operation  Just  Cause  was  initially  known,  involved  deploying  more 
than  24,000  American  military  personnel  for  simultaneous  combat  operations  with  twenty-seven 
different  objectives.  Many  of  the  airborne  operations  would  likewise  involve  night  attacks. 
Moreover,  since  the  headquarters  for  General  Thurman  was  at  Quarry  Heights  in  Panama  and  the 
headquarters  for  Lieutenant  General  Carl  Stiner,  the  Commander  for  Joint  Task  Force  South  was  at 
Fort  Clayton,  many  of  the  forces  would  be  inserted  throughout  the  country  between  and  among 
existing  American  Military  Installations.  The  Army  units  alerted  to  participate  in  the  various 
operations  included  a  brigade  from  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  at  Fort  Bragg,  troops  from  the  7th 


See  endnote  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  JUST  CAUSE 23 

Light  Infantry  Division  at  Fort  Ord,  from  the  5th  Mechanized  Infantry  Division  at  Fort  Polk,  from 
the  193rd  Infantry  Brigade  already  in  Panama  and  from  three  Ranger  battalions  of  the  75th  Infantry 
Regiment.  Likewise,  the  3rd  Battalion  of  the  7th  Special  Forces  Group  would  join  Navy  Seal's  in 
spearheading  the  attack  These  forces  were  organized  into  nine  major  task  forces  whose  objectives 
ranged  geographically  from  the  city  of  Colon  on  the  Caribbean  to  Fort  Amador  overlooking  the  Bay 
of  Panama  on  the  Pacific  side  of  the  country 

The  rules  of  engagement  for  the  American  forces  were  some  of  the  strictest  ever  imposed. 
General  Thurman  insisted  that  fire  support  be  used  with  extreme  caution.  Only  a  field  grade  officer, 
preferably  a  battalion  commander,  could  authorize  indirect  fire  from  howitzers  or  mortars.  General 
Stiner  himself  had  the  sole  authority  of  authorizing  air  strikes  from  Air  Force  and  Army  Tactical  Air 
Assets. 

The  Panamanian  Military  Forces  expected  to  oppose  the  "American  Invasion"  were  diverse 
in  their  composition  There  were  airport  guards  at  Tocumen  Military  Airfield,  Dignity  Battalions 
knovvTi  to  American  soldiers  as  "digbats,"  and  of  course  the  regular  PDF  soldiers  whose  combat  skills 
would  vary  according  to  their  immediate  leadership  Nevertheless,  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff  assumed 
that  there  would  be  fighting  and  directed  the  deployment  of  forces  in  accord  with  that  assumption. 

With  the  Presidents  order  on  December  1 7  to  execute  Operation  Blue  Spoon,  alert  messages 
went  out  across  the  United  States,  from  North  Carolina  to  California.  At  the  same  time  a  question 
arose  concerning  the  name  of  the  overall  militar>'  operation.  General  James  J.  Lindsay,  the 
Commander  of  the  Special  Operations  Command,  thought  Operation  Blue  Spoon  was  terrible  name 
for  an  operation  General  Lindsay  called  Lieutenant  General  Thomas  Kelly,  the  Director  of 
Operations  for  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff.  "Do  you  want  your  grandchildren  to  say  you  were  in  Blue 
Spoon'^"  he  asked  General  Kelly. 

It  could  have  been  worse,  Kelly  thought.  One  of  the  Panama  contingency  plans  was  named 
BLIND  LOGIC  Other  operations  had  been  given  equally  strange  names  over  the  years,  one  general 
had  executed  an  Operations  Stumbling  Block  and  an  Operation  Lima  Bean.  General  Kelly  tossed 
around  ideas  for  a  new  name  with  Rear  Admiral  Joe  Lopez  his  Deputy  for  Current  Operations.  "How 
about  Just  Action"^"  General  Kelly  proposed  "How  about  Just  Cause*^"  Admiral  Lopez  countered. 
They  agreed  that  Just  Cause  was  much  better  than  Blue  Spoon  The  name  was  sent  up  the  chain  of 
command  and  approved.^  Operation  Just  Cause  had  a  much  better  military  ring  to  it,  but  it  also  made 
and  ethical  assertion  about  the  justification  for  military  action. 


Deployment  From  Coast  To  Coast 

One  of  the  challenges  in  alerting  units  from  three  different  divisions  was  the  need  to  organize 
into  battalion-size  task  forces  With  the  multiple  objectives  inherent  in  the  operation  plan  for  Just 
Cause,  not  division  would  fight  as  a  unit.  Rather,  battalion  and  smaller  units  would  comprise  task 
forces  to  seize  key  objectives  such  as,  bridges,  dams,  locks,  and  airfields.  Fortunately  many  of  the 
soldiers  tagged  for  the  operation  had  been  through  real  or  simulated  versions  of  this  exercise  before. 
They  were  accustomed  to  operating  autonomously,  and  they  were  trained  to  take  charge.  Likewise, 
the  joint  command  had  good  intelligence.  It  knew  where  each  enemy  was  located  and  infiltrated  U.S. 


See  endnote  at  end  of  chapter. 


24 OPERATION  JUST  CAUSE 

Special  Operations  Forces  ahead  of  the  main  assault  elements  to  keep  an  eye  out  for  unexpected 
movements  * 

On  Sunday,  December  17,  the  day  President  Bush  ordered  military  forces  to  Panama,  Navy 
Seal's  from  Little  Creek,  Virginia  and  the  1  st  Ranger  Battalion  from  Hunter  Army  Airfield  near 
Savannah,  Georgia  were  put  on  alert.  The  following  day  the  1st  Brigade,  82nd  Airborne  Division  and 
the  2nd  Brigade  of  the  7th  Light  Infantry  Division  were  likewise  alerted  for  deployment 

In  the  concept  of  operations,  at  approximately  0045  hours  on  December  20,  Navy  Seal's 
would  attack  Paitilla  Airport  east  of  Panama  to  seize  General  Noriega's  jet  airplane  and  to  neutralize 
the  enemy  forces  there.  At  the  same  time  members  of  the  3rd  Battalion,  7th  Special  Forces  Group 
would  seize  the  Pacora  Bridge  northeast  of  the  city  to  block  an  enemy  mechanized  task  force  seeking 
to  cross  the  river  to  join  the  fight  Task  Force  Bayonet  comprised  of  units  from  the  193d  Infantry 
Brigade,  the  5th  Infantry  Division,  the  82nd  Airborne  Division,  and  the  1st  Battalion  of  the  508th 
Infantry  from  Fort  Kobbe  would  seek  to  neutralize  the  Panamanian  soldiers  in  Fort  Amador  and  then 
proceed  with  an  attack  on  the  Comandancia,  Noriega's  headquarters.  In  further  simultaneous 
operations,  units  from  two  ranger  battalions  would  seize  Rio  Hato  Airfield  and  Tocumen  Military 
Airfield  east  of  Panama  City.  Three  task  forces  drawn  ft-om  the  1st  Brigade,  82nd  Airborne  Division 
would  participate  on  the  attack  on  Tocumen  at  Renacer  Prison  and  at  Panama  Viejo.  In  addition  the 
325th  Infantry  would  assault  Fort  Cimarron,  the  headquarters  of  Battalion  2000  of  the  Panama 
Defense  Force.  On  the  Caribbean  side  of  the  Panama  Canal  the  4th  Battalion  1 7th  Infantry  fi-om  the 
7th  Light  Infantry  Division  would  seize  the  town  of  Colon  These  were  but  a  few  of  the  twenty-seven 
different  objectives  involving  nine  major  task  forces  on  the  night  of  December  20.  As  the  units 
prepared  to  deploy  not  all  of  the  soldiers  new  what  objectives  they  might  have  to  seize.  This 
information  was  particularly  secret  However,  they  all  knew  they  were  going  to  fight  in  the  dark 
somewhere  in  Panama 


Providing  Religious  Support 

The  common  denominator  for  all  of  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  operating  as  unit 
ministry  teams  for  Operation  Just  Cause  was  the  need  for  speedy  preparation  As  much  as  any  other 
operation  since  Vietnam,  Just  Cause  was  a  "come  as  you  are"  military  deployment.  Fortunately,  most 
of  the  chaplains  and  their  assistants  were  not  only  prepared  but  well  trained  for  such  an  emergency. 

At  Hunter  Army  Airfield  Chaplain  James  J.  Puchy,  the  battalion  chaplain  for  the  1st  Ranger 
Battalion  had  just  finished  his  Sunday  service  when  the  phone  rang.  He  was  told  to  report  to  Post 
Headquarters  immediately  for  a  battalion  assembly  alert.  Chaplain  Puchy  thought  it  was  merely  an 
exercise  of  a  few  hours.  So  he  told  his  wife  he  would  back  later  that  evening.  "I  had  no  clue,"  he 
wrote,  "that  I  would  not  see  or  speak  to  her  again  for  nearly  three  weeks." 

When  Chaplain  Puchy  and  his  assistant.  Sergeant  Eric  Godec,  arrived  at  the  briefing  they  were 
told  that  they  would  be  locked  into  post  and  could  not  communicate  with  anyone  outside  the  1st 
Ranger  Battalion    To  ensure  this  all  the  telephones  were  cut  off  Chaplain  Puchy  recalled; 


See  endnote  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  JUST  CAUSE 25 

The  air  was  thick  with  anxiety  Rangers  were  busy  making  preparations  and  plans  for 
the  assault  on  Tocumen  Military  Airfield  and  on  Torrijos  International  Airport,  both 
located  just  east  of  Panama  City.  I  sat  in  on  several  operational  briefings.  As  my 
anxiety  level  rose,  so  did  my  prayer  intensity.  I  visited  every  barracks,  carrying  a  case 
of  Gideon  Pocket  New  Testaments.  I  gave  away  nearly  300  of  them.  As  I  gave  away 
the  scriptures,  I  joked  with  the  men,  saying  'don't  leave  home  without  one!'' 

Chaplain  Puchy  and  Sergeant  Godec  visited  each  platoon  and  held  short  services  for  the  men. 
His  text  was  taken  from  the  book  of  Joshua:  "Be  strong  and  courageous.  Do  not  be  afraid,  do  not 
be  discouraged,  for  the  Lord  your  God  will  be  with  you  wheresoever  you  go."  Then  after  a  short 
prayer  the  chaplain  and  the  Rangers  repeated  the  Lord's  Prayer  together.  After  that  Chaplain  Puchy 
held  short  services  for  the  Air  Force  pilots  and  then  it  was  time  to  board  the  planes.' 

At  Fort  Bragg,  North  Carolina,  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  from  the  division  ready 
brigade  were  alerted  for,  deployment  to  Panama  on  December  18,1989.  By  1900  hours  Chaplain 
William  L.  Hufham,  the  82nd  Airborne  division  chaplain.  Chaplain  Rees  R.  Stevens,  the  Task  Force 
chaplain  for  Operation  Just  Cause,  and  other  senior  chaplains  including  Chaplain  John  Prendergast, 
the  Senior  Roman  Catholic  chaplain,  had  met  to  coordinate  the  religious  support  plan  and  follow-on 
ministry  to  the  soldiers  deploying  to  Panama  Since  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  is  the  contingency 
force  for  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps,  the  religious  support  plan  had  already  been  drafted,  rehearsed, 
and  practiced  before  it  was  employed  on  Operation  Just  Cause.  The  plan  included  general  as  well 
direct  religious  support.  It  was  comprehensive  and  addressed  most  of  the  mission  essential  tasks  the 
chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  performed.  Further,  the  division  had  a  comprehensive  family 
support  group  organization  the  division  Family  Assistance  Center  began  24-hour  operations  to  assist 
family  members  of  deployed  soldiers  as  soon  as  deployment  was  announced  The  Family  Assistance 
Center  was  augmented  by  the  Spiritual  Assistance  Center  in  one  of  the  division  chapels.  This  center 
provided  coordinated  ministry  in  he  event  of  a  mass  casualty  situation.' 

Chaplain  Rees  Ryder  Stevens,  the  Regimental  Chaplain  for  the  504th  Parachute  Infantry 
Regiment,  would  be  the  Task  Force  chaplain  for  the  Fort  Bragg  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants. 
Chaplain  John  Prendergast  would  assist  Chaplain  Stevens  with  Roman  Catholic  coverage  throughout 
the  area  of  operations.  Chaplain  Wary  Physioc,  Chaplain  Kenneth  Yates,  Chaplain  Lawrence  Krause 
and  Chaplain  Darrell  Thomsen  were  all  included  with  their  chaplain  assistants  in  the  task  force. 
Chaplain  James  Benjamin  McCoy,  the  deputy  82nd  Airborne  Division  chaplain,  coordinated  the  rear 
area  ministry.  Since  deployment  was  a  very  busy  time  for  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants.  Chaplain 
Stevens  asked  for  nine  chaplains  who  were  not  deploying  to  assist  in  the  personnel  holding  area  as 
the  other  chaplains  and  their  assistants  prepared  to  depart.'" 

Of  the  chaplains  who  were  deploying  to  Panama,  only  the  task  force  chaplain  had  had 
experience  had  in  Grenada.  Two  chaplains.  Chaplain  Physioc  and  Chaplain  Thomsen,  were  in  their 
first  tour  of  active  duty.  However,  three  of  the  chaplains  were  brigade  chaplains.  This  combination 
of  experience  and  youth  supported  by  realistic  training  provided  a  successfijl  mixture  of  wisdom  and 
energy  for  the  demands  on  the  Fort  Bragg  unit  ministry  teams." 

For  eighteen  hours  some  2,200  soldiers  in  the  Just  Cause  Task  Force  remained  in  the 
personnel  holding  area  (PHA)  making  their  final  preparations  for  battle.  The  soldiers  did  not  know 


See  endnote  at  end  of  chapter. 


26 OPERATION  JUST  CAUSE 

their  destination  when  they  moved  into  the  PHA.  However,  the  nine  additional  chaplains  who 
ministered  to  them,  including  two  additional  Roman  Catholic  chaplains,  assisted  the  soldiers  with  their 
anxieties  and  with  their  questions  Protestant  chaplains  moved  from  tent  to  tent  conducting  prayer 
and  worship  services.  Catholic  chaplains  offered  Mass  and  general  confession  for  Catholic  soldiers. 
The  ministry  in  the  PHA  was  one  of  the  most  important  during  the  entire  operation 

At  Fort  Ord,  California,  on  December  19,  the  2nd  Brigade  of  the  7th  Light  Infantry  Division 
was  alerted  for  deployment  to  Panama.  Chaplain  John  A.  Wells,  the  7th  Infantry  Division  chaplain, 
immediately  responded  with  coordination  and  leadership  for  the  departing  unit  ministry  teams.  As 
had  been  the  case  in  other  units,  the  7th  Light  Infantry  Division  had  been  involved  in  emergency 
deployment  readiness  exercises.  Chaplain  Wells  wrote: 

The  hours  raced  by  as  the  installation  chaplain,  my  deputy  and  I  moved  into  high  gear 
to  ensure  each  unit  ministry  team  was  physically,  emotionally  and,  most  importantly, 
spiritually  ready  to  go  into  combat  There  was  much  to  do.  Decisions  about 
personnel.  Catholic  coverage,  visiting  with  each  deploying  unit  ministry  team, 
finances,  logistics,  coordination  with  commanders,  ministry  to  command  and  staff, 
coverage  plans,  the  Family  Crisis  Center,  and  Family  Support  Groups  all  competed 
for  precious  time.  Personal  and  family  concerns  had  to  be  placed  temporarily  on 
hold'- 

Chaplains  Hubert  Wade,  David  McMillian,  Thomas  Evans,  and  Stephen  Mounts  all  prepared 
to  deploy  Chaplain  Mounts  and  Chaplain  Evans  were  both  in  their  first  tour  of  active  duty  in  the 
Army  Chaplaincy.  All  of  the  chaplains  from  the  7th  Infantry  Division  would  perform  significant 
ministry  in  a  combat  zone  just  as  their  colleagues  fi"om  the  82nd  Airborne  and  other  units  did. 

HHour 

"I  prayed  for  all  of  my  soldiers  every  day.  " 

Chaplain  Jerry  W.  Graham,  7"'  Special  Forces  Group 

The  initial  phases  of  Operation  Just  Cause  happened  almost  exactly  as  planned  At  forty- 
seven  minutes  past  midnight  a  unit  from  Delta  Force  attacked  La  Carcel  Modelo  Prison  where  they 
rescued  Kurt  Muse,  the  39-year-old  American  business  man  who  had  helped  monitor  General 
Noriega's  radio  traffic  for  the  CIA  Although  three  members  of  the  Delta  Force  were  wounded  Mr. 
Muse  was  extracted  safely.  At  approximately  the  same  time  units,  from  the  7th  Special  Forces  Group 
infihrated  key  facilities  in  and  around  Panama  City.  One  team  blocked  a  mechanized  task  force  of 
PDF  soldiers  crossing  the  Pecora  River  Bridge  This  team  engaged  the  task  force  with  anti-tank 
rockets  and  called  in  fire  from  a  Specter  Gun  Ship  to  hold  the  bridge  against  heavy  odds  Navy 
SEAL'S  Occupied  Paitialla  Airport  and  commandeered  General  Nieriga'sjet  aircraft.  Caught  in  a 
surprise  ambush  four  members  of  the  SEAL  team  were  killed. 


See  endnote  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  RJST  CAUSE 27 

Task  Force  Bayonet  consisting  of  the  193  rd  Infantry  Brigade,  reinforced  by  the  4th  Battalion, 
6th  Infantry  from  the  5th  Infantry  Division  and  by  Light  Tanks  from  the  82nd  Airborne  Division 
attacked  the  Comandancia  with  a  phalanx  of  armored  infantry  carriers  supported  by  Specter  Gun 
Ships."  The  armored  personnel  carriers  from  the  4th  Battalion,  6th  Infantry  came  under  intense 
interlocking  small  arms  fire  from  numerous  road  blocks  on  the  perimeter  three  blocks  from  the 
Comandancia.  The  PDF  soldiers  fired  rocket-propelled  grenades  at  the  armored  personnel  carriers 
while  dignity  battalion  troops  poured  small  arms  fire  and  other  grenades  from  tenement  roofs  and 
balconies. 

While  the  opening  attack  on  the  Comandancia  was  taking  place.  Headquarters  Company,  1  st 
Battalion  of  the  508th  Infantry,  began  the  general  air  mobile  assault  into  Fort  Amador.  Of  all  of  the 
objectives  seized  in  Operation  Just  Cause,  Fort  Amador  was  one  of  the  trickiest  The  fort  had  been 
jointly  occupied  before  the  operation  by  the  5th  PDF  Rifle  Company  which  had  its  positions  on  the 
canal  side  of  the  fort  as  well  as  by  American  families  who  lived  across  the  golf  course  on  the  other 
side  of  the  fort  The  1st  Battalion,  508th  Infantry  had  to  neutralize  and  block  the  5th  PDF  Rifle 
Company  while  at  the  same  time  urging  the  200  American  families  in  their  quarters  to  stay  low  and 
out  of  danger  Eventually  the  1st  Battalion,  508th  secured  the  fort  and  began  a  secondary  movement 
to  assist  with  the  assauh  on  the  Comandancia  Chaplain  Allen  B.  Boatright,  the  Battalion  Chaplain 
for  the  1st  Battalion,  508th  Infantry,  recalled: 

While  the  first  lift  was  airborne  we  could  see  firing  from  Fort  Amador  and  the 
downtown  area  of  the  La  Comandancia  it  sounded  like  mortars,  machine  guns,  and 
small  arms  fire  One  OH-508  Helicopter  was  shot  down  during  the  air  assault  itself 
A  crew  chief  sitting  next  to  me  asked  me  to  say  a  prayer  for  him  as  we  were  flying 
into  Fort  Amador.  At  0140  hours  we  landed  and  moved  by  foot  to  the  Tactical 
Operations  Center  while  we  were  moving  in,  a  fire  fight  took  place  at  the  front  gate 
of  Fort  Amador  The  Panamanian  5th  Infantry  Company  had  tried  to  break  out  of 
Fort  Amador  in  a  school  bus  through  the  front  gate  Our  battalion  scout  stopped 
them.  The  PDF  were  firing  from  the  bus  as  they  sped  through  the  front  entrance. 
Our  scouts  were  on  the  shoulder  of  the  road  and  instinctively  returned  fire  None  of 
the  scouts  were  hit  but  six  of  the  PDF  died  and  three  were  wounded.  Because  of  the 
fighting  going  on  we  had  no  possibility  of  Medevac  for  over  three  hours.  During 
treatment  one  of  the  PDF  soldiers  kept  telling  me  he  was  worried  about  his  wife  and 
two  daughters  He  died  about  an  hour  and  half  later  I  rendered  proper  last  respects 
for  the  dead  and  assisted  the  medics  with  casualty  identification.  The  dead  were  taken 
to  our  military  mortuary.  I  learned  later  that  morning  that  Charlie  Company  had 
sustained  two  deaths  and  six  wounded  on  the  attack  on  the  La  Comandancia. '"' 

Fort  Amador  was  secured  as  1 750  hours.  As  Chaplain  Boatright  walked  around  the  area  and 
visited  with  the  soldiers,  all  were  in  agreement  that  the  Lord  had  greatly  blessed  them  and  that  war 
is  terribly  flight ening 

While  all  of  this  firing  was  going  on,  the  family  members  of  the  soldiers  quartered  in  the 
American  housing  section  of  Fort  Amador  were  busy  keeping  their  heads  down  while  others  were 


See  endnote  at  end  of  chapter 


28 OPERATION  JUST  CAUSE 

cooking  dozens  and  dozens  of  cookies  and  cupcakes  for  the  soldiers  Chaplain  Boatright  had  the 
privilege  of  delivering  several  loads  to  the  soldiers  who  promptly  shared  them  with  any  children  they 
could  find  Chaplain  Boatright  concluded,  "we  conducted  a  brief  memorial  service  for  the  dead  when 
Charlie  Company  joined  us  as  Fort  Amador  We  were  on  the  golf  course  near  a  large  tree  as  the  sun 
was  rising  over  the  ocean.  The  entire  company  attended."'^ 


Everywhere  At  Once! 

Three  minutes  after  H  hour  two  battalions  of  Rangers  parachuted  into  Rio  Hato  Airfield  some 
fifty  miles  west  of  Panama  City  to  neutralize  two  companies  of  PDF  soldiers  After  three  minutes  of 
assault  fire  by  Specter  Gun  Ships,  another  Ranger  battalion  dropped  on  Tocumen  Military  Airfield 
to  seize  the  control  tower  and  capture  PDF  forces  nearby.  Fifteen  minutes  after  H  hour,  on  the 
Atlantic  side,  a  task  force  of  paratroopers  secured  canal  locks  and  machinery  A  small  force  secured 
Madden  Dam  in  the  center  of  the  canal  zone  and,  after  a  brief  fire  fight,  rescued  twenty  political 
prisoners  General  Noriega  had  locked  up  in  nearby  Renacer  Prison. 

Chaplain  Darrell  Thomsen  and  his  chaplain  assistant  Sergeant  Aaron  PoflFenberger 
accompanied  the  3rd  Battalion,  504th  Parachute  Infantry  Regiment  in  its  movement  to  Madden  Dam 
and  the  vicinity  of  Renacer  Prison  Chaplain  Thomsen  recalled:  "an  attitude  of  serious  anticipation 
gripped  each  soldier  as  we  drew  near  the  objective.  The  possibility  of  death  stared  each  soldier  in  the 
face,  bringing  fear  and  uncertainty  about  the  ftiture.  Many  wondered  if  they  would  see  another 
sunrise.  During  the  assault  Sergeant  PoflFenberger  guarded  the  perimeter  around  the  medical  station 
while  I  ministered  to  the  incoming  wounded,  and  observed  enemy  movement  throughout  the  evening. 
Although  our  battalion  suflFered  31  casualties,  no  lives  were  lost.'* 

Forty-five  minutes  after  H  hour,  a  brigade  of  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  had  parachuted  into 
Tocumen  Military  Airfield  to  assault  Panamanian  Army  and  Air  Force  elements  there.  An  ice  storm 
at  Fort  Bragg  hindered  loading  and  taking  oflF,  delaying  the  arrival  of  follow-on  troops  for  three 
hours."  However,  after  landing  the  follow-on  paratroopers  quickly  transferred  to  18  waiting 
Blackhawk  helicopters,  escorted  by  Apaches,  to  conduct  three  coordinated  air  assaults  on  Panama 
Viejo,  Fort  Cimarron,  and  Tinajitas  Army  Barracks.  The  three  hours'  delay  transformed  a  relatively 
safe  night  landing  into  a  daylight  combat  assault  against  the  elite  PDF  Tiger  Company  occupying 
Tinajitas  Barracks. 

Chaplain  Kenneth  Yates,  Battalion  Chaplain  for  the  2nd  Battalion,  504th  Parachute  Infantry 
Regiment,  recalled  the  attack  on  Panama  Viejo: 

Once  I  reached  Panama  Viejo,  I  joined  the  rest  of  the  battalion.  As  soon  as  we 
arrived,  another  battalion  entered  our  area  of  operation,  and  was  hit  by  sniper  fire. 
There  was  an  extensive  fire  fight,  one  of  the  soldiers  in  the  other  battalion  was  killed 
and  three  or  four  wounded.  I  was  able  to  help  with  the  wounded;  to  talk  with  each  of 
them  and  to  help  carry  them  to  the  evacuation  helicopter  I  was  then  able  to  get  to 
the  soldiers  in  other  areas.'* 


See  endnote  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  JUST  CAUSE 29 

Chaplain  Lawrence  Krause,  the  regimental  chaplain  for  the  325th  Airborne  Infantry  Regiment, 
was  present  at  the  same  location  in  a  convoy  headed  toward  Paitilla  Airport  Chaplain  Krause 
recalled:  "the  convoy  took  less  than  ninety  minutes  During  that  time  we  received  fire  several  times. 
The  vehicle  directly  behind  mine  rolled  with  two  flat  tires  and  another  rolled  on  only  the  rim  I  lay 
low  in  the  vehicle,  surrounded  by  grenades,  light  anti-tank  weapons,  and  bullets.  We  arrived  after 
several  tense  moments  at  the  perimeter  of  the  2nd  Battalion,  504th  Parachute  Infantry  Regiment. 
Within  about  45  seconds,  six  men  were  shot  or  injured,  and  one  mortally  We  pulled  into  the  security 
of  their  perimeter  and  helped  tend  to  the  wounded,  opening  bandages,  rolling  soldiers  over  to  be 
bandaged,  holding  IVs  and  assisting  the  medics."''' 

At  Tinajitas  the  Blackhawk  helicopters  took  numerous  hits  as  they  dropped  soldiers  into  the 
landing  zone  some  four  hundred  meters  from  the  barracks  complex  In  stifling  heat,  the  paratroopers 
pushed  forward.  When  they  arrived  at  the  garrison  walls,  the  enemy  soldiers  had  fled,  leaving  most 
of  their  equipment  behind.  The  PDF  Command  and  Control  structure  and  most  PDF  units  were 
neutralized  by  H  plus  10  hours  The  PDF  were  simply  smothered  by  unseen  attackers  from  every 
direction  and  in  every  dimension.  While  they  had  expected  battle,  they  did  not  expect  to  be 
confronted  with  such  a  simultaneous  display  of  overwhelming  force.™ 

Throughout  the  various  engagements  involving  82nd  Airborne  Division  soldiers.  Chaplain 
Ryder  Stevens  and  Chaplain  John  Prendergast  performed  aid  station  ministries  at  Tocumen/Torrijos 
Airport  and  sought  to  remain  in  contact  with  their  other  unit  ministry  teams.  Without  vehicles,  they 
had  to  hitch  rides  from  one  site  to  another  Communications  were  virtually  non-existent  to  many 
units  Chaplain  Michael  G  Ortiz,  the  SOUTHCOM  Chaplain,  was  trying  to  keep  General  Stiner 
apprised  of  the  locations  of  unit  ministry  teams,  but  Chaplain  Ortiz  was  receiving  very  few  reports 
from  the  field.  Needless  to  say,  the  stress  level  was  high  at  every  echelon  '' 

Many  combat  support  and  combat  service  units  encountered  unexpected  resistance  from  the 
PDF.  When  the  988th  Military  Police  Company  attempted  to  clear  some  PDF  buildings,  including 
a  kennel,  they  came  under  fire  from  40  enemy  soldiers.  Captain  Linda  Bray,  the  commander  of  the 
988th,  successfiilly  brought  the  firefight  to  a  close  and  secured  the  area  Captain  Bray,  one  of  600 
female  soldiers  who  participated  in  Operation  Just  Cause,  was  the  first  female  officer  in  modem 
American  military  history  to  command  a  unit  in  combat.^' 


Colon 

On  the  Caribbean  side  of  the  Panama  Canal,  Chaplain  Thomas  G.  Evans  and  his  assistant 
Private  First  Class  Justice  waited  with  the  Battalion  Assault  Command  Post  of  the  4th  Battalion,  17th 
Infantry  for  an  attack  on  the  PDF  headquarters  near  Colon.  With  a  population  of  70,000  people. 
Colon  was  the  largest  city  on  the  Caribbean  end  of  the  Panama  Canal.  Chaplain  Evans  recalled: 

As  the  countdown  proceeded  toward  H  hour  the  conversations  gave  way  to  silent 
anticipation  I  honored  that  silence  and  just  made  eye  contact  with  the  commander 
and  staff  At  H  minus  1 5  minutes  I  moved  to  the  company  aide  station  where  the 
senior  medic  was  understaflFed    At  H  minus  5  minutes  I  stood  outside  the  aide  station 


See  endnote  at  end  of  chapter. 


30    OPERATION  JUST  CAUSE 

entrance  and  waited  On  command.  Ml 6s,  M60  machine  guns,  M-203  grenade 
launchers,  and  a  Vulcan  air  defense  gun  opened  fire  on  the  Panamanian  Defense  Force 
headquarters.  The  sound  of  all  that  fire  power  was  as  astounding  as  was  the  damage 
that  was  being  done  to  the  target.  On  command,  the  firing  stopped  Out  of  the 
stillness  a  Spanish  linguist  used  a  bull  horn  to  encourage  the  enemy  soldiers  to 
surrender.  We  had  delivered  a  two-minute  combined  armed  show  of  force.  Then  we 
invited  them  to  surrender  before  we  resumed  firing.  It  made  me  proud  of  our 
American  fighting  ethic."' 

Unfortunately,  the  PDF  soldiers  did  not  surrender.  The  fighting  continued  for  hours,  with 
dead  and  wounded  on  both  sides  PFC  Justice,  Chaplain  Evans'  assistant,  worked  as  a  litter  bearer 
to  transport  wounded  to  the  landing  zone  for  air  evacuation. 

Approximately  eight  hours  after  the  attack  on  PDF  headquarters  began,  most  resistance  was 
over.  Chaplain  Evans  visited  with  twenty  PDF  prisoners  and  prepared  for  ministry  to  the  soldiers 
who  were  able  for  a  brief  period  to  rest.  Although  more  casualties  had  been  initialized  expected  in 
Colon  itself  the  opposite  proved  to  be  true.  Many  people  opened  their  windows,  cheered  and  waved 
flags.  Chaplain  Evans  wrote"  "Praise  God  for  touching  the  hearts  of  the  Panamanian  people.""^ 


Mission  Complete 

By  December  24,  Christmas  Eve,  most  of  the  fighting  in  Panama  was  over  there  still  remained 
a  great  deal  to  be  done  for  the  people.  For  in  cities  like  Colon  there  were  instances  of  looting  in 
almost  every  grocery  store  Civil  and  church  organizations  worked  to  sort  and  bag  bulk  foods  the 
soldiers  of  the  4th  Battalion,  17th  Infantry  Regiment  fi-om  Fort  Ord  distributed  over  150,000  meals 
to  gratefijl  people.  The  96th  Civil  Aflfairs  Battalion  from  Fort  Bragg  arrived  at  Fort  Amador  and 
distributed  great  quantities  of  food  that  were  found  in  building  after  building  Chaplains  and  chaplain 
assistants  took  a  leading  role  in  much  of  the  relief  effort  that  took  place  throughout  the  country. 

Even  though  the  fighting  had  ended  by  Christmas  Eve,  there  were  still  mixed  emotions  among 
many  of  the  soldiers.  Official  casualty  reports  listed  twenty-three  Americans  killed  in  action  and  347 
wounded  Nevertheless,  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  did  everything  they  could  to  make 
Christmas  Eve  and  Christmas  Day  memorable  for  the  troops  who  had  to  remain  in  Panama  Chaplain 
Allen  Boatright  recalled  spending  Christmas  Eve  in  La  Comandancia.  A  Boy  Scout  named  Eric 
VanHeusen  had  prepared  for  his  eagle  scout  project  a  flannel  stocking  for  every  soldier  in  the 
battalion.  The  stockings  were  filled  with  comfort  items  like  toothpaste  and  candy.  Chaplain 
Boatright  had  the  privilege  of  delivering  these  stockings  on  Christmas  Eve  with  an  infantry  fire  team 
as  security. 

Chaplains  conducted  Christmas  Eve  services  wherever  soldiers  were.  Chaplain  Wray  Physioc 
of  the  1st  Battalion,  504th  Parachute  Infantry  Regiment  conducted  his  Christmas  Eve  service  under 
blackout  conditions.  He  recalled:  "Since  we  were  still  under  blackout,  there  was  no  light  About  80 
soldiers  were  seated  on  the  floor  in  front  of  me,  but  I  could  see  no  faces.  In  that  austere  place  we 


See  endnote  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  .rUST  CAUSE M 

sang  Christmas  carols  from  memory  and  listened  to  the  ancient  story  of  Jesus'  birth.  It  never  meant 
so  much  to  me  as  it  did  then,  and  I  believe  everyone  was  touched.""' 

Chaplain  Evans  conducted  Christmas  Eve  services  in  a  high  school  inside  Colon  In  both 
services  the  men  seemed  to  drag  through  the  first  few  Christmas  carols,  but  afterward  they  cheered 
up  and  sang  with  enthusiasm  and  joy.  Chaplain  Evans  recalled:  "Children  from  one  of  the  Fort  Ord 
elementary  schools  sent  handmade  Christmas  cards  The  Protestant  Women  of  the  Chapel  at  Fort 
Ord  sent  homemade  cookies.  Our  UMT  walked  through  Colon  handing  out  cards  and  cookies  and 
praying  Christmas  prayers  with  soldiers  involved  with  keeping  peace  on  December  25th  '*■ 

Back  at  Fort  Bragg,  Chaplain  Ben  McCoy  had  been  challenged  with  ministries  including 
spiritual  refreshment  for  family  members  Ministry  to  families  included  maintaining  holiday  worship 
services  and  Christmas  programs  which  had  been  scheduled  by  the  deploying  chaplains.  Chaplain 
assistants  were  the  key  players  in  this  ministry  Which  ensured  the  continuity  of  programs  and 
services  so  vital  to  families  dealing  with  significant  stress. "' 

General  Manuel  Noriega  remained  a  fiigitive  in  Panama  City  until  his  final  surrender  on 
January  3,  1990  at  the  residence  of  the  Papal  Nuncio.  With  General  Noriega's  surrender  the  24-day 
war  was  finally  over. 

The  impact  of  Operation  Just  Cause  was  important  for  demonstrating  the  success  of  the 
modernization  and  reorganization  not  only  of  the  Army  but  also  of  new  methods  in  coordinating  joint 
operations  Yet  on  another  level  the  operation  touched  many  lives  Among  other  things  it  validated 
the  contingency  operation  ministry  which  was  then,  and  would  become,  so  much  a  part  of  the  service 
of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  to  the  Army.  Chaplain  James  Puchy,  of  the  1st  Ranger  Battalion, 
wrote: 

As  a  chaplain,  Incamational  Theology  is  the  essential  foundation  for  my  ministry.  I 
must  represent  Jesus  Christ  as  His  ambassador  and  permit  His  Spirit,  who  lives  in  me, 
to  minister  to  the  needs  of  soldiers.  This  theology  follows  the  motto  of  the  Army 
chaplaincy:  'To  bring  God  to  men  and  to  bring  men  to  God.'  I  thanked  the  Master  for 
His  protection.'* 

Chaplain  Lawrence  Krause  of  the  325th  Airborne  Infantry  Regiment  likewise  had  strong 
emotions  over  his  deployment  to  Panama.  Chaplain  Krause  wrote: 

General  George  C.  Marshall,  an  architect  of  strategic  plans  in  World  War  II,  said:  'It 
is  not  enough  to  fight.  It  is  the  spirit  of  the  fighting  man  that  wins  victory.'  Before 
Panama,  I  did  not  understand  the  deeper  meaning  of  the  word  "spirit."  It  is  not 
morale,  although  our  troopers  experienced  tremendous  high  morale;  it  is  not  unit 
cohesiveness,  although  our  unit  experienced  great  team  work.  It  is  the  willingness  to 
sacrifice  for  a  higher,  worthwhile  mission.  I  witnessed  this  during  preparations  for  the 
jump  into  Panama  as  our  troopers  prepared  in  freezing  rain  with  no  complaints.  When 
the  aircraft  door  opened  just  before  we  jumped  a  hush  fell  over  the  soldiers.  Yet  we 
took  our  turn  in  the  door.  No  one  reftised  to  jump.  I  witnessed  this  spirit  repeatedly 


See  endnote  at  end  of  chapter. 


32 OPERATION  JUST  CAUSE 

during  Operation  Just  Cause    I  am  proud  to  be  one  of  the  chaplains  who  supported 
our  paratroopers  on  Operation  Just  Cause  and  I  am  proud  of  the  soldiers  I  served."' 

When  Chaplain  Ryder  Stevens  reported  back  to  Fort  Bragg,  with  all  12  unit  ministry  team 
members  safely  returned  from  their  combat  and  peacekeeping  missions,  he  credited  their  spiritual 
preparation  for  a  large  part  of  their  success.  "The  most  important  part  for  me  was  my  spiritual 
preparedness  to  do  combat  ministry,"  Chaplain  Stevens  wrote:  "There  is  no  substitute  for  personal 
spiritual  readiness,  it  makes  everything  else  possible."'" 


See  endnote  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  JUST  CAUSE \ 33 

ENDNOTES 

I.  Malcolm  McConnell,  Just  Cause,  (New  York:  St.  Martin's  Press,  1992)  p  33. 
2    /hid,  p.  32. 

3.  Ibid,  pp.  16-17. 

4.  Ihid,p.  21 

5.  Bob  Woodward,  The  Commanders,  (New  York;  Simon  &  Schuster,  1991),  p   173 

6.  Robert  H.  Scales,  Jr.,  Certain  Victory,  (Washington,  DC:  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Staff,  U.S. 
Army,  1993),  pp. 33-34. 

7.  James  J.  Puchy,  "An  Army  Ranger  Chaplain's  Story,"  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Summer, 
1990,  p.  48 

8    Ibid,  pp47-4S. 

9.  William  L.  Hufham,  "Ministry  In  Contingency  Operations,"  Military  Chaplains  Review, 
Summer  1990,  pp.  23-24. 

10    Rees  Ryder  Stevens,  "First  Brigade  Task  Force  Ministry,"  Military  Chaplains  Review, 
Summer  1990,  p  27. 

II.  William  L.  Hufham,  Op.  cit.,  p.  24. 

12.  John  A  Wells,  "The  Gift  of  Unit  Ministry  Teams,"  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Summer 
1990,  p.  3. 

13    Robert  H.  Scales,Jr.,  Certain  Victory,  p.  34;  Chaplain  James  T.  White,  an  Episcipal  Chaplain 
at  the  hospital  recalled  that  it  was  strange  sight  to  see  troops  with  loaded  weapons  running 
through  the  hospital  corridors. 

14.  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Allen  Blake  Boatright,  "After  Action  Report  of  the  Unit  Ministry  Teams,  1st 
Battalion  (Airborne)  508th  Infantry  during  Operation  Just  Cause,  December  20-26,  1989,  p.  1. 

15.  Ibid 

16.  Darrell  E  Thomsen,  Jr.,  "Ministry  in  Panama,"  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Summer,  1990,  p 
42. 

17.  Some  chaplains  had  to  deploy  without  their  chaplain  assistants  due  to  a  limited  number  of 
seats  on  the  aircraft    One  chaplain  was  involved  with  his  unit  in  a  firefight  in  Panama  before  his 
assistant  arrived.  This  situation  was  dangerous  not  only  for  the  chaplain  but  also  for  the  soldiers 


34 OPERATION  JUST  CAUSE 

who  were  trying  to  protect  him  and  maintain  their  unit  integrity  at  the  same  time. 

18  Kenneth  W  Yates,  "Battalion  Ministry  in  Panama,"  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Summer, 
1990,  p.  34. 

19  Lawrence  C.  Krause,  "Tokumen  to  Panama  City:  Ministry  in  the  4/325  Airborne  Infantry 
Regiment,  "Military  Chaplains  Review,  Summer,  1990,  p.  38. 

20.  Robert  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  p.  34, 

21.  Chaplain  Mike  Ortiz  was  in  fact  "triple-hatted"  as  General  Thurman's  Staff  Chaplain,  General 
Stiner's  Task  Force  Senior  Chaplain,  and  the  SOUTHCOM  Chaplain  with  duties  involving 
coordination  for  ministry  to  all  personnel  and  dependents  at  Quarry  Heights  and  for  logistical  and 
personnel  support  to  other  chaplains  in  the  various  task  forces.  Although  Chaplain  Ortiz  wrote 
that  he  had  no  trouble  in  coordinating  with  the  chaplains  from  the  7th  Infantry  Division,  the 
Rangers,  or  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps,  he  did  experience  difficulty  in  coordinating  with  the  82d 
Airborne  Division.  The  82nd  Task  Force  chaplain  was,  in  fact,  directed  to  send  all  reports  back 
to  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  Chaplain  at  Fort  Bragg.    Such  coordination  problems  were 
corrected  before  Operation  Desert  Shield  began  in  August,  1990.   See  Chaplain  (Col.)  Michael 
Ortiz,  "Operation  Just  Cause  After  Action  Report,"  USACHCS  Chaplain  Archives,  p.  1. 

22.  The  Army  Times,  Fifty  Years  of  Military  Life,  1940  -  1990,  Springfield,  Virginia;  Army 
Times  Publishing  Company,  1990,  p.  100. 

23.  Thomas  G  Evans,  "The  Privilege  of  Serving,"  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Summer  1990,  pp 
15-17. 

24.  Ibid 

25.  Wray  Physioc,  "Good  News  in  a  War  Zone,"  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Summer  1990,  p. 
32. 

26.  Thomas  G.  Evans,  Op.cit.,  p.  20. 

27.  James  Benjamin  McCoy,  "Division  Rear  Area  Ministry",  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Summer 
1990,  p.  46. 

28.  James  Puchy,  Op.cit ,  p  50 

29  Lawrence  C.  Krause,  "Tokumen  To  Panama  City:  Ministry  In  The  4/325  Airborne  Infantry 
Regiment,"  Military  Chaplains  Review,  Summer  1990,  p  39 

30  Rees  Ryder  Stevens,  Op.cit.,  p.  28. 


OPERATION   DESERT    SHIELD 


Religious    Support 


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(YEMEN) 


Boundaif  ••p>«i«n(«1<on  ••  nol  n«c«Maril* 


CHAPTER  III 
OPERATIONS  IN  SOUTHWEST  ASIA 


As  the  task  force  began  the  attack,  we  followed  a  mechanized  compatiy  to  within  one 
kilometer  of  the  objective.  Mortar  and  artillery  fire  rocked  the  ground  around  us  and  my 
prayer  hfe  grew  quickly  as  I  simply  asked  God  to  give  me  strength  and  wisdom  for  the  battle. 
We  watched  in  horror  as  a  Bradley  took  a  hit  and  exploded.  The  radio  was  immediately 
flooded  with  calls  for  medical  attention.  Our  battalion  aid  station  group  retreated  about  I 
kilometer  and  set  up  to  receive  casualties.  Suddenly  a  call  for  help  came  over  the  radio.  My 
assistant  was  disfxitched  with  the  medic  vehicle  in  which  he  was  riding  to  go  to  the  aid  of  the 
other  battalion  aid  .station.  Ihey  had  taken  in  11  casualties,  4  were  critical.  I  prayed  for 
Specialist  Ronald  Putt  and  the  others  as  he  crossed  the  battlefield  to  render  assistance. 
Forward  Ihrust  Doctrine  took  on  a  new  meaning  as  I  watched  our  Unit  Ministry  Team  on 
the  battlefield.  My  forward  thrust  became  an  upward  thrust  of  prayer.  Then  came  the  call. 
The  voice  of  "Doc"  Poole,  our  Battalion  Surgeon,  called  out,  "Six-zero  PA  ,  this  is  Six- 
zero  Doc,  over. "  "Six-zero  Doc,  this  is  Six-zero  PA,  over"  answered  Chief  Lafferty,  our 
battalion  physician's  assistant.  "Six-zero  PA,  we  need  the  chaplain. "  Those  words  were 
forever  etched  in  my  heart:  "  we  need  the  chaplain. " 

Chaplain  Timothy  K.  Bedsole 

1st  Battalion,  64 th  Armor  Regiment 

24th  Infantry  Division  (Mechanized) 

The  Battle  of  Jah hah  Airfield' 


From  August  1990  to  March  1991,  during  Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm,  568  U.S. 
Army  chaplains  and  514  chaplain  assistants  deployed  to  Southwest  Asia."  These  1,082  unit  ministry 
team  members,  from  both  the  Active  and  Reserve  components,  represented  the  single  largest 
deployment  of  religious  support  personnel  overseas  since  World  War  II.  The  role  of  the  Reserve 
component  unit  ministry  teams  in  this  massive  religious  support  mission  was  particularly  significant. 
From  August  of  1990  to  August  of  1991  some  428  Reserve  component  chaplains,  most  accompanied 
by  chaplain  assistants,  served  at  every  echelon  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy  from  the  Office  of  the  Chief 
of  Chaplains,  U.S.  Forces  Command,  and  U.S.  Army  Europe  to  Saudi  Arabia,  Turkey,  Israel  and 
Germany.'  Their  contribution  helped  define  the  Total  Army's  success  in  Southwest  Asia.'* 

The  mission  of  the  Army  chaplains  and  assistants  in  these  desert  operations  was  to  perform 
or  provide  for  religious  support,  fi"ee  exercise  of  religion,  and  pastoral  care  for  303,000  soldiers  of 
all  ranks  and  religious  faiths.   In  meeting  these  mission  requirements,  unit  ministry  teams  deployed 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 

37 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 38 

with  the  first  combat  troops  to  go  to  Saudi  Arabia  and  stayed  there  as  long  as  soldiers  remained  in 
the  theater  of  operations. 

No  less  dedicated  were  the  efforts  of  innumerable  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants.  Department 
of  the  Army  civilians.  Red  Cross  and  Army  Community  Service  volunteers,  and  recalled  retired 
chaplains  who  ministered  to  families  and  filled  vacancies  to  provide  morale,  logistical  and 
organizational  support  for  those  in  Southwest  Asia  Chaplain  Matthew  A  Zimmermann,  the  Army's 
Chief  of  Chaplains,  noted  that  "the  elTorts  by  all  of  the  chaplains  and  assistants  to  afford  pastoral  care 
and  free  exercise  of  religion  on  such  a  large  scale  in  an  alien  environment,  and  without  subsequent 
criticism  by  the  public  media,  made  me  immensely  proud  of  the  ministry  in  the  Desert  and  all  of  those 
who  supported  it."^ 


Crisis  In  The  Gulf 
Desert  Irruption:   Iraq's  Invasion  of  Kuwait 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  on  August  2,  1990,  350  Iraqi  T-72  tanks  and  100,000  soldiers 
from  the  Iraqi  Republican  Guard  Forces  crossed  the  Kuwait  border  near  Safwan/^  Advancing  down 
the  six-lane  "Friendship  Highway,"  this  armored  and  mechanized  infantry  column  supported  by 
airmobile  and  commando  troops,  reached  Kuwait  City,  80  miles  away,  in  three  hours'  The  forces 
of  Kuwait,  outnumbered  five  to  one,  were  completely  overwhelmed  before  they  could  organize 
effectively."  Some  Kuwait  troops,  those  not  captured  in  garrison,  rode  bicycles  into  battle,  close 
enough  to  fire  their  rifles  at  the  Iraqi  tanks,  but  their  opposition  was  quickly  silenced  by  Iraqi  machine 
gun,  tank,  and  rocket  fire  Kuwait's  Emir  Jaber  al  Ahmad  al  Sabah  and  most  of  his  family  escaped 
by  helicopter  and  a  convoy  of  state  cars  to  Saudi  Arabia.  Prince  Fahd  stayed  behind  and  died,  with 
his  two  sons,  fighting  the  Iraqi  invaders  on  the  steps  of  the  Dasman  Palace. 

Just  a  few  hours  before  the  invasion,  John  Kelly,  Assistant  Secretary  of  State  for  Near  Eastern 
Affairs,  had  concluded  a  meeting  of  officials  from  the  White  House,  the  Pentagon,  the  CIA,  and  the 
Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff  in  Secretary  Baker's  conference  room  in  the  State  Department  Secretary  Baker 
was  at  that  time  in  the  Soviet  Union  meeting  with  Soviet  Foreign  Minister  Eduard  Shevardnadze.' 
In  his  communiques  to  his  office.  Baker  reflected  his  concern  about  a  possible  Iraqi  invasion  of 
Kuwait.  "We  hope  you'll  restrain  these  guys,"  Baker  reportedly  told  the  Soviet  Minister  in  Moscow. 
Shevardnadze  did  not  feel  it  would  be  necessary  President  Saddam  Hussein  had  given  his  personal 
assurances  to  Hosni  Mubarak,  President  of  Egypt,  King  Fahd  of  Saudi  Arabia,  and  to  King  Hussein 
of  Jordan  that  there  would  be  no  invasion.  He  had  told  Senator  Robert  Dole  earlier  that  year  that  he 
was  removing  all  chemical  or  biological  weapons  fi'om  the  region  US  Ambassador  April  Glaspie, 
who  had  been  in  Iraq  since  1988  but  who  was  granted  an  audience  with  Saddam  Hussein  for  the  first 
time  on  July  25,  1990,  told  him  that  the  United  States  wanted  to  "expand  and  deepen  its  relationship 
with  Iraq"  and  assured  him  that  "we  have  no  opinion  on  the  Arab-Arab  conflicts,  like  your  border 
disagreement  with  Kuwait.  All  we  hope  is  that  these  issues  are  solved  quickly."'"  Ambassador 
Glaspie  said  that  she  urged  Saddam  Hussein  to  settle  his  dispute  with  Kuwait  "nonviolently"  Hussein 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


39 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

replied  that  the  United  States  was  conspiring  with  Kuwait  to  keep  oil  prices  low  and  destroy  Iraq's 
economy.   "Yours  is  a  society,"  he  told  her,  "that  cannot  accept  10,000  dead  in  one  battle  "" 

If  Ambassador  Glaspie  sensed  any  threat  in  this  conversation,  she  did  not  report  it  to 
Washington  CIA  Deputy  Director  Richard  Kerr,  however,  saw  a  greater  danger  Kerr  reviewed 
satellite  photos  and  transcripts  of  radio  intercepts  from  Iraq  Late  on  Wednesday  afternoon,  August 
1,  1990,  Mr.  Kerr  advised  Assistant  Secretary  of  State  John  Kelly  that  he  believed  Iraq  would  attack 
in  six  to  12  hours  An  hour  later,  eight  time  zones  away,  Iraqi  forces  crossed  the  Kuwait  border  and 
roared  down  the  highway  toward  Kuwait  City  and  the  eventual  occupation  of  a  country  with  2  million 
people  and  94  billion  barrels  of  oil  reserves  valued  at  that  time  at  2  1  trillion  US  dollars 

From  the  first  day  of  the  invasion  the  Iraqis  attempted  to  obliterate  Kuwait  Those  Kuwaitis 
who  tried  to  escape  to  Saudi  Arabia  in  their  cars  were  stopped  by  Iraqi  troops  Vehicles  were 
confiscated,  men  and  women  interrogated,  summary  executions  ordered  Thousands  of  refugees 
poured  into  Jordan  and  Saudi  Arabia  with  stories  of  rape  and  pillage  One  Kuwait  told  the  news 
media,  "They  tried  to  wipe  out  the  identity  of  Kuwait,  as  if  Kuwait  did  not  exist  "  For  seven  months 
Iraqi  soldiers  committed  acts  of  barbaric  horror  against  the  people  of  Kuwait,  but  in  the  first  few 
weeks  of  the  occupation  the  fijU  extent  of  these  crimes  against  humanity  was  not  yet  known  in  the 
West 

In  support  of  Saddam  Hussein's  expansionist  policies,  however,  in  the  first  week  of  August 
the  Iraqi  National  Assembly  approved  his  movement  into  Kuwait,  not  as  an  invasion  of  an 
independent  state,  but  as  the  reannexation  of  a  former  part  of  the  Republic  of  Iraq  "This  is  what  is 
before  you  to  debate  today,  brothers,  it  is  the  return  of  dear  Kuwait  to  its  kinfolk,"  Saddam  told  the 
Assembly,  "Kuwait  is  joining  the  motherland  just  as  are  all  the  villages,  and  all  the  good  people  and 
the  good  land  that  was  detached  from  Iraq  some  time  ago  The  Council  of  Ministers  unanimously 
agreed,  as  well  as  the  Council  of  Ministers  of  the  Provisional  Government  of  beloved  Kuwait,  that 
Iraq  and  Kuwait  become  the  manifestation  of  a  fijll  merger."'-  To  fijrther  support  their  leader,  the 
Iraqi  Revolution  Command  Council  condemned  the  "criminal  acts  of  colonialism"  which  have 
separated  Kuwait  from  Iraq  and  approved  of  the  "comprehensive,  eternal,  and  inseparable  merger" 
Saddam  had  seemingly  effected" 

Since  1961  Iraq  had  made  a  shadowy  claim  to  Kuwait  because  it  was,  until  the  end  of  World 
War  I,  part  of  the  Basra  Sultanate  in  the  Ottoman  Turkish  Empire.  When  Kuwait  gained  its 
independence  in  1961  and  became  a  member  of  the  United  Nations  in  1963,  however,  Iraq  recognized 
Kuwait's  sovereignty  and  its  partnership  in  OPEC  '^  There  was  no  question  at  the  time  that  Kuwait 
was  acting  as  an  independent  nation. 

Kuwait  had  supported  Iraq  during  the  Iran-Iraq  War,  extending  $20  billion  in  credits  to  the 
Iraqis  and  helping  transport  their  oil  by  truck  when  the  Iranians  closed  the  Shatt  al  Arab  waterway. 
Yet  after  the  conclusion  of  the  Iran-Iraq  War,  Saddam  Hussein  found  himself  with  a  crushing 
domestic  and  international  debt  in  excess  of  $70  billion,  with  a  restless  Army  composed  in  part  of 
rebellious  Shiites,  and  with  a  drop  of  almost  $7.00  per  barrel  of  crude  oil.'"  Since  oil  comprised  94% 
of  Iraq's  exports,  in  the  amount  of  1  billion  barrels  per  year,  Saddam  claimed  for  each  $1 .00  drop  in 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 40 

price  he  lost  $1  billion  annually.'*  Saddam  needed  money  to  placate  his  Army  and  his  population 
which  had  suffered  more  than  300,000  casualties  in  his  unsuccessful  eight  year  war  with  Iran 

In  the  July  1990  meeting  of  the  OPEC  oil  ministers  in  Geneva,  Saddam  charged  that  Kuwait 
had  engaged  in  excess  pumping  of  oil,  theft  of  oil  with  an  estimated  value  of  $2  4  billion  from  Iraq's 
Ramaila  Oil  Field,  and  a  conspiracy  with  the  West  to  keep  the  price  of  oil  low.'^  Since  the  U.S. 
imported  12%  of  Kuwait's  oil,  it  seemed  to  Saddam  that  America  was  profiting  from  his  distress. 
Saddam  demanded  that  Kuwait  move  its  boundary  2  1/2  miles  south,  away  from  his  oil  fields,  pay  him 
$2.4  billion  in  lost  revenues,  and  forgive  his  war  debt  of  $14  billion.'*  He  also  demanded  greater 
access  to  the  Gulf  for  his  ships  and  planned  oil  terminals — also  at  the  expense  of  Kuwait  territory. 

Above  all,  the  Kuwaitis,  according  to  Saddam's  published  remarks,  were  arrogant  in  their 
wealth  and  ungrateful  for  the  tremendous  sacrifices  the  Iraqis  had  made  in  the  great  war  between 
Arabs  and  Persians,  which  is  what  Saddam  chose  to  call  the  Iranians.  The  Kuwaitis  should  be  willing 
to  share  their  wealth  with  Iraq,  for  Kuwait  had  the  second  highest  per  capita  income  in  the  Gulf  area, 
while  Iraq  had  one  of  the  lowest  and  was  deeply  in  debt. 

In  the  West,  US  relations  with  Iraq  for  a  decade  before  the  August  2nd  attack  had  been 
positive  if  a  bit  guarded.  With  the  loss  of  Iran  as  an  ally  and  the  hostage  crisis  of  1979-81,  the  United 
States  had  courted  Iraq  economically  and  militarily  as  a  foil  to  the  influence  of  Iran  and  Syria  in  the 
Mesopotamian  area.  In  April  1980,  President  Carter's  National  Security  Advisor,  Zbigniew 
Brezezinski  declared,  "We  see  no  fiandamental  incompatibility  of  interest  between  the  United  States 
and  Iraq"  During  his  administration.  President  Reagan  accelerated  support  for  Baghdad.  When  the 
Israelis  in  June  of  1981  destroyed  Iraq's  Osirak  nuclear  reactor,  the  U.S.  voted  at  the  UN  to  condemn 
Israel's  aggressive  act.  The  US.  gave  General  Electric  permission  to  sell  Iraq  engines  for  its 
warships.  In  the  decade  of  the  1980s,  $50  billion  in  arms  from  the  Soviet  Union,  France,  Egypt,  West 
Germany,  and  the  United  States  flooded  into  Iraq  to  build  the  army  of  Saddam  Hussein.  In  1986  the 
U.S.  began  sharing  intelligence  information  concerning  Iranian  troop  movements  with  Iraq.'**  By 
1989  the  U.S.  was  selling  $1.2  billion  a  year  in  food  to  Iraq.  Thanks  to  the  Commodity  Credit 
Corporation  guarantees,  Iraq  became  the  biggest  foreign  consumer  of  American  rice  and  one  of  the 
top  buyers  of  U.  S.  com  and  wheat.'"  Other  nations  followed  America's  lead.  Lacking  information 
and  intelligence  concerning  Saddam  Hussein  and  the  terrorist  regime  he  headed,  in  the  words  of 
Deputy  Undersecretary  of  Defense  Stephen  Bryen;  "we  created  a  monster  because  we  let  all  this  stuff 
go  to  Iraq." 


Washington's  Response 

At  the  National  Security  Council  meeting  on  August  2nd  in  the  White  House  Cabinet  Room, 
CIA  director  William  Webster  formally  briefed  President  George  Bush  on  the  invasion  of  Kuwait  and 
the  possible  threat  to  Saudi  Arabia.  The  Iraqi  forces,  at  least  three  divisions,  were  just  ten  miles  from 
the  Saudi  border.  Only  one  small  unit,  the  Gulf  Cooperation  Council's  Shield  Peninsula  Brigade,  was 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


41 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

in  northern  Saudi  Arabia."'  The  main  route  from  Kuwait  to  the  vast  Saudi  oil  fields  was  practically 
undefended 

General  H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  commander  of  U.S.  Central  Command  (CENTCOM)  who 
had  flown  to  Washington  from  his  headquarters  in  Florida  at  6  am.  that  morning,  briefed  the  Security 
Council  on  Operation  Plan  90-1002,  the  defense  of  the  Saudi  Peninsula.'"  The  plan  involved  the 
movement  of  1 00,000  to  200,000  military  personnel  to  bases  which  Saudi  Arabia  or  some  other  Gulf 
state  would  have  to  provide  The  plan  assumed  30  days  advance  warning  before  the  first  day  of 
actual  deployment.-^ 

After  General  Schwarzkopf  s  briefing  there  was  a  general  discussion  of  the  possibility  of  an 
oil  embargo,  but  little  conviction  that  an  embargo  alone  would  persuade  Saddam  to  leave  Kuwait. 
Finally  General  Colin  Powell,  Chairman  of  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff,  asked  the  President,  "Don't  we 
want  just  to  draw  a  firm  line  with  Saudi  Arabia'i'"-^  United  Nations  Ambassador  Thomas  Pickering 
observed  that  "such  a  firm  line  would  leave  Kuwait  on  the  other  side,  in  the  hands  of  Iran.  ""^ 

On  August  2,  1990,  President  Bush  faced  a  tremendous  challenge  If  he  chose  a  military 
response,  he  had  to  create  a  diplomatic,  economic,  and  military  coalition  of  Christian,  secular,  and 
Islamic  states  spread,  incidently,  over  a  geographic  area  twice  the  size  of  NATO.  He  needed  a  formal 
request  from  Saudi  Arabia  for  military  support  He  had  to  gain  the  strong  support  of  Congress  and 
the  American  people  whose  memories  of  the  Vietnam  War  were  still  fresh.  He  had  to  find  the  right 
diplomatic  and  military  leadership  which  could  operate  effectively  within  the  heart  of  Islam  and  win, 
if  necessary,  a  coalition  war  in  the  desert.  He  had  to  defeat  a  foe  commanding  the  fourth  largest 
Army  in  the  world,  armed  with  Soviet  and  Western  weapons  including  46,000  canisters  of  chemical 
munitions  and  tons  of  nerve  agents,  and  reportedly  possessing  an  incipient  nuclear  weapons  program. 
He  had  to  keep  the  Soviet  Union  and  China  at  least  neutral  diplomatically  and  find  a  way  to  offset 
the  enormous  expense  that  such  an  enterprise  of  multiple  nations  at  war  might  entail  Above  all  he 
had  to  keep  Israel  out  of  the  conflict,  should  it  develop,  lest  Saddam  proclaim  a  Holy  War  and  find 
support  among  radical  elements  in  Syria,  Egypt,  Turkey,  and  even  Saudi  Arabia. 

The  graduated  response  of  the  American  government  to  what  it  regarded  as  a  fundamental 
violation  of  the  United  Nations  Charter,  which  condemns  military  aggression  and  which  provides  in 
Article  51  for  the  collective  defense  of  member  nations,  was  three-pronged.  In  virtually  simultaneous 
actions  President  Bush,  Secretary  Cheney,  Secretary  Baker,  and  General  Powell  prepared  diplomatic, 
economic,  and  military  responses  to  Saddam  Hussein's  movement  into  Kuwait.  Without  timely 
diplomatic  and  military  intervention.  Professor  Laurie  Mylroie  of  the  US.  Navy  War  College 
observed:  "We  could  have  a  maniac  with  a  bomb  controlling  half  the  world's  oil" 

By  using  every  means  of  communication  available.  President  Bush  and  his  key  advisors 
undertook  a  number  of  diplomatic  initiatives  designed  to  put  pressure  on  Iraq  to  withdraw  from 
Kuwait  The  President  flew  to  Aspen,  Colorado,  where  he  conferred  with  Prime  Minister  Margaret 
Thatcher  of  Great  Britain.'*'  Later  he  called  King  Fahd  of  Saudi  Arabia,  King  Hussein  of  Jordan,  and 
President  Mubarak  of  Egypt.  At  the  United  Nations,  the  Security  Council  passed  U.N.  Resolution 
660,  sponsored  by  the  United  States,  condemning  the  Iraqi  invasion  and  demanding  the  withdrawal 
of  Iraqi  forces  from  Kuwait."^  The  USSR,  agreed  to  issue  an  unprecedented  joint  statement  with 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 42 

the  United  States  also  condemning  the  invasion,  as  did  the  Arab  League  on  its  own  initiative.""  Japan 
agreed  to  ban  oil  imports  from  Iraq  and  Kuwait  as  well  as  all  Japanese  exports  to  the  two  countries. 
China  agreed  to  stop  arms  sales  to  Iraq  immediately. 

On  Friday,  3  August,  the  Security  Council  met  again  at  the  White  House. ''^  The  Central 
Intelligence  Agency  estimated  that  if  Saddam  chose  to  cross  the  Saudi  Arabian  border,  Iraqi  forces 
could  occupy  Riyadh  in  three  days.'"  President  Bush  listened  to  General  Schwarzkopf  s  summary 
of  America's  national  interests  in  the  region  and  his  concluding  opinion  that  the  United  States  had  "to 
be  willing  to  use  force  to  stop  this  and  to  make  that  clear  to  the  world. "^'  The  President  directed 
Secretary  Cheney,  General  Powell  and  General  Schwarzkopf  to  meet  him  at  Camp  David  the  next 
day  to  brief  him  on  the  military  options.^" 

The  meeting  at  Camp  David  on  August  4  was  a  discussion,  around  the  President's  25-foot 
conference  table,  of  Iraqi  military  capabilities  and  possible  United  States  military  responses.  General 
Schwarzkopf  said  the  Iraqi  forces  included  a  total  of  63  divisions,  comprised  of  900,000  soldiers; 
5,747  tanks,  10,000  lightly  armored  vehicles;  3,500  pieces  of  artillery;  1,127  aircraft,  and  3,000 
heavy-equipment  movers."  He  estimated  that  it  would  take  the  U.S.  military  1 7  weeks  to  implement 
the  deterrence  piece  of  Plan  90-1002  —  moving  250,000  Army,  Navy,  Air  Force  and  Marine  Corps 
personnel  into  the  region 

The  critical  point  upon  which  all  other  options  turned  was  whether  King  Fahd  of  Saudi  Arabia 
would  invite  United  States  or  United  Nations  forces  to  help  defend  his  Kingdom.  The  King  was  not 
yet  convinced  that  Saudi  Arabia  was  truly  threatened. 

President  Bush  began  making  telephone  calls,  first  to  King  Fahd  who  asked  for  a  briefing  team 
to  come  to  Saudi  Arabia  with  the  latest  intelligence  photographs.  Next  he  called  President  Turgut 
Ozal  of  Turkey  and  Canadian  Prime  Minister  Brian  Mulroney,  two  leaders  who  had  already  voiced 
opposition  to  the  invasion  '^  Finally  he  called  the  Kuwait  Emir,  Sheikh  Jabir  al  Ahmed  al  Sabah,  and 
promised  that  the  United  States  would  help  win  back  his  country  and  would  ensure  that  he  was 
restored  to  power.  ^^ 

By  3  p  m.  the  President  had  decided  to  send  Secretary  of  Defense  Richard  Cheney  to  head 
a  briefing  team  for  King  Fahd.  General  Schwarzkopf,  Ambassador  Charies  Freeman,  Paul  Wolfowitz, 
the  Undersecretary  for  Policy,  and  several  other  staff  members  and  experts  in  various  areas  of  interest 
would  accompany  him.  General  Schwarzkopf  wanted  Lieutenant  General  John  Yeosock,  Third  Army 
Commander  and  Deputy  Commander  of  US.  Forces  Command  headquartered  at  Fort  McPherson, 
Georgia,  to  go  as  well.  If  King  Fahd  accepted  Bush's  offer  to  send  military  forces,  the  first  American 
soldiers  could  be  in  Saudi  Arabia  within  72  hours. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


43 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

Operation  Desert  Shield 
A  Line  in  the  Sand 

On  the  evening  of  August  4,  Lieutenant  General  Yeosock  received  a  late  telephone  call  at  Fort 
McPherson  from  General  Schwarzkopf  who  told  him  of  the  requirement  to  brief  King  Fahd. 
Schwarzkopf  wanted  Yeosock  to  fly  to  CENTCOM  headquarters  at  Mac  Dill  Air  Force  Base, 
Florida,  as  soon  as  possible  and  accompany  him  to  Saudi  Arabia^*^  General  Yeosock  had  been 
project  manager  in  1983  for  the  Saudi  Army  National  Guard  and  had  been  responsible  for  training 
and  equipping  much  of  the  Saudi  ground  force."  As  Commander  of  Third  Army,  whose  mission  was 
to  defend  vital  US.  interests  in  Southwest  Asia,  General  Yeosock  was  possibly  the  best  qualified 
general  officer  in  the  Army  to  plan  and  execute  a  land  defense  in  the  Middle  East 

General  Yeosock  promised  to  meet  General  Schwarzkopf  as  soon  as  possible.  He  then  called 
Major  General  William  "Gus"  Pagonis,  the  chief  logistician  in  US  Forces  Command  Yeosock  asked 
Pagonis  to  brief  him  as  soon  as  possible  on  all  major  logistical  requirements  for  a  deployment  to  Saudi 
Arabia 

Before  he  left  Fort  McPherson,  General  Yeosock  told  his  wife,  Betta,  that  he  would  be  home 
Wednesday  night,  August  8,  for  supper  In  fact.  General  Yeosock  did  not  return  to  Fort  McPherson 
until  May  of  1991."* 

As  Secretary  Cheney  and  the  briefing  team  prepared  for  the  16-hour  flight  to  Jedda,  Saddam 
Hussein  announced  that  he  was  withdrawing  his  forces  fi"om  Kuwait  Intelligence  photographs  and 
sources  inside  Kuwait  persuaded  President  Bush  that  "Baghdad  had  lied  once  again."  Mr.  Bush,  in 
a  press  interview  on  Sunday,  August  5,  called  the  Iraqi  regime  "international  outlaws"  and  vowed  that 
the  "Kuwait  takeover  will  not  stand."'' 

In  fact.  King  Fahd  ibn  Abdul  Aziz,  custodian  of  the  Two  Holy  Mosques  at  Mecca  and 
Medina,  had  already  agreed  to  Egyptian  military  aid.  President  Mubarak  had  quietly  sent  2,000 
Egyptian  soldiers  to  Hafar  al  Batin  near  the  Kuwait  border  on  August  5,  to  reinforce  the  Saudi 
Peninsula  Shield  Brigade/" 

The  interview  with  King  Fahd  on  August  6  took  place  in  the  royal  family's  private  council 
room  in  the  summer  palace/"  King  Fahd  had  already  checked  with  several  Muslim  leaders  to  see  if 
they  would  tolerate  an  American  deployment  As  General  Schwarzkopf  later  recalled,  Saudi  Arabia 
was  like  a  three-legged  stool,  balanced  on  support  from  religious  leaders,  oil  merchants,  and  tribal 
leaders/*'  The  royal  family  tried  to  consider  what  policies  would  benefit  the  Kingdom  as  a  whole, 
reflected  by  the  concerns  of  various  segments  of  their  society. 

During  the  course  of  the  discussion  General  Schwarzkopf  showed  King  Fahd  the  satellite 
pictures  of  Iraqi  tanks  on  the  way  to  the  Saudi  border.^""  King  Fahd  agreed  that  Saddam  had  far  more 
forces  than  he  needed  to  occupy  Kuwait  "The  Kuwaitis  waited  too  long  and  now  there  is  no 
Kuwait,"  the  King  observed,  "and  all  the  Kuwaitis  are  living  in  our  hotel  rooms."''"'  The  King  turned 
to  Secretary  Cheney.  "Mr.  Secretary,  we  approve  of  the  principle.  Let's  believe  in  God  and  do  what 
has  to  be  done,"  he  said. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 44 

Secretary  Cheney  called  President  Bush  in  the  Oval  Office.  "They've  invited  us  in,"  he  told 
the  President.  Now  Cheney  needed  Bush's  formal  approval  to  begin  moving  the  forces.  "You  got 
it.  Go,"  the  President  replied.^'  Cheney,  then  called  General  Powell  and  told  him  they  were 
authorized  to  start  the  deployment  "to  defend  against  an  Iraqi  attack  on  Saudi  Arabia  and  be  prepared 
to  conduct  other  operations  as  directed."^*'  The  American  Army  had  never  been  ordered  to  project 
such  a  large  force  so  quickly  over  so  great  a  distance. ^^ 

The  normal  chain  of  command  and  coordination  for  deploying  Army  units  to  Saudi  Arabia 
went  from  General  Colin  Powell,  Chairman,  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff,  through  General  Carl  Vuono,  Chief 
of  Staff,  to  General  Edwin  Burba,  Commanding  General,  US  Forces  Command.  General  Burba's 
war-fighting  assets  included  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps,  headquartered  at  Fort  Bragg,  III  Corps  at 
Fort  Hood,  Texas,  and  I  Corps  at  Fort  Lewis,  Washington. 

The  first  units  sent  fi-om  the  United  States  were  48  advanced  F-15  jets  from  the  1st  Tactical 
Fighter  Wing  at  Langley  Air  Force  Base,  Virginia,  and  the  Division  Ready  Brigade  of  2,300  men 
from  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  at  Fort  Bragg,  North  Carolina."**  In  the  Persian  Gulf  itself,  on 
August  6,  were  eight  US  Navy  vessels:  one  guided  missile  cruiser,  one  destroyer,  five  frigates  and 
a  command  ship.^'  Opposing  these  U.S.  forces,  most  of  which  were  not  in  Saudi  Arabia  yet,  were 
six  Iraqi  divisions  on  line  with  800  T-72  tanks  and  supporting  air  assets.'" 

At  9  p.m.  on  Monday,  August  6,  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  received  the  message  from  U.S. 
Forces  Command  to  alert  the  first  troops  of  the  82nd  Airborne  Division.  On  August  7  President  Bush 
formally  ordered  the  deployment  of  U.S.  forces  to  Saudi  Arabia.  Saying  that  "a  line  has  been  drawn 
in  the  sand"  by  placing  U.S.  soldiers  in  the  Saudi  desert.  President  Bush  vowed  to  see  Iraqi  President 
Hussein  "get  out"  of  Kuwait.'' 

Officially  Operation  Desert  Shield  had  five  goals: 

1.  Deter  and,  if  necessary,  repel  further  Iraqi  aggression. 

2.  Effect  the  withdrawal  of  all  Iraqi  forces  from  Kuwait. 

3.  Restore  the  legitimate  government  of  Kuwait. 

4.  Protect  the  lives  of  American  citizens. 

5  Implement  all  relevant  United  Nations  Security  Council  Resolutions. 

These  "Five  Points"  constituted  the  "just  cause"  of  the  Gulf  War.  They  did  not  include  the 
removal  of  Saddam  Hussein  from  power,  though  King  Fahd  wanted  American  assurance  that  if 
fighting  resulted,  Saddam  Hussein  would  not  be  able  "to  pick  himself  up  off  the  floor. '"- 

In  Baghdad  Saddam  Hussein  issued  an  angry  warning:  "Our  armed  forces  will  close  in  an  iron 
rank  against  those  who  try  challenging  us  and  we  will  make  Iraq  and  Kuwait  a  graveyard  for  those 
who  launch  any  aggression  against  us.""  Iraq  had  annexed  Kuwait  and  "all  the  fleets  and  squadrons 
of  aircraft  will  not  shake  a  single  palm  frond"  in  Iraq,  Saddam  said  "We  would  rather  die  than  be 
humiliated,  and  we  will  pluck  out  the  eyes  of  those  who  attack  the  Arab  nation."''' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


45       OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

Thus  on  August  7,  1990,  began  Operation  Desert  Shield  which  resulted  in  the  largest 
deployment  of  U.S.  and  allied  forces  since  the  Vietnam  War,  involving  more  than  684,000  American 
soldiers,  sailors,  airmen  and  Marines,  541,000  of  whom  deployed  to  Saudi  Arabia  and  the  Gulf  In 
terms  of  speed  of  movement,  the  Gulf  deployment  was  the  largest,  fastest  and  farthest  deployment 
of  U.S.  forces,  including  Army  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants,  in  American  history." 


Initial  Chaplain  Corps  Concerns 

The  Army  Operations  Center  (AOC)  in  the  basement  of  the  Pentagon  was  crammed  with  staff 
officers  on  August  8,  1990  Chaplain  John  J.  Raising  was  the  duty  officer  from  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  Office  when  the  news  of  the  invasion  first  broke.  ^*  After  a  long  series  of  briefings  on  the 
Gulf  situation  and  President  Bush's  decisions.  General  Carl  Vuono,  Army  Chief  of  Staff,  told  the 
audience  that  the  operation  in  Saudi  Arabia  could  last  for  a  long  time.  "Coordinate,  anticipate,  and 
verify — make  sure  of  your  information,  make  sure  you  have  the  complete  picture,  and  keep  the  forces 
in  the  field  informed,"  General  Vuono  directed  the  officers  '^  The  first  units  to  go  to  Saudi  Arabia 
were  selected  already  from  U.S.  Forces  Command  (FORSCOM),  but  the  Department  of  the  Army 
had  to  be  prepared  to  support  the  deploying  forces'  requirements  from  any  assets  available  to  include 
the  Reserve  components. 

General  Vuono's  directive  to  the  DA  Staff  underscored  preparations  which  had  already  begun 
in  the  Chaplain  Corps  for  just  such  an  operation  At  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office,  the  Army  Chaplain 
Center  and  School,  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office,  the  Third  Army  Chaplain's  Office,  and  the 
XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain's  Office,  key  leaders  had  been  planning  and  training  for  almost  a  year 
for  an  eventual  Middle  East  mission.  These  plans  were  not  keyed  entirely  on  Kuwait,  but  also 
included  possible  missions  in  other  Islamic  countries.  By  "staying  in  the  loop"  with  their  commands, 
many  senior  chaplains  and  assistants  had  partially  anticipated  and  begun  coordination  for  Operation 
Desert  Shield 

At  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office  on  E-ring  in  the  Pentagon,  the  invasion  of  Kuwait  was  not 
a  great  surprise.  Even  for  those  staff  members  who  did  not  attend  top  secret  briefings,  there  were 
rumors  enough  in  the  halls  to  discern  Saddam  Hussein's  intent  in  moving  100,000  soldiers  to  the 
Kuwait  border^* 

Chaplain  (Major  General)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman,  the  Army's  Chief  of  Chaplains,  was  on 
General  Vuono's  staff  and  routinely  briefed  him  on  any  matters  involving  religion  in  the  Army.  It  was 
obvious  to  Chaplain  Zimmerman  that  religion  would  be  of  high  interest  in  Operation  Desert  Shield, 
to  include  three  world  religions  with  origins  in  the  Middle  East;  Islam,  Christianity  and  Judaism  Yet 
Chaplain  Zimmerman's  immediate  concerns  were  to  prepare  for  and  track  the  deployment  of  all  unit 
ministry  teams  departing  for  Saudi  Arabia  and  to  ensure  that  there  were  enough  chaplains  of  the 
Roman  Catholic,  Jewish,  and  Orthodox  faiths  to  facilitate  the  free  exercise  of  religion  for  all  soldiers 
and  to  provide  area  coverage  for  the  soldiers'  religious  needs. ^' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 46 

Within  a  week  after  the  invasion  of  Kuwait,  Chaplain  Zimmerman  directed  Mr  Roger  Able, 
a  Department  of  the  Army  civilian  and  the  Chiefs  mobilization  plans  officer,  to  monitor  all  unit 
ministry  team  deployments  to  Southwest  Asia  beginning  with  the  deployment  of  the  Ready  Brigade 
from  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  Mr  Able,  a  former  Marine  and  a  veteran  of  1 7  years'  service  in 
the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  had  followed  and  influenced  previous  deployments,  including 
those  to  Grenada  and  Panama.  Mr.  Abie  began  making  daily  contacts  with  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's 
Office  at  Fort  McPherson  to  request  the  latest  information  for  Chaplain  Zimmerman. 

Chaplain  Zimmerman  also  directed  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  George  D.  Fields,  Jr., 
Assistant  Chief  of  Chaplains  for  Mobilization  Management,  to  review  the  Chaplain  Corps' 
requirements  for  an  anticipated  mobilization  of  200,000  soldiers,  many  of  whom  would  be  drawn 
from  the  Reserves.  Chaplain  Fields  began  his  review  on  August  9,  two  weeks  before  President  Bush 
ordered  a  200,000  selected  Reserve  call-up  Chaplain  (Brigadier  General)  James  M.  Hutchens, 
Special  Assistant  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  from  the  Army  National  Guard,  visited  six  installations, 
beginning  in  August,  to  determine  the  readiness  of  large  Army  posts  to  support  and  sustain  such  a 
major  deployment  At  Fort  Hood,  one  of  the  installations  visited.  Chaplain  Hutchens  asked  Chaplain 
Don  C.  Breland,  the  III  Corps  chaplain,  and  his  deputy.  Chaplain  James  Barry  Lonergan,  for  a  total 
readiness  report  including  the  adequacy  of  mobilization  plans,  family  support,  civilian  community 
assistance,  mass  casualty  plans,  cross-leveling  of  chaplains,  and  backfill  requirements  to  support  the 
families  of  deployed  soldiers  Chaplain  Hutchens  concluded  that  Fort  Hood's  plans  were  "already  in 
place  and  operational  prior  to  this  deployment.'"'" 

Chaplain  Wayne  W  Hoffmann,  USAR,  performed  a  number  of  missions  related  to  plans  for 
a  possible  mass  casualty  situation.  Hoffman,  the  senior  Individual  Mobilization  Augmentee  (IMA) 
in  the  Chiefs  Office,  had  worked  for  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne,  the  Director  of  PPDT,  in  July  1990 
researching  Family  Life  programs  and  issues.  From  August  through  December,  Chaplain  Hoffmann, 
under  Chaplain  Donald  Shea's  guidance,  met  with  Major  Command  chaplains  to  develop  a  mission 
essential  task  list  for  crisis  ministry  With  the  assistance  of  Chaplain  Stan  Esterline  and  other 
members  of  Chaplain  Kuehne's  staff".  Chaplain  Hoffmann  wrote  a  paper  entitled,  "Guidelines  for 
Ministry  in  a  Crisis  Environment."  This  paper  was  distributed  to  a  number  of  installations  involved 
in  deployment  including  Fort  Benning  and  Fort  Sam  Houston.  From  this  initial  interest.  Chaplain 
Hoffmann  moved  to  an  examination  of  the  requirements  for  two  IMA  chaplains  to  form  a  Crisis 
Response  Team  at  Dover  Air  Force  Base.  As  was  the  case  with  Chaplain  Field's  and  Chaplain 
Hutchens'  ministries.  Chaplain  Hoffmann  extended  "the  eyes  and  ears"  of  the  Chief  in  preparing  for 
Operation  Desert  Shield.''' 

In  spite  of  these  personal  initiatives  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  there  were  numerous  and  as 
yet  unanswered  questions  for  his  staff  concerning  Operation  Desert  Shield  Mr.  Roger  Able,  tracking 
FORSCOM  units,  wondered  how  big  the  deployment  would  turn  out  to  be."  Would  Saddam 
Hussein  withdraw  his  forces  from  Kuwait  as  he  announced  publicly  on  August  S'^  Would  the  United 
States  go  to  frill  mobilization''  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne,  Director  of  PPDT,  wondered  if  there  would 
be  enough  chaplains  available  from  critically  short  faith  groups  to  meet  the  area  coverage 
requirements  and  the  eventual  backfill  vacancy  requirements  generated  by  a  large  mobilization 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


47 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

Chaplain  Henry  Wake  noted  a  critical  need  throughout  the  Chaplain  branch  for  timely,  accurate 
information  just  as  General  Vuono  had  predicted." 

The  Chief  of  Chaplains  Personnel  Director,  Chaplain  John  Scott,  was  responsible  ultimately 
for  supervising  deployments  and  developing  plans  and  rosters  to  provide  replacements  for  chaplain 
casualties  His  staff  was  in  daily  contact  with  FORSCOM  and  APPERCEN  to  coordinate  chaplain 
personnel  requirements.  Chaplain  Hugh  Dukes  managed  some  of  these  functions  initially  as  the  point 
of  contact  for  the  Directorate. 

Chaplain  Donald  W  Shea,  the  Executive  Officer  for  the  Chief  and  the  Deputy  Chief  of 
Chaplains  three  months  later,  was  attending  the  6th  Army  Chaplain  Training  Conference  when  the 
invasion  of  Kuwait  took  place.  When  Chaplain  Raising  and  Mr.  Able  informed  him  of  the  fijU 
situation.  Chaplain  Shea  said  with  both  humor  and  prescience,  "Now  we  can  work  our  way  up  to 
chaos."*"**  When  Chaplain  Shea  returned  to  Washington,  telephones  were  ringing  incessantly  with 
calls  from  civilian  pastors  and  Reserve  chaplains  offering  their  services  in  the  desert  if  needed  With 
only  two  secure  telephones  to  use  for  conversations  involving  classified  material,  often  staff  members 
would  have  to  speak  sequentially  to  their  individual  points  of  contact  at  FORSCOM,  at  the  Army 
Reserve  Personnel  Center  (ARPERCEN),  or  in  Saudi  Arabia.  Twelve  hour  days  in  the  Chief  of 
Chaplain's  Office  became  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception  and  many  days,  due  to  the  eight-hour  time 
difference  with  Saudi  Arabia,  lasted  much  longer  than  that.  Yet  from  the  very  beginning  of  Operation 
Desert  Shield  there  was  a  great  deal  of  selfless  overtime  duty  performed  in  the  Chiefs  Office  by 
military  and  civilian  personnel  alike.*'' 


Chaplain  School  Products 

Chaplain  Bernard  Windmiller,  Commandant  of  the  US.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School 
(USACHCS)  at  Fort  Monmouth,  New  Jersey,  had  been  following  the  events  in  the  Middle  East  with 
as  much  interest  as  had  his  colleagues  in  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office  in  Washington.  According  to 
the  School's  mobilization  plan,  if  the  United  States  Army  went  to  full  mobilization,  the  Chaplain 
Advanced  Course  students  would  be  deployed  to  the  field  and  the  Basic  Course  student  classes 
increased  to  provide  as  many  new  battalion  chaplains  as  were  needed.  With  the  help  of  Mrs.  Mary 
Lou  Corcoran,  the  School's  Mobilization  Officer,  and  Chaplain  James  E  Pierce,  Special  Projects 
Officer  from  the  Chief  of  Chaplains'  Office  (DACH),  these  plans  had  just  been  validated. 

As  in  the  case  of  other  headquarters,  there  were  many  chaplains  and  assistants  at  USACHCS 
who  volunteered  to  go  to  Saudi  Arabia  if  they  were  needed.  Because  more  than  200  Reserve 
Component  chaplains  were  called  to  duty,  only  one  chaplain  from  the  Staff  and  Faculty  actually 
deployed."* 

The  Chaplain  School  made  many  other  contributions  including  training  and  certifying  all  of 
the  577  chaplains  and  514  chaplain  assistants  deployed  to  Southwest  Asia  from  9  August  1990 
through  2  August  1991 .  One  of  the  most  popular  training  publications  produced  at  the  School  just 
prior  to  the  deployment  was  Reference  Book  1-1,  The  Unit  Ministiy  Team  Handbook,  which 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 48 

Chaplain  Donald  Shea,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  called  "the  most  valuable  tool"  the  Chaplaincy 
produced  in  its  reference  book  inventory. *"' 

The  Umt  Ministry  Team  Handbook  had  been  the  brain  child  of  Major  Morgan  Flom,  Chief 
of  the  Unit  and  Individual  Training  Division  (UITD)  at  the  Chaplain  School.  Chaplain  Jesse  Thornton 
of  UITD  was  the  initial  project  officer  for  the  first  draft  The  handbook  captured  soldier  skills,  first 
aid,  battle  fatigue,  staff" paper  formats,  and  practical  doctrinal  principles  for  unit  ministry  teams  in  the 
field.  It  was  a  "how  to"  book  which  reflected  contributions  from  more  than  35  chaplains,  chaplain 
assistants,  and  combat  arms  officers  in  the  Army.** 

In  the  summer  of  1989,  almost  exactly  a  year  before  Operation  Desert  Shield  began.  Major 
Michael  W.  Hobson,  a  West  Point  graduate  and  the  Chief  of  the  Training  Products  branch  of  UITD, 
revised  The  Unit  Ministry  Team  Handbook  to  be  in  accord  with  the  newly  approved  FM  16-1, 
Religious  Support  Doctrine:  The  Chaplain  and  Chaplain  Assistant.  Major  Hobson,  an  Army  aviator, 
proposed  that  the  new  book  be  reduced  in  size,  as  Aviation  manuals  often  were,  to  fit  in  the  pockets 
of  Battle  Dress  Uniforms,  and  fiarther  that  it  be  laminated  to  make  it  an  all-weather  handbook. 

Major  Hobson  rewrote  much  of  the  handbook  with  the  help  of  his  staff".  Master  Sergeant 
Richard  Geiger,  the  senior  chaplain's  assistant  in  UITD,  Mrs  Judy  Lyons,  Mrs  Karen  Dooney,  Mrs. 
Dorris  Ryan,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Anna  Lewis,  the  Division  secretary.  Upon  approval  by  Chaplain  Basil 
L.  Ballard,  Director  of  Training  and  Doctrine,  and  Chaplain  Windmiller,  the  Commandant,  the 
handbook  went  to  press.**'  Subsequently  sent  to  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps,  U.S.  Army  Europe,  and 
to  the  deploying  Reserve  Component  unit  ministry  teams  by  Major  Hobson,  Chaplain  David  Sandifer, 
his  successor  in  1990,  and  Sergeant  First  Class  Allen  Barber,  The  Unit  Ministry  Team  Handbook 
became  the  most  widely  used  reference  book  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  during  Operation  Desert 
Shield/Desert  Storm. 


Preparing  for  the  Desert 

Tactical  preparation  for  unit  ministry  teams  to  provide  religious  support  for  soldiers  in  the 
Desert  had  been  monitored  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  and  his  staff"  and  supported  by  training  at  the 
Chaplain  School  and  at  the  National  Training  Center  at  Fort  Irwin,  California.  Yet  most  of  the  initial 
work  on  the  details  for  a  rapid  deployment  to  Saudi  Arabia  took  place  at  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's 
Office,  Third  Army,  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps,  III  Corps,  and  in  the  divisional  and  brigade  units 
assigned  to  them  in  the  United  States.  As  the  Reserve  Components  were  called  up,  the  staff"  chaplains 
at  the  National  Guard  Bureau,  at  the  U.S.  Army  Reserve  Personnel  Center  and  at  the  1st,  2nd,  4th, 
5th,  and  6th  Continental  U.S.  Armies  (CONUSAs)  became  key  points  of  contact  for  mobilization. 
Within  two  months  the  U.S.  Army  Europe  (USAREUR)  Chaplain  and  the  unit  ministry  teams  in  VII 
Corps  in  Germany  were  alerted  as  well  to  provide  additional  heavy  armor  capability  to  the  coalition 
forces. 

Chaplain  Charles  T.  Clanton,  the  Command  Chaplain  for  U.S.  Forces  Command,  did  not 
personally  direct  the  deployment  of  unit  ministry  teams,  for  that  was  a  command  flinction.  Yet  by 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


49 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

Army  Regulation  165-1,  Chaplain  Clanton  was  responsible  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  for  the 
management  of  religious  resources  in  FORSCOM  and  that  included  personnel  management  to  ensure 
that  units  mobilizing  and  deploying  overseas  had  a  sufficient  number  of  trained  unit  ministry  teams 
(UMTs)  to  go  with  them 

Since  the  summer  of  1989  when  Chaplain  Clanton  left  his  post  as  Commandant  of  the  U.S. 
Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  to  become  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain,  he  had  taken  a  personal 
interest  not  only  in  the  tactical  expertise  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  on  the  19  installations 
within  FORSCOM,  but  in  their  spiritual  welfare  as  well.  In  a  visit  to  Fort  Bragg  in  1989,  Chaplain 
Clanton  had  joined  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain,  Bernard  Lieving,  and  the  division  chaplains 
and  assistants  assigned  to  the  XVII  Airborne  Corps  for  a  "Warfighter  Conference"  at  Fort  Fisher, 
North  Carolina  This  conference  stressed  both  tactical  and  spiritual  preparedness  of  the  UMTs  and 
the  elements  of  Mission  Essential  Task  Lists  (METLs)  as  related  to  religious  support  missions.™ 

In  July  of  1990  Chaplain  Clanton  attended  a  two-day  spiritual  retreat  at  Fort  Campbell, 
Kentucky,  with  Chaplain  Charles  Adams,  the  installation  chaplain.  "I  have  never  seen  chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants  so  together  spiritually,"  Chaplain  Clanton  observed,  "even  Major  General  Binford 
Peay,  Commanding  General  of  the  101st  Airborne  Division,  was  invited  to  ask  any  chaplain  he  saw 
what  the  daily  Bible  reading  was  for  that  day,  and  General  Peay  read  his  Bible  every  day  as  well."'' 

At  the  same  time  Chaplain  Clanton  was  providing  pastoral  encouragement  at  Fort  Campbell, 
another  important  exercise  in  preparation  for  desert  operations  was  being  conducted  by  CENTCOM 
with  participants  from  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  and  Third  Army,  (called  Army  Central  Command 
or  ARCENT  when  it  deployed)  The  exercise  was  a  Joint  Chiefs'  war  game  entitled  INTERNAL 
LOOK  90  which  focused  on  the  defense  of  Saudi  Arabia 

INTERNAL  LOOK  90  was  a  product  of  the  CENTCOM  Staff  at  the  direction  of  the 
CENTCOM  Commander,  General  H  Norman  Schwarzkopf  General  Schwarzkopf  became  the 
Commander  in  Chief  of  CENTCOM  in  late  November  1988.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  realize  that 
with  the  end  of  the  Soviet  threat  and  the  end  of  the  Iran-Iraq  war,  Saddam  Hussein  might  seek  to  use 
his  huge  army  to  intimidate  the  Persian  Gulf  States.  Since  CENTCOM  was  responsible  for  America's 
national  security  interests  in  that  part  of  the  world.  General  Schwarzkopf  wanted  U.S.  forces  to  be 
fially  prepared  to  blunt  any  incursions  into  Saudi  Arabia  or  into  other  fiiendly  neighboring  countries 
if  they  occurred. 

INTERNAL  LOOK  90  was  based  on  General  Schwarzkopf  s  revised  OPLAN  1002-90,  the 
defense  of  Kuwait  and  Saudi  Arabia  against  Iraqi  attack  The  war  game  was  conducted  concurrently 
at  Ft  Bragg  and  at  Hurlburt  Field,  Florida,  from  23  July  23-  28  July,  1990."  Key  elements  included 
command  post  and  map  exercises  without  troop  involvement." 

When  he  heard  about  the  proposed  exercise.  Chaplain  Bernard  H.  Lieving,  Jr.,  the  XVIII 
Airborne  Corps  Chaplain,  asked  the  Corps  Commander,  Lieutenant  General  Carl  Stiner,  to  approve 
chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant  participation  in  INTERNAL  LOOK.'''  General  Stiner  approved 
Chaplain  Lieving's  request,  and  orders  were  prepared  for  the  senior  unit  ministry  teams  from  all  the 
divisions  and  separate  brigades  assigned  to  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  to  attend  the  war  game  at  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 50 

Fort  Bragg  site.  Among  the  participants  were  chaplains  from  the  82nd  Arbome  Division,  the  101st 
Airborne  Division,  and  the  24th  Infantry  Division. 

The  units  which  were  represented  at  the  Fort  Bragg  Training  Area  site  included  not  only  all 
of  the  divisions  and  separate  brigades  in  the  XVIIl  Airborne  Corps  but  also  the  "down  trace"  support 
units.  The  82nd  Airborne  Division  was  the  key  player  for  the  initial  stages  of  the  defense,  and  the 
maps  used  depicted  the  eastern  coast  of  Saudi  Arabia." 

Participation  by  the  Third  Army  Chaplain  and  his  staff  was  built  into  the  exercise  at  Fort 
McPherson."^  Third  Army  would  interface  and  communicate  with  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  from 
Hurlburt  Field.  The  Third  Army  Chaplain  and  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain  would  play  the 
same  war  game  and  consider  the  same  tasks  and  problems  involved  in  a  deployment  of  a  large  number 
of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  to  Saudi  Arabia 

Chaplain  Dan  O'Conner,  a  Roman  Catholic  priest,  was  the  Third  Army  Chaplain.  Chaplain 
O'Conner,  a  member  of  the  US  Army  Reserve,  was  popular  with  the  Third  Army  officers  and 
soldiers  as  a  chaplain  who  exhibited  all  of  the  positive  traits  of  a  pastor."  The  Deputy  Third  Army 
Chaplain  was  Joe  R.  Colley,  a  United  Methodist,  and  formerly  the  Protestant  pastor  at  Fort  Gillem 
before  his  assignment  to  Third  Army  The  senior  chaplain  assistant  was  Sergeant  Major  Mary  Razel, 
U.S.  Army  Reserve,  one  of  the  first  female  chaplain  assistants  to  attain  the  rank  of  Sergeant  Major. 
Chaplain  Colley's  assistant.  Sergeant  First  Class  (SFC)  Ed  Parton,  rounded  out  the  team.'* 

In  addition  to  his  other  duties,  SFC  Parton  was  responsible  for  writing  many  of  the  scenarios 
UMTs  would  face  in  a  deployment  to  Saudi  Arabia.  These  included  logistical  problems,  such  as 
shipping  communion  wine  into  Saudi  Arabia  where  drinking  alcohol  was  forbidden,  transporting  New 
Testaments  and  Bibles  into  the  most  restrictive  country  of  Islam,  practicing  sensitivity  to  Islamic 
culture  especially  as  related  to  women,  and  performing  religious  sacraments  and  rites  in  an  unfamiliar 
environment  under  combat  conditions  '' 

After  a  week  of  war  gaming  between  Fort  Bragg  and  Huriburt  Field,  the  Joint  Staff  concluded 
that  if  Iraq  were  to  attack  into  Saudi  Arabia  with  six  armor  divisions,  a  fully  deployed  XVIII  Airborne 
Corps  with  coordinated  tactical  air  support  would  be  able  to  stop  the  incursion  without  losing 
Dhahran  or  Dammam.  The  cost  was  calculated  at  50  percent  casualties  from  the  XVIII  Airborne 
Corps  and  the  loss  of  200  kilometers  of  Saudi  territory.""  The  estimated  losses  among  chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants,  especially  due  to  chemical  attack,  called  for  1 2  replacement  unit  ministry  teams 
ready  at  the  end  of  the  first  day  of  defensive  combat.*' 

When  the  exercise  was  over  on  Saturday,  July  28,  Chaplain  O'Conner  and  Chaplain  Colley 
returned  to  Fort  McPherson  for  a  well-deserved  rest  over  the  weekend.  *^  The  other  chaplains  and 
assistants  went  home  as  well.  No  one  dreamed  that  within  five  days  Iraqi  tanks  would  be  in  Kuwait 
near  the  Saudi  Arabian  border,  and  that  General  Schwarzkopf  would  be  on  his  way  to  Washington 
to  brief  President  Bush  on  OPLAN  1002-90. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


51 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

Speed  Bumps  In  The  Desert: 
The  82nd  Airborne  Division 

The  deployment  of  Major  General  James  Johnson's  82nd  Airborne  Division  began  August  6 
with  a  thunderstorm  and  an  alert  order  at  Fort  Bragg  The  2nd  Brigade,  designated  the  Division 
Readiness  Brigade  and  commanded  by  Colonel  Ronald  Rokosz,  was  fully  prepared  to  deploy,  with 
one  battalion  "packed"  aboard  the  aircraft  within  19  hours  '*'  The  1st  and  3rd  Brigades  were  in 
training,  with  some  soldiers  on  leave.  Anticipating  that  the  entire  division  would  go.  General  Johnson 
ordered  all  units  and  soldiers  to  return  to  Fort  Bragg  immediately. 

At  the  midnight  briefing  on  August  6,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Steven  Epkins,  the  Division 
intelligence  officer,  briefed  each  brigade  and  battalion  commander  on  the  Iraqi  armor  lined  up  along 
the  Kuwait  border.  The  mission  of  the  82nd  was  to  defend  the  ports  and  airfields  at  Dhahran  and 
Dammam  until  reinforcements  could  arrive  The  new  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Commander,  Lieutenant 
General  Gary  Luck,  told  the  division  to  be  prepared  to  fight  upon  arrival  The  division's  aviation 
brigade  of  attack  helicopters  would  go  early.  One  multiple-launch  rocket  system  (MLRS)  battery 
from  the  3-27th  Field  Artillery  would  go  too.'*^  Some  of  the  officers  evaluated  the  mission 
optimistically  as  a  "show  the  flag"  operation;  but  among  the  soldiers,  who  watched  the  nightly  news 
on  television,  there  was  a  less  cheerful  assessment;  if  Saddam  attacked  soon,  the  lightly  armed  82nd 
would  become  a  "speed  bump"  in  the  desert  for  800  Iraqi  tanks.*' 

Chaplain  William  L.  Hufham,  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  Chaplain,  had  been  following  the 
CNN  reports  on  the  invasion  of  Kuwait  very  closely  as  well  as  the  daily  briefings  at  Fort  Bragg. 
Inidally  Chaplain  Hufham  remarked  to  his  family  that  if  the  United  States  sent  a  military  force  to  the 
region,  "it  looks  like  an  armor  operation  and  I  don't  think  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  will  be  involved 
in  that  at  all."  One  brigade  of  the  82nd  and  some  aviation  assets  were  training  at  Fort  Chaffee, 
Arkansas,  and  one  battalion  of  the  82nd  was  supporting  training  at  the  R  O  T  C.  Summer  Camp  at 
Fort  Bragg.  After  the  August  6  briefing,  however,  it  was  clear  that  all  of  the  chaplains  in  the  division 
needed  to  begin  packing  their  gear 

Chaplain  Hufham  was  personally  well  prepared  to  lead  the  first  Army  unit  ministry  teams  to 
Saudi  Arabia.  With  previous  assignments  in  the  82nd  Airborne  Division,  the  1  st  Signal  Brigade  in 
Korea,  the  101st  Airborne  (Airmobile)  Division,  the  172nd  Infantry  Brigade  in  Alaska,  and  the 
3rd  Infantry  Division  Artillery  in  Germany,  few  other  chaplains  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  had  had  as 
much  time  performing  and  supervising  ministry  to  soldiers  in  the  field  as  had  Chaplain  Hufham. 

There  was  not  much  time  to  spend  discussing  deployment  vvath  the  Second  Brigade  chaplains, 
for  they  were  due  to  depart  within  48  hours.  Chaplain  Hufham  met  with  all  of  the  chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants  departing  immediately  to  review  their  assumption  of  mission  briefing,  the  war  plan 
as  they  saw  it  and  the  impact  of  religion  in  the  area  of  operations.*"^  In  particular,  the  UMTs  gathered 
up  their  written  resources  on  the  Middle  East:  country  studies  on  Saudi  Arabia,  Kuwait  and  Iraq,  and 
a  pocket  guide  from  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  entitled  "Cross  CuUural  Understanding"  which 
included  two  pages  on  the  Islamic  religion  The  UMTs  also  had  the  laminated  UMT  Handbook  which 
Chaplain  Hufham  thought  was  "one  of  the  handiest  things  we  had  for  immediate  deployment."" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 


52 


There  was  no  need  for  Chaplain  Hufham  to  bid  his  brigade  chaplain  and  battalion  chaplains  farewell, 
for  he  would  be  deploying  himself  just  72  hours  after  they  did  For  the  time  being,  the  UMTs  were 
as  physically,  mentally  and  spiritually  fit  as  they  could  be  for  a  "come  as  you  are"  mission. 

The  first  unit  ministry  teams  to  deploy  to  Saudi  Arabia  from  9  August  -  1 5  August  were 
drawn  from  three  FORSCOM  units  on  three  different  installations;  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  at  Fort 
Bragg,  the  24th  Infantry  Division  (Mechanized)  at  Fort  Stewart,  and  the  2/7  Patriot  Battalion,  1 1th 
Air  Defense  Artillery  Brigade,  at  Fort  Bliss,  Texas  There  were  fifteen  unit  ministry  teams  composed 
of  twelve  Protestant  and  three  Roman  Catholic  chaplains.  Chaplain  Tom  Solhjem  was  the  first  Army 
chaplain  to  deploy.  Chaplain  James  Cooper  of  the  24th  Infantry  Division  was  the  first  African- 
American  chaplain  to  depart,  while  Chaplain  Rebecca  Leckrone  of  the  1 1th  ADA  Brigade  was  the 
first  female  chaplain  in  the  history  of  the  Army  Chaplain  Corps  to  be  deployed  to  (what  became)  a 
combat  zone  Of  the  seventeen  chaplain  assistants,  two  were  Roman  Catholic.  Both  Catholic 
assistants  served  with  Protestant  chaplains,  while  the  three  Catholic  chaplains  had  Protestant 
assistants.  The  roster  of  the  first  unit  ministry  teams  to  go  "wheels  up"  represented  a  fairly 
ecumenical  group  dedicated  to  performing  area  coverage  and  facilitating  the  soldiers'  free  exercise 
of  religion  in  the  desert; 


Unit  Ministry  Teams  Deployed 

to  Saudi  Arabia  -  Operation  Desert  Shield 

First  "Speed  Bumps  in  the  Desert" 


Fort  Bragg  -  82nd  Airborne  Division 

Forry,  Thomas 
Frizque,  Gary 
Wunsch,  Ron 
Walraven,  Dennis 
Krause,  Lawrence 
Johnson,  George 
Solhjem,  Thomas 
Mactutis,  Anthony 
George,  David 
Millender,  Eric 
Houston,  Jeffrey 
Trout,  Kyle 
Atwood,  Steve 
Rayburn,  Warren 


9  August  1990 


CPT 

Roman  Catholic 

1/17  Cav 

SGT 

Christian 

1/17  Cav 

MAJ 

UCC 

DIVARTY 

SSG 

DIVARTY 

MAJ 

Disciple 

2nd  Bde 

SGT 

Pentecostal 

CPT 

A  of  God 

4/325  Inf 

SPC  (SD*) 

Arabic  linguist 

CPT 

Bapt 

3/72  Armor 

PFC 

Bapt 

CPT 

Bapt 

2/325  Inf 

SGT 

Roman  Catholic 

CPT 

Bapt 

1/325  Inf 

SGT 

Protestant 

See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


53 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 


Hufham,  William 
Owens,  Arnold 
Prendergast,  John 
Hardesty,  James 
Lanious,  Chester 
Vogel,  John 
Sinnett,  Robert 
Ober,  Robert 


13 

August 

1990 

LTC 

Pres  USA 

HQ,  82nd  Abn  Div. 

SFC 

Nazarene 

MAJ 

Roman  Catholic 

3rd  Bde 

SGT 

A  of  God 

CPT 

Pres  OR 

DIVARTY 

SPC 

Roman  Catholic 

CPT 

Ch.  of  God-Tenn 

2/504  Inf 

PVT 

Baptist 

Fort  Stewart  -  24th  Infantry  Division  (Mechanized) 

13  August  1990 

Pollitt,  Michael  CPT  Roman  Catholic 

Putt,  Ronald  SPC  Protestant 

14  August  1990 
Cooper,  James                                    LTC  AME 
McCoy,  Alvin                                     SGT  Protestant 
Shockey,  Paul                                     SSG 


1/64  Armor 


2nd  Bde 


Fort  Bliss  -  1 1th  ADA  Brigade 


15 

Auuust 

1990 

Leckrone,  Rebecca 

CPT 

Pres  USA 

2/7  Patriot  Bn 

Myer,  Eric 

SPC 

Fort  Braea  -  82nd  Airborne  Division 

15 

August 

1990 

Card,  Charles 

CPT 

FGBC 

1/505  Inf 

Parwin,  Leslie 

PFC 

Protestant 

1/505  Inf 

Owens,  Arnold 

SFC 

Nazarene 

HQ,  82nd  Abrn  Div 

Fort  Stewart 

Putt,  Ronald 

SPC 

Protestant 

1/64  Armor 

McCoy,  Alvin 

SGT 

Protestant 

2nd  Bde 

Shockey,  Paul 

SSG 

2nd  Bde 

Fort  Bliss 

Myer,  Eric 

SPC 

2/7  Patriot  Bn 

'SD  =  Special  Duty 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 54 

The  unit  ministry  teams  which  deployed  from  Fort  Bragg  had  learned  from  the  experience  of 
Operation  Just  Cause,  just  eight  months  before,  that  Bibles,  crosses,  rosaries,  and  devotional  tracts 
would  be  in  demand  by  the  soldiers  soon  after  arrival.  Therefore,  each  unit  ministry  team  deployed 
with  thirty  days'  ecclesiastical  supplies  for  Christian  worship,  communion,  and  Bible  studies."*  Even 
small  field  hymnals  went  in  boxes.  The  82nd  Airborne  Division  unit  ministry  teams  had  written 
Religious  Support  Plans  for  Contingency  Operations  and  had  them  already  approved  by  the  Division 
Chaplain.  Resupply  of  ecclesiastical  items  would  come  from  Fort  Bragg  by  available  transport 
aircraft,  and  supplies  would  be  pushed  forward  by  the  sustaining  installation 

The  Chaplains  from  the  82nd  Airborne  deployed  wearing  their  crosses  on  their  collars  in  the 
normal  manner  Chaplain  Hufriam  had  received  contradictory  advice  from  FORSCOM  and 
CENTCOM  with  regard  to  wearing  branch  insignia  (crosses  and  tablets)  in  a  strictly  Islamic  country. 
Consequently,  he  recommended  to  the  Division  Commander,  Major  General  Johnson,  that  chaplains 
be  allowed  to  wear  crosses  in  the  Division  area.*'  If  there  were  Muslims  in  the  locality,  chaplains 
could  simply  put  their  load  bearing  equipment  (LBE)  straps  over  their  branch  insignia  as  a  temporary 
measure.  General  Johnson  approved  Chaplain  Huftiam's  recommendation  and  fiirther  directed,  in  the 
absence  of  orders  from  CENTCOM,  that  worship  services  be  advertised  as  such  and  not  as  "morale 
meetings."  In  this  way  all  Christian  and  Jewish  worship  services  would  be  advertised  and  available 
to  soldiers  without  offending  their  Saudi  Arabian  hosts.  This  was  interpreted  to  be  in  accord  with 
CENTCOM's  emerging  policy. 

On  9  August  the  first  elements  of  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  with  seven  chaplains  and  seven 
chaplain  assistants  arrived  in  Saudi  Arabia  Within  seven  days  of  the  invasion  of  Kuwait,  the  entire 
Division  Ready  Brigade  of  4,575  paratroopers  and  their  equipment  arrived  in  harm's  way  ready  to 
fight  to  defend  Dhahran  and  Dammam.  Between  August  13  and  September  8  the  remaining  units  of 
the  Division  arrived  using  a  total  of  582  C-141  and  C5A  aircraft. **"  With  Egyptian  and  American 
combat  troops  in  their  country,  the  Saudi  Arabians  were  no  longer  alone. 


FORSCOM:   "Up  to  Our  Hips" 

Beginning  on  Monday,  August  6,  the  U.S.  Forces  Command  Operations  Center  (FOC)  at  Fort 
McPherson  went  to  24-hour  operations.  The  FOC,  in  the  basement  of  the  FORSCOM  Headquarters 
building,  was  barely  a  block  from  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office,  across  from  the  Fort  McPherson 
Catholic  Chapel  Each  day  Chaplain  Clanton  and  Chaplain  Lawrence  "Larry"  A.  Kelly,  Jr.,  the 
Deputy  FORSCOM  Chaplain  and  Chief  of  Operations  and  Support,  would  take  turns  covering  the 
FOC  briefing  and  subsequently  brief  the  other  FORSCOM  Chaplain  staff"  members.  *"  Once  the  82nd 
Airborne  Division,  the  24th  Infantry  Division,  and  the  11th  Air  Defense  Artillery  Brigade  were 
alerted.  Chaplain  Kelly  noted  that  the  staff"  members  were  "up  to  our  hips"  in  work 

Chaplain  Kelly  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina  and,  before  entering  the  Methodist  ministry, 
had  been  a  police  officer  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina.  Ahhough  Chaplain  Kelly  was  of  medium 
height,  he  had  a  definite  command  presence  punctuated  by  a  keen  sense  of  humor.  Once  in  his  career 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


55 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

as  a  police  officer  he  had  to  break  up  a  riot  by  himself.  Chaplain  Kelly  recalled  that  by  the  time  he 
had  restored  order,  taking  many  punches  in  the  process,  all  he  had  left  were  his  shoes,  his  trousers 
and  his  pistol.  After  attending  Duke  University  and  entering  the  Army  Chaplain  Corps,  Chaplain 
Kelly  served  in  Vietnam  with  the  173rd  Airborne  Brigade  and  later  as  the  Division  Chaplain  of  the 
10th  Mountain  Division.  During  Operation  Desert  Shield  and  Desert  Storm  he  played  a  key  role  in 
coordinating  the  incredible  requirements  Chaplain  Clanton's  staff  had  to  meet.  "My  assignment 
immediately  prior  to  Operation  Desert  Shield  as  the  21st  TAACOM  Chaplain  in  Europe  proved  to 
be  invaluable,  particularly  my  REFORGER  experience  in  that  position,"  Chaplain  Kelly  recalled.'' 

When  Third  Army  Headquarters  deployed  to  Southwest  Asia  and  became  U.S.  Army  Central 
Command  (ARCENT),  a  rear  detachment  remained  at  Fort  McPherson  and  joined  with  Forces 
Command  to  become  ARCENT  Rear  The  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office  became  the  ARCENT  Rear 
Chaplain's  Office.  Throughout  Operation  Desert  Shield/Storm,  the  Chaplains  at  ARCENT  Rear  (Fort 
McPherson)  and  ARCENT  Main  (Riyadh,  Saudi  Arabia)  maintained  close  contact  on  all  policy, 
personnel,  and  logistical  matters.''''  Coordination  on  ecclesiastical  supplies  and  personnel  issues  began 
to  occur  daily  Chaplain  William  Hutliam  was  the  senior  Army  Chaplain  in  Saudi  Arabia  the  second 
and  third  weeks  in  August  with  Chaplain  Lieving,  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain,  deploying 
August  26. 

Among  the  key  requirements  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain  had  to  meet  were  the  monitoring  and 
cross-levelling  of  deploying  unit  ministry  teams,  the  preparation  of  briefing  packets  on  Islam,  Saudi 
Arabia,  and  the  Iraqi  threat  for  deploying  UMTs;  and  the  reviewing  of  mobilization  plans  for  members 
of  the  Reserve  Components  called  to  duty  Communications  with  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains,  the  Armed  Forces  Chaplain  Board,  ARPERCEN,  the  TRADOC  and  AMC  Chaplains,  each 
of  19  FORSCOM  installations  and  five  CONUSAs,  the  National  Guard  Bureau,  various  endorsing 
agents,  the  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  FORSCOM  headquarters  and,  of  course,  ARCENT  Main 
in  Saudi  Arabia,  on  matters  of  policy,  procedure,  personnel,  and  logistics  was  a  daunting  task. 
Complicating  the  problem  was  that  as  of  the  second  week  in  August  there  was  no  Central  Command 
(CENTCOM)  Chaplain  on  General  Schwarzkopf  s  Staff",  nor  was  there  an  ARCENT  (Third  Army) 
Chaplain  yet  named  to  join  Lt.  Gen.  Yeosock's  staff"  in  Saudi  Arabia.  These  critical  staff"  vacancies 
demanded  attention  while  all  of  the  other  requirements  seemed  to  intensify  by  the  hour. 

Chaplain  Sir  Walter  Scott,  who  served  in  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office  during  this  time, 
recalled  his  feelings: 

1  worked  with  Chaplain  Robert  Vickers  in  the  FOC  with  long  hours  from  1800  to 
0830  The  sentiments  of  officers  in  the  FOC  were  ones  of  mixed  emotions.  We  were 
excited  about  providing  support  to  the  warfighters,  however,  we  were  saddened  that 
we  could  not  be  a  part  of  the  front  line.  Some  of  us,  including  me,  volunteered  to  go. 
However,  we  were  told  our  mission  was  in  rear  support.  We  stayed  back  and  worked 
with  families,  helping  to  keep  them  informed  about  loved  ones.  We  gave  talks  to 
churches  about  how  to  support,  the  Reserve  and  National  Guard  member's  families. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 56 

While  these  supports  were  necessary,  we  can't  help  but  feel  envy  and  a  sense  of  guilt 
for  not  being  there  with  our  fellow  soldiers. 

Working  with  Force  Structure  to  create  valid  positions  was  okay  Helping  to  track 
and  make  sure  Bibles  and  other  literature  got  smuggled  to  the  desert  was  okay.  To 
put  in  practice  all  that  you  trained  for  but  never  hoped  to  use.  But  when  you  have  to 
use  the  training,  you  pray,  hope,  and  want  to  know  that  you  have  been  given  all  the 
right  "stuff'  to  make  a  difference  in  the  lives  of  others.''' 


General  Schwarzkopfs  Chaplain 

By  the  second  week  in  August,  several  critical  issues  began  to  emerge  at  the  Office  of  the 
Chief  of  Chaplains,  not  the  least  of  which  was  the  absence  on  General  Schwarzkopf  s  staff  of  a 
Central  Command  Staff" Chaplain  to  coordinate  religious  support  for  all  services  throughout  the  area 
of  operations  (AO)  United  States  Central  Command  Regulation  165-1,  dated  1  January  1985, 
emphasized  that  "commands  shall  provide  for  the  free  exercise  of  religion  among  their  personnel 
through  the  command  religious  program."  While  the  U.S.  Commander  in  Chief  CENTCOM,  "gives 
guidance  and  tasking  for  component  and  supporting  command  ministries,  the  US  CENTCOM 
Chaplain  monitors,  coordinates  and  maintains  liaison  with  senior  component  and  supporting  command 
chaplains,  and  helps  resolve  issues  related  to  the  readiness  and  delivery  of  ministries  associated  with 
U.S.  CENTCOM.""'  The  CENTCOM  Chaplain  was  responsible  for  reviewing  all  U.S.  CENTCOM 
contingency  plans  for  inclusive  religious  support,  for  resolving  conflicts  between  CENTCOM 
regulations  and  other  Services'  regulations  regarding  religious  support,  for  reviewing  command  and 
supporting  units'  situation  reports,  and  for  ensuring  that  the  US.  CENTCOM  religious  program  met 
"the  needs  of  all  personnel"  according  to  "relevant  service  directives,  teachings  and  practices  of  the 
endorsing  faith  groups,  and  sensitivity  to  host  countries'  religious  environments."'* 

Chaplain  Matthew  Zimmerman's  dual  concern  was  that  not  only  was  there  no  CENTCOM 
Staff  Chaplain  in  place,  there  was  no  authorization  for  one.  In  1988,  before  General  Schwarzkopf 
became  the  Commander  (CINC)  of  CENTCOM,  the  Staff  Chaplain's  authorization  had  been  deleted 
and  replaced  with  one  for  a  regional  affairs  officer.''  There  was  no  CENTCOM  Chaplain  at 
INTERNAL  LOOK  in  July  1990;  yet  by  August  it  was  clear  to  the  CENTCOM  Staff' that  they 
needed  one.  Consequently  Chaplain  Zimmerman  was  asked  to  "lend"  CENTCOM  an  active  duty 
Chaplain  in  the  grade  of  Colonel  to  supervise  religious  support  for  all  of  soldiers,  sailors,  airmen,  and 
Marines  in  the  Gulf"*  The  question  of  an  authorization  would  be  addressed  later.  Chaplain 
Zimmerman  accepted  the  request. 

This  vacancy  led  to  Chaplain  Zimmerman's  second  concern.  He  certainly  wanted  a 
CENTCOM  Chaplain  on  General  Schwarzkopf  s  staff,  but  which  senior  chaplains  were  qualified  for 
such  a  responsible  joint  position  and  also  available  for  deployment  on  such  short  notice*^  Chaplain 
Zimmerman  wanted  a  chaplain  with  an  outstanding  record  of  ministry  to  soldiers,  with  service  in  a 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


57 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

combat  zone  if  possible,  an  appreciation  for  the  complexity  of  joint  operations,  experience  in  working 
for  commanders  of  various  temperaments  and  backgrounds,  and  sensitivity  for  the  faith  and  customs 
of  an  Islamic  host  country.  Chaplain  John  Scott,  the  Director  of  Personnel  (Director,  DACH-PER), 
began  coordinating  with  major  command  (MACOM)  chaplains  to  develop  a  list  of  names  for  the 
Chiefs  consideration. 

After  reviewing  the  names,  Chaplain  Zimmerman  selected  Chaplain  David  P.  Peterson  from 
the  FORSCOM  Chaplain  Office z*'  Chaplain  Charles  Clanton  had  recommended  Chaplain  Peterson 
highly.  Chaplain  Peterson,  the  Reserve  Affairs  Chaplain  on  Clanton's  StaflF,  had  served  two  tours  in 
Vietnam,  two  tours  in  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  (the  last  as  the  Corps  Chaplain)  and  one  tour  as  the 
Post  Chaplain  at  the  U.S.  Military  Academy  at  West  Point.  More  importantly.  Chaplain  Clanton 
already  had  Chaplain  Charles  G.  Komschlies,  fi"om  the  U.S.  Army  Reserve,  ready  to  replace  Chaplain 
Peterson  as  well  as  three  Individual  Mobilization  Augmentee  chaplains:  Paul  Mason,  Raymond  E. 
Ennis,  and  Delaine  Perkins,  all  Colonels,  available  for  support.'""  Chaplain  Zimmerman  forwarded 
Chaplain  Peterson's  nomination  as  the  CENTCOM  Chaplain  to  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  StaflF  (JCS)  and 
directed  Chaplain  John  Scott  to  alert  Chaplain  Peterson.'"' 


"I  Need  You  to  Go  Tomorrow" 

Chaplain  David  Peterson  was  planning  to  move  his  family  to  Fort  McPherson  the  third  week 
of  August.  He  had  waited  for  his  daughter  to  graduate  from  high  school,  rented  a  house,  and 
requested  ten  days'  leave  to  accomplish  the  move  As  he  was  preparing  to  leave  Fort  McPherson  to 
pick  up  his  family,  his  wife  called  and  asked  if  he  thought  he  would  have  to  go  to  Saudi  Arabia. 
"Absolutely  not,"  replied  Chaplain  Peterson.  "I'm  the  Reserve  Affairs  Chaplain  and  this  war  will 
never  get  so  big  that  they  have  to  call  up  the  Reserves.  The  U.S.  will  show  some  power  and  Saddam 
Hussein  will  back  down.  I  have  no  concern  "'"" 

At  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  meeting  on  19  August,  Chaplain  Clanton  advised  his  staflFthat 
they  had  better  be  prepared  and  organized  for  a  large  scale  operation  in  Southwest  Asia.  Chaplain 
Zimmerman  had  told  Chaplain  Clanton  that  a  chaplain  would  be  going  to  the  CENTCOM  position. 
Chaplain  Peterson,  still  clearing  his  desk  before  going  on  leave,  received  a  call  at  4  p.m  from 
Chaplain  Scott.  "Your  records  have  been  sent  to  the  JCS,"  Chaplain  Scott  told  him,  "I  need  you  to 
go  tomorrow  to  CENTCOM  Headquarters."  Forty-eight  hours  later,  on  August  22,  Chaplain 
Peterson  reported  with  his  field  gear  to  the  Jl  at  MacDill  Air  Force  Base. 

Chaplain  Peterson's  first  mission  was  to  write  policy  for  the  CENTCOM  Commander  covering 
all  matters  which  dealt  with  religion,  specifically  providing  guidance  for  Operation  Desert  Shield.  The 
policy  memorandum  would  assist  commanders  in  dealing  with  sensitive  issues  regarding  religion:  the 
deployment  of  Jewish  chaplains,  display  of  religious  symbols,  and  the  wearing  of  Chaplain  branch 
insignia.  This  policy  would  be  coordinated  with  the  Armed  Forces  Chaplains  Board  and  the  Office 
of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  US.  Army.  Chaplain  Peterson's  second  mission  was  to  deploy  to  Saudi 
Arabia  within  one  week. '"^ 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)  Right  to  Left:  Chaplain  David  Peterson,  CENTCOM  Chaplain; 
Chaplain  Brock  Watson,  MEDCOM  Chaplain;  Chaplain  Billy  Fowler; 
RSP  Fitgerald  (USN) ;  (Bottom)  HRH  Prince  Charles  visits  with 
Chaplains  Colley,  Hatler,  and  SFC  Ed  Parton  in  Riyadh,  Christmas, 
1990 


59 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

"Gladly  the  Cross  I'd  Bear" 

The  first,  and  most  sensitive  issues  Chaplain  Peterson  had  to  address  in  his  new  job  at 
CENTCOM  were  those  dealing  with  the  customary  use  of  wine  by  some  Christian  faith  groups  in  the 
administration  of  Holy  Communion  and  the  wear  of  branch  insignia  by  Christian  and  Jewish  military 
chaplains.  Prior  to  Chaplain  Peterson's  arrival  at  MacDill  Air  Force  Base,  the  CENTCOM,  J5  and 
Judge  Advocate  General  staff  officers  had  written  some  policy  statements  in  draft  form  which 
addressed  religious  support.  Since  CENTCOM  did  not  have  a  staff  chaplain  assigned  in  early  August, 
the  European  Command  (EUCOM)  Chaplain,  Captain  Raymond  Dresler,  U.S.  Navy,  and  his  deputy. 
Chaplain  David  Goodwillie,  had  also  written  religious  support  policy  as  the  supporting  major 
command  for  CENTCOM  Chaplain  Peterson  appreciated  Chaplain  Dresler's  help,  but  the  policies 
from  EUCOM  and  CENTCOM  were  confusing  when  examined  together  since  they  were 
contradictory  in  a  few  places.  Consequently  Chaplain  Peterson  rescinded  all  previous  policies  and 
wrote  one  with  input  from  the  CENTCOM  Jl  and  J5  that  reflected  a  balance  of  concerns  for  meeting 
the  religious  needs  of  soldiers  without  seeming  insensitive  to  the  host  country's  indigenous  religious 
traditions. 

In  order  to  override  objections  from  CENTCOM  and  some  Third  Army  staff  members 
concerning  importing  wine — forbidden  by  the  Koran — into  Saudi  Arabia,  Chaplain  Peterson 
corresponded  with  several  Christian  endorsing  agencies.  The  Roman  Catholic,  Lutheran,  and 
Episcopal  spokespersons  he  contacted  assured  him  that  sacramental  wine  was  required  by  church 
tradition  and  law  and  was  part  of  the  proper  administration  of  communion.  The  consumption  of  any 
alcoholic  beverage  was  so  sensitive  an  issue  in  the  heart  of  Islam  however,  that  the  CENTCOM  Chief 
of  Staff,  Major  General  Robert  B.  Johnston,  preferred  a  policy  which  did  not  mention  wine  directly. 
Accordingly  Chaplain  Peterson  understood  that  sacramental  wine  would  be  available  through  supply 
channels,  but  the  official  CENTCOM  policy  contained  the  generic  statement:  "Chaplains  are 
authorized  to  possess  such  items  as  are  necessary  to  conduct  religious  services  and  to  use  such  items 
with  discretion  in  the  provision  of  religious  and  spiritual  programs." 

The  guidelines  for  wearing  branch  insignia  for  Chaplains  —  the  cross  or  the  tablets  —  became 
one  of  the  most  hotly  debated  issues  in  Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm  The  policy  Chaplain 
Peterson  personally  proposed  would  have  allowed  chaplains  to  wear  their  branch  insignia  unless  a 
commander  determined  that  such  a  display  interfered  with  the  mission  of  the  unit.  In  that  event  the 
commander  could  ask  the  chaplain  to  remove  or  cover  his  branch  insignia. 

The  official  CENTCOM  policy,  dated  September  13,  1990,  was  not  so  decentralized,  but  did 
allow  some  latitude: 

Chaplains  may  wear  Chaplain  insignia  (cross  or  tablets)  when  in  U.S.  controlled  areas. 
Chaplain  insignia  should  not  be  worn  when  outside  of  U.S.  controlled  areas  if 
commanders  determine  that  the  religious  sensitivities  of  local  nationals  would  be 
offended.  In  such  circumstances.  Army  and  Navy  Chaplains  should  wear  rank  insignia 
on  both  collars  of  their  uniform. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 60 

With  respect  to  this  part  of  his  policy  for  chaplains  in  the  Gulf,  General  Schwarzkopf  wrote: 

Their  insistence  on  religious  purity  notwithstanding,  the  Saudis  recognized  that  our 
troops  could  not  be  denied  the  right  to  practice  their  own  religions,  as  long  as  they  did 
so  discreetly.  After  discussing  the  matter  with  Khalid,  1  called  together 
representatives  of  the  American  Chaplains  and  made  a  short  speech.  'We  all  want  the 
troops  to  have  freedom  of  worship,'  I  told  them,  'but  to  do  that  we  have  to  use  a  little 
judgement.  You  Chaplains  who  are  assigned  to  Riyadh  and  other  cities  already  know 
how  sensitive  the  local  people  are.  The  very  sight  of  the  cross  is  offensive  to  them. 
So  I'm  asking  those  of  you  in  the  cities  to  take  the  Christian  or  Jewish  insignia  off 
your  uniforms,  or  to  wear  them  in  such  a  way  that  they  can't  be  seen.  Chaplains  with 
combat  units  in  the  field  will  continue  to  wear  their  insignia.  I  know  some  of  you 
won't  like  this,  but  it  seems  to  me  a  small  price  to  pay.'  I  added  with  a  mock  growl, 
'Besides,  if  you  are  worth  a  damn  as  Chaplains,  your  troops  already  know  who  you 
are.  You  don't  need  insignia.'  I'd  expected  protests,  particularly  on  the  issue  of  taking 
off  the  insignia,  but  to  my  surprise  the  Chaplains  readily  agreed,  and  even  went 
fiirther:  they  started  calling  themselves  'morale  officers.''"'* 

Some  of  the  chaplains  at  the  Chiefs  Office  thought  that  approving  the  practice  of  referring 
to  chaplains  as  "morale  officers"  was  a  mistake.  They  thought  someone  in  the  technical  chain  should 
have  objected  as  soon  as  the  idea  surfaced  in  Riyadh.  Chaplain  John  Scott  wrote,  "It  was  tolerated 
at  DACH,  but  there  were  many  dissenting  voices.  Some  chaplains  felt  that  while  we  were  in  Saudia 
Arabia  to  defend  their  fi"eedom,  we  could  not  exercise  our  own."  ""  Actually  the  CENTCOM  policy, 
which  General  Schwarzkopf  approved,  called  for  religious  articles  and  ecclesiastical  supplies  shipped 
through  other  than  Military  Airlift  Command  (MAC)  channels  to  be  marked  for  the  "Morale  Officer," 
which  in  most  areas  soldiers  understood  to  be  the  chaplain. 

Other  provisions  of  the  CENTCOM  Command  Policy  for  the  Administration  of  Religious 
Support — Operation  Desert  Shield,  called  "the  PARSON  policy"  by  some  irreverent  officers  at 
ARCENT,  gave  guidance  for  commanders  as  well  as  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistants: 

1.  Commanders  must  continue  to  fulfill  the  religious  needs  of  their  subordinates  with 
integral  religious  support. 

2.  Faith  specific  religious  symbols  (including  flags  and  pennants)  will  not  be  displayed 
out  of  doors. 

3.  Materials  shipped  by  MAC  channel  flights  may  be  marked  for  the  chaplain,  but  should 
not  be  marked  with  any  religious  symbol  Incoming  mail  is  closely  inspected  by 
customs  officials  and  its  use  should  be  avoided. 

4.  Formal  worship  services  will  be  conducted  only  within  covered  shelters  or  private 
settings,  and  not  in  open  areas  or  in  view  of  host  nationals. 

5.  Inter-faith  ministry  with  local  Muslim  Imams  is  not  permitted. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


61 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

6.  Benevolent  activities,  such  as  work  with  orphanages,  will  not  be  solicited. 

7.  In  U.S.  controlled  areas,  religious  articles  will  be  used  with  discretion.  Religious 
materials  are  to  be  distributed  only  to  U.S.  personnel 

8.  Religious  support  personnel  will  refer  all  media  inquiries  to  their  unit's  public  affairs 
office  (PAO). 

The  CENTCOM  policy  concluded; 

These  guidelines  are  not  intended  to  unduly  infringe  on  the  right  of  U.S.  Forces 
personnel  to  freely  exercise  their  religious  beliefs  Rather,  they  are  designed  to  ensure 
that  the  spiritual  needs  of  our  forces  can  be  met  while  simultaneously  respecting  the 
sensitivities  of  our  host  nations  and  denying  a  potential  adversary  a  basis  to 
disseminate  misinformation. 

A  few  chaplains  complained  about  the  CENTCOM  policy,  especially  when  the  Saudi  Arabian 
authorities  posed  no  objection  to  the  subsequent  British  Forces  Middle  East  statement  that  their 
chaplains  would  wear  their  customary  Christian  insignia  as  a  normal  part  of  their  uniforms.  However, 
in  the  main  the  American  chaplains  complied  loyally  with  General  Schwarzkopf  s  directive. 


News  Traveled  Fast 

As  Chaplain  Peterson  was  writing  policy  memoranda  at  CENTCOM  headquarters,  civilian 
newspapers  throughout  the  United  States  began  to  list  the  major  units  deploying  to  Saudi  Arabia. 
On  the  initial  lists  were  the  82nd  Airborne  Division,  the  24th  Infantry  Division  (Mechanized)  from 
Fort  Stewart,  Georgia,  and  the  101st  Airborne  Division  (Airmobile)  from  Fort  Campbell,  Kentucky.'"* 

The  Jewish  Wire  Service  requested  a  list  of  Jewish  chaplains  on  active  duty  in  the  Army  from 
the  Jewish  Welfare  Board  with  the  object  of  locating  and  interviewing  a  Jewish  chaplain  deploying 
to  Saudi  Arabia.""  This  deployment  possibility  was  so  sensitive  at  every  level  of  command,  given  the 
possible  adverse  reaction  by  the  Saudi  Arabian  government,  that  Secretary  of  Defense  Cheney  took 
a  personal  interest  in  the  issue.'™  So,  of  course,  did  Chaplain  Zimmerman. 

With  a  list  of  Jewish  Army  chaplains  in  hand,  the  Jewish  Wire  Service  reporters  began 
contacting  chaplains  individually  One  of  the  first  they  reached  was  Chaplain  Barry  Baron  at  Fort 
Benning,  Georgia.  Chaplain  Baron  was  happy  to  announce  that  he  had  heard  of  a  Jewish  chaplain 
preparing  to  deploy  from  Fort  Stewart  and  that  "for  the  first  time  since  the  7th  century  the  ram's  horn 
would  be  blown  on  Islamic  soil"  at  Rosh  Hashanah,  the  observance  of  the  Jewish  New  Year.'"' 
Chaplain  Baron  did  not  realize  that  his  jubilant  statement  would  have  repercussions  in  Riyadh. 

The  Jewish  Wire  Service  sent  Chaplain  Baron's  story  to  all  Jewish  news  media  including  the 
Lotuiou  Jewish  Chronicle.  From  London  the  story  travelled  by  wire  and  by  radio  to  Israel  where  it 
was  again  publicized  by  the  Israeli  press.  Prince  Khalid  Bin  Sultan  al-Saud,  the  Saudi  General  who 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 62 

commanded  the  Kingdom's  air-defense  forces,  received  a  clipping  of  the  article  taken  from  an  Israeli 
newspaper    General  Schwarzkopf  noted: 

Within  days  of  my  arrival,  Khalid  called  with  his  hair  on  fire;  'You  have  brought 
rabbi  into  this  country  who  is  saying  that  for  the  first  time  in  history,  the  ram's  horn 
will  be  blown  on  Islamic  soil!'  1  very  much  doubted  that  a  US  Army  chaplain  would 
say  anything  that  inflammatory,  but  I  sent  my  staff  chaplain  scrambling  We 
eventually  discovered  that  the  rabbi  in  question  was  neither  connected  to  Central 
Command  nor  present  in  the  Middle  East — he  was  an  Army  chaplain  in  the  United 
States  who  had  been  quoted  in  an  Israeli  newspaper  Someone  had  clipped  the  story 
and  sent  it  to  the  king."" 

Chaplain  Peterson,  who  in  early  September  had  just  arrived  at  General  Schwarzkopf  s 
headquarters  at  the  Saudi  Defense  building  in  Riyadh,  was  summoned  to  the  General's  office.  "You 
have  the  King  on  the  ceiling!"  General  Schwarzkopf  stormed,  "There  are  three  things  that  can  cause 
this  whole  coalition  effort  to  come  unravelled  and  you  have  one  of  them!  Now  you  get  out  there  and 
you  keep  your  chaplains  under  control  And  you  make  sure  that  all  my  troops  have  the  opportunity 
to  practice  their  faith."'"  That  was  the  only  guidance  General  Schwarzkopf  gave  to  his  staff  chaplain, 
but  it  was  not  the  last  time  during  Desert  Shield/Storm  that  General  Schwarzkopf  and  General 
Yeosock  would  be  concerned  about  the  deployment  of  chaplains  and  the  provision  for  pluralistic 
religious  support  in  Saudi  Arabia. 

In  spite  of  his  stormy  introduction  to  his  staff"  chaplain.  General  Schwarzkopf  appreciated 
Chaplain  Peterson's  presence  on  his  staff".  On  his  own  initiative.  Chaplain  Peterson  met  regularly  with 
the  Saudi  Arabian  Army's  Religious  Affairs  Department  to  explain  the  way  chaplains  and  chaplain 
assistants  provided  religious  support  to  American  soldiers  General  Schwarzkopf  asked  Chaplain 
Peterson  to  lead  his  staff"  in  prayer  on  occasion  and  met  with  chaplains  from  CENTCOM  and 
ARCENT  headquarters  to  answer  questions  about  his  policies  with  regard  to  religion,  most  of  which 
Chaplain  Peterson  had  written  for  his  approval.  General  Schwarzkopf  moreover,  not  only 
worshipped  with  his  soldiers  when  he  was  visiting  field  units  and  when  his  incredible  schedule 
allowed,  he  also  encouraged  pilgrimages  to  Mecca  for  American  soldiers  of  the  Islamic  faith  and 
observances  of  Jewish  holidays  such  as  Passover  for  American  soldiers  of  the  Jewish  faith.  He  was 
clearly  committed,  from  the  beginning  of  Desert  Shield  to  the  end  of  the  war,  to  the  provision  of 
religious  support  by  chaplains  for  every  soldier  in  his  command. 


Reinforcements:   Heavy  and  Light 

With  43  Iraqi  divisions,  12  of  them  armored,  in  the  Kuwait  Area  of  Operations,  General  Colin 
Powell  did  not  intend  for  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  to  remain  unsupported  in  the  desert  any  longer 
than  was  absolutely  necessary.   Within  four  days  of  the  Iraqi  invasion,  the  24th  Infantry  Division 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


63 OPERATION  DESERT  SfflELD 

(Mechanized)  at  Fort  Stewart  received  an  alert  order,  through  FORSCOM  and  XVIII  Airborne 
Corps,  as  did  the  101st  Airborne  Division  at  Fort  Campbell.  The  next  day,  August  7,  Lt.  General 
Richard  Graves,  Commander,  III  Corps  and  Fort  Hood,  alerted  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  for 
deployment."-'  The  101st  had  a  brigade  of  Apache  attack  helicopters  and  the  24th  had  four  battalions 
of  desert  -  camouflaged  heavy  tanks — ^just  what  General  Schwarzkopf  needed  to  blunt  any  attack 
Saddam  Hussein  might  launch  immediately  "'  Other  forces,  the  1st  (Tiger)  Brigade,  2nd  Armored 
Division,  from  Fort  Hood  and  the  3d  Armored  Cavalry  Regiment  (ACR)  from  Fort  Bliss  were  also 
alerted.  The  101st  and  24th  would  deploy  as  soon  as  possible  with  the  3rd  ACR  and  the  1st  Cavalry 
Division  following."''  Once  the  "line  in  the  sand"  was  established  and  viable  for  the  defense  of  Saudi 
Arabia,  the  liberation  of  Kuwait  could  proceed  diplomatically — and  militarily  if  necessary. 


Fort  Stewart 

At  Fort  Stewart,  Georgia,  some  of  the  units  of  the  24th  Infantry  Division  were  just  coming 
back  from  the  National  Training  Center  (NTC)  at  Fort  Irwin  on  August  6  when  they  were  told  they 
would  deploy  to  Saudi  Arabia,  beginning  August  1 3  Chaplain  Ben  Romer,  the  only  Jewish  chaplain 
in  the  division,  had  returned  to  Fort  Stewart  from  the  NTC  in  advance  of  his  vehicle  and  equipment 
The  deployment  of  the  24th  Infantry  was  so  rapid,  with  but  seven  days  to  prepare  before  the  first  ship 
left  Savannah  for  Saudi  Arabia,  that  the  train  transporting  divisional  equipment  from  Fort  Irwin  went 
directly  to  the  dock."'  There  the  trucks,  tanks  and  tents  were  loaded  on  the  FSS  Capella  the  first 
fast  sealift  ship  designated  to  support  the  initial  move."*  Chaplain  Romer  made  sure  his  ecclesiastical 
supplies,  not  just  for  supporting  the  Jewish  soldiers  but  for  the  total  religious  support  of  his  battalion, 
were  included  on  board.  No  one  knew  exactly  how  and  when  more  supplies  might  arrive  in  Saudi 
Arabia  8,000  miles  away. 

The  22  unit  ministry  teams  of  the  24th  Infantry  Division  were  well  prepared  for  the 
deployment,  even  on  short  notice.  For  1 3  months  Chaplain  Ford  G'Segner,  the  Division  Chaplain, 
had  worked  with  his  staflFto  battle-focus  the  training  of  all  of  his  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants. 
All  but  three  of  his  chaplains  and  all  of  his  assistants  had  completed  Combat  Lifesaver  Training  with 
the  medical  section  of  the  724th  Support  Battalion  at  Fort  Stewart."^  This  training  included  treating 
nerve  agent  casualties,  first  aid  for  wounds,  and  even  starting  intravenous  (IV)  solutions  Chaplain 
G'Segner  required  the  chaplains  and  assistants  to  practice  IV  techniques  on  each  other  which  was  one 
of  their  least  popular  exercises  "^ 

Other  training  included  diagnostic  tests  for  common  soldier  tasks,  updating  religious  support 
plans,  and  writing  SOPs  for  operation  plans  and  orders  In  Chaplain  G'Segner's  "Unit  Ministry  Team 
Leadership  Philosophy,"  which  he  disseminated  to  every  UMT  member  in  the  24th  Infantry  Division, 
he  emphasized  a  team  approach  for  religious  support: 

We  are  combat  service  support  soldiers  who  lead  other  Army  soldier-leaders  by 
modeling,  teaching,  and  advocating  morals,  values,  ethical  decision-making,  and 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    24th   Infantry  Division   arrives    in   SWA    ;     (Bottom)    Chaplains 
Pincince   and  D'Silva    celebrate  Mass 


65 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

spiritual  fitness.  We  are  each  members  of  the  larger  UMT,  so  we  support  and  defend 
the  rights,  privileges,  and  practices  of  each  other.  We  provide  each  other  with  advice, 
counsel,  empathy,  and  coordinated  actions.  Wrongdoing  has  no  place  in  our 
relationships.""* 

Sergeant-Major  Tillman  Hatcher  of  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain's  Section  thought  that 
in  soldier  skills,  readiness,  and  leadership  philosophy,  the  UMTs  of  the  24th  Infantry  Division  were 
indeed  a  model  for  the  Chaplain  Corps.''" 

The  FSS  Cape  I  la  sailed  from  Savannah  on  August  13  carrying  equipment,  100  soldiers,  and 
one  unit  ministry  team.  Chaplain  Michael  Pollitt,  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  his  assistant.  Specialist 
Ronald  Putt.  During  the  next  two  weeks,  nine  more  ships  sailed,  each  with  a  UMT  on  board 
Chaplain  Thomas  L  Lucas,  the  Installation  Staff  Chaplain  at  Fort  Stewart,  noted  that  the 
"arrangement  worked  well."  Every  unit  fi"om  Fort  Stewart  going  to  Saudi  Arabia  by  sea  or  by  air  had 
at  least  one  chaplain  and  one  assistant  with  them.  The  "Forward  Thrust"  doctrine  of  the  Chaplain 
Corps,  positioning  unit  ministry  teams  as  far  forward  with  soldiers  as  possible,  began  not  in  Saudi 
Arabia  but  at  the  gates  of  Fort  Stewart 

Among  the  first  female  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  deploying  from  Fort  Stewart,  Fort 
Bragg  and  Fort  Campbell  the  third  week  in  August  were  Sergeant  Susan  Bryant,  Aviation  Brigade, 
24th  Infantry  Division,  Sergeant  Toni  Laverach  and  Chaplain  Priscilla  Mondt  of  the  82nd  Airborne 
Division,  and  Specialist  Leslie  A.  Newall  of  the  Aviation  Brigade,  101st  Airborne  Division 
(Airmobile).  In  addition  to  modeling  ethical  decision-making  and  spiritual  fitness,  the  UMTs  by  their 
composition  also  mirrored  the  Chief  of  Chaplains'  multi-cultural  and  inclusive  approach  to  ministry. 
Chaplain  Zimmerman  had  decided  that,  in  spite  of  some  hesitation  at  higher  echelons  to  deploy  female 
soldiers  to  Saudi  Arabia,  unit  ministry  teams  would  deploy  "as  composed."  He  did  not  believe  that 
changes  in  personnel  should  be  made,  on  the  basis  of  gender  or  faith  group,  for  political  reasons. 


Fort  Campbell 

At  the  same  time  the  24th  Infantry  Division  was  loading  tanks  on  ships,  the  101st  Airborne 
Division  (Airmobile)  was  lining  up  on  the  airstrip  at  Fort  Campbell  for  a  series  of  flights  to  Saudi 
Arabia.  The  101st  was  the  first  division  to  be  deployed  out  of  the  port  area  of  Dhahran  which  the 
82nd  Airborne  Division  had  temporarily  secured. 

Chaplain  Herbert  E.  "Herb"  Kitchens,  the  101st  Division  Chaplain,  left  Fort  Campbell  on 
August  25  with  70  soldiers  on  a  C5A  aircraft  bound  for  Dhahran.  Chaplain  Kitchens'  reception  at 
Dhahran  on  August  26  was  typical  for  many  soldiers  of  the  lOT': 

There  was  a  lot  of  anxiety,  I  think,  at  first  because  we  didn't  know  exactly  what  to 
expect  Of  course  the  biggest  anxiety  happened  the  very  first  day.  They  off-loaded 
us  from  the  airplane.    We  marched  over  with  our  equipment  to  a  tent.    They 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 66 

proceeded  to  fill  us  with  water.  We  were  told  that  this  was  a  terribly  hot  environment 
and  we  would  dehydrate,  so  we  had  these  visions  that  we  would  just  walk  out  in  the 
desert  and  dry  up  like  a  prune.  So  we  were  force-fed  two  liters  of  water  in  one  hour. 
We  were  up  to  the  brim  with  water.  They  put  us  on  a  bus  to  carry  us  out  to  the  King 
Fahd  International  Airport.  The  101st  was  to  occupy  the  King  Fahd  Airport  which 
at  that  time  was  under  construction  That's  a  trip  of  about  45  minutes  over  bumpy 
roads.  Our  Saudi  Arabian  bus  driver  didn't  speak  English  and  didn't  understand,  "Pull 
Over!"  That  was  one  trip  I'll  never  forget.  After  that  experience  everything  else  was 
a  cinch. '^' 

The  101st  remained  in  the  King  Fahd  Airport  area  for  five  months,  until  the  Air  War  (air  strike  phase 
of  Operation  Desert  Storm)  began  on  January  17. 


Fort  Bragg 

At  Fort  Bragg  Chaplain  Bernard  "Bemie"  Lieving,  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain, 
departed  for  Saudi  Arabia  on  August  26.  He  succeeded  Chaplain  Hufliam  as  the  senior  Army 
chaplain  in  the  desert  Chaplain  Lieving  served  with  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  in  Vietnam  and  then 
as  the  Division  Chaplain  of  the  1  st  Cavalry  in  1984  before  his  assignment  to  Fort  Bragg  Chaplain 
Lieving  had  spearheaded  the  plans  for  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant  involvement  in  the  first  chaplain 
"Warfighter  Conference"  at  Fort  Fisher  in  1989  and  in  the  CENTCOM  INTERNAL  LOOK  exercise 
in  July  of  1990.  Chaplain  Lieving's  experience  with  both  heavy  and  light  divisions  was  invaluable  in 
his  role  as  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain  in  Saudi  Arabia. '^^ 

Fort  Hood 

The  1st  Cavalry  Division,  commanded  by  Brigadier  General  John  H  Tilelli,  had  been  on  alert 
at  Fort  Hood  since  August  7.  Their  mission  was  to  deploy  to  Saudi  Arabia  within  40  days,  but  not 
later  than  September  15.  Work  and  training  days  were  extended  to  16  and  sometimes  to  24  hours.'" 
Motor  pools  were  lighted  at  night.  Both  small  arms  and  tank  guns  were  fired  on  more  than  30  ranges 
ringing  Fort  Hood.  A  year  later,  after  the  division  returned  from  Saudi  Arabia,  a  local  politician  was 
asked  if  the  gunfire  bothered  the  local  civilian  population.  "No,"  he  replied,  "What  bothered  us  was 
the  lack  of  it."''' 

General  Tilelli  met  with  his  staff  daily  to  discuss  training  and  deployment  plans,  family 
support,  and  logistics.  The  3d  Armored  Cavalry  had  deployed  fi"om  Fort  Bliss  with  the  24th  Infantry 
and  the  101st  Airborne.  There  were  few  training  days  left  until  "America's  First  Team,"  as  the  1st 
Cavalry  was  known,  would  be  in  route  as  well 

Chaplain  Gary  T.  Sanford,  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  Staff  Chaplain,  and  his  assistant.  Sergeant 
First  Class  Alvin  Videtto,  worked  long  hours  to  ensure  that  all  of  the  division  unit  ministry  teams  and 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


Chaplain   Gary    "Sam"    Sanford   with   his  Moses    stick,     1st    Cavalry- 
Division    Chaplain   during   Operation   DESERT  SHIELD. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 68 

their  families  were  informed,  trained  and  ready.  Much  of  the  refresher  training  was  similar  to  that 
provided  in  the  82nd  Airborne  Division:  common  soldier  tasks,  weapons  re-qualification,  defense 
against  chemical  attack,  and  classes  on  Islam.  Chaplain  Sanford  also  conducted  a  division  UMT 
family  cookout  with  a  spiritual  message  on  "Battle  Buddies  "  Taking  his  text  from  Exodus  17, 
Chaplain  Sanford  told  his  chaplains,  assistants,  and  family  members  that  in  every  crisis  people  need 
friends  to  uphold  them  spiritually  as  Aaron  and  Hur  held  up  Moses'  arms  during  the  Biblical  conflict 
between  the  Hebrews  and  the  Amalekites. 

Chaplain  Sanford  did  bear  a  resemblance  to  a  beardless  Moses  —  tall,  slender,  with  a  long 
twisted  staff  he  called  his  "Moses  Stick"  recalling  the  verse  in  Exodus  4,  "Take  this  walking  stick  with 
you,  for  with  it  you  will  perform  miracles."  Chaplain  Sanford  believed  that  unit  ministry  team 
members  should  make  an  indelible  impression  on  soldiers  so  that  they  would  be  instantly  recognized 
anywhere  in  the  unit.  It  was  good  spiritual  leadership  philosophy  for  an  operational  environment  in 
which  chaplain  branch  insignia  was  officially  discouraged  outside  troop  areas. 


Dhahran 

The  unsung  heroes  and  heroines  among  the  first  units  to  deploy  to  Saudi  Arabia  were  the 
logisticians  of  the  22nd  Support  Command  in  Dhahran  and  the  personnel  who  manned  the  ports, 
docks  and  airfields  The  Chief  of  Logistics  for  the  ground  forces  of  Desert  Shield  was  Major  General 
William  G.  "Gus"  Pagonis,  whom  General  Schwarzkopf  described  as  "a  short  guy  from  Pennsylvania 
whose  parents  ran  a  restaurant;  he  was  also  an  Einstein  at  making  things  happen  "'"  During  the  peak 
of  Desert  Shield,  General  Pagonis  had  94  different  units  under  his  command  building  post  offices, 
field  clinics,  phone  booths,  and  recreational  facilities  to  mention  but  a  few  of  his  projects  for 
thousands  of  soldiers.  With  one  transport  aircraft  landing  every  six  minutes,  and  eight  ships  arriving 
with  equipment  for  the  24th  Infantry  division  alone,  the  22nd  Support  Command  became  the  most 
essential  logistical  unit  in  the  Saudi  Arabia  during  Operation  Desert  Shield. 

The  staff  chaplain  for  the  22nd  Support  Command,  Chaplain  Vincent  J.  Inghileterra,  arrived 
in  Saudi  Arabia  from  Fort  Lewis,  Washington,  on  August  29.  As  a  Roman  Catholic,  Chaplain 
Inghilterra  was  immediately  involved  not  only  in  supporting  a  huge  unit  scattered  throughout  eastern 
Saudi  Arabia,  but  also  in  providing  Roman  Catholic  area  coverage  for  his  own  and  other  units  as  well. 
General  Pagonis  supported  Chaplain  Inghilterra  to  the  hilt,  providing  his  chaplain  a  small  fleet  of 
vehicles,  air  conditioned  office  space  in  Dhahran,  and  authority  to  manage  personnel  and  supplies  as 
required  to  implement  the  commander's  religious  program.  Chaplain  Inghilterra  not  only  arrived  in 
the  first  month  of  Operation  Desert  Shield,  but  he  stayed  in  Saudi  Arabia  six  months  longer  than  any 
other  major  command  chaplain  to  support  the  soldiers  who  supplied  the  fighters  at  the  front. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


69 OPERATION  DESERT  SfflELD 

Calling  Up  the  Reserves 

On  August  22  President  Bush  signed  Executive  Order  12727  authorizing  the  first  use  of 
200,000  selected  Reservists  called  to  duty  The  order  also  directed  a  limited  implementation  of  a 
Stop  Loss  Program  which  delayed  retirements  and  other  projected  voluntary  separations  from  service. 
The  next  day,  August  23,  Secretary  of  Defense  Cheney  authorized  the  call-up  of  25,000  Army 
National  Guardsmen  and  Army  Reservists  in  combat  and  combat  service  support  units.'-*" 

Chaplain  Charles  T.  Clanton,  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain  at  Fort  McPherson,  Georgia,  was  one 
of  those  whose  planned  retirement  was  delayed  by  the  Stop  Loss  Program  With  the  Reserve  call-up, 
however.  Chaplain  Clanton  and  his  staff  were  too  busy  to  think  about  a  fiiture  life  There  were  two 
meetings  a  day  at  FORSCOM  in  the  Forces  Command  Operations  Center  (FOC)  and  24-hour  duty 
days  with  one  member  of  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  staff  on  duty  at  the  FOC  all  night  during 
especially  critical  periods. 

Chaplain  (MG)  Zimmerman  delegated  the  responsibility  and  the  authority  to  cross-level 
deploying  FORSCOM  unit  ministry  teams  to  Chaplain  Clanton  the  last  week  in  August. '''  However, 
DACH-PER  retained  overall  personnel  responsibility  and  provided  personnel  from  outside 
FORSCOM  to  meet  the  command's  short  falls  as  they  occurred  This  cross-levelling  responsibility 
for  Chaplain  Clanton  meant  that  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Personnel  Section  had  to  know  which 
active  and  Reserve  component  units  were  deploying,  which  units  needed  chaplains  or  chaplain 
assistants,  how  soon  the  units  would  deploy,  and  what  denominational  mix  was  required.  There  were 
also  tasks  to  recruit  chaplains,  to  get  their  endorsements  updated  on  occasion,  to  get  their  requests 
for  orders  to  the  right  personnel  command,  and  then  to  furnish  them  pre-deployment  information 
while  they  were  awaiting  orders.  Since  both  active  duty  and  Reserve  component  unit  ministry  teams 
were  coming  from  locations  throughout  the  continental  United  States,  coordination  was  ongoing  daily 
between  major  commands,  U.  S.  Forces  Command  and  the  Army  Training  and  Doctrine  Command 
at  Fort  Monroe,  Virginia,  to  use  one  example.  There  was  also  constant  coordination  with  the  Army 
Reserve  Personnel  Center  in  St.  Louis,  the  National  Guard  Bureau  in  Washington,  and  the  Office  of 
the  Chief  of  Chaplains. 

Since  Chaplain  Clanton's  staff  officer  for  Reserve  Affairs,  Chaplain  Peterson,  had  departed 
for  Riyadh  to  assume  the  CENTCOM  Chaplain's  duties,  the  initial  weight  for  personnel  monitoring 
and  cross-leveling  fell  to  Chaplain  Leo  "Joe"  O'Keeffe,  to  Chaplain  Charles  G.  Komschlies,  Chaplain 
Raymond  "Gene"  Ennis,  and  to  Chaplain  Paul  Mason.  Chaplain  O'Keeffe  monitored  the  active  duty 
deployments  and  continued  to  handle  all  other  normal  personnel  missions  involving  the  remaining 
chaplains  on  FORSCOM's  19  installations  Chaplain  Komschlies  replaced  Chaplain  Peterson  and 
coordinated  most  of  the  individual  cross-leveling  tasks  involving  Reserve  component  units. 

Chaplain  Paul  Mason,  a  drilling  Individual  Mobilization  Augmentee,  worked  technically  as 
the  Reserve  counterpart  for  Chaplain  Robert  Vickers  in  the  Operations  Section.  Chaplain  Mason 
attended  the  regular  FORSCOM  Battle  Staff  meetings  with  Chaplain  Vickers  or  as  his  representative 
and  would  bring  the  list  of  units  designated  to  deploy  to  Chaplain  Komschlies  for  analysis  and  any 
necessary  cross-leveling.''*  Chaplain  Sir  Walter  Scott,  who  dealt  with  force  structure  issues,  also 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


chaplain   Vincent    Inghilterra,    successively  22nd  Support   Group 
Chaplain,    ARCENT  Chaplain  and   Theater  Chaplain,    celebrates  Mass 

during   Operation   DESERT  SHIELD 


71 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

worked  with  Chaplain  Vickers  on  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  staff.  Chaplain  Ennis  worked  with 
Chaplain  Komschlies  and  SEC  Michael  Morris  in  recruiting  volunteer  reserve  UMTs  while  Chaplain 
David  Golden  worked  logistics,  training,  and  additional  personnel  issues.'"' 

On  the  same  day  that  President  Bush  signed  Executive  Order  12727,  August  22,  the 
FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office  began  reviewing  all  Reserve  units  on  the  top  secret  deployment  list  to 
see  where  unit  ministry  team  vacancies  occurred.  Chaplain  Clanton  reported  the  progress  and 
changing  methodology  of  reserve  deployments  to  Mr  Roger  Able  at  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  daily. '■"'  Since  time  was  so  critically  short.  Chaplain  Komschlies  frequently  would  call 
chaplains  personally  and  facilitate  their  deployment  with  Major  Tom  Syracuse,  the  Reserve  Personnel 
Officer  at  FORSCOM  Major  Syracuse  would  then  request  orders  from  ARPERCEN  and  the 
chaplain  or  chaplain  assistant  would  deploy  This  system  soon  was  overwhelmed  by  sheer  numbers 
and  requirements,  so  the  CONUSA  Chaplains  were  asked  to  assist  with  Reserve  component  fills,  not 
only  for  units  leaving  for  Southwest  Asia,  but  also  for  vacancies  on  supporting  installations.  The 
FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office  coordinated  these  requirements  with  Chaplain  David  Hoh  at 
ARPERCEN  and  with  Chaplain  George  Schwantes  at  the  National  Guard  Bureau 

The  first  Reserve  component  chaplain  to  deploy  to  Saudi  Arabia  was  not  from  the  U.S.  Army 
Reserves  but  from  the  National  Guard.  Chaplain  Thomas  Stokes,  176th  Maintenance  Battalion, 
Tennessee  National  Guard,  was  alerted  in  August  and  deployed  to  Saudi  Arabia  on  September  20, 
1990.  Chaplain  Stokes  became  the  first  of  41  National  Guard  chaplains  and  92  Army  Reserve 
chaplains  to  be  deployed  during  Operation  Desert  Shield.'" 

Some  Reserve  chaplains,  part  of  the  279  who  served  on  active  duty  in  support  of  Operations 
Desert  Shield  and  Desert  Storm,  had  incredibly  short  alert  notifications  Chaplain  Arthur  B  Salinero, 
a  member  of  the  Individual  Ready  Reserve  who  had  just  received  a  call  to  a  Baptist  Church  in  Florida, 
was  given  36  hours  to  report  to  a  Reserve  unit  in  Alabama  which  was  deploying  to  Saudi  Arabia. 
Chaplain  Salinero  left  on  his  son's  10th  birthday  with  no  assurance  that  his  pastoral  job  would  be 
secure  and  no  real  knowledge  of  where  his  unit  was  going"" 

Initially,  the  personnel  sections  at  FORSCOM  and  at  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  gave 
almost  all  of  their  attention  to  the  unit  ministry  teams  deploying  to  Southwest  Asia.  Chaplain  John 
Scott,  Director  of  Personnel  and  Ecclesiastical  Relations,  and  Mr.  Roger  Able  received  daily 
communication  from  FORSCOM  and  from  Saudi  Arabia.  However,  on  August  29  Chaplain  Tom 
Lucas,  the  installation  staff  chaplain  at  Fort  Stewart  reported  to  DACH  that  there  would  be  only  four 
chaplains  remaining  at  Fort  Stewart  once  the  24th  Infantry  Division  departed.  Projections  through 
the  third  week  in  September,  1990,  looked  bleak  without  an  infiision  of  Reserve  component 
personnel: 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 


72 


Chaplains 

Chaplains 

Military/Family 

Deployed 

Remaining 

Population 

Fort  Stewart 

19 

4 

4,500/22,000 

Fort  Bragg 

40 

29 

16,000/70,000 

Fort  Campbell 

23 

15 

5,000/28,000 

Fort  Benning 

6 

21 

58,000 

FORSCOM  began  to  push  installations  to  identify  their  unit  ministry  team  shortfalls  projected 
through  October.  Nine  volunteer  Reserve  chaplains  and  14  IRR  chaplain  assistants  were  identified 
for  backfill  duty  at  Fort  Bragg  The  Second  U.S.  Army  Chaplain,  Gerald  M.  Mangham,  supported 
chaplain  fills  to  Forts  Stewart,  Bragg,  and  Campbell.  Eventually  212  Reserve  component  chaplains 
reported  for  duty  at  stateside  installations.  Twelve  retired  chaplains  were  also  voluntarily  recalled 
for  family  support  and  duties  with  notification  teams. 

Indicative  of  the  possibility  of  heavy  casualties  early  in  Desert  Shield  were  the  40,000  body 
bags  stored  at  Fort  Eustis  and  the  plans  at  Dover  Air  Force  Base  for  handling  contaminated  remains. 
Chaplain  Henry  Wake  from  the  Oflfice  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  visited  Dover  for  a  briefing  One 
plan  called  for  the  bodies  of  deceased  U.S.  service  members  to  be  dipped  in  vats  of  chemicals  to 
decontaminate  them.  When  Chaplain  Wake  asked  what  personnel  would  accomplish  this  mission, 
he  was  told,  "the  soldiers."  Chaplain  Wake  concluded  that  a  large  number  of  rotating  personnel 
would  be  needed,  including  chaplains  to  counsel  them,  for  no  one  could  work  at  the  Dover  mortuary 
for  very  long  without  a  break  These  chaplains,  like  many  back-filling  hospitals,  would  be  drawn  in 
part  from  the  Reserve  components. 


First  Services  in  the  Desert 

The  "desert"  in  Saudi  Arabia  was  not  typical  of  the  sandy  stereotype  many  Americans  have. 
The  sand  was  not  the  beach  quartz  variety;  but  rather  weathered  sandstone  and  limestone,  often  of 
the  same  consistency  as  body  powder  The  Saudi  Arabians  cannot  make  dependable  concrete  from 
this  "dust,"  as  the  soldiers  called  it.  Instead,  the  Saudis  trucked  high  quality  sand  fi"om  the  Red  Sea 
to  Riyadh  and  Dhahran  to  make  concrete  for  building  material 

As  the  first  American  soldiers  arrived  in  Saudi  Arabia,  they  were  greeted  by  temperatures 
ranging  fi^om  85°F  to  120°F  during  the  day.  Aircraft  hangers  with  cots  and  tiny  bathrooms,  often 
with  cold  water  only,  were  quickly  traded  for  "tent  cities"  with  plywood  latrines  buih  over  oil  drums, 
and  "hanging  bag"  showers  available  once  a  day  to  the  lucky.  Most  soldiers  got  a  hot  meal  every 
fourth  day  and  mail  about  once  a  week. 

The  PERSCOM  Staff  Chaplain,  who  flew  into  Saudi  Arabia  fi-om  Fort  Benning  on  a 
chartered,  unmarked  jet  aircraft,  recorded  his  initial  impressions  for  his  church  newsletter  at  home: 

"How  can  we  sing  the  songs  of  the  Lord  while  in  a  foreign  land*^" —  Psalm  137. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


73 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

I  thought  about  that  question  when  I  arrived  in  Saudi  Arabia  on  a  dark  night  in  1990. 
For  security  purposes  the  giant  transport  aircraft  landed  on  a  blacked-out  airstrip  in 
eastern  Saudi  Arabia.  There  were  three  hundred  and  thirty  of  us  on  the  flight,  mostly 
soldiers  and  Marines.  One  plane  landed  every  seven  minutes,  unloading  a  total  of  six 
thousand  soldiers,  airmen,  and  Marines  each  night. 

Even  in  the  dark  Saudi  Arabia  looks  more  like  the  moon  than  a  beach.  The  eastern 
part  is  not  sandy,  it  is  dusty.  The  dust  and  sun-bleached  rocks  support  almost  no 
vegetation. 

I  know  now  why  the  wise  men  left  the  East  to  go  to  Bethlehem.  Any  wise  man 
would.  The  miracle  is  not  that  they  followed  a  star,  but  that  they  found  enough  water 
to  survive  the  trip! 

The  one  thing  our  soldiers  asked  me  for  were  Bibles  or  New  Testaments.  Most 
thought  they  couldn't  bring  any  religious  articles  or  books  into  this  country,  the  capital 
of  the  Islamic  faith.  I  had  only  one,  so  I  read  to  them — all  330  troops — from  Psalm 
27  "The  Lord  is  my  light  and  my  salvation — whom  shall  I  fear'i'  Though  an  army 
besiege  me  my  heart  will  not  fear,  though  war  break  out  against  me,  even  then  will  I 
be  confident." 

I  told  them  not  to  be  afraid,  for  the  Lord  is  Lord  of  all  the  earth.  Even  in  this  strange 
and  dusty  land,  we  will  sing  the  Lord's  songs,  for  He  is  our  light  and  our  salvation. '^^ 

Chaplain  Herb  Kitchens,  who  supervised  services  for  soldiers  in  the  101  st  Airborne,  noted  that 
"living  conditions  for  the  troops  were  pretty  tough."  Two  of  the  101st  Division's  brigades  were 
always  out  in  the  desert  in  defensive  positions  to  cover  King  Fahd  airport.  The  reserve  brigade  would 
rotate  out  on  a  regular  schedule.  The  soldiers  trained  in  battle  drills  with  desert  driving  and  physical 
training  included.  Chaplain  Kitchens  and  Chaplain  Samuel  T.  Boone,  the  deputy  division  chaplain, 
conducted  frequent  services  in  the  Division  Main  area. 

Chaplain  services  included  "sing  along"  meetings  in  tents,  supported  by  song  sheets  and  small 
hymnals  carried  in  chaplain  kits  Chaplain  Kitchens  taught  the  soldiers  choruses  of  songs  with  the 
aid  of  his  guitar,  which  he  took  with  him  everywhere. 

Supply  of  missalettes  for  the  Catholic  chaplains  on  a  timely  basis  was  difficult  from  the 
beginning  of  Desert  Shield  At  Fort  Campbell,  the  sustaining  installation  for  the  101st  Airborne, 
chapel  attendance  went  up.  Therefore  there  were  no  "extra"  missals  to  ship  to  the  Desert.  Chaplain 
Charies  Adams,  the  installation  chaplain  solved  this  problem  by  writing  larger  contracts,  but  there  was 
no  system  to  get  time-sensitive  ecclesiastical  supplies  quickly  to  Saudi  Arabia.'^'' 

Chaplain  William  Hufham  in  the  82nd  Airborne  observed  a  tremendous  lift  in  soldier  morale 
when  the  troops  heard  that  the  24th  Infantry  Division  had  arrived  with  their  tanks.'"    The 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 74 

paratroopers  greeted  the  normally  disparaged  "leg  unit"  advance  party  with  cheers  followed  by  the 
high-interest  question,  "where  are  the  tanks''"  Indeed  it  was  several  days  before  the  first  tanks 
appeared,  but  at  least  they  were  "in  country  " 

Chaplain  Ford  G'Segner,  who  arrived  with  the  24th  Division  staff  before  the  tanks  did,  was 
mindful  of  the  long,  uncomfortable  days  in  the  Division  Rear.  There  were  staff  meetings  daily  and 
three  or  four  worship  services  a  week.  Much  of  the  ministry  was  pastoral,  being  with  soldiers  during 
both  their  training  sessions  and  their  brief  leisure  hours. 

Chaplain  Ben  Romer,  the  first  Jewish  chaplain  to  deploy  to  Saudi  Arabia,  had  virtually  no 
leisure  time.  Chaplain  Romer's  maintenance  battalion,  the  724th,  was  spread  over  1 00  kilometers  of 
desert  Chaplain  Romer  drove  his  vehicle  while  his  assistant.  Sergeant  Lyenette  Peggins,  provided 
security.  In  addition  to  performing  "all  comers"  services  for  soldiers  of  any  faith  in  his  battalion. 
Chaplain  Romer,  using  helicopter  transport,  provided  Jewish  coverage  for  the  24th  Infantry  Division, 
the  82nd  Airborne,  the  101st  Airborne,  the  U.S.  Marine  units  in  his  area,  and  later  for  the  1st  Cavalry 
Division.'^  For  three  months  Chaplain  Romer  kept  up  this  incredible  pace,  providing  area  coverage 
for  soldiers  throughout  Saudi  Arabia  before  another  Jewish  chaplain  arrived  in  country.  Chaplain 
Bernard  Lieving,  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain,  called  Chaplain  Romer's  ministry  a  "circuit- 
riding  success  story  "'^'  Chaplain  Romer  was  delighted  with  the  ministry  but  not  with  the  pace  of 
providing  seven  services  in  seven  different  places  in  eight  days.'^* 

By  the  end  of  August  there  were  65  unit  ministry  teams  deployed  in  Saudi  Arabia.  In  addition 
to  the  chaplains  and  assistants  from  Fort  Bragg,  Fort  Stewart,  and  Fort  Campbell,  there  were  some 
UMTs  whose  units  would  make  the  international  news  more  than  once.  Chaplain  Leon  Kircher's  3rd 
(Patriot)  Battalion  fi-om  the  43rd  Air  Defense  Artillery  at  Fort  Bliss  provided  SCUD  defense  for 
Riyadh.  Chaplains  John  Betlyon,  Roland  Clemente,  and  Jan  Koczera  arrived  with  the  197th  Infantry 
Brigade  irom  Fort  Benning.  Chaplain  William  Lewis  came  with  the  593rd  Support  Group  from  Fort 
Lewis,  and  Chaplain  Ronald  Kegley  and  Chaplain  Joseph  W.  Smith  with  Fort  Sill's  47th  Field 
Hospital,  a  unit  which  provided  medical  support  to  the  Dhahran  area  during  frequent  SCUD  attacks. 

All  of  these  unit  ministry  teams  were  busy  providing  worship  services,  sacraments,  counseling, 
Bible  studies,  musical  programs,  visitation,  classes  on  Islam,  staff  meeting  input,  UMT  training,  and 
advice  over  the  fiill  range  of  their  units  Some  of  the  statistics  which  have  survived  show  multiple 
worship  services  with  high  soldier  attendance  for  August,  1990: 


HQ,  24th  Infantry  Division 

HQ,  XVIII  Airborne  Corps 
HQ,  Army  Central  Command 


Religious  Eveni 

ts 

People  Attending 

Protestant 

340 

5,436 

Catholic 

99 

1,460 

Jewish 

9 

80 

Other 

68 

1,112 

Protestant 

357 

9,237 

Catholic 

122 

3,060 

Jewish 

26 

450 

Protestant 

838 

24,638 

See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


75  OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 


Catholic 

182 

6,438 

Jewish 

14 

248 

Other 

62 

1,112 

Since  there  were  no  alcoholic  beverages,  drugs,  or  daily  television  programs  available  for  most 
soldiers,  religious  events  not  only  provided  entertainment  and  inspiration  but  also  contributed  to  unit 
cohesion  around  command-sponsored  values  For  a  significant  number  of  soldiers  in  the  desert,  God 
had  never  been  closer  or  more  real  than  in  the  chaplains'  worship  services. 

The  Rape  of  Kuwait 

By  mid-September  President  Bush  had  received  some  reports  of  criminal  incidents  involving 
Iraqi  soldiers  and  unarmed  civilians.  Amnesty  International  forwarded  interviews  with  refugees  to 
the  Western  press,  as  did  other  humanitarian  organizations,  although  Amnesty  International's  first  full 
report  was  not  released  until  December  of  1990 

The  damage  to  Kuwait,  which  began  almost  from  the  moment  the  Iraqis  crossed  the  border, 
was  barbaric  and  revolting  by  any  international  standard.  The  3,000  Americans  living  in  Kuwait 
behaved  like  most  other  Westerners  there.  About  500  fled  by  any  means  they  could  find  The  rest 
stayed  in  Kuwait.  Of  the  13  million  foreign,  mostly  Third  World,  workers  in  southern  Iraq  and  in 
Kuwait,  more  than  200,000  left  as  refiiges  —  streaming  penniless  and  physically  exhausted  into  Saudi 
Arabia  and  Jordan 

One  of  the  most  sensational  reports  came  from  a  15-year-old  Kuwait  girl,  Nayirah,  daughter 
of  the  Kuwait  ambassador  to  Washington."''  Nayirah  told  of  Iraqi  soldiers  taking  approximately  100 
premature  infants  from  their  incubators  in  a  Kuwait  hospital.  The  incubators  were  shipped  to 
Baghdad  while  the  babies  were  left  on  the  hospital  floor  to  die  Dr  Abbas,  a  Kuwait  physician  who 
refused  to  unhook  his  patients  from  life-saving  equipment,  was  shot  in  the  head  in  front  of  his  staff. 
All  usable  hospital  equipment  including  dialysis  machines  went  to  Iraq. 

Other  reports,  equally  gruesome,  detailed  atrocities  against  women,  children,  and  old  men. 
Seven  teenage  girls  were  gang-raped  by  Iraqi  soldiers  and  their  bodies  hanged  by  piano  wire  in  a 
school  yard  '^"  Their  bodies  hung  there  for  a  month.  People  who  resisted  Iraqi  demands  had  their 
eyes  gouged  out  and  their  tongues  cut  off  Some  were  executed  in  front  of  their  families.  Suspected 
resistance  fighters  were  burned,  electrically  shocked,  and  even  suffocated  in  human  excrement.  Some 
Kuwaitis  were  decapitated  and  their  heads  left  on  the  doorsteps  of  their  homes.  More  than  15,000 
Kuwait  men  and  boys  were  sent  to  Baghdad  for  forced  labor.  More  than  50,000  automobiles  and 
trucks  were  confiscated  or  destroyed.  Several  hundred  Kuwait  women  applied  for  abortions.  They 
said  they  had  all  been  gang  raped  by  Iraqi  soldiers.'^'  The  Emir's  palace  was  gutted,  the  water  supply 
fouled,  and  power  for  homes  and  hospitals  interrupted  Art  museums,  banks  and  stores  were  looted. 
Zoo  animals  were  killed  and  their  carcasses  left  to  rot  Millions  of  dollars  in  gold  was  transferred 
from  the  central  Kuwait  Bank  to  Baghdad.  Computers  and  software  were  stolen  or  destroyed  along 
with  most  of  the  investment  records  of  international  business  concerns.  More  than  one  million  mines 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    Tent   cities   and  busses    in    the   desert;     (Bottom)    24th 

Infantry  Division   Chaplain   Ford  G'Segner    (second   from   left)    hosts 

a   visit   from  Air  Force   Chief  of   Chaplains    (MG)    John  McDonough 


77      OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

were  positioned  on  Kuwait  beaches.  Eventually  the  Iraqis  dumped  126  million  gallons  of  oil  into  the 
Persian  Gulf  and  set  fire  to  700  of  Kuwait's  900  oil  wells  which  daily  incinerated  6  million  barrels  of 
oil  and  produced  air  pollution  at  the  estimated  rate  of  500,000  tons  per  day.  The  air  pollution  was 
a  danger  not  only  to  the  present  population  of  Kuwait  but  also  to  future  generations,  for  it  included 
what  Dr  Sylvia  Earle,  Chief  Scientist  of  the  U.S.  National  Oceanic  and  Atmospheric  Administration, 
called  "exotic  carcinogenic  chemicals"  such  as  benzopyrene.  The  Kuwaitis  said  that  in  the  Riqqa 
cemetery  in  Kuwait  City  there  were  the  bodies  of  2,792  people  who  died  unnatural  deaths  beginning 
in  August  of  1990.'-'^ 

In  spite  of  this  incredible  policy  of  terrorism  and  extermination,  the  Iraqi  military  could  not 
entirely  suppress  Kuwait  armed  resistance  A  number  of  cells  of  resistance  fighters  formed 
throughout  Kuwait  City  The  Kuwait  fighters  passed  information  to  the  West,  reported  on  Iraqi 
troop  strength,  and  killed  enemy  soldiers  and  Kuwait  collaborators.  One  young  woman,  named  Esrar 
al-Ghaband,  made  four  trips  to  Saudi  Arabia  to  report  on  Iraqi  troop  movements  in  Kuwait.  When 
she  was  caught,  she  was  axed  in  the  head  and  shot  seven  times  in  her  genitals  before  she  died.'"" 
After  Esrar's  death,  a  few  Kuwait  resistance  members  swore  never  to  allow  an  Iraqi  soldier  to 
surrender  and  live. 

In  the  United  States  House  of  Representatives,  the  Congressional  Human  Rights  Caucus 
decided  to  hold  hearings  on  Iraqi  human  rights  abuses  in  Kuwait,  and  it  sought  individuals  who  could 
give  eyewitness  accounts  of  what  was  happening  there. '^  Representative  Tom  Lantros,  Co-Chairman 
of  the  Caucus,  wrote  that  "hundreds  of  atrocity  stories  from  Kuwait"  carried  by  media  around  the 
globe  and  consistent  with  reports  by  independent  human  rights  organizations,  such  as  Amnesty 
International,  were  submitted  to  the  Caucus  '^^  "Given  the  countless  cases  of  verified  Iraqi  human 
rights  violations,  including  torture  and  murder,  so  many  appalling  accounts,  all  sickeningly  true,"  Mr. 
Lantros  noted,  "it  would  have  been  totally  unnecessary  and  counterproductive  to  invent  atrocities."'"** 

The  use  of  terrorism  against  the  civilian  population  of  Kuwait  did  not  result  in  the  total 
pacification  of  the  small  emirate,  as  Saddam  Hussein  may  have  desired.  Rather,  such  graphic  reports 
of  cruelty  stiffened  the  backbone  of  the  Western  coalition,  which  hardly  needed  reinforcement 
anyway.  Classic  just  war  theory  included  the  use  of  force  not  only  to  "retake  that  which  has  been 
wrongly  taken,"  but  also  to  defend  the  rights  of  the  innocent  by  the  "punishment  of  evil." '^^  Saddam 
Hussein  and  the  Iraqi  military  in  Kuwait  succeeded  in  painting  themselves,  under  international  law, 
not  as  "dear  brothers"  of  the  Kuwait  people,  but  as  merciless  conquerors  and  murderers  of  the 
innocent. 

Strengthening  the  Line 
Leadership 

By  mid-September  Chaplain  Bernard  Lieving,  XVIII  Airborne  Corps,  at  that  time  the  senior 
chaplain  in  Army  Central  Command  (ARCENT),  and  Chaplain  David  Peterson,  the  CENTCOM 
Chaplain,  had  sent  several  messages  to  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  asking  for  someone  to  fill 
the  ARCENT  Staff  Chaplain  position.  Chaplain  Lieving's  primary  responsibility  was  to  supervise 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 78 

religious  support  for  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps,  located  north  and  west  of  Dhahran.  He  could  not 
be  dual-hatted  indefinitely  to  respond  to  issues  at  ARCENT  headquarters  250  miles  away.  Chaplain 
Dan  O'Connor,  the  Third  Army  Chaplain,  was  still  at  Fort  McPherson,  filling  what  was  at  that  time 
a  Reserve  component  position.  Well  aware  that  Third  Army  needed  to  send  a  senior  chaplain  to  the 
desert  as  soon  as  possible,  FORSCOM  Chaplain  Charles  Clanton  notified  the  Chiefs  Office  on 
September  19  that  he  was  meeting  with  the  Third  Army  Chief  of  Staff  to  discuss  this  issue. 

Some  of  the  senior  staff  officers  at  Third  Army  headquarters  had  advised  Lt  Gen.  John 
Yeosock  in  early  August  to  be  cautious  about  taking  a  staff  chaplain  to  Saudi  Arabia.  The  Saudis 
might  be  offended  by  the  presence  of  a  non-Islamic  religious  leader  at  their  Land  Forces  Headquarters 
in  Riyadh.  There  was  no  authority  at  that  time  to  deploy  chaplains  from  the  Reserve  components, 
so  as  a  compromise  Chaplain  Joe  R.  Colley,  the  Deputy  Third  Army  Chaplain  and  an  active  duty 
lieutenant  colonel,  was  alerted  to  deploy  as  the  acting  ARCENT  Chaplain  Chaplain  Colley  and  his 
staff  would  be  located  in  Riyadh,  but  not  at  the  main  Saudi  headquarters. 

Three  times  Chaplain  Colley  was  alerted  at  Fort  McPherson  to  deploy,  and  three  times  his 
orders  were  cancelled.  Not  only  was  there  an  issue  of  a  possible  Saudi  backlash  over  the  presence  of 
a  Christian  chaplain  in  Riyadh,  but  also  Chaplain  CoUey's  position  as  acting  ARCENT  Chaplain,  while 
junior  in  rank  to  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain,  also  was  confusing. 

Thus,  in  spite  of  Chaplain  O'Connor's  excellent  qualifications.  Third  Army  requested  an  active 
component  chaplain  in  the  grade  of  colonel  for  the  ARCENT  position.  Chaplain  Clanton 
acknowledged  that  there  were  active  component  chaplains  available  with  experience  at  senior  levels. 
Among  the  candidates  for  the  ARCENT  post  was  Chaplain  Clanton's  deputy.  Chaplain  Larry  Kelly. 
Since  Chaplain  Peterson  had  just  left  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office  to  fill  the  CENTCOM 
position,  and  since  his  staff  had  heavy  responsibilities  at  FORSCOM  requiring  close  coordination  , 
Chaplain  Clanton  was  understandably  reluctant  to  lose  his  deputy. 

Learning  of  the  need  for  an  ARCENT  Chaplain  in  telephonic  conversations  with  FORSCOM, 
Chaplain  Roy  Mathis,  the  Training  and  Doctrine  Command  (TRADOC)  Staff  Chaplain  at  Fort 
Monroe,  proposed  Chaplain  Gaylord  "Gay"  Hatler,  his  deputy,  as  an  alternate  choice.  Both  Chaplain 
Clanton  and  Chaplain  Mathis  realized  that  this  personnel  switch  would  involve  "lending"  Third  Army 
a  staff  chaplain  just  as  had  been  the  case  with  Chaplain  Peterson's  assignment  to  CENTCOM. 
Nevertheless,  Chaplain  Zimmerman  needed  experienced,  senior  chaplains  in  Saudi  Arabia  even  if  it 
involved  some  shifts  in  the  line.  Third  Army  expected  no  less. 

Chaplain  Hatler  was  a  Vietnam  veteran  with  a  long  record  of  excellence  in  ministry  and  in 
staff  work.  He  had  worked  in  personnel  management  in  Germany  and  in  training  and  doctrine  at  Fort 
Monroe.  He  was  highly  regarded  by  Chaplain  Lieving  and  by  Chaplain  Peterson  for  both  his 
organizational  and  pastoral  skills.  '^^  Chaplain  Donald  Shea,  the  Executive  Officer  for  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  at  that  time,  considered  Chaplain  Hatler  the  best  choice  for  the  job  '■"  Although  no  one 
in  Saudi  Arabia  knew  who  Chaplain  Zimmerman  would  select  in  advance.  Chaplain  Hatler's 
nomination  by  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  and  acceptance  by  the  Third  Army  Commander,  Lt.  Gen.  John 
Yeosock,  was  good  news  in  the  desert. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


79 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

To  Chaplain  O'Connor's  credit,  he  immediately  volunteered  to  serve  in  any  other  capacity  he 
could  in  support  of  Operation  Desert  Shield  Chaplain  O'Connor  went  to  Eisenhower  Army  Medical 
Center  at  Fort  Gordon,  Georgia,  and  provided  valuable  pastoral  support  in  hospital  ministry 
throughout  the  Gulf  War. 

On  October  9,  two  months  after  most  of  the  Third  Army  staff  had  deployed  to  Saudi  Arabia, 
Chaplain  Hatler,  Chaplain  Colley,  and  Sergeant  First  Class  Ed  Parton  deployed  as  the  ARCENT 
Chaplain  section.  In  December  Chaplain  David  Zalis,  Chaplain  Michael  Mitchell,  Chaplain  John 
Brinsfield,  Sergeant  First  Class  Warren  Chapman,  Sergeant  Martin  Cuellar,  and  Sergeant  Major 
Michael  Kutcher  arrived  to  augment  the  section.  Chaplain  Zalis,  a  Reserve  component  chaplain  who 
lived  in  Israel,  became  the  senior  Jewish  chaplain  in  Southwest  Asia.  He  provided  support  and 
oversight  for  the  other  Jewish  chaplains's  needs  as  well  as  religious  support  for  Jewish  personnel 
throughout  the  Theater  Chaplain  Mitchell,  a  Reserve  component  chaplain  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
faith,  covered  Catholic  personnel  at  ARCENT  headquarters  and  provided  area  coverage  wherever 
there  was  a  need  in  Saudi  Arabia  Chaplain  Brinsfield  was  dual-hatted  to  serve  as  the  ARCENT 
Personnel  Command  Staff  Chaplain  on  the  personal  staff  of  Brigadier  General  Thomas  Sikora  and 
to  serve  as  Chaplain  Hatler's  personnel  chaplain  at  the  ARCENT  Chaplain's  Office."" 


Logistical  Support 

Most  of  the  active  duty  combat  units  deploying  to  Saudi  Arabia  counted  on  their  home 
installations  for  resupply.  Some  units,  however,  had  no  installation  or  division  base  upon  which  to 
draw  after  their  initial  90  days'  supply  issue  was  exhausted.  Among  those  concerned,  of  course,  were 
unit  ministry  team  members  who  realized  that  ecclesiastical  supplies  might  have  a  low  priority  in 
competition  with  beans  and  bullets.  Other  concerned  parties  included  the  Information,  Resource 
Management,  and  Logistics  Directorate  (IRML)  in  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  the  Combat 
Developments  Directorate  at  the  US  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  and  the  Staff  Chaplain, 
Army  Materiel  Command 

While  on  temporary  duty  at  several  CONUS  installations,  the  Facilities  and  Logistics  Manager 
for  IRML,  Chaplain  Gary  R.  Councell,  asked  some  questions  about  how  ecclesiastical  supplies  would 
get  to  the  desert  if  deployed  units  remained  beyond  90  days.  The  answers  to  Chaplain  Councell's 
questions  seemed  to  him  to  be  a  bit  vague,  so  upon  his  return  to  the  Pentagon  he  asked  the  Director 
of  IRML  Chaplain  James  B.  Edgren,  for  permission  to  pursue  the  development  of  a  new  chaplain 
resupply  kit.  The  Director  of  Combat  Developments,  Chaplain  John  Hannah,  and  his  NCOIC,  MSG 
Roger  Clark,  fijrnished  a  list  of  desirable  items  for  the  kit 

Chaplain  Don  Gover  at  Army  Materiel  Command  responded  by  obtaining  nearly  $300,000 
in  funding  fi^om  his  commander,  and  by  tasking  his  chaplain  resource  manager,  Chaplain  Mark 
Fentress,  to  work  with  Chaplain  Councell  to  complete  the  project. 

Chaplains  Councell  and  Fentress  contacted  Mr  John  Leigh  at  the  Defense  General  Supply 
Center  in  Richmond,  Virginia.  Mr,  Leigh  and  other  Department  of  the  Army  civilian  workers  took 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 80 

the  project  to  heart  as  their  personal  contribution  to  the  war  etfort.  PreHminary  plans  included 
designing,  advertising,  contracting  and  procuring  3,000  kits  within  a  ten-week  time  frame. 

The  contents  of  the  kit  were  designed  to  provide  a  battalion  UMT  with  sufficient  religious 
items  to  supply  ministry  to  the  unit  for  about  a  month.  Inside  the  kit  were  two  bottles  of  wine, 
dehydrated  grape  juice,  individual  communion  cups,  communion  wafers  in  two  sizes,  crosses, 
crucifixes,  rosaries,  prayer  books,  and  scriptures  in  various  versions  to  meet  different  faith  needs. 
Individual  installations,  civilian  agencies,  or  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  provided  items  for 
Islamic  and  other  specific  denominational  needs. 

The  first  kits  were  packaged  in  a  wooden  crate.  Its  lid  was  nailed  shut  with  1 3  nails  and  the 
whole  ammo-like  container  was  steel  banded.  Inside  were  two  airline-size  bottles  of  communion 
wine,  carefully  negotiated  with  the  Saudi  government  since  alcoholic  beverages  were  forbidden  there. 

Chaplain  Fentress  coordinated  packaging  (glad  wrapping)  the  pallets  for  transport  to  Dover 
Air  Force  Base  and  thence  by  air  to  Saudi  Arabia  Aircraft  tail  numbers  and  arrival  times  were 
forwarded  to  the  ARCENT  Chaplain's  Office.  In  early  November  1990,  the  finished  kits  began 
arriving  on  the  ground  in  Saudi  Arabia.  While  not  every  UMT  in  the  desert  received  one  of  the  kits 
in  the  initial  supply,  eventually  more  than  enough  kits  made  it  to  Southwest  Asia  for  all  of  the  UMTs 
to  have  access  to  the  essential  religious  items  they  needed.'" 


Personnel 

The  number  of  units  and  unit  ministry  teams  deploying  to  Saudi  Arabia  in  September  and 
October  continued  to  increase  at  a  steady  rate.  By  18  September,  94  chaplains  and  89  chaplain 
assistants  were  in  the  desert.  Commanders  at  every  echelon  received  intelligence  briefings  daily 
indicating  a  dramatic  escalation  of  Iraqi  ground  forces  in  the  Kuwait  Theater  of  Operations 
(KTO).  By  the  end  of  October  some  27  Iraqi  divisions,  eight  of  which  were  Republican  Guard 
Forces  Command  divisions,  were  known  to  be  deployed  in  or  near  Kuwait.  Of  these  27  divisions, 
nine  were  armored  or  mechanized,  1 7  were  infantry,  and  one  was  Special  Forces.  Iraqi  manpower 
in  the  KTO  numbered  more  than  435,000,  supported  by  more  than  3,600  tanks,  almost  2,400 
armored  personnel  carriers,  and  more  than  2,400  artillery  pieces.  Opposing  these  forces  were  the  1st 
Marine  Division,  the  24th  Infantry  Division,  the  82nd  Airborne  Division,  most  of  the  101st  Airborne 
Division,  the  12th  Aviation  Brigade,  and  the  3d  Armored  Cavalry  Regiment.'" 

At  the  Chief  of  Chaplain's  Office  in  the  Pentagon,  the  primary  focus  of  Chaplain  Zimmerman's 
staff  had  been  on  the  deployment  of  unit  ministry  teams  to  Southwest  Asia.  Every  directorate  had 
made  contributions  to  monitoring  the  deployment,  approving  plans  and  policy,  and  providing 
logistical  support  as  needed  On  September  18,  Chaplain  Zimmerman  and  select  members  of  his  staff 
presented  a  Chaplain  Special  Topic  Brief  to  the  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army,  General  Carl  Vuono.  One 
of  the  briefing  slides  for  General  Vuono  entitled  "Chaplain  Deployment — Desert  Shield"  indicated 
that,  after  deployment  was  complete.  Fort  Bragg  with  a  military  family  population  of  70,000,  would 
have  seven  chaplains  remaining.  Fort  Stewart,  with  22,000  dependents,  would  have  five.  Fort 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


81 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

Campbell  with  28,000  family  members  would  have  four.  Even  though  the  briefing  team  emphasized 
plans  to  utilize  Reserve  component  chaplains  and  contract  clergy  to  backfill  the  installations.  General 
Vuono  was  clearly  concerned  about  the  shortage  of  chaplains  in  general,  and  Roman  Catholic 
chaplains  in  particular,  on  the  sustaining  installations.  The  Chief  of  Staff  also  wanted  assurance  that 
there  would  be  an  increase  in  chaplain  assistant  availability  for  both  deploying  unit  ministry  teams  and 
for  sustaining  installations. 

Three  days  after  the  briefing  with  General  Vuono,  Chaplains  Wayne  Kuehne  and  John  Raising 
forwarded  information  papers  with  a  cover  letter  from  Chaplain  Zimmerman  to  the  Chief  of  Staff. 
The  papers  assured  General  Vuono  that  there  were  no  chaplain  family  support  shortfalls  on 
installations  with  deployed  chaplains.  In  those  three  days  the  number  of  Reserve  component 
chaplains  reporting  to  Fort  Bragg,  Fort  Campbell,  and  Fort  Stewart  suddenly  increased  to  a  total  of 
24.)  The  chaplain  assistant  strength  would  reach  97  percent  of  authorizations  by  January,  1991,  and 
every  installation  would  have  Roman  Catholic  coverage. 

General  Vuono's  concerns  highlighted  his  belief  that  unit  ministry  teams  were  the  front  line 
of  religious  and  morale  support  for  both  soldiers  and  their  family  members.  Moreover,  General 
Vuono  recognized  that  without  a  chaplain  assistant,  the  availability  of  religious  support  for  the  soldier 
was  severely  constrained.  As  was  the  case  with  many  general  officers  in  Operation  Desert 
Shield/Desert  Storm,  the  Army  Chief  of  Staff  put  a  high  priority  on  the  presence  of  unit  ministry 
teams  wherever  soldiers  and  family  members  had  religious  or  family  support  needs. 

The  immediate  effect  of  General  Vuono's  concerns  was  to  reorient  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  to  the  needs  of  sustaining  installations  Even  though  Chaplain  John  Scott,  the  Director  of 
Personnel  and  Ecclesiastical  Relations,  and  Mr.  Roger  Able  from  the  Plans,  Policy  Development  and 
Training  Directorate,  continued  to  monitor  deploying  chaplains  and  assistants  on  a  daily  basis,  equal 
attention  was  now  given  to  those  posts  fi"om  which  soldiers  departed. 

Fortunately  there  was  no  shortage  of  volunteers  fi'om  the  Reserve  components.  Chaplain 
Robert  Lair,  the  Reserve  Affairs  Advisor  for  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  had  received  calls  or  letters  from 
79  USAR  and  National  Guard  chaplains  volunteering  for  duty  by  the  second  week  in  September.  By 
October  16,  the  Reserve  components  had  fiarnished  29  chaplains,  including  five  Roman  Catholic 
priests,  for  nine  installations 


CENTCOM  Plans:  Shifting  from  Defense  to  Offense 

On  September  13  General  Schwarzkopf  met  with  Lieutenant  General  Khalid  bin  Sultan  bin 
'Abd  Al-'Aziz,  Commander,  Royal  Saudi  Air  Defense  Forces  and  operational  commander  of  Saudi 
forces  committed  to  Operation  Desert  Shield.  The  subject  of  the  meeting  was  fijture  strategy  for 
defending  Saudi  Arabia.'"  Lieutenant  General  Khalid  wanted  the  Coalition  strategy  to  include  the 
defense  of  Saudi  strong  points  and  positions  to  retain  territory  and  key  population  centers.  This 
would  in  effect  commit  Coalition  forces  to  a  static  defense  of  territory,  not  unlike  the  Iraqi  strategy 
during  most  of  the  Iran-Iraq  War.'^* 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SfflELD 82 

General  Schwarzkopf  preferred  a  more  mobile  defense,  pointing  out  the  possibility  that  Iraqi 
forces  could  bypass  and  destroy  separated  Coalition  units  before  reinforcements  could  assist.  The 
use  of  strong  points  as  a  temporary  measure  to  wear  down  advancing  hostile  units  was  acceptable 
provided  Saudi  units  could  be  withdrawn  before  they  could  be  overrun.  General  Schwarzkopf 
further  recommended  a  deception  plan  to  make  the  Iraqis  think  the  Coalition's  main  defense  was 
along  the  border.  The  two  commanders  agreed  on  this  plan  with  the  imperative  of  stopping  the  enemy 
north  of  Al-Jubayl  to  protect  crucial  facilities  and  cities  to  the  south  '" 

The  arrival  of  additional  Coalition  forces  in  theater  allowed  General  Schwarzkopf  to  position 
the  1st  Marine  Division  along  the  coastal  road  70  miles  north  of  Al-Jubayl.  To  the  west  the  XVIII 
Airborne  Corps  established  a  mobile  defense  in  depth  with  the  24th  Infantry  Division  occupying  the 
main  battle  area  along  the  Tapline  Road.  The  101st  Airborne  Division  served  as  the  Corps'  covering 
force,  forward  and  to  the  left  of  the  24th  Infantry  Division.  The  82nd  Airborne  Division  assumed 
defensive  positions  in  the  oil  fields  near  Abqaiq.  Upon  arrival,  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  ,  with  its  heavy 
armor,  was  placed  in  reserve  ready  to  counterattack  if  necessary  At  sea  a  Marine  amphibious  task 
force  threatened  the  potentially  long  Iraqi  line  of  communications  along  the  coast  ''* 

Forward  of  the  U.S.  defenses  a  thin  line  of  units  from  other  Coalition  countries  carried  out 
the  Saudi  plan  of  defending  key  areas.  The  6th  French  Light  Armored  Division  assumed  positions 
west  of  Hafi"  Al-Batin,  a  critical  strong  point  for  an  attack  in  either  direction.  To  their  front  a  Syrian 
Special  Forces  regiment  patrolled  the  Iraqi  border  area  backed  by  the  9th  Syrian  Armored  Division. 
On  their  right,  an  Egyptian  Ranger  battalion  screened  the  Kuwait  border  east  of  Wadi  Al-Batin  in 
front  of  the  3rd  Egyptian  Mechanized  Infantry  Division.  Saudi  forces,  consisting  of  a  screen  of 
mechanized  battalions,  watched  over  the  Kuwait  border  between  the  Egyptians  and  the  Gulf" 

While  the  Coalition  units  were  lining  up  in  the  Desert,  General  Schwarzkopf  and  his 
CENTCOM  planning  cell  were  considering  options  for  an  offensive  against  Iraqi  forces  in  Kuwait. 
There  had  been  some  caution  since  August  in  discussing  offensive  planning  too  openly  in  hope  that 
diplomatic  and  economic  sanctions  might  prove  effective  Saddam  Hussein,  moreover,  still  held 
hostages  from  the  West  in  several  strategic  locations  in  Baghdad.  General  Schwarzkopf  wanted  to 
be  prepared,  however,  to  launch  an  attack  to  liberate  Kuwait  if  other  initiatives  failed.  In  consultation 
with  Ambassador  Chas  Freeman,  General  Schwarzkopf  noted,  "My  only  orders  were  to  deter  and 
defend,  and  I  assume  the  goal  of  an  offensive  would  be  to  free  Kuwait  and  destroy  Iraq's  ability  to 
threaten  the  gulf  states.  But  no  one  has  told  me  that  that's  what  we're  trying  to  do."''* 

In  Washington  Secretary  Cheney  and  General  Colin  Powell  had  been  discussing  offensive 
options  against  Iraq  in  the  event  Hussein  threatened  fiirther  aggression  or  engaged  in  other 
unacceptable  behavior  such  as  killing  citizens  or  foreign  nationals  in  Kuwait."'  With  the  forces 
available  in  Saudi  Arabia,  the  best  CENTCOM  concept  of  operations  included  a  single  corps  attack 
at  night  through  the  main  enemy  defensive  positions  to  seize  high  ground  northwest  of  Kuwait  City. 
(  Lieutenant  Colonel  Joe  Purvis,  the  senior  member  of  General  Schwarzkopf  s  planning  team,  had 
advised  against  a  sweeping  end-around  attack  due  to  the  limited  transportation  assets  in  country.)  The 
destruction  of  the  Republican  Guard  divisions,  the  Iraqi  "center  of  gravity,"  was  the  CENTCOM 
strategic  objective. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


83 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

On  October  1 1  the  CENTCOM  Chief  of  Staff,  Major  General  Robert  Johnson  ,  briefed 
President  Bush,  Secretary  Cheney,  and  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff  in  Washington  on  the  strengths  and 
weaknesses  of  the  single  corps  plan.  From  Riyadh  General  Schwarzkopf  had  sent  a  message  with 
General  Johnson  in  the  form  of  a  briefing  slide  The  slide  read:  OFFENSIVE  GROUND  PLAN  NOT 
SOLID  WE  DO  NOT  HAVE  THE  CAPABILITY  TO  ATTACK  ON  GROUND  AT  THIS  TIME 
NEED  ADDITIONAL  HEAVY  CORPS  TO  GUARANTEE  SUCCESSFUL  OUTCOME.'^  After 
the  briefing  ,  General  Powell  called  General  Schwarzkopf  in  Riyadh  and  asked  him  to  estimate  the 
size  force  he  would  need  to  defend  Saudi  Arabia  indefinitely — the  opposite  of  an  offensive  campaign 
General  Schwarzkopf  read  between  the  lines,  relieved  that  costly  frontal  attack  would  not  be 
immediately  ordered  At  the  same  time,  on  October  1 5,  General  Schwarzkopf  ordered  his  planning 
staff"  to  assume  another  corps  and  develop  plans  for  a  flanking  attack 

The  Iraqi  fortifications  General  Schwarzkopf  proposed  to  flank  consisted  of  a  sand  ridge  or 
berm  backed  by  an  antitank  ditch  which  could  be  filled  with  burning  oil.  Beyond  the  ditch  were  belts 
of  barbed  wire  and  extensive  mine  fields  reportedly  containing  a  minimum  of  500,000  mines."*'  Dug 
in  behind  the  berm  and  other  obstacles  were  tanks,  infantry,  and  long-range  artillery  in  triangular 
strong  points  capable  of  fighting  in  any  one  of  three  directions  in  the  event  an  assault  force  tried  to 
pass  around  them  In  theory,  an  attacking  enemy  would  be  slowed  down  by  the  obstacles  and 
engaged  by  the  artillery,  capable  of  firing  chemical  shells  '^''^  Such  positions  could  be  breached  by 
fi^ontal  assaults,  but  the  cost  would  be  heavy.  Saddam  Hussein  and  his  ruling  council  told  the  Iraqi 
people  to  prepare  for  "the  mother  of  all  battles"  if  Iraq  were  attacked  '^^ 

On  October  22,  after  extensive  telephone  conversations  with  General  Schwarzkopf  and  a 
hurried  trip  to  Riyadh,  General  Powell  asked  President  Bush  and  Secretary  Cheney  for  additional 
forces  to  establish  a  two  corps  offensive  option  in  Saudi  Arabia."'"'  The  additional  forces  would 
include  the  VII  Corps  ft'om  Germany,  the  1st  Infantry  Division  from  Fort  Riley,  Kansas,  an  additional 
Marine  division,  and  additional  tactical  fighter  wings.  Secretary  Cheney  had  directed  preparation  of 
options  for  an  attack  on  Iraqi  forces  through  the  western  Iraqi  desert  in  lieu  of  the  riskier  frontal 
attack,  a  concept  which  coincided  with  General  Schwarzkopf  s  inclinations  as  well,  though  not  in 
exact  detail.  Before  any  additional  troops  deployed,  however.  Secretary  of  State  James  Baker  needed 
to  ask  King  Fahd  and  other  Coalition  allies  to  agree  to  offensive  operational  planning.  In  the  interim 
period.  General  Powell  advised  General  Schwarzkopf  to  be  prepared  to  "go  to  war."'*' 

Secretary  Baker  was  concerned  about  the  reaction  of  the  Coalition  to  a  proposal  that  would, 
in  effect,  double  the  size  of  Desert  Shield  He  needed  to  consult  personally  with  the  key  Coalition 
leaders  as  soon  as  possible  .  Baker  planned  to  leave  Washington  on  November  3.  His  itinerary 
included  Saudi  Arabia,  Turkey,  Egypt,  London,  Paris,  and  Moscow  so  that  all  of  the  soundings  for 
allied  opinion  could  be  made.  The  critical  question  centered  on  whether  the  allies  would  agree  to  use 
force  to  expel  Hussein  from  Kuwait. 

With  Baker  still  in  Moscow,  not  yet  finished  with  his  consultations.  President  Bush  decided 
not  to  wait  any  longer."'*'  The  November  6  elections  were  over  and  the  President  wanted  to  apply 
all  the  pressure  possible  to  Saddam.  On  November  8,  in  an  address  to  the  nation.  President  Bush 
announced  that  the  United  States  would  send  more  forces  to  the  Gulf  to  give  the  Coalition  a 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 84 

combined  arms  offensive  capability.  If  diplomatic  and  economic  initiatives  did  not  move  the  Iraqis 
out  of  Kuwait,  the  Coalition  would  have  a  strong  military  option.  Before  the  President  had  completed 
his  address,  the  VII  Corps  and  the  1  st  Infantry  Division  were  alerted  for  deployment  to  Saudi  Arabia. 


U.S.  Army  Europe: 
Deployment  of  VII  Corps 

The  V  and  VII  Corps  were  the  keystones  of  the  US  ground  defense  in  Europe.  The  1st  and 
3d  Armored  Divisions  were  equipped  with  Ml  Al  Abrams  main  battle  tanks,  each  with  120mm  guns 
and  new  chemical  protection  systems.  At  the  beginning  of  Desert  Shield  the  planners  had  decided  to 
dispatch  US  based  armor  units,  all  with  older  tanks;  but  the  increasing  threat  in  Kuwait  caused  the 
Pentagon  to  shift  to  Europe  to  deploy  the  heaviest  armor  in  the  Army  inventory.  Such  a  deployment 
would  not  have  been  considered,  even  as  late  as  1989,  before  the  virtual  disappearance  of  the  Warsaw 
Pact  made  the  option  feasible. 

In  addition  to  the  1st  Armored  Division,  VII  Corps  would  bring  the  2nd  Armored  Cavalry 
Regiment,  the  VII  Corps  Artillery,  the  1  Ith  and  12th  Aviation  Brigades,  the  3d  Armored  Division, 
from  V  Corps  and  all  of  the  VII  Corps'  engineer,  combat  support  and  combat  service  support  assets. 
The  1  st  Infantry  Division's  Forward  Brigade  and  the  2nd  Armor  Division's  Forward  Brigade,  with 
three  battalion-sized  task  forces,  would  deploy  as  well. 


Ministry  During  Deployment 

The  morale  among  many  of  the  soldier  families  in  Europe  had  been  on  a  roller  coaster  since 
November  of  1989  when  the  Bedin  Wall  was  dismantled  Even  though  the  United  States  and  its 
NATO  allies  had  won  the  Cold  War  by  any  practical  measure,  the  future  of  the  U.S.  Army  in  Europe 
seemed  highly  uncertain.  In  order  to  capitalize  on  "the  peace  dividend,"  Congress  had  mandated  a 
reduction  of  forces  in  Europe  to  include  the  withdrawal  of  17  battalions  of  soldiers  from  U.S.  Army 
Europe.  Chaplain  Gaylord  T.  Gunhus,  the  USAREUR  Chaplain,  described  the  situation  in  1989- 
1990  as  a  "state  of  turbulence  and  depression."""'  One  of  the  contributing  factors  was  the  "point 
system"  USAREUR  planners  utilized  to  decide  which  units  would  stand  down.  Among  the  criteria 
for  awarding  points  was  a  unit's  history  and  tradition  as  a  fighting  force  in  America's  wars.'*' 
Presumably,  all  other  factors  being  equal,  the  2nd  Armored  Cavalry  Regiment  would  rate  higher  than 
the  1 1th  ACR  because  its  history  was  more  extensive. 

With  the  announcement  on  November  9  in  Germany  that  VII  Corps  and  part  of  V  Corps 
would  deploy  to  Saudi  Arabia  to  give  the  Coalition  more  offensive  capabilities,  many  soldiers  and 
family  members  were  in  shock.  Although  the  12th  Aviation  Brigade  of  V  Corps  had  deployed  with 
its  attack  helicopters  in  September,  the  movement  of  two  heavy  armor  divisions  increased  the 
magnitude  of  stress  tenfold.   Thirteen  major  military  communities  ,  each  comprising  three  or  more 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


85 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

sub-communities  on  more  than  40  different  installations,  sent  most  if  not  all  of  their  military  personnel 
to  Saudi  Arabia."'''  Some  units,  such  as  the  1st  Infantry  Division's  Forward  Brigade,  were  in  the 
process  of  deactivating  when  they  were  deployed.  No  one  knew  how  long  the  deployment  might  last 
or  if  the  units  which  were  caught  in  the  Stop  Loss  message  would  continue  to  deactivate  once  the 
operation  was  over.  Most  of  the  300,000  military  dependents  remained  in  Germany  to  await  the 
outcome. 

A  few  of  the  chaplains  at  higher  headquarters  had  anticipated  a  limited  deployment  of  units 
from  Germany  to  Saudi  Arabia  some  months  before  the  President's  announcement.  Chaplain  Gunhus 
had  authorized  Chaplain  Lou  Scales,  Chief  of  Plans,  Readiness,  and  Policy  at  the  USAREUR 
Chaplain's  Office,  to  issue  a  sample  information  packet  for  unit  ministry  teams  that  might  deploy  to 
Saudi  Arabia  The  memorandum,  dated  18  August  1990,  had  been  prepared  by  Chaplain  Scales  and 
Chaplain  Richard  Kuhlbars  to  address  interoperability,  resupply,  shipment  of  sacramental  wine 
(labeled  as  "tea"  in  diplomatic  pouches),  local  customs,  religious  support  plans,  channels  of 
communication,  civil  affairs  policies,  and  chaplain  branch  insignia.'™  Specific  provisions  of  the 
USAREUR  policy,  not  to  wear  chaplain  branch  insignia,  for  example,  raised  questions  at  the 
USAREUR  Chaplain  Training  Conference  in  Berchtesgaden  that  October  chaplains  thought  the  policy 
would  affect  but  a  small  number  of  unit  ministry  teams  in  the  immediate  future.  Chaplain  Calvin 
Sydnor  III,  Deputy  Vll  Corps  Chaplain,  told  his  family  in  October  that  the  situation  in  Saudi  Arabia 
was  "just  saber  rattling  .1  don't  see  that  we're  going."  '"  Chaplain  Timothy  Kikkert  was  equally  sure 
that  the  majority  of  European  units  would  stay  put:  "I  was  convinced  that  my  battalion  would  not  be 
alerted.  We  were  part  of  NATO.  We  had  an  altogether  different  mission."'^- 

At  USAREUR  Headquarters,  Chaplain  Gunhus  knew  that  deployment  to  Saudi  Arabia  might 
be  more  comprehensive.  Five  months  before  the  President's  announcement.  Chaplain  Gunhus  had 
arranged  to  have  all  of  the  USAREUR  chaplains  briefed  on  the  religion  and  customs  of  Islam  at  the 
October  1990  Training  Conference.'"  He  developed  a  close  coordinating  relationship  with 
USAREUR  staflFand  his  technical  chain  counterparts  Gunhus  emphasized  the  mission  essential  task 
list  (METL)  for  UMTs  and  had  his  staff  in  the  USAREUR  Chaplain's  Office  conduct  monthly  METL 
training,  to  include  the  development  of  a  situation  report  (SITREP)  to  collect  critical  religious 
support  data.'"  Chaplain  Gunhus  and  his  USAREUR  staff  worked  all  religious  support  issues  to 
include  anticipating  deployment,  force  structure,  war  planning,  personnel,  resupply,  training,  family 
support,  and  policy  requirements  as  well  as  facilitating  constant  communication  and  site  visit 
support"'  Chaplain  Gunhus  requested  and  received  42  Reserve  chaplains  from  CONUS  to  backfill 
13  military  communities  in  Germany  These  chaplains  and  their  assistants  helped  to  provide  religious 
support  in  areas  most  depleted  by  the  deployment  to  Saudi  Arabia."*  It  would  be  a  fair  assessment 
to  say  that  the  USAREUR  Chaplain  and  his  staff  were  at  the  forefront  in  planning  to  meet  all  aspects 
of  the  religious  support  requirements  in  Operation  Desert  Storm  '" 

Most  soldiers  in  VII  Corps  first  heard  the  news  of  the  deployment  on  the  nightly  news 
at  10  p.m.  on  Thursday,  November  8.  By  dawn  the  next  morning  life  in  VII  Corps  had  completely 
changed.  Commanders  were  scrambling  to  get  their  units  ready;  soldiers  worked  seven  days  a  week 
to  complete  deployment  requirements.  On  November  13  Lieutenant  General  Frederick  Franks,  Jr., 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 86 

the  VII  Corps  Commander,  took  his  division,  corps  artillery,  armored  cavalry  regiment,  separate 
brigade,  corps  support  commanders,  and  primary  staff  officers  to  Dhahran  for  a  meeting  with  General 
Schwarzkopf  In  what  may  have  been  the  most  important  meeting  of  the  war  for  VII  Corps, 
Schwarzkopf  specified  the  destruction  of  the  Republican  Guard  as  the  objective  of  the  campaign  and 
assigned  VII  Corps  the  main  attack  mission.""  The  soldiers  of  the  Jayhawk  Corps,  the  VII  Corps 
nickname,  were  about  "to  get  real." 

Chaplain  Daniel  O  Davis,  the  VII  Corps  Chaplain,  had  accompanied  Lt  Gen  Franks  to  Saudi 
Arabia  on  November  13  Chaplain  Davis,  a  Southern  Baptist,  wanted  to  see  the  area  of  operations 
for  himself  Chaplain  Davis  knew  that  if  he  was  going  to  prepare  his  unit  ministry  teams  properly  for 
deployment,  he  would  need  to  know  what  to  expect.  "Some  people  in  the  Army  think  that  the 
chaplain  is  marginal  to  military  operations, "  Chaplain  Davis  noted,  "  but  I  thought  that  our  chaplains 
would  be  an  integral  part  of  any  missions  their  units  performed.  We  needed  to  know  just  as  much 
about  the  operational  area  as  did  the  G3.""' 

While  the  VII  Corps  Commander  met  with  General  Schwarzkopf,  Chaplain  Davis  discussed 
the  arrival  of  his  chaplains  with  Chaplain  Vince  Inghilterra,  the  Support  Command  Chaplain  in 
Dhahran  '*"  The  VII  Corps  would  bring  the  equivalent  of  almost  four  divisions  from 
Europe — 140,000  soldiers — and  religious  support  with  adequate  logistical  and  area  preparation  was 
extremely  important. 

Upon  his  return  to  Kelly  Barracks  at  Stuttgart,  Chaplain  Davis  and  Chaplain  Sydnor  began 
to  ensure  that  family  support  and  cross-levelling  plans  for  deployment  were  ready  for  implementation. 
Chaplain  John  M.  Allen,  the  Stuttgart  Community  Chaplain,  assumed  the  additional  duty  of 
coordinating  and  directing  religious  support  in  VII  Corps  Rear.  Chaplain  Wesley  G  "Greg"  Monroe, 
from  the  VII  Corps  Chaplain's  Staff,  assumed  administrative  and  logistical  support  duties  for  the 
deployment.  Eventually  13  Reserve  component  chaplains  reported  to  VII  Corps  headquarters  to 
support  family  ministries.  Chaplain  Calvin  Sydnor,  the  Deputy  Corps  Chaplain,  thought  those 
chaplains  who  stayed  behind  to  counsel  family  members  worked  just  as  hard,  if  not  harder,  than  their 
counterparts  in  the  desert.'*' 

Chaplain  Allen,  who  had  been  at  Fort  Campbell,  Kentucky,  at  the  time  of  the  Gander  Aircraft 
Disaster,  knew  well  what  types  of  support  family  members  might  require  in  the  event  there  were 
massive  casualties  in  the  Gulf  Chaplain  Allen  worked  closely  with  the  commanders  at  Stuttgart  to 
plan  for  potential  death  notifications  as  well  as  more  normal  ministries  to  families  in  stress.  Many  of 
the  unit  commanders  bent  over  backwards  to  be  sure  families  received  necessary  financial  and  referral 
agency  support.  The  chaplains  interfaced  with  Family  Support  Groups,  Officer  and  Noncommissioned 
Officer  Wives'  groups  ,  and  other  helping  agencies  to  meet  whatever  needs  family  members  had. 
Chaplain  Richard  Zabel  and  Chaplain  Greg  Monroe  conducted  classes  in  various  subjects  for  families 
including  stress  management.  Four  additional  Reserve  chaplains,  including  two  Roman  Catholic 
priests  and  one  rabbi,  arrived  at  Stuttgart  to  assist  As  a  result  of  active  chaplain  support  as  well  as 
the  initiative  of  other  referral  agencies  during  the  time  the  troops  were  in  Saudi  Arabia  ,  the  average 
counseling  load  for  chaplains  did  not  increase 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


87 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

Spearheading  Support 

The  3rd  Armored  or  "Spearhead"  Division  (3rd  AD)  from  V  Corps  was  involved  in  Operation 
Desert  Shield  from  its  outset  because  a  portion  of  the  3rd  AD  aviation  assets  had  been  deployed  in 
September  of  1990  to  support  the  101st  Airborne  Division  (Air  Assault)  Chaplain  Rolando  Castillo, 
a  Roman  Catholic,  had  deployed  with  this  element  which  was  approximately  a  battalion  and  a  half  in 
size.'*"^  Throughout  the  subsequent  eight  weeks,  3rd  AD  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  planned 
for  contingencies  involving  the  possible  deployment  of  more  units  to  Southwest  Asia  (SWA) 
Planning  was  difficult  because  it  involved  some  units  in  the  midst  of  a  major  (90  day)  training  exercise 
in  Grafenwoehr  and  Hohenfels  and  other  units  which  had  already  been  notified  that  they  were  going 
to  deactivate  as  a  part  of  the  reduction  of  forces  in  Europe.'" 

The  3rd  AD  was  formally  notified  in  the  first  week  of  November  1990,  that  the  remainder  of 
the  division  would  deploy  to  SWA.  The  efforts  of  the  3rd  AD  UMTs,  under  the  leadership  of 
Chaplain  Hulmut  A.  Michelson,  the  Division  Chaplain,  were  directed  toward  assisting  in  family 
support  missions  and  in  preparing  their  own  sections  to  go  to  war.'*^  The  timetable  for  deployment 
called  for  units  to  move  in  stages  from  late  December  through  early  January  1991,  with  the  majority 
of  units  arriving  in  Saudi  Arabia  by  Christmas  Day,  1990.'*' 

The  ministry  in  the  3rd  AD  during  the  pre-deployment  and  deployment  phases  of  Operation 
Desert  Shield  involved  activities  within  the  UMTs  with  soldiers  and  with  family  support  groups. 
Chaplain  Michelson  and  his  NCOIC,  Sergeant  First  Class  Mary  McEntee,  cross-leveled  personnel  to 
provide  a  unit  ministry  team  at  full  strength  for  every  deploying  unit.  This  eflfort  was  complicated  by 
UMT  personnel  who  were  classified  as  nondeployable,  but  eventually  every  UMT  except  one 
departed  for  Saudi  Arabia  with  both  a  chaplain  and  a  chaplain  assistant  The  one  UMT  shortage  was 
filled  by  a  chaplain  assistant  replacement  after  the  unit  arrived  in  SWA. 

Other  personnel  concerns  which  occupied  Chaplain  Michelson's  attention,  as  well  as  the 
attention  of  his  brigade  chaplains,'**  centered  on  the  distribution  of  Roman  Catholic  chaplains,  the 
lack  of  sufficient  training  for  some  chaplain  assistants  below  the  grade  of  staff  sergeant,  and  the  haste 
with  which  the  deployment  was  conducted.'"  Indeed,  some  chaplains  who  had  just  arrived  in 
Germany  were  deploying  to  Saudi  Arabia  before  they  felt  they  had  their  families  settled  adequately 
in  quarters.'** 

In  spite  of  these  challenges,  the  3rd  AD  chaplains  and  assistants  worked  with  their  soldiers 
in  every  task,  helping  staff  the  Processing  for  Overseas  Movement,  and  assisting  in  planning, 
organizing,  and  participating  in  family  support  groups.'*'  All  of  these  tasks  were  accomplished 
concurrently  with  the  "normal"  ongoing  missions  of  counseling,  training,  and  comprehensive  religious 
support."" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 88 

The  Iron  Soldiers'  Example 

The  1st  Armored  Division,  "Old  Ironsides"  as  it  was  familiarly  known  to  those  who  wore  or 
had  worn  the  Division  shoulder  patch,  had  received  a  top  secret  "probable"  alert  thirty  days  before 
the  deployment  order  was  announced  publicly.  The  soldiers  were  excited  and  yet  grieving, 
simultaneously,  when  they  got  the  news  in  early  November  1990  Chaplain  Wayne  J.  Lehrer,  Division 
Chaplain  for  the  I  st  Armored  Division,  felt  that  the  hardest  task  the  division  had  to  perform  during 
deployment  was  to  extricate  itself  from  Europe.'""  The  experience  this  division  had  in  reorienting  its 
mission  from  Europe  to  the  Middle  East  was  an  example  of  the  stress  felt  throughout  VII  Corps, 
requiring  practically  round-the-clock  ministry  by  its  chaplains 

The  1  St  Armored  Division  had  been  embedded  in  Europe  for  over  20  years.  As  a  part  of 
USAREUR,  it  was  heavily  dependent  on  its  host  nation  of  Germany  for  certain  types  of 
transportation  and  supply,  not  to  mention  housing  and  other  kinds  of  facilities.  The  U.S.  Army  in 
Europe  had  a  frilly  developed  theater  which  contrasted  sharply  with  the  stark  barrenness  of  Saudi 
Arabia  from  a  logistical  point  of  view.  The  division  would  be  totally  dependent  on  its  own  Division 
Support  Command  and  the  VII  Corps  Support  Command  for  supplies  from  bullets  to  toilet  paper  and, 
in  effect,  had  "to  dig  itself  out  of  Europe  by  the  roots.  "'^' 

In  the  face  of  this  challenge,  the  1st  Armored  Division  (1st  AD)  reacted  to  its  deployment 
mission  with  attention  to  three  critical  areas:  planning,  training  and  unit  deployment.  Planning 
offered  some  unprecedented  challenges.  First,  the  division  had  to  be  shipped  to  Saudi  Arabia  in  a 
logical  order  to  support  the  build  up  for  possible  combat  operations.  European  heavy  divisions  had 
never  practiced  this  monumental  task.  The  1st  AD  was  fortunate  to  have  an  abundance  of 
commanders  and  staff  officers  familiar  with  REFORGER  exercises  which  included  integrating  new 
equipment  into  units  and  shipping  other  equipment  to  ports  or  to  tactical  assembly  areas. 

Second,  the  division  needed  to  orient  war  plans  towards  a  new  theater.  While  division 
planners  prepared  for  combat  operations,  advance  party  personnel  shuttled  between  Germany  and 
Saudi  Arabia  to  receive  initial  planning  guidance  from  the  ARCENT  staff  and  to  form  first 
impressions  about  desert  combat  conditions."^  The  division  also  prepared  to  receive  new  units:  3d 
Brigade,  3d  Infantry  Division  replaced  1st  Brigade,  1st  Armored  Division  and  the  312th  Support 
Center,  a  round-out  unit  composed  of  US  Army  Reservists  from  throughout  Germany,  also  joined 
the  division.  The  54th  and  1 9th  Engineer  battalions,  the  2 1 8th  Military  Police  Company,  and  the  7th 
Support  Group  joined  the  1st  AD  later  in  Saudi  Arabia. 

The  training  task  for  the  division  centered  on  individual  and  unit  training  while  the  same 
personnel  were  concurrently  preparing  vehicles  for  overseas  movement.  Pre-eminent  among  these 
activities  were  gunnery  training  and  maneuver  training.  The  division  qualified  355  tanks  and  300 
Bradley  crews,  conducted  division  artillery  section  gunnery,  and  qualified  Stinger  and  Chaparral 
missile  crews 

Vehicle  deployment,  which  would  ultimately  involve  210  trains  and  187  convoys  to  move 
8,050  wheeled  and  track  vehicles  to  Bremerhaven  for  shipment  to  Saudi  Arabia,  seemed  to  occur 
mostly  on  short  notice  and  in  bad  weather."^  These  vehicles  and  the  17,400  soldiers  of  the  1st  AD 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


89 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

were  due  in  Saudi  Arabia  by  January  24  which  meant  the  total  movement  had  to  be  completed  in  eight 
weeks,  from  the  last  week  in  November  to  the  last  week  in  January.  The  deployment  plans  called  for 
44  ships  to  move  the  8,050  vehicles  while  12  planes  transported  the  17,400  soldiers  with  multiple 
sorties."' 

The  size,  complexity,  and  speed  of  this  deployment  presented  some  serious  challenges  for  the 
chaplains  in  their  ministry  to  the  soldiers  and  families  of  the  1  st  AD.  For  example.  Chaplain  Wayne 
Lehrer  at  the  time  wore  two  hats;  he  was  the  1  st  Armored  Division  Chaplain  and  the  Garrison 
Chaplain  for  Ansbach  which  comprised  an  area  larger  that  most  stateside  installations.'^*^  Unlike  the 
situation  in  many  other  communities,  when  Chaplain  Lehrer  departed  he  went  with  most  of  the 
garrison  and  the  division,  leaving  no  senior  chaplain  behind.  Thirteen  of  the  14  chaplains  in  Ansbach 
deployed.  All  but  one  of  the  battalions  posted  in  Ansbach  were  deployed  to  Operation  Desert 
Shield/Desert  Storm  as  well  except  for  one. 

Given  the  large  percentage  of  the  Ansbach  military  personnel  deploying,  there  were  concerns 
about  having  enough  soldiers  left  to  provide  security  and  enough  people  left  to  manage  daily  business 
in  the  offices.  Moreover,  the  battalion  which  was  to  remain  behind  felt  some  grief  because  it  "did  not 
get  to  go"  to  the  desert  while  every  other  major  unit  in  Ansbach  did 

The  shrinking  population  in  Ansbach  necessitated  the  closure  of  half  of  the  military  chapels 
in  the  area  With  a  shortfall  often  unit  ministry  teams  in  the  community,  there  was  no  other  eflficient 
choice.  Two  of  the  chapels  were  to  consolidate,  but  could  not  agree  on  which  would  survive. 
Chaplain  Lehrer  closed  them  both,  then  took  symbols  from  each  congregation,  communion  trays  and 
candle  holders  for  example,  and  combined  them  on  a  common  altar  in  the  "new"  consolidated 
chapel.  ■'' 

Within  the  1  st  AD  itself,  there  was  a  shortage  of  only  three  unit  ministry  teams  which  were 
filled  from  CONUS  and  from  stay-behind  brigades  in  Europe  General  Crosbie  E  Saint, 
Commanding  General  of  US.  Army  Europe  and  Seventh  Army  had  determined  to  send  a  part  of 
every  division  represented  in  this  command  so  that  "everyone's  colors"  could  fly  in  Saudi  Arabia.  The 
switch-out  or  "stay  behind"  brigades  sometimes  fiamished  chaplains  to  fill  vacancies  in  units  deploying 
to  the  Gulf 

The  3d  Infantry  Division's  brigade  that  went  with  the  1st  Armored  Division  had  to  be 
organizationally  integrated  into  the  division  and  its  chaplains  included  in  religious  support  planning. 
Chaplain  Lehrer  visited  the  3d  Infantry  Division  to  accomplish  that  goal  since  the  training  schedules 
and  even  the  mission  essential  task  lists  differed  from  one  another.  This  was  just  the  beginning  of  an 
"add-on"  process  which  continued  in  Saudi  Arabia  as  more  units  from  around  the  world  arrived  to 
link  up  with  divisions 

Within  three  weeks  the  division  chaplain  completed  cross-leveling  and  training  unit  ministry 
teams  to  deploy  to  the  Gulf  in  expectation  of  offensive  operations.  Yet,  to  that  time,  the  1  st  AD  had 
"not  had  a  minute's  training  in  desert  warfare.""*  The  1st  AD  did  have  some  early  "lessons  learned" 
in  the  desert  sent  back  to  them  from  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps.  Most  of  these  lessons  were  very 
practical;  for  example,  in  soft  sand  vehicles  will  bog  down,  so  drivers  should  carry  ropes  Chaplain 
Lehrer  realized,  "we  in  the  1  st  AD  didn't  have  any  rope  to  tow  our  vehicles  out  of  sand  drifts. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 90 

Consequently,  all  over  Bavaria  every  piece  of  rope  in  a  store  was  contracted  by  the  1st  AD.  Even 
though  subsequently  we  traveled  on  hard  sand  and  never  got  stuck,  before  we  left  Germany  every 
vehicle  had  a  rope."'''^  Likewise  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  advised  the  1  st  AD  to  bring  flooring  for 
tents.  The  1st  AD  in  turn  contracted  a  whole  shipload  of  plywood  for  flooring.  As  it  turned  out,  the 
ship  did  not  make  it  to  Saudi  Arabia  before  the  fighting  ended,  but  the  contract  was  made.  In  each 
case  the  1  st  AD  tried  to  learn  from  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  what  to  expect  and  what  items  and 
equipment  to  bring 

The  health  and  welfare  of  soldiers  in  the  desert  was  also  of  interest  to  the  1st  AD  before  it 
deployed.  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  medical  officers  had  reported  an  incredible  number  of  "battle- 
fatigue"  cases,  approximately  1,000,  among  soldiers  who  were  suflFering  from  boredom  and  from 
other  problems  in  the  intense  desert  heat.  Major  General  Ronald  H.  Griffith,  Commanding  General 
of  the  1st  AD,  knew  that  he  had  only  four  mental  health  workers  in  the  division,  but  he  had  plenty 
of  unit  ministry  teams  whose  mission  essential  task  lists  included  ministry  to  battle  fatigued  soldiers. 
Major  General  Griffith  designated  the  unit  ministry  teams  as  the  primary  level  screeners  and  therapists 
for  battle  and  non-battle  stress  casualties.  The  division  psychiatrist  had  been  involved  in  the  1  st  AD 
training  program  for  UMTs  long  before  anyone  thought  of  deploying  to  the  desert  and  had  a  rule  that 
no  soldier  would  be  extracted  from  a  battalion  for  battle  or  non-battle  stress  without  a  referral  slip 
from  the  battalion  unit  ministry  team."*'  During  the  entire  deployment,  out  of  a  total  of  22,000 
assigned  or  attached  troops,  only  one  soldier  from  the  1st  AD  left  a  battalion  for  treatment  for  battle 
stress,  and  he  was  returned  to  duty  in  48  hours.'"'  Chaplain  Lehrer  noted  that  the  same  watchfijl  care 
the  unit  ministry  teams  used  to  sense  potential  stress  casualties  also  worked  to  prevent  other  problems 
such  as  dehydration  and  heat  stroke. 

As  the  time  drew  near  for  the  1  st  AD  to  leave  Ansbach,  Major  General  Griffith  scheduled 
Chaplain  Lehrer  to  depart  on  one  of  the  last  aircraft.  Of  the  14  chaplains  in  Ansbach,  13  were 
deploying,  so  the  Division  Commander  wanted  Chaplain  Lehrer  and  Chaplain  Andrew  Dembicki,  the 
Assistant  Division  Chaplain,  to  remain  as  long  as  possible.  Some  Reserve  component  chaplains  were 
due  to  arrive,  but  had  not  reported  in  time  to  overiap  with  those  departing. 

During  the  last  week,  a  lady  from  one  of  the  chapel  prayer  groups  in  Ansbach  asked  for  a  list 
of  departing  soldiers  who  had  no  one  to  pray  for  them.  Chaplain  Lehrer  said  he  could  not  fijmish  that 
list,  but  he  could  give  her  a  total  list  of  all  22,000  soldiers  and  then  she  and  God  could  determine  who 
needed  prayer.  The  lady  was  delighted  and  took  the  list,  an  airplane  roster  scrubbed  of  all  sensitive 
information,  provided  by  the  chaplains 

This  request  made  Chaplain  Lehrer  and  Chaplain  Dembicki  aware  that  many  of  the  people  in 
the  Protestant  and  Catholic  congregations  at  Headquarters  Chapel,  Ansbach,  could  not  put  all  of  their 
feelings  into  words.  The  two  chaplains  took  a  copy  of  the  soldiers'  roster,  with  their  own  names  on 
it,  placed  the  sheets  in  a  pulpit  Bible  and  sealed  it  with  a  golden  cord  and  candle  wax  in  front  of  their 
congregations  the  last  Sunday  before  they  left.  The  "book"  was  placed  in  an  alcove  with  a  light  upon 
it  so  that  the  congregations  could  pray  for  all  of  the  soldiers. 

The  "book"  became  so  important  to  the  families  at  Ansbach,  that  when  the  division 
redeployed.  Major  General  Griffith  personally  set  the  time  when  it  would  be  opened  and  prayers  of 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


91 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

thanksgiving  offered.  The  knowledge  of  the  congregations'  intercessory  prayers  remained  with  the 
soldiers  and  provided  an  important  spiritual  bond  between  those  who  departed  and  those  who  waited 
for  them  to  return. 


A  Spiritual  Awakening  Begins 

One  of  the  characteristics  of  Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm  was  a  renewal  of  interest 
in  religion  on  the  part  of  many  soldiers.  Major  General  Barry  McCaffrey  remarked,  after  the 
redeployment  of  the  24th  Infantry  Division  was  complete,  that  in  the  Desert  "we  had  the  most 
religious  Army  since  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia"  during  the  American  Civil  War.'""  A  number 
of  statistics  from  the  chaplains'  field  reports  seem  to  verify  Major  General  McCaffrey's  impression. 
The  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  conducted  an  average  of  1 9  worship  services,  Bible  studies  or  prayer 
meetings  per  day  for  the  first  54  days  of  Operation  Desert  Shield  for  a  total  of  1,024  religious 
meetings.  The  combined  attendance  for  Protestant,  Roman  Catholic,  and  Jewish  services  led  by  102 
chaplains  totaled  18,474  soldiers.""''  The  average  attendance  of  18  soldiers  per  meeting  suggested 
a  large  number  of  field  services,  small  groups  of  participants,  and  almost  daily  worship 

The  Army  Central  Command  (ARCENT)  figures  for  August  through  December,  1990,  totaled 
7,946  religious  meetings  led  by  525  chaplains  with  an  attendance  of  341,344  soldiers.  Each  month 
for  the  first  five  months,  moreover,  attendance  figures  increased.  Soldiers  attending  Protestant 
"morale  meetings"  numbered  by  month  in  ARCENT:  'August  -  24,638  •  September  -  29,611 
•October  -  48,732  'November  -  51,668  'December  -  58,612.  The  largest  attendance  was  evidently 
in  January  1991,  when  throughout  CENTCOM  a  total  of  184,362  soldiers,  sailors,  airmen  and 
Marines  attended  a  worship  service,  a  prayer  meeting  or  a  Bible  study.  ^*"'  Indications  were  that  these 
figures  would  have  doubled  if  all  key  and  essential  personnel  could  have  been  released  from  duty  to 
attend 

Figures  alone  do  not  indicate  the  quality  of  ministry  soldiers  experienced,  not  only  from 
chaplains  but  also  from  religious  fellowship  and  association  with  one  another  Hundreds  of  soldiers 
were  baptized,  rededicated  their  lives  to  God,  or  assumed  a  more  active  role  in  expressing  their  faith 
as  a  result  of  their  deployment. 

There  were  several  environmental  and  emotional  factors  which  encouraged  soldiers  to  think 
about  their  own  religious  commitment.  First,  the  country  of  Saudi  Arabia  itself  contained  geography 
reminiscent  of  a  Biblical  "wilderness"  as  referenced  often  in  Judeo-Christian  scriptures  as  well  as  in 
the  Muslim  Koran  Second,  the  people  of  Saudi  Arabia  did  not  distinguish  between  religious  precepts 
and  civil  law.  Containing,  as  it  did,  the  sacred  mosques  of  Mecca  and  Medina,  Saudi  Arabia  was 
therefore  one  of  the  most  religious  cultures  on  earth.  Third,  the  prohibitions  soldiers  observed  against 
the  use  or  possession  of  alcohol,  drugs,  and  pornographic  literature  were  based  on  Islamic  religious 
law.  Fourth,  the  situation  the  soldiers  faced  in  Saudi  Arabia  was  uncertain.  Whether  war  would 
begin  was  uncertain;  if  war  did  start,  how  many  casualties  would  occur  was  uncertain;  when  the 
soldiers  would  see  their  families  again  was  uncertain,  where  exactly  they  were  in  Saudi  Arabia  was 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 92 

at  times  uncertain,  and  how  long  U.S.  forces  would  remain  was  uncertain,  although  Chaplain  David 
Zalis  at  ARCENT  noted  cheerfully,  "anything  less  than  forever  was  a  bonus!"'"'  Fifth,  chaplains 
deployed  to  Saudi  Arabia  were  eager  to  minister  to  soldiers  and  the  chaplains  arrived  in  record 
numbers,  an  average  in  ARCENT  of  one  chaplain  for  every  533  soldiers.'*'  Chaplain  assistants,  lay 
ministers,  and  soldiers  who  had  experience  in  religious  music  were  also  highly  motivated  to  contribute 
time  and  talent  to  soldier  religious  support  Since  initially  there  were  no  television  sets  or  town  travel 
available  to  soldiers,  singing  and  fellowship  helped  ease  the  loneliness,  boredom,  and  anxiety  of  living 
in  "the  Sandbox." 


Ministry  of  Presence: 
Go  Where  the  Soldiers  Go 

For  many  chaplains,  ministry  during  Desert  Shield  did  not  begin  at  the  time  of  arrival  in  Saudi 
Arabia,  but  from  the  moment  the  troop  unit  was  alerted.  One  special  opportunity  for  witness  came 
when  the  soldiers  boarded  the  aircraft  for  Saudi  Arabia.  Many  chaplains  prayed  with  soldiers,  listened 
to  their  concerns,  and  even  served  communion  if  time  permitted.  During  the  flights  chaplains  walked 
the  aisles  of  the  aircraft  and  talked  and  joked  with  their  people.  Upon  arrival,  of  course,  the  chaplains 
went  wherever  the  soldiers  did. 

When  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  arrived  at  Dhahran,  they  emerged  into  suffocating 
heat, ...  they  were  flooded  with  sensations:  the  first  sight  of  an  Arab  in  red  and  white 
checked  headdress;  from  nowhere,  a  band  playing  (the  division's),  the  first  drop  of 
sweat  trickling  down  the  small  of  their  backs  ...  After  a  quick  stop  at  a  dusty  tent  to 
collect  a  one-liter  blue  plastic  bottle  of  water,  busses  whisked  the  arrivals  oflF  to  a 
place  called  ad  Dammam  and  a  home  called  "the  warehouse."  Inside  the  dusty  busses, 
soldiers  opened  their  water  and  took  their  first  pull.  The  water  was  warm.  They'd 
have  to  get  used  to  that  too."*" 

Pegasus  Complex,  eight  metal  warehouses  on  the  edge  of  the  Persian  (or  Arabian)  Gulf  in  the 
port  of  ad  Dammam,  was  the  proper  name  for  the  new  home  of  the  1  st  Cavalry  Division.  With  1 ,000 
cots  shoehomed  into  each  warehouse,  12  inches  apart,  eight  buildings  were  not  enough.  Nearby  in 
"Ironhorse  City,"  renamed  "Tent  City"  immediately  by  the  soldiers,  3,000  more  cavalrymen  lived 
under  canvas^"* 

Chaplain  Gary  Sanford,  the  Division  Chaplain,  was  concerned  about  the  location  of  housing 
for  the  soldiers.  Tied  up  at  the  docks  at  ad  Dammam  were  ships  loaded  with  ammunition.  If  a 
terrorist  could  gain  entrance  by  land  or  by  sea,  the  1st  Cav  would  be  a  great  target.'"''  "We  couldn't 
wait  to  get  out  of  there,"  Chaplain  Sanford  recalled,  "but  we  were  busy  every  minute  listening  to  the 
soldiers'  gripes,  concerns  and  complaints." 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


93 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

When  the  1  st  Cavalry  did  move  out,  three  weeks  after  they  arrived,  the  soldiers  were  looking 
forward  to  having  space  to  stretch  out.  Their  assembly  area,  "Horse,"  was  165  kilometers  into  the 
desert.  When  Chaplain  Sanford  saw  the  utterly  barren  location,  his  stomach  sank.  So,  too,  did  half 
of  the-wheeled- vehicles  when  the  drivers  pulled  them  off"  the  road.  "For  the  first  time  some  of  the  old 
soldiers  were  scared,"  Chaplain  Sanford  recalled  "We  were  sitting  ducks  out  there,  unable  to  move, 
with  our  wheels  stuck  in  sand  the  consistency  of  baby  powder.  If  the  enemy  attacked  we  were  perfect 
targets." 

Somewhat  later  the  1st  Armored  Division  fi^om  Europe  had  a  similar  experience  in  their 
assembly  area  Hafar  Al  Batin  when  they  discovered  one  entire  battalion  of  tanks  had  moved  into  the 
desert  without  main  gun  ammunition  The  ammunition  had  been  loaded  on  a  different  ship,  so  when 
the  1st  AD  moved  out  quickly  to  the  desert  some  units  had  only  small  arms  ammunition.  To  add  to 
the  aaxiety  among  the  troops,  intelligence  from  ARCENT  warned  of  a  possible  Iraqi  attack  down  the 
Hafar  Al  Batin  corridor  within  48  hours  of  their  arrival.  Some  of  the  staff"  officers.  Chaplain  Lehrer 
recalled,  sent  an  armed  convoy  back  to  the  port  to  bring  tank  ammunition  to  the  1  st  AD.  The  convoy 
was  supposedly  armed  not  against  a  possible  terrorist  hijacking,  but  to  prevent  other  American  units 
from  diverting  their  critical  "bullets!""'*' 

In  spite  of  the  stress  of  the  environment  and  the  rush  to  be  trained  and  ready  for  war,  many 
chaplains  were  able  to  hold  multiple  worship  services,  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  wherever  troops  were 
located.  In  the  1st  Armored  Division  the  goal  was  to  provide  a  service  for  every  platoon-sized  unit, 
and,  in  fact,  some  weeks  the  chaplains  conducted  300  services  in  that  one  division  alone.'" 


Thanksgiving  in  the  Sand 

As  the  Thanksgiving  holiday  drew  closer,  elaborate  plans  were  made  by  the  ARCENT  G4 
staff" to  provide  every  soldier  with  a  turkey  dinner.  President  George  Bush  announced  plans  to  visit 
American  military  personnel  in  Saudi  Arabia  on  November  21  and  22  with  his  wife  Barbara.  The 
White  House  communications  staff  prepared  mobile  satellite  dishes  to  accompany  the  President  to 
transmit  his  message  to  the  world  "from  the  line  in  the  sand  "  The  President  would  visit  Army,  Navy, 
Air  Force  and  Marine  units  from  Dhahran  to  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  in  the  desert.  General 
Schwarzkopf  recalled  part  of  President  Bush's  trip; 

We  landed  deep  in  the  desert  where  troops  from  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  had  been 
assembled,  and  the  President  gave  another  brief  speech  to  cheers  from  the  soldiers. 
At  the  end  he  presented  them  with  a  set  of  horseshoes  and  challenged  their  champions 
to  a  match  on  the  White  House  lawn  after  they  came  home.  The  troops  loved  it.  As 
we  waited  in  the  chow  line  for  turkey  roll  and  mashed  potatoes,  he  joked  with  the 
soldiers.  The  presidential  party  spread  out  to  eat  with  them  at  sandbag-and-plywood 
tables  in  the  sun.  Spirits  were  high  despite  the  heat.~'^ 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 94 

In  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  itself  Chaplain  William  Hufham  conducted  a  huge  consolidated 
Thanksgiving  service  in  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  for  1,500  troops,  possibly  the  largest  single 
worship  service  held  during  Operation  Desert  Shield.  In  addition  to  religious  services  and  turkey 
dinners,  the  82nd  offered  its  paratroops  a  ten-mile  run  in  the  desert  with  complimentary  "turkey  day" 
T-shirts  for  the  participants.^'^ 

Chaplains  all  over  Saudi  Arabia  were  involved  on  Thanksgiving  Day  with  a  variety  of  services 
and  morale  support  fiinctions  to  help  soldiers  cope  with  separation  from  their  families  8,000  miles 
away.  Chaplain  David  Peterson  from  CENTCOM  visited  some  of  the  forward-deployed  units  and 
was  able  to  have  Thanksgiving  dinner  with  his  son  Jeffrey  who  was  serving  in  the  3d  Armored 
Cavalry  Regiment.''^  Chaplain  Gay  Hatler,  the  ARCENT  Chaplain,  attended  a  "Turkey  Trot"  run 
for  the  soldiers  at  Eskan  Village  in  Riyadh  after  traditional  services  were  held  for  ARCENT 
headquarters  personnel.  In  many  of  the  smaller  units  "on  line,"  worship  services  were  held  after  dark 
to  prevent  detection  by  the  enemy,  if  any  were  in  the  area,  and  to  take  advantage  of  the  cooler 
temperatures. 

In  the  1  St  Cavalry  Division,  Thanksgiving  Day  began  with  a  division  prayer  breakfast  for  250 
soldiers  including  all  of  the  brigade  commanders.  Major  General  John  H.  Tilelli,  Jr.,  the  division 
commander,  gave  the  Thanksgiving  message.  Following  the  prayer  breakfast  there  was  a  type  of 
"organization  day,"  with  volleyball,  fijn  runs,  and  lots  of  food.  Tents,  available  so  the  soldiers  could 
get  out  of  the  sun  to  eat,  were  decorated  with  cardboard  turkeys  and  pilgrims 

The  troopers  had  cardboard  plates  filled  with  turkey,  and  beverages — including  "near  beer," 
which  tasted  like  beer,  looked  like  beer,  smelled  like  beer,  but  wasn't  beer  as  it  had  little  alcohol  in 
it.~"  Some  of  the  soldiers  called  it  "heat  stroke  beer,  another  mirage  in  the  desert."  In  addition  to 
food  and  drink  there  were  worship  services  held  all  day  throughout  the  division  as  the  chaplains  could 
get  around  to  conduct  them. 

Some  UMTs,  of  course,  were  not  located  near  large  units,  so  they  drove  around  in  the  desert 
to  visit  small  outposts  to  pass  out  rosaries,  crosses,  prayer  books,  testaments,  and  whatever 
devotional  literature  they  had.  Unit  ministry  teams,  in  spite  of  the  restrictions  on  the  display  of  flags, 
crosses  and  tablets  in  urban  and  village  areas,  were  heavily  involved  in  providing  religious  support 
to  soldiers  throughout  eastern  Saudi  Arabia  As  Chaplain  Bernard  Lieving  reflected  ft^om  the  XVIII 
Airborne  Corps:  "we  were  in  the  loop  all  the  time!" 


Patience  Grown  Thin 

Between  2  August  1990  and  29  November  1990,  the  United  Nations  had  passed  twelve 
resolutions  dealing  with  the  situation  in  Iraq  and  Kuwait  The  very  first  one.  Resolution  660, 
demanded  the  withdrawal  of  Iraqi  troops  from  Kuwait  and  condemned  the  invasion.  It  was  adopted 
by  14  votes  in  the  affirmative  to  nine  in  the  negative  with  Yemen  abstaining.  By  the  end  of 
November,  just  a  few  days  after  Thanksgiving,  the  United  Nations  had  begun  to  lose  its  patience  with 
Iraq.  On  the  29th  of  November,  Resolution  678  authorized  United  Nations  members  to  use  all  means 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


95 OPERATION  DESERT  SfflELD 

necessary  to  enforce  previous  resolutions  if  Iraq  did  not  leave  Kuwait  by  the  1 5th  of  January  1991 . 
In  some  ways  the  last  three  of  the  resolutions  before  Christmas — Resolution  674  of  October  29  which 
demanded  that  Iraq  stop  mistreating  Kuwait's  and  foreign  nationals.  Resolution  677  of  November 
28  which  condemned  Iraq's  attempts  to  change  Kuwait's  demographic  composition  and  Iraq's 
destruction  of  Kuwait's  civil  records;  and  Resolution  678  which  gave  Iraq  the  15  January 
deadline — were  clear  signals  that  the  United  Nations  did  not  want  to  witness  any  fijrther  mistreatment 
of  Kuwaitis  nor  did  it  intend  to  tolerate  an  indefinite  occupation  of  Kuwait  by  Iraqi  forces 

With  the  arrival  of  the  VII  Corps'  heavy  armor  units,  many  soldiers  in  Saudi  Arabia  realized 
that  the  line  in  the  sand  was  much  stronger.  Days  were  still  long  and  news  fi^om  home  was  slow. 
Chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  continued  their  ministries  of  presence  and  encouragement  to  soldiers 
throughout  Saudi  Arabia. 

The  30  days  between  Thanksgiving  and  Christmas  was  particularly  trying  to  the  patience  of 
the  Coalition  forces  as  the  troops  suffered  from  loneliness  and  boredom.  Chaplain  Priscilla  Mondt 
of  82nd  Airborne  Division  Support  Command  recalled  an  incident  in  which  she  ministered  to  a  soldier 
under  particular  stress:  "A  staff  sergeant  whom  I  knew  well  came  to  the  billeting  area  seeking  me. 
The  closer  that  I  came  to  him  the  more  significant  his  facial  expressions  became.  By  the  time  I 
reached  him,  I  saw  a  mixture  of  relief  and  distress.  He  asked  to  speak  to  me  alone  and  we  walked 
to  a  place  nearby  where  we  could  sit  and  chat.  He  expressed  concern  that  he  would  do  harm  to  those 
around  him.  He  was  6'3"  tall  and  weighed  about  240  lbs.  But  he  began  to  cry,  expressing  that  he  was 
just  not  himself  lately.  His  tears  embarrassed  him  yet  he  informed  me  that  he  was  glad  I  was  there 
because  he  knew  that  it  would  be  alright  to  cry  and  that  I  would  know  what  to  do  After  some 
discussion,  I  convinced  him  to  go  to  the  mental  heahh  tent  for  more  help  I  literally  ran  to  my  area 
and  retrieved  my  equipment.  Upon  my  return,  I  took  the  sergeant  to  the  tent  He  carried  his  weapon 
locked  and  loaded  and  was  by  that  time  somewhat  incoherent.  We  walked  directly  into  mental  health 
and  I  got  the  sergeant  to  lie  down  on  a  cot  He  wanted  to  keep  his  weapon  and  fought  the  mental 
health  specialist  to  keep  it.  I  looked  at  him  and  told  him  that  weapons  were  not  allowed  in  hospitals 
by  regulation,  we  had  to  secure  it.  He  looked  me  directly  in  the  eye.  I  saw  a  trust  in  him  and  he 
responded  as  a  well  trained  soldier  surrendering  his  weapon  to  the  specialist.  We  told  him  to  sleep 
and  he  immediately  dropped  off  The  mental  health  specialist  took  the  magazine  out  of  his  weapon 
and  cleared  it    A  round  dropped  out." 

Chaplain  Mondt  went  back  to  her  area  and  sat  down  on  her  cot  to  think  and  to  pray  She  had 
had  two  such  incidents  in  two  weeks,  although  the  first  case  had  not  been  as  severe.  Both  soldiers 
had  expressed  the  same  idea,  that  they  felt  compelled  to  seek  out  the  chaplain  when  they  were  under 
stress  before  they  did  anything  else 

As  the  Christmas  season  approached,  the  CENTCOM  religious  support  policy  again  came 
under  review.  The  question  many  units  raised  was  to  what  extent  they  could  display  the  Christmas 
season  or  Hanukkah  season  emblems.  The  implementation  of  the  CENTCOM  religious  support 
policy  had  not  caused  much  of  a  stir  among  the  field  units  out  in  the  desert.  Chaplain  Bernard 
Lieving,  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain,  who  supervised  235  unit  ministry  teams  at  the  height 
of  Operation  Desert  Shield,  said  that  the  wearing  of  the  cross  and  the  display  of  religious  symbols 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 96 

were  never  issues  in  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain  Lieving  had  gone  early  to  Lieutenant 
General  Gary  Luck,  the  Corps  Commander,  to  resolve  such  questions.  "Sir,"  Chaplain  Lieving  said, 
"the  camels  and  goats  could  care  less  "  General  Luck  agreed;  and  the  chaplains  were  able  to  display 
appropriate  symbols  not  in  defiance  of  CENTCOM  policy  but  in  recognition  that  they  were  in  a  "U.S. 
controlled  area"  when  they  were  in  the  desert  or  in  a  defensive  position  protecting  airfields  or  ports. 


Sand  D.  Claus  and  the  Holidays 

When  the  Christmas  and  Hanukkah  season  arrived  in  Saudi  Arabia  the  weather  turned  a  bit 
cooler.  The  temperature  was  approximately  75°  in  the  daytime,  dropping  as  low  as  27°  in  the 
northern  parts  of  the  country  at  night.  The  Christmas  and  Hanukkah  celebrations  posed  a  problem 
at  CENTCOM  headquarters,  however,  which  transcended  changes  in  the  weather.  General  H. 
Norman  Schwarzkopf  was  still  concerned  about  the  display  of  Christmas  ornaments  and  any  Christian 
or  Jewish  symbols,  for  that  matter,  in  or  near  Saudi  cities.  As  Schwarzkopf  was  planning  for  normal 
operations  to  continue.  Prince  Khalid  notified  him  that  all  radio  transmitters  would  have  to  be  turned 
off  during  the  holidays  The  problem  the  Saudis  had  was  not  with  music,  but  rather  with  the  words 
of  Christmas  carols.  General  Schwarzkopf  agreed  to  use  only  instrumental  music  so  that  any  Saudi 
Arabians  who  heard  the  music  would  not  hear  also  the  words  of  the  Christmas  carols.  This  was 
acceptable  to  the  Saudi  government  In  addition  however,  the  Saudis  wanted  to  ban  any  Christmas 
cards  coming  into  the  kingdom  At  that  point  in  time  mail  was  pouring  in  at  the  rate  of  300  tons  a 
day  for  the  soldiers  There  were  thousands  of  pieces  addressed  "to  any  serviceman"  and  well  as  gifts 
and  cookies  fi"om  individuals,  schools,  labor  unions,  offices,  churches,  civic  groups,  synagogues  and 
senior  citizen's  homes.  General  Schwarzkopf  said  that  he  would  be  glad  to  give  the  Saudi 
governmental  censors  access  to  these  tons  of  mail  everyday,  but  before  long  they  gave  up.  It  was 
simply  too  great  a  volume  for  them  to  censor.  General  Schwarzkopf  recalled  that  in  mid-December 
one  could  see  signs  of  Christmas  popping  up  in  the  U.S.  camps.  Nearly  every  tent  had  spruce  and 
wreaths  and  little  aluminum  Christmas  trees  complete  with  tinsel  and  battery  powered  flashlight 
ornaments  that  had  been  sent  from  home. 

Another  problem  at  CENTCOM  was  how  to  deal  with  the  American  media.  Katie  Couric  of 
NBC  pleaded  with  General  Schwarzkopf  to  be  allowed  to  film  just  one  or  two  of  the  troop  units' 
religious  services  in  Saudi  Arabia.  General  Schwarzkopf  had  to  decline  her  request  knowing  that  a 
single  new  report  of  a  Rabbi  conducting  a  Hanukkah  observance  on  Saudi  Arabian  soil  would  have 
left  King  Fahd  no  choice  politically  but  to  enforce  the  law  of  the  land  and  ban  all  fiarther  religious 
ceremonies.  Some  of  the  reporters  found  the  policy  hard  to  accept  even  after  it  had  been  explained. 
A  few  tried  to  film  services  in  defiance  of  the  rules,  but  the  CENTCOM  commander  remained  firm 
in  his  belief  that  the  best  way  to  celebrate  the  religious  holidays  was  to  celebrate  them  very  discretely. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    Chaplain   Zinunerman   and   Unit  Ministry   Teams   during  his 

December   visit    to   Saudi    Arabia,    1990;     (Bottom)    Chaplains   Ron 

Kegley  and  Joseph    W.    Smith   raise  morale   in    the   desert 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 98 

Visit  by  Chaplain  Zimmerman 

From  the  14th  to  the  23rd  of  December  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Chaplain  Matthew 
Zimmerman,  visited  Saudi  Arabia.  His  itinerary  was  exhaustive;  for  in  1 0  days,  he  covered  more  than 
1 ,000  miles,  visiting  the  unit  ministry  yearns  from  Dhahran  to  Riyadh  to  King  Khalid  Military  City. 
Chaplain  Zimmerman  not  only  visited  the  senior  chaplains  in  Saudi  Arabia,  Chaplain  Peterson  at 
CENTCOM,  Chaplain  Hatler  at  ARCENT  and  Chaplain  Inghilterra  at  the  Support  Command,  but 
he  also  visited  many  division  and  battalion  level  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  as  well.  Chaplain 
Zimmerman  recalled  how  impressed  he  was  with  the  incredible  number  of  religious  services  the  unit 
ministry  teams  were  offering  to  the  soldiers  He  was  concerned  that  the  chaplains  and  chaplain 
assistants  might  fatigue  themselves  too  quickly  with  their  demanding  schedule.  Zimmerman  knew  that 
it  would  be  difficuh  to  tell  chaplains,  whose  ministry  in  the  United  States  may  have  been  to  small 
numbers  of  soldiers,  that  they  could  not  hold  as  many  services  as  they  felt  able  to  conduct  when  there 
were  hundreds  of  soldiers  interested  in  worshiping. 

Chaplain  Zimmerman  in  particular  was  impressed  with  the  high  state  of  morale  and  readiness 
of  the  soldiers  he  visited  One  of  the  locations  which  was  a  show  piece  for  unit  ministry  team 
ministries  was  at  the  Riyadh  airport  where  numbers  of  Patriot  missile  batteries  were  located  to  defend 
airfields  fi'om  possible  SCUD  attacks.  Some  unit  ministry  teams  had  tents,  folding  chairs,  a  kind  of 
air  conditioning  with  piped  air  and  electronic  music  provided  by  the  Air  Force.  These  self-contained, 
palletized  chapels  could  be  shipped  in  and  set  up  in  one  day.  The  sharing  of  these  facilities  with  the 
Air  Force  made  the  logistical  part  of  the  chaplains'  ministries  much  less  difficult  Some  suggested  that 
the  Army  draw  up  plans  for  a  similar  portable  chapel  to  be  used  at  the  battalion  level  After  ten  days 
in  the  desert  Chaplain  Zimmerman  returned  to  Washington  with  very  positive  impressions  of  the  work 
the  unit  ministry  teams  were  doing  in  Saudi  Arabia.  He  had  given  the  soldiers  "a  tremendous  morale 
boost"  with  his  assurances  of  the  unqualified  support  they  had  at  home. 


A  Variety  of  Worship  Services 

Of  course,  many  of  the  divisional  size  units  had  already  received  monumental  support  from 
their  home  installations.  The  24th  Infantry  Division  from  Ft  Stewart,  for  example,  received  not  only 
Christmas  trees  and  decorations,  but  also  20,000  Christmas  stockings  so  that  every  soldier  could  have 
a  Christmas  stocking  on  Christmas  eve.  The  1st  Armored  Division  which  had  moved  to  tactical 
assembly  area  "Thompson"  near  the  Tapline  Road  in  northern  Saudi  Arabia  in  convoys  which  took 
from  1 5  to  20  hours,  looked  forward  to  some  Christmas  presents  of  rudimentary  but  of  a  highly 
significant  nature.  For  example,  they  had  wooden  showers  and  latrines  as  well  as  daily  mail  and  1 20 
telephones  that  made  possible  long  distance  calls  to  the  United  States.  These  very  simple  amenities 
were  most  welcome  in  the  Christmas  season.  The  1  st  Calvary  Division  from  Ft  Hood  received  copies 
of  Handel's  Messiah  and  Santa  Claus  suits  from  Ft.  Hood,  the  sustaining  installation.  The  1  st  Calvary 
Division  put  up  big  trees  (trucked  in)  and  tied  down  with  lines  because  in  the  Christmas  season  there 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


99 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

were  at  times  very  strong  sand  storms.  Some  Christmas  trees,  made  from  plywood  sheets  painted 
green  or  from  camouflaged  nets  draped  over  wooden  frames,  were  festooned  with  decorations  made 
from  every  imaginable  bauble,  from  Christmas  cards  to  dog  tags  Chaplain  Gary  Sanford,  the  1st 
Calvary  Division  chaplain,  formed  a  soldiers'  choir  to  perform  Christmas  concerts  throughout  the  1  st 
Calvary  Division.  From  the  23rd  through  the  26th  of  December  the  choir  performed  eight  concerts 
featuring  Handel's  Messiah  and  other  favorite  musical  selections. 

In  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  over  3,000  soldiers  attended  a  candle  light  service  at  division 
headquarters  on  Christmas  Eve  On  Christmas  day  there  were  tons  of  turkey  and  pie  with  a  six-mile 
"jingle  bell  run"  for  a  second  dessert  Like  other  divisions  the  Christmas  season  brought  presents  of 
VCRs,  bingo  games,  transistor  radios  and  the  greatest  morale  booster  of  all — VII  Corps  tanks.  For 
the  first  time  in  five  months  the  82nd  Airborne  division  soldiers  felt  that  they  were  no  longer  speed 
bumps  in  the  desert  but  could  be  part  of  an  authentic  punch  if  they  were  needed. 

Some  chaplains  were  not  lucky  enough  to  be  with  a  large  unit  at  Christmas.  Chaplain  Jose 
Rodriguez  of  the  125th  Support  Battalion,  VII  Corps,  was  in  process  of  visiting  several  small  troop 
units  in  the  desert.  He  had  planned  to  have  two  Christmas  dinners,  one  with  each  of  two  separate 
battalions,  but  in  the  almost  complete  darkness  of  the  desert  a  simple  movement  between  one  unit  and 
another  unit  could  be  quite  conftising  Some  units  behind  sand  berms  could  not  be  seen  in  the  dark 
even  though  a  vehicle  could  be  only  a  few  yards  away.  Chaplain  Rodriguez  spent  most  of  Christmas 
Eve  driving  around  trying  to  locate  the  units  he  was  to  visit.  He  managed  to  find  some  of  them  but 
spent  the  night  with  a  very  small  military  police  detachment  at  a  road  intersection  deep  in  the  desert. 

In  order  to  understand  how  some  unit  ministry  teams  had  to  navigate,  one  needs  to  realize  that 
driving  in  the  dark  in  the  desert  is  somewhat  like  navigating  at  sea.  If  there  are  no  landmarks,  one 
simply  takes  a  direction  and  moves  a  certain  number  of  miles  or  kilometers  and  then  looks  for  a  road 
or  trail  that  might  lead  to  a  unit  In  some  cases  chaplains  simply  left  a  unit  with  a  sketch  map  showing 
that  if  they  watched  their  odometers  they  would  be  able  to  travel  on  a  certain  azimuth  for  a  certain 
number  of  kilometers  and  then  find  a  road  leading  to  their  desired  location.  These  problems  were 
overcome  later  in  Operation  Desert  Shield  with  the  addition  of  satellite  navigation  technology. 
However,  in  many  cases,  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  merely  had  to  follow  their  best  instincts 
or,  if  they  were  lucky,  the  tiny  red  lights  on  the  rear  of  a  vehicle  ahead  of  them. 

In  Riyadh  the  restrictions  against  celebrating  Christmas  or  Hanukkah  publicly  were  much 
more  stringent  than  in  the  troop  units  in  the  desert.  Nevertheless,  on  December  24th,  Bob  Hope 
arrived  with  his  soldier  show.  Mr.  Hope  met  with  General  Schwarzkopf  in  the  Commander's  office 
and  then  went  to  Eskan  Village,  the  location  where  he  and  his  troupe  were  scheduled  to  do  the  first 
of  two  shows  in  the  region.  General  Schwarzkopf  recalled,  "after  introducing  him  I  went  to  sit  in  the 
audience.  More  than  900  Americans,  mainly  Air  Force  personnel  who  had  been  the  first  to  arrive  in 
Desert  Shield,  were  in  attendance  The  show  wasn't  very  long  because  some  of  the  equipment  had 
failed  to  arrive,  and  Mr.  Hope  had  been  forced  to  leave  the  actresses  and  dancing  girls  out  of 
performances  in  Saudi  Arabia.  Nevertheless,  Bob  Hope  and  Johnny  Bench  told  jokes  and  Aaron 
Tippin  sang  country  music  songs.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  show,  Mr.  Hope's  wife  Dolores  got  up 
and  led  the  troops  in  singing  'White  Christmas'.  There  was  almost  overwhelming  emotion  in  the  air. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 100 

Here  we  were  in  a  theater  of  war,  it  was  Christmas,  we  were  missing  our  families  and  we  were  seeing 
a  Bob  Hope  show  -  just  like  the  troops  in  World  War  11,  just  like  the  troops  in  Korea,  just  like  the 
troops  in  Vietnam."'"' 

After  the  show  General  Schwarzkopf  attended  a  church  service  in  Eskan  Village.''^  During 
the  service  traditional  carols  were  sung  because  the  Saudis  allowed  discrete  services  which  would  not 
be  publicized  to  the  Arab  population  in  Riyadh.  After  the  service,  the  chaplain  assistants  served 
cookies,  cake  and  coffee  and  people  crowded  around  General  Schwarzkopf  taking  his  picture  and 
asking  him  to  sign  chapel  programs.  The  soldiers  and  airmen  expressed  how  glad  they  were  that  Mr. 
Hope  had  come  over  and  how  the  show  had  made  them  feel  a  part  of  the  American  military 
tradition''^ 

Later,  on  Christmas  Eve  night.  General  Schwarzkopf  returned  to  his  office  in  the  Ministry  of 
Defense.  His  wife  Brenda  had  sent  a  tiny  Christmas  tree  with  lights  As  he  switched  it  on  he  heard 
the  phone  from  Washington  ring.  It  was  President  Bush.  The  President  told  General  Schwarzkopf, 
"I  couldn't  let  this  day  go  by  without  calling  to  wish  you  and  all  the  men  and  women  under  your 
command  a  Merry  Christmas.  I  know  that  you  are  far  away  from  your  loved  ones  but  I  want  you  to 
know  that  our  thoughts  and  prayers  are  with  you.  You  now  know  the  course  we  are  on,  our  prayers 
will  stay  with  you  during  the  coming  days."  General  Schwarzkopf  thanked  President  Bush  on  behalf 
of  all  of  Central  Command.  After  the  phone  call  the  general  turned  on  some  Christmas  music  and 
listened  to  it  long  into  the  night  until  he  fell  asleep."'^ 

For  at  least  24  hours  on  Christmas  Day,  and  the  day  after,  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants 
continued  to  visit  units  throughout  Saudi  Arabia.  Many  units  had  not  been  fortunate  enough  to  have 
a  "soldier  show"  or  very  many  gifts  arrive,  even  though  the  Any  Soldier  mail  was  pretty  constant. 
Chaplain  Gary  Sanford  in  the  1st  Calvary  Division  helped  the  soldiers  get  in  the  mood  for  the  holiday 
season  by  donning  one  of  the  Santa  Claus  suits  sent  to  the  division  from  Ft.  Hood.  Chaplain  Sanford 
called  himself  Sand  D  Claus.  He  wore  a  Santa  hat  and  goggles  of  the  type  worn  by  vehicle  drivers. 
He  frequently  came  to  soldier  shows  out  in  the  desert  where  the  Bob  Hope  show  had  not  been  able 
to  travel.  Chaplain  Sanford  would  then  sit  down  on  a  water  box  or  a  folding  chair  and  ask  the 
commander  of  the  unit  to  come  up  and  sit  on  his  knee  and  tell  him  what  he  wanted  for  Christmas. 
The  soldiers  went  wild  with  laughter  watching  Sand  D.  Claus  interview  their  commanders."""  These 
comic  relief  episodes  simply  illustrated  the  very  diverse  ways  chaplains  sought  to  minister  not  only 
to  the  soldiers  deep  religious  needs  but  also  to  their  overall  morale  and  welfare. 

In  the  101st  Airborne  Division  (Air  Assault)  Chaplain  Herb  Kitchens  held  a  Christmas  Eve 
service  at  the  division  headquarters  site.  The  division  headquarters  was  located  at  the  King  Fahad 
International  Airport.  "Chaplain  Sam  Boone  and  I  conducted  the  service,"  Kitchens  recalled: 

The  101st  Screaming  Eagle  Band  provided  the  music  under  the  direction  of  CW3 
Bryan  Wills.  It  was  a  beautiful  night  on  Christmas  Eve  and  the  sky  was  filled  with 
stars;  but  there  was  a  1 5  mph  breeze,  making  it  difficult  to  keep  the  candles  lit.  The 
Advent  Wreath  had  five  candles,  one  for  each  of  the  four  Sundays  leading  up  to 
Christmas  and  a  Christ  candle  in  the  center  to  represent  the  presence  of  the  Lord  with 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


101 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

us  The  wind  kept  blowing  out  our  candles,  forcing  us  to  relight  them  over  and  over. 
When  an  individual  candle  in  the  congregation  blew  out,  the  worshiper  would  borrow 
a  light  from  the  next  person.  Each  time  the  Advent  candles  blew  out  we  relit  them 
from  the  Christ  candle.  At  the  close  of  the  service  several  people  came  up  to  me 
expressing  amazement  and  wonder  as  they  had  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  the 
only  candle  that  did  not  go  out  during  the  entire  service  was  the  Christ  candle. 
Whatever  caused  the  Christ  candle  to  keep  burning  it  made  a  lasting  impression  on 
those  of  us  who  worshiped  in  that  service.  The  candle  light  service  on  24  December 
1 990,  conducted  in  a  land  where  Christ  was  not  normally  worshiped,  was  a  very 
special  event  for  the  101st  Airborne  Division  soldiers"."' 

Chaplain  Gay  Hatler  in  Riyadh  had  spent  Christmas  Eve  celebrating  a  Christmas  service  at  the 
U.S.  Embassy.'"'^  He  recalled  a  very  small  tree  and  even  some  tiny  ornaments  that  he  had  received 
from  his  wife.  Other  chaplains,  those  in  the  141st  Signal  Battalion,  simply  joined  the  troops  in  games 
which  included  playing  football  in  the  sand,  with  protective  masks  slung  on  the  belt  during  the 
Christmas  season.  The  experiences  of  the  soldiers,  the  chaplains,  the  commanders  and  even  the 
visiting  press  corps  during  the  holiday  season  reinforced  the  unified  commitment  that  American 
military  personnel  had  to  the  liberation  of  Kuwait. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    Chief   of   Chaplains   Matthew  Zimmerman    visits    with    the    101st 

Airborne    (Air  Assault)    Division,    December,    1990.    Chaplain   Herb 

Kitchens,    Division    Chaplain,    is   at    the    Chief's   left;     (Bottom)    Do- 

It-Yourself   showers   and  facilities   in    the   desert 


103 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

ENDNOTES 

1    Timothy  K.  Bedsole,  "forward  Thrust,"  Military  Chaplains  Review  (Summer  1991 )  p.  45. 

2.  ARCENT  Chaplain  Personnel  Rosters,  7  march  1991,  U.S.  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support 
Agency,  Washington,  DC.  On  7  march  1991  there  were  568  Army  chaplains  in  SWA  -  145  of  whom 
were  from  the  Reserves  or  National  Guard  This  number  (145)  included  15  Reserve  chaplains  who 
served  in  Civil  Affairs  units.  Of  the  514  chaplain  assistants,  67  were  from  the  Reserve  components 
Some  41  of  the  145  Reserve  chaplains  were  from  the  National  Guard,  104  from  the  U.S.  Army 
Reserve. 

3. Roger  Able,  "2  August  1991  Desert  Storm  Deployment  Update,"  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains,  p  1 .  The  figure  of  428  reflects  1 13  USAR  (3  IRR)  and  61  ARNG  chaplains  in  SWA 
(including  2  in  Turkey  and  1  in  Israel)  for  a  total  of  174.  Some  30  USAR  (16  TPU  and  14 
TTAD)  and  12  ARNG  (2  TPU  and  10  TTAD)  were  deployed  to  backfill  vacancies  in  Germany. 
An  estimated  212  Reserve  chaplains  and  195  assistants  served  at  DACH,  in  the  MACOMs, 
CONUSAs,  Chaplain  School,  hospitals,  and  on  installations  in  CONUS.  See  Chaplain  (Colonel) 
Robert  C  Vickers,  "Desert  Shield/Storm  from  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Perspective,"  U.S. 
Army  War  College  monograph,  15  April  1994,  p.  12    Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

4. The  total  number  of  chaplains,  active  and  Reserve,  who  served  in  SWA  or  in  backfill  missions 
from  August  1990  to  August  1991  in  support  of  Operation  Desert  Shield/Storm  equaled  860  (432 
active  duty,  428  Reserve).  There  were  709  chaplain  assistants  (447  active  duty,  262  Reserve) 
with  them    Figures  are  from  Roger  Able,  DACH  Roster,  2  August  1991,  and  from  Chaplain 
(Colonel)  Robert  Vickers,  "Desert  Shield/Storm  from  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Perspective," 
USAWC  Monograph  15  April  1994,  p   12. 

5  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Matthew  A.  Zimmermann,  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains,  9  December  1993. 

6. Philip  Hiro,  Desert  Shield  to  Desert  Storm:   The  Second  Gulf  War  (New  York:  Routledge, 
Chapman  and  Hall,  Inc.,  1992),  p.  103. 

7  Thomas  B.  Allen,  F.  Clifton  Berry,  and  Norman  Polmar,  CAW  War  in  the  G?///" (Atlanta,  Ga.: 
Turner  Publishing,  Inc.,  1991),  p.  67. 

8  Robert  H  Scales,  Jr.,  Certain  Victory  (Washington,  DC;  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Staff,  US  Army, 
1993),  p.  45. 

9. Philip  Hiro,  Op.  cit.,  p.  108. 

lO.Ofra  Bengio,  Saddam  Speaks  on  the  Gulf  Crisis,  (Tel-Aviv:   Tel-Aviv  Univ.,  1992),  p.  107. 

1  I.Gregory  Jaynes,  "Into  the  Storm,"  Life  Magazine  (March  1991),  p.  45. 


OPERATIONS  IN  SOUTHWEST  ASIA [04_ 

IZOfra Bengio,  Op.  cit.,  p.  117. 

n.Ofra  Bengio,  Op.  cit.,  p.  122. 

14.Philip  Hiro,  Op.  cit.,  p.  21. 

15. Ibid.,  p  43;  and  Roger  Anderson  (ed.)  Dakota's  Desert  Storm  (Rapid  City,  S.D.:  South 
Dakota  National  Guard  Headquarters,  1992)  p.  3. 

16.Philip  Hiro,  Op.  cit^,  p.  84. 

n. Ibid.,  p.  89. 

\S.Ibid 

\9.Ibid,  p.47. 

lO.Ibid.,  p.  46. 

21.Robert  Scales,  Op.  cit.,  p  45. 

22. Bob  Woodward,  The  Commanders  (New  York:  Simon  and  Schuster,  1991),  p.  228. 

23.1bid.,p.22l. 

24.1bid.,  p.  229. 

25. Ibid 

26. Gregory  Jaynes,  Op.  cit.,  p.  49. 

27  Thomas  B.  Allen,  Op.  cit.,  p.  70. 

28. Gregory  Jaynes,  Op.  cit.,  p.  50 

29.Bob  Woodward,  Op.  cit.,  p.  236. 

30.1bid 

3\.Ibid.,p.237. 

32.1bid.,  p.  238. 

33. Ibid.,  p.  249. 

3A.Ibid.,  p.  255. 


105 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

'iS.Ihid. 

36  Robert  Scales,  Op.  cit.,  p  46  Note:  General  Edwin  Burba,  the  FORSCOM  Commander, 
monitored  all  deployments  from  FORSCOM  to  Saudi  Arabia,  including  those  of  his  own  staff,  in 
support  of  CENTCOM's  mission. 

37. Ihid. 

38. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Joe  R.  Colley,  USA,  Retired,  Atlanta,  Georgia,  4 
January  1994. 

39. The  Atlanta  Constitution,  August  6,  1990,  p.  I. 

40.Philip  Hiro,  Op.  cit.,  p.  117. 

4 1. Bob  Woodward,  Op.  cit.,  p.  266. 

42  Briefing  by  General  Norman  Schwarzkopf  to  CENTCOM  and  ARCENT  Chaplains,  Riyadh, 
March  19,  1991 

43. Bob  Woodward,  Op.  cit.,  p.  267. 

44.1bid.,p.  271. 

45. Ibid.,  p.  273. 

46.1bid 

47  Robert  Scales,  Op.  cit.,  p  48 

48. Bob  Woodward,  Op.  cit.,  p.  274. 

49. Tiie  Atlanta  Constitution,  6  August  1990,  p.  A-6. 

50. Bob  Woodward,  Op.  cit.,  pp  274,  278. 

5 1 .  The  Atlanta  Constitution,  9  August  1990,  p.  1 . 

52. Robert  F.  Dorr,  Desert  Shield  {Osceola,  Wisconsin:  M.I.  Publishers,  1991),  p.  26,  and  Gregory 
Jaynes,  Op.  cit.,  p  50. 

5 3. Roger  Anderson,  Op.  cit.,  p.  3. 

54.77i^  Atlanta  Constitution,  August  8,  1990,  p.  A- 12  and  9  August  1990,  p  1. 


OPERATIONS  IN  SOUTHWEST  ASIA 106 

55  Stephen  W  Leonard,  Graduated Mohilizatioti  Response  and  the  Total  Force  Chaplain  (Carlisle 
Barracks,  PA.:  U.S.  Army  War  College  Study  Project,  1991),  p.  1. 

56. Personal  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  J.  Kaising,  25  March  1995. 

57. Robert  Scales,  Op.  cit.,  p.  51. 

58. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col)  Wayne  Kuehne,  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  16  Dec 
93. 

59. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj  Gen.)  M.  A.  Zimmerman,  9  Dec  93. 

60. James  M.  Hutchens,  Memorandum  for  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman,  7  Sept. 
1990,  US  Army  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency,  Washington,  DC. 

61. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Brig  Gen  )  Wayne  W.  Hoffmann,  8  September  1994. 

62. Personal  interview  with  Mr.  Roger  Able,  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  9  Dec  93. 

63. Conversation  with  Chaplain  (Col  )  Henry  Wake,  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  10  Jan.  1994. 

64  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  J  Kaising,  23  Mar  95. 

65. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Brig.  Gen.)  Donald  W.  Shea,  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains, 
10  Jan  94. 

66. Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  Chief  of  the  Unit  and  Individual  Training  Division  at 
USACHCS  from  1989  to  1990,  deployed  to  Saudi  Arabia  on  26  December  1990  to  become  the  Staff 
Chaplain  for  Third  Army's  Personnel  Command  (PERSCOM)  in  Riyadh. 

67. 1  bid 

68. Personal  interview  with  Major  Morgan  L.  Flom,  2  Jan  1995.  The  model  for  the  UMT  Handbook 
was  Major  Flom's  Field  Artillery  Executive  Officer's  Handbook,  used  for  teaching  artillery  officers 
and  NCO's. 

69.  During  a  time  of  constrained  fijnds,  the  production  of  The  UMT  handbook  was  nearly  delayed 
for  one  year.  The  cost  to  produce  the  first  run  of  RB-1-1  nearly  equaled  the  expense  of  installing  a 
revolving  door  at  the  front  entrance  of  Watters  Hall,  "hot  project"  for  the  School  at  the  time. 
Hearing  that  only  one  expense  would  be  covered.  Major  Hobson  cornered  the  School  Commandant 
at  a  formal  fijnction  at  the  Officers  Club  one  evening  and  said  simply:  "Sir,  concerning  the  reference 
book  or  installing  the  front  door,  I'd  like  to  leave  with  you  this  thought.  A  helluva  lot  more  chaplains 
and  chaplain  assistants  are  going  to  get  use  out  of  that  book  in  the  next  year  than  will  walk  through 
the  front  door  of  the  school  in  the  same  period." 

70. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Bernard  Lieving,  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  School,  7  Dec  93. 


107 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

71. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  T.  Clanton,  USA  Retired,  6  Jan  94. 

72. Robert  Scales,  Op.  dr.,  p.  43. 

73. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  William  Hufham,  USACSSA,  16  Dec  93. 

74. Interview  with  Chaplain  Lieving,  7  Dec  93 

75. Interview  with  Chaplain  Hufham,  16  Dec  93. 

76. Interview  whh  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Joe  R.  Colley,  USA  Retired,  4  Jan  94. 

77. Interview  with  Chaplain  Clanton,  6  Jan  94. 

78. Interview  with  Master  Sgt.  Ed  Parton,  Fort  Carson,  Colorado,  6  Jan  94. 

79.Ibi(J. 

80. Robert  Scales,  Op.  cit.,  p  44. 

81.  Author's  note:  Twelve  chaplains  from  Clinical  Pastoral  Education  classes  at  Fort  Benning,  Fort 
Sam  Houston,  and  Walter  Reed  Army  Medical  Center  did  deploy  to  Saudi  Arabia  in  1991  as 
replacements  for  anticipated  UMT  casualties  One  of  these.  Chaplain  Roger  Armstead,  was  assigned 
as  the  assistant  staff  chaplain  for  ARCENT  Personnel  Command. 

82. Interview  with  Chaplain  Colley,  4  Jan  94. 

83  Robert  Scales,  Op.  cit.,  p.  49. 

M.IbiJ.,  p.  50. 

8 5. Interview  with  Chaplain  Hufham,  16  Dec  93. 

S6JbiJ. 

ST. Ibid. 

S^.Ibtd 

S9.Ibid 

90. Robert  Scales,  Op.  cit.,  p.  51. 

91.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col )  Robert  C  Vickers,  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office,  4  Jan 
94.  Concerning  his  experience  at  FORSCOM  in  1990-1991,  Chaplain  Vickers  wrote,  "The 
FORSCOM  Chaplain's  staEFin  summer  of  1990  consisted  of  Chaplain  (Colonel)  Charles  T.  Clanton, 


OPERATIONS  IN  SOUTHWEST  ASIA 108 

Command  Staff  Chaplain;  Chaplain  (Col.)  Lawrence  A.  Kelly,  Jr.,  Chief  of  Operations  and  Support; 
Chaplain  (Colonel)  David  P.  Peterson,  Reserve  Components  Affairs  Advisor,  Chaplain  (Colonel) 
Charles  G.  Komschlies,  Chaplain  Recruitment,  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  David  O.  Golden,  Leadership  and 
Human  Issues;  Chaplain  (Maj.)  L.  Joseph  O'Keeflfe,  Personnel  and  Ecclesiastical  Relations;  Chaplain 
(Maj.)  Sir  Walter  Scott,  Force  Department  and  Documentation;  Sgt.  Maj.  Larry  Toelstede,  Chaplain 
Assistant  Supervisor;  Sgt.  Maj.  Michael  J.  Stranz,  Chaplain  Assistant  Supervisor;  Sgt.  V  Class  Ellis 
M.  Morris,  Recruitment  NCO,  Patricia  S.  Copeland,  DAC,  Program  Analyst;  Annie  B.  Head,  DAC, 
Secretary;  Debra  R.  Yuhas,  DAC,  Office  Services  Assistant;  and,  me,  with  my  areas  of  military 
operations  (contingency  planning),  mobilizaton,  and  training.  Over  the  course  of  the  next  several 
weeks,  two  FORSCOM  chaplain  EMAs,  Chaplain  (Col.)  Raymond  E.  Ennis  and  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.) 
Paul  Mason,  were  activated  to  cover  the  increased  workload  created  by  the  Gulf  War.  This  group 
became  a  team  during  Desert  Shield/Storm  such  as  I  have  never  witnessed  before.  Everyone  was 
totally  willing  to  pitchin  and  assist  one  another  whenever  the  need  arose,  which  was  often.  Desert 
Storm/Shield  created  one  of  those  moments  in  time  when  adversity  brought  out  the  best  in  people, 
and  through  it  we  bonded  together  and  became  so  much  more  than  the  sum  of  our  individual  eflForts. " 
See  Chaplain  (Col.)  Robert  Vickers,  "Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm  Chaplain's  Perspective"  (Carlisle 
Barracks,  PA:  U.S.  Army  War  College  Personal  Experience  Monograph,  15  April  1994),  pp.  2-3. 
Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives,  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  School. 

92. Personal  correspondence.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Larry  Kelly  to  Chaplain  Brinsfield,  1  December  1994. 

93. FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office,  "Semi-Annual  Historical  Report,  1  Oct  90  -  31  Mar  91,"  Fort 
McPherson,  Ga.,  6  May  1991,  p.  7. 

94.  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  S.W.  Scott,  letter  to  Chaplain  (Col.)  Brinsfield,  undated,  but  sent  in  May 
1995. 

95  HQ,  CENTCOM,  Regulation  Number  165-1,  "Religious  Activities,  Command  Religious  Program, 
Responsibilities  and  Policies,"  MacDill  AFB,  Florida,  1  Jan  1985,  pp.  1,2. 

96. Ibid.,  pp.  1-3 

97.1nterview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Joe  R.  Colley,  USA  Rtd.,  4  Jan  94. 

98. Interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman,  9  Dec  93. 

99.1nterview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Charles  Clanton,  USA  Rtd.,  6  Jan  94. 

lOO.Chaplain  "Gene"  Ennis,  USAR,  was  a  key  supporting  player  not  only  in  personnel  actions  during 
Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm,  but  also  in  coordinating  deployments  for  JTF  Guantanamo 
and  Operation  Restore  Hope  in  Somalia  in  1992.  He  was  an  extremely  valuable  asset  at  FORSCOM. 

101. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  David  P.  Peterson,  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain,  27  Sept 
93. 


109 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

\01.Ibid. 

103  Personal  papers  of  Chaplain  (Col.)  David  P.  Peterson,  "SWA  Deployment"  file,  USACSSA, 
Washington,  DC. 

104.H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  It  Doesn't  Take  A  Hero,  p  336. 

lOS.Note  fi-om  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Scott  to  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  I  June,  1994. 

\06.  The  Atlanta  Constitution,  Wednesday,  8  August  1990,  p.  1. 

107. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Ben  Romer,  Fort  Belvoir,  Virginia,  9  Feb  94. 

108./^/c/. 

1 09. Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  David  Peterson,  27  Sep  93  and  H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  // 
Doesn't  Take  a  Hero  (New  York:  Linda  Grey  Bantam  Books,  1992),  p.  335. 

1  lO.H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Op.  cit.,  p.  335. 

1 1 1  Interview  with  Chaplain  Peterson,  27  Sep  93. 

1 12.Jet!rey  E  Phillips  and  Robyn  M.  Gregory,  America's  First  Team  in  the  Gulf  (Tay\or  Publishing 
Co.,  1992),  p.  21. 

113.H,  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Op.  cit.,  p.  310. 

1  M.Jeffrey  E.  Phillips,  Op.  cit.,  p.  22. 

1 15. Interview  with  Chaplain  Romer,  9  Feb  94. 

1 16.The  word  "capella,"  or  cape  in  Latin,  is  the  root  word  from  which  "chaplain"  was  derived.  It  was 
thus  ironically  "a  fast  cape"  that  bore  the  first  troops  and  chaplains  fi"om  Fort  Stewart  across  the  sea 
to  Saudi  Arabia. 

1 17  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col),  Ford  G'Segner,  Ft.  Benning,  Georgia,  4  Jan  94. 

I  IS. Ibid. 

\\9.Ibid. 

120. Interview  with  Sgt  Maj.  Tillman  Hatcher,  Ft.  Monroe,  Virginia,  14  Dec  93. 

121. Interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt  Col.)  Herb  Kitchens,  Fort  Gillem,  Georgia,  29  Dec  93. 

122. Interview  with  Chaplain  Lieving,  7  Dec  93. 


OPERATIONS  IN  SOUTHWEST  ASIA 110 

123  Jeffrey  E.  Phillips,  Op.  cit.,  p.  21. 

\24.Ibid.,  p.  22. 

125.H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Op.  cit.,  p.  341. 

126.As  of  10  March  1991,  106,047  members  of  the  Reserve  Components,  Army,  Navy,  Marine,  Air 
Force,  Coast  Guard,  and  National  Guard  were  deployed  to  Southwest  Asia.  Of  these,  55,595  were 
from  the  Army  National  Guard  and  78,678  from  the  U.S.  Army  Reserve.  See  DOD,  Defense  91,  p. 
58.  Among  the  Army  Reservists  were  145  chaplains  and  67  chaplain  assistants.  Of  the  145  Reserve 
Component  Chaplains,  104  were  from  the  Army  Reserve  and  41  from  the  National  Guard. 

127.1nterview  with  Mr.  Roger  Able,  DACH,  18  Feb  94. 

128. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Paul  Mason,  Chaplain  (Col.)  Robert  Vickers,  Mrs.  Pat 
Copeland,  and  Mrs.  Debbie  Yuhas,  Ft.  McPherson,  4  Jan  94. 

129.Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  R.  E.  Ennis,  FORSCOM,  1  July  1993. 

130.By  the  time  Operation  Desert  Storm  began.  Chaplain  Charles  Hedrick  and  Chaplain  David  Papp 
from  the  USAR  had  augmented  the  DACH-PER  directorate  to  coordinate  all  assignments  and 
prepare  rosters  and  plans  for  ftiture  personnel  replacements  if  needed.  DACH-PER  supervised  the 
assignment  of  all  chaplains  from  all  components  for  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  throughout  Operations 
Desert  Shield/Storm. 

13 I.Roger  Able,  Personnel  Notes,  19  Jan  90.  Unpublished  notebook.  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains,  Washington,  DC 

I32.Chaplain  (1st  Lt.)  Arthur  "Ben"  Salinero,  "Desert  Shield/Storm,  November  1990  -  May  1991," 
unpublished  manuscript,  p.  2.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

133. Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  "How  Can  We  Sing  the  Songs  of  the  Lord?"  The  United 
Methodist  Church,  Wesleyan  Christian  Advocate:  Official  News  Weekly  of  Georgia  United 
Methodism  Macon,  Georgia:  22  February  1991,  p.  2. 

134.1nterview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Herb  Kitchens,  29  Dec  93. 

13 5. Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  William  Hufham,  16  Dec  93. 

136. Interview  with  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Ben  Romer,  Ft  Belvoir,  Virginia,  9  Feb  94. 

13 7. Interview  with  Chaplain  Lieving,  7  Dec  93. 

13 8. Interview  with  Chaplain  Romer,  9  Feb  94 

139. Representative  Tom  Lantos,  Letter  to  the  Editor,  A'^h'  York  Times,  January  27,  1992,  p.  A-20. 


Ill OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

\40.  Time  Magazine,  March  18,  1991,  p   17. 

\4\.Ibid. 

\42.Ibid.,p   18 

143.//)/J,  pp   15-16. 

1 44  Representative  Tom  Lantros,  Op.  cit. 

\45. Ibid 

\46.Ibid. 

147.  James  T.  Johnson,  "The  Just  War  Idea  and  the  Ethics  of  Intervention,"  The  Joseph  A.  Reich.  Sr. 
Distinguished  Lecture  on  War,  Morality  and  the  Mihtary  Profession  (Colorado  Springs;  US  Air 
Force  Academy,  17  November  1993),  p.  1 1. 

148. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Lieving,  7  December  1993. 

149. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Robert  Vickers,  FORSCOM,  4  Jan  94. 

150.  Chaplain  Brinsfield  accomphshed  these  two  jobs  with  the  help  of  three  other  chaplains:  Roger 
Armstead,  Arthur  "Ben"  Salinero,  USAR,  and  Jimmy  Smith,  USAR,  in  ARCENT  PERSCOM,  as  well 
as  with  the  help  of  SFC  Moses  Toliver,  SFC  Charles  Kerns,  Specialist  Nicole  Forbes,  USAR,  and 
Private  J.  Smith,  USAR. 

15 I.Gary  R.  Councell,  "Resourcing  the  Chaplaincy,"  unpublished  manuscript,  US  Army  War 
College,  March  1994,  pp. 20-21. 

1 52  Department  of  Defense,  Final  Report  to  Congress:  Conduct  of  the  Persian  Gulf  War 
(Washington,  DC:  Department  of  Defense,  1992),  pp.38-39;  Robert  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  p.  121. 

153.  Department  of  Defense,  Final  Report  to  Congress,  p. 40. 

154. The  coalition  as  of  February  14,  1991,  included  34  nations:  Argentina,  Australia,  Bahrain, 
Bangladesh,  Belgium,  Canada,  China,  Czechoslovakia,  Denmark,  Egypt,  France,  Germany,  Greece, 
Hungary,  Italy,  Japan,  Kuwait,  Morocco,  the  Netherlands,  New  Zealand,  Niger,  Norway,  Oman, 
Pakistan,  Poland,  Qatar,  Saudi  Arabia,  Senegal,  South  Korea,  Spain,  Syria,  United  Arab  Emirates, 
United  Kingdom,  United  States.  See  DOD,  Defense  91,  p.  59. 

\55. Ibid. 

\56.Ibid.,p.4l. 

151. 1  bid. 


OPERATIONS  IN  SOUTHWEST  ASIA 112 

158.  H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Op.  cit.,p.  355. 

15 9. Department  of  Defense,  Final  Report  to  Congress,  p.  65 

160. H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Op.  cit.,  p. 359. 

161.  Norman  Friedman,  Desert  Victory  (Annapolis,  Md.,  Naval  Institute  Press,  1991),  p.  1 16. 

162.  Ibid. 

I63.H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Op.  cit.,  p.  350. 

164. Department  of  Defense,  Final  Report  to  Congress,  p. 68. 

165. H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Op.  cit.,  p.  370. 

166. Bob  Woodward,  The  Commanders,  p.  323. 

167. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gaylord  T.  Gunhus,  Training  and  Doctrine  Command, 
Ft.  Monroe,  Virginia,  14  December  1993. 

Xe^.Ihid. 

169. Robert  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  pp.  134-135. 

170.USAREUR  Chaplain  Memorandum  for  ODCSOPS  and  ODCSPER,  USAREUR  Headquarters, 
18  August  1990. 

1 71  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Calvin  H.  Sydnor  m,  INSCOM,  Ft  Belvoir,  Va  ,  8  April 
1994. 

172. Calvin  H.  Sydnor  IE,  "Historical  Synopsis  of  Unit  Ministry  Team  Surveys  Recording  VII  Corps' 
UMT  Involvement  in  Desert  Shield/Storm,"  unpublished  manuscript.  Ft.  Belvoir,  Va.,  p.  15. 

173. Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  David  Tessmann,  Project  Officer  for  the  Conference,  arranged  for  Chaplain 
(Lt.  Col.)  John  Brinsfield  from  the  Chaplain  School  to  come  to  Berchtesgaden  to  join  in  team  training 
with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Greg  Monroe  on  the  faith  and  customs  of  Islam. 

174.Chaplain  (Col.)  Gaylord  T.  Gunhus,  "Operation  Desert  Shield/Storm— USAREUR  Perspective," 
unpublished  briefing  and  supporting  documents  collected  by  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Richard  A.  Kuhlbars, 
USAREUR  Chaplain's  Office,  1991,  Tab  B,  pp.  1-2.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives,  U.S. 
Army  Chaplain  School. 

\15.Ibid.,  Tab  B  and  Table  of  Contents,  Tabs  A-GG 


113 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

Mb.Ibid.,  Tabs  K,  Q.  The  chaplains  and  assistants  from  the  Individual  Ready  Reserve  were  listed 
in  the  USAREUR  After  Action  Report:  Chaplains  Hollenbaugh,  Coggins,  McConnel,  Hall,  Hare, 
Gerstine,  Campbell,  Beike,  Borre,  and  Coggins.  The  chaplain  assistants  included  SPC  Baker,  Green, 
Steinsberger;  SGT  Freligh,  Franco  and  Redding,  SSG  Jackson,  and  SFC  Locke.  See  also  Roger 
Able,  "2  August  1991:  Deployments,"  OCCH,  p.  2. 

177  The  USAREUR  Chaplain's  Staff  included  Chaplain  (Col.)  G.T.  Gunhus,  Chaplain  (Col.)  R.M 
Goellen,  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Michael  Broyles,  Chaplain  (Col.)  B.F.  Nass,  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  G.T. 
Fasanella,  Chaplain  (Maj.)  L.G.  Scales,  Chaplain  (Maj.)  R.  A.  Kuhlbars,  SGM  W.G.  Watts,  Chaplain 
(Col).  W.T.  Carter,  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  M.F.  Breinholt,  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col )  David  H.  Tessmann,  and 
Chaplain  (Maj  )  DA.  Rapske. 

178  Robert  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  p.  137. 

179. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Dan  O  Davis,  18  April  1994. 

180  Note:  Chaplain  (Col )  Vince  Inghilterra  held  several  titles  during  his  service  in  Saudi  Arabia  from 
Support  Command  Chaplain  in  1990  to  Theater  Chaplain  in  1991. 

181  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Calvin  Sydnor,  8  April  1994. 

182. Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Helmut  A.  Michelson  and  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Lindsey  E.  Arnold,  After  Action 
Report,  3rd  AD  lIMT's:  Operation  Desert  Shield/Storm,  6  April  1991,  p  4 

X^'i.Ibid. 

IM.Ibid 

\S5.Ibid 

186.The  3rd  AD  Brigade  Chaplains  included  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Nathanial  Robinson  (1st  Bde),  Chaplain 
(Maj.)  Richard  Minch  (2nd  Bde  );  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col  )  James  Bluett  (3rd  Bde);  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Dan 
Miller  (Avn.  Bde),  Chaplain  (Cpt.)  George  Onstad  (DIVARTY),  and  Chaplain  (Maj.)  William 
Ritchie  (DISCOM).  Chaplain  (Cpt.)  Otto  Schnarr,  Sgt.  V  Class  Mary  McEntee,  and  Staff  Sgt.  Betty 
Ramos  comprised  the  Division  Chaplain  Headquarters  with  Chaplain  Michelson. 

IS7. Ibid.,  pp.  6,7. 

lSS.Ibid.,p.7. 

\S9.Ibid.,p.  5. 

\90.Ibid.,pp.  17-28.  Note:  The  After  Action  Report,  3rd  Armored  Division  Unit  Ministry  Teams: 
Operation  Desert  Shield  Storm,  written  by  Chaplain  Michelson  and  Chaplain  Arnold  on  6  April  1 99 1 , 
has  a  number  of  excellent  recommendations  for  future  operations.  Copies  have  been  distributed  to 


OPERATIONS  IN  SOUTHWEST  ASIA 114 

the  Director  of  Combat  Developments,  USACHCS,  to  the  USAREUR  Chaplain,  and  to  the  Chaplain 
Corps  Archives  at  the  Office  of  the  Historian,  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School. 

191. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Wayne  Lehrer,  USACHCS,  7  Dec  93. 

192.  Ibid. 

1 93. Ken  Fugett  and  Tom  Dover,  Ironsides  (Ansbach,  Germany;  Public  Affairs  Office,  1991),  p. 5. 

\9A.Ibid. 

\95. Ibid,  p. 8. 

196. Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Wayne  Lehrer,  7  Dec  93. 

\91.Ihid 

19S. Ibid. 

\99. Ibid. 

lOO.Ibid 

20\. Ibid. 

202. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Dan  Davis,  18  Apr  94. 

203. XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain  Memorandum  for  the  CENTCOM  Chaplain,  30  September 
1990. 

204  Memorandum  from  the  CENTCOM  Chaplain  to  the  Armed  Forces  Chaplain  Board,  21  May 
1991. 

205. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  David  Zalis,  USA  FORSCOM,  8  June  1993. 

206  ARCENT  PERSCOM  personnel  record,  March  1991 

207.Jeffiey  E.  Phillips,  America's  First  Team  in  the  Gulf,  (Dallas,  Texas:   Taylor  Publishing  Co., 
1992),  p.  33. 

20?..Ibid. 

209.1nterview  with  Chaplain  Sanford,  Ft  Belvoir,  19  Jan  94. 

2 10.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Wayne  Lehrer,  7  Dec  93. 

lU.Ibid. 


115 OPERATION  DESERT  SHIELD 

212  H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf, //Doe^/zV  Take  a  Hero,  p.  378. 

213. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  William  Hufham,  USACSSA,  28  Apr  94. 

214. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  David  Peterson,  FORSCOM,  28  Apr  94. 

215. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gary  Sanford,  Ft  Belvoir,  28  Apr  94. 

216.H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Op.  cit.,  p.  397. 

217.General  Schwarzkopf  attended  at  least  one  service  in  Saudi  Arabia  led  by  Chaplain  (Col.)  John 
Schmeling,  USAR,  the  Staff  Chaplain  for  the  416th  Engineer  Command.  Chaplain  Schmeling  is  a 
Lutheran. 

2 18. The  Bob  Hope  Show  was  not  the  only  example  of  the  power  of  humor  to  cope  with  stress  during 
the  Gulf  War.  There  were  multiple  examples  each  day.  For  instance,  early  in  January  1991,  two 
British  soldiers  from  the  Scots  Guards  Regiment,  which  had  arrived  in  Riyadh  from  Edinburgh, 
decided  to  ask  for  better  quarters  in  the  following  months.  Anticipating  a  short  war,  they  telephoned 
the  Hilton  Hotel  in  Baghdad  and  asked  the  English-speaking  clerk  if  they  could  reserve  a  suite  for  the 
month  of  February.  The  clerk  was  excited  to  receive  a  profitable  prospect,  but  when  the  soldiers 
identified  themselves  as  members  of  Her  Majesty's  Regiment  of  Scots  Guards  in  Riyadh,  the  clerk 
hung  up.  Supposedly  the  soldiers  reported  to  the  Headquarters,  British  Forces-Middle  East,  "Pity. 
No  sense  of  humor  whatever. " 

219.H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  loc.  cit. 

220.1nterview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gary  Sanford,  Ft.  Belvoir,  19  January  1994. 

221 .  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Herb  Kitchens,  Fort  Gillem,  Georgia,  29  December  1993. 

222. Interview  with  Chaplain  Gay  Hatler,  3  May  1994. 


OPERATION   DESERT    STORM 


Religious   Support 


(Top)    Destroyed   Iraqi    tank   with   inscription  by  a    U.S.    soldier, 

"U.S.    Attorney's    Office,    Incomes   Div."     (Bottom)    Chaplain    William 

Sterling,    Delaware   National    Guard,    conducts    field   service 


CHAPTER  IV 

OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 
THE  AIR  WAR:   "MOVE  IT  OR  LOSE  IT" 


What  do  Hiroshima  and  Iraq  have  in  common?  Nothing  yet. 

Sergeant  Victor  Silvestri,  Chaplain  Assistant,  VII  Corps 

Chaplain  Don  Harris  and  I  passed  lots  of  destroyed  Iraqi  tanks,  some  with  bodies  in  them, 
burned  arms  and  legs  sticking  out.  Lots  of  prisoners  were  walking  toward  our  unit.    We  stopped 
in  a  minefield.  One  of  our  soldiers  was  blown  up  by  a  mine.   There  was  lots  of  destruction. 

Specialist  Lionel  Robinson 

2/41  Field  Artillery 

3d  Infantry  Division 


After  Christmas  and  Hanukkah  many  of  the  chaplains  returned  to  their  routine  ministries  of 
visiting  the  soldiers  in  their  units,  conducting  worship  services,  counseling,  administering  sacraments, 
and  participating  with  their  chaplain  assistants  in  training.  Chaplain  Edwin  Ahl  covered  the  557th 
Maintenance  Company,  the  147th  Maintenance  Company,  the  504th  Maintenance  Company,  the 
493d  Supply  and  Service  Company  on  a  circuit  of  55  miles.  As  Chaplain  Ahl  recalled,  "I  was  blessed 
to  have  a  good  vehicle  to  get  from  place  to  place."'  Chaplain  Thomas  E.  Killgore  of  the  2nd 
Armored  Cavalry  Regiment  remembered  after  Christmas  going  with  his  unit  to  Desert  Gunnery. 
While  visiting  the  troops  in  training,  his  unit  received  two  new  M2A2  tanks  and  some  M3A2 
Bradleys.  He  recalled,  "A  report  of  two  enemy  tank  battalions  just  30  kilometers  east  of  us  mobilized 
the  entire  regiment  and  caused  us  to  move  into  defensive  positions."" 

Even  in  the  remotest  sites  in  the  desert  most  of  the  American  soldiers  realized  that  the  United 
Nations  Security  Council  had  authorized  the  use  of  force  against  Iraq  unless  all  Iraqi  troops  withdrew 
from  Kuwait  by  15  January  1991.  As  the  radio  news  reports  related,  the  Baker- Aziz  meeting  at 
Geneva's  Hotel  Intercontinental  on  January  9  failed.  With  this  failure  of  diplomatic  negotiations  and 
a  supportive  congressional  vote  on  12  January,  President  Bush  determined,  as  General  Schwarzkopf 
stated,  that  Saddam  was  going  to  "move  it  or  lose  it."^  On  the  morning  of  1 5  January  President  Bush 
summoned  Defense  Secretary  Dick  Cheney  to  the  Oval  Office  and,  as  Commander  in  Chief,  signed 
the  National  Security  directive  ordering  US.  military  forces  into  battle.'*  Bush  gave  Saddam  a  fiall 
day's  grace  so  the  Iraqi  could  explain,  perhaps  only  to  himself,  that  he  had  not  caved  in  to  a  deadline. 
Then  at  0230  hours,  17  January  1991,  local  Saudi  Arabian  time,  the  skies  over  Iraq  rumbled  with 
thunder  and  lightening  as  the  most  advanced  technological  weapons  in  the  world  introduced  Saddam 
to  the  worst  DESERT  STORM  he  had  ever  imagined.  Nine  Navy  ships  launched  a  total  of  106 
Tomahawk  missiles  at  targets  in  Iraq.^  From  airfields  at  Dhahran,  Riyadh,  King  Khalid  Military  City, 
and  U.S.  Navy  carriers  in  the  Gulf,  F-1 17  fighter-bombers,  F-15s,  F-16s,  F-1 1  Is,  A- 10s,  Apache 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter.  119 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 120 

Helicopters,  and  B-52s  from  distant  bases  began  to  wield,  in  the  words  of  the  Battle  Hymn  of  the 
Republic,  "the  terrible  swift  sword"  of  retribution. 

Along  Tap  Line  Road  chaplains  in  the  1st  Infantry  Division,  the  1  st  Armored  Division  and  the 
3d  Armored  Division  received  the  news  that  the  United  States  was  at  war  with  Iraq.  Chaplain  Dan 
Davis,  the  VII  Corps  Chaplain,  Chaplain  David  A.  O'Connell,  Master  Sgt.  Ron  Bowren,  Private  1st 
Class  Brooks,  and  Private  Hainlin  were  in  a  tent  in  the  headquarters  area.  Chaplain  O'Connell 
recalled  that  at  approximately  2300  hours  in  the  rather  cold  weather  "we  were  told  to  get  into  MOPP 
level  4  by  a  member  of  the  Inspector  General  team  who  was  in  a  tent  next  to  ours.  All  of  us  got  into 
our  chemical  protective  gear.  At  0 1 00  hours  I  was  told  by  a  runner  from  the  commo  tent  that  I  was 
needed  at  the  Corps  G-1  section.  It  was  a  dark  20-minute  walk  to  the  G-I  van  and  I  remembered  I 
was  in  full  MOPP  gear  when  I  noticed  the  planes  on  their  bombing  runs  flying  overhead."'' 

Chaplain  Wayne  Lehrer,  the  1  st  Armored  Division  Chaplain,  recalled,  "On  January  1 7th  the 
morale  in  the  division  was  shaky  because  we  were  the  front  line  for  VII  Corps.  We  had  very  few  of 
our  combat  vehicles  out  in  the  desert  and  even  less  ammunition.  We  still  had  plenty  of  ecclesiastical 
supplies  but  were  beginning  to  wonder  how  long  the  war  would  last  and  therefore  how  to  get  more 
supplies.  The  beginning  of  the  war  found  the  division  alert,  our  UMTs  getting  acclimated  to 
maneuver  in  the  desert  and  to  ministry  sevendays  a  week.  Things  were  going  well,  as  well  as  we 
could  expect."^ 

Chaplain  Helmut  Michelson,  the  Division  Chaplain  for  the  3d  Armored  Division,  recalled  very 
succinctly,  "I  was  conscious  of  the  gravity  of  the  event  and  the  location  I  was  in."*  Chaplain  Richard 
Chaverria  wrote,  "When  Operation  Desert  Storm  began  we  were  ordered  into  MOPP.  We  listened 
to  ABC  news.  It  was  pretty  exhilarating.  We  realized  that  the  war  had  finally  started."' 

Chaplain  Johnny  R.  Freeman  of  the  8/43rd  Air  Defense  Artillery  Battalion,  recorded. 

"At  approximately  2330  hours  (local)  Specialist  Rogers  and  I  climbed  into  our 
sleeping  bags  for  the  night.  We  had  had  a  full  day  of  visiting  troops  and  had  settled 
in  for  the  night.  I  had  been  sleeping  so  well  when  the  noisy  throttle  of  fighter  jets, 
hundreds  of  them,  roared  from  above.  It  startled  me  and  I  said  to  myself,  'Oh  Lord, 
it's  starting.'  At  0200  hours  sirens  all  over  the  log  base  were  going  oflFand  everyone 
was  shouting,  'Get  up.  Get  up!'  I  jumped  to  my  feet,  kicking  oflFthe  sleeping  bag, 
hopping  around  trying  to  get  dressed.  I  finally  got  it  together  and  began  walking 
through  our  site.  There  was  a  terrible  silence  and  a  bewildered  look  upon  everyone's 
face.  With  a  sincere  longing  for  faith  and  quiet  reassurance,  soldiers  began  saying, 
'Hey,  there's  the  chaplain.  Father,  chaplain,  would  you  pray  for  us?  Good  to  see  you 
chaplain.'  Those  were  their  words  and  expressions  which  we  all  understood."'" 

Chaplain  Timothy  Kikkert  of  the  4/66th  Armored  Battalion  remembered: 

"We  were  awakened  shortly  after  midnight  on  17  January  1991  for  a  gas  alert.  We 
were  told  that  the  United  States  had  launched  a  massive  air  attack  against  Iraq.  In  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


]2\ OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

next  few  days  our  vehicles  would  be  on  the  way  off  into  the  desert.  We  had  little  or 
no  control  of  the  situation.  We  couldn't  call  time  out  or  call  in  sick  or  ask  someone 
to  fill  in  for  us.  We  couldn't  stop  it  or  change  it.  It  was  really  out  of  our  hands.  One 
could  only  do  a  small  part  and  then  hope  and  pray  that  it  all  turned  out  all  right."" 


Chaplain  Thomas  A.  MacGregor  of  the  1st  Infantry  Division  was  asleep  when  the  attack 


began: 


"I  awoke  to  the  cold  and  dark.  Sleep  still  shrouding  my  mind  and  somewhere  in  the 
darkness  I  heard  a  voice:  'Get  your  masks  and  get  to  your  bunkers. '  I  zipped  open  my 
sleeping  bag  and  switched  on  my  flashlight.  It  seemed  too  early  for  reveille  and  a 
quick  look  at  my  watch  confirmed  my  suspicion.  It  was  0230  hours  in  the  morning. 
By  now  my  wrath  was  aroused  and  I  challenged  the  figure  outlined  at  the  entrance  of 
my  tent:  Hey,  what's  the  idea'^'  There  was  a  moment's  pause  and  then  Private  Mark 
Federele  spoke  fi"om  the  darkness:  'We  have  just  launched  100  cruise  missiles  at 
selected  targets  in  Iraq.  We  are  now  at  war  with  Iraq.  Please  get  to  your  bunker.' 
On  17  January  1991  the  winds  of  war  rained  steel  in  the  desert.  The  desert  was  cold. 
I  had  not  expected  it  to  be  so  cold,  but  still  colder  was  the  darkness  in  my  soul.  Some 
50  kilometers  north  men  were  dying,  awaking  to  eternity  with  each  burst  of 
unprecedented  technology,  a  distant  army  was  striking  with  lethal  accuracy  against 
a  faceless  enemy. 

My  senses  reeled  with  sensory  overload  I  could  not  grasp  the  magnitude  of  events. 
They  burst  upon  my  sleep-numbed  mind  and  all  I  could  feel  was  the  coldness.  By 
now  Chaplain  Whitaker  and  Sergeant.  Daum  had  joined  me  in  the  struggle  to  dress 
and  move  to  the  bunker.  No  one  was  willing  to  break  light  discipline  and  so  we 
dressed  quickly  in  the  darkness.  Our  bunker  was  located  15  meters  forward  of  our 
tent,  a  hole  in  the  desert  6  feet  deep  with  2  feet  of  overhead  cover,  plywood  and  dirt. 
There  was  room  for  about  10  soldiers  comfortably.  Before  the  sun  came  up,  15 
soldiers  shared  the  cramped  space.  Chaplain  Whitaker  and  I  were  the  first  ones  to  the 
bunker.  We  were  the  sole  occupants  for  the  moment.  Sergeant  Daum  and  the  other 
two  chaplain  assistants  had  taken  positions  on  the  perimeter  with  their  weapons. 
Neither  Chaplain  Whitaker  nor  myself  felt  much  like  talking.  How  would  Iraq 
respond  to  our  initial  strike'^  Would  they  retaliate  with  artillery  and  chemical 
weapons?  Would  they  launch  a  massive  ground  attack  aimed  at  cutting  our  main 
supply  route  leading  back  to  the  port? 

I  knew  Vn  Corps'  right  flank  was  lightly  defended  and  it  seemed  to  be  vulnerable  to 
penetration.  I  experienced  very  real  feelings  of  fear.  My  heart  rate  increased  and  my 
emotions  threatened  to  overwhelm  me.  Death  and  eternity  were  no  longer  distant 
horizons.  They  were  close  up,  tangible,  demanding.  In  the  darkness  and  loneliness 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 122 

of  that  bunker  I  could  reach  out  and  touch  them.  And  somewhere  in  the  darkness  and 
uncertainty  of  the  bunker  I  remembered  the  words  of  a  preacher:  '  Those  in  the 
sunshine  may  believe  the  faith,  but  we  in  the  shadows  must  believe  for  we  have 
nothing  else.'  And  1  laughed,  for  those  words  were  spoken  by  me  in  last  Sunday's 
sermon  as  I  was  quoting  from  the  words  of  a  famous  sermon  I  once  read.  They  took 
on  a  new  meaning.  "Those  in  the  sunshine  may  believe  the  faith,  but  we  in  the 
shadows  must  believe,  we  have  nothing  else.'  And  into  the  despair  of  that  moment 
the  abiding  presence  of  our  Lord  brought  light  and  hope.  His  words  spoken 
thousands  of  years  ago  to  Moses  now  were  whispered  to  me:  'As  I  was  with  Moses, 
so  I  will  be  with  you  I  will  never  leave  you  or  forsake  you.'  The  presence  of  God,  the 
promises  of  God,  were  as  near  and  real  as  the  earth  and  wood  beams  in  my  bunker. 
I  stretched  out  on  the  dirt  floor  of  my  bunker  It  was  going  to  be  a  long  day  and  a 
good  soldier  knows  when  to  sleep.  Using  my  cold  weather  cap  as  a  pillow,  as  I 
drifted  off  to  sleep  my  thoughts  were  of  my  family."'^ 

Chaplain  Ben  Salinero  from  ARCENT  PERSCOM  was  with  a  unit  near  King  Khalid  Military 
City.  He  recalled  an  unusual  event: 

The  night  the  ground  war  began,  the  troops  were  loading  magazines  of  ammo  in  case 
we  were  overrun.  It  was  a  night  to  remember  and  I  witnessed,  what  was  to  me,  a 
miraculous  thing.  The  wind  had  originally  been  blowing  from  Baghdad  towards  our 
positions.  Since  there  was  always  the  threat  of  chemical  warfare,  this  was  a  serious 
condition.  When  the  time  came  for  the  ground  war  to  begin,  the  wind  shifted  and 
blew  toward  Baghdad  and  was  really  kicking  up  dust.  This  meant  if  the  Iraqi's  did  use 
chemical  warfare,  that  it  would  blow  back  on  their  own  troops.  I  personally  believe 
that  it  was  the  Lord  protecting  us  from  the  threat  of  gas  and  biological  warfare.'^ 

Chaplain  Salinero  spent  a  lot  of  time  during  the  next  few  days  praying  for  "our  soldiers  and  our 
generals."  They  did  a  "great  job,"  he  said;  and,  for  that  matter,  so  did  he.'* 

In  Dhahran  Chaplain  Calvin  Sydnor  and  his  chaplain  assistant.  Sergeant  Lucille  Singleton, 
were  in  their  tents  at  what  was  known  as  Hotel  California,  actually  part  of  a  tent  city.  Sergeant 
Singleton  recalled  that  about  0330  hours  on  January  17th,  "I  was  awakened  by  a  loud  whistling  noise. 
The  next  thing  I  heard  was  an  announcement  to  go  to  MOPP  level  4  and  get  inside  a  building.  I  got 
dressed  fast,  the  fastest  in  my  life  and  then  I  went  to  look  for  Chaplain  Sydnor.  I  had  to  get  him  to 
the  building,  and  taking  care  of  him  took  a  little  of  my  fear  away.  I  simply  did  not  have  time  to  be 
afraid  during  this  alert."'' 

In  Riyadh  General  Schwarzkopf  had  known,  of  course,  the  night  before  the  attack  began  on 
Iraq  that  people  would  die  on  the  17th  of  January.  At  a  few  minutes  after  midnight  on  17  January 
1991  General  Schwarzkopf  wrote  to  his  family: 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


123  OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

The  war  clouds  have  gathered  on  the  horizon  and  I  have  already  issued  the  terrible 
orders  that  will  let  the  monster  loose.  I  vwsh  with  every  fiber  of  my  body  that  I  would 
never  have  had  to  issue  those  commands  But  now  it  is  too  late  and  for  whatever 
purpose  God  has  we  will  soon  be  at  war.  As  a  soldier  who  has  had  to  go  to  war  three 
times  before,  1  want  you  to  know  that  I  am  not  afraid.  I  know  that  I  might  face  death, 
but  you  should  know  that  I  am  far  safer  than  most  of  the  fine  young  men  and  women 
under  my  command.  Some  will  die,  many  could  die.  I  pray  to  God  that  this  will  not 
happen,  but  if  it  does  and  if  1  am  one  of  those  chosen  by  God  to  sacrifice  my  life,  I 
wanted  you  to  know  that  my  last  thoughts  before  this  terrible  beginning  are  of  you, 
my  beloved  family.'* 

After  General  Schwarzkopf  finished  his  letter  to  the  family,  he  wrote  a  Desert  Storm  message 
to  his  troops.  He  took  it  to  the  war  room  where  approximately  30  generals  and  colonels  had 
gathered.  As  he  entered  someone  announced,  "Gentlemen,  the  Commander  in  Chief "  They  all  came 
to  attention.  He  walked  to  the  front  and  stood  before  a  large  map  of  Iraq,  Kuwait  and  Saudi  Arabia. 
"I  want  to  read  you  a  message  that  I  have  just  released  to  the  men  and  women  of  Central  Command," 
he  said. 


DESERT  STORM  MESSAGE  TO  OUR  TROOPS 

Soldiers,  sailors,  airmen  and  Marines  of  the  United  States  Central  Command:  This 
morning  at  0300  we  launched  Operation  Desert  Storm,  an  offensive  campaign  that 
will  enforce  the  United  Nations  resolutions  that  Iraq  must  cease  its  rape  and  pillage 
of  its  weaker  neighbor  and  withdraw  its  forces  from  Kuwait.  The  President,  the 
Congress,  the  American  people,  and  indeed  the  world,  stand  united  in  their  support 
for  your  actions.  You  are  a  member  of  the  most  powerflil  force  our  country,  in 
Coalition  with  our  allies,  has  ever  assembled  in  a  single  theater  to  face  such  an 
aggressor.  You  have  trained  hard  for  this  battle  and  we  are  ready.  During  my  visits 
with  you  I  have  seen  in  your  eyes  a  fire  of  determination  to  get  this  job  done  and  done 
quickly  so  that  we  may  return  to  the  shores  of  our  great  nation.  My  confidence  in  you 
is  total.  Our  cause  is  just!  Now  you  must  be  the  thunder  and  lightening  of  Desert 
Storm.  May  God  be  with  you,  your  loved  ones  at  home,  and  our  country.'^ 

H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Commander  in  Chief,  U.S.  Central  Command 

After  General  Schwarzkopf  read  his  message,  he  asked  Chaplain  David  Peterson,  the  Command 
Chaplain,  to  say  a  prayer.'"  Chaplain  Peterson,  of  course,  had  known  that  there  might  be  an 
announcement  that  night.  Consequently  he  had  composed  the  prayer  for  all  of  those  participating 
in  this  experience.  The  prayer  read  as  follows: 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 124 

Our  Father,  on  this  awesome  and  humbling  occasion,  we  are  grateful  for  the  privilege 
of  turning  to  you  ...  our  sovereign  and  almighty  God.  We  believe  that,  in  accordance 
with  the  teaching  of  your  word  and  revelation,  we  are  on  a  just  and  righteous  mission. 
Therefore  as  we  now  begin  Operation  Desert  Storm,  we  humbly,  but  boldly  ask  for 
your  blessing  on  our  mission  and  our  service  members  as  we  carry  out  the  process  of 
freeing  Kuwait  and  its  citizens.  We  ask  and  petition  you  for  the  safety  of  our  service 
members.  However,  if  in  your  providence,  you  call  upon  any  of  them  to  make  the 
ultimate  sacrifice,  we  pray  that  through  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  they  would  be 
prepared  to  meet  their  Lord  and  God.  May  they,  as  well  as  each  of  us,  have  the 
miraculous  assurance  and  comfort  which  the  Psalmist  experienced  when  he  said: 

The  Lord  is  my  light  and  my  salvation — whom  shall  I  fear?  The  Lord 
is  the  strength  of  my  life — of  whom  shall  I  be  afraid'^  In  the  day  of 
trouble  he  will  keep  me  safe  in  his  dwelling,  he  will  hide  me  in  the 
shelter  of  his  tabernacle  and  set  me  high  upon  a  rock.  Then  my  head 
will  be  exalted  above  the  enemies  who  surround  me  ... 

Likewise  we  pray  for  our  service  members'  families  May  they  too  know  the  peace 
that  passes  all  understanding.  Then,  Lord,  as  we  seek  your  blessing  on  Operation 
Desert  Storm,  we  also  ask  for  a  quick  and  decisive  victory.  May  the  elements,  even 
the  weather,  be  in  our  favor  Bless  our  decision  makers  with  insight  and  wisdom:  our 
President,  Secretary  Cheney,  Chairman  Powell  and  each  commander.  Give  them 
clarity  of  mind  and  the  wisdom  to  make  sound  decisions.  And  now  we  take  great 
comfort  in  the  knowledge  that  you  are  our  sovereign  God,  the  Ruler  of  the  Universe; 
the  One  who  offers  certainty  in  the  midst  of  uncertainty;  peace  in  the  midst  of  fear; 
comfort  in  time  of  sorrow.  Your  word  informs  us  that  men  prepare  for  battle  ...  and 
we  have  ...  but  victory  rests  with  the  Lord.  Therefore,  we  commit  our  ways  to  you 
and  wait  upon  the  Lord.  In  the  name  of  the  Prince  of  Peace  we  pray.  Amen.'' 

Chaplain  Peterson's  prayer  made  a  profound  impression  on  General  Schwarzkopf  and  the  other 
oflBcers  who  heard  it,  not  unlike  the  prayer  offered  by  3d  Army  Chaplain  James  H  O'Neill  for  good 
weather  during  the  Battle  of  the  Bulge  in  World  War  II.  Both  General  Patton  and  General 
Schwarzkopf  appreciated  their  staff  chaplains'  support  at  a  critical  moment  in  warfare  and  in  history. 


A  Worship  Service  for  President  Bush  -  by  Overnight  Express 

The  first  word  of  Operation  Desert  Storm  came  to  Chaplain  Matthew  Zimmerman  late  on  the 
evening  of  16  January  1991 .-"  The  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff  for  Operations,  Lt.  General  Dennis  Reimer, 
called  Chaplain  Zimmerman  and  asked  him  to  attend  a  meeting  with  the  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army, 
General  Carl  Vuono,  at  the  Army  Operations  Center  in  the  Pentagon  that  night.     Chaplain 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


125 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

Zimmerman  recalled  that  when  he  arrived  at  the  Army  Operations  Center,  the  CNN  television  news 
was  broadcasting  the  bombing  of  Baghdad  and  the  launching  of  more  than  100  cruise  missiles. 
"When  I  saw  all  of  the  Army  staff  gathered,"  Chaplain  Zimmerman  remarked,  "I  knew  the  real  thing 
had  arrived  ""'  After  making  some  preliminary  remarks  about  the  bombing  of  Baghdad  which  was 
occurring  in  Iraq  virtually  at  the  same  moment  that  the  Chief  of  Staff  Army  was  meeting  with  his  staff 
at  the  Army  Operations  Center,  General  Vuono  turned  to  Chaplain  Zimmerman  and  said,  "By  the 
way,  we  got  a  call  from  the  Chairman  of  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff,  General  Powell.  The  White  House 
wants  a  worship  service  tomorrow  morning  at  Ft.  Meyer  for  the  President  and  a  number  of 
dignitaries.  "■^■^ 

Chaplain  Zimmerman  recalled  that  the  guidance  was  very  scanty.  The  service  would  last  no 
longer  than  40  minutes.  All  three  chiefs  of  chaplains  from  the  Army,  Navy  and  Air  Force  would 
participate.  There  would  be  some  music  and  Dr.  Billy  Graham  would  be  the  speaker.  Above  all,  the 
worship  service  would  not  exceed  40  minutes,  for  most  of  the  key  personnel  in  the  Defense 
Department  and  in  the  White  House  would  attend  and  that  was  as  long  as  the  President's  schedule 
would  permit  him  to  be  absent  from  the  Oval  Office.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  was  ftirther  directed  to 
get  in  touch  with  the  public  affairs  section  at  the  Pentagon  and  with  the  Military  District  of 
Washington  Commander  to  plan  the  service 

Chaplain  Zimmerman  established  contact  with  the  other  chiefs  to  determine  who  would  be 
reading  the  scripture  and  leading  the  prayers  the  next  day.  Chaplain  (Major  General)  John  P. 
McDonough  was  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  U.S.  Air  Force,  and  Rear  Admiral  Alvin  B.  Koeneman  was 
the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  U.S.  Navy.  Chaplain  Zimmerman  requested  his  executive  officer.  Chaplain 
Wayne  Kuehne,  assist  in  developing  the  format  for  the  service,  the  title  of  the  service,  and  the 
personnel  required  for  musical  support.  The  service  would  begin  at  9  o'clock  in  the  morning  on  the 
17th  of  January,  Washington  time. 

At  approximately  1 1  p.m.  that  night  Chaplain  Zimmerman  began  to  wonder,  by  the  way, 
where  was  Dr.  Graham?  Was  he  in  the  country?  Was  he  well?  And  how  would  they  be  able  to 
assure  his  presence  the  next  morning?  Consequently  Chaplain  Zimmerman  made  his  first  call  to  the 
White  House.  When  he  contacted  the  switchboard  he  asked  if  anyone  could  help  him  locate  Dr.  Billy 
Graham  for  a  worship  service  the  next  morning.  The  staff  replied  "That's  easy.  Dr.  Graham  is  here." 

After  the  customary  greetings.  Chaplain  Zimmerman,  and  later  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne, 
discussed  the  service  with  Dr.  Graham.  Because  Dr.  Graham  was  suffering  from  a  sore  throat  he  said 
he  would  speak  for  only  10  minutes.  Given  that  guidance,  the  rest  of  the  service  would  be  timed  so 
that  there  would  be  ample  opportunity  for  music  and  for  appropriate  scripture  readings  and  prayers. 

Once  the  service  had  been  constructed,  an  outline  was  faxed  to  Mr.  John  Sununu,  one  of  the 
President's  advisors  at  the  White  House.  Several  faxes  went  back  and  forth  as  Mr.  Sununu  made 
suggestions  and  gave  directions.  After  the  service  format  had  been  completed,  a  solitary  fax  came 
in  very  late.  It  said  simply,  "President  Bush  wants  you  to  include  the  singing  of  Amazing  Grace.  "^^ 

All  seemed  to  be  in  order  by  8:00  a.m.  the  next  morning,  the  17th  of  January.  The 
congregation,  which  included  Dr.  Billy  Graham,  President  George  Bush  and  Mrs.  Barbara  Bush,  Vice 
President  and  Mrs.  Dan  Quayle,  General  Colin  Powell,  Secretary  of  Defense  Dick  Cheney  and  many 
other  dignitaries,  including  most  of  the  President's  Cabinet,  arrived  on  time.  A  metal  detector  had 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 126 

been  set  up  at  Ft.  Meyer  Chapel  in  order  to  assure  the  safety  and  security  of  so  many  dignitaries. 
Chaplain  Zimmerman  was  early  and  began  to  look  around  for  his  colleagues  from  the  other  services. 
Chaplain  McDonough,  the  Air  Force  Chief  of  Chaplains,  arrived;  however,  as  the  time  for  the  service 
to  begin  drew  closer,  the  Navy  Chief  of  Chaplains  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  Consequently,  Chaplain 
Zimmerman  leaned  over  to  Chaplain  Bruce  Burslie,  the  installation  chaplain  from  Ft.  McNair. 
Chaplain  Zimmerman  asked  Chaplain  Burslie  to  write  a  prayer  on  the  spot  in  the  event  the  Chief  of 
Navy  Chaplains  was  inadvertently  delayed.  With  but  four  minutes  left  before  the  service  was  to 
begin.  Rear  Admiral  Koeneman  arrived  looking  a  bit  flustered  and  somewhat  out  of  breath.  When 
Chaplain  Zimmerman  saw  him  at  the  back  entrance  he  wondered  how  the  Navy  Chief  would  get  up 
to  the  front  of  the  sanctuary  without  drawing  undue  attention.  However,  Chaplain  Koenerman 
thought  very  quickly  and  escorted  Dr.  Graham  to  the  pulpit.  When  Chaplain  Koenerman  sat  down 
next  to  Chaplain  Zimmerman,  Chaplain  Zimmerman  asked  him  "what  happened?"'*  Chaplain 
Koenerman  said,  somewhat  embarrassingly,  that  his  carefully  constructed  prayer  had  been  eaten  by 
one  of  the  computers  and  he  had  spent  some  extra  moments  trying  to  reconstruct  it. 

When  his  turn  came.  Dr.  Graham  preached  not  for  ten  minutes  but  for  20  minutes.  Again 
Chaplain  Zimmerman  became  concerned  over  the  time  factor.  However,  he  noticed  that  the  secretary 
at  Ft.  Meyer  had  accidently  left  out  a  musical  selection  by  the  Army  Chorus.  Consequently,  he  simply 
ignored  that  part  of  the  program  which,  although  it  did  not  make  the  Army  Chorus  very  happy,  did 
allow  the  congregation  to  sing  "Amazing  Grace"  and  to  receive  the  benediction  within  the  40  minute 
time  limit  assigned  to  Chaplain  Zimmerman. 

Given  his  long  and  distinguished  record  of  service  to  the  nation.  Dr.  Graham  was  an  ideal 
choice  for  such  a  service.  But  the  service  was  also  significant  because  it  was  the  way  that  the 
President  wanted  Operation  Desert  Storm  to  begin,  with  prayers  to  God  that  the  operation  might  be 
swift,  cause  as  little  damage  and  take  as  few  human  lives  as  possible  to  restore  justice  and  freedom 
in  Kuwait. 


Targeting  Metal 

In  Riyadh  most  of  the  military  planners  realized  the  historic  fact  that  once  a  bombing 
campaign  starts,  the  probability  increases  that  there  will  be  large  numbers  of  civilian  casualties.  This 
had  certainly  been  the  case  in  World  War  II  and  Vietnam.  By  the  direction  of  the  National  Security 
Council,  through  General  Powell  to  General  Schwarzkopf,  the  targeting  of  battlefield  equipment 
rather  than  people  became  the  CENTCOM  policy.  There  were  to  be  no  body  counts,  but  rather 
estimates  of  damaged  weapons,  equipment,  facilities  and  sites.  Some  news  media  criticized  this 
"stage  management"  of  the  war.  However,  Lt.  General  John  J.  Yeosock,  the  Commanding  General 
for  Army  Central  Command,  stressed  the  practical  military  wisdom  of  destroying  equipment.  In 
desert  warfare,  in  an  area  where  logistical  bases  cannot  be  camouflaged  well,  vehicles  are  everything. 
Without  air  cover  and  log  bases,  tanks  are  virtually  fuel-less  junk  and  no  longer  major  threats.  Once 
an  army  is  out  of  ftiel,  food  and  water  in  the  desert,  it  ceases  to  be  effective.  "Our  targeting  strategy," 
said  General  Yeosock,  "would  be  to  target  metal.""' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


127 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

Most  officers  and  enlisted  personnel  at  the  unit  level  in  Saudi  Arabia  did  not  know  that  the 
air  war  would  begin  for  them  in  the  early  hours  of  January  1 7th.  On  the  first  day  of  the  air  campaign 
most  units  practiced  getting  into  their  chemical  protective  suits  and  training  people  to  do  their  tasks 
in  spite  of  the  threat  of  a  possible  enemy  air  attack.  But  as  early  as  the  second  day  of  the  air 
campaign  the  British  announced  over  Armed  Forces  Radio  in  Riyadh  that  CENTCOM  had  achieved 
air  superiority  in  the  skies  over  Saudi  Arabia  and  Iraq.  Among  the  soldiers  at  CENTCOM  and 
ARCENT  Headquarters  there  was  almost  an  audible  sigh  of  relief,  for  they  knew  that  their  positions, 
log  bases,  and  airfields  were  relatively  free  from  Iraqi  bombing  attack.  In  January  and  early  February 
the  only  real  air  threat  to  CENTCOM  forces  was  in  the  form  of  SCUD  missiles  which,  at  that  time, 
most  soldiers  treated  with  contempt  as  not  much  better  than  an  ARTEP  exercise  for  our  Patriot 
missile  batteries  Mr.  Joseph  Romanowski,  a  civilian  expert  from  the  Communications  and 
Electronics  Command  at  Ft.  Monmouth,  said  that,  as  a  minimum,  the  Gulf  war  presented  Saddam 
with  an  excellent  commercial  for  our  weapons.  In  Riyadh  some  officers  even  climbed  up  on  the  roofs 
of  buildings  and  ate  popcorn  at  night  while  they  watched  the  "Patriot-SCUD  show."  The  soldiers  did 
not  realize  at  that  time  that  of  1 7  SCUD  missiles  had  been  fired  at  Riyadh,  six  of  them  at  ARCENT 
Headquarters. 

The  SCUD  attacks,  as  part  of  the  Gulf  War,  had  begun  almost  exactly  24  hours  after  the  first 
Coalition  aircraft  had  screamed  over  Baghdad.  General  Schwarzkopf  recalled  that  at  0300  on  Friday, 
the  18th  of  January,  after  he  and  his  staff  had  been  in  the  Command  Center  for  24  hours,  seven  SCUD 
missiles  were  fired  from  Western  Iraq  toward  Israel."*  In  Israel  itself,  there  was  the  wail  of  air  raid 
sirens  which  alerted  the  people  to  a  missile  attack.  At  first  people  saw  a  shooting  star  with  a  red  nose 
flash  over  their  cities.  The  sky  would  then  suddenly  light  up  and  the  buildings  shake  to  a  deafening 
blast.  Against  all  the  odds,  Saddam  Hussein  had  scored  his  first  direct  hit  on  an  Israeli  city. 

More  missiles  followed — a  total  of  86  fired  at  Israel  and  Saudi  Arabia  during  the  whole  of  the 
Gulf  War.  The  SCUD  missiles  were  actually  designed  by  the  Soviets  to  carry  nuclear  warheads. 
They  were  not  exceptionally  accurate  because  it  was  thought  that  the  area  of  devastation  would 
compensate  for  lack  of  accuracy.  They  did  fly,  however,  at  more  than  5,000  mph.  When  a  SCUD 
missile  began  to  close  on  its  target,  it  would  slow  to  approximately  4,400  mph  in  the  increasingly 
dense  air;  sometimes  the  missile  would  break  apart."  If  there  were  Patriot  launchers  nearby,  the 
Patriot  batteries  would  spit  two  missiles  from  a  canister  for  every  SCUD  acquired.  In  moments  the 
sound  of  the  missiles  breaking  the  sound  barrier  announced  that  they  had  achieved  their  maximum 
speed  of  3,700  miles  per  hour.  SCUDs  and  Patriots,  therefore,  closed  at  more  than  8,000  mph.^*  In 
a  climatic  vision  of  flame  and  sound,  the  engagement  ended  in  seconds,  usually  with  the  interception 
of  the  SCUD  by  one  or  more  Patriot  missiles 

The  Patriots  had  been  developed  at  the  United  States  Army  Defense  Center  at  Fort  Bliss, 
Texas,  as  an  antiaircraft  weapon.  They  had  not  been  completely  field  tested  when  they  became 
operational  in  Saudi  Arabia.  Nevertheless,  they  were  largely  successfiil  in  intercepting  most  of  the 
missiles  fired  by  Saddam  Hussein's  forces.  A  total  of  130  Patriot  missiles  valued  at  more  than 
$1,000,000  each  were  launched  during  the  Gulf  War.  As  was  the  case  with  some  of  the  officers  in 
Riyadh  who  would  watch  the  Patriot-SCUD  shows,  many  of  the  soldiers  in  the  desert  regarded  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


SCUD   Impact    Zone:     (Top)    Sp.    Forbes,    SSG  Moses    Toliver,    Sp. 
Willis,    Chaplains   Leon  Kircher  and  Roger  Armstead  near  Riyadh 
(Bottom)    Chaplains   Larry  Mack   and  Rebecca   Leckrone 


129 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

SCUDS  with  unmasked  contempt.  Some  thought  they  were  used  merely  for  harassment — to  force 
soldiers  to  wake  up  at  night  and  put  on  their  chemical  protective  suits. 

Chaplain  William  Hufham  of  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  described  the  SCUD  as  nothing  more 
than  a  political  weapon,  demonstrating  that  the  Iraqis  could  reach  out  and  touch  someone  "'  The 
SCUD  missiles  had  a  range  of  approximately  625  miles,  but  the  Iraqis  learned  to  extend  that  slightly 
by  welding  additional  sections  on  SCUDs.  They  rechristened  them  "Al  Abbas"  missiles  which  could 
carry  either  a  small  payload  of  125  pounds  a  much  greater  distance  or  a  large  payload  to  its  normal 
625  mile  range.  When  the  first  SCUD  missiles  hit  Israel,  the  Israeli  government  wanted  to  retaliate 
with  waves  of  air  attacks  moving  across  Saudi  Arabian  air  space  to  find  targets  in  Iraq.  After  some 
very  hard  bargaining  by  General  Colin  Powell  and  other  members  of  the  American  Defense 
establishment,  the  Israeli  government  agreed  not  to  retaliate  immediately.  In  return  for  their 
willingness  to  remain  out  of  the  Gulf  War  and  therefore  out  of  any  posture  that  would  threaten  the 
fi^agile  Coalition,  the  American  government  sent  the  10th  Air  Defense  Brigade  fi"om  Darmstadt, 
Germany,  with  two  of  its  batteries.^" 

This  brigade  had  not  trained  for  deployment  outside  Europe,  but  it  reacted  quickly  to  help 
protect  Israel  from  any  impending  SCUD  attacks.  The  Patriot  tactical  missile  served  as  a  key  political 
tool  to  keep  Israel  out  of  the  war.  Moreover,  the  deployment  of  the  Patriot  batteries  to  Israel 
provided  an  opportunity  for  the  Army  Chaplain  Corps  to  deploy  a  Jewish  chaplain  from  the  Reserve 
components  to  serve  in  Israel.  The  chaplain's  name  was  Major  Jacob  Goldstein.  He  joined  Chaplain 
Michael  Dugal,  a  Protestant  deployed  from  Germany,  in  providing  ministry  to  the  U.S.  soldiers  in 
Israel.  Chaplain  Goldstein's  deployment  solved  a  problem  which  concerned  even  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains  and  the  CENTCOM  staff  The  problem  was  that  Chaplain  Goldstein  was  an  Orthodox 
Jewish  chaplain  who  wore  a  full  beard.  Chaplain  Goldstein  had  volunteered  to  serve  in  Saudi  Arabia, 
but  at  every  level  of  command  there  was  concern  that  Chaplain  Goldstein  would  be  identified  as  a 
rabbi  by  some  of  the  more  radical  groups  of  Muslims  in  Saudi  Arabia  and  therefore  his  safety  would 
be  in  jeopardy.  His  deployment  to  Israel  happily  solved  that  problem.^' 

The  most  serious  side  of  the  SCUD  dilemma  for  General  Schwarzkopf  was  in  locating  the 
mobile  SCUD  launchers  in  the  desert.  As  long  as  the  Iraqis  could  launch  SCUD  missiles  from 
oversized  trucks  in  the  desert,  they  could  place  these  missiles  on  a  number  of  cities  in  both  Israel  and 
Saudi  Arabia.  By  early  February,  General  Schwarzkopf  had  dedicated  one-third  of  his  air  assets  to 
locate  and  destroy  the  Iraqi  mobile  SCUD  launchers. ^^ 

While  some  American  aircraft  searched  for  SCUD  launchers,  the  remainder  of  U.S.  and  allied 
fighter  bombers  flew  1 16,000  combat  air  sorties  delivering  88,500  tons  of  bombs  on  42  Iraqi  divisions 
as  well  as  on  command  and  control  centers,  bridges,  SCUD  launcher  sites,  power  stations,  biological 
weapons  factories,  ammunition  dumps,  naval  vessels,  airfields,  bunkers  and  other  military  targets. 
The  Pentagon  revealed  that,  in  just  over  a  month,  the  Coalition  dropped  a  higher  tonnage  of  bombs 
with  more  concentrated  fire  power  than  the  allies  dropped  in  all  of  World  War  II.  Estimated  total 
Iraqi  losses  to  Coalition  air  power  reported  by  the  U.S.  Central  Command  included  288  combat 
aircraft,  3,700  battle  tanks,  2,400  armored  vehicles,  19  naval  vessels  and  42  Iraqi  divisions  rendered 
at  least  50%  ineffective  before  the  ground  war  started.  ^^  The  Department  of  the  Air  Force  noted  that 
the  successful  mission  rate  was  92%  higher  than  their  peacetime  training  rate.    In  spite  of  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 130 

suggestion  that  Baghdad  was  more  heavily  defended  than  the  most  highly  defended  Warsaw  Pact  sites 
during  the  height  of  the  Cold  War,  Air  Force  F-1 17s  flew  1,300  sorties  over  downtown  Baghdad 
dropping  2,000  tons  of  bombs  with  a  mission  success  rate  of  85%. 

In  all  of  the  Desert  Storm  sorties  U.S.  air  losses  in  combat  totaled  only  35  aircraft,  five  of 
which  were  helicopters.  There  were  no  U.S.  losses  in  air-to-air  engagements  as  opposed  to  42 
aircraft  lost  on  the  Iraqi  side  in  air-to-air  combat.  The  actual  number  of  Iraqi  civilians  killed  over  the 
42-day  air  war  period  was  remarkably  limited  when  the  scale  of  the  bombing  is  taken  into  account. 
The  most  precise  Iraqi  figures  put  the  number  of  civilians  killed  at  2,278  and  the  number  of  wounded 
at  5,965.  However,  as  a  result  of  the  Coalition  bombing  strategy,  civilian  life  in  Iraq  was  becoming 
increasingly  unbearable.  There  was  no  electricity  or  running  water  in  Baghdad  or  in  Iraq's  other 
major  cities  and,  as  a  result,  the  residents  of  Baghdad  faced  the  threat  of  cholera  and  typhoid 
epidemics.  By  early  February,  the  government  was  forced  to  announce  an  indefinite  halt  to  the  sale 
of  fiiel,  thereby  leading  to  the  complete  collapse  of  civilian  vehicular  transportation. 

Mr.  Lawrence  Eagleburger  of  the  U.S.  State  Department  recalled  a  conversation  he  had  with 
the  King  of  Morocco  on  the  effectiveness  of  Coalition  air  power.  The  King  of  Morocco  said  that  the 
bombing  was  "not  viewed  in  Iraq  in  the  way  the  West  viewed  it,  as  the  terrible  awfiil  thing  it  was. 
Rather,  it  was  a  demonstration  to  a  lot  of  Iraqis  as  to  how  vulnerable  they  really  were.  It  was 
probably,  in  terms  of  the  attitudes  in  Iraq  toward  Saddam  Hussein,  something  that  will  lead  to 
antagonism  and  criticism  of  him,  not  the  reverse."'^ 


A  Two  Corps  Switch 

The  Iraqi  forces  in  fi-ont  of  the  Coalition  units  remained  relatively  stable  after  the  air  war 
began  Five  Iraqi  divisions  had  occupied  the  western  desert  opposite  the  two  American  corps  since 
September  1990,  Two  infantry  divisions,  one  in  place  since  mid- August,  comprised  the  Iraqi  frontal 
defenses  in  Kuwait  east  of  the  Wadi  al-Batin.  A  45-kilometer  gap  existed  between  these  two 
divisions  and  the  26th  Iraqi  Infantry  Division,  the  next  major  combat  unit  arrayed  west  of  the  Wadi 
along  the  border.  The  gap  between  the  three  Iraqi  infantry  units  was  covered  to  some  extent  by  two 
second  echelon  heavy  divisions,  the  52d  Armored  Division  and  the  Republican  Guards'  Tawakalna 
Mechanized  Division.^^  These  heavier  units  were  centered  some  65  kilometers  behind  the  forward 
infantry  divisions  and  were  positioned  to  strike  any  Coalition  force  that  sought  to  exploit  the  45- 
kilometer  gap  by  attacking  up  the  Wadi  al-Batin  toward  Basra. ""^ 

The  Iraqis  had  used  this  armored  ambush  technique  against  the  Iranians.  The  objective  was 
simply  to  lure  a  long  armored  formation  far  enough  up  the  Wadi  that  it  could  not  withdraw,  then 
destroy  it  by  a  mobile  flank  attack  from  two  directions.  Some  120  battalions  of  Iraqi  artillery  out  of 
the  150  in  the  Kuwait  theater  were  available  to  support  these  units."  It  was  estimated  by  Coalition 
intelligence  sources  that  at  least  200,000  Iraqi  troops  were  on  line  to  execute  either  a  defense  of 
Kuwait  or  an  offensive  ambush 

In  order  to  maintain  the  elaborate  deception  plan  which  General  Schwarzkopf  and  his  staff" 
had  devised,  a  plan  which  included  a  feint  at  the  coast  with  a  Marine  amphibious  force  and  a  seeming 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


131 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

frontal  assault  by  Coalition  forces  along  the  southern  border  of  Kuwait,  General  Yeosock  needed  to 
move  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  around  the  VTI  Corps.  The  XVni  Airborne  Corps  could  then  wheel 
through  the  western  Iraqi  desert  and  deliver  with  the  VII  Corps  a  knockout  punch  to  the  flank  and 
rear  of  42  Iraqi  divisions  Genera!  Schwarzkopf  anticipated  that  at  least  two  weeks  would  be  needed 
to  execute  this  "great  wheel."  The  crossover  of  the  two  corps  would  have  to  be  completed  entirely 
during  the  air  operation.  General  Franks  of  the  VII  Corps  and  General  Luck  of  the  XVIII  Airborne 
Corps  would  have  just  two  weeks  to  conduct  one  of  the  most  complex  movements  of  any  major 
ground  force  in  history.  More  than  64,000  wheeled  and  tracked  vehicles  and  255,000  soldiers  would 
have  to  be  shifted  laterally  as  much  as  300  miles.  Concurrently,  the  22d  Support  Command  would 
have  to  construct  and  stock  two  enormous  logistical  bases  with  60  days'  supplies  to  support  each 
Corps.^^ 

Major  General  "Gus"  Pagonis,  General  Schwarzkopf  s  Chief  of  Logistics,  estimated  that  in 
order  to  provide  logistical  support  efficiently,  a  series  of  nine  logistical  bases  would  be  needed  to 
furnish  supplies  and  water  during  this  movement.^'  These  supplies  would  be  pushed  forward  utilizing 
1,400  U.S.  Army  trucks  and  2,100  host  nation  trucks.  These  trucks  would  travel  2,746  miles  on  main 
supply  routes  for  total  of  35  million  miles  driven  in  3,568  separate  convoys.  The  supplies  necessary 
for  the  soldiers  during  these  complex  movements  included  a  million  meals  a  day,  700  tons  of  mail  a 
day,  551,000  bottles  of  sun  screen  lotion  and  715,000  cans  of  foot  powder.  It  would  take  four 
million  gallons  of  gasoline  per  day  just  to  run  the  supply  vehicles.  General  Pagonis  noted  that  if  one 
analyzed  the  main  supply  routes  during  this  time  frame,  notably  the  roads  leading  from  Dhahran  to 
Riyadh  to  Raftia  and  the  Tap  Line  road  running  from  east  to  west,  each  minute  1 8  vehicles  would 
pass  any  given  point. '"'  This  traffic  would  continue  24  hours  a  day,  seven  days  a  week.  Also,  the 
march  routes  the  two  Corps  utilized  intersected  in  order  to  properly  position  them.  Therefore,  this 
lateral  movement  of  300  to  400  miles,  dependent  upon  unit  location,  would  have  to  be  accomplished 
in  large  part  with  a  centralized  plan  that  included  decentralized  control.'"  At  the  time  the  movement 
of  the  two  Corps  began;  that  is,  on  the  20th  of  January,  1990,  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  had  a  total 
strength  of  117,844  soldiers,  28,000  vehicles  and  980  aircraft.  The  VII  Corps  boasted  almost 
145,000  men,  more  than  45,000  vehicles  and  more  than  600  aircraft.  In  addition  to  the  supplies 
necessary  to  support  the  soldiers,  there  were  also  supplies  to  be  stockpiled  by  each  Corps  in  logistical 
bases  which  would  be  utilized  in  the  ground  offensive. 

At  the  time  the  movement  began,  the  24th  Infantry  Division  was  near  Jubayl.  Southeast  of 
it  was  the  101st  Airborne  Division,  slightly  to  the  east  of  that,  near  Dhahran,  was  the  82d  Airborne 
Division  and  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Headquarters  To  the  north  was  the  3d  Armored  Cavalry 
Regiment.  All  of  these  units  had  to  move  around  the  VII  Corps  toward  the  small  village  of  Rafha, 
approximately  530  miles  west  of  Jubayl  The  distance  from  Dhahran  to  Riyadh  and  then  to  Raftia, 
which  was  the  route  of  the  82d  Airborne  Division,  was  roughly  equivalent  to  movement  from 
Norfolk,  Virginia,  to  Chadotte,  North  Carolina,  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  In  fact,  in  21  days  of  convoys 
and  flights,  1 17,000  soldiers,  28,000  wheeled  vehicles,  5,145  tracked  vehicles,  6,334,000  meals  ready 
to  eat,  15,000  short  tons  of  ammunition,  23,000,000  gallons  of  ftiel  and  13,000,000  gallons  of  water 
were  moved  over  these  routes.  The  distance  covered  had  no  parallel  in  the  history  of  warfare  for  a 
such  large  force  in  so  short  a  time.'*'^ 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 132 

The  82d  Airborne  Division  had  to  move  farthest  west  of  any  American  division  involved  in 
the  pre-positioning  operation.  The  chaplains  of  the  82d  recalled  packing  up  for  the  move  on  January 
17th,  the  day  the  air  war  started.  They  dumped  and  burned  any  excess  material  and  equipment. 
Providentially,  they  had  received  some  chaplain  resupply  kits  which  had  arrived  from  the  United 
States.  Each  chaplain  got  two  kits — sufficient  for  a  60-day  supply  of  ecclesiastical  items.  In  addition, 
the  division  chaplain  maintained  a  30-day  supply  at  division  headquarters.  Consequently,  the  82d 
moved  forward  with  a  90-day  supply  of  ecclesiastical  items.  Chaplain  William  Hufham  recalled  that 
the  desert  boots  like  those  issued  to  most  divisions  never  arrived  in  the  82d  Airborne.^''  Likewise, 
the  chaplains  never  saw  a  tape  player.  To  a  large  measure,  the  other  equipment  needed  for  religious 
support,  mostly  chaplain  kits  and  resupply  kits,  were  readily  available. 

The  convoy  of  the  82d  Airborne  Division  was  characterized  as  "three  days  of  misery."  The 
82d  moved  600  miles  at  30  mph.  The  route  went  from  Dhahran  to  Riyadh  somewhat  southwest  and 
then  north  toward  King  Khalid  Military  City.  The  ultimate  destination  for  the  82d  Airborne  would 
be  the  vicinity  of  Rafha.  The  combat  convoy  carrying  troops  of  the  82d  Airborne  could  not  take  all 
of  the  soldiers.  Some  of  them  flew  up  to  King  Khalid  Military  City  on  Army  aircraft.  Those  who 
were  in  the  convoy  would  pull  off  from  time  to  time  and  sleep  until  they  finally  arrived,  on  the  1st  of 
February,  at  their  objective — approximately  eight  miles  from  the  border  of  Iraq. 

Directly  before  them  was  the  escarpment  that  marked  the  border  between  Saudi  Arabia  and 
Iraq.  The  escarpment  was  a  large  cliff  or  berm  of  sand  rising  at  times  100  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
ground  on  the  Saudi  Arabian  side.  The  82d  set  up  its  tents  in  the  area  of  Raflia  and  waited  for  further 
orders.  Although  the  Iraqis  did  not  have  an  air  threat  of  concern  to  the  82d  Airborne  soldiers,  the 
division  was  within  artillery  range  of  Iraqi  guns 

Chaplain  Hufham  remembered  that  one  important  morale  factor  for  the  soldiers  was  the 
receipt  of  Any  Soldier  mail.  Sometimes  soldiers  would  get  20  to  30  pieces  of  mail  a  day  and  many, 
including  the  chaplains,  tried  to  answer  as  much  of  it  as  possible.  The  soldiers  really  felt  the  prayerful 
support  of  the  American  people  which  was  very  important  to  them  as  they  waited  for  orders  either 
to  attack  or  to  withdraw.'*'* 

As  the  various  divisions  began  to  line  up  along  the  southern  Iraqi  border,  the  traffic  was  so 
intense  that  the  Tap  Line  road  began  to  be  a  death  tap  for  many  vehicles  and  soldiers.  Indeed,  there 
were  more  soldiers  injured  and  killed  in  automobile  and  truck  accidents  moving  into  position  along 
the  main  highway  than  were  lost  in  direct  combat  action  in  the  subsequent  fighting.  Incredibly,  even 
with  the  long  lines  of  deuce-and-a-half  trucks,  leased  Saudi  buses,  and  various  tactical  vehicles,  the 
roads  were  not  closed  to  normal  Saudi  Arabian  civilian  traffic.  Consequently,  traffic  jams  were 
frequent  and  accidents  expected.  Chaplain  David  Zalis  recalled  stopping  on  numerous  occasions  to 
give  first  aid  to  solders  who  were  injured  in  traffic  accidents. ""^  Likewise,  there  were  several  heart 
attack  casualties  suffered  by  drivers  who  were  simply  fatigued  beyond  physical  endurance.  Chaplain 
Robert  Branson  and  Chaplain  Carroll  Hutcheson  ministered  daily  to  the  drivers  of  the  7th 
Transportation  Group  without  whose  efforts  the  tons  of  war  materiel  would  never  have  reached  the 
necessary  logistical  bases. 

In  a  sense.  General  Schwarzkopf  s  overall  plan  resembled  the  lineup  of  a  football  team.  On 
the  right  wing,  facing  Iraq,  was  the  2nd  Marine  Division  reinforced  with  the  1st  (Tiger)  Brigade,  2nd 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


133 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

Armored  Division,  the  Egyptian  Division,  the  British  Armored  Division  and  the  American  VII  Corps. 
On  the  left  side  of  the  line  to  help  execute  the  Great  Wheel  or,  as  General  Schwarzkopf  called  it  later, 
the  "Hail  Mary"  play,  was  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  and  the  French  6th  Light  Armored  Division. 

The  concept  of  operations  by  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Commander,  General  Luck,  included 
a  strike  with  helicopter-borne  air  assault  forces  from  the  101st  Airborne  Division  deep  into  the 
Euphrates  River  Valley.'*''  Then,  the  24th  Infantry  Division's  heavy  armor  would  follow  to  sever 
Highway  8,  nearly  200  kilometers  deep  into  Iraq.  The  Corps  faced  relatively  weak  forces  consisting 
primarily  of  infantry  units  scattered  over  hundreds  of  miles  of  open  desert.  General  Luck  would 
accept  some  risk  with  a  bold  thrust  of  the  101st  Airborne  northward  to  secure  Highway  8  as  quickly 
as  possible.  Once  astride  the  highway,  the  101st  would  have  to  hold  on  long  enough  for  the  24th 
Infantry  Division  to  link  up  and  completely  shut  off  any  possibility  of  Iraqi  escape.'*^ 

Each  of  General  Luck's  divisions  had  its  own  separate  mission  and  independent  axis  of 
attack."**  The  French  6th  Light  Armored  Division,  reinforced  with  the  2nd  Brigade  of  the  82d 
Airborne  Division,  was  the  Corps'  initial  main  effort.  The  6th  would  launch  a  lightning  attack  up  the 
hard  surface  road  that  ran  from  the  border  to  the  town  of  al-Salman.  After  securing  the  town  and  a 
nearby  fighter  base,  the  French  would  screen  to  the  west  while  the  rest  of  the  Corps  advanced.  The 
101st  was  to  launch  the  largest  air  assault  attack  in  history  deep  into  Iraq  to  get  astride  of  Highway 
8.  The  24th  Infantry  Division  would  follow  the  101st  on  the  ground  with  the  Third  Armored  Cavalry 
Regiment  on  their  right  screening  the  boundary  with  VII  Corps.  The  24th  would  become  the  Corps' 
point  division  when  it  broke  into  the  Euphrates  River  Valley. 

The  concept  of  operations  by  the  VII  Corps  Commander  was  for  the  1st  Infantry  Division  to 
conduct  the  breach  of  Iraqi  defenses  in  a  deliberate,  carefiilly  rehearsed,  and  heavily  supported 
attack.^'  Originally,  the  entire  Corps  was  supposed  to  pass  through  the  lanes  opened  by  the  "Big  Red 
One."  But,  by  the  start  of  air  operations,  the  Iraqis  had  failed  to  extend  their  defenses  to  the  west  of 
the  breach  lanes,  leaving  that  area  relatively  undefended.  General  Franks,  in  a  move  that  showed 
great  flexibility,  decided  to  modify  his  plan  by  slipping  the  2d  Armored  Cavalry  Regiment  and  the  1st 
and  3d  Armored  Divisions  around  to  the  west  of  the  breach.  He  kept  the  brunt  of  his  initial  attack 
concentrated  on  exploiting  the  1st  Infantry  division's  breach  of  the  Iraqi  26th  and  48th  Infantry 
Divisions'  lines.  Once  the  breach  was  complete,  the  British  1st  Armored  Division  would  thrust 
through  the  openings  and  turn  sharply  east  to  destroy  the  waiting  second-echelon  forces  and  disrupt 
any  Iraqi  plan  to  spring  a  two-division  armored  ambush  against  the  right  flank  of  the  VII  Corps. 

As  the  Coalition  forces  were  moving  into  their  attack  positions,  Saddam  Hussein  concluded 
that  he  had  little  choice  but  to  trigger  the  ground  war  rather  than  wait  to  be  attacked.  He  took  a  rare 
military  initiative  by  ordering  a  limited  ground  encounter  in  Saudi  Arabia.  Such  a  move  entailed  grave 
risks,  but  the  potential  advantages  were  compelling.  He  would  have  seized  the  initiative  from  the 
allies,  at  least  temporarily,  giving  the  morale  of  his  battered  troops  in  Kuwait  a  much  needed  boost, 
and  it  might  even  create  a  momentum  that  would  suck  the  reluctant  Coalition  into  a  ground  offensive. 
Saddam  also  apparently  thought  that  the  capture  of  many  Coalition  prisoners  would  damage  Western 
morale.  If  he  had  picked  his  spot  better,  attacked  at  greater  strength  and  executed  the  attack  more 
effectively,  a  serious  disruption  could  have  been  caused  to  Coalition  plans. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 134 

Saddam's  attack  was  targeted  on  the  Saudi  border  town  of  Kha^i.  A  small  town,  some  12 
miles  from  the  border  with  Kuwait,  Kha^i  had  been  evacuated  early  in  the  conflict  because  of  its 
vulnerability  to  Iraqi  artillei"y.  The  fact  that  it  was  abandoned  by  its  people  and  only  lightly  defended 
by  Saudi  and  Qatari  troops  was  advertised  by  the  Western  media  There  is  some  evidence  that  the 
Iraqi  attack  had  been  under  preparation  for  a  week  before  it  occurred  On  the  night  of  29  January, 
there  was  an  attack  without  any  early  Coalition  detection.  An  Iraqi  force  comprising  two  armored 
battalions  and  one  mechanized  battalion  from  one  of  the  better  Iraqi  army  divisions,  the  5th 
Mechanized,  crossed  the  Kuwaiti  border  in  the  southeast  and  headed  in  the  direction  of  KhaQi.'"  At 
the  same  time,  an  armada  of  1 7  fast  patrol  boats,  carrying  landing  parties,  began  to  move  down  the 
Kuwaiti  coast.  Behind  them  three  mechanized  divisions  with  some  240  tanks  and  60,000  soldiers 
were  massing  near  Basra  to  follow  through. 

The  Iraqi  patrol  boats  were  detected  by  British  Jaguars  and  attacked  by  Royal  Navy 
helicopters,  leaving  two  patrol  boats  sunk  or  damaged  and  the  rest  scattered.  The  central  Iraqi 
armored  battalion  met  a  Marine  battalion  from  the  1st  Marine  Division  and  suffered  badly  from 
helicopter  gunship  and  A- 10  aircraft  fire.  The  Iraqis  lost  24  tanks  and  13  other  vehicles.  The 
mechanized  battalion  also  ran  into  trouble  and  was  attacked  from  the  air,  driving  it  to  a  hasty 
withdrawal  northward.  However,  the  Americans  suffered  their  first  casualties  in  ground  fighting 
when  1 1  Marines  were  killed,  seven  of  them  from  friendly  fire.  Moreover,  the  last  Iraqi  armored 
battalion,  accompanied  by  some  infantry,  did  get  through  in  the  dark,  having  a  forced  a  Saudi 
screening  unit  to  withdraw.  Taking  the  small  Saudi  garrison  by  surprise,  the  Iraqis  occupied  the 
town.  The  next  day  they  tried  to  bring  in  two  additional  battalions  but  failed  as  they  were  attacked 
by  A- 10  aircraft.  The  Iraqi  battalion  in  occupation,  now  isolated,  was  bombed  by  U.S.  aircraft, 
artillery  and  helicopters,  but  resisted  attempts  to  dislodge  them  for  nearly  two  days.  One  option  was 
to  leave  them  in  the  town,  which  was  of  no  strategic  significance.  They  could  not  have  been 
reinforced.  However,  this  would  have  given  Iraq  a  psychological  victory  and  also  have  left  some  U.S. 
Marines,  who  had  been  on  a  reconnaissance  mission,  alone  in  the  town.  Consequently,  an  Arab  force, 
composed  of  Saudis,  Qataris,  and  Pakistanis,  was  sent  in  to  retake  KhaQi. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  3 1  January,  the  counterattack  began.  Kha^i  was  initially  held,  but  the 
attacking  Coalition  force  pushed  in  with  intensive  fighting.  It  took  another  two  days  to  clear  up  all 
the  remnants  of  the  Iraqi  units.  The  Iraqi  losses  in  men  and  equipment  were  high,  amounting  to 
dozens  of  dead  and  hundreds  of  prisoners.  The  Coalition  Arabs  lost  19  killed  and  36  wounded. 

One  of  the  observers  at  the  battle  of  Kha^i  was  Chaplain  David  Zalis,  the  senior  Jewish 
chaplain  in  Saudi  Arabia.  Chaplain  Zalis  and  his  assistant.  Sergeant  Martin  Cuellar,  had  been  visiting 
troops  in  the  area  when  the  fighting  broke  out.  From  the  top  of  a  hill  overlooking  the  town.  Chaplain 
Zalis  and  Sergeant  Cuellar  observed  the  activity  through  binoculars. 

Both  the  fraqis  and  the  Coalition  forces  quickly  claimed  victory  for  the  first  significant  ground 
encounter  of  the  war.  The  Iraqis  described  their  action  as  "a  lightning  strike  into  the  kingdom  of 
evil."  They  argued  that  it  had  been  planned  by  Saddam,  personally,  together  with  the  Revolutionary 
Command  Council  and  the  military  leadership,  and  that  the  Iraqi  President  had  visited  his  troops  in 
Basra  a  couple  of  days  prior  to  the  battle  to  personally  issue  the  command  for  the  attack. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


135 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

The  Coalition,  for  its  part,  played  down  the  significance  of  the  battle.  General  Schwarzkopf 
said  that  it  was  "About  as  significant  as  a  mosquito  on  an  elephant.  I  can  afford  that  kind  of  swap 
all  day."  In  fact,  only  twenty  per  cent  of  the  Iraqi  troops  were  able  to  return  to  Kuwait  after  the 
battle. 

The  battle  of  Kha^i  showed  the  vulnerability  of  the  Iraqi  Army  to  air  attacks."  In  fact,  in  the 
Kuwaiti  Theatre  of  Operations,  which  included  Kuwait  plus  the  adjacent  area  of  Iraq  up  to  the 
Euphrates,  Coalition  air  attacks  were  constant.  Iraqi  armor  and  artillery  were  reduced  by  50  percent 
overall,  and  the  artillery  by  90  percent  in  those  areas  where  Coalition  forces  were  expected  to  breach 
Iraqi  defenses.  In  addition,  Iraqi  command  and  control  and  intelligence  capabilities  were  largely 
eliminated  and  logistics  severely  restricted. 

By  way  of  achieving  these  objectives,  bombardment  of  the  Republican  Guard  began  on  the 
first  day  of  the  war.  It  was  discussed  in  the  media  in  terms  of  "carpet  bombing,"  in  contrast  to 
"surgical  strikes."  Neither  term  was  much  used  by  the  professional  military.  General  Schwarzkopf 
rejected  the  term  "carpet  bombing"  which  tends  to  portray  something  totally  indiscriminate  without 
regard  to  the  target.  He  claimed  that  the  allied  campaign  was  much  more  careful  in  its  organization 
and  choice  of  weapons.  Moreover,  the  Republican  Guards  did  not  really  present  themselves  as  a 
carpet.  This  estimated  150,000-strong  force  was  dug  in  over  an  area  of  4,500  square  miles  in 
generally  sandy  terrain.  In  all,  5,600  sorties  were  mounted  against  the  Republican  Guard,  out  of 
35,000  total  sorties  directed  against  the  Iraqi  Army. 

For  three  weeks,  the  Coalition  forces  remained  in  their  assembly  areas,  prepared  to  attack  on 
order.  By  the  second  week  in  February,  the  commanders  in  Riyhad  knew  that  a  Coalition  ground 
attack  would  occur  within  seven  days.  Chaplain  Gay  Hatler  made  a  trip  throughout  the  Coalition 
positions  in  Saudi  Arabia  to  visit  as  many  corps,  division  and  battalion  chaplains  as  possible  before 
the  ground  war  started.  All  of  the  hospitals  from  the  Iraqi  border  to  Bahrain  were  fully  staffed  with 
chaplains  and  all  had  Catholic  coverage.  If  Saddam  Hussein  fired  chemical  or  biological  shells  at  the 
advancing  Coalition  forces,  the  best  estimates  anticipated  30  percent  casualties  for  the  attacking 
force.  Some  100,000  body  bags  were  already  positioned  in  Saudi  Arabia  and  40,000  coffins  were 
stockpiled  at  Fort  Eustis,  Virginia,  for  shipment  to  Saudi  Arabia.  Most  commanders  took  the 
casualty  estimates  quite  seriously. 

From  the  101st  Airborne  Division  to  the  VII  Corps  to  ARCENT  Headquarters  at  Riyadh, 
during  this  tense  time  of  waiting  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  visited  soldiers  in  every  possible 
location  to  calm  their  fears  and,  if  possible,  increase  their  faith.  In  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  some 
soldiers  had  traveled  by  vehicle  to  the  air  base  at  Dhahran  where  they  were  baptized  by  Chaplain 
George  Gamer  in  the  Air  Force  swimming  pool."  Others  more  frequently  were  baptized  in  the  desert 
in  makeshift  baptistries.  Chaplains  had  to  be  very  carefijl  where  baptismal  services  were  held  so  they 
did  not  draw  the  attention  of  the  local  Arabs  or  offend  any  of  the  Muslim  people.  Most  of  the  time 
engineer  units  or  units  with  earth  moving  equipment  would  dig  a  trench  or  a  small  pit  in  the  sand  and 
then  line  it  with  plastic  or  rubber  from  fiiel  bladders.  These  "pools"  would  then  be  filled  with  water 
and  the  chaplains  would  baptize  as  many  soldiers  as  requested  the  sacrament. 

As  the  units  waited  in  the  desert  to  see  what  the  fiature  would  bring,  chaplains  and  chaplain 
assistants  continued  their  normal  ministries.   One  chaplain  who  used  his  unique  talents  to  focus  on 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 136 

ministry  in  his  unit  was  Chaplain  Herb  Kitchens,  the  division  chaplain  for  the  101st  Airborne  Division. 
Early  in  February  1991,  shortly  after  the  air  war  began.  Chaplain  Kitchens  wrote  a  song  entitled,  "The 
Night  the  Eagles  Screamed.""  The  song  concerned  the  initial  attack  of  the  air  war  during  the  early 
morning  hours  of  17  January.  Apache  helicopters  of  the  101st  Airborne  Division  had  fired  the  first 
shots  of  the  air  war.  Military  strategists  decided  they  had  to  eliminate  Iraq's  radar  sites  before  the 
allied  aircraft  could  start  their  bombing.  They  gave  the  mission  to  Lieutenant  Colonel  Dick  Cody, 
the  Commander  of  the  First  Battalion,  101st  Aviation  Brigade.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Cody  and  his 
brave  pilots  crossed  the  Iraqi  border,  located  Saddam  Hussein's  strategic  radar  sites  and  destroyed 
them  using  their  deadly  Hell  Fire  missiles.  Thereby  they  opened  an  air  corridor  to  Baghdad  and 
insured  the  safety  of  the  allied  pilots. 

Following  completion  of  the  mission.  Chaplain  Kitchens  interviewed  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Cody.  Cody  told  him  that  as  he  was  flying  back  out  of  Iraq,  he  looked  up  through  the  windshield  of 
his  cockpit  and  saw  more  than  100  fighter  bombers  streaking  across  the  sky  on  their  way  to  Baghdad. 
Chaplain  Kitchens  wrote  the  song  in  his  tent  and  made  a  copy  of  it  on  a  cassette  recorder.  He  took 
the  recorder  to  the  Commanding  General  of  the  101st  Airborne  Division,  Major  General  J.  H.  Binford 
Peay,  III,  and  played  the  song  for  him  in  his  tent.'" 

General  Peay  liked  the  song  and  suggested  Chaplain  Kitchens  get  someone  in  the  United 
States  to  record  it.  Eventually,  the  Cable  News  Network  picked  up  the  song  and  played  it  several 
times.  An  ABC  affiliate,  Channel  7  in  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  aired  the  song  and  then  interviewed 
Chaplain  Kitchens'  parents  in  Benton,  Arkansas.  Finally,  a  television  station  in  Nashville,  Tennessee, 
aired  it.  Then  the  manager  went  to  Chaplain  Kitchens'  home  in  Clarksville,  Tennessee,  near  Fort 
Campbell,  Kentucky,  and  interviewed  Mrs.  Kitchens  and  their  children.  The  song  Chaplain  Kitchens 
wrote  has  two  stanzas: 

On  January  1 7,  Cody  got  the  word, 

Loaded  up  his  hell  fires  and  mounted  up  his  bird. 

He  lifted  off"  into  the  night  and  headed  for  Iraq. 

They  should  have  known  the  1 0 1  st  wouldn't  cut  'em  any  slack. 

A  hundred  birds  in  Air  Force  blue  were  calmly  hangin'  high. 

Apaches  of  the  101  st  were  clearin'  out  the  sky 

America  had  drawn  the  line  and  set  the  final  date. 

When  the  Eagle  screamed  and  crossed  that  line,  it  sealed  ol'  Hussein's  fate.'' 

Chaplain  Kitchens'  song  helped  bolster  the  morale  of  thousands  of  soldiers  and  illustrated  some  of 
the  many  talents  that  chaplains  brought  to  bear  in  their  varied  ministries. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


137 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

G-Day 

By  the  third  week  in  February  the  major  units  of  the  Coalition  were  in  place  in  anticipation 
for  a  ground  attack.  Very  quietly  and  secretively,  the  word  was  spread  around  ARCENT 
Headquarters  that  the  proposed  ground  attack  day,  known  as  G-Day,  would  be  on  24  February  1991. 
Not  many  people  needed  to  know  this  information  in  advance,  but  the  senior  officers  had  to  be  aware 
of  the  date  in  order  to  make  their  last  minute  plans  Chaplain  Gay  Hatler,  the  ARCENT  Chaplain, 
spent  the  week  before  the  attack  with  his  chaplain  assistant,  SFC  Ed  Parton,  visiting  his  corps 
chaplains  and  other  units  along  Tap  Line  Road  on  the  northern  border  of  Saudi  Arabia. '^  From  west 
to  east  the  French  forces  were  positioned  in  the  far  west  with  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  on  their  right 
flank.  The  VII  Corps  was  in  the  center  of  the  line  with  the  multi-Arab  forces,  the  2nd  Marine 
Division,  and  the  Tiger  Brigade  from  the  2nd  Armored  Division  to  the  east.  The  1st  Marine 
Division  extended  the  front  to  the  coast.  The  mood  was  expectant  along  the  line.  Chaplain  Dan 
Davis,  the  VII  Corps  Chaplain,  recalled  that  his  commander  estimated  the  possibility  of  6,000 
American  casualties  in  the  first  two  days  of  fighting  "  Chaplain  Herb  Kitchens  was  told  in  the  101st 
Airborne  Division  briefing  to  assume  30%  casualties  in  the  division.  Obviously  if  there  were  to  be 
heavy  casualties  among  the  soldiers,  one  would  anticipate  casualties  also  among  the  chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants,  positioned,  as  they  were,  as  far  forward  as  possible. 

One  of  the  concerns  the  senior  chaplains  had  in  both  the  VII  Corps  and  the  XVIII  Airborne 
Corps  was  to  reinforce  morale  and  commitment  among  the  unit  ministry  teams — some  of  which  might 
not  return.  In  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps,  Chaplain  Bernard  Lieving  sponsored  a  worship  service 
which  was  called  the  "Blessing  of  the  UMTs."'*  The  service  was  conducted  by  the  XVIU  Airborne 
Corps  Artillery  Chaplain,  Robert  Jenkins.  The  Commanding  General  and  the  Command  Sergeant 
Major  attended.  During  the  worship  service  the  passages  of  scripture  and  message  focused  on  the 
importance  of  facing  life  and  death  Chaplain  Jenkins  reminded  the  unit  ministry  teams  that  "God  is 
with  us  in  both  life  and  death  and  that  in  the  inhumanity  of  war  we  still  do  not  have  to  lose  our 
humanity."^'  Later  Sgt.  Major  Tillman  Hatcher,  the  senior  chaplain  assistant  in  the  XVIII  Airborne 
Corps,  recalled  that  it  was  an  exceptionally  moving  service  for  all  of  the  chaplains  and  chaplain 
assistants  who  were  able  to  attend  *" 

Most  of  the  division  chaplains  likewise  conducted  services  for  their  unit  ministry  teams  or  had 
prayer  together  with  them.  Chaplain  Herb  Kitchens  in  the  101st  Airborne  Division  recalled  that  he 
had  prayer  with  all  of  his  brigade  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  before  the  ground  war  actually 
began.  As  in  the  case  of  the  Corps  services,  the  divisional  services  were  likewise  meaningfiil  in 
sharing  concerns,  faith,  and  commitment  to  the  religious  support  of  soldiers  in  danger. 

Chaplain  Dan  Davis,  the  VII  Corps  chaplain,  and  his  chaplain  assistant,  SGM  Ronald  M. 
Bowren,  visited  every  chaplain  in  the  Corps  prior  to  the  ground  war.  Chaplain  Davis  likewise  spent 
time  with  the  major  commanders  so  that  they  too  would  have  the  assurance  of  spiritual  support. 
Chaplain  Davis  recorded: 

Believing  that  I  should  provide  ministry  to  my  commanding  general  and  speak  to 
needs  where  possible,  I  brought  the  matter  in  prayer  to  God.  God  laid  it  on  my  heart 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 138 

that  he  had  anointed  the  VTI  Corps  Commanding  General  for  the  great  task  to  which 
they  were  called  and  that  the  corps  was  an  instrument  of  God's  righteousness.  On  one 
night  while  walking  under  the  Saudi  Arabian  starry  skies,  I  told  my  commanding 
general.  Lieutenant  General  Franks,  that  God  had  revealed  to  my  heart,  that  he  was 
anointed  to  lead  the  VII  Corps  in  battle  and  that  the  forces  he  commanded  would  be 
an  instrument  of  God's  righteousness.  I  am  not  sure  that  my  commander  had  ever 
been  told  such  things  before  but  he  seemed  deeply  moved  and  indicated  his  sincere 
appreciation.*' 

Just  a  few  days  before  the  ground  war  started.  Chaplain  Davis  visited  with  Major  General 
Ronald  Griffith  in  the  1st  Armored  Division.  General  Griffith  told  Chaplain  Davis  he  anticipated  a 
loss  of  not  less  than  2,000  soldiers  and  dreaded  having  to  tell  the  families  waiting  in  Germany  that 
their  husbands  and  fathers  and  mothers  would  not  return  to  them.  Again,  Chaplain  Davis  took  this 
concern  to  God  in  sincere  prayer.  Chaplain  Davis  said  that  God  spoke  to  his  heart  and  assured  him 
there  would  be  "victory  without  great  casualties."*''  Chaplain  Davis  communicated  this  to  General 
Griffith  before  the  attack  began.  General  Griffith,  as  was  the  case  with  so  many  commanders, 
appreciated  the  personal  care  and  concern  of  chaplains  who  constantly  prayed  for  his  soldiers. 

At  ARCENT  Headquarters  in  Riyadh,  the  ARCENT  chaplain  staff  was  very  busy.  There  was 
a  last  minute  rush  to  be  sure  that  every  field  hospital  had  Catholic  coverage.  This  was  the  desire  of 
the  Chief  of  Chaplains  as  well  as  the  CENTCOM  and  ARCENT  chaplains.  Even  though  there  were 
more  than  60  priests  in  the  theater  at  the  time,  some  covered  as  many  as  three  units  including  hospital 
units,  graves  registration  units  and  mortuary  units.  Before  the  ground  war  started,  however,  every 
hospital  had  at  least  a  priest  close  enough  to  render  pastoral  support  in  the  event  that  heavy  casualties 
did  occur. 

The  basic  strategy  for  the  attack  of  the  24th  of  February  was  to  have  elements  of  the  1  st 
Marine  Division  feint  an  amphibious  landing  in  Kuwait.  The  2nd  Marine,  the  1st  Infantry  Division 
and  the  British  Armored  Division  would  open  breaches  in  the  Iraqi  line,  in  order  for  the  more  heavily 
armored  Tiger  Brigade,  1  st  Cavalry  Division  and  the  two  Armored  Divisions  fi"om  Germany  to  pass 
through.  In  the  west,  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  was  to  conduct  what  Chaplain  Ford  G'Segner,  the 
division  chaplain  of  the  24th  Infantry  Division,  called  the  "world's  largest  cavalry  charge.'"'^  The  units 
which  had  to  breach  the  Iraqi  defenses  were  usually  preceded  by  an  artillery  preparation  and  tanks 
or  other  vehicles  with  bull  dozer  blades  which  simply  pushed  aside  obstacles  and  opened  avenues  of 
approach.  In  some  cases  there  were  roads  already  available,  but  in  front  of  the  82nd  Airborne 
Division  there  was  an  escarpment  of  sand,  in  places  1 00  feet  high,  marking  a  difference  in  elevation 
between  the  Saudi  Arabian  border  and  the  Iraqi  border.*"*  Chaplain  Jere  Kimmell,  the  Tiger  Brigade 
Chaplain,  reported  that  his  troops  characterized  their  part  of  the  initial  feint  as  a  "sitting  duck"  attack 
to  divert  the  attention  of  the  Iraqi  ground  commanders. 

Some  chaplains  were  already  in  Iraq  before  the  actual  attack  began.  On  February  23rd 
Chaplain  James  Ritchie  of  the  5th  Special  Forces  Group  prepared  his  medical  kit  and  his  chaplain  kit 
for  transport  into  Iraq.  Chaplain  Ritchie,  whose  base  was  at  King  Khalid  Military  City,  was  a  medic 
as  well  as  a  chaplain.   He  left  at  0230  hours  on  the  morning  of  February  24th  in  order  to  join  this 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


139 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

Special  Forces  troops  in  the  Iraqi  desert.  Although  much  of  Special  Forces  doctrine  was  classified, 
many  of  the  Special  Forces  soldiers  had  been  in  Iraq  for  some  time.  Their  mission  was  to  report  on 
enemy  movements  and  to  rescue,  if  possible,  pilots  who  were  shot  down  or  otherwise  forced  to  land 
in  hostile  territory.  The  5th  Special  Forces  Group  was  one  of  the  most  highly  decorated  units  in  the 
United  States  Army  and  Chaplain  Ritchie  said  that  he  was  proud  to  be  their  chaplain. 
On  the  24th  of  February  Chaplain  Ritchie  recalled  the  following  activities: 

The  ground  forces  moved  into  position  and  so  did  we  at  the  5th  Special  Forces 
Group.  I  was  with  the  2nd  Battalion,  5th  Special  Forces  We  were  moving  with  the 
Egyptian  Corps,  which  had  the  main  effort  in  our  area.  I  moved  north  with  B 
Company  across  the  berm  and  mine  field.  I  saw  a  tank  battle  unfold  to  my  right  flank. 
The  site  was  indescribable.  Fire,  flame,  smoke  and  loud  explosions  erupted  all  along 
the  horizon.  I  remember  saying  to  myself  'God  be  with  us.'  And  he  was  with  us. 
The  war  moved  fast.  I  was  up  visiting  the  team  with  the  forward  Egyptian  forces. 
They  were  in  behind  a  large  berm  and  the  Rangers  were  still  clearing  the  objective. 
Standing  at  the  base  of  the  berm  a  team  member  and  I  walked  up  it.  Moments  after 
I  reached  the  top,  I  heard  some  familiar  sounds  passing  by  and  the  sand  began  kicking 
up  around  my  feet.   It  was  incoming  rifle  fire,  a  near  miss  for  me. 

The  enemy  POWs  filled  the  road  south.  I  was  with  four  soldiers  in  a  FIMMWV 
moving  toward  an  observation  post  along  the  Iraqi  border  looking  for  more  prisoners. 
As  we  approached  the  observation  post,  I  recognized  something  protruding  through 
the  sand.  We  were  in  a  mind  field!  The  soldiers  in  the  vehicle  were  all  junior  to  me. 
There  was  one  cook,  two  mechanics  and  one  from  an  armored  unit.  I  was  the  only 
officer  I  was  the  only  one  who  saw  what  had  happened.  I  made  the  driver  stop  and 
I  explained  to  the  soldiers  that  we  were  in  a  mine  field.  I  wouldn't  let  anyone  out  of 
the  vehicle.  I  slowly  got  out  and  using  a  bayonet  in  the  sand,  I  cleared  a  path  around 
to  the  front  of  the  vehicle.  After  checking  all  of  the  tires  and  the  ground  in  front  I 
cleared  a  path  out  of  the  mine  field.  It  was  another  near  miss.^^ 

The  coordinated  attack  along  the  Iraqi  border  began  at  0400  on  G-Day,  February  24th.  Two 
artillerymen  hundreds  of  miles  apart  pulled  the  lanyards  on  their  howitzers  to  begin  the  Desert  Storm 
ground  attack.  Across  the  Coalition  front  620,000  soldiers.  Marines  and  airmen  from  more  than  37 
nations  attacked  an  Iraqi  force  then  estimated  at  545,000.  OflF  shore  in  the  Gulf  Marine  amphibious 
forces  threatened  a  seaborne  landing  as  the  Arab  forces  in  the  east  attacked  up  the  Kuwait  City 
Highway.  On  their  western  flank  Lieutenant  General  Walt  Boomer's  1st  and  2nd  Marine  Divisions 
crossed  the  border  to  breach  Fortress  Kuwait.  The  Tiger  Brigade  from  the  2nd  Armored  Division, 
with  its  newly  issued  Ml-Al  tanks,  provided  the  Sunday  punch  for  the  more  lightly  equipped 
Marines.  Once  the  Marines  cleared  a  lane  through  the  Iraqi  defenses,  the  Tiger  Brigade  took  on 
Saddam's  Armored  Reserves. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 140 

Farther  west,  the  VII  Coq^s'  1  st  Infantry  Division  attacked  the  Iraqi  security  zone  to  clear  out 
forward  reconnaissance  elements  and  artillery  observation  posts  in  preparation  for  the  next  day's 
attack  against  the  main  line  of  resistance  On  the  extreme  western  flank,  almost  400  kilometers  from 
the  coast,  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  attacked  northward  to  seal  oflF  the  theater.  General 
Schwarzkopf  said  later  that  his  worst  nightmare  would  be  to  have  three  divisions  of  Coalition  troops 
halted  along  the  138  miles  of  fire  trenches,  bunkers,  and  mine  fields  the  enemy  had  prepared  while 
Iraqi  artillery  fired  chemical  munitions  on  top  of  them. 

The  primary  Iraqi  ground  targets  which  had  the  greatest  "ripple  eflFect"  on  Iraq's  war  effort 
were  the  Republican  Guards  divisions  with  a  total  of  96,000  troops.  These  units  constituted  what 
General  Schwarzkopf  called,  in  Clausewitzian  terms,  the  enemy's  "center  of  gravity."  The  ultimate 
objective  of  the  ground  war  in  the  third  week  in  February  was  not,  of  course,  merely  the  Republican 
Guard  divisions.  The  objective  was  to  neutralize  all  42  of  Iraq's  60  divisions  in  the  Kuwait  theater 
of  operations  and  to  force  the  complete  enemy  withdrawl  from  Kuwait. 


Over  the  Top 

On  the  far  western  flank  of  the  Coalition  line,  early  in  the  morning  of  the  24th  of  February, 
the  French  6th  Light  Armored  Division  pushed  north  along  a  paved  road  called  Main  Supply  Route 
Texas  with  two  brigades  abreast.  The  2nd  Brigade  of  the  82nd  Airborne  Division  followed  in  trucks 
to  assist  the  French  in  rapidly  clearing  the  road  The  French-led  force  moved  quickly  toward  as- 
Sahnan  in  the  Euphrates  River  Valley.  Because  the  asphalt  road  provided  the  only  high  speed  route 
available  to  transport  supplies,  seizing  it  was  critical  to  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps'  plan.  Chaplains 
in  the  2nd  Brigade  of  the  82nd  Airborne  Division — Chaplain  Lawrence  Krause,  Chaplain  Jeff 
Houston,  Chaplain  Thomas  Solhjem  and  Chaplain  David  George — traveled  in  convoy  with  their 
troops.  They  were  joined  by  Chaplain  Donald  Rutherford  who  was  the  first  Catholic  chaplain  to 
cross  into  Iraq.^  Chaplain  Rutherford  had  been  on  duty  in  the  Army  less  than  a  week  when  he  was 
assigned  to  the  82d  Airborne  Division  and  deployed  to  Operation  Desert  Storm. 

The  French  6th  Light  Armored  Division  and  the  82d  Airborne  Division's  2nd  Brigade  knew 
that  part  of  the  Iraqi  45th  Infantry  Division  waited  for  them  50  kilometers  into  Iraq.*"'  At  1 100  hours 
on  the  24th  of  February  the  French  commander.  Brigadier  General  Bernard  Janvier,  requested  artillery 
fire  from  the  American  1 8th  Field  Artillery  Brigade.  Under  artillery  and  attack  hehcopter  fire,  the 
Iraqis  quickly  surrendered.  Meanwhile  the  82d's  Second  Brigade  moved  up  and  helped  clear  the 
objective.  The  next  goal  for  the  French  and  American  Task  Force  was  the  town  of  as-Salman  and 
the  airfield  north  of  it.  At  1410  hours  on  the  afternoon  of  February  24th,  the  Sixth  French  Division 
and  the  2d  Brigade,  82d  Airborne  Division  attacked  the  Iraqis  near  the  town,  following  another 
massive  preparation  from  the  XVIII  Field  Artillery  Brigade.  By  1800  hours  as-Salman  and  the 
airfield  were  surrounded.  Mounted  on  trucks,  the  82d  Airborne  Division's  1  st  Brigade  was  prepared 
to  clear  any  pockets  of  resistance  to  the  south  that  the  lead  corps'  forces  had  bypassed  as  they 
attacked  farther  north. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


141 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

The  attack  by  the  French  6th  Armored  Division  and  the  82d  Airborne  Division  had  been  so 
rapid  that  many  Iraqi  soldiers  had  been  bypassed  in  their  bunkers  along  Main  Supply  Route  Texas. 
In  the  2d  Brigade  convoy  following  the  attack.  Chaplain  Tom  Solhjem  and  his  assistant.  Specialist 
Pheron  Brown,  were  looking  for  bunkers  which  had  been  abandoned  by  Iraqi  soldiers.  During  one 
of  their  halts.  Chaplain  Solhjem  dismounted  from  his  vehicle  and  walked  to  the  top  of  a  sandy  berm. 
Approximately  50  meters  in  front  of  him  he  saw  a  bunker  with  some  Iraqis  sitting  around  it  gesturing 
toward  him  He  thought  there  were  at  least  two  machine  guns  trained  on  him  at  that  time.  Chaplain 
Solhjem  was  unarmed  except  for  a  knife  which  he  used  to  open  his  meal  rations.  He  realized  that 
there  was  only  one  possible  course  of  action:  he  would  have  to  walk  over  to  the  Iraqis,  completely 
exposed  to  their  fire,  and  advise  them  to  surrender.  Chaplain  Solhjem  walked  to  the  bunker  and 
asked  if  there  were  any  Iraqi  soldiers  inside  who  spoke  English.  By  this  time  there  were 
approximately  25  Iraqi  soldiers  with  their  weapons  in  his  line  of  sight.  One  soldier  came  forward  and 
identified  himself  as  an  English  speaker.  Chaplain  Solhjem  told  him  that  he  was  a  chaplain  in  the 
American  Army,  which  to  them  meant  that  he  was  a  holy  Imam,  the  Muslim  title  for  a  religious 
teacher.  Chaplain  Solhjem  told  the  Iraqis  that  there  were  many  American  soldiers  on  the  other  side 
of  the  berm  who  would  kill  them  if  they  did  not  surrender.  As  it  happened,  the  Iraqi  who  was 
speaking  with  him  not  only  knew  English,  but  had  studied  briefly  at  a  branch  of  the  University  of 
Minnesota  near  Chaplain  Solhjem's  seminary  in  the  United  States.  Chaplain  Solhjem  was  able  to 
convince  him  to  direct  the  other  Iraqi  soldiers  to  surrender  in  order  to  save  lives.  After  a  good  deal 
of  sitting  and  pointing  and  conversations  in  their  own  language,  the  Iraqi  soldiers  began  to  file  out 
of  the  bunker. 

In  the  meantime.  Chaplain  Solhjem's  absence  was  noticed  in  the  convoy,  and  a  platoon 
sergeant  came  over  the  berm  and  saw  him  with  the  Iraqis.  He  shouted  for  Chaplain  Solhjem  to  come 
back,  but  by  that  time  Chaplain  Solhjem  had  the  attention  of  the  Iraqi  soldiers.  By  the  time  they  all 
filed  out  and  turned  over  their  weapons.  Chaplain  Solhjem  had  personally  captured  80  Iraqi 
soldiers — all  armed  and  all  with  ammunition.  He  brought  the  soldiers  back  to  the  convoy  and  turned 
them  over  to  the  Military  Police  who,  in  turn,  searched  and  fed  them  and  prepared  them  for 
evacuation  back  to  Saudi  Arabia  Chaplain  Solhjem  regarded  this  incident  as  somewhat  miraculous 
in  that  he  was  able  to  locate  an  Iraqi  soldier  who  had  actually  studied  not  only  in  his  home  state  but 
also  in  English  which  immediately  established  a  common  ground  of  understanding.**  Chaplain 
Solhjem's  act  of  courage  was  soon  repeated  by  other  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  in  Iraq  and 
Kuwait. 

While  the  attack  by  the  French  and  82d  Airborne  troops  developed  on  the  western  flank,  in 
a  valley  6  kilometers  south  of  the  Iraqi  border  more  than  200  helicopters,  almost  1 ,000  vehicles,  and 
more  than  6,000  soldiers  of  the  lOIst  Airborne  Division  waited.  General  Peay  had  assembled  the 
largest  air  armada  the  United  States  had  ever  committed  to  a  single  air  assault  operation.  With  a 
forward  operating  base  100  kilometers  inside  Iraq  for  his  Apache  attack  helicopters  as  his  objective, 
Peay  was  determined  to  be  the  first  of  General  Luck's  commanders  to  reach  Highway  8. 

The  air  assault  was  to  begin  at  0600,  but  an  early  morning  fog  drifted  across  the  desert, 
delaying  the  attack  for  about  an  hour.    The  chaplains  in  the  101st  Airborne  Division  had  been 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 142 

practicing  for  weeks  for  an  airmobile  operation.  Every  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant  knew  which 
helicopter  they  were  to  enter  and  which  seat  they  were  to  occupy 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  prayer  with  the  infantry  brigades  before  the  operation  began.  The 
soldiers  of  the  101st  had  been  trained  to  fly  into  enemy  territory,  and  upon  landing  immediately  to 
fan  out  in  a  circle  around  the  helicopter  seeking  such  cover  as  might  be  available.  Chaplain  Carhon 
Harper,  chaplain  of  the  1st  Brigade  of  the  101st  Airborne  Division,  happened  to  be  the  first  soldier 
at  the  door  in  his  helicopter.'''^  As  the  armada  took  off  during  a  break  in  the  fog.  Chaplain  Harper 
wondered  how  he  could  fan  out  with  the  rest  of  the  troops  when  he  was  unarmed.  But  given  his 
position  in  the  door  of  the  helicopter,  he  really  had  no  choice.  When  the  helicopter  landed  in  the 
desert,  the  first  soldier  out  the  door  was  Chaplain  Harper.  Since  he  was  armed  with  only  a  chaplain 
kit,  and  since  the  desert  floor  was  completely  flat.  Chaplain  Harper  ran  forward  the  prescribed 
distance  and  then  hit  the  sand  using  his  chaplain  kit  as  his  cover! 

The  airmobile  operation  was  so  well  timed,  however,  that  within  two  minutes  after  the 
infantry  hit  the  ground  the  first  contingent  of  the  101st  supply  units  began  establishing  refiaeling  points 
for  the  Apache  helicopters.  The  brigade  had  staked  out  a  1 5-mile  diameter  circle  of  desert  just  south 
of  the  east-west  road  to  as-Sa!man  which  would  be  secured  later  that  day  by  the  French  and  82d 
Airborne  Division  soldiers 

But  the  claim  on  the  landing  zone  by  the  101  st  was  tenuous  Colonel  Tom  Hill,  the  1st 
Brigade  Commander,  had  only  a  portion  of  four  Infantry  Battalions  on  the  ground  and  the  weather 
was  not  promising.  Two  more  trips  were  required  to  insert  the  remainder  of  the  brigade.  Colonel 
Hill  had  to  make  the  area  secure  for  the  Division's  attack  helicopters  by  clearing  out  a  few  nearby 
Iraqi  positions.™ 

Shortly  before  10:00  Captain  John  Russell  of  the  l/327th  Infantry  noticed  Cobra  attack 
helicopters  from  the  aviation  section  firing  on  a  ridge  2  kilometers  to  the  north.  The  Cobras  had 
located  an  Iraqi  infantry  unit  dug  in  along  the  east-west  road.  Captain  Russell  contacted  the  Cobra 
company  commander  who  landed  next  to  him  to  confer  on  tactics  and  to  confirm  friendly  locations. 
After  some  discussion.  Air  Force  A- 10s  arrived  and  in  concert  with  the  Cobras  and  artillery 
bombarded  the  enemy  positions  After  a  few  convincing  doses  of  firepower,  the  Iraqis  caved  in. 
Before  long.  Captain  Russell's  men  had  control  of  the  position  and  had  taken  340  prisoners.^' 

As  part  of  his  coordinated  plan.  General  Schwarzkopf  s  decision  to  attack  early  on  February 
24  affected  the  VII  Corps  more  than  any  other  unit  because  they  had  to  move  faster  and  farther  to 
get  into  attack  position.^^  Since  the  breaching  operation  was  very  complex  and  time  dependent,  any 
change  in  schedule,  however  small,  would  put  considerable  strain  on  those  responsible  for 
coordinating  the  overall  effort.  The  command  intent  was  to  strike  quickly  and  finish  the  enemy 
rapidly.  The  acceleration  of  the  attack  time  tables  supported  that  intent.  Indeed,  Colonel  Holder's 
2d  Armored  Cavalry  Regiment  was  already  positioned  1 0  kilometers  deep  into  Iraq,  ready  to  continue 
the  advance."  Administrative  complications  did  arise  but  subordinates  used  their  initiative  to  solve 
those  problems.  By  2:30  in  the  afternoon  on  February  24th  the  VII  Corps  was  on  the  march.  Colonel 
Holder's  2d  ACR  would  be  the  VII  Corps'  lead  scout  unit. 

General  Franks'  mission  to  the  regiment  was  two-fold:  to  clear  the  zone  in  front  of  the  1st  and 
3d  Armored  Divisions  and,  most  importantly,  to  discover  the  exact  outline  of  the  Republican  Guard's 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


143 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

main  line  of  defense  so  that  the  two  following  armored  divisions  could  aim  directly  toward  it.  For 
the  most  part,  only  the  Republican  Guard  possessed  T-72  tanks,  which  meant  that  Colonel  Holder 
would  be  able  to  pinpoint  the  center  of  gravity  for  the  entire  operation  when  his  squadrons  began  to 
report  engagements  with  T-72s. 

Chaplain  O.  Wayne  Smith,  the  2d  Armored  Cavalry  Regimental  Chaplain,  was  well  trained 
for  this  important  mission.  Chaplain  Smith  had  done  extensive  work  at  the  US  Army  Chaplain  Center 
and  School  on  AirLand  Battle  doctrine.  In  particular.  Chaplain  Smith  had  examined  the  light  infantry 
force  and  the  religious  support  necessary  for  such  operations.  Chaplain  Smith  never  dreamed  when 
he  was  at  the  Chaplain  School,  however,  that  one  day  his  unit  would  be  the  point  scout  team  for  one 
of  the  largest  armored  conflicts  since  World  War  II. 

At  dawn  on  February  24th,  the  2d  ACR  already  was  positioned  over  the  berm, 
arrayed  across  a  40-kilometer  front.  The  VII  Corps  screen  would  begin  with  a  thin 
line  of  Bradleys  and  aerial  flights  of  Cobra  helicopters  from  the  4th  Squadron  which 
began  to  move  forward  at  1430  hours.''*  To  be  absolutely  sure  that  he  would  not  be 
surprised  or  out-matched  by  the  Iraqis  in  his  path.  Colonel  Holder  established  a 
remarkably  effective  distant  aerial  screen  using  Air  Force  A- 10s.  The  lead  scouts 
from  the  4th  Squadron  would  turn  up  targets  and  immediately  request  fighter  bombers 
to  engage  following  a  drill  the  regiment  had  worked  out  in  training.  Iraqis  in  the  path 
of  the  regiment  found  themselves  continually  under  devastating  fire,  first  from  aerial 
and  ground  scouts,  then  from  the  Air  Force  A- 10s,  and  back  again  to  the  scouts. 
Once  across  the  line  of  departure,  the  regiment  moved  swiftly,  cutting  a  40-kilometer 
path  for  the  division  behind  to  follow."  Within  two  hours  the  lead  squadrons  were 
40-kilometers  deep  and  swamped  by  hundreds  of  enemy  prisoners.  Resistance  was 
light,  although  some  of  the  lead  troops  fought  fleeing  engagements  with  Iraqi  T-55 
tanks  throughout  the  rest  of  the  day.'* 

Chaplain  Wayne  Smith  recalled: 

"Early  on  the  morning  of  24  February  1991  all  our  unit  ministry  teams  crossed  the 
berm  with  their  respective  units.  Most  of  them  were  with  their  combat  trains 
elements,  a  couple  went  with  their  tactical  operations  center  (TOC).  Staff  Sergeant 
Kevin  Jones  and  I  positioned  ourselves  with  the  regimental  clearing  station  which  was 
part  of  the  Support  Squadron.  Since  the  Squadron  Chaplain,  Mitch  Wilk,  was  Roman 
Catholic,  this  provided  a  solid  religious  coverage  plan  for  the  several  thousand  active. 
Reserve  and  National  Guard  personnel  in  the  element,  as  well  as  for  any  casualties  we 
might  sustain.  All  the  UMTs  were  highly  trained  and  well  prepared  for  the  operation. 
I  could  not  have  asked  for  a  better  group  of  soldiers.  All  of  us  had  had  time  to  come 
to  grips  with  our  situation;  the  possibility  of  mass  casualties,  the  very  distinct 
possibility  that  we  might  not  survive  the  battle,  and  that  our  place  was  with  our 
soldiers,  to  encourage,  to  support,  and  sustain.  Since  I  had  made  daily  contact  with 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 144 

each  of  them  (even  though  at  times  they  were  more  than  thirty  miles  apart)  during  the 
air  campaign,  I  knew  they  would  all  be  able  to  provide  the  kind  of  ministry  their  units 
needed  and  deserved.  Being  with  the  2d  ACR  was  like  riding  a  fast  horse.  You  just 
climb  on  and  hang  on  As  the  ground  war  progressed,  it  became  clear  that  we  were 
not  going  to  sustain  casualties  in  the  numbers  predicted  After  two  days  at  the 
clearing  station,  Jones  and  I  joined  the  Regimental  TOC.  Colonel  Don  Holder  was 
the  kind  of  commander  I  would  always  want  for  a  combat  unit  He  was  extremely 
knowledgeable  of  armor  and  cavalry  tactics,  a  dedicated  man  of  God,  and  always 
seemed  to  bring  out  the  best  in  his  subordinate  leaders.  He  gave  me  at  least  as  much 
inspiration  as  I  gave  him.  It  was  interesting  that  at  no  time  during  the  entire  operation 
was  I  ever  afraid.  A  little  anxious  a  couple  times.  Once,  during  the  heat  of  the 
shooting  war,  I  had  to  locate  one  of  my  squadron  chaplains  and  deliver  him  an 
emergency  message.  As  I  was  driving  across  the  Iraqi  desert,  watching  for  the  enemy 
and  for  unexploded  ordnance,  with  Staff  Sergeant  Jones  operating  his  Ml 6  and  the 
lensatic  compass,  we  realized  just  how  vulnerable  we  were.  God  is  good  Obviously, 
we  made  it  safely.  Some  of  the  best  ministry  in  my  entire  career  took  place  in  the 
desert  before,  during  and  after  the  war.  It  was  an  opportunity  I  would  not  have 
missed  for  anything." 

When  the  1st  Infantry  Division  received  the  call  to  move  up  to  the  attack.  General  Rhame  had 
already  eliminated  the  Iraqi  border  outpost/*  Earlier  in  the  morning  of  February  24th  he  had  blinded 
the  enemy  along  his  breach  area  by  seizing  the  security  zone  of  the  Iraqi  26th  and  48th  Infantry 
Divisions.  Each  battalion  task  force  in  the  division,  spread  across  a  six-kilometer  front,  attacked 
north  at  about  5:30  in  the  morning.  The  1st  and  2d  Brigades  led  their  respective  battalions  into  the 
security  zone  through  20  holes  that  division  engineers  had  cut  in  the  sandy  berm.  Bradley  machine 
gunners  fired  at  any  Iraqis  who  refused  to  surrender.  Under  the  cover  of  suppressive  fire,  American 
tanks  then  rolled  forward  to  collapse  remaining  positions  with  plows  Watching  their  comrades  die 
in  ever  increasing  numbers  as  the  morning  wore  on,  Iraqi  soldiers  in  the  security  zone  simply  threw 
up  their  hands  and  surrendered 

Soldiers  in  the  assault  battalions  of  the  1st  Infantry  Division,  the  "Big  Red  1,"  composed 
themselves  for  the  attack,  mindfiil  of  projections  that  40%  of  them  would  be  killed  or  wounded. 
Chaplain  John  Cottingham,  the  1st  Infantry  Division  chaplain,  and  his  20  unit  ministry  teams  had  to 
be  prepared  for  a  "worst  case"  mass  casualty  situation.  Chaplain  Cottingham  recalled  that  "it  was  the 
mission  of  the  1st  Infantry  Division  to  perform  breach  operations  for  the  VII  Corps.  The  dirt  wall 
which  formed  the  border  between  Iraq  andSaudi  Arabia  was  about  20  feet  tall  in  places,  some  of 
thought  that  beyond  the  berm  was  "No  Man's  Land.  "''Though  many  soldiers  joked  that  an  attack 
against  trenches  was  "more  of  the  same"  for  the  Big  Red  1,  like  D-Day  in  Normandy,  they  still 
wondered  who  would  be  left.  Those  in  the  plow  tanks  did  not  wonder  at  all;  they  knew  they  were 
prime  targets.  General  Rahme  considered  probable  casualties  and  he  articulated  his  intent  clearly 
The  1st  Division  would  mass  fires  and  concentrate  on  a  narrow  front.  Tongue  in  cheek  he  told 
commanders  the  idea  was  to  win  quickly  with  "enough  of  us  left  to  have  a  reunion.""" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


145 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

The  1  St  Infantry  Division  Artillery  computed  a  firing  program  and  began  preparatory  fire 
ahead  of  the  attacking  infantry  force.  The  commander  of  the  Iraqi  48th  Infantry  Division  in  the  path 
of  the  Big  Red  1  stated  later  that  "the  earth  shook"  as  the  barrage  struck  his  division.  The  units  from 
the  1  St  Infantry  Division  Artillery  fired  1 1 ,000  rounds  of  artillery,  dispersing  more  than  600,000 
explosive  bomblets  into  a  20  x  40  kilometer  sector.  More  than  350  howitzers  covered  the  attack  with 
22  artillery  pieces  for  each  kilometer  of  the  attack  zone.*'  The  gunners  blasted  enemy  positions  along 
the  main  line  of  resistance,  crushing  the  Iraqis'  morale  with  fire  power.  Other  artillery  struck 
command  and  control  facilities  to  deny  the  Iraqi  7th  Corps  commander  any  vestige  of  control  and  to 
eliminate  any  possibility  of  responding  to  General  Rhame's  attack. 

An  unmanned  aerial  vehicle  had  taken  a  look  that  morning  and  found  13  Iraqi  artillery 
positions  that  the  VII  Corps'  artillery  preparation  later  totally  destroyed.  The  Iraqi  48th  Infantry 
Division  Artillery  Group,  100  cannons  strong  on  January  1 7th  ,  lost  1 7  guns  during  the  air  operation. 
Following  the  30  minute  artillery  preparation,  every  remaining  artillery  piece  was  destroyed. 

The  division  planned  for  deep  artillery  fire  to  continue  throughout  the  course  of  the  attack 
while  the  armor  was  closing  on  the  forward  Iraqi  trenches  with  tank  guns  firing  and  plows  down.  The 
1st  Infantry  Division's  troops  believed  they  would  win.  Before  the  epic  artillery  bombardment  ran 
its  course,  the  division  added  its  own  contribution  of  mortar,  tank  cannon  and  25  millimeter  fires. 
Instead  of  needing  18  hours  to  break  through  Iraqi  positions  as  originally  calculated,  the  1st  Infantry 
Division  successfully  breached  them  in  two  hours.  During  the  breach  operation  General  Rhame's 
division  had  destroyed  the  better  part  of  two  Iraqi  divisions.  The  British  1  st  Armored  Division  began 
passing  through  the  breaches  created  by  the  1st  Infantry  Division  at  noon  on  February  25th. 


Fire  in  the  Sandbox 

/  walked  the  quarter  mile  or  so  to  where  the  first  soldier  lay.  I  did  remember  to  walk  in 
the  tracks  of  vehicles  since  this  was  a  potential  minefield.  As  I  arrived  they  were  loading  him 
into  the  medic  track.  I  still  remember  the  look  of  desperation  as  he  saw  me,  reached  out  for  me 
and  said:  "Ride  with  me,  sir!"  Grabbing  the  plastic  bag  of  IV  fluid  I  climbed  into  the  Ml  1 3  with 
my  soldier.   The  sight  of  his  leg  blown  off  at  the  upper  thigh  made  me  want  to  climb  out  of  the 
hatch.  I  prayed  for  .strength  to  minister  to  this  wounded  brother  and  did  what  I  could  to  touch 
his  spirit  and  help  the  medics  while  the  Doc  worked. 

That  soldier's  cry  of  desperation,  the  words,  "Ride  with  me,  sir!"  teach  me  again  that  the 
essence  of  ministry  is  being  there  for  people  in  need.  And  that  cry  also  goes  with  me,  as  I  ask  the 
Father  to  "Ride  with  me.  Sir!" 

Chaplain  (Capt.)  David  M.  Brown 
BattaHon  Chaplain 
HHC,  1/5  Cavalry 

On  the  far  eastern  flank  of  the  Coalition  line  Colonel  John  Sylvester  was  waiting  in  the  early 
hours  of  February  24th  with  his  Tiger  Brigade  just  below  the  Kuwaiti  Border  for  the  word  to  move. 
"There  is  one  thing  this  Brigade  does  wel  1...  and  that  is  to  move  very  quickly.  I  don't  think  there  is 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 146 

any  unit  faster.  But  right  now  I  just  want  to  get  us  rolling  through  the  breach,"  Colonel  Sylvester  told 
his  staff.'- 

"The  Tiger  Battle  Team,"  as  Colonel  Sylvester  called  it,  had  joined  the  2d  Marine  Division 
at  the  same  time  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  rushed  to  the  defense  of  the  Wadi  Al  Batin.  With  its  tanks 
and  self-propelled  artillery,  the  brigade  was  now  poised  to  attack  north  in  support  of  the  lightly 
armored  Marines.  At  0400  hours  the  Marines  breached  the  border  berms  and  pushed  forward, 
clearing  six  narrow  lanes  through  a  network  of  mine  fields  and  trenches.  The  Tiger  Brigade's  artillery 
fired  "thousands"  of  rounds  in  support.  At  noon  the  command  post  moved  through  the  30-foot  cut 
in  the  berm.  Ninety  minutes  later.  Infantry  Task  Force  3-41  crossed  in  column,  buttoned  up  and 
wearing  chemical  suits.  Mine  plow-equipped  tanks  led  the  way,  widening  the  lanes.  Within  15 
minutes,  Task  Force  3-41  Infantry  cleared  the  first  of  two  mine  fields  safely.  The  others  began  to 
move.  Seconds  later  an  Abrams  tank  disappeared  in  smoke  and  sand  as  it  struck  a  heavy  mine.  The 
explosion  severed  the  left  track,  but  left  the  crew  unhurt.  The  crossing  continued. 

The  brigade  moved  on  into  the  nightmarish  dream  scape  of  southern  Kuwait.  The  debris  of 
the  air  war  littered  the  flat  desert:  spent  bomb  casings,  unexploded  rockets  like  quills  in  the  sand, 
wrecked  and  blackened  equipment.  Once  only  distant  flashes  and  rolling  thunder,  now  the  war 
enveloped  the  brigade.  Choked  with  a  pall  of  at  least  four  dozen  burning  oil  wells,  the  air  was  an 
eerie  purple,  as  if  viewed  through  dark  sunglasses.*^  Against  it  the  sand  almost  glowed.  It  seemed 
like  the  fires  of  hell  were  burning  Kuwait  away.  Three  eternal  hours  after  jumping  off",  the  Tiger 
Brigade  cleared  the  obstacle  belts  and  continued  north  into  the  cauldron.  Chaplain  Jere  Kimmell,  the 
Tiger  Brigade  chaplain,  remembered  almost  endless  mine  fields  on  both  sides  of  the  cleared  lanes. *"* 
Some  vehicles  could  not  pass  through  and  had  to  be  backed  to  safety.  At  1930  hours,  a  502nd 
Military  Police  Company  vehicle  struck  a  mine,  killing  the  driver  and  wounding  the  gunner.  Across 
the  brigade  nerves  that  had  slackened  snapped  taut  again.  At  2100  hours  the  brigade  halted  for  the 
night.  Enemy  artillery  fired  blindly,  coming  no  where  near  to  the  Americans.  Other  enemy  soldiers 
who  were  ready  to  quit  had  better  aim,  more  than  200  found  the  Tigers  and  surrendered. 

The  next  morning,  February  25th,  Colonel  Sylvester  saw  what  appeared  to  be  a  mirage  in  the 
desert: 

It  was  the  most  amazing  thing  I've  ever  seen.  At  one  point  I  looked  up  and  thought 
I  saw  a  black  picket  fence  running  from  one  side  of  the  horizon  as  far  to  the  left  as  I 
could  see  and  as  far  to  the  right  as  I  could  see.  It  looked  like  a  black  picket  fence. 
I  had  my  driver  stop  and  picked  up  the  binoculars  and  looked  The  picket  fence  was 
men  steadily  moving  toward  us  with  hands  in  the  air,  waving  every  manner  of  white 
rag  that  you  could  imagine.'^ 

Chaplain  Kimmell  helped  police  up  the  thousands  of  prisoners.  "One  guy  surrendered  to  me  in 
shorts,"  Chaplain  Kimmell  recalled.  He  said  "Thank  God  you've  come!"  He  said  he  was  a  school 
teacher  from  Chicago  who  was  visiting  relatives  in  Iraq  when  he  was  conscripted  into  the  Army.  He 
had  been  waiting  for  the  Americans  for  weeks.** 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


147 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

On  February  25th,  as  well,  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  began  moving  west  through  the  1st 
Infantry  Division's  breaches  in  order  to  attack  north  toward  the  Euphrates  River  and  the  Rumaylah 
Oil  Field. *^  In  conducting  this  massed  movement,  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  was  able  to  refijel  by  using 
refueling  on  the  move  (ROM)  sites  set  up  by  the  Division  Support  Command.  The  ROM  site  was 
designed  to  refuel  moving  formations  without  disrupting  their  momentum.  At  each  of  several  sites 
parallel  columns  of  vehicles  could  pull  up,  halting  with  each  vehicle  along  side  a  fuel  point.  As  each 
vehicle  came  to  a  stop,  a  crewman  vaulted  out,  grabbed  the  hose  and  jammed  it  into  the  filler  neck. 
Tank  crewmen  never  touched  the  ground.  Engines  stayed  running.  The  whine  of  1,500  horsepower 
Abrams  turbines  rising  above  the  shouted  exchanges  of  soldiers  and  the  howl  of  the  desert  wind 
created  a  good  deal  of  noise  An  entire  company  reflieled  every  1 5  minutes.  Then,  with  the  reflielers 
cheering  them  on,  the  vehicles  moved  out  and  another  column  filed  in.  In  many  ways  it  reminded  the 
soldiers  of  a  pit  stop  in  an  automobile  race  track.  In  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  the  refueling  on  the 
move  sites  pumped  400,000  gallons  of  fuel  into  6,100  vehicles  headed  for  Iraq  and  the  Republican 
Guard. 

On  a  sea  of  sand,  against  the  gray  of  a  desert  storm  on  the  27th  of  February  a  steel  armada 
moved  east.  The  1st  Cavalry  Division  armor  glided  swiftly,  extending  to  the  horizon.  Somewhere 
up  ahead  the  enemy  waited.  Up  ahead  there  was  fighting.  The  2nd  Armored  Cavalry  Regiment  had 
hit  the  Tawalkana  Division  causing  heavy  enemy  losses.**  Over  the  intercoms,  rumors  of  a  cease  fire 
swiried.  The  formations  passed  the  first  destroyed  positions.  A  Bradley  ventured  out  to  a  collapsed 
bunker,  returning  with  a  huddle  of  dark  figures  carrying  what  looked  like  a  white  flag.  The  flying 
rains  stung  eyes  aching  with  the  lack  of  sleep.  How  much  longer  before  contact?  The  formation 
glided  on.  Arriving  on  the  heels  of  the  1st  Armored  Division,  General  Tilelli  ordered  his  units  into 
hasty  defensive  positions.  They  had  come  300  kilometers  in  24  numbing  hours.  General  Tilelli  had 
the  order  to  prepare  to  continue  the  attack  the  next  morning — ^this  time  against  the  Republican  Guard 
Hammurabi  Division  trying  to  escape  to  Basrah. 

Chaplain  Dennis  Camp,  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  Chaplain,  had  driven  his  own  vehicle  through 
the  lanes  in  minefields  while  his  assistant.  Sergeant  1  st  Class  Al  Videtto,  scanned  the  area  for  security. 
There  was  no  time  for  anything  but  basic  necessities.  "If  anyone  had  told  me  I'd  go  eight  days 
without  changing  my  clothes,  I'd  have  said  he  was  crazy,"  Chaplain  Camp  recalled.  Yet  with  the 
exception  of  brief  convoy  halts,  the  UMI  "drove  forever."  "When  we  stopped  90  miles  from  Basra," 
Chaplain  Camp  said,  "I  was  never  so  glad  to  see  the  sun."*' 

Working  out  of  the  Division  Tactical  Operations  Center,  a  tent  with  a  few  telephones. 
Chaplain  Camp  kept  in  constant  contact  with  his  forward  brigade  chaplains.  He  knew  the  status  of 
every  division  UMT  almost  hourly. 

Direct  religious  support  for  the  division  headquarters  and  for  the  wounded  and  dying  also 
took  part  of  the  division  chaplain's  time.  When  one  soldier  was  brought  into  the  field  station  with 
both  of  his  legs  blown  off,  Chaplain  Camp  held  his  hand  and  prayed  with  him.  The  medics  and 
doctors  kept  encouraging  the  soldier  not  to  give  up,  but  finally  he  turned  to  Chaplain  Camp  and  said, 
"I'm  just  too  tired."  Chaplain  Camp  put  his  hand  on  the  trooper's  shoulder.  "It's  all  right,"  Camp  said. 
Then  the  soldier  closed  his  eyes  and  expired  with  his  chaplain  at  his  side.'" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    Major   Command   and  Major   Subordinate   Command   Chaplains, 

Operation   DESERT  STORM.    Chaplain   Gay  Hatler,    ARCENT   Chaplain,    is 

second   from   right . Chaplain   Dan   Davis,     VII   Corps    Chaplain,    is 

fourth   from   right.    Chaplain   Lieving,    XVIII  Airborne    Corps 

Chaplain, is    sixth   from   right.  (Bottom)    ARCENT  Chaplain   Assistants. 

Sergeant  Major  Mike   Kutcher  is   second   from  right. 


149 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

Converting  Tanks  to  Scrap  Metal 

In  the  Vn  Corps  main  area  the  1st  and  3d  Armored  Divisions  prepared  to  cross  the  line  into 
Iraq  and  deliver  the  mail  fist  of  the  Iron  Soldiers  '^'  At  approximately  0630  hours  on  February  24th, 
the  19th  Engineers  began  berm-breaching  operations.  By  mid-afternoon  more  than  250  eight-meter- 
wide  lanes  were  constructed  along  the  division's  1 8-kilometer  front.  Earlier  in  the  day  the  VII  Corps 
headquarters  received  word  of  the  unexpected  success  of  offensive  operations  already  under  way  in 
the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  sector  to  the  far  west  and  in  the  U.S.  Marines'  sector  near  the  coast.  The 
VII  Corps  commander  instructed  1st  the  Armored  Division  to  be  prepared  to  launch  its  attack  at 
noon,  a  full  18  hours  ahead  of  schedule.  At  noon  the  Corps  flirther  placed  the  Division  on  a  two-hour 
alert  to  initiate  the  attack  When  ordered,  the  Division  crossed  its  assigned  line  of  departure  at  1434 
hours  with  the  1/1  Cavalry  in  the  lead 

In  spite  of  limited  visibility  caused  by  an  intense  sand  and  dust  storm,  the  1st  Armored 
Division  moved  rapidly  northward  in  a  narrow  front  employing  a  compressed  "division  wedge" 
formation.  The  3d  Armored  Division  accompanied  the  1st  on  its  eastern  flank  as  the  main  effort  of 
the  corps'  deep  envelopment  of  Iraqi  defenses  west  of  the  Wadi  Al  Batin.  The  division's  support 
elements,  including  the  123rd  Support  Battalion,  totaling  nearly  1,000  vehicles  for  tailored  logistical 
support,  brought  up  the  rear  of  the  division's  battle  formation.  At  1630  hours  the  3d  Armored 
Division  in  the  east  reported  crossing  the  30  East-West  grid  line,  just  behind  the  1st  Armored 
Division. 

With  elements  of  the  Iraqi  26th  Division  believed  to  be  in  the  vicinity,  the  General  Franks 
decided  to  continue  the  attack  the  following  morning  at  0630.  Intelligence  reports  indicated  that  the 
Iraqi  ni  Corps  commander  had  ordered  his  units  in  Kuwait  to  begin  a  withdrawal,  the  first  indication 
that  Iraqi  defenses  were  cracking.  At  0206  hours,  on  February  25th,  all  units  reported  refuel 
operations  completed.  There  was  no  significant  enemy  contact  during  the  remainder  of  the  night. 

With  further  reports  coming  in  from  corps  intelligence  indicating  that  Iraqi  resistance  was 
crumbling  rapidly  in  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  and  MARCENT  areas,  the  Division  took  advantage 
of  this  second  tactical  pause  to  finalize  plans  to  push  through  Al  Busayyah  and  exploit  its  early 
successes.  General  Franks  executed  a  rapid  turning  movement  to  the  east  to  destroy  elements  of  the 
elite  Republican  Guard  forces.  In  its  first  day  of  significant  enemy  contact,  the  1st  Armored  Division 
destroyed  two  tanks,  nine  artillery  pieces,  48  trucks,  1 4  air  defense  artillery  systems  and  captured  3 1 4 
prisoners.  On  February  26th  a  massive  artillery  preparation  was  begun  which  was  followed 
immediately  by  a  coordinated  attack.  The  1st  Brigade  of  the  1st  Armored  Division  attacked  in  the 
south,  the  2d  Brigade  in  the  north  and  the  3d  Brigade  followed  the  1st  Brigade,  prepared  to  exploit 
any  enemy  withdrawal.  The  1st  and  2d  Brigades  had  significant  contact  with  the  26th  Iraqi  Division 
elements  in  and  around  Al  Busayyah  but  were  unable  to  overcome  it  rapidly  and  continued  the 
attack. 

Displaying  superb  tactical  agility,  the  Division  shifted  its  attack  formation  to  three  brigades 
abreast  to  maximize  its  firepower  and  shock  effect  against  the  Republican  Guard.  Air  scouts  and 
Cobra  attack  helicopters  stayed  on  station  while  air  strikes  and  artillery  fire  from  the  corps  artillery 
destroyed  30  of  the  enemy's  tanks.  The  3d  Brigade  of  the  1st  Armored  Division  attacked  in  the  south 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 150 

to  destroy  22  more  tanks  and  numerous  other  armored  and  wheeled  support  vehicles.  By  midnight, 
February  26th,  the  division  had  destroyed  1 12  tanks,  82  armored  personnel  carriers,  two  artillery 
pieces,  94  trucks,  two  air  defense  artillery  systems  and  captured  another  545  enemy  prisoners  of  war. 
On  the  27th  of  February,  throughout  the  day,  reports  arrived  from  ARCENT  Headquarters  that  21 
Iraqi  divisions  were  already  combat  ineffective  or  destroyed  and  that  elements  of  the  17th,  10th,  6th 
and  51st  Iraqi  Divisions  were  believed  to  be  moving  north  towards  Basrah.  BBC  news  also  reported 
that  Kuwait  City  had  been  liberated  by  MARCENT  (Marine  Central  Command)  and  allied  forces  with 
the  allies  holding  over  30,000  enemy  prisoners  of  war.  By  midday,  the  2d  Brigade  of  the  1st 
Armored  Division  was  fiilly  engaged  with  the  Madinah  Division  and,  in  the  largest  single  engagement 
of  the  war,  destroyed  61  Iraqi  T-72/T-55  tanks,  34  armored  personnel  carriers  and  five  air  defense 
systems  in  less  than  one  hour.  Because  there  were  still  significant  elements  of  the  Madinah  Division 
nearby.  General  Griffith  intended  to  continue  the  attack  early  on  February  28th,  stating  that  he  wanted 
the  accompanying  artillery  preparation  "to  be  the  most  awesome  artillery  prep  known  to  man." 

In  its  heaviest  day  of  fighting,  the  1st  Armored  Division's  battle  damage  assessment  for 
February  27th  was  186  enemy  tanks,  127  armored  personnel  carriers,  38  artillery  pieces,  five  air 
defense  systems,  1 18  trucks  destroyed  and  839  prisoners  captured.  The  1st  Armored  Division  lost 
one  soldier,  a  scout  fi"om  the  4th  Battalion,  66th  Armor,  killed  in  action  during  the  day's  fighting. 

During  89  hours  of  sustained  offensive  combat  operations  the  1st  Armored  Division  destroyed 
a  total  of  41 8  enemy  tanks,  447  armored  personnel  carriers,  1 16  artillery  pieces,  1,21 1  trucks  and  1 10 
air  defense  systems.  The  Division's  operations  officer  claimed  that  the  1  st  Armored  Division  drove 
deeper  and  faster  into  the  enemy's  rear  area  than  any  other  division  size  force  in  the  Kuwait  theater 
of  operations.  Along  its  259-kilometer  march,  the  1st  Armored  Division  destroyed  brigades, 
battalions  and  other  elements  of  15  Iraqi  army  divisions  and  captured  2,234  Iraqi  prisoners  of  war 
from  17  Iraqi  divisions.  The  total  losses  to  the  division  were  extremely  light.  One  Abrams  main 
battle  tank  was  destroyed,  one  armored  personnel  carrier  was  destroyed,  four  soldiers  were  killed  and 
52  were  wounded 

The  experience  of  the  1st  Armored  Division  was  not  unlike  the  experience  of  many  other 
American  divisions  during  Operation  Desert  Storm.  The  training,  equipment  and  leadership  of  the 
American  forces  against  an  enemy  already  lacking  food,  water  and  military  intelligence  almost 
guaranteed  the  victory.  During  a  lull  in  the  fighting  Major  General  Griffith,  commanding  general  of 
the  1st  Armored  Division  had  his  helicopter  prepared  for  an  overflight  of  the  1st  Armored  Division's 
position.  He  took  the  Command  Sergeant  Major  and  Chaplain  Wayne  Lehrer,  the  division  chaplain, 
with  him.''  While  flying  over  his  troops.  Major  General  Griffith  noticed  a  bunker  with  a  white  flag 
protruding  fi-om  its  entrance.  He  ordered  his  helicopter  to  land  and,  armed  with  a  .45-caliber  pistol. 
General  Griffith,  the  Command  Sergeant  Major  and  Chaplain  Lehrer  approached  the  bunker.  General 
Griffith  ordered  the  Iraqis  inside  to  surrender  and  personally  accepted  25  Iraqi  soldiers  as  his 
prisoners.  Chaplain  Lehrer  recalled  that  the  soldiers  surrendered  as  much  to  the  helicopter  as  they 
did  to  General  Griffith  since  all  hope  of  rescue  for  them  was  exhausted. 

Many  of  the  Iraqis,  lacking  military  intelligence  fi'om  the  air  or  even  from  patrols,  did  not 
realize  the  ground  war  had  started  until  it  was  too  late.  One  Iraqi  commander  said  that  he  did  not 
know  there  were  allied  forces  in  his  area  until  a  neighboring  division  commander  called  him  and  said 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


151 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

he  had  been  overrun.  Another  Iraqi  commander  said  that  he  had  never  seen  a  British  Centurion  tank 
until  one  pulled  up  to  his  own  bunker.  Obviously  the  control  of  the  air  and  total  intimidation  of  the 
Iraqi  forces  by  bombs,  artillery  fire  and  the  speed  of  the  American  and  Coalition  movement 
contributed  greatly  to  what  the  Bible  historically  called  the  "spread  of  conilision  among  our  enemies." 
On  the  afternoon  of  the  27th  of  February  the  1st  Infantry  Division,  spearheaded  by  the  1st 
Squadron,  4th  Cavalry,  was  to  attack  and  block  the  main  north-south  evacuation  routes  for  the 
remnants  of  two  retreating  Iraqi  Republican  Guard  Divisions  along  a  major  four  lane  highway  called 
the  Kuwait  City-Basrah  Highway.  Chaplain  Leon  Parker  and  his  assistant.  Sergeant  Leonard  Marks, 
comprised  the  unit  ministry  team  for  the  1  st  Squadron,  4th  Cavalry."  Chaplain  Parker  and  Sergeant 
Marks  were  traveling  with  the  combat  trains  when,  without  warning,  Abram  tanks  and  Bradley 
fighting  vehicles  rolled  forward.  Chaplain  Parker  recalled  once  the  battle  started  there  is  no  time  for 
fiirther  preparation,  spiritual  or  military: 

I  tried  to  remember  if  I  prayed  with  everyone  among  the  troops.  I  knew  I  had  passed 
out  cards  with  Psalm  91  on  them  and  many  Bibles  and  scripture  tracks  As  the  lead 
vehicles  of  the  combat  trains  convoy  arrived  at  the  four  lane  asphalt  road,  it  was 
already  aflame  with  the  burning  vehicles  destroyed  by  A  and  B  Troops  of  the  4th 
Cavalry."* 

Chaplain  Parker  and  Sergeant  Marks  drove  up  to  the  combat  trains  near  the  highway.  It 
became  apparent  that  there  were  many  tanks  still  engaging  enemy  vehicles  on  the  horizon.  The 
operations  officer  tasked  the  combat  trains  personnel  to  clear  enemy  bunkers  adjacent  to  the  road 
which  were  still  a  threat  to  the  thin  skinned  trucks  in  the  combat  trains  themselves.  Sergeant  Marks 
had  to  leave  Chaplain  Parker  in  order  to  help  with  this  duty.  Moments  later  the  operations  officer 
notified  the  medics  of  wounded  prisoners  just  south  of  Chaplain  Parker's  position. 

The  medics  and  Chaplain  Parker  proceeded  about  200  meters  south.  At  first  there  were 
approximately  nine  enemy  prisoners  in  need  of  medical  attention,  but  the  medics  received  another 
radio  message  that  A  and  B  Troops  had  captured  many  more  prisoners,  some  of  them  wounded, 
approximately  800  meters  north  along  the  road.  A  doctor  was  desperately  needed.  The  doctor  and 
Chaplain  Parker  piled  into  a  utility  truck  with  the  remaining  medics  to  follow.  Alpha  Troop  reported 
that  the  road  was  mined,  so  the  S-3  told  the  doctor  and  the  chaplain  to  avoid  anything  that  appeared 
to  be  pock  marks  in  the  asphalt.  Of  course,  under  those  conditions,  with  burning  and  exploding 
vehicles  everywhere,  every  pot  mark  in  the  highway  looked  like  a  mine.  The  highway  was  littered 
with  trash,  burning  civilian  cars  and  bodies,  like  a  science  fiction  movie  about  the  world  gone  mad. 

Chaplain  Parker  noted  that  as  they  approached  the  collection  point,  where  possibly  300  Iraqi 
prisoners  were  behind  concertina  wire: 

The  medics  were  working  on  25  wounded  soldiers.  Instinctively  I  began  to  assist  the 
medics  while  simultaneously  praying  and  anointing  the  Iraqis.  Many  of  the  prisoners 
were  badly  hurt  and  more  were  arriving  every  minute.  There  wasn't  anything  I  could 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    Chaplain   Leon  L.    Parker,    second  from   right   with   sun   glasses;     (Bottom) 
Chaplain    Vincent   Inghilterra   and  burning  oil    wells   in   Kuwait 


153 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

do  for  my  soldiers  already  engaged  in  combat,  so  I  decided  to  focus  my  ministry  on 
the  Iraqis.  I  had  a  feeling  it  was  going  to  be  a  long  night/" 

The  field  trains  and  the  combat  trains  began  to  consolidate  near  the  enemy  prisoner  of  war 
cage.  The  Headquarters  Troop  commander  assumed  responsibility  for  the  area.  He  began  to  set  up 
defensive  positions  away  fi"om  the  cage  on  each  side  of  the  road  which  was  becoming  the  center  of 
l/4th  Cav  sector.  Chaplain  Parker  remembered  the  doctor  grabbed  his  sleeve  and  implored,  "Don't 
you  leave,  chaplain.  You're  my  moral  support."  The  prisoners  kept  coming."" 

After  a  while  more  and  more  prisoners  began  to  flood  into  the  area.  At  some  point  a  burning 
enemy  tracked  vehicle  exploded  not  too  far  from  the  prisoners,  spewing  hot  metal  in  the  air.  The 
prisoners  and  the  soldiers  ducked  as  chunks  of  metal  flew  over  and  around  them  As  they  were 
dodging  the  metal.  Sergeant  Marks  and  others  from  the  combat  train  convoy  brought  25  prisoners 
they  had  routed  from  the  bunkers  back  to  the  intersection.  By  0100  that  morning  the  tiny  cavalry  aide 
station  had  more  than  1,200  Iraqi  prisoners. 

There  were  several  doctors  who  were  taken  prisoner  from  the  Iraqi  forces  who  spoke  fluent 
English.  The  Iraqi  doctors  assisted  the  American  medical  personnel  and  helped  Chaplain  Parker 
minister  by  interpreting  his  prayers.  Many  of  the  Iraqi  prisoners  recognized  the  cross  on  Chaplain 
Parker's  collar  and  wanted  him  to  pray  for  them  regardless  of  the  fact  that  they  didn't  understand  a 
word  he  was  saying.  Some  motioned  with  their  hands,  many  tugged  at  his  collar  and  some  cried. 
One  prisoner  with  a  non-Islamic  name  would  not  let  go  of  his  hand.  He  spoke  broken  English  and 
professed  to  be  a  Christian.  He  lamented  repeatedly:   "Saddam,  Saddam,  why,  why,  for  nothing!" 

Chaplain  Parker  noted  that  periodically  he  left  the  treatment  area  to  check  on  Sergeant  Marks, 
50  meters  away,  who  had  been  detailed  as  the  Sergeant  of  the  Guard  for  the  general  prisoner 
population.  Sergeant  Marks  was  one  of  just  twenty  soldiers  who  guarded  more  than  1,200  Iraqi 
prisoners  the  entire  night.  By  0600  in  the  morning  the  cavalrymen  had  captured  2,000  Iraqi  soldiers 
and  by  1 500  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  cavalry  learned  of  a  cease  fire,  they  had  officially  taken  2,098 
prisoners.  It  was  estimated  that  the  medics  had  aided,  and  the  chaplain  had  ministered  to,  some  450 
of  those  prisoners.  Chaplain  Parker  wrote: 

Most  soldiers  were  not  mentally  prepared  for  the  aftermath.  I  don't  think  there  is  any 
way  to  be  mentally  prepared  to  recover  enemy  dead  in  the  final  grotesque  stages  of 
their  agonizing  death.  As  I  walked  and  talked  with  the  soldiers  on  the  recovery  detail 
I  continually  reflected  with  them  about  that  night.  The  soldiers  were  gratefial  that  they 
were  not  being  placed  in  body  bags.  No  cavalrymen  were  killed  or  wounded 
throughout  that  vicious  and  lethal  night.  They  experienced  first  hand  something  that 
is  very  hard  to  explain.  Chalk  it  up  to  training  or  the  luck  of  battle  but  somewhere  in 
it  there  was  the  clear  indication  of  God's  providence. '^ 

Chaplain  Parker  received  a  Bronze  Star  with  V  device  for  valor.  His  award  citation  may  be 
representative  of  the  ministry  of  hundreds  of  chaplains  who  worked  with  American  and  Iraqi 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 154 

wounded  over  the  course  of  the  three  days  and  nights  of  the  ground  war.  Chaplain  Parker's  citation 
reads  as  follows: 

The  Bronze  Star  Metal  to  Captain  Leon  L.  Parker  for  heroism  in  support  of  ground 
combat  on  27  February  1991,  while  providing  medical  and  spiritual  care  to  more  than 
300  prisoners.  Chaplain  Parker  not  only  consoled  the  wounded  prisoners,  but  he  also 
assisted  the  medical  platoon  in  triaging  wounded  prisoners  while  his  unit  was 
dangerously  exposed  to  attack  While  under  enemy  fire  his  heroic  action  and  courage 
were  key  to  the  flawless  execution  of  the  unit's  mission  and  the  liberation  of  Kuwait. 
Chaplain  Parker's  unwavering  courage  and  competence  are  in  keeping  with  the 
proudest  traditions  of  the  military  service  and  reflects  great  credit  upon  himself,  the 
1st  Infantry  Division  (Mechanized),  and  the  United  States  Army.'* 

Sergeant  Leonard  T.  Marks,  Jr.,  likewise  was  decorated  for  meritorious  valor  under  fire  while 
participating  in  independent  offensive  cavalry  operations  during  Operation  Desert  Storm.  Sergeant 
Marks  dismounted  his  vehicle,  exposed  himself  to  enemy  mortar  and  small  arms  fire,  and  assisted  in 
the  capture  of  nine  enemy  soldiers.  His  actions  in  the  face  of  the  enemy,  like  those  of  Chaplain 
Parker,  reflected  distinct  credit  upon  himself,  the  1  st  Squadron,  4th  Cavalry,  and  the  United  States 
Army. 

Certainly  there  were  more  heroes  among  the  soldiers  and  the  supporting  personnel  in 
Operation  Desert  Storm  than  were  formally  recognized  in  citations.  But  among  those  heroes  were 
hundreds  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  who  went  into  battle  as  symbols  of  the  faith  and  values 
for  which  so  many  American  soldiers  fought.  In  fire  fights,  in  fatiguing  marches  and  in  the  long 
boredom  of  desert  nights  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  of  Operation  Desert  Storm  drew  many 
accolades  from  commanders  at  every  echelon  for  their  dedicated  and  cheerflil  service. 

Certainly  with  the  cease-fire  at  0800  on  the  morning  of  the  28th  of  February,  after  only  100 
hours  of  fighting,  the  soldiers,  the  chaplains  and  indeed  all  Americans  and  all  Coalition  allies,  were 
relieved  and  happy  at  such  a  signal  victory.  Many  chaplains  felt  that  they  had  seen  a  victory  similar 
to  Ithose  described  in  the  Old  Testament,  wherein  God  had  given  confijsion  an  defeat  to  the  enemy 
and  victory  to  his  people  Chaplain  David  Peterson,  the  CENTCOM  chaplain,  noted  simply:  "God 
was  with  us  throughout  this  operation,  and  it  was,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  a  matter  of 
Providence."" 

"I  will  never  forget,"  General  Schwarzkopf  recalled  in  an  interview  later,  "when  Gary  Luck, 
commander  of  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps,  called  me  on  the  phone  and  I  said  'what's  your  report'''  He 
said,  'Well,  we've  captured  3,200  prisoners  so  far  and  they  are  just  streaming  in,  and  we  have 
accomplished  all  of  our  objectives,  and  we  are  in  the  Euphrates  Valley  with  the  101st.'  I  said  'OK, 
fme '  I  was  waiting  for  the  other  shoe  to  fall.  Then  he  said  'Now  let  me  tell  you  about  our  casualties. 
We  have  one  wounded  in  action.'  'My  God,'  I  thought."""* 

The  largest  single  number  of  American  casualties  in  one  incident  occurred  ironically  not  in  the 
desert  of  Iraq  but  in  a  warehouse  in  Dhahran.  A  Scud  missile  warhead  impacted  on  February  25th, 
the  second  day  of  the  ground  war,  on  a  barracks  on  Dhahran   Twenty-eight  young  American  soldiers 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


155 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

were  killed  and  more  than  100  wounded.  Chaplain  Barry  Walker,  475th  Quarter  Master  Group,  and 
Chaplain  Joseph  Wesley  Smith,  47th  Field  Hospital,  were  among  the  first  chaplains  to  reach  the 
barracks.'"'  Chaplain  Vince  Inghilterra,  the  22nd  Support  Command  chaplain,  arrived  right  behind 
Chaplain  Smith.  There  were  charred  bodies  all  over  the  place  and  weeping  soldiers  who  were  burned 
trying  to  save  their  comrades  Chaplain  Inghilterra  called  for  every  available  chaplain  in  Dhahran  to 
assist  with  the  wounded.  With  tears  in  his  eyes  Chaplain  Inghilterra  recalled  that  he  felt  one  essential 
part  of  his  ministry  was  always  to  be  with  those  who  were  dying  when  they  passed  over  to  the  next 
world.'"^  There  were  memorial  services  all  over  Saudi  Arabia  and  in  the  United  States,  especially  in 
Greensburg,  Pennsylvania,  where  the  14th  Quartermaster  Detachment,  the  parent  unit  of  many  of  the 
victims,  was  based  Some  of  the  soldiers,  such  as  Specialist  Steven  Atherton,  had  been  in  Saudi 
Arabia  for  less  than  a  week.  Michael  Mills  left  a  22-month-old  son  and  his  wife  who  was  seven 
months  pregnant.  Only  one  of  those  soldiers  was  over  30.  Some  were  not  yet  20.  One  chaplain 
remembered  thinking  at  the  time  "there  is  nothing  just  or  fair  about  war  " 

In  the  Coalition  attacks  of  24-27  February  1991,  both  the  largest  helicopter  assault  and  the 
largest  tank  battle  in  US  military  history  took  place.  Moving  more  than  300  miles  in  four  days,  the 
Coalition  forces  took  84,000  Iraqi  prisoners  and  destroyed  more  than  3,000  Iraqi  tanks,  700  in  one 
day.  The  record  for  the  most  enemy  tanks  destroyed  in  one  24-hour  period  went  to  Captain  Eric 
Salomonson  and  1st  Lieutenant  John  Marks  of  the  76th  Tactical  Fighter  Squadron  who  knocked  out 
23  tanks,  almost  one  per  hour,  with  their  missiles  and  40  mm  guns.  On  February  25th,  the  lOIst 
Airborne  was  on  the  Euphrates  River  with  300  helicopters  just  a  bit  over  100  miles  fi"om  Baghdad. 
Had  they  been  ordered  to  do  so.  General  Schwarzkopf  said,  they  could  have  taken  Baghdad 
unopposed,  though  how  long  they  could  have  held  it  against  the  1 8  other  Iraqi  Divisions  north  of 
Baghdad,  supported  perhaps  by  145  combat  aircraft  across  the  river  in  Iran,  remains  a  subject  of 
debate. 

Of  the  U.S.  forces  involved  in  combat  operations,  146  soldiers  and  Marines  were  killed  in 
action,  35  of  these  by  friendly  fire.  Some  357  were  wounded.  Approximately  1 59  died  in  noncombat 
deaths.  That  is  a  total  casualty  count  of  662  or  approximately  2  per  1,000  engaged.  Of  the  Iraqi 
forces  involved,  perhaps  50,000  were  casualties  in  the  attack,  another  20,000  were  casualties  or 
deserted  before  the  attack,  and  84,000  surrendered  to  Coalition  forces,  for  a  rate  of  400  per  1,000 
engaged.'"^ 

It  is  obvious  perhaps  that  the  Iraqi  soldier  simply  lost  heart  in  the  battle.  They  had  been  sent 
to  the  trenches  with  30  days'  supply  of  food  and  water  and  no  orders  but  to  dig  in  and  fight  to  the 
death.  By  the  time  the  ground  war  started  their  supplies  were  exhausted.  They  had  no  air  cover,  no 
intelligence,  little  communication,  no  resupply,  no  water  and  no  orders.  There  was  no  strategic  plan 
known  to  division  commanders.  They  had  few  chemical  suits  for  their  own  soldiers  and  thus  could 
not  use  their  chemical  munitions.  In  all  it  was  a  bad  bluflF  on  Saddam  Husein's  part  against  an 
adversary  who  held  a  winning  hand  at  least  from  the  second  day  of  the  air  campaign. 

On  February  28th  at  0800  hours,  exactly  100  hours  since  ground  operations  began.  President 
Bush  ordered  a  stop  to  the  fighting.  The  previous  evening  Iraq  had  agreed  to  honor  all  12  of  the 
U.N.  Security  Council  resolutions  including  Resolution  660  calling  for  the  complete  and 
unconditional  withdrawal  from  Kuwait.   Iraq  lost  in  the  Gulf  War  3,700  of  its  4,200  battle  tanks. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 156 

2,400  of  its  2,800  armored  personnel  vehicles,  2,600  of  its  3,000  artillery  pieces  and  104  of  its  241 
aircraft.  Practically  42  of  its  60  divisions  were  no  longer  combat  effective.  By  agreement  Iraq  agreed 
to  pay  for  the  war  damage  to  Kuwait.  By  U.N.  resolution  Iraq  was  limited  to  the  sale  of  nearly  $1.6 
billion  a  year  in  oil  to  pay  for  food  and  medicine,  less  than  2%  of  its  prewar  oil  export  revenue.  Iraq 
refiised  to  comply  with  this  limitation  and  a  complete  embargo  on  oil  sales  remained  in 
place — effectively  shutting  down  more  than  94%  of  Iraq's  total  export  trade.'"'' 

The  primary  military  objective  of  Operation  Desert  Storm — expelling  Iraq  fi"om  Kuwait — had 
been  achieved.  The  Iraqi  Army  was  broken  as  an  effective  fighting  force.  As  General  Colin  Powell 
observed,  "Unbelievable  carnage  had  been  inflicted  on  the  survivors  retreating  along  Highway  6,  the 
main  road  out  of  Kuwait.  To  press  the  attack  further  would  be  un-American  and  unchivalrous."'"' 
Even  though  Vice  President  Quayle  asked  if  the  action  would  not  end  too  soon  to  close  the  trap,  as 
General  Schwarzkopf  had  planned,  on  the  remaining  Iraqi  tanks,  there  was  no  real  disagreement  with 
General  Powell's  recommendation  to  stop  the  fighting.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Douglas  Tystad,  who 
commanded  the  Tiger  Brigade's  3/67th  Armored  Battalion  in  the  ground  assault  along  Highway  6, 
known  as  the  Highway  of  Death,  was  certain  that  his  tank  battalion  could  have  taken  Basra  if  they 
had  been  ordered  to  do  so.  But  he  concluded,  "if  we  had  driven  into  Iraq  we  would  have  lost  the 
moral  high  ground,  and  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  changed  from  being  liberators  to  being  invaders. 
When  it  ended  as  it  did,  we  felt  we  had  triumphed  in  a  righteous  cause."'"* 


Cease  Fire:  Chaplain  Ministries  Expand 

With  the  cease  fire  at  0800  on  28  February,  1991,  most  units  in  the  Coalition  forces  remained 
in  place.  At  CENTCOM  Headquarters  in  Riyadh,  General  Schwarzkopf  began  planning  for  his  trip 
to  Safwan  to  formally  conclude  the  hostilities.  Within  two  days  of  the  cease-fire,  on  March  2nd, 
1991,  the  United  Nations  passed  Resolution  686  which  was  a  formal  demand  that  Iraq  cease  all 
hostile  actions  and  abide  by  the  previous  1 2  United  Nations  Resolutions,  most  particularly  the  one 
condemning  the  Iraqi  invasion  and  declaring  the  Iraqi  annexation  of  Kuwait  null  and  void.'"' 

At  the  time  of  the  initial  cease  -re,  the  XVHI  Airborne  Corps  had  achieved  all  of  its  objectives, 
with  the  101st  Airborne  Division  on  the  Euphrates  joined  by  the  82d  Airborne  Division.  The  24th 
Infantry  Division  had  penetrated  to  the  Kuwait-Basra  highway  as  had  most  of  the  VII  Corps  units. 
The  1st  and  2d  Marine  Divisions,  the  Tiger  Brigade  of  the  2d  Armored  Division  and  other  forces 
were  in  Kuwait  City.  Few  of  the  soldiers  realized  that  they  would  remain  in  Kuwait  and  Iraq  almost 
a  month  before  the  Department  of  Defense  would  authorize  the  beginning  of  re-deployment  for 
American  forces. 

During  the  month  fi"om  28  February  to  24  March,  when  the  24th  Infantry  Division  began  its 
redeployment  to  the  United  States  from  Iraq,  most  unit  ministry  teams  expanded  their  ministries  not 
only  to  soldiers  but  also  to  refugees  and  prisoners  of  war.  The  aftermath  of  the  100-hour  ground  war 
demanded  even  more  of  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  than  had  the  movement  under  combat 
conditions  into  Iraq  itself 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


157 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

One  of  the  first  duties  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  had  to  perform  was  to  assist  with  the 
burial  of  Iraqi  dead.  Although  the  CENTCOM  J5  had  directed  U.S.  forces  to  turn  over  the  bodies 
of  any  dead  Muslim  soldiers  to  Saudi  Arabian  control,  the  relentless  heat  of  the  desert  made  it 
necessary  to  bury  many  of  the  Iraqi  dead  in  mass  graves  Chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  felt  it  was 
their  duty  to  provide  some  religious  support  not  only  for  those  who  were  charged  with  the  task  of 
burials,  but  also  for  those  who  mourned  the  passing  of  so  many  soldiers.  Chaplain  Daniel  Davis,  the 
VII  Corps  chaplain,  recalled  the  lonely  task  of  burying  the  bodies  of  the  enemy  in  the  desert: 

As  the  men  searched  each  body  for  identification  and  placed  it,  with  any  photos, 
money  and  other  personal  eflfects,  into  a  glassine  bag  on  which  the  grave  location  was 
carefijlly  noted,  or  wrapped  the  soldiers  in  plastic  sheeting,  or  the  chemical  protection 
suit  and  green  blanket  every  Iraqi  Republican  Guard  seemed  to  own,  they  dug  graves 
in  the  sand  with  backhoes  and  laid  them  to  rest.  Then  the  chaplain  paused  to  say  a 
prayer  to  a  common  God,  the  eternal  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  men  for 
whom  the  Bible  says  the  desert  was  a  kind  of  spiritual  proving  ground.  'Father,  these 
are  human  beings.  You  made  them.  You  loved  them  You  know  who  they  are.  The 
best  thing  we  can  do  is  commit  their  souls  to  you  and  their  bodies  to  the  ground 
whence  they  came,  dust  to  dust.''"* 

Chaplain  Davis  felt  that  his  ministry  of  providing  proper  burials  for  enemy  soldiers  fiirther 
underscored  the  humanitarian  values  that  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  must  uphold  even  in  the 
most  difficult  and  dangerous  situations. 

Chaplain  Robert  Flaherty  likewise  participated  in  honoring  the  enemy  dead.  He 
recalled,  "The  brigade  chaplain  and  I  were  invited  by  the  graves  registration  team  to 
hold  memorial  services  for  persons  whose  bodies  were  recovered  from  the  battlefield. 
Identificafion  documents  showed  these  persons  to  be  Iraqi  soldiers,  Kuwaiti  soldiers 
and  civilians.  At  one  point  we  buried  what  appeared  to  be  a  family,  including  two 
children,  who  were  trying  to  flee  fi-om  'death  valley.'  In  all,  we  buried  1 3  bodies.  We 
invited  U.S.  personnel  to  attend  the  memorials.  Sometimes  we  had  as  many  as  ten 
personnel  attending.  I  used  the  prayers  for  the  time  of  death  of  a  Muslim  soldier 
which  were  provided  in  the  Unit  Ministry  Team  Handbook,  RB  1-1.  One  of  the 
graves  registration  soldiers  asked  if  he  could  say  a  prayer  in  Arabic.  He  taught  me  the 
prayer  so  that  at  later  memorials,  in  addition  to  the  English  prayer,  we  prayed  the 
Arabic  prayer  together.""*  Chaplain  Terry  Cook,  the  1st  Brigade  Chaplain  of  the  1st 
Infantry  Division,  recalled  that  the  burial  of  the  dead  was  one  of  the  most  moving 
experiences  he  had  in  all  of  his  ministry  in  Operation  Desert  Storm."" 

As  the  units  were  waiting  in  the  desert  for  confirmation  of  the  cease-fire.  General  Franks,  the 
VII  Corps  commander,  had  a  meeting  with  his  major  subordinate  commanders  to  discuss  the 
disposition  of  troops.   Late  on  the  28th  of  February,  he  noted,  after  100  hours  of  battle,  the  total 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 158 

losses  for  the  VII  Corps  were  only  47  soldiers.  This  was  minuscule  in  comparison  to  the  140,000 
soldiers  who  participated  in  the  main  ground  battle.  At  a  meeting  of  the  commanders,  Major  General 
Ronald  Griffith,  ommander  of  the  1st  Armored  Division,  approached  Chaplain  Dan  Davis.  Chaplain 
Davis  had  told  General  Griffith  that  God  had  promised  him  in  prayer  that  "We  would  have  victory 
without  great  casualties."  General  Griffith  had  not  forgotten  Chaplain  Davis'  promise.  As  the 
meeting  drew  to  a  close.  General  Griffith  put  his  arm  around  Chaplain  Davis  and  said  simply, 
"Chaplain,  you  are  a  prophet!"'"  General  Norman  Schwarzkopf  called  the  exceptionally  small 
number  of  casualties  in  the  VII  Corps  a  miracle,  and  Chaplain  Davis  added,  "It  was  a  miracle,  one  that 
came  from  God.""^ 


Ministry  to  Refugees 

As  the  units  waited  for  further  orders  in  Iraq  and  Kuwait,  many  of  the  chaplains  and  chaplain 
assistants  began  to  assist  with  the  enormous  refugee  problem.  Chaplain  Wayne  Lehrer  recalled,  "I 
had  three  battalions  in  immediate  contact  with  refligees,  because  they  manned  a  major  highway  and 
all  of  the  checkpoints  on  the  highway  The  highest  number  of  prisoners  we  took  came  during  that 
duty.  Tons  of  medical  assistance  and  food  assistance  were  delivered  to  assist  with  these  sick  and 
hungry  people.  Our  aid  station  did  surgery  on  children  and  prisoners,  dozens  of  them  per  day.  At 
one  point  I  visited  about  100  patients  in  a  place  where  we  had  no  hospital.  It  should  be  noted  that 
the  1st  Armored  Division  did  not  get  assigned  a  sector  with  a  refugee  camp  within  it  like  the  3rd 
Armored  Division  did.  Our  mission,  therefore,  was  much  more  temporary.  We  dealt  with  folks 
moving  through  We  did  get  refligees  in  great  numbers  with  horror  stories  to  tell  The  commanding 
general  finally  deployed  a  special  team  to  the  checkpoints  with  interrogators,  lawyers,  and  intelligence 
personnel  to  record  those  stories  for  the  United  Nations."'" 

In  Kuwait,  the  morning  after  the  city  was  taken.  Chaplain  Jack  Herron  of  the  502nd  Combat 
Support  Battalion  from  the  Tiger  Brigade,  found  a  mosque  packed  with  frightened  men,  women  and 
children.  Almost  miraculously  the  building  had  escaped  attack.  Chaplain  Herron  joined  the  medics 
from  the  battalion  aid  station  to  help  these  displaced  people.  Even  though  Chaplain  Herron  was  a 
Roman  Catholic  priest  and  not  Muslim,  his  ministry  of  presence  and  concern  relieved  much  of  the 
anxiety  at  the  site."'' 

Chaplain  Dennis  Whitaker,  1 1th  Aviation  Brigade,  noted  that  his  brigade  "assumed  a  screen 
of  the  left  Coalition  flank  and  established  an  assembly  area  at  Al  Salman  Airfield,  Iraq.  The  refugees 
were  provided  assistance.  They  were  residents,  approximately  4,000  strong,  of  Al  Salman  and  a 
camp  outside  of  Raffa,  Saudi  Arabia.  The  Al  Salman  refugee  mission  included  daily  sick  call  and  food 
and  water  distribution.  The  unit  ministry  teams  served  as  consultants  on  the  Islamic  culture  and  on 
what  food  to  distribute,  how  to  relate  to  the  Iraqi  women  and  children,  and  how  to  involve  the  Al 
Salman  imam.  The  Raffa  mission  was  less  intensive;  there  was  time  for  setting  up  the  logistic  support 
for  the  camp,  and  detailing  security  elements.  I  assisted  in  an  initial  survey  of  the  area  Many  of  the 
chaplains  and  chaplain's  assistants  needed  all  of  the  information  they  had  been  given  on  Islamic  culture 
to  deal  with  the  settlement  even  in  temporary  camps  of  so  many  refugees.  The  soldiers  wanted  to 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


159 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

provide  comfort  for  these  homeless  people,  and  they  needed  the  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant  to 
advise  them  on  the  best  way  to  accomplish  that  mission.  Never  was  a  tcnowledge  of  Islamic  religion 
and  culture  more  essential  for  unit  ministry  teams.""' 

Among  the  surprises  many  of  the  chaplains  found  were  a  number  of  Christians  among  the 
Iraqi  prisoners  of  war.  Chaplain  Edwin  Ahl  recalled,  "We  set  up  six  miles  from  a  burning  oil  field. 
We  arrived  at  about  0200  and  the  light  from  the  fields  was  eerie.  The  soldiers  relaxed  a  little.  We 
had  found  27  prisoners  of  war  who  had  been  walking  in  the  desert  for  five  days.  We  gave  them  food 
and  water.  We  had  no  medics,  so  I  took  my  combat  hfesavers  kit  and  washed  their  feet  and  gave 
medical  attention  to  their  blisters  which  all  of  them  had.  Most  had  no  shoes,  so  after  bandaging  their 
blisters,  I  used  field  dressings  as  pads  for  the  bottom  of  their  feet.  They  didn't  care  that  I  wore  a  cross 
on  my  collar  or  helmet.  When  the  MPs  came  to  take  them  away,  each  one  of  the  enemy  prisoners 
took  my  hand  and  said  'God  bless  you'  in  perfect  English.""*  Chaplain  Wayne  Lehrer  noted:  "The 
enemy  prisoners  were  taken  and  Specialist  Brown  and  I  had  the  opportunity  to  talk  with  and  help  care 
for  some  Republican  Guard  soldiers  who  had  escaped  the  bombing  in  Kuwait  and  who  had  walked 
three  days  and  three  nights  with  no  food  or  water.  I  discovered  one  was  a  Catholic  and  gave  him  a 
rosary.  He  tried  to  kiss  my  hands''"^ 

Not  all  of  the  work  in  the  desert,  however,  was  free  from  danger  even  though  technically  the 
firing  had  stopped.  Many  soldiers  were  injured  by  live  munitions  which  were  lying  about  in  the  sand. 
Chaplain  Melvin  Stanley  of  the  249th  Engineer  Battalion  remembered  these  dangers  vividly: 

We  were  on  the  Iraq-Kuwait  border  and  it  was  evident  that  there  had  been  a  massive 
battle.  Tanks  and  military  Iraqi  trucks  and  vehicles  were  burning  as  far  as  you  could 
see.  Most  of  the  bodies  and  dead  had  been  removed  and  buried  in  mass  graves.  Off 
in  the  distance  you  could  see  burning  mushroom  clouds  of  explosives  and  weapons 
being  destroyed  by  our  forces  It  was  very  dangerous  to  get  out  of  the  vehicle  and 
walk  around.  Many  people  were  exploring  bunkers  and  getting  close  to  burning  tanks 
looking  for  souvenirs.  I  remember  getting  angry  at  a  young  soldier  who  was  about 
to  pick  up  a  live  grenade  lying  next  to  an  Iraqi  tank.  People  were  just  not  thinking 
about  what  they  were  doing  I  kept  observing  how  we  all  needed  to  be  taught  about 
what  our  own  explosive  devices  look  like  There  were  cluster  bombs  and  neat 
looking  little  cylinders  that  had  parachutes  on  them.  They  looked  harmless  and  were 
very  tempting  to  pick  up.  Soldiers  who  did,  many  times  were  injured  One  soldier 
brought  back  some  cluster  bombs,  not  knowing  what  they  were,  and  threw  one  down 
by  his  foot.  It  blew  his  foot  off  right  in  his  tent!  Once  in  Kuwait,  our  battalion  was 
split  up  by  several  miles  of  main  supply  routes.  My  unit  ministry  team  spent  long 
hours  on  the  road  providing  worship  services  and  a  ministry  of  presence  as  long  as  we 
could.  Thank  God  we  did  not  need  any  memorial  services!"* 

On  the  7th  of  March,  the  Department  of  Defense  announced  that  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps 
would  begin  redeploying  to  the  United  States.  The  first  major  unit  to  go  "out"  would  be  the  24th 
Infantry  Division  from  Fort  Stewart,  Georgia.  Even  in  the  midst  of  the  redeployment,  however,  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 160 

chaplains  and  chaplains  assistants  continued  their  ministry.  Chaplain  William  Hufham,  the  82d 
Airborne  Division  Chaplain,  was  celebrating  the  baptism  of  a  field  grade  officer  at  Ur  of  the 
Chaldeans  near  the  Euphrates  River  on  March  12th.  Chaplain  Hufham's  sermon  for  this  occasion, 
"Where  Faith  Began,"  has  been  published  several  times.  A  few  excerpts  illustrate  the  conditions 
surrounding  this  affirmation  of  faith  in  the  desert: 

The  Euphrates  River  is  only  a  couple  of  miles  fi"om  here.  The  Persian  Gulf  waters 
have  been  polluted  by  oil,  which  Saddam's  troops  released,  creating  one  of  the  worst 
environmental  catastrophes  in  history.  We  can  see  the  smoke  above  us  from  the  oil 
field  fires  in  Kuwait,  another  sign  of  the  actions  of  this  tyrant.  Approximately  4,000 
years  ago,  Abraham  lived  here  at  Ur  of  the  Chaldees.  Looking  around  we  wonder 
why  anyone  would  want  to  live  here.  Just  a  bunch  of  old  ruins  and  miles  of  desert, 
punctuated  with  an  occasional  palm  tree  cluster  We  need  to  imagine  the  splendor  of 
Babylon,  buildings  and  gardens  fed  by  irrigation  trenches  fi'om  the  Euphrates, 
thousands  of  tents  with  herdsman,  children  playing  and  women  working.  Compared 
to  the  rest  of  the  world  it  was  splendid.  God  spoke  to  Abraham.  Abraham  trusted 
God  and  his  faith  was  reckoned  to  him  as  righteousness,  as  we  read  in  Paul's  letter  to 
the  Romans.  Abraham  is  identified  as  the  father  of  faith  and  honored  by  three  major 
world  religions — Judaism,  Christianity  and  Islam.  His  faith  journey  began  here  at 
Ur."' 

Like  Abraham,  many  soldiers,  including  those  Chaplain  Hufham  baptized,  found  their  faith 
either  renewed  or  established  by  their  presence  in  what  was  at  one  time  the  cradle  of  western 
religions. 


The  Redeployment-Reunion  Program 

While  the  troops  were  performing  their  final  duties  in  Iraq  and  awaiting  the  order  to  redeploy. 
Chaplain  Gay  Hatler  and  Chaplain  Joe  CoUey  at  ARCENT  Headquarters  were  planning  a  program 
to  help  the  soldiers  reunite  with  their  family  members  upon  their  return  to  their  home  stations. 
Chaplain  Colley,  as  the  Deputy  ARCENT  Chaplain,  was  given  the  mission  of  assembling  a  suitable 
packet  of  information  for  each  soldier  to  read  before  leaving  Saudi  Arabia.''"  Chaplain  Colley  called 
Mr.  Don  Cox,  the  head  of  Army  Community  Service  at  Fort  McPherson,  Georgia,  in  the  United 
States.  Chaplain  Colley  asked  Mr  Cox  to  send  whatever  information  he  had  on  facilitating  the 
reunion  of  soldiers  and  family  members  after  an  extended  deployment.  Mr.  Cox  mailed  85  pages  of 
information  to  ARCENT  Headquarters.  Chaplain  Hatler  and  Chaplain  Colley  reviewed  the  material 
and  then  turned  it  over  to  Sergeant  First  Class  Ed  Parton  to  rewrite  it  in  a  relevant  format  for  Desert 
Shield/Desert  Storm  soldiers.  After  the  packet  was  assembled  and  edited.  Chaplain  David  Peterson, 
the  CENTCOM  Chaplain,  facilitated  the  printing  of  thousands  of  these  booklets  for  soldiers.  The 
booklet  carried  a  command  letter,  from  Lieutenant  General  John  J.   Yeosock,  encouraging 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


161 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

commanders  to  include  briefings  by  their  chaplains  along  with  the  printed  material  so  that  soldiers 
would  have  the  opportunity  to  think  about  some  of  the  issues  they  might  face  soon.  A  few  of  these 
relevant  issues  included  re-entering  the  family  system  after  an  absence,  listening  to  one's  spouse  and 
children,  and  dealing  with  financial  and  other  issues  affecting  the  family  during  the  absence  of  the 
service  member 

Concomitant  with  the  creation  and  staffing  of  the  redeployment  packets  at  the  Third  Army 
level,  a  concept  paper  with  a  sample  packet  was  sent  from  the  ARCENT  Chaplain  to  the  Chief  of 
Chaplain's  office  for  approval.  Eventually,  after  some  discussion,  a  formal  redeployment/reunion 
program  was  approved  by  the  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Army  for  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  to  administer. 
At  each  unit  and  echelon  in  Saudi  Arabia,  from  Chaplain  David  Peterson,  the  CENTCOM  chaplain, 
to  battalion  chaplain  level,  unit  ministry  teams  were  given  the  task  of  briefing  soldiers  on  the 
redeployment/reunion  program.  Chaplain  Gay  Hatler  at  ARCENT  Headquarters  chose  Chaplain  John 
P.  Schmeling,  the  Engineer  Command  Staff  Chaplain,  to  organize  a  group  of  stay-behind  chaplains 
and  assistants  so  that  even  the  last  units  leaving  Saudi  Arabia  would  have  the  opportunity  to  be 
included  in  the  program.'"'  Chaplain  Horace  Duke,  the  50th  General  Hospital  chaplain  in  Riyadh,  and 
Chaplain  Wilbem  Hoffman,  from  the  217th  Evacuation  Hospital,  created  a  video  cassette  program 
to  accompany  the  briefing  booklet.  This  enabled  the  chaplains  who  had  a  video  cassette  player  to 
include  a  video  program  with  their  oral  briefings.  In  total,  some  300,000  soldiers  received  a  briefing 
on  redeployment  and  reunion  with  family  members  either  while  awaiting  transit  from  Saudi  Arabia 
to  their  home  stations  or  upon  arrival  back  at  their  home  installations. '"  Some  redeployment 
briefings  were  given  in  the  desert,  some  in  holding  areas  such  as  Khobar  Towers,  a  high  rise 
apartment  complex  in  Dhahran  where  many  soldiers  waited  for  their  flights  or  for  their  ships  home, 
and  some  were  even  given  on  airplanes  in  flight  for  Germany  or  for  the  United  States.  In  all,  the 
reception  for  these  briefings  was  positive.  Indeed,  many  commanders  felt  that  they  were  the  most 
positive  effort  which  was  made  to  assure  mutual  understanding  by  soldiers  and  family  members  of 
one  another's  hardships  as  a  result  of  the  crisis  in  the  Persian  Gulf 

The  last  two  months  of  the  major  deployment  in  Saudi  Arabia  for  Operation  Desert  Storm, 
April  and  May  of  1991,  were  officially  titled  "Operation  Desert  Farewell."  A  number  of  chaplains 
and  chaplain  assistants  voluntarily  delayed  their  own  redeployment  back  home  in  order  to  help  with 
the  redeployment  of  thousands  of  soldiers  from  King  Khalid  Military  City  and  from  Dhahran.  A  list 
of  the  chaplains  and  assistants  who  performed  this  selfless  duty  included: 

Chaplain  Vince  Inghilterra,  USA,  22nd  Support  Command 
Chaplain  John  Schmeling,  USAR,  416th  Engineer  Command 
Chaplain  Ernest  Shipe,  USAR,  350th  Evac  Hospital 
SGT  Melvin  Rountree,  USAR  32nd  Transportation  Group 
SGT  Daniel  Zambo,  USAR,  350th  Evac  Hospital 
Chaplain  Horace  Duke,  USAR,  50th  General  Hospital 
Chaplain  James  Herrington,  USAR,  304th  Civil  Affairs  Group 
Chaplain  Wilbem  Hoflfman,  USAR,  217th  Evac  Hospital 
Chaplain  Paul  Lemoi,  USAR,  382nd  Field  Hospital 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 162 

Chaplain  David  Rolando,  USAR,  attached  to  VII  Corps 
SGT  Valorie  Shidlowski,  USAR,  Headquarters,  ARCENT 
SGT  Joel  Ferren,  USAR,  1 59th  Corps  Support  Group 
SGT  Mary  O'Halloran,  USAR,  382nd  Field  Hospital 
SGT  Carol  Trowbridge,  USAR,  382nd  Field  Hospital'" 

These  unit  ministry  teams,  formed  as  they  were  with  hospital  chaplains.  Civil  Affairs  chaplains 
and  two  Roman  Catholic  priests,  performed  outstanding  service  in  difficult  conditions.  Many  times 
the  classes  were  impromptu  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night.  Sometimes  as  many  as  75  soldiers 
would  try  to  attend.  Administrative  support  was  difficult  because  almost  all  the  supplies,  from 
typewriters  to  vehicles,  were  being  shipped  out  of  the  theater  at  the  same  time  the  chaplains  were 
attempting  to  hold  classes  for  thousands  of  soldiers.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  at  times  these 
reunification/reunion  UMTs  had  to  walk  from  one  unit  to  the  next,  they  performed  their  mission  in 
an  excellent  fashion  and  contributed  greatly  to  the  harmonious  reunion  not  only  of  active  duty  families 
but  also  of  many  Reservists  who  had  never  been  on  lengthy  deployment  before. 

While  the  troops  were  waiting  to  leave  Saudi  Arabia,  many  of  the  health  and  welfare  items 
which  had  not  caught  up  to  the  combat  trains  during  the  ground  war  suddenly  became  available  in 
huge  supply  for  soldiers.  These  items  were  gifts  sent  to  the  Army  from  private  organizations, 
businesses  and  clubs  throughout  the  United  States  and  even  from  many  foreign  countries  The  items 
included  sun  glasses,  bathing  suits,  soap,  frisbees  and  all  sorts  of  paperback  books,  stationary  supplies 
and  games.  Through  the  efforts  of  Chaplain  Thad  Rudd,  an  Episcopalian  from  Georgia,  a  bakery  in 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  even  sent  one  million  Twinkles  to  the  soldiers  of  Operation  Desert  Storm. ''^ 
These  gifts  were  gratefiiUy  received  by  the  soldiers  and  reinforced  their  conviction  that  the  American 
people  were  solidly  behind  them  every  day  they  were  in  the  Persian  Gulf 

In  the  second  week  of  March  1991,  Chaplain  David  Peterson,  the  CENTCOM  Chaplain, 
asked  General  Schwarzkopf  if  he  would  meet  with  his  senior  chaplains  for  a  discussion  of  Operation 
Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm.  General  Schwarzkopf  agreed,  and  his  staff"  scheduled  45  minutes  for  him 
to  address  the  chaplains  and  entertain  their  questions 

The  meeting  was  held  in  a  conference  room  in  Rhiyad  on  19  March  1 99 1 .  Eighteen  chaplains 
and  senior  chaplain  assistants  from  the  Army,  Navy,  Air  Force  and  the  British  Forces  Middle  East  met 
around  a  long  table  to  hear  what  General  Schwarzkopf  had  to  say.  When  General  Schwartzkopf 
arrived,  he  elected  to  remain  standing  while  his  chaplains  and  assistants  sat  around  the  table.  General 
Schwarzkopf  explained  the  difficult  situation  that  the  Coalition  of  Islamic  and  Christian  military  forces 
produced  at  the  beginning  of  Operation  Desert  Shield.  He  explained  to  the  chaplains  that  he  did  not 
like  the  idea  of  asking  them  to  remove  their  crosses  and  tablets  but  he  felt  at  that  time  that  it  was  best 
for  the  Coalition  to  demonstrate  to  the  Saudi  Arabian  government  that  we  were  not  there  to  convert 
anyone  to  a  foreign  religion  nor  were  we  there  for  any  purpose  other  than  to  carry  out  the  United 
Nations  resolutions. 

At  first,  the  Saudi  Arabians  were  concerned  about  our  radio  stations  and  any  religious 
broadcasting  that  might  take  place.  But  later,  after  the  Americans  demonstrated  their  remarkable 
sensitivity  to  the  feelings    of  the  Saudi  Arabians,  General  Schwarzkopf  said,  "We  taught  them 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


163 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

tolerance."  The  Saudi  Arabians  were  impressed  with  our  accommodation  of  their  faith  and  they 
reciprocated  in  kind  by  attempting  to  allow  as  much  freedom  as  possible  for  the  celebration  of  our 
major  religious  events.'"' 

General  Schwarzkopf  complimented  the  chaplains  on  their  support  of  all  of  the  military 
personnel.  General  Schwarzkopf  entertained  a  number  of  questions  and  re-emphasized  that  it  was 
not  a  military  goal  of  the  Coalition  forces  to  destroy  Iraq  but  rather  to  free  Kuwait.  Once  that 
objective  had  been  achieved,  it  would  have  ultimately  been  detrimental  to  try  to  capture  and  garrison 
Baghdad  with  all  of  the  problems  that  would  have  followed  with  the  various  groups  of  dissidents  in 
the  population.  Moreover,  in  consideration  of  a  multitude  of  factors  including  military  ethics.  General 
Schwarzkopf  had  decided  to  put  all  Iraqi  towns  and  villages  off-limits  for  U.S.  soldiers.'"*  It  was  a 
decision  he  did  not  have  to  implement. 

General  Schwarzkopf  thanked  the  chaplains  again  and  had  his  picture  taken  with  them  before 
he  departed.  The  chaplains  were  all  immensely  grateful  for  this  opportunity  to  hear  the  concern, 
sensitivity  and  the  commitment  to  religious  support  on  the  part  of  their  commanding  general. 


Ministry  in  Kuwait  City 

While  other  chaplains  were  conducting  redeployment  briefings  and  ministering  to  their  soldiers 
in  Saudi  Arabia  and  Iraq,  the  Special  Forces  chaplains  from  the  Special  Operations 
command — Chaplain  Lawrence  Mack,  the  Third  Special  Forces  Group  Chaplain,  Chaplain  Francis 
Belue,  the  Assistant  Third  Special  Forces  Group  Chaplain  and  Chaplain  Allen  Boatright,  the  Special 
Forces  First  Battalion  Chaplain — conducted  a  wide  ranging  ministry  of  humanitarian  assistance  in 
Kuwait  City.'"  Much  of  this  ministry  was  not  only  voluntary,  it  was  also  dependent  on  sharing 
whatever  resources  were  available. 

When  the  Third  Special  Forces  Group  (Airborne)  entered  Kuwait  on  26  February  1991,  the 
Kuwait  social  service  infrastructure  had  been  destroyed  by  the  retreating  Iraqis.  The  Kuwatis  lacked 
the  means  for  feeding,  housing,  and  caring  for  themselves.  Basic  medical,  sanitation  and 
transportation  means  were  virtually  nonexistent.  The  spread  of  hunger  and  disease  was  great.  The 
scope  of  the  misery  of  the  Kuwaiti  people  was  almost  immeasurable  and  nearly  beyond  description. 

The  requirements  for  humanitarian  aid  to  the  Kuwaiti  populace  greatly  surpassed  the 
capabilities  of  Kuwaiti  government  agencies,  international  charities,  and  civil  affairs  forces  assigned 
to  the  Kuwait  Theater  of  Operations.  When  confronted  with  this  tragic  situation,  the  Special  Forces 
chaplains,  and  other  members  of  the  Third  Special  Forces  Group,  developed  a  program  of 
humanitarian  assistance  beyond  their  assigned  duties  in  Kuwait.  This  program  included  six  elements: 
advice  and  coordination  forces  for  assistance,  emergency  food  and  water  distribution,  detection, 
warning  and  removal  of  unexploded  ordnance  from  civilian  areas,  sanitation  control,  medical  and 
veterinary  assistance;  and  protection  of  human  rights. 

Chaplain  Allen  Boatright  and  his  assistant.  Sergeant  Phillip  Lane,  recalled  that  the  Special 
Forces  mission  changed  as  the  occupation  progressed:  "The  Special  Forces  were  tasked  to  provide 
internal  defense  assistance  to  the  Kuwaiti  Army.  First  Battalion  soldiers  were  spread  out  all  over 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 164 

Kuwait  City  and  the  area  just  south  of  the  Iraqi  border.  The  unit  ministry  teams  volunteered  to  assist 
in  coordinating  relief  for  the  non-Kuwaiti  refugees  in  the  city.  The  Kuwaitis  were  not  prepared  to 
assist  the  Kurds,  Filipinos,  Bengalis,  Egyptians,  and  hundreds  of  foreigners  and  nationals  needing 
food  and  clothing  at  that  time.  They  were  hard  pressed  to  help  Kuwaitis  along.  "'^* 

Chaplain  Mack  visited  all  the  local  civilian  clergy  he  could  find,  including  the  Roman  Catholic 
bishop,  the  Armenian  prelate,  Greek  Orthodox  priests,  Greek  Catholic  priests,  leaders  of  the  Coptic 
Christian  Church,  the  Arab  Evangelical  Church,  the  Philippine  Evangelical  Church,  the  Indian 
Evangelical  Church,  and  the  English  Evangelical  Church. 

The  ecclesiastical  leaders  arranged  for  the  Catholic  Cathedral  to  be  a  central  distribution  point 
for  food.  Each  religious  leader  had  a  list  of  needs  and  families.  They  coordinated  for  pickup  and 
delivery.  There  were  Roman  Catholic,  Greek  Orthodox,  Russian  Orthodox,  Armenian,  Pentecostal, 
Coptic,  Egyptian,  Christian  congregations  present  in  Kuwait  City  which  were  much  in  need. 

The  Catholic  Bishop,  Francis  Micallef  from  Malta,  had  been  hard  pressed  to  help  all  who  came 
to  him  during  the  Iraqi  occupation  He  personally  assisted  as  many  as  possible  regardless  of  their 
faith  orientation.  The  spirit  of  ecumenical  cooperation  and  Christian  concern  in  this  environment  was 
represented  by  the  service  of  Bishop  Micallef  On  one  occasion,  he  personally  traveled  to  Baghdad 
to  request  that  the  Iraqi  military  authorities  release  an  American  Pentecostal  pastor,  who  was  locked 
up  in  the  American  Embassy,  so  he  could  minister  to  his  congregations  in  Kuwait  City.  By  the  time 
Bishop  Micallef  had  returned  to  Kuwait  City,  the  chain  of  command  in  the  Iraqi  Army  had 
deteriorated  so  much  that  his  request  could  not  be  honored. 

As  the  Special  Forces  unit  ministry  teams  traveled  to  visit  their  A-Team  soldiers  around 
Kuwait,  they  found  an  interesting  situation  near  Safwan  on  the  Iraqi  border.  There  was  a  large 
refiigee  camp  set  up  there  with  thousands  of  evacuees  from  Iraq,  and  hundreds  of  Kurds  seeking 
refuge  as  well.  Their  children  liked  to  run  up  to  the  military  convoys  and  gather  up  rations  thrown 
to  them  by  soldiers  in  transit.  One  day  several  children  were  killed  running  to  a  convoy  for  MREs. 
The  A-Team  assigned  to  that  area  asked  the  unit  ministry  teams  if  they  could  help  the  children 
somehow.  The  A-Team  had  in  mind  creating  a  playground  in  a  cleared  area.  The  unit  ministry  team 
used  their  resourcefijlness  to  locate  some  toys  in  Kuwait  City  that  would  occupy  the  children. 
Chaplain  Boatright  recalled,  "Within  24  hours  we  had  been  able  to  locate  about  100  plastic  soccer 
balls  and  we  delivered  them  to  the  A-Team  which  passed  them  out  to  the  children.  Most  likely  this 
simple  act  saved  lives.  "'^' 


Passover,  Easter,  and  Ramadan 
"Food  for  the  General" 

The  four  Army  Jewish  chaplains  who  served  in  Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert 
Storm — Chaplain  Ben  Romer,  Chaplain  Mitchell  Ackerson,  Chaplain  Kenneth  Leinwand  and  Chaplain 
David  Zalis — had  known  from  the  beginning  of  their  deployments  that  special  arrangements  would 
have  to  be  made  in  order  to  accommodate  Jewish  needs  during  High  Holy  Days.  The  need  for 
Kosher  food,  especially  during  Passover,  was  one  of  the  greatest  challenges  the  chaplains  faced.  A 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


165 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

similar  challenge  was  involved  in  how  to  hold  a  Passover  celebration  in  Saudi  Arabia  without 
alienating  the  Saudi  government. 

As  early  as  September  1990,  two  months  before  he  personally  deployed.  Chaplain  David  Zalis 
(the  senior  Jewish  chaplain  in  ARCENT)  realized  that  one  likely  location  for  Jewish  religious  services 
might  be  on  the  recreational  ship,  the  Cunard  Princess,  which  had  been  leased  at  a  cost  of  $30  million 
by  the  United  States  as  a  rest  and  recreation  site  for  soldiers  in  the  Southwest  Asian  operations.'^" 
Chaplain  Zalis  kept  that  idea  in  mind  even  as  he  worked  to  establish  a  system  of  supply  for  Kosher 
food.  The  Meals  Ready  To  Eat  (MREs)  were  not  strictly  Kosher,  and  since  Chaplain  Zalis  observed 
Kosher  himself  and  wanted  to  support  the  Jewish  personnel  who  did  likewise,  it  was  necessary  to  find 
a  supply  of  Kosher  food.  In  the  month  before  his  deployment  Chaplain  Zalis,  who  normally  resided 
in  Israel,  had  reported  to  US  Forces  Command  at  Fort  McPherson,  Georgia.  Chaplain  Zalis 
contacted  Rabbi  Perr  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  for  help  in  locating  and  shipping  Kosher  food  to  the 
Middle  East.  Rabbi  Perr,  in  turn,  asked  for  assistance  fi"om  Rabbi  Billett  of  Long  Island,  New  York. 
Rabbi  Billett's  synagogue  raised  $20,000  to  support  Kosher  food  acquisition  for  Desert  Shield 
soldiers.  Chaplain  Zalis  then  contacted  a  company  in  Zurich,  Switzerland,  which  produced  Kosher 
vacuum  packed  meals.  These  meals  were  purchased  with  the  help  of  Herr  Guttman  and  shipped  by 
rail  to  Frankfurt,  West  Germany.  At  Frankfurt,  Chaplain  Zalis  arranged  for  a  Jewish  lay  leader. 
Lieutenant  Colonel  David  Wallen,  and  his  wife  to  pick  up  the  meals  at  the  train  station  and  take  them 
to  Rhein-Main  Airfield  for  further  transport  to  Saudi  Arabia. 

When  Chaplain  Zalis  deployed  to  Riyadh  on  13  December  1990,  he  appealed  for  help  in  his 
attempt  to  accommodate  the  Jewish  personnel  dietary  laws  to  Chaplain  David  Peterson,  the 
CENTCOM  Chaplain.  Chaplain  Peterson  located  Chief  Warrant  Officer  Wes  Wolf,  a  logistics  officer 
on  General  Pagonis'  staff  in  Dhahran.  Chaplain  Zalis  worked  with  Mr.  Wolf  in  order  to  get  Kosher 
food  items  shipped  by  air  from  the  United  States  to  Saudi  Arabia.  Among  those  items  were  the 
Passover  supplies  which  Chaplain  Zalis  estimated  would  be  needed  by  the  end  of  March.  In  addition, 
there  were  normal  Jewish  meals  which  were  shipped  by  air  and  available  by  the  first  of  February,  six 
weeks  after  Chaplain  Zalis  arrived  in  country,  for  distribution  to  soldiers  throughout  the  theater. 
Chaplain  Zalis  and  his  Roman  Catholic  assistant.  Sergeant  Martin  Cuellar,  carefijlly  sought  out  each 
Jewish  soldier  in  Saudi  Arabia  and  arranged  for  meals  to  be  mailed  to  them  by  the  Army  Post  Office 
within  Saudi  Arabia.  For  those  who  were  too  remote  to  depend  on  the  mail  in  a  timely  fashion,  meals 
were  handcarried  to  Kosher-observant  personnel. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  ground  war.  Chaplain  Zalis  realized  he  had  one  month  and  one  day 
before  Passover  would  be  celebrated.  Again,  he  asked  Chaplain  Peterson  for  assistance.  Chaplain 
Peterson  staffed  the  issue  with  General  Schwarzkopfs  logistical  experts  and  secured  General 
Schwarzkopf  s  personal  approval  for  the  Passover  observance  to  be  supported.  The  issue  was  not 
resolved  without  some  dissent.  General  Gary  Luck  thought  celebrating  Passover  in  such  a  public 
manner  might  have  serious  political  consequences  even  it  it  were  done  ona  ship.  Chaplain  Dennis 
Camp  in  the  1st  Cavalry  Division  heard  some  grumbling  over  taking  Jewish  soldiers  to  a  recreational 
site  when  all  of  the  other  soldiers  had  to  celebrate  their  holidays  with  their  units  in  the  sand.'^' 
Chaplain  Zalis  was  able  to  reserve  the  cruise  ship  for  one  iteration  ot  three  days  during  the  month  of 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    Chaplain   David  Zalls   with    General    H.    Norman   Schwarzkopf; 
(Bottom)    Presentation   of   the    Torah    at    Passover   on  board   the 
Cunard  Princess,    March    1991 


(Top)    Four   Jewish   Chaplains   at  Passover:    Ken   Leinwand,    Mitchell 

Ackerson,    David  Zalis,    and  Ben  Romer ;     (Bottom)    The   Cunard 

Princess,    recreation    site   known   affectionately  as    "The   Love   Boat" 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 168 

March  and  was  able  to  use  the  normal  Rest  and  Recreation  transport  system  to  carry  Jewish  personnel 
from  the  most  remote  units  to  Bahrain  where  the  Cunard  Princess  was  docked 

In  the  meanwhile,  Mr.  Wolf  in  Dhahran  had  requested  Passover  supplies  packed  in  dry  ice  be 
transported  from  Philadelphia  to  the  Riyadh  Commissary  in  Saudi  Arabia.  These  items,  of  course, 
had  to  be  refrigerated.  Chaplain  Zalis  faced  an  additional  dilemma  of  how  to  get  refrigerated  items 
from  the  Riyadh  Commissary  to  Bahrain  without  having  them  spoil  in  transit.  Having  no  other 
alternative,  he  went  to  the  Air  Force  mortuary  team  and  complemented  them  for  having  so  few 
casualties.  He  then  inquired  if  he  could  store  some  Kosher  food  in  the  Air  Force  morgue.  The  Air 
Force  commander  at  Eskan  Village,  on  the  outskirts  of  Riyadh,  felt  that  the  Air  Force  could  provide 
better  facilities  than  a  morgue.  Consequently,  the  Air  Force  staff  found  two  food  lockers,  one  of 
which  was  suitable  to  use  for  a  freezer,  and  the  other  as  a  refrigerator  for  Kosher  TV  dinners  which 
would  be  shipped  to  Bahrain  by  truck. 

Chaplain  Zalis  worked  many  nights  to  call  suppliers  all  over  the  world  in  order  to  get  the 
amount  of  food  he  thought  he  would  need.  There  were  at  least  300  personnel  of  the  Jewish  faith  in 
Saudi  Arabia  as  well  as  many  others  who  would  attend  a  Seder  service  if  given  the  opportunity. 
Some  CARE  packages  arrived  from  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board,  courtesy  of  Chaplain  David  Lapp,  for 
distribution  to  the  Jewish  personnel.  The  greater  challenge,  however,  was  how  to  move  the  Kosher 
food,  some  of  which  had  been  refrigerated,  through  Saudi  customs  at  the  Bahrain  border  in  order  to 
have  the  Passover  celebration.  Chaplain  Zalis  and  his  assistant.  Sergeant  Cuellar,  decided  simply  to 
drive  it  across  the  border  and  indicate  that  it  was  for  military  use.  Consequently,  they  drove  through 
Saudi  Arabian  road  blocks  without  ever  unpacking  their  supplies.  One  shipment  of  Kosher  food 
arrived  from  Switzerland  by  commercial  air  at  King  Khalid  Airport  outside  Riyadh.  The  Swiss  Air 
personnel  were  careful  not  to  alert  the  Saudi  Arabian  custom  officials  that  Kosher  food  was  awaiting 
a  rabbi  for  further  shipment.  They  simply  called  Chaplain  Zalis  and  told  him  his  shipment  had  arrived. 
When  Chaplain  Zalis  and  Sergeant  1  st  Class  Ed  Parton  arrived  at  the  air  cargo  facility  at  King  Khalid 
Airport,  they  found  20  Kosher  meals  awaiting  them  in  boxes  clearly  marked  in  Hebrew  writing. 
Chaplain  Zalis  paid  the  import  duty  in  Saudi  currency  and  then  took  the  boxes  through  customs. 
When  the  customs  official  stopped  him  and  asked  him  what  was  in  the  boxes,  he  told  them  very 
simply,  "food  for  the  general."  At  that  moment.  Chaplain  Zalis  thought  about  General  Schwarzkopf  s 
approval,  and  thus  any  food  supporting  Passover  must  be  "food  for  the  General." 

A  similar  challenge  arose  when  the  question  was  raised  about  a  Torah  needed  for  the  Passover 
ceremony.  Chaplain  Zalis  called  Chaplain  Eli  Seidman  in  Frankfijrt,  Germany,  and  asked  him  if  he 
could  send  a  Torah  to  Saudi  Arabia.  Chaplain  Seidman  took  a  century  old  Torah  from  the  Frankfiirt 
Central  Chapel.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Wallen,  the  lay  leader  who  had  been  shipping  food  at  all  hours 
of  the  day  and  night  to  support  the  Jewish  personnel  in  Saudi  Arabia,  placed  the  Torah  on  a  plane 
loaded  with  Stars  and  Stripes  newspapers.  The  plane,  however,  did  not  fly  to  Riyadh,  but  rather  to 
Dhahran.  When  Chaplain  Zalis  realized  that  the  plane  had  landed  more  than  250  miles  from  where 
he  expected  it,  he  called  Sergeant  Juan  Lezcano,  the  senior  NCO  for  Chaplain  Inghilterra  in  Dhahran. 
Sergeant  Lezcano  managed  to  find  the  Torah  among  tons  of  cargo  and  deliver  it  safely  to  Chaplain 
Zalis  upon  Chaplain  Zalis'  arrival  in  Dhahran.  The  Torah,  the  food,  the  candles  and  all  of  the  other 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


169 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

supplies  necessary  were  delivered  personally  by  Chaplain  Zalis  and  Sergeant  Cuellar  to  the  cruise  ship 
in  plenty  of  time  to  plan  the  Passover  service. 

On  29  March  1991,  the  largest  Passover  celebration  in  the  history  of  Saudi  Arabia  was  held 
on  the  cruise  ship  in  the  Persian  Gulf  off  the  shores  of  Bahrain.  Some  300  Jewish  personnel  and  100 
Christian  and  other  personnel  from  units  positioned  throughout  Southwest  Asia  attended  the  service. 
Chaplain  Peterson  delivered  the  opening  words,  followed  by  a  service  led  by  the  rabbis  including 
Chaplain  Zalis  and  Chaplain  Ken  Leinwand  from  the  1st  Armored  Division.  When  the  Torah  had 
been  delivered  to  the  Cunard  Princess,  Chaplain  Zalis  had  asked  that  the  ancient  Hebrew  Psalm  be 
sung,  "Arise  O  Lord  and  Disperse  Thine  Enemies." 

"The  Seder  service  was  very  successful  and  added  immeasurably  to  the  religious  support  of 
all  of  the  personnel  who  attended,"  Chaplain  Hatler  reported. '^^  After  the  celebration  of  Passover, 
Chaplain  Zalis  sent  the  Torah  back  to  Germany  in  the  personal  care  of  Sergeant  Martin  Cuellar. 
Sergeant  Cuellar  carried  it  back  safely  to  the  Frankfurt  Community  Chaplain  who  had  so  generously 
lent  his  support  to  the  soldiers  of  Operation  Desert  Storm. 


"The  Quiet  Power  of  God" 

Two  days  after  the  Passover  celebration,  the  Christian  soldiers  throughout  Saudi  Arabia,  Iraq 
and  Kuwait  celebrated  Easter  Sunday.  There  were  hundreds  of  services  for  tens  of  thousands  of 
soldiers  from  Bahrain  to  Riyadh  to  Safwan.  In  Riyadh  alone  there  were  seven  worship  services  on 
Easter  Sunday  at  ARCENT  Headquarters.  Chaplain  assistants,  notably  Staff  Sergeant  Charles  Kerns, 
Saff"  Sergeant  Moses  Tolliver  and  Specialist  Nicole  Forbes,  worked  for  two  days  in  Eskan  Village  to 
get  all  of  the  necessary  equipment  prepared  for  the  Easter  Sunrise  Service.  As  the  sun  arose  on 
Easter  Sunday,  a  choir  formed  at  ARCENT  PERSCOM,  called  the  "Catacombs  Choir,"  and  sang  the 
Easter  hymn  "Christ  the  Lord  is  Risen"  in  an  open  courtyard  near  ARCENT  Headquarters.  Chaplain 
Brock  Watson,  the  MEDCOM  chaplain,  delivered  the  sermon  at  the  Sunrise  Service.  Later  in  the 
day,  a  host  of  chaplains,  including  Chaplain  Gay  Hatler,  Chaplain  John  Schmeling,  Chaplain  John 
Brinsfield,  Chaplain  Roger  Armstead  and  Chaplain  John  Hart  (a  Roman  Catholic  priest)  continued 
the  celebration  with  six  more  services  including  a  gospel  service  which  lasted  for  three  hours.  In  a 
desert  detachment  from  ARCENT  PERSCOM  near  King  Khalid  Military  City,  Chaplain  Arthur  B. 
Salinero  led  troops  in  worship  only  a  few  miles  from  the  Iraq  border 

The  PERSCOM  StaflF Chaplain,  who  was  present  at  the  Easter  Sunrise  Service  in  Riyadh  on 
March  31,  1 99 1 ,  wrote  the  following  description  for  his  church  newspaper: 

When  the  sun  rises  in  the  desert,  the  entire  horizon  lights  up  as  far  as  one  can  see.  It 
is  as  if  God  lifts  a  curtain  so  that  we  might  see  the  light. 


For  months  we  had  heard  the  night  noises  of  war:    trucks  grinding  gears,  sirens 
warning  of  incoming  missiles,  jet  aircraft  roaring  off  to  the  north,  in  the  words  of 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 170 

Ezekiel  the  Prophet,  "like  the  roar  of  the  sea,  like  the  noise  of  a  huge  army,  like  the 
voice  of  almighty  God."  (Ezekiel  1:24) 

On  Easter  morning,  the  sun  rose  silently,  in  all  its  grandeur,  reminding  us  of  the  quiet 
power  of  God.  The  machines  of  war,  like  the  oceans  of  sand  and  the  desert  winds, 
were  hushed  on  Resurrection  Day. 

We  had  been  working  since  4:00  a.m.  to  set  up  a  platform  for  a  sunrise  service  at  our 
compound  in  Riyadh.  The  Army  and  Air  Force  chaplains,  Methodist,  Lutheran, 
Disciples  of  Christ,  Congregationalist,  and  Roman  Catholic,  assembled  at  6:00  a.m. 
for  worship  as  one  Body  of  Christ. 

Since  there  were  4,000  service  members  in  our  area,  we  held  muhiple  services  and 
shared  our  one  microphone,  one  organ  and  one  choir.  I  finished  four  Easter  services 
14  hours  later.  I  missed  my  family  a  lot,  but  I  was  content  that  we  had  done  our  best 
to  celebrate  the  Lord's  Day. 

Chaplain  Gay  Hatler,  the  Third  Army  Chaplain,  said  later  that  it  was  the  largest 
celebration  of  Christianity  in  the  Middle  East  in  700  years.  Perhaps  the  crusaders  had 
felt  the  same  way  in  their  day  as  they  drew  near  the  Holy  Sepulchre  in  Jerusalem. 

Yet  it  was  neither  the  large  number  of  worshipers  nor  the  unusual  historic 
circumstance  that  brought  Easter  Services  to  the  capital  of  Saudi  Arabia  which 
charged  our  minds  and  emotions  that  morning.  Rather,  we  sensed  a  unity  in  Christ 
that  transcended  all  barriers,  all  distinctions,  and  all  political  boundaries — a  sense  of 
God's  love  which  captured  us  all.  God  did  not  see  the  kingdom  of  Saudi  Arabia  with 
a  few  foreigners  in  it.  He  saw  His  people  in  a  part  of  His  creation  worshiping  Him. 
There  was  no  division  of  male  or  female,  black  or  white,  Protestant  or  Catholic,  Air 
Force  or  Army,  young  or  old,  European  or  Semite,  Arab  or  Jew. 

The  Son  rose  silently  in  all  of  God's  power  and  the  whole  earth  saw  the  light.  The 
engines  of  war  ceased  and  we  stood  hushed  before  Him.'^^ 

Perhaps  the  most  elevated  Easter  services  were  held  in  Kuwait  City.  "During  the  Easter 
season  in  occupied  Kuwait  City,"  recalled  Chaplain  Allen  Boatright  of  the  1st  Battalion,  3rd  Special 
Forces  Group,  "the  unit  ministry  team  arranged  to  conduct  an  Easter  Sunrise  Service  on  the  roof  of 
the  Kuwait  International  Hotel.  Several  of  the  beaches  on  the  bay  of  Kuwait  had  been  considered, 
but  we  were  prohibited  fi"om  using  them  by  the  presence  of  mines  left  by  Iraqi  soldiers.  The  manager 
of  the  hotel  suggested  instead  that  we  use  his  restaurant  that  overlooked  the  water.  That  met  our 
needs  nicely  and  was  ideal.  As  the  service  concluded,  several  Marines  who  had  not  gotten  the  word 
of  the  exact  location  for  the  service  came  and  asked  if  there  was  going  to  be  one.  Chaplain  Mack  and 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    Chaplain   John   Schmeling,    416th   Engineer   Command  and  ENCOM 

Staff  Chaplain;     (Below)    Chaplain   Brock   Watson   listens    to    the 

Catacombs   Gospel    Choir,    Easter   Sunrise   Service,    March    1991 


(Top)    Allied   Chaplain   and  burning   oil    wells    in   Kuwait;     (Bottom) 

Chaplain  Dennis  R.    Whi taker  leads   worship   service   for   11th 

Aviation   Brigade   soldiers   at   As   Salman   Airfield,    Iraq 


173 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

I  moved  to  the  rooftop  and  conducted  a  second  service  just  for  them  and  a  few  civilians  that  were 
part  of  a  CBS  crew  in  the  hotel." 

Chaplain  Andrew  Mulvaney,  a  Catholic  chaplain  in  the  VII  Corps,  related  his  Easter 
experience: 

A  few  days  after  the  cease-fire,  we  moved  into  Iraq  to  blow  up  ammunition  and  to 
assist  with  reftigees  and  prisoners  leaving  Kuwait.  We  were  there  until  the  2d  of 
March.  There  was  a  lot  of  counselling  and  morale  boosting.  We  were  spread  out 
quite  far  and  on  weekends  I  took  a  helicopter  to  get  to  areas  for  nine  masses  each 
weekend.  Holy  Week  came  and  went.  Easter  was  great,  one  of  the  medics  made 
flowers  out  of  Kleenex.  A  tape  of  Easter  music  arrived  just  in  time  from  the  parish 
choir  in  AschaflFenburg.  Also,  candy  and  other  things  kept  coming  from  Franklin 
Academy  in  Malone,  New  York.  The  high  school  in  Malone  sent  me  almost  75  boxes 
of  helpful  things  which  always  arrived  when  we  had  nothing  and  when  we  were 
parked  in  the  middle  of  nowhere.'^'' 

The  Tiger  Brigade  chaplains  conducted  their  Easter  services  while  the  unit  was  moving  out 
of  Kuwait  for  Dhahran.  At  0630  hours  on  Easter  morning,  before  the  convoy  started,  services  were 
held  in  the  battalions.  As  the  worship  began.  Chaplain  Kimmell  recalled  that  five  Egyptian  soldiers 
walked  into  the  area  and  asked  if  they  could  join  the  group.  They  were  Coptic  Christians  who  were 
looking  for  a  service  on  Easter  morning.  They  joined  the  American  soldiers  for  a  true  Coalition 
service. 

Chaplain  Richard  Chaverria  of  the  20th  Field  Artillery  Battalion  left  his  unit  immediately  after 
his  Easter  Sunrise  Service  in  order  to  be  medically  evacuated  to  the  12th  EVAC  Hospital  in  Saudi 
Arabia  for  further  transport  to  Frankfurt,  Germany.  Chaplain  Chaverria  had  to  have  ear  surgery 
performed  in  order  to  correct  his  hearing  loss.  Even  though  such  problems  are  not  unusual  in  an 
artillery  unit.  Chaplain  Chaverria  wrote,  "I  did  not  want  to  miss  ministry  with  my  unit!""^  Sergeant 
Victor  Silvestri  wrote,  "At  about  this  time,  we  were  winding  down  from  a  very  successful  outdoor 
Easter  Sunrise  Service  in  which  the  commanding  general  of  the  Third  Armored  Division  was  the 
guest  speaker.  The  Third  Armored  Division  band  was  there  and  I  had  the  opportunity  to  do  the  Old 
Testament  reading  for  the  service.  Nevertheless,  we  were  all  bored  after  that  with  all  the  waiting  to 
return  to  Germany."'^''  Specialist  Gary  Krom,  a  chaplain  assistant,  wrote  a  letter  which  found  its  way 
to  Chaplain  Zimmerman's  desk  at  the  Pentagon.  Krom  described  a  very  meaningful  worship  service 
at  which  80  people  gathered  under  an  old  rugged  cross  beneath  the  Saudi  skies.  Six  soldiers  were 
baptized.  "It  was  a  time,"  Krom  said,  "that  brought  us  close  to  the  heart  of  God."'" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 174 

Minor  Pilgrims 

As  early  as  11  December  1990,  General  Schwarzkopf  had  requested  permission  from 
Lieutenant  General  Khalid  bin  Sultan  Bin  Abdul  Aziz  for  U.S.  service  members  to  make  a  pilgrimage 
to  Mecca.  The  Umrah,  or  minor  pilgrimage,  was  a  shortened  form  of  the  great  pilgrimage  or  Hajj 
normally  observed  by  Muslims  as  one  of  the  pillars  of  Islam.  General  Schwarzkopf  wrote  to  General 
Khalid,  "There  are  approximately  300  US  service  members  of  the  Islamic  faith  deployed  in 
Operation  Desert  Shield.  I  have  instructed  Colonel  David  P.  Peterson  to  inform  our  service  members 
of  this  opportunity.  With  your  permission,  he  will  coordinate  this  program  with  your  staff.  Thank 
you  for  this  consideration.  Please  accept  my  continued  respect  and  highest  esteem.  "''* 

Since  Ramadan,  the  Islamic  observance  of  fasting,  commemorating  the  giving  of  the  Koran 
to  Mohammed,  was  taking  place  at  the  same  time  the  Passover  and  Easter  celebrations  occurred,  U.S. 
service  members  of  the  Islamic  faith  were  allowed  to  travel  with  Saudi  Arabian  guides  to  Mecca  in 
order  to  make  their  pilgrimage  and  observe  Ramadan.  Chaplain  Peterson's  policy,  approved  by 
General  Schwarzkopf,  required  each  participating  service  member  be  identified  by  their  ID  tags  as 
Muslims.  They  also  had  to  have  acceptance  documents,  together  with  a  96-hour  pass,  submitted  and 
approved  by  their  unit  commanders  in  advance.  Travel,  food  and  clothing  were  provided  by  the 
Kingdom  of  Saudi  Arabia  so  that  these  service  members  could  practice  their  faith. 

In  a  summary  sheet  of  his  policy  circulated  to  the  CINCOM  in  October  of  1990,  Chaplain 
Peterson  pointed  out  that  it  was  the  obligation  of  every  person  of  the  Muslim  faith  to  make  a  Hajj 
pilgrimage  to  Mecca  during  his  lifetime,  if  possible.  "Ahhough  the  Umrah,  a  lesser  pilgrimage,  does 
not  fill  the  obligation  of  the  Hajy,  it  is  a  valued  religious  practice  for  the  Muslim  who  does  not  have 
the  opportunity  to  make  a  Hajj.  The  Hajj  is  only  conducted  during  the  twelfth  month  of  the  Muslim 
year.  Only  those  who  have  obtained  a  special  pilgrimage  visa  are  permitted  to  visit  Mecca  for  the 
purpose  of  making  a  Hajj.  For  most  U.S.  service  members  of  the  Muslim  faith  deployed  on  Operation 
Desert  Shield,  this  will  be  the  only  time  they  have  the  opportunity  to  participate  in  an  Umrah.  "'^' 

The  service  members  who  visited  Mecca,  limited  to  not  more  than  60  in  each  group,  were 
accompanied  by  an  American  translator.  Saudi  Arabian  military  forces  provided  the  escort. 
Participants,  both  male  and  female,  were  required  to  purchase  special  clothing  at  a  cost  of 
approximately  $30.00.  The  total  cost  for  transportation  was  approximately  $100.00,  but  the  Saudi 
Arabian  government  provided  commercial  air  transportation  at  no  cost  to  the  participants.  Since  this 
was  a  CENTCOM  program,  not  only  Army  personnel  but  also  Air  Force,  Navy  and  Marine  Corps 
personnel  were  included  in  this  opportunity.  The  Umrah  trips  were  a  real  lift  for  American  Muslim 
servicemembers.  In  the  1st  Cavalry  Division,  28  of  the  32  Muslim  soldiers  serving  in  the  division 
went  to  Mecca  for  spiritual  refreshment. ''"' 

Throughout  this  major  holiday  season  (for  all  three  of  these  monotheistic  faiths  originating 
in  the  Middle  East)  there  were  great  manifestations  of  support  for  Desert  Storm  participants  from  the 
United  States  and  other  allied  countries.  The  American  Bible  Society  donated  a  total  of  300,000 
copies  of  Desert  Storm  Bibles  complete  with  camouflage  covers.  Guide  Posts  Magazine  sent  1 5,000 
copies  of  its  devotional  literature  to  Saudi  Arabia.  Chaplain,  John  Scott  at  the  Chiefs  Office  notes 
cryptically  that  "we  almost  paved  the  desert  with  Bibles."'*'  A  West  Coast  organization  called 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


175 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

"Operation  Desert  Hope"  sent  several  thousand  copies  of  devotional  booklets  and  many  cassette  tapes 
of  expository  sermons.  The  Billy  Graham  Evangelistic  Association  sent  multiple  copies  of  the 
monthly  Decision  Magazine.  The  Catholic  Archdiocese  for  the  Military  Services  forwarded  rosaries 
donated  for  service  members.  The  ARCENT  Chaplain's  office  provided  an  opportunity  for  Orthodox 
Christian  soldiers  to  celebrate  their  special  Easter  date  of  7  April  1991.  In  his  March  newsletter, 
Chaplain  Gay  Hatler,  the  ARCENT  Chaplain  wrote,  "I  am  convinced  that  the  lighter  than  predicted 
Coalition  casualties  were  a  direct  result  of  the  millions  of  prayers  sent  heavenward  on  our  behalf 
Thanks  for  your  contribution  of  thoughts  and  prayers  for  all  of  us."'^" 


Collecting  Lessons  Learned 

In  March  Chaplain  John  A.  Rasmussen  and  Chaplain  Greg  W.  Hill  arrived  in  Saudi  Arabia  to 
conduct  interviews  with  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants,  and  other  officers  and  enlisted  personnel  in 
order  to  record  some  of  the  lessons  learned  from  the  operations  in  Southwest  Asia.  Chaplain  (Brig. 
Gen.)  Donald  W.  Shea,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  had  directed  Chaplain  Gilbert  H.  Pingel  at  the 
Chiefs  Office  to  serve  as  the  initial  point  of  contact  for  such  reports  from  UMTs.  Chaplain  Hill, 
however,  represented  the  Center  for  Army  Lessons  Learned  and  was  tasked  to  conduct  interviews 
with  a  wide  variety  of  soldiers  in  different  units  and  in  various  staflF  positions. 

Chaplain  Rasmussen  and  Chaplain  Hill  were  assigned  to  the  ARCENT  G3  staff.  They 
coordinated  their  mission  with  Chaplain  David  Peterson  at  CENTCOM  as  well  as  with  Chaplain 
Gaylord  Hader  at  ARCENT.  Chaplain  Rasmussen  looked  at  U.S.  Army  Reserve  unit  ministry  team 
issues  while  Chaplain  Hill  initially  interviewed  active  duty  chaplains.  Judge  Advocate  General  officers, 
and  personnel  from  Civil  Affairs,  Pulic  Affairs,  and  the  Adjutant  General's  Office. 

Together  Chaplain  Rasmussen  and  Chaplain  Hill  visited  Dhahran,  Riyadh,  King  Khalid 
Military  City,  Kuwait,  and  other  sites  including  enemy  prisoner  of  war  and  reftigee  camps.  The  report 
of  the  Unit  Ministry  Team  Collection  Team,  as  Chaplain  Rasmussen  and  Chaplain  Hill  were  officially 
designated,  was  based  on  interviews  with  personnel  from  35  major  units  ranging  from  CENTCOM 
Headquarters  to  the  800th  Military  Police  Brigade,  Significant  observations  dealt  with  Chaplain  Corps 
doctrine,  training,  organization,  material  and  leadership.  Chaplain  Rasmussen  noted  in  his 
conclusions: 

1 .  Forward  Thrust  doctrine  was  validated. 

2.  The  Unit  Ministry  Team,  as  the  primary  delivery  vehicle  for  religious  suppQrt  was 
validated. 

3.  UMT  field  training  at  the  US  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  was  recommended  by 
many  chaplains  and  senior  chaplain  assistants. 

4.  Logistics  was  a  problem.  Ecclesiatical  supplies  and  equipment  should  be  pre-positioned. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 176 

5.  The  largest  activation  and  deployment  of  Reserve  Component  UMTs  since  the  Korean 
War  was  successflil.  Reserve  UMTs  integrated  well  with  the  active  Army  to  provide 
religious  support.  It  also  was  noted  that  the  largest  number  of  unit  casualties  in  the  war 
were  suffered  by  the  475th  Support  Group,  USAR.  Chaplain  Rasmussen's  and  Chaplain 
Hill's  collection  of  observations  proved  most  valuable  both  the  Chaplain  Corps  and  to  the 
Army,  for  they  documented  the  success  of  many  modernization  efforts  which  had  been 
in  progress  for  almost  two  decades.''*' 


Operation  Provide  Comfort 

Within  the  first  30  days  of  the  cessation  of  hostilities,  it  became  very  apparent  to  the 
government  of  Saudi  Arabia,  the  United  States,  and  to  the  other  Coalition  members,  that  a  massive 
relief  operation  would  be  needed  to  care  for  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  prisoners  and  refugees  the 
Gulf  War  produced.  More  than  60,000  Iraqi  POWs  were  confined  in  camps  in  northern  Saudi  Arabia, 
another  24,000  in  southern  Iraq  and  Kuwait.  Some  200,000  Third  World  workers  from  Iraq  sought 
refuge  in  Jordan.  Almost  20,000  Iraqi  Shi'ites  fled  south  fi-om  Karbala  and  An  Najaf  where  their  short 
revolt  against  Saddam  had  fizzled  out.  Almost  2,000,000  Kurds  moved  east  and  west  to  the  Iranian 
and  Turkish  borders  to  escape  Saddam's  helicopter  gunships,  which  sometimes  strafed  them  as  they 
struggled  to  escape. 

Chaplain  Gary  Johnson,  the  senior  Civil  AflFairs  chaplain  at  ARCENT  Headquarters  in  Riyadh, 
thought  that  the  U.S.  military  had  simply  not  planned  for  such  a  huge  postwar  exodus  of  people. 
"This  was  an  ethical  issue,"  Johnson  stated,  "Our  failure  was  not  malicious  but  the  result  of  the 
evolution  of  events.  We  were  reactive,  not  proactive.  The  key  issue  was  the  question  of  who  was 
responsible  for  the  postwar  government  of  southern  Iraq.  We  had  no  plans  even  for  the  medical 
triage  of  prisoners  of  war  and  displaced  civilians.  "'*■* 

By  March,  it  was  clear  that  the  United  States  would  have  to  furnish  aid  while  the  United 
Nations  sorted  itself  out  on  the  problem  of  refugees  crossing  four  international  borders.  On  5  April 
1991,  President  Bush  announced  the  first  air  drops  of  aid  to  Kurdish  refugees  in  Turkey  and  northern 
Iraq.  The  next  day  Iraq  formally  accepted  the  United  Nations  cease-fire  terms  and  Task  Force 
Provide  Comfort  deployed.  Within  a  month,  1 1,936  U.S.  personnel  had  erected  23,000  tents,  and 
provided  17,000  tons  of  supplies  to  refiigees  in  3,901  peaceful  air  sorties.''*' 

The  experience  of  the  82d  Airborne  Division  in  Iraq  with  thousands  of  refiigees  was  an 
interesting  example  of  some  of  the  problems  soldiers  encountered  in  this  humanitarian  operation. 
Refugees  fleeing  Iraq  near  the  military  demarcation  line  in  the  Euphrates  River  Valley  began  a  steady 
migration  toward  the  sanctuary  of  the  82d  Airborne  Division  in  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  area  of 
operations.  They  had  heard  that,  in  addition  to  food,  water  and  medical  treatment,  the  Americans 
would  provide  protection  from  Iraqi  reprisals.  The  refiigees  settled  at  an  abandoned  Polish 
construction  camp  about  35  miles  southeast  of  An-Nasiriyah.  Soldiers  named  the  settlement  "Camp 
Mercy."  Depending  on  the  intensity  of  the  fighting  north  of  the  military  demarcation  line.  Camp 
Mercy's  population  ranged  from  as  few  as  200  to  as  many  as  6,000. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


177 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

In  wide-eyed  horror,  the  refUgees  recounted  Saddam's  atrocities  against  his  own  people  in 
Iraq  Stories  emerged  of  mass  executions,  of  family  members  dragged  through  the  streets  lashed 
behind  tanks,  and  of  patients  and  doctors  murdered  in  hospitals.  From  February  28th  until  March 
24th,  when  the  82d  Airborne  Division  departed  Iraq,  doctors  and  medics  treated  more  than  1,100 
refugees  for  maladies  ranging  from  minor  illnesses  to  gunshot  wounds.  Airborne  soldiers  distributed 
more  than  35,000  meals.  Army  trucks  and  helicopters  returned  several  hundred  dislocated  Kuwaitis 
to  their  border  near  Safwan  and  transported  non-Kuwaiti  and  non-Iraqi  refugees  to  a  camp 
established  by  the  Saudis  in  Iraq,  just  across  from  the  Saudi  border  town  of  Rafha  Although  they 
encouraged  the  refugees  to  return  to  their  homes  in  Iraq,  the  paratroopers'  kindness  and  aid  continued 
to  attract  many  thousands  to  the  American  sanctuary. 

ARCENT's  Mobile  Command  Post  was  located  in  Kuwait  City  under  the  command  of 
Brigadier  General  Robert  Frix,  who  dispatched  his  G-5  to  assess  the  situation  in  Safwan.  Clearly  the 
refugees'  most  pressing  need  was  for  food  and  water,  and  General  Frix  directed  his  staff  to  purchase 
large  quantities  of  basic  food  stuffs  and  bottled  water  and  push  it  forward  to  these  unfortunate  people. 

By  the  end  of  March,  the  Saudis  had  established  a  large,  semi-permanent  refugee  holding 
facility,  known  as  Rafha  I,  just  inside  the  Iraqi  border.  Before  the  end  of  March,  Rafha  I  contained 
more  than  17,000  refugees.  All  were  non-Saudis  denied  entry  into  Saudi  Arabia.  However,  before 
Coalition  forces  could  withdraw,  thousands  of  dislocated  civilians  in  Safwan,  as-Salman,  and  Rafha 
I  had  to  be  moved  out  of  Iraq  to  protect  them  from  Iraqi  retribution.  At  General  Yeosock's  personal 
intervention,  the  Saudi  government  agreed  to  build  and  operate  a  permanent  refiagee  camp  just  inside 
Saudi  Arabia.  It  was  not  indifference  to  the  plight  of  their  fellow  man  that  motivated  the  Saudis,  but 
rather  their  desire  to  avoid  the  creation  of  a  "Gaza  Strip"  inside  their  border.  To  get  the  refugees  out 
of  fraq  sooner.  Brigadier  General  Gene  Blackwell's  2d  Armored  Division  (Forward)  built  a  temporary 
camp,  Rafha  II,  just  inside  Saudi  Arabia  adjacent  to  the  proposed  site  of  the  permanent  Saudi  refugee 
camp.  Rafha  II  was  a  large  facility,  about  one  by  one  and  one-half  kilometers,  surrounded  by  a 
concertina  barbed  wire  fence  and  capable  of  accommodating  30,000  refugees.  On  each  side  of  a 
bisecting  road,  refugees  were  grouped  by  families  and  organized  into  subcamps  known  as  "counties." 
Each  county  had  its  own  water,  showers  and  latrines. 

Soldiers  from  the  1st  Brigade,  3d  Armored  Division,  moved  dislocated  civilians  from  Safwan 
to  Rafha  II  in  late  April  and  into  early  May.'*^  Many  Safwan  refiigees  who  chose  to  go  to  Saudi 
Arabia  were  making  a  lifelong  decision  never  to  return  to  Iraq.  When  Safwan  closed  on  May  7th, 
soldiers  had  registered  more  than  24,000  people  and  distributed  more  than  979,000  meals,  173,000 
cases  of  bottled  water,  and  1,136,000  gallons  of  water.  In  addition,  3d  Armored  Division  doctors 
and  medics  had  treated  more  than  23,400  patients.  Chief  Warrant  Officer  Ben  Beaoui,  an  Arabic- 
speaking  physician's  assistant  with  the  122d  Main  Support  Battalion  of  the  3d  Armored  Division,  told 
of  his  astonishment  when  an  Iraqi  woman  knelt  down  and  kissed  his  foot  after  he  treated  her  seriously 
ill  baby.  He  recalled  later  that  as  each  patient  left  his  makeshift  facility,  "They  all  said  thank  you  and 
thank  God  for  the  Americans." 

In  Riyadh,  Chaplain  David  Peterson,  the  CENTCOM  Chaplain,  had  received  reports  from 
chaplains  working  with  the  prisoners  of  war  and  refugees  that  many  of  the  Iraqis  were  Christians. 
Chaplain  Peterson  took  the  issue  to  the  Saudi  Army  Department  of  Religious  Affairs  and  asked  if 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 178 

some  provision  could  be  made  for  the  accommodation  of  Christian  worship  in  the  prisoner  of  war  and 
refugee  camps.  The  discussion  seemed  to  go  very  slowly  until  Chaplain  Peterson  mentioned  that  the 
Geneva  Conventions  provide  for  such  accommodations.'''^  As  soon  as  he  said  the  magic  words, 
"Geneva  Convention,"  the  Saudi  leaders  were  happy  to  comply  with  Chaplain  Peterson's  request.  On 
May  8,  1991,  Colonel  Ellis  in  the  J-5  office  contacted  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office  with  the  following 
report:  "Our  military  chaplains  have  accomplished  much.  In  the  enemy  prisoner  of  war  camps  the 
chaplains  have  been  attempting  to  provide  for  Muslim  prisoners  to  practice  their  faith.  The  chaplains 
contacted  the  Saudis  for  what  was  needed,  then  got  the  engineers  to  build  a  small  mosque-like 
structure.  The  chaplains  then  discovered  that  23  percent  of  the  enemy  prisoners  of  war  were 
Christian,  so  the  chaplains  went  to  work  to  see  that  the  needs  of  the  Christian  prisoners  of  war  also 
were  met.  The  Saudis  noted  all  of  this,  set  up  their  prisoner  of  war  camps  for  the  Muslim  prisoners, 
then  had  the  Christian  chaplains  help  them  set  up  worship  opportunities  in  similar  fashion  for  the 
Christian  prisoners  of  war  in  their  own  camps.  "'"^  This  event,  according  to  the  J-5  office,  was  one 
of  the  first  times  that  the  Saudis  actively  created  opportunities  for  Christians  to  worship  publically 
in  Saudi  Arabia. 


U.  S.  Army  Kuwait 

On  the  12th  of  April,  the  ministry  of  the  Special  Operations  chaplains  under  the  leadership  of 
Captain  Larry  Mack  concluded  with  re-deployment.  Over  the  course  of  two  months,  these  chaplains 
had  provided  86  worship  ''"services,  conducted  336  counselling  sessions  and,  with  the  help  of  their 
assistants  and  other  personnel,  distributed  more  than  200  tons  of  food  to  the  hungry  people  of  Kuwait 
City.  During  the  spring  and  summer.  Chaplain  Vince  Inghilterra,  the  22d  Support  Command  Chaplain 
in  Dhahran,  continued  to  supervise  and  supply  much  of  the  ministry  effort  by  chaplains  in  Kuwait. 
In  November  of  1991,  Chaplain  Inghilterra,  by  then  the  Theater  chaplain,  assigned  Chaplain  Daniel 
J.G.G.  Block  to  be  the  staff  chaplain.  United  States  Army  Kuwait""  Accompanying  Chaplain  Block 
was  Chaplain  Joseph  Brando,  a  Catholic  priest.  Master  Sergeant  Bill  Neuiszer,  and  Specialist  Lisa 
Palmer.  Upon  the  arrival  of  Chaplain  Block  and  the  other  members  of  his  unit  ministry  team  at  Camp 
Doha,  Kuwait,  the  only  building  available  to  serve  as  a  chapel  was  an  empty  warehouse.  In  less  than 
120  days.  Sergeant  Neuiszer  and  many  volunteers  transformed  the  warehouse  into  a  first  class 
worship  facility  which  continued  through  1994  to  serve  the  soldiers  remaining  in  Kuwait. 

Chaplain  Block's  facilities  at  Camp  Doha  were  next  to  the  United  Nations  Command 
Observers'  Base  (South).  There  was  fairly  free  movement  between  their  facility  and  the  chapel. 
Because  the  observers  had  no  chapel  or  chaplains  to  support  them,  the  unit  ministry  team  for  U.S. 
Army  Kuwait  filled  that  need.  Chaplain  Block  recalled: 

"A  few  days  before  Christmas  1991,  when  the  Soviet  Union  was  on  the  brink  of 
disbanding,  the  Soviet  officers  assigned  to  the  United  Nations  Command  did  not 
know  what  would  happen  to  their  families,  to  their  jobs  or  to  their  country.  Far  away 
from  home,  they  had  no  security;  and  because  they  were  official  atheists,  the  chaplains 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


Chaplain   O.Wayne   Smith    conducts   Memorial    Service   in   Kuwait, 
Headquarters    Troop,    2nd  Armored   Cavalry  Regiment,    February ,^  1991 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 180 

had  had  little  interaction  with  them.  Then  one  day,  while  most  of  the  UMT  members 
were  outside  the  chapel,  the  Russians  'invaded  the  sanctuary.'  Several  Soviet  officers 
entered  my  office  and  declared  'we  pray  now'  and  all  of  us  did.  We  prayed  for  their 
families,  for  their  country  and  for  their  future  For  these  few  minutes  we  gathered 
around  an  altar  built  by  soldiers,  within  a  chapel  built  by  soldiers,  and  shared  our  fears 
and  our  hopes  as  soldiers — regardless  of  nationality.  The  Soviets  returned  to  their 
country,  and  did  not  enter  the  chapel  again. "'^' 

Among  other  ministries  in  Kuwait  City,  Chaplain  Joe  Brando  conducted  the  first  legal 
wedding  of  U.S.  Army  personnel  in  Kuwait.  Other  unit  ministry  team  members  organized  Christmas 
caroling  and  worship  services  for  the  United  Nations  Command  as  well  as  for  U.S.  Army  troops 
stationed  in  Kuwait. 

The  ministry  in  Kuwait  City  was  important  as  the  Kuwaitis  and  Americans  attempted  to  care 
for  600,000  residents.  Seven  hundred  oil  wells  had  to  be  capped  and  fires  put  out.  Mines  and  booby 
traps  had  to  be  cleared  from  beaches  and  then  inspections  of  1,260  hospitals,  schools  and 
telecommunications  centers  made.  Damage  to  these  facilities  had  to  be  assessed  and  repaired.  As 
the  New  York  Times  reported,  "It  is  the  American  Army  that  has  turned  the  electricity  back  on  in 
Kuwait  City,  got  the  water  running,  cleared  the  highways  of  shrapnel  and  wrecked  cars,  hooked  up 
those  telephones  that  worked,  dredged  the  main  port  and  unloaded  the  ships,  brought  the  drinking 
water  and  food,  fixed  the  police  cars,  and  fed  the  animals  in  the  zoo."'" 

General  Prix's  recovery  units  formed  what  was  known  as  "Task  Force  Freedom."  The  Task 
Force  was  a  tremendous  success.  During  its  tenure,  not  a  single  Kuwaiti  died  from  lack  of  water, 
medical  care,  or  food.  In  addition,  the  U.S.  Army  Corps  of  Engineers'  Kuwait  Emergency  Recovery 
Organization  surveyed  and  restored  major  infrastructure  systems  and  facilities  in  Kuwait.  It  worked 
on  electrical  substations,  water  mains,  two  sea  ports,  the  international  airport,  and  more  than  160 
public  schools  and  buildings,  including  police,  fire,  medical,  ministerial  headquarters,  and  defense 
facilities  In  the  first  ten  months  after  the  liberation  of  Kuwait,  the  Corps  of  Engineers  contracted  and 
managed  $300  million  dollars  in  repair  work  done  by  major  American  and  foreign  construction  firms. 

By  the  summer  of  1992,  most  of  the  repair  work  had  been  completed  in  Kuwait.  A  small 
battalion  of  US.  Army  troops  remained  to  run  the  port.  Chaplain  Block  and  Chaplain  Brando,  with 
their  assistants.  Sergeant  Neuiszer  and  Specialist  Palmer,  who  had  gotten  married,  returned  to  the 
United  States.'"  In  the  tradition  of  the  Chaplain  Corps,  however,  as  long  as  there  were  troops  in  the 
theatre,  a  chaplain  remained  with  them  In  August  of  1992,  Chaplain  David  Somerville,  an 
Episcopalian,  reported  to  Kuwait  City  as  Chaplain  Block's  replacement.  Chaplain  Somerville 
continued  a  wide  ranging  ministry  not  only  with  the  American  soldiers  at  the  port,  but  also  with 
various  embassy  personnel  as  well. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


181 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

Conclusion 

From  August  2,  1990,  to  August  1,  1992,  some  half-million  American  military  personnel  had 
joined  the  military  forces  of  37  nations  to  effect  the  liberation  of  Kuwait.  Although  casualties  were 
relatively  light  in  comparison  to  operations  of  the  same  magnitude  in  World  War  II,  the  situation 
could  have  been  drastically  different  had  the  Iraqis  attacked  early  in  1 990  during  Operation  Desert 
Shield.  Providentially,  most  things  that  could  go  right  for  the  Americans,  and  indeed  for  the  Coalition 
allies,  did.  Many  of  the  leaders  of  Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm  including  the  Commander 
in  Chief,  General  Schwarzkopf,  and  the  CENTCOM  Chaplain,  David  Peterson,  were  Vietnam 
veterans.  The  mistakes  of  policy  during  the  Vietnam  War  were  not  only  avoided  but  also  reversed 
by  the  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm  experience.  President  Bush  had  been  able  to  gain  a  strong  and 
effective  consensus  among  the  Coalition  members  for  a  limited  military  objective.  There  was  no 
"body  count"  policy  nor  were  enemy  personnel  themselves  deliberately  targeted.  The  objective  to 
destroy  the  machines  of  war  and  to  liberate  the  Kuwaiti  people  from  their  horrific  occupation  met 
with  accolades  throughout  the  world  As  Chaplain  Peterson  observed  after  Operation  Desert  Storm: 
"The  hand  of  God  was  clearly  with  us."""*  In  assessing  the  performance  of  unit  ministry  teams  in 
Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm,  the  ministries  of  chaplains  with  their  chaplain  assistants  set 
the  standard  and  provided  a  model  for  fiature  deployments  of  the  same  type  There  was  not  one 
operation  in  Southwest  Asia,  but  rather  a  series  of  operations.  The  Americans  taught  the  Saudi 
Arabians  and  their  Muslim  allies  how  to  be  tolerant  of  other  people's  customs  and  religious  traditions 
The  Americans  provided  gigantic  support  for  rebuilding  Kuwait  and  for  caring  for  refligees  and 
prisoners  of  war. 

As  Chaplain  Donald  Shea,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  reflected:  "My  greatest  joy  was 
that  the  training  and  doctrine  which  the  Chaplain  Corps  had  developed  over  the  last  1 5  years  proved 
effective  in  providing  ministry  to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  military  personnel  of  various  faiths 
throughout  all  of  the  Operations  in  Southwest  Asia,  and  that  in  the  course  of  such  difficult  ministries, 
involving  more  than  1,100  unit  ministry  team  members,  we  did  not  lose  a  single  chaplain  or  chaplain 
assistant. "'''  General  Schwarzkopf,  when  asked  how  he  assessed  the  performance  of  th  Army's 
chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  during  Operations  Desert  Shield  and  Desert  Storm,  replied  without 
hesitation,  "They  exceeded  all  of  my  expectations.  Even  without  their  crosses  and  tablets,  they 
continued  to  minister  to  soldiers.    They  showed  that  they  knew  what  their  true  mission  was.""* 


% 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


(Top)    Chaplains   at  Arkansas  National    Guard  Evac  Hospital ;     (Bottom  L-R)    Chaplains 
Greg  Hill    and  John   Rasmussen   record  lessons   learned 


183 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

ENDNOTES 

1.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Calvin  H.  Sydnor  III,  "Historical  Synopsis  of  Unit  Ministry  Team  Surveys 
Recording  VII  Corps'  UMT  Involvement  in  Desert  Shield/Storm,"  Archives  of  the  Chaplain 
Corps,  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  Ft.  Monmouth,  NJ,  p.  47.  (Hereafter  cited  as 
Chaplain  Sydnor,  "Historical  Synopsis  ") 

2. Chaplain  Sydnor,  "Historical  Synopsis,"  p.  56. 


3. Bob  Woodward,  The  Commanders,  (New  York:  Simon  and  Schuster,  1991),  pp.  362,  366;  and 
General  H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Conference  with  Staff  Chaplains,  Riyadh,  Saudi  Arabia,  19 
March  1991,  notes  in  Diary  of  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col  )  John  Brinsfield,  ARCENT  PERSCOM  Staff 
Chaplain,  19  March  1991,  Archives  of  the  Chaplain  Corps,  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center  and 
School,  Ft.  Monmouth,  N  J  ,  and  Time  Magazine  Editors,  Desert  Storm:The  War  in  the  Persian 
Gulf,  (New  York:  Little,  Brown  «&  Co.,  1991),  pp.  1 1-33. 

4. Bob  Woodward,  Op.  cit.,  p.  366. 

5.  Ibid,  p.  371. 

6  Chaplain  Sydnor,  "Historical  Synopsis,"  p.  44.  Note:  MOPP-4  refers  to  "Mission  Oriented 
Protective  Posture"  level  4,  or  a  full  chemical  protective  suit  with  mask. 

7  //>/£/.,  p.  45. 

8.  Ihid.  p.  50. 

9.1bid.,  p.  44. 

\0.Ibid.,p.45. 

\\.Ibid.,p.  57. 

\2Ibid ,p.  51-52. 

13. Chaplain  Arthur  B.  Salinero,  "Desert  Shield/Storm,"  p.  8.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps 
Archives. 

\A.Ihid 

15Chaplain  Sydnor,  "Historical  Synopsis,"  p.  54. 

16. H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  It  Doesn't  Take  A  Hero,  (New  York:  Bantam  Books,  1992),  p.  412. 

17./*/J,  p.  413. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 184 

\S.Ihid.,p.4\4. 

19.  Chaplain  (Col )  David  P.  Peterson,  Files  of  the  CENTCOM  Staff  Chaplain,  1990-1991,  folder 
15G1,  "Prayer  in  the  War  Room,"  Archives  of  the  Chaplain  Corps,  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  Center 
and  School,  Ft.  Monmouth,  NJ. 

20. The  following  account  of  the  worship  service  for  President  Bush  was  taken  from  a  personal 
interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman,  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  4  April 
1994. 

2\.Ihid 

ll.lbid. 

23.1bid 

24.  Ibid 

25. Personal  interview  with  Lieutenant.  Gen  John  J.  Yeosock,  USA  Rtd.,  Ft.  McPherson, 
Georgia,  13  July  1993. 

26. H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Op.  cit.,  p.  416. 

27. Robert  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  p.  182. 

2%. Ibid. 

29.Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  William  Hufham,  USACSSA,  16  Dec  1993. 

3 O.Bob  Woodward,  Op.  cit.,  p.  363. 

3 1 .  Chaplain  Goldstein  demonstrated  that  his  beard  would  not  prevent  a  good  seal  for  his 
protective  (gas)  mask  as  well.  All  soldiers  had  to  be  protected  against  chemical  attack  whether 
they  were  in  Saudi  Arabia,  Israel  or  elsewhere  in  the  SWA  Theater. 

32. H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Op.  cit.,  p.  418. 

33. "Desert  Storm"  in  Department  of  Defense,  Defense  91:  Almanac,  (Alexandria,  VA.: 
American  Forces  Information  Service,  October  1991),  p.  56. 

34. Time  Magazine  Editors,  Desert  Storm:   The  War  in  the  Persian  Gulf,  pp  1 1  -33. 

3 5. Robert  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  p.  145. 

l,6.Ibid. 


185 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

2,1 1  hid 

3SIhic/. 

39.  William  G.  Pagonis,  After  Action  Report:  2 2d  Support  Command,  Executive  Summary, 
(Dhahran,  Saudi  Arabia:  22d  SUPCOM,  1991)  pp.  i-xx.  Copy  in  the  Pentagon  Library. 

40./*/J. 

4 I.Robert  Scales,  Op.  cit.,  p  145. 

42. William  G.  Pagonis,  Op.  cit.,  pp.  i-xx. 

43. Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  William  Hufham,  16  Dec  1993. 

44. Ibid, 

45. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  David  Zalis,  Ft  McPherson,  8  June  1993. 

46. Robert  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  p   148 

41. 1  bid. 

4S.Ibid 

49.1bid.,  p.  149. 

50. H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Op.  cit.,  p.  424. 

5 I.Robert  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  p.  190. 

52. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col  )  Gary  "Sam"  Sanford,  Ft.  Belvoir,  19  Jan  1994. 

53. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Herb  Kitchens,  Ft.  Gillem,  GA,  29  Dec  93. 

54.1bid. 

55  Words  and  music  copyrighted  by  Chaplain  Kitchens. 

56. Personal  interview  with  Master  Sergeant  Ed  Parton,  6  Jan  1994, 

57.Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Dan  Davis,  USA  Rtd.,  18  April  1994. 

58. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Bernard  Lieving,  Commandant  of  the  U.S.  Army 
Chaplain  School,  Ft.  Monmouth,  NJ,  7  Dec  1993. 

59. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Dan  Davis,  18  April  1994. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 186 

60. Personal  interview  with  Sgt.  Maj.  T.  E.  Hatcher,  Ft.  Monroe,  VA.,  14  Dec  1993. 

6\.Ibid. 

61. 1  hid. 

63. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Ford  G'Segner,  Ft.  Benning,  GA,  4  Jan  1994. 

64  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  William  Hufham,  82nd  Airborne  Division  Chaplain  in  Operation 
Desert  Storm,  16  Dec  1993. 

65. Chaplain  (Maj.)  James  Ritchie,  "Desert  Shield  and  Storm,"  Memorandum  for  the  History  of 
the  Chaplaincy,  18  Jan  1994,  p.  5. 

66. Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  William  Hufham,  16  Dec  1993. 

67. Robert  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  p.  217. 

68. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Tom  Solhjem,  5  May  1994. 

69. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Herb  Kitchens,  29  Dec  1993 

70  Robert  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  p.  219. 

l\.Ibid. 

ll.Ibid.,  p.  223. 

11,. Ibid. 

1  A. Ibid. 

IS.Ibid.,  p.  224. 

le.Ibid. 

11.  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  O.  Wayne  Smith,  Message  from  the  Staff  Chaplain,  Aberdeen  Proving 
Ground,  for  Chaplain  Brinsfield,  23  May  1995.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

n.Ihid. 

79    Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Cottingham,  25  May  1995. 

SO. Ibid.,  p.  226. 

Sl.Ibid. 


187 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

82. Jeffrey  E.  Phillips,  America's  First  Team  in  the  G////(Taylor  Publishing  Co.,  1992),  pp.  21  fF. 
?,l>.Ibid. 

84. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Jere  Kimmell,  Ft  Belvoir,  28  Sep  1994.  Chaplain 
Kimmell  provided  information  from  Colonel  John  Sylvester's  After  Action  Report  and  from  77?^ 
Fort  Hood  Sentinel  regarding  the  activities  of  the  Tiger  Brigade  in  Operation  Desert  Storm. 

%5.Ihid. 

Se.Ibid. 

87. Robert  Scales,  Certain  Victory,  p.  240  ff. 

SSIhid 

89. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Dennis  Camp,  1 1  Oct  94. 

90.1hid. 

91. Ken  Fugett,  Iron  Soldiers  (Ansbach,  Germany,  1st  AD  Public  Affairs  Office,  1991),  p.  5  ff. 

92. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Wayne  Lehrer,  7  Dec  1993. 

93. Chaplain  Leon  Parker,  Letter  to  Chaplain  Brinsfield,  13  May  1994,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives, 

94.  Ibid 

95. Ibid. 

96.  Ibid 

97.  Ibid 
98. 1  bid 

99. Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  David  Peterson,  27  Sep  93. 

lOO.H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Op.  cit.,  p.  456. 

101.  Chaplain  (Brig.  Gen.)  Wayne  M.  Hoffrnann,  "Crisis  Ministry  in  a  Mass  Casualty 
Environment,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review,  Summer  1991,  p.    124.  Also  personal  interview  with 
SFC  Ed  Parton,  Ft.  Carson,  6  January  1994. 

102.Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Vincent  Inghilterra,  25  May  1994. 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 


103. Department  of  Defense,  Defense  91,  p.  56.,  and  personal  interview  with  Lt.  General  John 
Yeosock,  Ft  McPherson,  13  July  1993 

104. Time  Magazine  Editors,  Desert  Storm,  p.  1 1  flf. 

\OS.Ibid. 

\06.Ihid.  and  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Jere  Kimmell,  28  Sep  94. 

107. Department  of  Defense,  Defense  91,  p.  59. 

108. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Dan  Davis,  18  April  1994. 

109.Chaplain  (Col.)  Calvin  Sydnor  III,  "Synopsis,"  p.  113. 

1 10. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Terry  Cook,  Ft.  Riley,  29  March  1994. 

1 1 1. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Dan  Davis,  18  April  1994. 

\\2.Ihid. 

1 13. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Wayne  Lehrer,  7  Dec  1993. 

1 14. Interview  with  Chaplain  Jere  Kimmell,  28  September  1994. 

115. Chaplain  Sydnor,  "Synopsis,"  p.  113. 

\\6Jhid.,p  83. 

\n.Ibid,p.  84. 

\\S.lbid,p.  83. 

1 19. William  Hufham,  "Where  Faith  Began,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review,  Spring  1992,  pp.  79-80. 

120. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  Joe  R.  CoUey,  4  Jan  94. 

121. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  John  Schmeling,  25  May  94. 

122. Personal  interview  with  Ch  (Col.)  Horace  Duke,  25  May  94.  Chaplain  Duke  also  recalled 
passing  out  70,000  Desert  Storm  Bibles  to  redeploying  soldiers. 

123.List  supplied  by  Ch  (COol.)  John  Schmeling,  25  May  94. 

124. Personal  interview  with  Ch  (Col.)  John  Schmeling,  25  May  94. 


189 OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 

125. Chaplain  (Col  )  John  Brinsfieid's  Desert  Storm  Diary,  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

126.  Telephone  interview  with  General  H.N.  Schwarzkopf,  20  Mar.  95. 

127. Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Larry  Mack,  After  Action  Report  for  Operation  Desert  Storm,  Memo  for 
the  Special  Forces  Command  Chaplain,  1  May  1991,  pp.  1-3.  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

128. Chaplain  A.B.  Boatright,  Memo  for  Commander,  1st  Bn/3rd  SFG  (A),  2  May  1991,  Chaplain 
Corps  Archives. 

\29.Ibicl. 

130. Most  of  the  following  information  came  from  a  personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  David 
Zalis,  Ft  McPherson,  8  June  93  and  from  an  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  David  Peterson.  Ft 
McPherson,  27  Sep  1993. 

131.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Matthew  Zimmerman,  17  June  95. 

132. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gaylord  Hatler,  3  May  93. 

133. Chaplain  (Lt  Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  "Reflections  from  Desert  Storm,"  Wesleyan  Christian 
Ad\'ocate,  3 1  Mar  9 1 . 

134. Chaplain  Sydnor,  "Synopsis,"  p.  85. 

US.Ibid.,  p.  90. 

U6.Ihid.,p.  93. 

137.  Chaplain  MA.  Zimmerman,  Speech  at  the  Kiwanis  Club  of  Pennsylvania,  74th  State 
Conventiion,  25  August  1991,  p.  5.  Copy  in  the  Zimmerman  File,  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Chaplains 

138. Chaplain  (Col.)  David  Peterson,  Files  from  the  CENTCOM  Staff  Chaplain's  Office,  file  4. 
Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

U9.Ibid 

140. Personal  interview  with  Ch  (Col.)  Dennis  Camp,  12  Sep  94. 

141. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Colonel)  John  Scott,  24  Dec  1994.  Chaplain  (Col.)  James 
A.  Edgren,  Diretor  of  Information,  Resource  Management,  and  Logistics  (IRML)  had  tasked  this 
staff  in  August  of  1990  to  try  to  locate  a  supply  of  Bibles  sufficient  for  a  major  deployment  of 
troops.  Chaplain  Gary  Councell,  Chaplain  Donald  Hanchett,  and  Mrs.  Laura  Dobson  worked 
with  their  contacts  and  the  American  and  International  Bible  Societies  to  obtain  quick  delivery  of 
durable,  pocket-sized  editions.  The  Gideons  donated  thousands  of  New  Testaments  which  were 


OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 190 

immediately  available.  Chaplain  David  Peterson,  the  CENTCOM  Chaplain,  secured  permission 
from  the  Saudi  Ministry  on  Religious  Affairs  for  Bibles  to  be  flown  into  Saudi  Arabia  by  military 
aircraft.  After  the  Bibles  started  arriving.  Chaplain  Peterson  wrote,  "...  never  in  my  life  have  I 
seen  so  many  service-men  reading  the  Bible."  See  "Bible  Demand,"  Chicago  Sun  Times, 
Saturday,  July  20,  1991,  p.  14,  and  Chaplain  (Col  )  Gary  Councell,  "Resourcing  the  Chaplaincy," 
unpublished  manuscript,  U.S.  Army  War  College,  1994,  p. 24 

142. Personal  interview  with  Ch  (Col.)  Gay  Hatler,  3  May  93. 

\43.Ibid   Copies  of  the  UMTCT  Executive  Summaries  are  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives  for 
Operation  Desert  Shield/Storm. 

144. Conversation  with  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield,  Riyadh,  April  1991 . 

145. DOD,  Defense  91,  p  56,  "Restoring  Calm  After  the  Storm,"  in  Robert  Scales,  Op.cit^,  pp. 
350  ff;  Time  Magazine  Editors,  Desert  Storm,  pp.  20  fF. 

146. Chaplain  (Maj.)  R.W.  Collins,  4th  Brigade  (AVN),  3d  ID,  was  deployed  to  Turkey  as  well  in 
May  to  support  soldiers  flying  supplies  to  refugee  camps  in  northern  Iraq.   See  Chaplain  (Col.) 
G  T  Gunhus,  "Operation  Desert  Storm,  "USAREUR  After  Action  Report,  TAB  XYZ.  Copy  in 
the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

147. Ch  (Col.)  David  Peterson  interview,  27  Sep  93. 

148. Memo  from  Colonel  Ellis  in  Ch  (Col.)  DP.  Peterson,  "Desert  Shield/Storm  Ministry  Stories 
for  Historical  Record,"  Memorandum  for  Staff" Chaplains,  CONUSA,  8  May  1991,  p   1.  Chaplain 
Corps  Archives. 

149. Chaplain  Inghilterra,  assisted  by  Chaplains  Rolando,  Mullins,  Lemoi,  Kelly,  and  Cromartie,  all 
from  the  Reserve  components,  was  supervising  religious  support  throughout  Saudi  Arabia  which 
included  24  additional  chaplains  and  their  assistants  at  King  Khalid  Military  City,  Riyadh, 
Dhahran,  and  other  sites  on  24  June  1991 .  Chaplain  Inghilterra,  moreover,  was  planning  for  the 
arrival  of  10,000  replacement  soldiers,  many  from  Fort  Dix,  when  the  Reservists  redeployed  in 
September.  See  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col  )  William  DeLeo,  U.S.  FORSCOM  Memorandum,  24  June 
1991,  p.  1.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

150. Daniel  J.G.G.  Block,  "Historical  Research  Interviews,"  Memorandum  for  Ch  (Col )  John 
Brinsfield,  Ft  Belvoir,  VA.,  25  Mar  1994,  p.  1.  Copy  in  the  Chaplain  Corps  Archives. 

\5\.Ibid. 

152. Robert  Scales,  loc.  cit. 

153.Daniel  J.G.G.  Block,  Op.  at.,  p.  2. 


191  OPERATION  DESERT  STORM 


154. Chap  (Col.)  Peterson  Interview,  27  Sep  93. 

155. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Brig.  Gen  )  Donald  Shea,  DACH,  10  Jan  1994. 

156.  Telephone  interview  with  General  H.  Norman  Schwarzkopf,  Tampa,  Florida,  20  march 
1995. 


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JOINT   TASK   FORCE    GUANTANAMO 


Religious    Support 


(Top)    Sergeant  Martin   Cuellar,    Lay  Eucbaristic  Minister,    and 
(Bottom)  Chaplain   Sidney  J.    Marceaux   serve   communion    to  Haitians 


CHAPTER  V 

MINISTRY  TO  HAITIAN  MIGRANTS: 
JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 

1991-1992 


Fur  all  the  world  like  ministry  in  a  bus  station. . 
Chaplain  Robert  Collins 


The  Joint  Task  Force  Guantanamo,  Guantanamo  Bay,  Cuba,  was  a  joint  service  task  force 
involved  in  humanitarian  assistance  to  Haitian  migrants. '  Over  the  course  of  two  years,  more  than 
34,000  Haitians  including  800  unaccompanied  children  were  rescued  from  sinking  and  unseaworthy 
boats  in  the  Windward  Passage  between  Cuba  and  Haiti  and  delivered  to  Guantanamo  Bay  by  U.S. 
Coast  Guard  cutters  Joint  Task  Force  Guantanamo  (JTF-GTMO)  consisted  of  administrative 
support,  civil  affairs,  medical,  dental,  security,  billeting,  and  religious  support  personnel  from  all 
branches  of  the  Armed  Forces  and  Reserves,  acting  in  conjunction  with  representatives  from  the  U.S. 
Department  of  Justice,  the  Immigration  and  Naturalization  Service  (FNS),  the  Public  Health  Service, 
the  Community  Relations  Service,  the  International  Organization  for  Migrants,  and  the  United 
Nations  High  Commissioner  for  Refugees.  Haitians  picked  up  by  Coast  Guard  cutters  were  brought 
to  temporary  camps  at  the  U.S.  Naval  Base  where  they  were  permitted  to  apply  for  political  asylum 
in  the  United  States  While  they  were  awaiting  decisions  from  the  INS  on  their  requests,  they 
received  food,  clothing,  medical  care,  and  spiritual  support  from  Joint  Task  Force  personnel. 

An  important  aspect  of  the  JTF's  work  was  the  provision  of  spiritual  support  and  religious 
ministry  to  the  migrants."  The  Haitians  were  deeply  religious  and  at  times  superstitious,  and  the 
presence  of  JTF  chaplains  and  enlisted  religious  support  personnel  in  the  migrant  camps  contributed 
greatly  to  the  maintenance  of  order  in  the  camps  and  calmed  the  fears  of  the  migrants,  who,  due  to 
a  history  of  military  repression  in  their  homeland,  were  fearful  and  distrustful  of  personnel  in  military 
uniforms. 

The  activities  of  military  chaplains  and  their  assistants  were  an  integral  part  of  the  Joint  Task 
Force  Guantanamo  No  concerted  effort  was  made  in  the  early  days  to  document  the  activities  of  the 
JTF  Chaplain's  Office,  so  the  history  of  this  ministry  is  in  large  part  based  on  comments  gleaned  from 
after-action  reports,  weekly  statistical  reports,  interviews,  and  personal  awards  citations. 

Historical  Background 

The  first  report  of  significant  numbers  of  Haitians  entering  the  United  States  was  in  1972, 
shortly  after  Francois  "Papa  Doc"  Duvalier,  the  military  dictator  of  Haiti  and  "President  for  Life," 
named  his  son,  Jean-Claude  "Baby  Doc,"  as  his  successor.  What  little  stability  Haiti's  government 
enjoyed  under  the  Duvaliers  disappeared  in  1986  with  Jean-Claude's  forced  resignation  and  exile  to 
France,  a  result  of  pressure  from  the  United  States  as  well  as  other  nations.  The  violent  repression 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter.  195 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 196 

of  the  Haitian  people  under  the  Duvaliers  was  only  a  precursor  to  that  practiced  by  a  series  of  military 
governments  that  came  and  went  in  the  next  six  years. ' 

It  has  been  estimated  that,  between  1972  and  1982,  more  than  55,000  Haitian  boat  people 
migrated  to  Florida.  Probably  fewer  than  half  were  detected,  so  the  actual  number  may  have  been 
greater  than  100,000  In  1981  the  US.  and  Haiti  signed  an  agreement  in  which  the  United  States 
agreed  to  intercept  Haitian  boats  and  return  the  migrants  to  Haiti.  Migrants  were  given  the  chance 
to  apply  for  asylum  as  political  refugees  but,  of  the  24,000  boat  people  rescued  between  1980  and 
1990,  only  eight  were  admitted  to  the  U.S.  for  fijrther  interviews,  and  only  three  were  granted 
asylum.  From  January  1990  through  August  of  1991,  only  20  were  admitted  to  the  U.S.  for  further 
screening,  and  none  was  granted  asylum. 

In  September  1991,  a  coup  overthrew  the  elected  government  of  Jean-Bertrand  Aristide,  and 
the  return  to  military  dictatorship  brought  a  sharp  increase  in  emigration.  US.  Coast  Guard  cutters 
began  rescuing  large  numbers  of  migrants  from  flimsy  boats,  then  sinking  the  boats  to  prevent  their 
re-use  or  their  possible  danger  to  other  craft  as  floating  hazards.  By  14  November,  eighteen  cutters, 
each  with  over  400  migrants  aboard,  were  anchored  in  Guantanamo  Bay  The  decision  was  made  to 
bring  the  migrants  ashore  and  to  establish  temporary  shelter  for  them  Navy  Chaplain  Scott  Davis' 
account  of  the  first  48  hours  of  this  operation  illustrated  some  of  the  problems  the  support  people 
faced: 

A  camp  was  established  and  the  entire  base  pitched  in  to  help.  Security  transported 
them  from  the  piers  to  the  camps  The  Navy  Exchange  donated  clothes,  towels,  soap, 
toothpaste,  and  toothbrushes,  and  I  transported  that  stuff  from  the  Exchange  to  the 
camp  in  the  chape!  van  The  hospital  staff  gave  each  refugee  a  physical  and  treated 
any  conditions  that  were  discovered.  The  Seabees  built  shelters,  wired  the  camp  for 
electricity,  established  latrines,  and  set  up  lighting.  The  mess  hall  set  up  a  place  to 
feed  them.  And  the  chaplains  (there  were  only  two  of  us  here  at  the  time)  began 
moving  about  seeing  to  any  overlooked  needs,  comforting  refugees,  and  encouraging 
workers  The  chapel  staff  instituted  clothing  and  toy  drives  and  the  residents  of  the 
base  donated  these  items  by  the  truckloads.  One  lady  even  organized  her  street  into 
baking  cookies  for  all  the  refugees  and  the  workers. 

The  first  night's  work  lasted  until  after  midnight  We  processed  487  I  had  two 
primary  tasks.  The  refligees  were  scared  and  didn't  trust  anyone.  But  they  did  trust 
the  cross  on  my  collar  and  I  was  able  to  persuade  bus  load  after  bus  load  that  they 
were  safe  and  that  we  were  all  acting  in  their  best  interests  ... 

By  the  second  day,  with  the  camp  population  growing,  no  one  knew  what  to  do  with 
them  once  we  had  processed  them,  cleaned  and  clothed  them,  and  fed  them.  But 
Christian  worship  is  a  worldwide  common  denominator  The  other  chaplain. 
Commander  Bruce  Martin,  and  I  began  holding  three  or  four  services  a  day,  both  in 
the  camp  and  on  board  the  various  ships  that  had  not  yet  ofT-loaded.'' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


197 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 

Navy  Chaplains  Davis  and  Martin  were  assigned  to  Guantanamo,  but  not  to 
any  task  force  with  responsibility  for  Haitian  ministry  Their  voluntary  service  was 
so  valuable,  however,  that  chaplains  became  an  essential  part  of  the  subsequent  JTF 
manning  roster.^ 

The  massive  exodus  from  Haiti,  coupled  with  a  U.S.  Court-issued  restraining  order  halting 
repatriation  of  Haitians,  made  it  clear  that  a  larger,  organized  response  was  needed  On  30 
November,  Joint  Task  Force  Guantanamo  Bay  was  formed.  The  United  States  Army  was  given 
overall  charge  of  camp  security  for  migrants,  while  the  Air  Force  established  Camp  Harvest  Eagle 
to  house  the  2,000  military  personnel  assigned  to  the  JTF  The  Marines  expanded  facilities  for 
Haitians  at  Camp  Bulkeley — a  Marine  Reserve  training  camp — and  began  building  the  McCalla 
Camps,  marking  off  sections  of  the  abandoned  McCalla  Airfield  with  concertina  wire  and  erecting 
tents  The  Navy  provided  medical  care,  converting  the  unused  Blue  Caribe  Restaurant  building  at 
McCalla  Airfield  into  a  hospital  From  the  beginning,  the  ministry  of  the  chaplains  and  their  assistants 
was  three-fold:  ministry  to  the  military  personnel  working  with  the  Haitians,  ininistry  to  the  Haitians 
themselves,  and  interfacing  with  the  military  on  behalf  of  the  Haitians. 


Formation  of  Joint  Religious  Support 

Joint  Task  Force  Guantanamo  (GTMO)  was  directed  by  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff  (JCS) 
through  the  Commander  in  Chief,  Atlantic  (CFNCLANT)  for  command  and  control  purposes. 
CINCLANT  tasked  Army,  Air  Force,  and  Navy  component  organizations,  ARLANT,  AFLANT,  and 
CINCLANT  Fleet  for  equipment  and  personnel  requirements 

Because  of  the  large  number  of  migrants  and  the  humanitarian  nature  of  the  operation, 
chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  were  critical  assets.  However,  as  the  operation  was  refined  at  JCS 
and  CFNCLANT  levels,  no  joint  service  religious  support  doctrine  existed,  nor  was  a  chaplain 
assigned  to  JCS  or  CINCLANT  to  ensure  that  a  religious  support  plan  or  annex  was  included  in  the 
operation  plan  or  order. 

The  CFNCLANT  Fleet  Chaplain,  Captain  Fred  Rothermel,  USN,  was  dual-hatted  to  serve  also 
as  the  CINCLANT  Chaplain  for  Operation  GTMO.*"  This  position  evolved  from  the  need  for  a  senior 
chaplain  supervisor  after  the  JTF  was  formed/  The  JTF  Chaplain  assignment  rotated  each  90  days 
as  did  the  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant  personnel  in  general.  The  JTF  Staff  Chaplains  for  the  period 
December  1991  to  June  1992  were:  Chaplain  EL  Goss,  Jr.  (USN);  Chaplain  William  C.  Graham, 
(USAR),  and  Chaplain  James  L.  McDonald,  (USARV 

Although  CINCLANT  questioned  the  assignment  of  Army  Reserve  component  chaplains  to 
the  JTF  position.  Chaplain  (Brig.  Gen.)  Donald  Shea,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  supported  these 
assignments  by  direction  of  Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Matthew  Zimmerman,  the  Army  Chief  of  Chaplains. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    Chaplain    William   Graham,     USAR,    JTF  Staff   Chaplain    in 
Guantanamo;     (Bottom)    Haitian   girl    smiles   behind  barbed   wire.. 


199 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 

There  were  no  active  duty  chaplain  colonels  available  for  90-day  assignments  to  the  JTF  due  to  the 
press  of  other  worldwide  Chaplain  Corps  missions  Moreover,  Chaplain  Zimmerman  was  confident 
that  Army  Reserve  component  chaplains  would  do  an  outstanding  job,  just  as  they  had  done  the  year 
before  in  Operation  Desert  Shield/Desert  Storm. 

US.  Forces  Command  was  tasked  by  the  JCS  to  fijmish  Army  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant 
personnel  for  the  operation  in  Cuba.  Chaplain  David  P.  Peterson,  formerly  the  CENTCOM  Chaplain 
in  Operation  Desert  Storm,  was  the  FORSCOM  Staff  Chaplain  and  thus  was  responsible  for  Army 
unit  ministry  team  support.  Chaplain  Peterson's  staff,  involved  in  multiple  duties,  supported  the 
operation  by  recruiting  Reserve  component  UMTs  and  by  requesting  orders  and  deploying  both 
active  and  Reserve  component  chaplains  and  assistants. 

Chaplain  Lawrence  Kelly  coordinated  the  work  of  the  staff.  Chaplain  Thomas  Cook,  the 
Training ,  Mobilization ,  and  Military  Operations  Officer  for  the  FORSCOM  chaplain,  interfaced  with 
the  FORSCOM  Operations  Center  on  a  daily  basis  to  brief  the  personnel  team  on  GTMOs  growing 
personnel  requirements.  Chaplain  Raymond  Ennis,  USAR,  Mastr  Sgt.  Mike  Morris,  and  Chaplain 
John  Brinsfield,  Personnel  and  Ecclesiastical  Relations  Officer  for  the  FORSCOM  chaplain,  worked 
with  Major  Tom  Syracuse  at  FORSCOM  headquarters  to  identify  and  deploy  chaplains  and  chaplain 
assistants.  Eventually  requirements  became  so  heavy  that  the  Staff  Chaplain  sections  at  US.  Army 
Personnel  Center,  St  Louis,  the  National  Guard  Bureau,  Washington,  DC,  the  U.S.  Army  Reserve 
Command,  Fort  McPherson,  and  the  various  CONUS  Armies  throughout  the  United  States  assisted 
in  the  recruitment  and  deployment  process. 


Organizing  for  Ministry 

The  most  difficult  task  we  had  in  Operation  Guantanamo  was  finding  Roman  Catholic 
chaplains  who  could  speak  Creole  French.... Chaplain  Larry  Racster,  ARPERCEN 

The  first  alert  order  for  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office  came  just  hours  after  Operation 
GTMO  began.  Chaplain  Tom  Cook  announced  on  December  1  that  CFNCLANT  had  requested  that 
two  Roman  Catholic  chaplains,  fluent  in  the  French  Creole  language,  report  to  Navy  Base 
Guantanamo  before  Christmas.  At  first  Chaplain  Ennis  and  Chaplain  Brinsfield  thought  the  message 
was  a  joke.  There  were  barely  enough  Roman  Catholic  chaplains  available  to  cover  active  duty  units. 
What  unit  commander  or  civilian  bishop,  for  that  matter,  would  willingly  allow  a  Roman  Catholic 
priest  to  leave  at  Christmas  for  Cuba  and,  moreover,  where  does  one  find  priests  who  speak  Creole 
French"^  FORSCOM  did  not  recognize  April  Fools'  Day  in  December,  however,  so  a  serious  search 
began. 

Chaplain  Larry  Racster,  the  personnel  action  officer  for  Individual  Ready  Reservist  chaplains 
at  the  Army  Personnel  Center  in  St.  Louis,  screened  his  records  for  priests  who  could  speak  French.* 
Staff  chaplains  fi'om  the  1st,  2nd,  5th,  and  6th  Continental  U.S.  Armies  looked  for  Reserve  troop  unit 
volunteers,  and  the  National  Guard  Bureau  checked  its  files  to  help  meet  the  same  requirements.  At 
the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  Mr.  Roger  Able  and  Chaplain  Robert  Lair,  the  DACH  Reserve 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 200 

Advisor,  searched  their  computer  for  all  available  Roman  Catholic  chaplains  throughout  the  Total 
Army. 

Given  the  short  response  time  involved,  FORSCOM  had  little  choice  but  to  send  an  active 
duty  Catholic  chaplain  to  meet  at  least  part  of  the  CINCLANT  requirement  until  the  Reserve 
components  had  time  to  locate  volunteers.  With  the  approval  of  Chaplain  Don  Shea,  the  Deputy  Chief 
of  Chaplains,  FORSCOM  requested  through  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  command  channels  that  Ft. 
Stewart,  Georgia,  deploy  Chaplain  Gerald  Pincence  to  Cuba. 

Chaplain  Pincence,  a  veteran  of  Operation  Desert  Storm,  was  one  of  only  a  half-dozen 
chaplains  in  the  Army  who  had  the  necessary  language  skills  to  minister  effectively  to  Haitian 
migrants.  Upon  notification.  Chaplain  Pincence  left  Fort  Stewart  immediately  to  become  the  Army's 
first  chaplain  to  be  deployed  in  this  major  humanitarian  operation. 

The  first  Catholic  chaplain  fi-om  the  Reserves  to  volunteer  had  all  of  the  prerequisites  needed 
as  well.  Chaplain  Sidney  J.  Marceaux,  a  Desert  Storm  veteran  from  Beaumont,  Texas,  was  eager  and 
able  to  help.  Chaplain  Marceaux,  a  Monsignor  and  a  diocesan  canon  lawyer  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  had  served  several  units  in  the  6th  US  Army  area.  With  the  permission  of  his  bishop  to  serve 
for  60  days.  Chaplain  Marceaux  departed  for  Guantanamo  on  December  12. 

Marceaux  was  the  senior  Army  chaplain  in  Cuba  for  several  weeks.  Knovwi  as  "le  blanc  pere," 
the  white  priest,  he  was  immediately  accepted  by  the  Haitian  children.  "They  were  on  me  as  soon  as 
I  walked  into  camp;  I  was  pulled  in  every  direction,"  he  recalled.**  Working  12  hours  a  day,  seven 
days  a  week.  Chaplains  Marceaux  and  Chaplain  Pincence  established  a  model  for  ministry  for  the 
chaplains  who  followed  them. 

When  Chaplain  Marceaux  returned  to  Texas,  he  brought  letters  fi"om  Haitians  looking  for 
relatives  in  the  United  States  He  also  brought  a  photograph  of  himself  taken  with  General  Colin 
Powell,  Chairman  of  the  Joint  Chiefs  of  Staff,  who  thanked  Chaplain  Marceaux  for  his  ministry  to  the 
Haitian  people  at  a  critical  time  for  them  and  for  the  military  personnel  assisting  them. 

Eventually  50  Army  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  deployed  to  Navy  Base  Guantanamo 
to  assist  in  the  humanitarian  effort.  Eleven  chaplains  and  eight  assistants  were  from  the  active 
component,  twenty  chaplains  and  five  assistants  from  the  USAR,  and  two  chaplains  and  four 
assistants  from  the  National  Guard 

Chaplain  E.L.  Goss,  Jr ,  CAPT,  USN,  the  first  JTF  chaplain,  organized  the  joint  chaplain  and 
chaplain  assistant  teams  to  cover  specific  camps.  Each  of  the  2,500  person  camps,  four  in  all,  had 
two  chaplains  assigned,  one  Catholic  and  one  Protestant.  Assistants  were  assigned  to  help  the 
chaplains  without  regard  to  service,  so  some  Army  chaplains  had  Air  Force  assistants,  some  Navy 
chaplains  had  Army  assistants  While  this  plan  was  not  popular  with  the  ministry  teams  at  first,  it 
proved  to  be  workable  and  helped  familiarize  team  members  with  the  way  other  services  conducted 
ministry. 

The  Army,  Navy,  and  Air  Force  maintained  separate  supply  channels  for  chaplain 
ecclesiastical  items  and  equipment  At  times  one  service  would  supply  its  chaplains  well  while 
another  service  would  lag  behind  The  JTF  staff  chaplains  were  constantly  balancing  and  shifting 
personnel  and  equipment  to  cover  requirements    In  the  absence  of  any  real  joint  doctrine,  each  JTF 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


20j JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 

chaplain  experimented  with  "workable"  arrangements  and  sought  feedback  in  daily  staflF  meetings  with 
the  members. 

Life  in  the  camps  was  not  always  easy.  More  than  200  of  the  Haitian  migrants  were  HIV 
positive  or  had  flilly  developed  AIDS.  Many  were  bored  or  angry  Some  contemplated  suicide 
rather  than  returning  to  Haiti  Others  attempted  to  smoke  pieces  of  tent  rope  and  got  sick.'"  Ministry 
to  the  hundreds  of  unaccompanied  minors,  ranging  from  toddlers  to  teenagers,  who  were  placed  on 
leaky  boats  by  parents  hopefijl  that  they  would  find  food,  medicine,  and  freedom  in  the  United  States, 
was  taxing  to  the  chaplains,  the  assistants,  and  to  the  Military  Police.  Some  incidents  of  rape  by 
young  Haitian  males  and  sexual  fraternization  by  camp  personnel  were  reported  as  well  as  cases  of 
assault  and  battery.  Sergeant  Martin  Cuellar,  a  chaplain  assistant  from  Texas  and  a  lay  brother  in  the 
Franciscan  Order,  helped  quell  more  than  one  impending  riot  among  Haitians  upset  by  the  slow 
progress  of  their  "repatriation." 

On  the  Haitian  side,  among  other  attributes,  the  chaplains  represented  safety.  Most  Haitians' 
experiences  with  people  in  military  uniforms  had  been  negative,  and  the  migrants  were  fearfial  of  the 
military  and  uncertain  about  accepting  anything  from  them.  Chaplain  Scott  Davis  reported  that  the 
Haitians  even  refijsed  to  drink  from  a  military  "water  buffalo,"  or  trailer,  until  it  had  been  blessed  by 
the  chaplain  to  ensure  that  there  was  no  voodoo  curse  on  it  and  the  military  had  not  poisoned  it." 
Only  after  the  chaplain  had  blessed  the  water  and  taken  the  first  drink  would  the  Haitians  accept  the 
water  The  cross  on  the  chaplain's  uniform  was  recognized  by  the  migrants,  and  they  knew  the 
wearer  of  the  cross  could  be  trusted  In  many  cases  of  unrest  in  the  camps,  the  camp  staff  would  send 
first  for  the  military  police,  and  then  for  the  chaplain  to  calm  the  crowd. 

The  Haitians  were  very  warm,  open,  and  emotional  people  and  they  quickly  accepted  the 
chaplains  and  assistants  into  their  community  Indeed,  the  extent  to  which  the  religious  support  team 
members  became  involved  in  the  lives  of  the  migrants  was  limited  more  by  the  military  guidelines  and 
the  chaplains'  and  assistants'  own  physical  and  emotional  stamina  than  by  any  reluctance  on  the  part 
of  the  Haitians  to  include  them. 

When  Chaplain  William  Graham,  USAR,  arrived  in  February  1992  as  the  second  JTF  staff 
chaplain,  he  found  a  group  of  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  with  mixed  emotions  about  the 
ministry  there.  The  policy  of  assigning  chaplains  and  assistants  from  different  services  to  work 
together  as  "purple"  (i.e.  combined)  religious  support  teams.  Army  chaplains  with  Navy  assistants  for 
example,  had  created  confijsion  because  of  differences  in  doctrine,  training,  organization,  and 
tradition  in  the  Navy,  Air  Force  and  Army  Chaplain  Graham  solved  this  problem  by  assigning  new 
chaplains  and  assistants  arriving  in  Guantanamo  according  to  their  service.  The  JTF  Chaplain's  oflFice 
was  "purple"  but  the  teams  were  all  Army,  Navy  or  Air  Force.  The  "older"  teams  remained  mixed 
until  their  rotation  back  home  '' 

Personnel  issues  took  a  great  deal  of  time.  There  was  a  constant  need  for  Roman  Catholic 
chaplains  from  all  services  since  majority  of  the  Haitians  were  of  that  faith.  Chaplain  Goss,  the  first 
JTF  staff  chaplain,  had  enlisted  the  help  of  a  civilian  Haitian  priest.  Father  Jacques  Fabre,  to  help  with 
ministry.  Father  Fabre  spoke  fluent  Creole  and  was  very  effective  with  the  people.  However,  Father 
Fabre  had  no  written  job  description  or  contract  for  payment  of  services,  which  made  his  status  and 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 202 

support  difficult  Moreover,  Father  Fabre  disagreed  with  U.S.  policy  and  eventually  joined  in  a  suit 
against  the  government  to  force  admission  of  all  the  Haitians  into  the  United  States" 

Chaplain  Graham,  with  the  support  of  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain,  received  five  Roman  Catholic 
chaplains  from  the  Army  Reserves  or  National  Guard  to  serve  fi'om  February  through  the  Easter 
season  in  1992.  Chaplain  Graham,  in  a  report  to  Chaplain  Ennis  and  Chaplain  Brinsfield  at 
FORSCOM,  noted  that  he  had  more  Catholic  chaplains  at  Guantanamo  than  were  assigned  to  most 
active  duty  installations.'* 

Another  time  consuming,  but  essential,  duty  was  coordinating  with  the  Immigration  and 
Naturalization  Service,  the  Public  Health  Service,  and  the  Community  Relations  Service.  The  JTF 
Staff  Chaplain  worked  many  issues  with  these  agencies  and  found  their  participation  invaluable. 
Chaplain  Graham  recalled  that  his  senior  enlisted  assistant,  RPC  Robin  Holdren,  USN,  was  a 
tremendous  asset  to  his  office  in  her  ability  to  communicate  ministry  concerns  through  regular  Navy 
operational  channels  to  the  appropriate  agency  " 

As  the  population  of  the  camps  continued  to  swell,  the  hours  grew  longer,  and  the  desperation 
of  the  Haitians'  situation  became  more  apparent,  religious  support  teams  found  themselves  becoming 
overwhelmed.  Approximately  one  month  after  the  establishment  of  the  Joint  Task  Force,  Chaplain 
Earl  V.  DeBlieux,  USAF,  noted  in  his  weekly  report:  "Chaplain  staff  feeling  a  sense  of  helplessness 
in  the  Haitian  situation.  Their  future  outcomes,  the  barrage  of  questions  that  we  have  no  answers  for, 
and  the  very  deep  emotional  worship  services  have  played  havoc  with  our  feelings."'*  As  chaplains 
and  assistants  rotated  through  Guantanamo  on  short  tours,  sometimes  programs  suffered  if  their 
replacements  were  delayed.  Chaplain  Charles  B.  Hagearty,  USAR,  noted  that  "when  I  got  there  in 
May  I  found  the  Catholic  program  in  disarray  .  .  no  rosaries.  Bibles,  or  anything;  but  having  had 
French  I  learned  to  do  some  translating  into  Creole."" 

The  result  of  the  chaplains'  ministry  also  was  emotionally  taxing  at  times.  Chaplain  Patrick 
J.  Fletcher,  USAF,  told  of  a  16-year-old  Haitian  boy  who,  as  a  result  of  the  trauma  of  the  situation, 
kept  completely  to  himself  and  refiised  to  talk  to  anyone  in  any  language.  He  began  to  respond, 
however,  when  Chaplain  Fletcher  showed  him  some  attention  Chaplain  Fletcher  wrote:  "I  hugged 
him,  bringing  him  close  to  my  heart.  'You're  never  alone  God  is  always  with  you,'  I  told  him.  A 
tear  came  down  his  stone-like  face.  Next  day  he  volunteered  as  an  altar-boy.  After  Mass  he  said 
something  He  spoke  to  me  in  fluent  French — a  sign  of  education.  All  the  Haitians  around  us  were 
dumbfounded."'^ 


Camp  Problems 

Because  of  the  many  steps  involved  in  the  screening  process,  migrants  were  moved  from  camp 
to  camp  as  they  progressed.  Therefore,  one  of  the  important  ministries  of  the  religious  support  teams 
was  reuniting  families  who  had  gotten  separated  in  the  many  moves  Chaplain  Claude  Newby,  USA, 
assisted  personally  in  helping  families  visit  between  camps.  Chaplains  also  ministered  to  the  military 
police  who  had  to  provide  security.    Chaplain  James  McDonald,  USAR,  the  third  JTF  Chaplain, 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


203 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 

wrote;  "Chaplains  offered  encouragement,  support  and  a  listening  ear  to  the  security  police  who 
worked  long  hours  to  perform  a  humanitarian  mission.   This  was  not  a  POW  camp  "'' 

Another  frequently  encountered  problem  was  the  frustration  and  anger  among  the  migrants 
at  the  length  of  the  time  involved  in  the  screening  process.  Some  migrants  were  in  the  camps  for 
three  or  four  months  before  a  decision  was  made  on  their  status  Others  were  "screened- 
in" — selected  for  transport  to  the  US. — and  had  to  wait  months  for  an  available  flight  to  Miami 

Some  Haitians  gave  up  on  the  process  and  volunteered  for  repatriation  to  Haiti.  The  chaplains 
were  called  upon  to  counsel  them  because  some  had  a  "sense  of  shame  and  failure  for  not  having 
achieved  their  goal  of  being  'screened  in'  to  go  to  the  U.S."'" 

As  the  population  swelled  toward  12,325  in  the  last  week  of  January  1992,  another  1,500 
migrants  arrived,  and  there  were  reports  of  "too  many  boats  to  be  counted"  in  the  waters  of  Haiti. 
The  ministry  teams  and  camp  staff  braced  for  trouble  on  22  January,  when  a  court  hearing  on  the 
status  of  migrants  was  scheduled  During  this  period  of  time,  chaplains  and  chaplainassistants 
distributed  4,000  French  Bibles,  500  New  Testaments,  and  "a  few  thousand"  Psalm  books  to  help  the 
migrants  cope  with  the  situation  and  pass  the  time."' 

Ministry  to  military  personnel  (and  to  each  other)  continued  as  well.  The  Anny  Civil  Affairs 
personnel  responsible  for  the  camps  were  beginning  to  show  the  stress  of  long  hours  and  heavy 
responsibility,  and  counselling  for  stress  and  burnout  became  a  part  of  the  chaplains'  daily  routine. 
Many  of  the  statistical  reports  mentioned  volleyball,  basketball,  and  fishing  tournaments  organized 
by  the  chaplains  to  help  the  JTF  members  unwind. 

VIP  Visits 

A  visit  to  JTF  by  Admiral  Leon  A  Edney  and  General  Colin  Powell  the  second  week  of 
January  led  to  some  unexpected  ministry  opportunities  Chaplain  Fletcher  reported  that  pastoral 
presence  and  counseling  were  necessary  for  some  of  the  military  police  who  were  not  visited 
personally  by  Admiral  Edney  or  General  Powell — "they  felt  left  out  and  overlooked."'" 

Even  the  Martin  Luther  King,  Jr ,  memorial  service  held  on  20  January  increased  the  demand 
for  pastoral  services  because  it  was  made  a  mandatory  military  formation.  Navy  Chaplain  Timothy 
J.  Koester  reported  "increased  frustration  and  complaining  in  Harvest  Eagle"  or,  more  specifically, 
"complaints  about  being  forced  to  attend  a  religious  ceremony.""' 

The  migrant  population  peaked  at  12,325  during  the  week  of  27  January  to  2  February  1992. 
Twenty  worship  services  were  conducted  in  the  migrant  camps  that  week,  "a  record  high,"  despite 
several  complications  A  shortage  of  vehicles  assigned  to  the  Chaplains  Section  caused  great 
difficulty  in  the  coordination  of  transportation  A  chicken  pox  epidemic  on  two  cutters  resulted  in 
the  removal  of  all  the  migrants  from  the  two  ships  to  quarantine  in  Camp  V,  where  chaplains  and 
chaplain  assistants  who  had  not  had  the  disease  were  barred  from  entry. 

Dr  Benjamin  Hooks,  head  of  the  National  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Colored 
People,  visited  the  migrant  camps  at  this  time,  but  his  visit  was  not  announced  to  the  Haitians 
Chaplain  Fletcher,  however,  informed  the  migrants  at  Camp  Buckeley,  more  than  500  turned  out  to 
see  Dr.  Hooks. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 204 

Also  at  this  time,  the  ehaplain/chaplain  assistant  assignment  process  was  reorganized,  and 
chaplains  and  their  assistants  were  granted  one  day  off  each  week  The  term  "religious  support 
team"  was  adopted  as  the  official  designation  of  the  chaplain/enlisted  ministry  unit. 


Repatriation  Stress 

February  1 992,  began  with  a  major  storm  blowing  through  Guantanamo,  bringing  high  winds 
that  tore  down  and  flooded  tents  in  the  migrant  camps.  The  population  began  to  decline  as  court 
rulings  lifted  the  restraining  order  and  allowed  repatriation  of  the  migrants  to  resume.  Chaplains  were 
called  upon  to  calm  disturbances  in  the  camps  when  it  was  learned  that  a  group  of  screened-out 
migrants  were  told  that  they  were  going  to  the  hospital  for  medical  tests.  Once  on  the  bus,  they  were 
informed  that  they  were  instead  going  to  the  cutters  for  repatriation  The  effects  of  this  event 
continued  to  be  seen  weeks  later.  Migrants  awaiting  flights  to  Miami  sought  assurance  from  the 
chaplains  that  they  were  indeed  going  to  Miami  and  not  back  to  Haiti 

Religious  support  teams  in  Camp  IV  were  called  upon  to  work  overtime  dealing  with  despair 
and  disappointment  among  the  residents,  all  of  whom  were  scheduled  for  repatriation.  An  ecumenical 
service  for  all  migrants  was  held  to  commemorate  the  anniversary  of  Jean-Bertrand  Aristide's  election. 

Seven  new  chaplains  and  a  like  number  of  assistants  arrived  to  begin  ministry,  and 
opportunities  quickly  presented  themselves  as  camp  rules  became  more  restrictive.  Sealed  letters 
were  no  longer  allowed  to  be  passed  between  camps,  only  open  postcards  were  permitted,  and 
chaplains  were  no  longer  allowed  to  deliver  cards  directly  from  one  migrant  to  another.  Instead,  all 
mail  had  to  be  placed  in  a  box  in  the  camp  commander's  tent. 

In  Camp  III,  sick  migrants  went  unfed  for  several  days  because  they  were  unable  to  stand  in 
the  food  line  and  the  food  service  crews  would  not  allow  anyone  to  take  food  to  them.  Fortunately, 
chaplains  were  able  to  intervene  quickly  and  resolve  the  issue  of  food  service.  The  illnesses  were 
harder  to  cure  Chaplain  David  McClary,  USAR,  noted  and  documented  cases  of  tuberculosis, 
chicken  pox,  AIDS,  and  cancer  in  his  camp  along  with  "starving  children."  He  said  he  felt  like  a 
missionary  just  trying  to  save  lives."'' 

Migrants  continued  to  fear  repatriation.  One  jumped  overboard  from  a  cutter,  clutching  his 
Bible,  preferring  to  die  rather  than  to  return  to  Haiti.  He  was  rescued  by  the  Coast  Guard,  and 
returned  to  Haiti.  On  the  other  hand,  many  of  the  migrants  "screened  in"  to  go  to  the  United  States 
had  never  flown  on  an  airplane  before  and  were  afraid,  so  chaplains  began  accompanying  them  to  the 
airplanes. 

On  the  positive  side,  an  ecumenical  JTF  Choir  was  formed,  and  on  23  February  a  Religious 
Praise  Concert  was  held  at  the  main  open-air  theater  for  all  Naval  Station  residents.  The  JTF  Mass 
Choir  and  the  United  Jamaican  Fellowship — whose  members  were  contract  employees  of  the  Navy 
or  of  civilian  contract  agencies — sang  for  an  hour  and  a  half  for  more  than  500  appreciative 
spectators. 

The  professional  relationship  between  JTF  chaplains  and  the  government  civilian  agencies 
processing  the  migrants  was  demonstrated  by  the  fact  that  when  several  migrants  volunteered  to 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


205 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 

return  to  Haiti,  Immigration  and  Naturalization  Service  officers  asked  JTF  chaplains  to  counsel  with 
them  first.  The  INS  wanted  to  be  sure  they  had  considered  their  decisions  careHilly. 

Ministry  to  JTF  personnel  was  enhanced  by  the  erection  of  a  chapel  tent  at  Camp  Harvest 
Eagle.  This  eliminated  the  need  to  beg  or  borrow  space  for  Sunday  services  Chaplain  Phillip  Spence 
fi"om  the  503rd  Military  Police  Battalion  borrowed  a  hymn  player  from  Fort  Bragg  to  supplement  the 
music  available  for  these  worship  services. 

Boredom  and  stress  among  the  military  personnel  began  to  increase  as  the  migrant  population 
decreased,  leading  several  chaplains  to  express  concern  over  "drinking,  bad  language,  noise  at  night 
and  sexual  behavior"  in  the  US  Forces'  camp,  in  the  words  of  Chaplain  DeBlieux  "'  To  create 
alternative  activities,  the  JTF  religious  support  teams  and  the  base  chapel  combined  for  a  joint  picnic, 
and  JTF  Chaplains  Section  personnel  organized  a  Mardi  Gras  carnival  for  the  Haitian  children  at 
Camp  Bulkeley.  Chaplain  F.M.  Belue  from  the  3rd  Special  Forces  Group  at  Fort  Bragg  secured  more 
than  100  soccer  balls  from  Navy  supply  for  three  Haitian  camps.  Chaplains  organized  competitive 
soccer  games  between  the  Haitian  camps.  "The  Haitians  loved  the  sport  though  they  played  without 
shoes  because  they  had  none,"  one  chaplain  recalled.""^ 

With  the  beginning  of  repatriation  came  screening  for  the  HIV  virus  of  those  hopeflil  of  going 
to  Miami.  Those  Haitians  testing  positive  were  housed  at  Camp  Bulkeley,  and  chaplains  were  called 
upon  increasingly  to  counsel  military  personnel  afraid  of  contracting  AIDS  from  the  Haitians. 
Chaplain  Arthur  "Ben"  Salinero,  USAR,  the  only  chaplain  to  serve  two  tours  at  Guantanamo,  worked 
with  many  of  these  support  personnel    Chaplain  Salinero  wrote: 

When  my  ministry  to  the  Haitians  began,  other  chaplains  were  completing  their  90- 
day  commitments  I  noticed  that  the  Haitians  were  completely  drained — physically, 
mentally,  emotionally  and  spiritually.  Some  were  justifiably  angry  with  the  system 
that  was  separating  some  families.  Some  were  being  sent  to  one  part  of  the  United 
States,  some  to  other  parts,  and  some  back  to  Haiti.  The  nature  of  a  chaplain  is  to  be 
compassionate  and  it  was  hard  to  accept  families  being  torn  apart.  But  to  be  fair,  the 
confiasion  was  not  completely  of  our  own  making.  Much  of  the  confijsion  was 
culturally  induced  by  the  names  the  Haitians  used,  it  seemed  that  everybody  was  a 
part  of  somebody  else's  family. 

My  ministry  to  Camp  V  was  interesting.  The  camps  were  filled  with  Haitians  wearing 
brightly  colored  clothing.  Children  played  in  the  camps.  Water  came  from  water 
buffaloes.  The  meals  consisted  of  oatmeal  in  the  morning,  fruit  for  lunch,  and  dinner 
consisted  of  black  or  red  beans  and  rice  The  camps  were  surrounded  by  barbed  wire 
for  control  purposes.  The  Haitians  would  bathe  openly. 

Three  or  four  times  a  week  we  held  worship  services  in  two  GP  medium  tents  that 
were  latched  together  It  was  not  unusual  for  a  service  to  last  two  hours  because  they 
loved  to  sing,  praise  God  and  pray.  It  was  here  that  I  found  that  the  musical 
instruments  I  brought  were  worth  their  weight  in  gold.    Over  the  next  90  days,  I 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 206 

learned  to  be  a  pretty  good  drummer  on  the  bongos    Occasionally  a  prayer  service 
would  last  all  night  long.  This  too  was  an  eye  opener  to  a  pastor,  to  be  in  a 
service  where  the  congregation  was  not  watching  the  clock  to  see  when  the  service 
would  be  over  -' 

By  1  March,  24  chaplains  and  20  chaplain  assistants  were  in  place  as  the  migrant  population 
continued  to  decline,  dropping  below  3,000.  Redeployment  plans  were  set  into  motion,  and  eleven 
chaplains  and  nine  assistants  departed  in  the  month  of  March.  Camp  IV  was  emptied  and  closed,  and 
all  non-HIV  residents  were  moved  out  of  Camp  Bulkeiey 

While  the  population  was  decreasing,  the  challenges  to  the  ministry  teams  were  not. 
Counseling  with  HIV-positive  migrants  increased,  since  chaplains  were  both  able  to  obtain  answers 
and  information  for  the  migrants  and  willing  to  spend  the  time  talking  to  the  migrants,  answering  their 
questions  and  passing  along  the  information 

The  first  case  of  AIDS-related  dementia,  an  attempted  suicide,  was  reported  the  week  of  8 
March,  causing  great  concern  in  Camp  Bulkeiey,  to  which  the  religious  support  teams  responded. 
Following  the  departure  for  Miami  of  the  last  plane-load  of  screened-in  migrants,  the  Marines 
instituted  a  lock-down  in  Camp  Bulkeiey  to  prevent  disturbances,  which  in  itself  created  a  disturbance 
as  the  non-HIVs  interpreted  the  lock-down  as  a  sign  that  they  had  become  infected  too. 

The  arrival  of  additional  Public  Health  Service  workers  with  information  about  AIDS  in  the 
Creole  language  helped  alleviate  some  of  the  chaplains'  workload  with  the  Haitians,  but  equally 
pressing  was  the  need  to  counsel  military  personnel  fearfijl  of  acquiring  AIDS  from  working  with  the 
migrants.  Chaplain  Fletcher  pointed  out  that  the  Spring  1988  issue  of  the  Military  Chaplains  Review, 
concerning  AIDS,  was  a  valuable  resource  in  counseling  both  the  Haitians  and  the  military  support 
personnel. 

On  March  25,  a  rainstorm  accompanied  by  55-60  mph  winds  dumped  two  inches  of  rain  on 
the  camps,  knocking  down  ten  tents  and  damaging  fourteen  of  them  This  caused  a  loss  of  much  of 
the  personal  property  the  migrants  had  which  was  minimal  to  begin  with,  and  created  another  morale 
crisis  among  the  migrants.  In  addition,  some  migrants  who  had  been  in  the  camps  since  November 
were  still  waiting  to  leave.  Religious  support  teams  procured  more  clothing  for  the  migrants  and 
continued  efforts  to  get  INS  personnel  to  address  the  camps  regarding  reasons  for  the  delay  in 
moving  people  out. 

Meanwhile,  stress  levels  were  rising  among  the  military  personnel  as  well.  Chaplain  James 
J.  Madden,  an  Army  Reservist,  reported  that  the  "attitude  of  the  military  appears  to  be  changing  from 
viewing  Haitians  as  migrants  to  (viewing  them  as)  detained  persons,"  and  the  military  personnel 
therefore  became  more  aggressive  in  their  treatment  of  the  Haitians.'*  Fatigue,  burnout,  and  alcohol 
appeared  much  more  frequently  on  counselling  statistics  during  this  period,  and  the  ministry  teams 
took  action  to  reduce  stress  and  create  diversions  Four  "Chaplains  Challenge"  fishing  trips  were 
held,  as  was  a  "Chaplains  Challenge"  volleyball  tournament. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


207 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 

Continuing  Support 

During  all  this  time,  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  continued  to  conduct  or  facilitate  a  full 
schedule  of  worship  services  In  most  camps  services  were  a  daily  event  Catholic  services  were 
conducted  with  the  aid  of  linguists  and  occasionally  a  visiting  Creole-speaking  priest.  Protestant 
services  were  usually  conducted  by  a  native  pastor,  with  the  chaplains  and  assistants  in  attendance. 
Chaplains  would  frequently  preach,  either  in  French  or  in  Creole,  if  they  spoke  either  language,  or 
with  the  help  of  an  interpreter  or  linguist.  Protestant  services  generally  involved  a  great  deal  of 
singing,  prayer,  exhorting,  and  personal  testimony,  and  lasted  from  two  to  three  hours.  Chaplain 
Bernard  Lieving,  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Chaplain,  even  purchased  a  set  of  bongo  drums  and  flew 
them  to  GTMO  at  FORSCOM's  request  so  the  Haitians  could  use  them  with  their  singing.  Religious 
support  personnel  generally  spent  10  to  15  hours  a  week  or  more  in  worship  services,  in  addition  to 
counselling,  problem-solving  and  their  ministry  of  presence. 

As  March  drew  to  a  close,  the  JTF  prepared  to  shut  down.  Occupants  of  Camp  V  were 
moved  to  Camp  III  in  a  consolidation  move  and  Camp  V  was  closed.  Chaplains  and  chaplain 
assistants  prepared  the  migrants  for  the  move,  meeting  with  elected  camp  leaders  and  religious  leaders 
to  discuss  the  transition  and  to  head  off  any  conflict  between  the  leaders  over  their  respective 
positions  in  the  new  camp. 

Then,  once  again,  the  courts  intervened  Once  again  repatriation  was  halted,  screening  for 
HIV  was  prohibited,  and  the  camps  began  to  fill  up  again.  Camp  V,  which  was  closed  the  week  of 
30  March,  was  reopened  the  week  of  6  April  Two  more  chaplains  had  departed,  and  the  weekly 
report  for  12  April  noted  a  shortage  of  chaplains. 

The  religious  support  teams  covering  Camp  II  noted  logistical  problems  in  providing  services 
because  the  camp  was  divided  into  three  areas:  one  section  for  HlVs,  one  area  for  screened-ins,  and 
one  section  for  unaccompanied  children.  The  sections  could  not  be  combined.  In  a  related  issue, 
some  of  the  linguists  complained  that  some  of  the  children  had  lied  about  their  ages,  claiming  to  be 
younger  than  they  were  in  order  to  remain  in  the  children's  camp,  and  they  were  disrupting  the  school 
classes.  The  linguists  expressed  frustration  at  not  being  allowed  to  physically  discipline  the  disruptive 
students. 

In  Camp  III  another  crisis  arose  with  the  removal  of  all  HIV  positives  to  Camp  Bulkeley. 
Chaplains  reported  "hysteria"  and  "grief  in  the  camp  after  the  HIV  sufferers  were  notified  of  their 
condition.  Chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  had  their  hands  full  counselling  the  Haitians,  both  those 
who  learned  of  their  illness,  and  their  families  and  friends  from  whom  they  would  be  separated.  A 
diagnosis  of  HIV  also  eliminated  migrants  who  were  already  screened  in — screened-outs  were  not 
tested — from  going  to  the  United  States.  Grief  counseling  also  was  necessary  for  some  of  the  military 
staff"  who  had  developed  friendships  with  the  migrants  and  were  overwhelmed  to  learn  of  their  friends' 
conditions.  Additional  problems  faced  by  ministry  teams  in  Camp  III  included  strife  between  long- 
term  residents  and  newcomers  because  of  the  fear  that  the  newcomers  would  go  to  Miami  first. 

Many  of  the  native  pastors  were  lost  to  repatriation  or  transfer  to  Miami.  This  situation 
increased  the  need  for  chaplain  support  and  hindered  the  provision  of  migrant  worship  services. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 208 

The  rapid  increase  in  the  migrant  population,  moreover,  overstrained  the  mihtary  staff  still 
crippled  by  the  drawdown.  Stress,  fatigue,  burnout,  and  alcohol  and  drug  abuse  counseling  were 
mentioned  frequently  in  the  chaplains'  weekly  reports. 

The  ministry  of  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  expanded  in  an  interesting  direction  the 
week  of  20  -  26  April,  when  LT  Michael  J.  Parisi,  Jr.,  CHC,  USN,  was  invited  to  accompany  Haitian 
repatriates  to  Haiti  aboard  the  Coast  Guard  Cutters  Tampa  and  Vigilant  While  underway,  he  was 
also  invited  aboard  the  Colombian  Corvette  Caldas  to  hold  Mass  He  returned  to  the  Caldas  the 
following  week  as  the  corvette  paid  a  visit  to  Guantanamo  Chaplain  Victor  Tadeo,  USA, 
accompanied  258  migrants  on  the  U.S.  Coast  Guard  Cutter  Bear  to  Port  Au  Prince,  ministering  both 
to  them  and  to  the  crew.  His  assistant.  Specialist  D.  A.  Young,  who  taught  English  to  Haitian 
children,  witnessed  to  the  sailors  while  Father  Tadeo  said  Mass. 

By  the  second  week  of  May,  most  of  the  veteran  religious  support  team  had  been 
"repatriated,"  and  the  first  of  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  that  would  see  the  Task  Force 
through  the  second  drawdown  began  to  arrive  Chaplains  began  suicide  counseling  for  Haitians,  and 
briefings  on  Haitian  culture  and  customs  were  provided  for  incoming  Chaplain  Section  personnel 
The  subdivision  of  Camp  II  continued  to  create  problems  for  ministry  to  unaccompanied  children  and 
mV  patients 

Chaplain  Gloria  Taylor  and  Airman  First  Class  Leslie  Quiroz,  USAF,  began  a  school  for 
unaccompanied  Haitian  minors,  holding  class  5  days  a  week  for  an  average  of  100  children  a  day. 
They  also  began  an  intensive  program  of  counseling  for  the  Haitian  orphans. 

By  24  May  eleven  chaplains  and  eight  assistants  were  present  to  help,  and  five  services  a  day 
were  offered.  Bible  studies  and  a  mid-week  service  were  started  at  Harvest  Eagle  by  Chaplain  Phillip 
E.  Spence,  USA,  and  Lieutenant  Thomas  J.  Love,  CHC,  USN,  both  deployed  with  their  assigned 
units,  who  provided  the  first  full-time  chaplain  coverage  for  the  military  camp.  That  week,  the 
number  of  military  counselling  cases  surpassed  the  number  of  Haitians  counselled,  probably  as  a  result 
of  the  increased  coverage  at  Camp  Harvest  Eagle. 

The  following  week,  the  migrant  population  topped  1 1,000  and  Camp  VI,  housing  those 
screened  out,  was  seething  with  discontent.  Chaplains  ended  a  hunger  strike  by  serving  as  mediators 
between  the  camp  military  staff  and  the  migrants,  allowing  the  migrants'  concerns  to  be  heard.  The 
ministry  teams  distributed  four  boxes  of  clothes,  ten  boxes  of  toys,  200  soccer  balls  and  basketballs, 
165  rosaries,  102  scapulars  and  75  hymn  books  to  the  migrants.  At  the  same  time,  the  lack  of 
linguists  proved  frustrating  to  the  ministry  teams  and  migrants  alike,  hampering  ministry  efforts 
because  of  the  language  barrier. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


209 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 

A  Termination  Order 

On  29  May,  President  Bush  ordered  the  camps  closed  as  soon  as  possible  and  directed  the 
Coast  Guard  to  return  all  boat  people  directly  to  Haiti  rather  than  bringing  them  to  Guantanamo 
Although  the  migrant  population  had  reached  more  than  12,500,  the  days  of  the  Joint  Task  Force 
were  numbered,  and  redeployment  plans  were  once  again  drawn  up.  Chaplain  James  McDonald, 
successor  to  Chaplain  Graham  as  the  JTF  Staff  Chaplain,  arrived  in  time  to  supervise  the 
redeployment  ministry. 

Hospital  work  took  on  increasing  importance  as  the  number  of  hospitalized  HIV  sufferers 
increased,  and  Chaplain  Hilarion  Mikalofsky,  USAF,  was  assigned  to  the  hospital  ministry  One  of 
his  first  accomplishments  in  that  role  was  to  establish  an  interface  with  the  INS  and  the  Community 
Relations  Service  in  order  to  cross-check  patient  records  against  the  INS  "No  Show"  list  Prior  to 
this,  migrants  missing  interviews  were  automatically  repatriated.  Chaplain  Mikalofsky's  action 
prevented  migrants  from  being  repatriated  simply  because  they  were  too  ill  to  appear  for  interviews. 

Chaplain  Curtis  Cadenhead  and  SSG  Rolf  Holmquist,  USAF,  began  classes  on  American 
language  and  customs  for  screened-in  Haitians,  and  Chaplain  Evie  L  Pritchett,  ARNG,  began 
accompanying  screened-out  migrants  to  the  Coast  Guard  cutters  to  provide  pastoral  care  for  those 
going  back  to  Haiti  As  a  result,  he  was  invited  to  hold  Sunday  service  aboard  USCGC  Confidence^ 
From  this  opening.  Coast  Guard  District  Chaplain  CDR  Robert  Adair,  USN,  and  JTF  Command 
Chaplain  James  L  McDonald,  USAR,  were  able  to  establish  a  program  of  sending  chaplains  and,  in 
some  cases,  assistants,  on  each  cutter  taking  migrants  back  to  Haiti  for  the  duration  of  the 
operation  -' 

Seven  cases  of  clothes  were  received  from  the  Army's  2nd  Battalion,  3d  Special  Forces 
Family  Support  Group,  and  over  the  next  two  weeks  more  than  eleven  boxes  of  clothing,  13  boxes 
of  shoes,  2  boxes  of  toys,  12  volleyballs,  12  soccer  balls,  2  basketballs,  20  decks  of  cards,  78  rosaries, 
75  scapulars,  56  English  Bibles,  and  50  hyinn  books  were  distributed  to  migrants.  Lieutenant  Stephen 
J  Gergel,  CHC,  USN,  ensured  that  every  migrant  at  Camp  Bulkeley  received  a  new  pair  of  shoes  and 
new  underwear.  Chaplain  Charles  B.  Hagearty,  USAR,  completed  his  personal  project — the  first 
known  translation  of  the  Mass  into  colloquial  Haitian  Creole. 

Camp  V  closed  for  good  during  the  week  of  14  June,  allowing  chaplains  and  chaplain 
assistants  to  spend  more  time  on  the  docks  ministering  to  repatriates,  and  accompanying  screened-ins 
to  their  flights  to  Miami.  Chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  continued  to  accompany  cutters  to  Haiti, 
providing  counseling  not  only  for  migrants,  but  also  for  the  Coast  Guard  crews,  many  of  whom  had 
been  on  migrant  interdiction  duty  for  more  than  three  months  Just  how  emotionally  draining  was 
this  duty  was  brought  home  in  a  dramatic  way  by  an  attempted  suicide  on  one  of  the  cutters. 

Migrant  fiustrations  over  living  conditions,  the  slow  process  of  screening,  and  the  failure  of 
most  to  achieve  screened-in  status,  compounded  by  the  summer  heat,  led  to  increasing  incidence  of 
demonstrations  in  the  camps.  More  than  once,  worship  services  were  interrupted  by  demonstrations. 
Chaplain  HA  Mikalofsky,  Chaplain  Allen  L.  Heckman  and  Sergeant  Theresa  Wilcox,  USAF,  and 
Chaplain  Phillip  M  Armstrong  and  Sr  A  Michael  E.  Dryer,  also  USAF,  each  found  themself  at  some 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 210 

point  surrounded  by  angry  mobs.  In  each  case,  the  ministry  teams  were  able  to  calm  the  crowd  and 
prevent  confrontation  between  migrants  and  camp  staff. 

Because  of  the  trust  established  between  the  migrants  and  the  religious  support  teams,  the 
Army  Forces  commander  requested  increased  chaplain  presence  in  the  camps.  Everyone  was  needed 
to  quell  the  epidemic  of  rock  throwing  and  camp  disruption. 

By  21  June,  all  the  camps  except  III  (screened  in),  VII  (the  disciplinary  camp),  and  Bulkeley 
(HIVs)  had  been  closed  and  most  of  the  chaplains  had  departed.  The  migrant  population  was  less 
than  1,500,  and  all  repatriation  had  been  completed  Chaplain  Gergel,  and  Lieutenant  Diane  Comer, 
CHC,  USN,  along  with  Religious  Program  Specialist  One  Henry  W.  Boatright,  USN,  were  tasked 
to  remain  after  dissolution  of  the  Joint  Task  Force  to  continue  their  ministry  at  Camp  Bulkeley.  The 
remaining  chaplains  turned  their  focus  to  remaining  military  personnel  for  whom  the  frustrations  and 
stress  of  dealing  with  the  migrants  was  replaced  by  the  frustration  and  stress  of  trying  to  get  home. 

In  the  early  stage  of  the  final  push  to  redeploy,  cargo  took  precedence  over  people  on  many 
flights,  and  some  personnel,  particularly  medical,  religious  support,  and  other  personnel  who  had  not 
deployed  with  large  units,  found  themselves  bumped  from  flights  two  or  three  times  before  finally 
departing.  Many  of  the  JTF  personnel,  especially  the  503rd  MPs  ft"om  Fort  Bragg,  also  had  served 
in  Operation  Just  Cause,  Operations  Desert  Shield  and  Desert  Storm,  and  in  the  Hurricane  Andrew 
relief  effort.  Chaplain  Armstrong  reported  that  some  JTF  members  had  not  spent  Christmas  at  home 
in  over  four  years,  and  the  delays  in  returning  them  home  when  the  job  was  done  gave  the  counseling 
skills  of  the  few  remaining  chaplains  "quite  a  workout." 

The  week  of  29  June  saw  responsibilities  of  religious  support  teams  changing  daily.  As  soon 
as  a  team  would  be  assigned  to  a  particular  ministry,  its  members  would  receive  plane  tickets  and 
assignments  would  have  to  be  shuffled  again.  Services  continued  at  the  Harvest  Eagle  Chapel  and 
in  Camp  III,  whose  population  was  now  below  500. 

The  Camp  Bulkeley  chaplains  continued  to  deal  with  serious  issues,  including  a  prison  camp 
atmosphere  created  by  the  camp  staff,  and  a  shortage  of  information  in  Creole  on  AIDS  and  its 
effects.  Chaplain  Comer  obtained  an  additional  supply  of  HIV  and  AIDS  information  for  use  in 
counseling  the  patients  and  their  families.  Chaplain  Gergel  assisted  the  Seabees  in  establishing  an 
activity  center  at  Camp  Bulkeley  and  in  installing  playground  equipment.  Chaplain  Gergel  also 
obtained  new  gym  shorts  and  T-shirts  for  every  resident  in  the  Camp.  Chaplain  Comer's  planned 
puppet  ministry  with  the  children  had  to  be  abandoned,  however,  on  the  advice  of  native  pastors  who 
felt  there  was  too  great  a  chance  that  the  migrants  would  associate  the  puppets  with  voodoo. 

By  the  long  Fourth-of-July  weekend,  most  of  the  tents  were  gone  from  Camp  III,  and  the 
concertina  wire  had  been  rolled  up.  The  fewer  than  300  migrants  remaining  in  the  camp  were  all 
awaiting  flights  to  Miami  and  posed  no  threat  of  either  disturbance  or  escape.  The  camp  staff,  joined 
by  Lieutenant  Randolph  C  Nolen,  CHC,  USN,  Assistant  JTF  Command  Chaplain,  engaged  the 
migrants  in  a  softball  game,  and  then  escorted  them,  free  of  the  concertina  wire  for  the  first  time  in 
months,  to  McCalla  Hill  overlooking  the  bay  where  they  were  served  popcorn  and  soft  drinks,  and 
watched  the  Fourth-of-July  fireworks. 

By  8  July,  McCalla  Airfield,  which  a  month  earlier  sported  a  sea  of  olive  canvas  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  see,  housing  nearly  13,000  migrants,  was  once  again  an  abandoned  airfield.   The  tents  were 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    Haitian    Tent    Compounds;     (Bottom)    Chaplain  James   L.    McDonald 
(above    cross)    leads    unit   ministry    teams    in    worship   at   Guantanamo 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 212 

gone,  and  the  last  plane-load  of  migrants  awaited  their  flight  to  Miami  in  a  camp  beside  the  road, 
bounded  only  by  string  Camp  Harvest  Eagle  was  a  ghost  town — a  shadow  of  its  former  2,000- 
inhabitant  self,  well  on  the  way  to  reverting  to  its  previous  life  as  Phillips  Park.  Logistics  crews  were 
dismantling  fourteen  tents  a  day  and  packing  them  for  transport  home  Since  1  February,  23,800 
migrants  had  been  repatriated  and  10,390  had  been  sent  to  the  US,  where  they  faced  another  round 
of  interviews  and  the  possibility  that  they  yet  might  be  sent  back  to  Haiti. 


Measuring  Ministry 

In  the  seven  and  one-half  months  of  JTFs  existence,  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants 
conducted  563  Catholic  services,  975  Protestant  services,  four  ecumenical  services,  and  one  Jewish 
service  Cumulative  attendance  (Haitian  and  military)  for  the  Catholic  services  was  53,303 — an 
average  of  95  per  service.  For  the  Protestant  services  it  was  137,974,  or  142  per  service.  Six 
hundred  fifteen  attended  the  four  ecumenical  services  ( 1 54  per  service)  and  two  attended  the  Jewish 
service.  Attendance  at  services  for  the  military  staff  averaged  less  than  twenty  per  service.  Catholic 
or  Protestant — most  of  the  numbers  above  reflect  ministry  to  Haitians.  The  numbers  may  seem 
confusing  in  light  of  the  fact  that  Haitians  are  75-80%  Catholic  and  20-25%  Protestant,  but  it  should 
be  remembered  that  there  was  always  a  preponderance  of  Protestant  chaplains,  hence  many  more 
services,  and  that  many  Haitians  attended  both  Protestant  and  Catholic  services.  In  addition, 
chaplains  conducted  1 1,606  counseling  sessions  with  military  personnel  (including  each  other)  and 
13,429  with  the  Haitians.  There  were  four  funerals  and  one  baptism. 

Chaplains  and  assistants  distributed  over  1,000  religious  articles,  including  rosaries,  scapulars. 
Bibles,  New  Testaments  and  songbooks,  and  over  a  ton  of  clothing,  shoes,  and  new  toys.  Much  of 
this  was  provided  by  the  residents  of  Naval  Station  Guantanamo  whose  sacrifices  and  contributions 
to  the  migrant  relief  eflFort,  both  before  and  during  the  tenure  of  the  Joint  Task  Force,  have  gone 
largely  unsung  and  unacknowledged.  Their  efforts  were  certainly  not  unappreciated  by  the  ministry 
teams  and  support  personnel,  as  well  as  by  the  migrants  themselves. 

For  the  50  chaplains  and  41  chaplain  assistants  of  all  services  and  components  that  were 
attached,  at  one  time  or  another,  to  Joint  Task  Force  Guantanamo  Bay,  overall  it  was  a  sobering 
experience.  A  few  after-action  reports  lamented  a  lack  of  cooperation  and  communication  among 
chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants;  most  praised  the  high  level  of  professionalism,  cooperation, 
communication,  and  caring  among  the  religious  support  teams.  Many  chaplains  wondered  just  how 
humane  the  humanitarian  actions  were,  and  most  questioned  the  prisonlike  atmosphere  of  the  camps 
with  their  concertina  wire  and  guard  sheds  and  the  excessive  control  exerted  on  the  migrants  who 
were  guests  and  not  prisoners.  And  many  conversations  wandered  to  speculation  and  wonder  at  the 
depths  of  poverty  or  desperation  that  would  drive  people  to  risk  their  lives  on  the  open  sea  in  leaky 
wooden  boats,  caulked  with  little  more  than  rope  and  heavy  paint.  The  boat  people  sought,  in  many 
cases,  a  new  life  for  themselves  and  their  families;  in  some  cases,  freedom  from  persecution;  and  in 
a  few  instances,  just  the  chance  to  live  in  the  camps  where,  as  grim  as  conditions  were,  life  was  better 
than  what  they  had  left  in  Haiti. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


213 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 

The  ministry  was  demanding,  exhausting,  constant,  and  intense  It  was  challenging,  exciting, 
and  emotionally  wrenching  Chaplain  Robert  C  Collins,  USAF,  likened  the  crowded,  constantly- 
changing  atmosphere  in  the  camps  to  "ministry  in  a  bus  station,"  and  Lieutenant  Edward  C.  Domme, 
CHC,  USN,  commented  that  "ministry  of  presence  will,  with  time,  open  up  avenues  and  ideals  yet 
unexplored  or  unrealized  "'"' 

Avenues  yet  unexplored,  unrealized,  unimagined  did  open  up  for  religious  support  teams. 
Time  and  again  the  stamina,  creativity,  dedication,  and  initiative  of  the  ministry  teams  were  tested, 
and  they  passed  the  test.  The  work  of  the  religious  support  teams  with  the  migrants,  in  the  camps, 
was  a  significant  factor  in  the  successful  completion  of  the  Joint  Task  Force's  mission. 

At  the  direction  of  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain,  the  JTF  Staff  Chaplains  from  Army  components 
prepared  a  list  of  recommendations  for  ministry  in  joint  operations  involving  overseas  humanitarian 
assistance.  Among  these  recommendations  were: 

•  Prior  to  deployment,  joint  ministry  teams  must  receive  training  in  joint 
doctrine,  indigenous  cultural  and  religious  traditions,  language,  and  history, 
and  any  special  medical  skills  needed,  such  as  methods  of  ministering  to 
infectious  counselees  and  patients.  Training  in  suicide  prevention  and  care  of 
minors  should  be  considered  as  well 

•  Each  service.  Army,  Navy,  or  Air  Force,  represented  in  country  should  have 
a  senior  chaplain  to  handle  unique  service  personnel,  supply,  and 
administration  tasks  for  the  JTF  Staff  Chaplain.  Transportation  requests  and 
vehicle  requirements  must  be  prepared  early. 

•  Religious  support  teams  should  maintain  their  service  integrity  wherever  and 
whenever  possible. 

•  Personnel  qualified  for  immediate  deployment  overseas,  especially  from  the 
Reserve  and  National  Guard  Component,  must  be  identified  in  advance  of 
alert  notification 

•  Supplies  should  be  stockpiled  and  the  personnel  system  streamlined  to 
facilitate  a  rapid  deployment  of  unit  ministry  teams.  JTF  operations  should 
have  a  continuously  updated  mobilization  and  deployment  plan  even  for  small- 
sized  operations. 

•  The  supporting  major  command  should  designate  a  senior  chaplain  to  be  the 
point  of  contact  for  the  JTF  Staff  Chaplain's  concerns  involving  JTF  personnel 
replacement,  communications,  finance  and  pay  complaints,  and  awards  and 
decorations 

•  Dated  religious  literature,  for  support  of  Roman  Catholic  worship  for 
example,  must  be  included  in  advance  ecclesiastical  supply  planning.  Hymn 
players  or  field  organs  should  be  considered  as  necessities,  not  as  luxuries. 

•  Records  and  files  of  JTF  religious  support  efforts,  to  include  after  action 
reports  and  lessons  learned  must  be  maintained  for  consideration  by  future 
planners.^' 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTAN AMO  2 1 4 


After  he  read  the  reports  of  the  ministry  in  Cuba,  Chaplain  David  Peterson,  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain, 
wrote,  "Christian  worship  is  a  worldwide  common  denominator.  The  refugees  were  scared  and  did 
not  trust  anyone.  They  did,  however,  trust  the  cross  on  the  collar  of  the  Chaplain  Significant 
contributions  were  made  by  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  in  calming,  controlling,  persuading  and 
carefully  filling  the  time  of  migrants.  Operation  GTMO  will  serve  as  a  model  JTF  operation  "'" 

As  the  Joint  Task  Force  mission  ended,  on  a  hill  above  Guantanamo  two  chaplains  and  a 
chaplain  assistant  remained  to  provide  spiritual  and  emotional  support  to  some  200  HIV-positive 
migrants  and  their  families  The  ministry  begun  by  the  Joint  Task  Force  ministry  teams,  and  by  the 
Naval  Station  Chapel  staff  before  them,  continued  In  Miami,  10,000  Haitians  whose  lives  were 
touched  by  that  ministry  faced  another  round  of  interviews,  followed  by  either  deportation,  or  an 
uncertain  future  in  a  land  of  strange  customs  and  a  strange  language  And  in  Haiti,  another  20,000 
migrants  whose  lives  were  also  touched  by  that  ministry  faced  economic  struggle  and  political 
turmoil.  ^^ 


CHAPLAINS  ASSIGNED  TO 
JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO  BAY 

(NOTE:  In  the  list  that  follows,  as  in  the  article  above,  the  initials  USN,  USA,  and  USAF  are  used 
to  denote  the  branch  of  service  of  active-duty  chaplains,  and  (Res)  is  used  to  denote  Reservists  on 
temporary  active  duty.  It  does  not  diflFerentiate  between  active-duty  chaplains  holding  Reserve 
commissions  and  those  holding  regular  commissions  ) 

Almendras,  Joel  J.,  ILT,  USA  (Res) 
Armstrong,  Phillip  M  ,  Capt,  USAF 
Belue,  Francis  M.,  CPT,  USA 
Borlang,  Stephen  M.,  ILt,  USAF 
Cadenhead,  Curtis,  C,  Maj,  USAF 
Carr,  Nathanael  A  ,  CPT,  USA  (Res) 
Clarke,  Winston  M  ,  MAJ,  USA 
Clegg,  Timothy  W  ,  Capt,  USAF 
Collins,  Robert,  C,  Capt,  USAF 
Cromer,  Diane  M  ,  LT,  USN 
De  Blieux,  Earl  V  ,  LtCol,  USAF 
Domme,  Edward  C,  LT,  USN 
Fletcher,  Patrick  J.,  Capt,  USAF 
Garment,  Stanley  J.,  LCDR,  USN 
Gergel,  Stephen  J.,  LT,  USN 
Goss,  E.  L  ,  Jr.,  CAPT,  USN 
Graham,  William  C,  COL,  USA  (Res) 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


213 ^ JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 


Hagearty,  Charles  B  ,  LTC,  USA  (Res) 
Hamaday,  Ronald  A.,  LT,  USN  (Res) 
Hamilton,  Frank  M.,  Capt,  USAF 
Heckman,  Allen  L  ,  Capt,  USAF 
Hokana,  Steven  C  ,  CPT,  USA 
Kimble,  Gregory  H.,  CPT,  USA  (Res) 
Koester,  Timothy  J.,  LT,  USN 
Linnear,  Archie,  CPT,  USA 
Love,  Thomas  J.,  LT,  USN 
Madden,  James  J.,  CPT,  USA  (Res) 
Marceaux,  Sidney  J.,  LTC,  USA  (Res) 
McClary,  David  M  ,  CPT,  USA  (Res) 
McDonald,  James  L  ,  COL,  USA  (Res) 
McGuin,  Lawrence  J.,  Capt,  USAF 
Mikalofsky,  Hilarion  A.,  Capt,  USAF 
Newby,  Claude  D  ,  LTC,  USA 
Nolen,  Randolph  C  ,  LT,  USN 
Parisi,  Michael  J  ,  Jr ,  LT,  USN 
Pincence,  Gerald  P  ,  MAJ,  USA 
Pritchett,  Evie  L  ,  MAJ,  USARNG 
Ramsey,  Ira  E  ,  LCDR,  USN 
Realmuto,  George,  CPT,  USA  (Res) 
Salinero,  Arthur  B.,  ILT  USA  (Res) 
Smith,  Gabriel  J  ,  ILT  USA  (Res) 
Spence,  Phillip  E.,  CPT,  USA 
Stroop,  Kevin  P  ,  CPT,  USA  (Res) 
Tadeo,  Victor,  C  ,  CPT,  USA 
Taylor,  Gloria  O  ,  Maj,  USAF 
Williams,  Phillip  T.,  Jr.,  CPT,  USA 
Wismer,  Frank  E  ,  III,  MAJ,  USA  (Res) 
Yacovone,  Paul  J.,  CPT,  USA 


JTF  CHAPLAINS  AND  ASSISTANTS 
ACCOMPANYING  U  S  COAST  GUARD  CUTTERS 

Phillip  M.  Armstrong,  Capt,  USAF 
Curtis  C.  Cadenhead,  Maj,  USAF 
Michael  E.  Dryer,  SrA,  USAF 
Ronald  A.  Hamaday,  LT,  USNR 
Rolf  E  Holmquist,  SSgt,  USAF 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 2A6_ 

Hilarion  A.  Mikalofsky,  Capt,  USAF 
Leslie  A.  Quiroz,  AlC,  USAF 
Victor  C.  Tadeo,  CPT,  USA 
Gloria  O.  Taylor,  Maj,  USAF 
Donald  A.  Young,  SPC,  USA 


ENLISTED  PERSONNEL  ASSIGNED  TO 
JOINT  TASK  FORCE  -  CHAPLAIN  SECTION 

Boatright,  Henry  W  ,  RPl,  USN 
Brown,  Floyd,  Sgt,  USAF 
Centeno,  Albert  J.,  Jr.,  SSgt,  USAF 
Clayton,  Robert,  W  ,  SPC,  USA  (Res) 
Clinton,  C.  L,  SFC,  USA  (Res) 
Cuellar,  Martin  A  ,  SGT,  USA  (Res) 
Danielson,  A.  W.,  PFC,  USA 
Dryer,  Michael  E.,  SrA,  USAF 
Duffy,  John  A.,  Sgt,  USA  (Res) 
Echols,  Daniel  L.,  RP3,  USN 
Edwards,  R.,  PFC,  USA 
Ferguson,  T.  J.,  RPSN,  USN 
Eraser,  Kevin  D  ,  RP3,  USN 
Gooch,  Arthur  Periy,  RPSA,  USN 
Holdren,  Robin  S  ,  RPC,  USN 
Holmquist,  Rolf  E  ,  SSgt,  USAF 
Houchins,  Beverly  A.,  Sgt,  USAF 
Johnson,  Debra  A.,  AlC,  USAF 
Juliana,  Steven  W  ,  SPC,  USA 
Koon,  Victor  L  ,  RP3,  USN 
Kropp,  Brad  J  ,  AlC,  USAF 
LaPaix,  Pency  N.,  RP3,  USN 
Little,  William  S  ,  MSgt,  USAF 
McBeath,  Gene,  SPC,  USA 
McCall ,  K  ,  SGT,  USA 
Meyer,  David  W.,  SGT,  USA  (Res) 
Morissette,  Murphy,  SPC,  USA 
Morrell,  Timothy  P.,  Ssgt,  USA  (Res) 
Nigh,  Ralph  G  ,  Sgt,  USARNG 
O'Connor,  Kevin  T  ,  RP2,  USN 
Quinones,  Jose  LS  ,  SGT,  USA  (Res) 
Quiroz,  Leslie  A.,  AlC,  USAF 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


217 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMQ 

Saelua,  Mase  D.,  MSgt,  USAF 
Shepard,  Linda  G,  RPl,  USN 
Slattghter,  J.  E.  SPC,  USA  (Res) 
Slice,  Christopher,  RPSN,  USN 
Wilcox,  Theresa  M  ,  Sgt,  USAF 
Winder,  Jacqueline  M.  RP2,  USN 
Young,  Donald  A.,  SPC,  USA 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 


218 


OPERATION  GTMO 

MIGRANT  STATUS 

1  to  22  APRIL  92 

DATE 

INTERDICTED 

ASHORE 

TO  CONUS 

TO  HAITI 

APRIL 

TOTAL/  DAILY 

1 

98 

2,668 

3,981/149* 

8,586/0* 

2 

37 

2,675 

3,981/0 

8,586/0 

3 

224 

2,507 

4,152/171 

8,586/0 

4 

84 

2,508 

4,152/0 

8,586/0 

5 

28 

3,184 

4,152/0 

8,586/0 

6 

197 

3,148 

4,301/149 

8,810/224 

7 

112 

3,343 

4,301/0 

8,810/0 

8 

239 

3,085 

4,474/173 

9,055/245 

9 

62 

3,311 

4,474/0 

9,055/0 

10 

269 

2,933 

4,646/172 

9,261/206 

11 

210 

3,438 

4,646/0 

9,261/0 

12 

134 

3,438 

4,646/0 

9,261/0 

13 

34 

3,033 

4,792/146 

9,521/260 

14 

566 

3,652 

4,792/0 

9,521/0 

15 

143 

3,561 

4,940/148 

9,771/250 

16 

98 

3,561 

4,940/0 

9,771/0 

17 

643 

3,794 

5,112/172 

9,771/0 

18 

116 

4,158 

5,112/0 

9,771/0 

19 

435 

4,413 

5,112/0 

9,771/0 

20 

184 

4,219 

5,230/118 

1,0273/502 

21 

248 

4,211 

5,230/0 

1,0273/0 

22 

510 

4,711 

5,230/0 

1,0273/0 

NOTES:  *NUMBER  OF  MIGRANTS  REPATRIATED  "TO  HAITI"  DOES  NOT  INCLUDE 
955  INDIVIDUALS  PRIOR  TO  1  FEB  92. 

THE  PEAK  MONTH  FOR  MIGRANT  INTERDICTIONS  WAS  JANUARY   1992  WITH  6, 

477. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter 


219 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 

ENDNOTES 

1.  Taken  from  an  account  of  JTF  GTMO  written  by  Lt.  Randolph  C  Nolen,  CHC,  USNR, 
Assistant  JTF  Command  Chaplain,  29  May  -  10  July,  1992,  and  included  in  the  FORSCOM  After 
Action  Report  for  Operation  GTMO.  The  original  copy  of  the  FORSCOM  Report,  1992,  is  in 
the  office  of  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain,  Ft.  McPherson,  GA. 

2.  Ibid. 

3.  Ibid. 

4.  Ibid. 

5.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  William  Graham,  USAR,  second  JTF  Staff  Chaplain, 
23  September  1994. 

6.  Ibid 

7.  Ibid 

8.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.)  Larry  Racster,  25  May,  1994. 

9.  Chaplain  (Lt.)  Sidney  Marceaux,  FORSCOM  After  Action  Report  for  Operation  GTMO,  1992. 
Hereafter  cited  as  FORSCOM  AAR,  1992 

10.  Chaplain  (Capt.)  David  M.  McClary,  FORSCOM  AAR,  1992. 

11.  Interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  William  Graham,  23  September,  1994. 

12.  Ibid 
U.Ibid 

14.  Ibid. 

15.  Ibid 

16.  FORSCOM  AAR,  1992. 

n.ibid 

\S.Ibid 
\  9.  Ibid 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  GUANTANAMO 220_ 

20.  Ihid. 
ll.Ibid 

22.  Ibid. 

23.  Ibid 

24.  Ibid 

25.  Ibid 

26.  Chaplain  (Capt )  Arthur  "Ben"  Salinero,  "First  Trip  To  GITMO,"  3  August  1994,  p. 3. 
Chaplain  Salinero's  report  was  added  as  a  supplement  to  the  FORSCOM  AAR,  1992. 

27.  Chaplain  Salinero,  Op.  Cit.,  p. 2. 
28  FORSCOM  AAR,  1992 

29.  Chaplain  (Col.)  James  L  McDonald,  FORSCOM  AAR,  1992. 
30  FORSCOM  AAR,  1992 
3 \.  Ibid 

32.  Ibid 

33.  Chaplain  Randolph  Nolen,  USN,  FORSCOM  AAR,  1992. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


JOINT   TASK   FORCE   ANDREW    : 


Religious    Support 


Nr*  nirt  Ricn«ir 


Ancloi*  Kfi 

Dunedtn 

Clearwatef~< 

d.a«  Root  U«*i.n^ 


Merrill  Island 


St  «>>t*<st^'|  e«»in 


•^ 


(T 


CHAPTER  VI 

JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW: 
RELIGIOUS  SUPPORT  IN  DEVASTATED  AREAS 


The  storm  was  the  nation's  costliest  natural  disaster. 

USA  Today,  November  25,  1992 
By  the  end  of  the  first  week,  the  relief  effort  was  already  being  called  the  largest  U.S.  military 
rescue  mis.sion  ever. 

Soldiers  Magazine,  November  1 992 


At  midnight  on  August  23,  1992,  Hurricane  Andrew  slammed  into  the  south  Florida  coast. 
The  eye  of  the  storm  passed  directly  over  Homestead  Air  Force  Base  and  the  communities  of 
Homestead  and  Florida  City  with  winds  speeds  exceeding  160  miles  per  hour  '  The  Air  Base  was 
totally  destroyed,  trailer  parks  were  completely  demolished,  and  most  of  the  businesses  in  the 
surrounding  communities  were  heavily  damaged.  The  area,  in  short,  lost  all  basic  services. 

At  seven  o'clock  the  following  morning  Lieutenant  Colonel  Walter  Presha  and  Chaplain  Albert 
W.  Bush,  from  the  1st  Battalion,  124th  Infantry  Regiment,  Florida  National  Guard,  toured  the 
Coconut  Grove  area  of  Miami.-  The  scene  that  greeted  them  was  devastating.  From  the  city  limits 
of  Miami  to  the  southern  border  of  Dade  County,  some  85,000  houses,  38,000  apartment  dwellings, 
and  82,000  businesses  were  damaged  or  destroyed  One-hundred  sixty  thousand  people  had  lost  their 
homes;  85,000  people  had  lost  their  jobs.  Forty-one  people  lost  their  lives.'  Two-hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  telephone  poles  were  blown  down  and  8,500  street  lights  were  out.  Looters  roamed  fi"eely 
through  several  shopping  centers.  The  scene  was  "reminiscent  of  a  nuclear  blast,"  Secretary  of 
Defense  Dick  Cheney  said  in  a  television  interview.  "All  the  houses,  trees,  fences,  telephone 
poles — everything  is  absolutely  flattened  over  an  area  of  nearly  100  square  miles,"  Cheney  reflected.'' 
This  category  four  hurricane  caused  a  maximum  estimated  damage  of  $30  billion 

Florida  Governor  Lawton  Chiles  mobilized  6,400  National  Guard  troops  within  24  hours  of 
the  disaster  These  soldiers,  largely  from  the  124th  Infantry,  1 16th  Field  Artillery,  53rd  Infantry, 
1 46th  Signal  Battalion,  and  20th  Special  Forces  Group,  deployed  to  assist  victims  even  though  many 
of  them  had  lost  their  homes  as  well.  Chaplain  Bush  of  the  124th  Infantry  Regiment  recalled  the 
initial  scene  his  unit  encountered; 

Power  lines  and  traffic  lights  were  down  everywhere  Passage  was  nearly  impossible. 
By  the  coast,  boats  had  been  pushed  up,  around,  and  onto  land  and  each  other.  It  is 
hard  to  describe  the  destruction  we  experienced  as  we  deployed  south.  Streets  and 
intersections  were  nearly  blocked  by  downed  street  lights,  power  poles,  and 
overturned  signs,  many  parking  lots  were  impassable,  water  was  up  to  the  footwell 
of  our  vehicles.  Many  malls  had  already  been  broken  into  and  our  troops,  who  were 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter.  223 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 224 

first  on  site,  chased  away  looters.  We  began  to  set  up  a  command  post  at  the  Cutler 
Ridge  Mall.  I  lived  on  a  sidewalk  in  front  of  an  abandoned  building  for  three  nights. 
The  destruction  was  indescribable;  debris  was  everywhere.  People  were  in  shock.' 

The  National  Guard  troops  had  a  very  diflficuh  time  even  with  their  own  needs  while  they  were 
attempting  to  restore  order  and  security  to  the  disaster  area.  They  had  nothing  to  eat  but 
concentrated  Meals  Ready  to  Eat  (MREs)  in  sealed  packages  Their  water  had  to  be  hauled  to  them 
from  unaffected  areas  in  the  north.  There  were  no  showers  or  other  bathing  facilities  Garbage  and 
litter  were  everywhere.  Roofing  nails  which  had  blown  down  into  parking  lots  caused  driving  hazards 
for  all  wheeled  vehicles.  Even  concrete  block  buildings  had  windows  and  sections  of  concrete  blown 
out  of  the  walls  which  faced  the  force  of  the  hurricane  winds 

By  the  second  day  the  Florida  Guardsmen  had  been  able  to  clear  roads  and  some  driveways, 
enabling  rescue  vehicles  and  private  automobiles  to  pass  up  and  down  Highway  1 .  Some  people  had 
been  trapped  in  their  homes  and  were  waiting  to  be  released.  By  the  second  day  there  were  critical 
shortages  of  food  and  water.  Every  day  volunteers  brought  cars,  vans,  or  semi-trucks  loaded  with 
supplies  to  distribute  to  the  needy.  The  soldiers  helped  unload  supplies  and  stacked  them  for 
distribution  the  next  day. 

Three  days  passed  before  the  first  federal  help  arrived  In  the  meantime,  there  was  no 
electricity,  potable  water,  working  sewers,  telephone  service  or  passable  streets.  Relief  operations 
got  underway  slowly  in  a  disorganized  and  uncoordinated  manner.  It  became  obvious  very  quickly 
that  state  agencies  and  the  Florida  National  Guard  would  require  assistance. 


Presidential  Response 

Answering  Governor  Chiles'  urgent  request  for  federal  aid.  President  George  Bush  declared 
Southern  Florida  a  federal  disaster  area.  President  Bush  directed  the  Secretary  of  Transportation, 
The  Honorable  Andrew  Card,  to  head  a  Presidential  Task  Force  composed  of  various  federal  and 
state  governmental  agencies. ''  As  part  of  the  disaster  relief  effort,  the  Department  of  Defense  was 
tasked,  under  the  President's  authority  outlined  in  the  Stafford  Disaster  Relief  Act,  to  create  a  joint 
task  force  for  humanitarian  purposes.  It  was  given  the  name  "Joint  Task  Force  Andrew"  and 
consisted  of  organizations  and  service  members  fi"om  all  of  the  armed  services,  to  include  the  U.S. 
Coast  Guard.  At  the  peak  of  the  relief  operations.  Joint  Task  Force  Andrew  contained  just  under 
30,000  military  personnel. 

Second  Army  was  assigned  the  primary  mission  of  implementing  the  Joint  Task  Force  (JTF) 
directive  with  Lieutenant  General  Samuel  E.  Ebbesen,  the  Second  Army  Commander,  designated  the 
JTF  Commander.  Eleven  flag  officers  were  assigned  to  the  JTF  Headquarters  Staff.  Major  General 
Dennis  Crumley  served  as  the  Deputy  JTF  Commander.  Major  General  Richard  B.  Griffitts  served 
as  the  Chief  of  Staff  The  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  was  assigned  the  Army  Forward  relief  mission  The 
82nd  Airborne  Division  Ready  Brigade,  two  brigades  from  the  10th  Mountain  Division, 
headquartered  at  Fort  Drum,  New  York,  units  from  the  101st  Airborne  Division  and  the  24th  Infantry 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


225 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 

Division  as  well  as  the  841st  Engineer  Battalion,  a  U.S.  Army  Reserve  unit,  filled  out  the  Army 
Forward  Organization 

The  Florida  National  Guard,  not  federalized,  maintained  a  large  presence.  Several  U.S.  Navy 
ships  were  deployed  to  the  Port  of  Miami,  bringing  with  them  a  contingent  of  Navy  personnel  as  well 
as  a  battalion  of  Marines  The  Air  Force  already  had  a  presence  at  Homestead  Air  Force  Base. 
Canada  sent  the  equivalent  of  a  construction  battalion  and  brought  a  chaplain  with  them  With  the 
inclusion  of  the  Canadian  force,  the  operation  became  a  Combined  Task  Force,  although  its  name 
remained  Joint  Task  Force  Andrew. 

The  JTF  Headquarters  was  housed  in  a  vacated  Eastern  Airlines  building  near  Miami 
International  Airport,  located  approximately  25  miles  from  the  heart  of  the  disaster  area. 
Communications  in  the  early  days  of  the  operation  were  almost  non-existent  except  to  Second  Army 
at  Fort  Gillem,  Georgia  and  to  US.  Forces  Command  at  Fort  McPherson.  Eventually  vehicles  and 
cellular  telephones  made  communications  with  South  Dade  County  possible. 

On  August  28  Joint  Task  Force  Andrew  began  operations  with  the  missions  of  providing 
humanitarian  support  by  establishing  field  feeding  sites,  storage  and  distribution  warehousing,  cargo 
transfer  operations,  and  other  logistical  support  to  the  local  population  in  South  Florida.  The 
operation  consisted  of  three  phases:  Phase  I,  Relief,  Phase  II,  Recovery,  and  Phase  III, 
Reconstitution.  In  the  first  ten  days  of  the  military's  response.  United  States  Air  Force  planes  flew 
in  14,000  tons  of  supplies,  which  was  nearly  identical  to  the  volume  of  shipments  brought  to  Saudi 
Arabia  at  the  start  of  Operation  Desert  Shield.  Officials  said  the  scale  of  the  relief  effort  rivaled  a 
combat  operation. 

On  August  3 1  Chaplain  Gerald  M  Mangham,  the  Second  Army  Chaplain,  deployed  to  Miami 
to  become  the  Joint  Task  Force  Chaplain  in  support  of  Operation  Andrew  Chaplain  Mangham 
served  on  the  personal  staff  of  the  Deputy  JTF  Commander,  General  Crumley.  Chaplain  Mangham's 
mission  was  to  coordinate  all  religious  support  activities  for  joint  services  personnel  deployed  to  the 
area  of  operation  and  serve  as  a  point  of  contact  for  local  civilian  religious  organizations.  Moreover, 
Chaplain  Mangham  was  to  serve  as  the  senior  staff  officer  for  religious  support  and  the  technical 
supervisor  for  all  chaplains  assigned  to  elements  of  JTF  Andrew. 


Organizing  Religious  Support 

When  Chaplain  Gerald  Mangham  arrived  in  Miami  on  Monday,  August  31,  1992,  he  faced 
a  number  of  challenges  in  his  attempts  to  organize  his  religious  support  assets  First  he  needed  a  staff 
to  help  coordinate  with  the  Federal  Emergency  Management  Agency  (FEMA),  which  was  the 
Presidential  Task  Force's  operational  element,  the  Army  Forward  units;  the  Florida  National  Guard; 
and  local  religious  leaders  and  organizations  in  South  Florida.  Chaplain  Mangham  shared  a  single 
office  with  Chaplain  Michael  Day,  the  State  Area  Command  (STARC)  Chaplain  for  the  Florida 
National  Guard,  and  later  with  Chaplain  Robin  Murray,  the  Florida  Deputy  STARC  Chaplain,  on  the 
fourth  floor  of  the  Eastern  Airiines  building  near  the  Miami  International  Airport.  The  facilities  were 
very  limited  with  hundreds  of  people  trying  to  find  enough  chairs,  desks  and  telephones  to  meet  their 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 226 

mission  requirements. 

Almost  at  once,  FEMA  and  other  federal  agencies  were  swamped  with  requests  for  help. 
More  than  2,000  applications  a  day  for  financial  aid  for  families  poured  into  the  FEMA  office. 
Seventeen  insurance  companies  tied  up  telephones  asking  if  the  military  had  secured  neighborhoods 
which  were  begging  for  insurance  adjustors  to  call.  Every  office  needed  more  personnel — including 
the  Task  Force  Chaplain — to  deal  with  a  growing  list  of  emergencies. 

Initially,  requests  for  unit  ministry  team  personnel  for  the  JTF  Chaplain  Section  went  from  the 
Joint  Task  Force  J 1  section  to  the  Emergency  Operations  Center  at  Second  Army,  Fort  Gillem.  If 
Second  Army  could  not  fill  the  requirements,  they  forwarded  requests  to  U.S.  Forces  Command  at 
Fort  McPherson.  Chaplain  Mangham  requested  a  senior  chaplain  to  serve  as  his  plans  and  operations 
officer,  a  senior  chaplain  assistant  to  serve  as  NCOIC  and  resource  manager  and  a  chaplain  and 
chaplain  assistant  to  help  with  administrative  duties.  U.S.  Forces  Command  alerted  Chaplain  Paul 
Mason  to  serve  as  the  Plans  and  Operations  Chaplain,  Sergeant  Major  Will  Rogers  to  serve  as  the 
NCOIC  and  Chaplain  John  Gibbon  and  Sergeant  Robert  Spoelstra  ft'om  Fort  Lewis,  Washington,  to 
serve  as  the  administration  section  Likewise,  Chaplain  Mangham  requested  a  Jewish  chaplain  and 
a  Catholic  chaplain  to  ensure  faith  group  coverage  in  the  area  and  to  facilitate  coordination  with  their 
respective  civilian  religious  leaders  Chaplain  David  Zalis  and  Chaplain  James  Coindreau  were 
deployed  to  meet  these  needs. 

Within  the  first  24  hours  of  his  arrival.  Chaplain  Mangham  made  an  assessment  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  disaster  and  determined  needs  for  additional  specialized  religious  support  for  this 
mission.  The  storm  had  destroyed  homes,  synagogues  and  churches,  striking  many  of  the  people  who 
were  the  spiritual  care  givers  in  the  community.  Normally  churches  and  synagogues  came  to  the  aid 
of  families  experiencing  tragedies.  But  in  the  case  of  Hurricane  Andrew,  most  religious  buildings  and 
congregations  had  themselves  been  damaged.  Likewise,  many  pastors,  rabbis,  priests,  and  lay  leaders 
could  not  help  because  they  were  victims  as  well.  Army  unit  ministry  teams  with  special  training  in 
Family  Life  and  Chnical  Pastoral  Education  were  needed  to  help  reconstitute  the  counseling  services 
available  to  victims. 

Chaplain  Matthew  Zimmerman,  the  Army  Chief  of  Chaplains,  immediately  offered  ten  unit 
ministry  teams  with  training  in  disaster  relief  counseling,  death  and  dying,  and  trauma  ministry  to 
reach  out  to  the  community.  Chaplain  Mangham  quickly  took  advantage  of  the  Chiefs  innovative 
approach.  On  Tuesday,  September  1,  1992,  Chaplain  Mangham  requested  the  ten  unit  ministry 
teams,  consisting  of  one  chaplain  and  one  chaplain  assistant  each. 

They  were  deployed  specifically  to  assist  the  pastors  and  other  spiritual  care  givers  who  were 
disaster  victims.  Chaplain  Diana  James  was  assigned  to  be  the  team  chief  and  supervisor. 

Chaplain  Don  Shea,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  planned  the  mission  briefing  for  these 
teams  personally.  In  addition  to  alerting  the  ten  crisis  unit  ministry  teams,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  also 
authorized  a  special  non-appropriated  flind  grant  for  Joint  Task  Force  Andrew  in  the  amount  of 
$5,000  to  purchase  needed  religious  supplies  to  support  the  troops.  The  items  purchased  included 
hosts,  rosaries,  and  video  and  electronic  equipment  to  record  historical  data 

Among  the  first  chaplains  to  arrive  in  the  Homestead  Air  Force  Base  area  were  Chaplain 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    JTF  Andrew   Chapel /Theater ;     (Bottom)    Chaplain   Alvin     (Sonny" 
Moore   demonstrates  proper  box    transport    technique 


Chaplain   Ed  Hartmann   leads   worship   in    the   aftermath   of  Hurricane 
Andrew 


229 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 

Stephen  C.  Fountain  from  the  1st  Corps  Support  Command,  XVIII  Airborne  Corps,  and  Chaplain 
Kristi  Pappas  from  the  10th  Mountain  Division  Since  Chaplain  Pappas  arrived  before  the  other 
chaplains  fi"om  Fort  Drum,  she  performed  advance  coordinating  duties  as  the  Acting  Division 
Chaplain'  Chaplain  Pappas,  still  on  her  first  tour  of  duty  in  the  Army,  became  the  first  female 
chaplain  in  Chaplain  Corps  history  to  serve  as  an  Acting  Division  Chaplain  in  a  major  humanitarian 
operation 

As  a  coordinating  measure,  the  JTF  G3  (Operations)  Staff  had  divided  the  disaster  area  into 
sectors  which  were  represented  by  grid  squares  on  the  maps  of  Dade  County*  Each  incoming  unit 
received  a  sector  or  grid  in  which  to  operate.  Chaplain  Mangham  made  sure  this  information  was 
available  to  each  arriving  unit  ministry  team 

While  Chaplain  Fountain,  who  was  located  at  a  local  high  school,  was  establishing 
communication  with  Chaplain  Pappas  at  the  Homestead  City  Hall,  the  headquarters  of  the  1 0th 
Mountain  Division,  other  chaplains  fi"om  Fort  Bragg  arrived  at  Homestead  Air  Force  Base.  The  Fort 
Bragg  contingent  was  known  as  "Task  Force  All- American"  (TF-AA),  and  included  five  unit  ministry 
teams:  Chaplain  Alvin  "Sonny"  Moore  and  Staff  Sergeant  Gary  Frisque,  Chaplain  JeflFHouston  and 
Corporal  Gregory  Carbajal,  Chaplain  Terry  McBride  and  Specialist  Tarin  Brown  Chaplain  Donald 
Rutherford  and  Staff  Sergeant  Dennis  Walraven  in  the  Cutler  Ridge  section  of  Miami,  and  Chaplain 
Henry  Haines  and  Staff  Sergeant  George  Johnson  in  the  Division  Rear.' 

Even  though  movement  was  possible,  communication  outside  of  a  sector  was  extremely 
difficult.  Nevertheless,  the  TF-AA  unit  ministry  teams  went  to  work  quickly,  helping  their  soldiers 
neutralize  downed  power  lines  and  remove  fallen  trees  and  dead  animals  from  the  roads.  Chaplain 
Don  Rutherford,  the  only  Roman  Catholic  chaplain  in  the  task  force,  provided  religious  coverage  for 
seven  battalions  of  soldiers  for  almost  a  month.  Chaplain  Rutherford's  service  included  performing 
74  Roman  Catholic  Masses,  working  with  soldiers  in  rubbish  removal  and  food  distribution,  and 
coordinating  relief  for  civilian  religious  organizations  in  his  area.'" 

By  September  2,  US.  Marines  and  the  Army  had  erected  the  first  tent  city  to  benefit  homeless 
victims  of  the  hurricane.  Each  tent  city,  technically  called  a  Life  Support  Center,  was  comprised  of 
40  tents,  each  tent  housing  ten  people.  The  Life  Support  Centers,  located  largely  in  shopping  malls 
on  either  side  of  Highway  1,  continually  furnished  temporary  housing  in  tents  and  trailers  for  160,000 
victims. 

From  the  moment  of  arrival,  soldiers  were  extremely  busy.  In  addition  to  providing  security, 
the  military  cleared  14,000  cubic  yards  of  debris  from  more  than  2,000  miles  of  streets.  They 
constructed  tent  cities  and  prepared  to  furnish  blankets,  cots,  meals  and  even  radios  to  the  people 
who  had  lost  their  homes. 

By  September  3  most  of  the  senior  chaplains  were  at  their  unit  headquarters  locations. 
Chaplain  Richard  Adams,  the  ARFOR  Chaplain,  had  arrived  from  Fort  Bragg  on  August  3 1  to 
coordinate  with  the  JTF."  Chaplain  Billy  Fowler,  the  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  Operations  Chaplain, 
arrived  on  September  3  to  assist  the  Corps  chaplains.  Chaplain  Robert  A.  Hutcherson,  the  division 
chaplain  for  the  10th  Mountain  Division,  set  up  his  division  chaplain  office  in  a  tent  at  the  west  end 
of  the  Homestead  Public  Library.'' 

Meetings  with  local  city  and  county  government  officials  and  civilian  religious  leaders  lasted 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 230 

for  hours  in  the  various  division  areas.  On  September  5,  Dr.  Billy  Graham,  the  noted  evangelist, 
arrived  at  Homestead  to  conduct  a  worship  service  at  Campbell  Middle  School.  Chaplain 
Hutcherson,  Chaplain  Adams,  Chaplain  Fowler,  and  other  chaplains  attended  the  service  and  then  met 
to  further  coordinate  their  respective  religious  support  activities  Communication  and  transportation 
were  horrendous  problems  because  most  battalion  unit  ministry  teams  did  not  have  vehicles  or  cellular 
telephones.  Many  times  communication  was  established  by  messenger  or  by  borrowing 
communication  equipment. 

Chaplain  Donald  Shea,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  arrived  on  September  9  for  an  oflficial 
visit  and  to  lend  his  support  to  the  relief  operations  Between  September  9th  and  13th,  ten  Added 
Dimension  teams,  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  trained  to  conduct  crisis  and  trauma  ministry, 
arrived  in  the  area.  Chaplain  Shea  impressed  upon  them  the  need  for  their  help  The  teams  received 
an  orientation  at  a  local  church  in  Coral  Gables,  where  they  were  introduced  to  key  civilian  leaders 
of  religious  organizations  with  whom  they  would  interact  throughout  the  operation.  They  also 
received  briefings  fi^om  local  pastors  and  governmental  officials  who  provided  background 
information  on  the  area,  the  disaster  and  the  demographics  of  the  local  population 

The  Added  Dimension  teams  were  assigned  to  the  Joint  Task  Force  Chaplain  for  deployment 
throughout  the  disaster  area.  Chaplain  Paul  Mason,  the  JTF  Plans  and  Operations  Chaplain,  was 
given  the  responsibility  for  coordinating  their  utilization.  One  team  was  assigned  to  each  of  three  Life 
Support  Centers  One  team  went  to  each  of  two  local  hospitals.  Three  teams  worked  with  churches 
and  local  pastors  and  two  teams  worked  with  the  Christian  Community  Services  Agency  and  the 
Interfaith  Disaster  Coalition.  These  Added  Dimension  unit  ministry  teams  provided  specialized 
counseling  and  support  to  other  care  givers. 

One  of  the  first  local  clergy  contacts  was  made  by  Chaplain  Ken  Werho  who  called  on  a 
pastor  and  his  wife.  Before  Chaplain  Werho  could  explain  the  program  to  them,  the  pastor's  wife 
said,  "I  am  so  glad  you  are  here  We  now  have  food,  water  and  shelter,  but  nobody  had  addressed 
our  emotional  needs.""  Chaplain  Werho  conducted  his  first  counseling  session,  listening  to  a  pastor 
and  his  wife  in  Florida  City  talk  about  their  pain  and  grief 

The  Added  Dimension  teams  who  served  in  local  hospitals  spent  a  significant  amount  of  time 
ministering  to  the  Lospital  staff  Local  hospitals  were  short  of  help.  Some  of  the  people  on  the  staff 
had  lost  their  homes  and  were  out  taking  care  of  their  own  families.  The  Added  Dimension  teams 
also  proved  to  be  valuable  in  helping  the  religious  organizations  get  in  touch  with  the  assistance  that 
was  available.  One  team  discovered  that  a  local  Catholic  church  had  received  several  truck  loads  of 
relief  supplies,  but  was  unable  to  move  the  items  to  an  affected  area.  This  need  was  relayed  to  the 
office  of  the  Joint  Task  Force  Chaplain  who,  in  turn,  contacted  the  Movement  Control  personnel  on 
the  Joint  Task  Force  staff.  Almost  immediately,  trucks  fi^om  the  U.S.  Army  were  dispatched  to 
move  the  goods. 

While  the  Added  Dimension  teams  were  reporting  to  their  assigned  locations,  the  other  Army 
and  Florida  Guard  chaplains  continued  their  emergency  missions.  Chaplain  Albert  Bush,  who  served 
temporarily  as  Task  Force  Chaplain  for  the  Florida  National  Guard,  recalled: 

Our  line  companies  performed  multiple  missions  from  site  security  to  emergency 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


231 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 

relief  Fallen  trees  and  electric  poles  blocked  streets,  imprisoning  families  within  their 
homes.  Employing  a  grid  plan,  our  soldiers  began  to  clear  roads  and  driveways, 
cutting  branches  for  rescue  vehicles  and  for  private  autos.  Each  company  had  an 
incredible  story  to  tell  of  people  rescued  and  lives  saved. 

I  accompanied  the  line  companies  visiting  families  and  individuals  who  had  been 
trapped.  They  were  very  gratefijl  to  see  us  and  very  appreciative  of  our  efforts  in 
their  behalf  After  two  days  these  people  had  run  out  of  food  and  water  As  part  of 
our  efforts  we  distributed  donated  food,  clothing  and  water  to  them  Every  day 
volunteers  brought  cars,  vans,  or  semi-trucks  loaded  with  supplies  to  distribute  to  the 
needy  Our  soldiers  helped  unload  supplies,  stack  them  for  the  next  day,  and 
distribute  them  from  the  backs  of  our  vehicles  to  the  needy.'* 

Unfortunately,  telephone  land  lines  and  cellular  phones  were  not  immediately  available  to  the 
National  Guardsmen  either  Chaplain  Bush  had  to  drive  from  one  unit  location  to  another  to 
determine  if  their  chaplains  and  assistants  had  mobilized  to  help  with  the  disaster. 

Chaplain  Richard  Adams  at  ARFOR  had  a  number  of  challenges  to  meet  as  well. 
Communications  and  accountability  for  area  and  zone  coverage  were  problems  that  had  to  be  sorted 
out.  The  82nd  Airborne  Division  from  Chaplain  Adams'  own  XVIII  Airborne  Corps  had  been 
assigned  the  Goulds  Community  sector  which  suffered  from  typical  problems  of  the  inner  city." 
There  were  nightly  confrontations  between  gang  members,  interested  in  protecting  their  turf,  and 
patrols  of  82nd  Airborne  soldiers  attempting  to  provide  security  for  victims.  Chaplains  and  assistants 
were  needed  everywhere  and  on  call  constantly  in  ARFOR. 

During  the  month  of  September  a  total  of  95  chaplains  and  74  chaplain  assistants  deployed 
to  the  greater  Miami  area  fi-om  the  U.S.  Army,  Navy,  Marines,  and  Air  Force.  The  assigned  chaplains 
represented  32  different  religious  denominations.  The  Florida  National  Guard  was  not  formally 
federalized  to  be  a  part  of  the  Joint  Task  Force,  but  Chaplain  Michael  Day,  the  National  Guard  State 
Chaplain,  worked  closely  with  Chaplain  Mangham,  the  JTF  Chaplain,  to  coordinate  ministry  in  the 
area  of  operations  Chaplain  Day  also  coordinated  with  12  civilian  Catholic  priests  and  one  civilian 
rabbi  from  the  local  area  who  volunteered  their  services  to  augment  support  to  deployed  military 
personnel. 

The  U.S.  Army  Forward  (ARFOR)  senior  chaplain  throughout  the  operation  was  Chaplain 
Richard  Adams.  The  senior  US  Navy  and  U.S.  Marine  Corps  chaplains  changed  as  ships  entered 
and  left  the  area  of  operations  The  US  Air  Force  assigned  two  chaplains  to  assist  at  Homestead 
Air  Force  Base.  The  U.S.  Navy  deployed  a  Special  Psychiatric  Rapid  Intervention  Team  (SPRINT) 
which  had  two  chaplains  assigned,  one  Catholic  and  one  Protestant.  By  the  end  of  September, 
Chaplain  Chana  Timoner  from  Fort  Bragg  arrived  to  serve  as  the  Joint  Task  Force  Jewish  Chaplain 
replacing  Chaplain  Zalis.  Chaplain  Jose  Santillanes,  just  returned  fi-om  Sinop,  Turkey,  served  as  the 
Joint  Task  Force  Catholic  Chaplain  replacing  Chaplain  Coindreau  who  departed  on  September  12. 
Chaplain  Herb  Kitchens  fi-om  Second  Army  replaced  Chaplain  Mason  as  the  JTF  Plans  and 
Operations  Chaplain  on  September  15th 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 232 

As  tons  of  bottled  water,  food  and  tentage  arrived  in  South  Florida,  it  was  evident  that  some 
organized  means  was  necessary  to  store,  warehouse  and  distribute  the  massive  amounts  of  relief 
material  arriving  for  the  victims  of  the  hurricane.  General  Tuttle,  commander  of  the  Army  Materiel 
Command  (AMC),  established  four  supply  depots  to  regulate  the  distribution  of  the  humanitarian 
supplies.  Through  Logistic  Support  Groups,  these  critical  materials  were  delivered  to  field  kitchens 
and  Life  Support  Centers  throughout  the  affected  area.  Chaplain  Benjamin  C.  Manning  served  on 
the  transition  team  for  the  Army  Materiel  Command,  providing  ministry  to  AMC  team  members. 
Chaplain  Manning  operated  from  the  Joint  Task  Force  Chaplain  Office  and  provided  valuable  ministry 
during  and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  military  operation. 


Forty  Days  and  Forty  Nights 

From  September  2  through  October  12,  almost  160  Army  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants 
provided  relief,  recovery  and  reconstruction  ministry  to  a  quarter  of  a  million  victims  of  Hurricane 
Andrew.  Unit  ministry  teams  served  in  formal  settings  such  as  hospitals  and  Life  Support  Centers 
as  well  as  in  informal  settings,  visiting  local  community  areas  with  soldiers  on  security  and  relief 
missions.  Chaplains  helped  unload  trucks,  distribute  food,  water  and  medicine  and  provided 
counseling  services  for  local  people.  The  official  prioritized  policy  for  unit  ministry  team 
involvement,  as  written  by  the  Joint  Task  Force  chaplain,  provided  for  religious  support  to  military 
personnel,  department  of  defense  civilian  employees,  local  clergy,  and  civilians  in  the  disaster  area  as 
coordinated  with  local  helping  agencies  and  religious  organizations. 

In  many  instances  the  uniformed  military  personnel  had  fewer  luxuries  initially  than  did  the 
victims  of  the  hurricane.  Chaplain  Mary  Pitts,  deployed  from  Fort  Bragg,  North  Carolina,  recalled 
the  wretched  sanitary  conditions  in  the  camps  where  her  unit  was  located.  Chaplain  Pitts  provided 
religious  support  and  helped  unload  trucks  so  that  more  supplies  could  be  distributed."^  Chaplain 
Kristi  Pappas  recalled  that  in  the  10th  Mountain  Division  area  many  of  her  soldiers  had  nothing  to 
eat  initially  but  MREs.  Chaplain  Pappas  noted  that  the  Salvation  Army  became  very  popular  when 
they  began  cooking  hot  meals  for  soldiers  and  civilians  alike  ''  Many  Florida  National  Guardsmen 
providing  security  in  shopping  malls  had  neither  hot  food  nor  showers  for  a  week  at  a  time  Since 
most  banks  were  closed,  there  also  was  a  shortage  of  available  cash  Clearly  the  ministry  of  chaplains 
and  chaplain  assistants  was  critical  to  help  soldiers  who  lacked  basic  necessities  and  who  also  had  a 
need  to  communicate  with  their  own  family  members  concerning  their  welfare 

Many  chaplains  became  intensely  involved  with  victims  of  the  hurricane  during  the  Relief 
Phase  of  Operation  Andrew.  Chaplain  James  Hartz,  a  Southern  Baptist  chaplain,  helped  organize 
some  Mormon  volunteers  who  repaired  the  roof  of  a  local  Jewish  synagogue.  Chaplain  Juarez-Palma 
and  Chaplain  Juan  Loya  provided  support  to  local  ministry  in  the  Homestead  Migrant  Labor  Camps. 
Many  of  the  migrants  were  Haitians  who  had  come  to  Florida  from  unspeakable  conditions  in  their 
own  country.  They  were  doubly  hurt  by  the  circumstances  of  their  immigration  through  Guantanamo 
and  Miami  as  well  as  the  devastation  of  Hurricane  Andrew. 

Some  of  the  migrant  workers  from  Central  America  were  afraid  of  uniformed  military 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


233 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 

personnel  and  would  not  come  to  Life  Support  Centers  for  food.  In  many  cases,  82nd  Airborne 
soldiers  would  take  food  into  local  communities  and  leave  it  for  the  Hispanic  migrants  to  pick  up  after 
the  soldiers  departed  Chaplain  Kristi  Pappas  was  commended  by  her  division  chaplain.  Chaplain 
Robert  Hutcherson,  for  her  ministry  to  women  and  children  in  the  migrant  labor  camps  Chaplain 
Pappas  recalled  finding  one  woman  who  was  providing  day  care  for  27  children  while  the  children's 
parents  attempted  to  repair  their  homes.  Chaplain  Pappas  said  that  it  was  a  most  moving  experience 
to  see  the  sacrifices  many  people  were  willing  to  make  on  behalf  of  the  children  trapped  in  difficult 
circumstances  by  the  natural  disaster.'* 

Some  children  were  not  so  lucky.  Chaplain  Keith  Croom,  3/20th  Special  Forces,  Florida 
National  Guard,  recalled: 

I  was  out  in  a  neighborhood  in  Homestead,  Florida  I  was  helping  distribute  food  and 
water  to  needy  civilians.  Suddenly,  I  was  approached  by  a  middle  age  female  She 
knew  I  was  a  minister  because  of  the  cross  on  my  cap  and  her  husband's  past  military 
experience.  I  did  not  even  have  to  ask  any  questions  She  simply  started  talking. 
Before  'Andrew"  hit,  it  was  agreed  that  her  sister  would  stay  with  her  during  the 
storm.  She  brought  her  daughter  with  her  As  the  storm  came  busting  through,  both 
of  the  front  windows  blew  out.  The  lady  was  holding  her  niece  at  the  time  so  she 
quickly  placed  the  15  month  old  girl  on  the  floor  and  tried  to  secure  the  windows. 

Suddenly,  a  part  of  the  roof  was  ripped  off  and  the  1 5  month  old  was  sucked  up 
through  it. 

I  asked  the  lady  if  she  needed  anything  and  she  responded  by  saying,  'Nothing  except 
a  big  hug  and  to  tell  her  God  understands.'" 

From  the  first  day  of  Operation  Andrew  both  the  Forces  Command  Chaplain's  Office  and  the 
Chief  of  Chaplain's  Office  had  monitored  the  disaster  situation  and  the  challenges  the  unit  ministry 
teams  deployed  to  South  Florida  were  meeting.  On  September  16  Chaplain  David  Peterson,  the 
FORSCOM  Chaplain,  visited  the  disaster  area  to  see  how  the  unit  ministry  teams  from  Fort  Bragg, 
Fort  Drum,  Fort  Stewart,  and  Fort  Lewis  were  faring.  Chaplain  Peterson  had  received  numerous 
reports  from  the  Joint  Task  Force  Chaplain  and  from  his  own  staff  through  his  Deputy,  Chaplain 
James  B.  Lonergan,  with  respect  to  the  deployment'".  On  September  22  Chaplain  Matthew  A. 
Zimmerman,  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  also  visited  the  Homestead  area  to  see  firsthand  how  the  ministry 
to  soldiers  and  victims  was  progressing  Both  Chaplain  Peterson  and  Chaplain  Zimmerman  had  high 
praise  for  the  efforts  of  the  chaplains  and  the  chaplain  assistants  involved  in  Joint  Task  Force  Andrew. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 234 

"An  Extraordinary  Response" 

Throughout  the  Operation,  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  continued  to  perform  a  wide 
variety  of  religious  support  missions  The  Department  of  Defense  itself  furnished  victims  more  than 
100,000  blankets,  55,000  cots,  1  million  Meals  Ready  to  Eat,  900,000  hot  meals,  and  20,000  radios. 
Camps  and  other  facilities  housed  more  than  160,000  homeless  victims.  Medical  personnel  treated 
50,000  patients,  soldiers  and  engineers  repaired  more  than  250  schools.  As  part  of  this  overall  relief 
effort,  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  conducted  worship  services  for  military  personnel  of  all  faith 
groups  throughout  the  area  of  operations.  Chaplains  met  with  small  groups  of  soldiers  for  brief 
worship  services  and  counseled  with  them.  Even  though  it  was  difficult  to  get  accurate  records  of 
worship  services,  chaplains  recorded  a  total  of  465  worship  services  (136  Catholic,  306  Protestant, 
7  Jewish,  16  denominational)  held  during  the  forty  days  of  major  religious  support  activities 

By  September  28  the  1st  Corps  Support  Command  from  Fort  Bragg  was  prepared  to 
redeploy.  The  10th  Mountain  Division  assumed  the  final  missions  for  the  last  two  weeks.  Chaplain 
Benjamin  C.  Manning  from  the  Army  Materiel  Command  ministered  to  the  AMC  soldiers  who  were 
withdrawing  from  the  area  and  transitioning  supply  support  to  local  civilian  helping  agencies. 
Chaplain  Herb  Kitchens  arranged  for  a  continuity  of  religious  services  for  the  Corps  of  Engineers  and 
FEMA  personnel  left  in  the  residual  JTF  section  at  the  Eastern  Airlines  building  in  Miami 

As  the  operation  concluded,  there  were  many  compliments  at  every  level  for  the  work  that 
Task  Force  Andrew  accomplished.  President  George  Bush  in  particular  stated  in  The  Washington 
Post  that  he  was  "very  proud  of  the  federal  response — an  extraordinary  and  very  appropriate  response 
to  this  human  tragedy.""'  Chaplain  Gerald  Mangham  called  the  service  of  all  unit  ministry  team 
members  "a  marvelous  exercise  in  cooperation. "■"  Chaplain  Richard  Adams,  the  ARFOR  Chaplain, 
said  he  was  proudest  of  the  initiative  of  his  unit  ministry  teams  in  finding  and  meeting  the  needs  of 
people."'  One  high  school  student  from  Virginia  who  had  traveled  to  Miami  to  see  the  area  and  to 
assist  wrote,  "It  was  nice  to  see  everyone  come  together  in  a  time  of  disaster.  What  impressed  me 
the  most  were  all  of  the  people  who  came  to  help  even  though  they  were  not  victims  themselves."^* 

The  unit  ministry  teams  from  the  Florida  National  Guard  were  singled  out  for  special  and 
deserved  praise.  Chaplains  Paul  Mason  and  Herb  Kitchens,  who  had  headed  the  JTF  Chaplain  Plans 
and  Operations  section  consecutively  from  September  2  to  October  14,  noted  that  the  Guard 
"provided  outstanding  ministry  to  the  stricken  area  of  south  Florida.  Their  reports  were  voluntarily 
submitted,  always  on  time  and  accurate.  They  were  on  their  home  turf  among  their  own  people. 
They  did  a  super  job."" 

The  chaplains  who  participated  in  the  Operation,  moreover,  found  their  lives  changed. 
Chaplain  Floyd  Gilbert,  from  Walter  Reed  Army  Medical  Center,  one  of  the  Added  Dimension  team 
members  wrote:  "As  time  passed  I  saw  people  coming  together;  slowly  but  coming  together  I  saw 
progress.  People  and  victims  became  involved.  Those  who  sat  back  and  were  apathetic  at  first  stood 
up  and  started  taking  control  of  their  lives.  My  life  was  changed  once  again.  I  was  angry,  depressed, 
sympathetic,  empathetic,  frustrated,  fulfilled  and  unfilled  More  strongly  than  anything  else,  however, 
I  felt  humbled  and  blessed.  I  was  forced  to  reflect  on  all  those  small  things  that  one  takes  for  granted 
such  as  water,  food  and  clothing."'* 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


■&  '' 


ON  SAL^i-TON  wv>  iw. :; 


(Top)    Chaplain   Robert   Hutcherson,     10th  Mountain   Division,    accepts 
thanks   from  Rabbi    in   south   Florida;     (Bottom)    Chaplain  Don 
Rutherford   celebrates  Mass   with  his    soldiers 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 236 

When  Chaplain  Robert  Hutcherson  departed  with  the  last  unit  ministry  team  from  the  10th  Mountain 
Division  on  the  12th  of  October  he  wrote:  "We  have  worked  hard,  prayed  hard,  and  accomplished 
our  mission.  We  have  done  great  work  and  I  am  extraordinarily  proud  of  every  unit  ministry  team.""' 


Can  Military  Chaplains  Minister  Legally  to  Civilians? 

In  spite  of  the  high  echelon  support  the  Joint  Task  Force  Andrew  unit  ministry  teams  received 
by  the  end  of  September  1992,  there  was  a  question  from  the  Joint  Task  Force  Staff  Judge  Advocate 
concerning  the  utilization  of  chaplains  in  this  disaster  relief  operation.  As  a  result  of  a  picture  which 
appeared  in  The  Miami  Herald,  Colonel  Vahan  Moushegan,  the  JTF  Judge  Advocate,  questioned 
whether  military  chaplains  were  authorized  to  minister  to  civilian  disaster  victims  Colonel 
Moushegan  was  of  the  opinion  that  chaplains  were  legally  authorized  to  minister  to  soldiers,  when 
requested,  in  guaranteeing  their  free  exercise  of  religion.  But  he  was  concerned  that  the  same 
rationale  might  not  extend  to  the  civilian  victims  who  presumably  were  supported  by  their  own  local 
religious  faith  groups.  Colonel  Moushegan  wanted  to  protect  the  command,  and  the  chaplains  for 
that  matter,  from  "further  judicial  challenge  by  those  who  would  see  the  chaplaincy  abolished  or 
fiirther  constrained  "  Chaplain  Paul  Mason  who  spent  considerable  time  with  Colonel  Moushegan  at 
JTF  Headquarters,  noted  that  "It  was  my  strong  impression  that  his  sole  purpose  in  the  rendering  of 
his  legal  opinion  was  to  protect  the  chaplaincy."*  Nevertheless,  Chaplain  Mangham,  the  JTF  Staff 
Chaplain,  was  surprised  at  this  legal  issue  for  it  brought  into  question  not  only  individual  chaplain 
ministries  but  the  utilization  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains'  Added  Dimensions  teams  as  well.""' 

The  picture  in  the  Miami  Herald  was  of  Chaplain  Jeff  Houston  praying  with  a  disaster 
victim  in  the  victim's  home.'"  The  chaplain  had  been  asked  to  pray  by  the  civilian  victim  and  in  no 
way  was  violating  the  religious  conscience  of  the  individual.  Nevertheless,  Colonel  Moushegan  felt 
that  those  hostile  to  the  military  chaplaincy  could  argue  that  such  prayers  constituted  a  violation  of 
the  Establishment  Clause  of  the  United  States  Constitution  if  the  government  were  perceived  as 
becoming  entangled,  as  a  primary  purpose,  in  sponsoring  religion.  Colonel  Moushegan  added, 
however,  that  chaplains  do  have  a  role  in  disaster  relief  operations  with  civilians  to  include 
counseling,  furnishing  information,  and  participating  in  the  distribution  of  food,  water  and  medical 
supplies.  In  Colonel  Moushegan's  memorandum  for  the  Joint  Task  Force  Chaplain  dated  September 
30,  1992,  he  advised: 

Failure  to  operate  within  prescribed  Constitutional  parameters  could  result  in  further 
judicial  challenge  by  those  who  would  see  the  chaplaincy  abolished  or  flirther 
constrained.  I  would  note  that  the  courts  have  confirmed  the  constitutionality  of  the 
chaplaincy  but  did  so,  in  part,  on  the  basis  that  the  mission  of  the  chaplaincy  was  to 
engage  in  activities  designed  to  meet  the  religious  needs  of  a  pluralistic  military 
community.  It  would  not  appear  that  a  court  would  consider  activities  designed  to 
meet  the  spiritual  needs  of  a  civilian  community,  even  under  the  unique  circumstances 
presented  here,  as  being  appropriate  and  proper.    If  the  chaplains  are  unable  to 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


237 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 

segregate  the  two  roles,  chaplain  participation  in  disaster  relief  operations  must  be 
limited  to  ministering  to  the  needs  of  only  those  military  personnel  who  are  located 
in  a  disaster  area." 

Colonel  Moushegan's  memorandum  was  referred  through  the  Joint  Task  Force  Staff  Chaplain 
to  the  Joint  Task  Force  Commander,  General  Ebbesen  On  the  1st  of  November  Colonel 
Moushegan's  opinion  was  reviewed  by  the  Department  of  the  Army  Judge  Advocate  General. 
Responding  for  the  DA  JAG  Office,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Ronald  J  Buchholz,  Chief  of  the  General 
Law  Branch,  Administrative  Law  Division,  concluded  "that  the  JTF  Andrew  Staff  Judge  Advocate's 
memorandum  accurately  states  the  constitutional  limitations  on  the  role  of  military  chaplains  in 
disaster  relief  operations."^"  Colonel  Buchholz  further  noted  however,  "Neither  this  opinion  nor  the 
opinion  of  the  JTF  Andrew  Staff  Judge  Advocate  should  be  read  as  infringing  on  the  free  exercise 
rights  of  chaplains  while  they  are  in  an  off-duty,  private  capacity  not  representing  the  United  States 
Army.  In  this  context,  chaplains  could  pray  with  civilian  disaster  victims  or  preach  at  civilian 
churches  without  raising  Establishment  Clause  concerns.  "^^ 

Chaplain  Herb  Kitchens,  the  JTF  Plans  and  Operations  Chaplain  and  Acting  JTF  Chaplain 
during  a  brief  absence  of  Chaplain  Mangham,  had  a  long  conversation  with  the  JTF  Staff  Judge 
Advocate.  Chaplain  Kitchens  tried  to  convince  him  that  incidental  prayers  for  civilians  who 
voluntarily  requested  them  did  not  constitute  a  serious  threat  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States. 
In  fact.  Chaplain  Kitchens  wrote  a  very  proper  and  logical  response  upholding  ministry  to  victims 
who  asked  for  support  as  one  of  the  expectations  of  the  JTF  Commander  for  unit  ministry  teams. 

When  Chaplain  Mangham  received  Colonel  Moushegan's  original  memorandum,  he  called 
Chaplain  David  Peterson  at  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  office.  Chaplain  Mangham  asked  Chaplain 
Peterson  if  he  wanted  the  unit  ministry  teams  in  South  Florida  to  curtail  all  religious  activities 
involving  disaster  victims,  local  religious  leaders,  and  local  religious  organizations.  Chaplain  Peterson 
felt  that  the  activities  of  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  in  Joint  Task  Force  Andrew  were 
appropriate  to  the  overall  Army  mission  The  Army  was  not  officially  advocating  any  particular 
religion  or  theology.  The  various  unit  ministry  teams  were  simply  responding  to  requests  for 
humanitarian  support  in  a  pluralistic  civilian  community  of  Jewish,  Catholic  and  Protestant  people 
where  homes,  synagogues  and  churches  were  damaged  or  destroyed.  Therefore,  pending  direct 
orders  from  the  Joint  Task  Force  Commander,  Chaplain  Peterson  advised  that  the  chaplains  and  the 
chaplain  assistants  should  continue  their  ministries  in  accord  with  Chaplain  Mangham's  policy: 
ministry  to  military  personnel  and  DoD  civilians  first,  ministry  coordination  and  support  with  local 
religious  organizations  and  disaster  victims  second.  Chaplain  Mangham  therefore  continued  to 
support  the  coordination  and  relief  ministries  of  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  with  civilian 
victims  in  South  Florida  It  became  obvious,  however,  that  some  attention  was  needed  to  draft 
Chaplain  Corps  doctrine  more  directly  related  to  ministry  in  disaster  relief  operations,  and  perhaps 
subject  in  advance  to  legal  reviews. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 


238 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


239 JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 

ENDNOTES 

1.  Chaplain  (Lt  Col  )  Gary  R  Councell,  "Chaplain  Roles  in  Humanitarian  and  Civic  Assistance 
Operations",  United  States  Army  War  College  Seminar  Paper,  unpublished,  1994,  p.  71. 

2.  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Albert  W.  Bush,  Jr.,  "First  In:  Unit  Ministry  Teams,  Hurricane  Andrew, 
Miami,  Florida,"  The  Army  Chaplaincy,  Spring  1993,  p. 3. 

3.  USA  Today,  November  25,  1992,  p  6-A. 

4.  Staff  Sergeant.  Elroy  Garcia,  "As  Bad  As  A  Storm  Can  Get",  Soldiers,  Volume  47,  Number 
11,  November  1992,  p  15 

5.  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Albert  W  Bush,  Jr.,  "First  In",  The  Army  Chaplaincy,  Spring  1993,  Op.  Cit., 
p.3. 

6    Chaplain  (Col.)  Paul  Mason,  "Mobilizing  for  Humanitarian  Relief  Ministry,"  After  Action 
Report,  Operation  Andrew,  US  Forces  Command  Chaplain's  Office,  Fort  McPherson,  Georgia, 
p.l. 

7.  Journal  of  Chaplain  Kristi  Pappas,  Operation  Andrew,  August  28  -  September  30,  1992,  p.3. 
"I  called  back  to  Fort  Drum  and  talked  with  Chaplain  Hutcherson,"  Chaplain  Pappas  wrote  on 
September  2d.  "He  told  me  to  stay  in  the  position  until  he  arrived  so  that  there  would  be 
consistency." 

8.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col)  Richard  Adams,  August  16,  1994. 

9.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj  )  Donald  Rutherford,  August  19,  1994.  Chaplain 
Rutherford  ,  the  first  Catholic  Chaplain  to  cross  into  Iraq  during  Operation  Desert  Storm  ,  was 
also  the  first  Catholic  Chaplain  to  arrive  in  Miami  during  Operation  Andrew. 

\Q.Ibid 

1 1 .  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Richard  Adams,  August  16,  1994. 

12.  Journal  of  Chaplain  Robert  Hutcherson,  Task  Force  Mountain,  Operation  Andrew  Relief, 
August  31  -  October  12,  1992,  p.2. 

13.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gerald  M.  Mangham,  After  Action  Report,  Joint  Task  Force  Andrew,  p. 9. 

14.  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Albert  W.  Bush,  Jr.,  "First  In:  Unit  Ministry  Teams,  Hurricane  Andrew, 
Miami,  Florida,"  The  Army  Chaplaincy,  Spring  1993,  Op.  Cit.,  p. 4. 

15.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Don  Rutherford,  August  19,  1994. 


JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 240 

16.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Mary  Pitts,  September  2,  1994. 

17  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Kristi  Pappas,  August  3,  1994. 

18  Ibid. 

19.  Chaplain  (r'  Lt.)  Keith  N.  Croom,  C  Co.,  3/20th  Special  Forces,  Florida  National  Guard, 
"JTF-Andrew  Chaplain  Vignettes,"  After  Action  Report,  2nd  U.S.  Army,  Fort  Gillem,  Georgia, 
p.8 

20.  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  the  Personnel  Officer  fi-om  FORSCOM,  was  on  leave  in 
Miami  from  September  1  -  5  and  made  daily  telephone  reports  to  Chaplain  Lonergan  on  the 
extent  of  the  disaster  from  Miami  to  Homestead,  Florida. 

2\.The  Washington  Post,  September  2,  1992,  p. A- 17. 

22.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Gerald  M.  Mangham,  August  3,  1994. 

23.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Richard  Adams,  August  16,  1994. 

24.  Personal  interview  with  Casey  M.  Brinsfield,  July  31,  1994.  Miss  Brinsfield  was  in  Miami  on 
September  1  -  2  with  her  father  who  was  reporting  to  Chaplain  (Col.)  James  B  Lonergan,  the 
Deputy  FORSCOM  Chaplain,  on  the  needs  of  the  unit  ministry  teams  in  the  Miami-Homestead 
area. 

25.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Paul  Mason,  Memorandum  for  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  "JTF 
Ministry,"  September  21,  1994,  p.  1. 

26    Chaplain  (Capt.)  Floyd  R.  Gilbert,  "Can  These  Bones  Live  Again*^"  77?^  Army  Chaplaincy, 
Spring  1993,  p.8 

27.  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Robert  Hutcherson,  Journal,  p.8. 

28.  Chaplain  (Col.)  Paul  Mason,  Memorandum  for  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  "JTF  Andrew 
Ministry,"  September  21,  1994,  p.  1. 

29.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Mangham,  Army  Material  Command,  November  1 5, 
1994. 

30.  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (  Maj.)  Don  Rutherford,  August  23,  1994. 

31.  Colonel  Vahan  Moushegan,  Memorandum  for  JTF  Chaplain,  September  30,  1992,  p. 2. 

32.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Ronald  J  Buchholz,  Memorandum  for  the  Chief  of  Chaplains,  ATTN: 
Colonel  Kuehne,  November  23,  1992,  p.l. 


— . . JOINT  TASK  FORCE  ANDREW 

33.  Ibid,  p.2. 


Base  802100  (600621)  12-92 


OPERATION   RESTORE    HOPE 


Religious   Support 


I 


CHAPTER  VII 

OPERATION  RESTORE 
HOPE:  MINISTRY  IN  A  CAULDRON 


Half  of  all  of  Somali  children  born  between  1988  and  1993  died  from  the  effects  of  famine,  disease 
and  war. 

Chaplain  Gary  R  Councell 
U.S.  Army  War  College 

This  is  real  combat  and  we  ha\'e  to  understand  that. 

General  Gordon  Sullivan 
Army  Times,  October  18,  1993 

The  United  Nations  operations  in  Somalia  were  the  bloodiest  peacekeeping  operations  in  Africa  in 
more  than  30  years. 

The  Washington  Post,  March  26,  1994 


Of  the  ten  countries  in  East  Africa  where  twenty  million  people  faced  starvation  in  1 992, 
Somalia  captured  the  attention  of  the  world  possibly  for  two  reasons.  First,  there  were  featured  on 
international  television  vast  numbers  of  children  lying  in  refugee  camps  with  listless  eyes,  wasted 
limbs,  and  flies  nonchalantly  walking  across  their  bodies.  Second,  there  was  no  central  government 
in  Somalia  to  deal  with  the  problems  of  famine,  disease  and,  at  times,  civil  war.  Ahhough  seven 
million  people  in  Ethiopia  and  five  million  people  in  Sudan  were  undernourished,  Somalia  presented 
a  troubling  example  of  the  deliberate  interdiction  of  food  suppHes  by  armed  tribal  militiamen.  Relief 
organizations  were  sometimes  forced  to  play  God  in  attempting  to  decide  where  to  deliver  food. 
Because  the  monthly  cost  of  relief  flights  exceeded  4.5  million  dollars,  only  36%  of  the  food  needed 
by  the  people  of  East  Africa  was  delivered  in  1992  The  World  Food  Program,  the  US  Relief 
Agency,  CARE  and  the  United  Nations  World  Food  Program  sent  appeals  for  2. 1  million  tons  of  food 
worth  more  than  $880  million  to  help  the  countries  in  the  horn  of  Africa.' 

Somalia,  or  the  Somali  Democratic  Republic  as  it  was  formally  known  in  the  United  Nations, 
was  not  always  a  land  of  famine,  pestilence,  and  war  With  the  total  land  area  of  246,000  square 
miles,  only  a  bit  smaller  than  the  state  of  Texas,  Somalia  has  a  wide  variety  of  geographic  regions 
ranging  from  mountains  in  the  northern  part  of  the  country  to  a  wide  coastal  plain  on  the  Indian 
Ocean.  Claiming  a  coast  line  of  approximately  1,700  miles  with  several  harbors,  Somalia  was  able 
to  export  citrus  products,  live  stock,  petroleum  and  other  minerals  as  recently  as  1986  Even  though 
the  population  of  7.3  million  people  was  widely  dispersed  throughout  the  country,  Somalia  did  have 
a  capital  city,  Mogadishu,  with  a  population  of  700,000.  Though  Somalia  was  clearly  a  Third  World 
country  with  only  15%  of  its  roads  paved  and  no  railroads  extant,  it  nevertheless  had  a  government- 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter.  245 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 246 

owned  airline  and  several  foreign  airlines  providing  international  service  to  the  country. 

Somalia  has  had  a  long  history  of  famine  and  intertribal  warfare.  In  1970  General  Mohamad 
Siad  Barre,  the  President  of  Somalia,  declared  Somalia  a  socialist  state  In  the  following  years  most 
of  the  modern  businesses  in  the  country  were  nationalized  A  drought  in  1974  to  1975  caused 
widespread  starvation.  In  mid- 1977  ethnic  Somalis  in  the  adjacent  Ogaden  region  of  Ethiopia 
initiated  open  warfare  aimed  at  ending  Ethiopian  control  of  the  area.  The  rebels  were  armed  by 
Somalia  which  also  contributed  troops  to  the  effort  The  Somalis  captured  most  of  the  Ogaden  by 
late  1977.  But  Ethiopia,  aided  by  Cuba  and  the  USSR,  reasserted  control  over  the  region  in  early 
1978,  as  the  Somali  Army  suffered  heavy  losses. 

Subsequently,  guerrilla  fighting  in  the  Ogaden  and  the  bombing  of  villages  in  the  region  by 
Ethiopian  planes  precipitated  a  flood  of  refugees  into  Somalia,  the  number  of  homeless  in  1981  was 
estimated  at  close  to  two  million,  and  many  were  near  starvation.  The  United  States  gave  both 
humanitarian  and  military  aid  to  Somalia  and  in  return  was  granted  use  of  the  naval  facilities  at 
Berbera,  previously  a  Soviet  base. 

Hostilities  with  Ethiopia  erupted  again  in  1982  and  occurred  sporadically  thereafter,  as  did 
clashes  between  Somali  government  troops  and  Ethiopian-based  Somalia  rebels.  A  peace  accord  with 
Ethiopia  was  signed  in  1988.  The  civil  war  intensified  however,  and  Barre  was  forced  to  flee  the 
capital  in  January  1991 .  During  the  next  thirteen  months,  more  than  30,000  people  were  reportedly 
killed  in  factional  fighting,  and  another  250,000  people  in  and  around  Mogadishu  were  threatened 
with  famine  ■ 

The  guerrilla  leader  who  headed  the  victorious  coup  against  Barre  in  1991  was  General 
Mohammed  Farrah  Aidid  (also  Aideed),  whose  name  in  Somali  means,  "One  Who  Will  Not  Be 
Insulted."'  Aidid's  ambition  was  to  unify  Somalia  after  the  coup  and  succeed  Barre  as  President. 
Aidid's  base  of  power  in  his  coalition  of  fourteen  clans  and  sub-clans  was  not  powerfiil  enough, 
however,  to  command  the  allegiance  of  the  other  rival  clan  leaders  throughout  Somalia.  To  fijrther 
complicate  the  already  chaotic  situation.  United  Nations  Secretary  Butros  Butros-Ghali,  in  his  former 
role  as  Egypt's  Foreign  Minister,  agreed  to  recognize  not  Aidid  but  his  rival  Ali  Mahdi  Mohammed 
as  the  head  of  the  hastily  formed  national  government.  Aidid  saw  a  conspiracy  developing  between 
Ali  Mahdi  and  other  nations  when  the  United  States  joined  Egypt  in  officially  recognizing  Mahdi  as 
the  President  of  Somalia.  Aidid  was  not  alone,  however,  in  opposing  Mahdi's  accession  to  power. 
Omar  Jess,  leader  of  the  Ogadeni  clan  at  Kismayo,  allied  himself  with  Aidid  in  opposing  Mahdi's 
administration.  With  the  allegiance  of  approximately  half  of  the  population  of  Mogadishu,  Aidid  was 
able  to  form  an  organization  which  he  named  the  Somali  National  Alliance  At  its  height  SNA  could 
count  seven  thousand  armed  guerrillas  under  the  control  of  General  Aidid. ^ 

From  the  summer  of  1 99 1  through  the  fall  of  1992,  Aidid  and  his  allied  clan  leaders  waged 
virtually  a  gang  war  against  their  principal  rivals,  including  Ali  Mahdi,  Mohamed  Abshir  and 
Mohamed  Said  Hersi.  One  of  the  tactics  the  clan  leaders  used  to  try  to  gain  control  of  the  country 
was  the  seizure  and  control  of  as  much  grain  as  possible,  depriving  opposing  clans  of  the  food  they 
needed  to  survive. 

By  the  summer  of  1992,  food  shortages,  compounded  by  a  drought  and  exceptionally  hot 
weather  in  the  coastal  plain  of  Somalia,  began  to  take  a  toll  in  the  rural  villages.  Hundreds  of 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    Chapla.in   Guy  Jolin   with   Navy   Chaplain    in   Somalia;     (Bottom) 
SPC  Edward   Grayson    tests    local    laundry  methods 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 248 

thousands  of  people  faced  starvation  and  death.  Psychologically  the  people  of  Somalia  began  to 
change  their  thinking  from  "the  good  of  society"  to  provisions  for  personal  survival.  As  one  United 
Nations  official  observed,  the  psychology  in  Somalia  among  the  people  could  be  summarized  as 
follows:  "I  and  Somalia  against  the  world,  I  and  my  tribe  against  Somalia;  I  and  my  clan  against  the 
tribe,  I  and  my  family  against  the  clan;  I  and  my  brother  against  the  family;  I  against  my  brother."' 

By  the  end  of  July  1992  it  was  estimated  that  half  of  all  the  Somali  children  born  between 
1988  and  1993  had  died  Malnutrition  among  the  living  half  was  estimated  at  95%.  Three-fourths 
of  the  people  of  Somalia  were  affected  by  the  clan  wars,  resulting  in  two  million  persons  displaced 
from  their  homes.  More  than  350,000  people  had  died  from  the  civil  conflict,  disease,  or  starvation. 
Banditry,  looting,  and  thievery  became  the  most  common  means  of  obtaining  food.  Fifty  cases  of  gun 
shot  wounds  were  being  treated  every  day  in  Mogadishu.  Fifteen  different  factions  disputed  with 
each  other  for  control  of  the  country,  using  food  and  weapons  as  power.  The  only  working 
distribution  system  in  the  country  provided  "khat"  (a  mild  narcotic)  and  arms,  otherwise,  the  common 
people  had  to  resort  to  black  marketing  to  obtain  anything.  United  Nations'  and  volunteer 
organizations'  efforts  to  help  were  largely  frustrated  because  food  supplies  sent  to  the  people  were 
often  either  extorted  or  highjacked  by  armed  clansmen.* 

Responding  to  urgent  appeals  from  the  United  Nations  in  August  1992,  President  George 
Bush  ordered  air  drops  of  food  to  prevent  starvation  in  Somalia.  Entitled  "Operation  Provide  Relief," 
the  food  proved  helpful  but  inadequate  given  the  immense  size  of  the  starving  Somali  population. 
United  Nations  troops  arrived  in  Somalia  on  September  1 4  to  attempt  to  protect  food  convoys,  but 
were  out-numbered  and  out-gunned  by  the  tribal  militiamen  who  were  intent  on  continuing  the  policy 
of  food  control  and  consolidation  of  tribal  power.' 


Operation  RESTORE  HOPE 

On  December  4,  1992  Secretary  General  Butros  Butros-Ghali  requested  that  President  Bush 
augment  the  United  Nations  peace  keeping  and  humanitarian  relief  forces  in  Somalia  with  ground 
troops  from  the  United  States  President  Bush,  in  the  closing  days  of  his  administration,  discussed 
the  options  available  not  only  with  his  advisors  but  also  with  President-elect  Bill  Clinton.  On 
December  9  President  Bush  ordered  United  States  Marines  to  secure  the  Port  of  Mogadishu  and 
prepare  for  a  division-size  force  to  enter  the  country.  The  military  mission  of  Operation  Restore 
Hope  was  to: 

Secure  major  air  and  seaports,  key  installations  and  food  distribution  points,  provide 
for  open  and  free  passage  of  relief  supplies,  provide  security  for  convoys  and  relief 
organization  operations  and  assist  United  Nations/non-govemment  organizations  in 
providing  humanitarian  relief  under  United  Nations  auspices.* 

Eventually  more  than  33,000  allied  soldiers  served  in  the  UN.  operation  in  Somalia 
(UNISOM).   The  United  States  supplied  up  to  24,000  members  of  its  armed  forces,  although  only 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


249 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

17,000  served  on  the  ground  in  Somalia  at  any  one  time.  Military  objectives  were  to: 

1 .  Keep  factional  militia  neutralized. 

2.  Provide  sufficient,  appropriate  force. 

3.  Support  political  plans  without  creating  vulnerabilities. 

4.  Ensure  against  the  reemergence  of  violence. 

5.  Help  rebuild  the  infrastructure 

6.  Safeguard  the  flow  of  rehef  supplies.' 

Operation  Restore  Hope  had  all  the  characteristics  of  a  major  invasion,  with  the  added 
challenge  of  simultaneously  supporting  humanitarian  relief  operations  The  theater  was  divided  into 
nine  humanitarian  relief  sectors  for  command  and  control  of  the  coalition  forces.  The  United  Nations 
Task  Force  (UNITAF)  of  twenty  nations  had  their  own  problems  of  fliel,  maintenance,  dusty 
conditions,  and  potable  water.  To  help  restore  order  as  well  as  hope,  a  policy  of  the  "Four  Nos"  was 
instituted.  The  "Four  Nos"  were:  No  Bandits,  No  Somali  Check  Points,  No  "Technicals"  (civihan 
vehicles  with  mounted  heavy  weapons)  and  No  Visible  Weapons.'" 

Although  Aidid  and  the  other  clan  leaders  did  not  initially  oppose  the  insertion  of  United 
States  Marines,  each  clan  leader  watched  carefially  to  see  if  an  opportunity  might  arise  to  manipulate 
the  United  States  forces  to  meet  individual,  political  objectives  Mohamed  Sahnoun,  a  former  United 
Nations  Envoy  to  Somalia,  warned:  "If  the  United  Nations  really  tries  to  eliminate  all  the  war  lords 
at  the  same  time,  there  will  be  great  popular  support  But  to  eliminate  one  and  leave  others  active, 
that  they  can  not  accept.""  Overnight,  without  realizing  it,  the  United  States  began  to  shif^  the 
balance  of  power  within  Mogadishu's  two  main  rival  clans.  One  veteran  western  aid  worker  in  the 
Somalia  capital  warned:  "That's  the  stuff  desperation  is  made  of"  Richard  Armitage,  a  senior  official 
in  the  Bush  administration,  stated  bluntly:  "we  are  taking  sides  in  a  civil  war."'" 

One  of  the  reasons  the  clan  leaders  opposed  U.S.  Marine  intervention  was  that  it  led  to  an 
immediate  loss  of  income.  As  Lt.  Colonel  George  A.  Biszack,  US  M.C  ,  wrote: 

Relief  agencies,  forced  to  hire  gunmen  to  guard  themselves  and  supplies,  were  faced 
with  demands  for  food  and  money.  When  the  Mogadishu  port  was  open, 
humanitarian  relief  organizations  paid  $5,000  a  day  in  protection  payments.  The 
money  went  to  'thugs'  who  patrolled  the  area  in  'technicals'  [a  vehicle  mounted  with 
a  106mm  recoiless  rifle  or  heavy  caliber  machine  gun].  The  NGOs  listed  under 
'Technical  Expense'  the  money  that  was  paid  for  protection.  The  CARE  team  in 
Baidoa  spent  $20,00  a  day  on  security,  paying  local  thugs  and  their  own  guards  not 
to  attack  them.'^ 

When  the  Marines  arrived,  some  clan  leaders  offered  to  work  with  the  allies,  but 
wanted  their  protection  money  to  continue.'"* 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 250 

Organization  for  Support 

The  United  Nations  forces  attempting  to  secure  the  delivery  of  food  for  the  Somali  people 
grew  in  size  from  7,500  soldiers  in  December  of  1992  to  more  than  28,000  soldiers  drawn  from  thirty 
countries  in  May  of  1993.  The  Commander  of  the  United  Nations  Joint  Task  Force  and  the  Senior 
American  Commander  in  SomaHa  was  Lt.  General  Robert  Johnston,  United  States  Marine  Corps. 
The  Joint  Task  Force  included  both  Marine  and  Army  land  forces  which  were  abbreviated,  MARFOR 
&  ARFOR.  The  Army  forces  were  evenmally  comprised  of  soldiers  from  the  10th  Mountain  Division 
from  Fort  Drum,  the  13th  Corps  Support  Command  (COSCOM)  from  Fort  Hood  and  other  units 
drawn  from  various  installations  including  Fort  Lewis,  Washington.  The  XVIII  Airborne  Corps,  III 
Corps  and  I  Corps  all  contributed  units,  therefore,  for  Operation  Restore  Hope  '^ 

Since  Somalia  was  in  the  area  of  responsibility  for  U.S.  Central  Command  (CENTCOM), 
General  Joseph  Hoar,  the  Commander  of  CENTCOM,  whose  headquarters  was  at  MacDill  Air  Force 
Base,  Florida,  tracked  the  operations  in  Somalia  quite  closely.  Tasking  for  unit  and  individual 
replacements  went  from  the  Commander,  Joint  Task  Force  Somalia,  in  Mogadishu,  to  the 
Commander  for  U.S.  Army  Central  Command  (ARCENT)  which  was  the  designation  Third  Army 
used  in  fulfilling  its  role  as  the  land  force  for  Central  Command.  Third  Army,  or  ARCENT,  was 
headquartered  at  Fort  McPherson,  Georgia.  Since  Third  Army  had  very  few  assigned  troops,  they 
in  turn  would  request  support  from  U.S.  Forces  Command  whose  headquarters  was  also  at  Fort 
McPherson. 

Because  there  was  no  staff  chaplain  position  at  CENTCOM,  the  Army  Chaplain  technical 
chain  which  was  used  to  communicate  situation  reports  and  personnel  requests  of  a  specific  nature 
went  from  the  Senior  ARFOR  Chaplain  in  Somalia  to  the  Third  Army  Chaplain  and  thence  to  the  U.S. 
Forces  Command  Chaplain's  Office  for  coordination  and  subsequent  tasking  through  command 
channels.  Chaplain  Jerry  Reynolds,  the  Third  Army  (ARCENT)  chaplain  normally  received  daily 
reports  from  Somalia.  Chaplain  Reynolds  would  then  forward  his  request  to  Chaplain  David 
Peterson,  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain,  or  to  his  deputy.  Chaplain  James  B  Lonergan.  The  FORSCOM 
Chaplain  staff,  including  Chaplain  Tom  Cook,  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield,  Chaplain  Raymond  Ennis  and 
Chaplain  Paul  Mason,  would  in  turn  seek  to  meet  the  requirements  from  Third  Army  Daily  reports 
on  the  situation  in  Somalia,  to  include  the  names  of  all  deployed  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants, 
were  sent  from  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  office  to  Chaplain  Henry  Wake,  the  Executive  Officer  in 
the  Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  in  Washington  DC.  Chaplain  Matthew  Zimmerman,  the  Chief 
of  Chaplains,  and  Chaplain  Donald  Shea,  the  Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains,  thus  would  be  frilly  informed 
as  to  the  status  of  religious  support  for  soldiers  in  Somalia.  In  order  to  track  each  unit  ministry  team 
deployed  to  Somalia,  Chaplain  Wayne  Kuehne,  Director  of  Plans,  Programs,  Training  and  Doctrine, 
directed  Mr.  Roger  Able  to  maintain  a  daily  status  file  for  the  Chief  of  Chaplains. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


251 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

First  Deployments 

Responding  to  a  call  from  the  United  Nations,  on  December  4,  1992,  U.S.  military  forces 
were  committed  to  support  Operation  Restore  Hope  in  East  Africa.  Secretary  of  Defense  Dick 
Cheney  specified  that  the  Joint  Task  Force  would  "restore  conditions  so  that  the  relief  operations  by 
the  United  Nations  could  occur  there."""  Secretary  Cheney  identified  the  10th  Mountain  Division 
from  Fort  Drum,  New  York,  as  the  principal  Army  unit  called  upon  to  follow  the  initial  Marine  forces 
into  Somalia  Support  troops  were  drawn  from  fourteen  other  Army  installations  in  the  United 
States,  from  the  Reserve  components  and  from  four  area  support  groups  or  divisional  units  in 
Germany.  Among  the  principal  Army  units  were  the  2nd  Brigade,  10th  Mountain  Division,  from  Fort 
Drum,  New  York;  the  62nd  Medical  Group  from  Fort  Lewis,  Washington,  the  86th  Evacuation 
Hospital  from  Fort  Campbell,  Kentucky,  and  the  593rd  Area  Support  Group  from  Fort  Lewis, 
Washington.  A  bit  later  in  January  the  13th  Corps  Support  Command  from  Fort  Hood,  Texas, 
arrived  as  well.  Combat  power  for  the  2nd  Brigade  Task  Force,  10th  Mountain  Division,  came 
mostly  fi-om  the  2nd  Battalion.  87th  Infantry,  and  one  company  from  the  1  st  Battalion,  87th  Infantry. 
The  3rd  Battalion,  14th  Infantry,  from  the  10th  Mountain  Division,  operated  south  of  Mogadishu  in 
the  port  city  of  Kismayo.  Supporting  the  infantrymen  were  elements  of  the  10th  Mountain  Division 
Support  Command  and  Division  Artillery,  the  10th  Aviation  Brigade,  the  10th  &  51 1th  Military 
Police  Companies,  the  41st  Engineer  Battalion,  and  the  3rd  Battalion,  62nd  Air  Defense  Artillery.'^ 
The  first  chaplain  to  deploy  to  Somalia  for  the  Army  land  forces  was  Chaplain  Kelly  Moore 
from  Fort  Drum.  The  principal  chaplains  who  arrived  between  December  16,  1992  and  mid-January 
1993  were  Chaplain  Robert  Hutcherson,  the  10th  Mountain  Division  Chaplain,  Chaplain  Ernest 
"Guy"  John,  the  Joint  Task  Force  Support  Command  Chaplain,  Chaplain  Barbara  Sherer,  the  62nd 
Medical  Group  Chaplain,  Chaplain  Vincent  Inghiherra,  the  593rd  ASG  Chaplain,  and  Chaplain  Dennis 
Newton,  the  86th  EVAC  Hospital  chaplain.  The  2nd  Brigade  chaplain,  10th  Mountain  Division,  was 
Chaplain  Joseph  Kraintz;  Chaplain  Juan  Loya  was  the  Division  Support  Command  chaplain  Chaplain 
Kristi  Pappas  served  as  the  Division  Support  Command  chaplain,  10th  Mountain  Division,  when 
Chaplain  Juan  Loya  redeployed. 

Most  of  the  chaplains  from  the  10th  Mountain  Division,  along  with  their  chaplain  assistants, 
were  well  acquainted  with  deployments  since  many  of  them  had  been  involved  in  Operation  Andrew 
at  Homestead,  Florida,  90  days  before  the  deployment  to  Somalia.  It  was  very  difficult  for  Chaplain 
David  O'Connell,  the  Installation  Staff  chaplain  at  Fort  Drum,  to  prepare  religious  support  for  the 
Post  in  the  Christmas  Season  as  the  10th  Mountain  Division  chaplains  departed.  Nevertheless,  with 
the  assistance  of  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office,  Chaplain  O'Connell  was  able  to  send  not  only  the 
unit  chaplains  who  had  to  go  with  their  units  to  Somalia,  but  also  two  Roman  Catholic  chaplains  to 
assure  Catholic  coverage  throughout  the  theater  of  operations  As  early  as  December  14,  1992,  U.S. 
Forces  Command  identified  a  Roman  Catholic  chaplain  to  assist  Chaplain  O'Connell  at  Fort  Drum. 
Chaplain  James  Madden  reported  over  the  Christmas  season  to  help  with  family  support  and  Roman 
Catholic  services  at  Fort  Drum  Chaplain  David  Sandifer,  the  Family  Life  Chaplain,  and  Chaplain 
Malcolm  Hess,  the  Senior  Protestant  Chaplain,  also  helped  provide  for  family  support  at  Fort  Drum 
during  the  deployment 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 252 

Chaplain  Jerry  Reynolds,  the  3rd  Army  (ARCENT)  Chaplain,  made  sure  that  the  deploying 
unit  ministry  teams  understood  that  their  first  priority  for  religious  support  would  be  to  the  soldiers 
who  were  in  Somalia  While  direct  humanitarian  services  to  the  Somali  people  were  not  forbidden, 
it  was  clear  that  the  mission  of  the  Army  was  to  provide  security  for  the  relief  organizations  to  do 
their  job.  Therefore,  the  mission  of  the  unit  ministry  teams  was  to  support  the  soldiers  who  were 
providing  security  for  the  United  Nations  and  for  other  non-government  relief  organizations  (NGOs). 

Within  Somalia  itself  the  various  headquarters  were  scattered  throughout  the  country.  The 
Army  Forces  Chaplain  was  located  at  the  US  Embassy  in  Mogadishu;  the  Joint  Task  Force  Support 
Command  Chaplain  and  the  62nd  Medical  Group  Chaplain  were  located  at  the  University  near  the 
Embassy.  Other  units  were  found  in  bases  which  functioned  to  provide  security  as  well  as 
accessibility  to  the  area  of  operations  For  example,  one  former  Russian  tank  factory  was  renamed 
Victory  Base  and  became  an  important  location  for  deployed  American  troops.'^  Within  Mogadishu 
there  were  unit  ministry  teams  located  at  Mogadishu  Airport  southeast  of  the  city,  at  the  University, 
at  the  U.S.  Embassy  in  the  center  of  the  city,  at  the  seaport,  and  at  Sword  Base  and  Hunter  Base 
along  21  October  Road  to  the  northwest  of  the  city. 

Early  in  January  1993,  Somalia's  leading  war  lords,  Ali  Mahdi  and  General  Mohamed  Aidid, 
jointly  announced  that  the  so-called  "green  line"  dividing  Mogadishu  into  separate  sectors  had  been 
abolished.  Thousands  of  men  and  women  cheered  as  the  two  rivals  promised  for  the  first  time  in 
more  than  a  year  to  allow  people  to  travel  freely  across  the  capital.  However,  individual  thugs  and 
vandals  continued  looting  and  shooting  even  after  the  green  line  was  no  longer  an  official  barrier.  In 
the  port  city  of  Kismayo,  250  miles  southwest  of  Mogadishu,  up  to  200  members  of  the  Harti  Clan, 
including  religious  leaders,  business  men  and  doctors,  were  reportedly  dragged  from  their  homes  and 
shot  during  several  nights  of  terror.  The  killing  spree  was  said  to  have  been  ordered  by  Kismayo's 
de  facto  boss,  the  war  lord  Colonel  Omar  Jess,  an  ally  of  Aidids.  According  to  an  American 
diplomat,  Jess  may  have  ordered  the  massacre  to  consolidate  his  control  over  the  city  before  relief 
forces  arrived  in  Kismayo  It  was  clear  fi"om  the  beginning  of  Operation  Restore  Hope  that  many 
individual  clan  leaders  would  continue  their  policies  of  intimidation  in  spite  of  the  presence  of  United 
Nations  and  American  troops." 

By  January  1993,  some  22,568  American  service  men  and  women,  including  5,255  soldiers, 
were  enroute  to  or  already  in  Somalia.  The  Somali  people,  as  well  as  their  leaders,  had  mixed 
reactions  to  these  foreign  peace  keepers.  The  Somalis  gathered  by  the  hundreds  on  the  sides  of  the 
roads  from  dawn  to  dusk.  They  reached  into  slow  moving  vehicles  to  snatch  sunglasses  off  the  faces 
of  reporters  and  relief  workers.  They  taunted  the  armed  American  guards  at  the  compounds  Some 
waved  and  smiled  at  soldiers  and  Marines,  others  threw  rocks  and  told  the  Americans  to  go  home. 

On  January  7,  Marine  Cobra  helicopters  treated  American  troops  in  Mogadishu  to  a  serious 
fireworks  display,  their  missiles  lighting  up  the  clear  night  sky  in  an  attack  on  Somali  gunmen  just 
outside  the  Embassy  compound.  Thousands  of  soldiers  and  Marines  watched  and  cheered.'"  A 
January  1 1  raid  in  Mogadishu  netted  enough  Somali  weapons  to  fill  seven  5-ton  trucks.  The  booty 
included  everything  from  missiles,  mortars,  and  machine  guns  to  rifles  and  ammunition.  Near 
Baledogle  the  same  night,  military  police  fi'om  Fort  Drum  set  up  all-night  road  blocks  and  confiscated 
small  arms,  crew-served  automatic  weapons  and  two  mortars.  U.S.  Forces  personnel  suffered  their 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


253 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

first  fatality  on  January  12  when  a  Marine  Private  First  Class  was  shot  dead.  He  was  on  patrol  near 
the  Mogadishu  Airfield  when  his  unit  was  ambushed  by  Somali  gunmen. 

Even  in  inland  towns,  where  most  Somalis  welcomed  the  soldiers  as  saviors  for  their  dying 
nation,  there  was  trouble.  In  Wanle  Weyne,  soldiers  of  the  10th  Mountain  Division's  2nd  Brigade 
were  called  in  to  quell  a  riot  at  a  Red  Cross  food  warehouse.  The  soldiers  rushed  to  the  scene  after 
receiving  reports  that  more  than  a  thousand  villagers  had  overwhelmed  a  lone  Somali  soldier  in 
charge  of  guarding  the  food.  Warning  shots  were  fired  by  the  Americans  to  help  keep  the  villagers 
back. 

But  by  mid-January  350,000  Somalis  had  died  of  drought,  famine  and  civil  unrest.  The  daily 
death  rate  had  peaked  in  the  summer  of  1992  at  300,  until  beefed  up  security  and  increased  food 
deliveries  lowered  the  toll  A  relief  center  in  Wanle  Weyne  housed  about  100  sick  people  on  any 
given  day.  Most  suffered  fi"om  malnutrition,  diarrhea  or  malaria.  Before  the  arrival  of  the  Americans, 
relief  workers  said  five  or  six  people  died  at  the  center  each  day.  One  American  chaplain  observed" 
"It's  almost  as  if  the  four  horsemen  of  Revelation — war,  famine,  disease  and  death — watered  their 
horses  in  Somalia."'' 

Chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  deploying  to  Somalia  experienced,  in  many  ways,  conditions 
which  were  more  severe  than  in  any  other  operation  since  Vietnam.  Deployment  orders,  for  example, 
required  immunizations  or  chemoprophylaxis  for  ten  different  diseases  before  one  could  deploy  to 
Somalia.  These  diseases  included  tetanus,  diphtheria,  polio,  influenza,  typhoid,  yellow  fever,  measles, 
malaria,  and  tuberculosis.  Deployment  orders  from  the  Commander,  ARCENT,  contained  the 
warning  that  deploying  personnel  must  take  enough  uniform  items  for  the  temporary  change  of  station 
because  there  would  be  no  desert  camouflage  uniforms  or  accessories  to  issue.  In  the  words  of 
Chaplain  Terry  Walsh  of  the  10th  Aviation  Brigade:  "if  you  don't  bring  it  with  you,  you  ain't  gonna 
get  It."" 

Chaplain  Kristi  Pappas  fi"om  the  Division  Support  Command  at  Fort  Drum  took  these 
warnings  seriously  When  Chaplain  Pappas  deployed  she  took  five  foot  lockers,  four  duflfel  bags,  and 
ail  of  her  field  equipment  with  her.  In  the  foot  lockers  and  duffel  bags  were  not  only  33  bottles  of 
wine,  hosts,  prayer  books.  Bibles,  medals,  rosaries  and  even  copies  of  the  Koran  but  also  candy  and 
books  for  the  troops." 

Many  of  the  deploying  chaplains  were  aware  that  the  environment  in  Somalia  was  particularly 
dangerous,  especially  for  Christian  clergy.  In  1989  the  Franciscan  Bishop  had  been  killed  in  Somalia, 
and  in  1991  the  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral  had  been  sacked."*  Even  some  United  Nations  volunteers 
had  been  killed  as  recently  as  January  of  1992.  One  chaplain  reported  seeing  a  volunteer  from 
Ireland,  seeking  to  take  a  child  to  the  hospital,  shot  in  the  back  by  Somali  gunmen."' 

In  addition  to  the  dangers  from  disease  and  sniper  fire,  there  also  were  natural  dangers  which 
threatened  the  American  soldiers.  In  Somalia  there  were  1 1  different  species  of  snakes — all 
poisonous.  For  the  bites  of  five  of  these  snakes  there  was  no  anti-venom.  Some  snakes  were  called 
"Two-step  Charlies."  Soldiers  said  if  you  were  bitten  by  such  a  snake  you  could  take  two  steps 
before  you  died.'*  For  all  practical  purposes  soldiers  regarded  every  insect,  plant  and  reptile  in 
Somalia  to  be  dangerous. 

In  addition  to  the  physical  dangers  in  Somalia  for  soldiers,  there  were  also  physical 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 254 

discomforts.  In  some  locations  showers  were  available  every  four  days.'^  If  one  could  get  a  shower, 
the  second  bath  the  soldier  would  take  would  be  in  insect  repellent  to  prevent  mosquito  bites  which 
could  result  in  malaria.  Throughout  the  month  of  January  1993,  sleep  was  very  diflficult  for  unit 
ministry  team  members,  especially  in  Mogadishu.  Mortar  and  sniper  fire  was  constant  every  night 
for  a  month.  In  short,  American  soldiers  found  themselves  involved  in  a  humanitarian  peacekeeping 
mission  in  the  midst  of  an  inter-tribal  civil  war  -* 

Since  the  protection  that  isnormally  extended  under  the  Geneva  Conventions  for 
noncombatants  was  not  universally  available  in  Somalia  for  the  peacekeeping  forces,  many  chaplains 
and  chaplain  assistants  faced  a  situation  not  addressed  in  Chaplain  Corps  doctrine.  In  combat  zones 
chaplains  frequently  drove  vehicles  while  chaplain  assistants  provided  security.  In  Somalia  some 
commanders  forbade  oflFicers  to  drive  because  Somali  gunmen  targeted  drivers  of  vehicles. 
Consequently,  in  order  to  move  it  was  necessary  to  have  some  kind  of  security  in  the  vehicle  if  the 
chaplain  assistant  had  to  be  the  driver.  Some  chaplains  were  advised  to  carry  weapons,  but  the 
majority  refused.  The  alternative  was  to  travel  only  in  armed  convoys,  and  this  produced  severe 
restrictions  on  the  movement  of  unit  ministry  teams  to  places  where  they  were  needed.  In  some 
locations  commanders  would  gather  from  four  to  seven  unit  ministry  teams  in  one  place  and,  in  eflFect, 
bunch  them  up  for  security.  In  other  locations  chaplains  would  fly  to  critical  areas  on  helicopters 
leaving  their  assistants  to  do  counseling  or  other  jobs  in  more  secure  areas."'  In  other  cases  chaplain 
assistants  became  convoy  commanders  and  were  not  available  to  render  direct  security  support  for 
their  chaplains. 

Perhaps  the  most  dangerous  scenario  the  unit  ministry  teams  had  to  encounter  was  the 
problem  of  hidden  snipers  in  crowds  of  Somali  people  As  convoys  sought  to  negotiate  street  throngs 
in  Mogadishu,  it  was  not  unusual  for  hundreds  of  Somali  men,  women  and  children  to  mob  the 
vehicles.  Sometimes  Somali  gunmen  would  hide  in  the  midst  of  the  civilian  population  and  take  shots 
at  soldiers.  Since  the  rules  of  engagement  for  American  troops  required  that  the  gunmen  be  identified 
and  that  the  situation  plainly  be  life  threatening,  frequently  no  return  fire  could  be  authorized  lest 
civilians  be  caught  in  the  cross-fire.  The  rules  of  engagement  however,  changed  over  the  course  of 
time  and  were  not  consistent  for  each  nation  involved.  Some  nations  allowed  their  troops  to  return 
fire  regardless  of  the  civilian  presence.  In  such  situations  American  soldiers  frequently  felt  guilty 
because  they  somehow  were  participating  in  a  type  of  engagement  which  seemed  to  counter  many 
of  the  prohibitions  in  the  Geneva  Conventions. 


Types  of  Ministries 

By  the  last  week  in  January  1993,  sixteen  unit  ministry  teams  from  Fort  Drum,  Fort  Hood, 
Fort  Lewis,  Fort  Eustis,  Fort  Benning,  and  from  US  Army  Europe  had  arrived  in  Somalia.  Direct 
religious  support  to  soldiers  to  include  Bible  studies,  counseling,  worship  and  sacramental 
opportunities,  and  ministries  of  encouragement  and  visitation  were  the  first  priority  of  the  unit 
ministry  teams.  However,  many  other  organizational  tasks  had  to  be  accomplished  in  order  for  the 
UMTs  to  do  their  work. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


255 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

Chaplain  Vince  Inghilterra,  the  593rd  Area  Support  Group  Chaplain,  had  arrived  on  Christmas 
Day  with  his  troops.  Father  Inghilterra  had  Mass  on  Christmas  with  his  soldiers  and  then  proceeded 
to  provide  religious  coverage  for  as  many  other  Catholic  soldiers  as  he  could  locate  including  those 
in  Kenya.  As  the  senior  Army  priest  in  Mogadishu,  Chaplain  Inghilterra  felt  it  necessary  to  coordinate 
with  the  Navy  and  UNISOM  chaplains  in  setting  up  an  organized  chaplaincy  for  all  of  the  United 
Nations  forces.  In  early  January  there  were  forty-three  chaplains  from  all  branches  of  the  American 
military  Of  the  forty-three  chaplains  in  Somalia  ministering  to  American  forces,  twenty-five  were 
from  the  Navy,  sixteen  from  the  Army  and  two  from  the  Air  Force.  Chaplain  Inghilterra  recalled  his 
initial  impressions  upon  his  arrival  in  Somalia: 

As  the  only  Army  priest  in  Mogadishu  I  felt  it  necessary  to  coordinate  with  the 
UNISOM  Chaplain  to  organize  for  proper  religious  coverage  in  our  area.  Life 
support  was  virtually  non-existent.  There  were  no  showers.  We  had  to  wash  in 
buckets  The  American  forces  took  over  the  university  but  there  was  more  mortar 
and  artillery  fire  for  over  a  month.  Many  of  our  soldiers  worked  with  humanitarian 
relief  organizations  Everyone  was  scared  because  we  could  not  identify  the  enemy. 
The  people  were  the  enemy  Soldiers  involved  in  humanitarian  actions  did  many  tasks 
for  the  impoverished  people  of  Mogadishu.  They  set  up  more  than  150  feeding 
kitchens.  They  saved  food  from  their  rations  and  gave  away  parts  of  their  MREs. 
They  found  building  materials  for  huts;  they  used  their  own  supplies  to  set  up  clinics. 
Thousands  of  children  were  all  over  the  streets.  Even  though  some  volunteers  had 
been  threatened  and  killed,  there  was  an  important  ministry  in  saving  the  lives  of 
children.  We  also  had  ministries  with  civil  affairs  people.  Children  were  virtually 
taking  care  of  other  children.  Some  of  our  soldiers  taught  school.  Instead  of  telling 
the  children  about  Jack  and  Jill  who  went  up  the  hill,  they  changed  the  names  to 
Fatima  and  Amed  Even  while  teaching  the  children,  the  soldiers  still  had  to  wear 
their  combat  gear.  We  were  relieved  to  turn  over  many  of  these  functions  to 
humanitarian  organizations  But  above  all  I  recall  that  there  was  no  security  for  the 
Joint  Logistical  Task  Force,  soldiers  whom  we  called  "loggers."  Mogadishu  was  a 
battle  zone  Between  warring  clans  there  were  no  clear  rules  of  engagement.  Women 
and  children  were  shot  down.  I  spent  hours  counseling  soldiers  about  the  things  they 
were  seeing. 

Chaplain  Robert  Hutcherson,  the  10th  Mountain  Division  Chaplain,  was  by  position  the 
ARFOR  Chaplain  after  January  3.  Chaplain  Hutcherson  remained  in  constant  contact  with  Chaplain 
Jerry  Reynolds  at  Third  Army  at  Fort  McPherson  to  coordinate  the  arrival  of  additional  unit  ministry 
teams.  Situation  reports  were  made  daily  from  Mogadishu  to  Fort  McPherson  and  then,  as  previously 
noted,  through  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office  to  Chaplain  Wake  or  to  Mr.  Roger  Able  in  the 
Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains.  As  the  messages  and  requirements  increased.  Chaplain  Raymond 
E.  Ennis,  USAR,  assumed  some  of  the  personnel  duties  in  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office. 
Throughout  Operation  Restore  Hope  there  was  constant  communication  between  all  chaplain 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 256 

echelons  from  Mogadishu  to  the  Pentagon. 

Chaplain  Barbara  Sherer,  the  62nd  Medical  Group  Chaplain,  recalled  the  challenges  her  unit 
faced  in  providing  medical  support  to  the  dispersed  American  Army  units: 

Since  my  Medical  Group  was  responsible  for  overseeing  all  medical  care  in  the 
country,  the  86th  EVAC  Hospital  came  under  my  commander's  control.  This  meant 
that  with  my  position  as  Group  Chaplain  I  was  responsible  for  the  two  chaplains  who 
deployed  with  the  86th.  Chaplain  Dennis  Newton  and  Chaplain  Greg  Estes  both 
technically  outranked  me,  but  it  was  a  really  comfortable  relationship.  I  just  left  them 
to  take  care  of  all  the  hospital's  needs,  and  I  focused  on  the  other  diverse  units  in  the 
62nd  This  worked  well  because  the  hospital  was  located  on  the  airfield  until  April 
while  my  headquarters  was  at  the  university  complex.  I  had  units  "or  portions  of 
units"  at  the  port  of  Mogadishu,  the  Embassy,  Baledogle,  Bardera,  Kismayo  and  Belet 
Uen.  I  worked  with  people  fi"om  a  variety  of  countries.  I  had  the  opportunity  to  help 
my  unit  provide  some  food  relief  for  a  feeding  center,  and  establish  relationships  with 
the  adults  and  children  housed  at  that  center.  There  were  many  teenagers  actually 
living  on  the  street  on  their  own.  They  had  learned  to  care  for  themselves,  sometimes 
by  approaching  vehicles  and  reaching  in  and  stealing  items.  Refiigee  camps  sprung 
up  to  house  the  many  refugees  fi'om  outlying  areas.  The  camps  consisted  of  hundreds 
of  huts  made  from  long  tree  limbs  covered  with  cardboard,  corrugated  metal  or 
anything  else  people  could  find.  Many  of  the  huts  looked  like  an  Eskimo's  igloo, 
except  that  they  were  made  of  cardboard  instead  of  snow.  Even  when  I  was 
preaching  I  could  hear  automatic  weapons  fire  in  the  background.  But  the  most 
valuable  experience  was  in  dealing  with  the  children  and  then  interacting  with  them. 
Ministry  for  their  improvement,  once  they  had  food  and  security,  was  worth  the  risk.^" 

In  the  10th  Mountain  Division  the  soldiers  had  the  mission  of  transportation  security  so  that 
the  United  Nations  and  the  non-governmental  organizations  (NGOs)  could  distribute  the  needed  food 
and  water  to  the  population.  Some  soldiers  wound  up  loading  and  unloading  food,  running  soup 
kitchens  and  even  building  schools  for  children.  In  general,  however,  most  of  the  combat  troops  were 
charged  with  security  missions.  Some  of  the  Somali  people  did  not  understand  that  American  black 
soldiers  were  from  the  United  States.  They  were  constantly  asking  the  Afro- American  troops  what 
tribe  they  came  fi'om.  The  Somalis  warned  some  of  the  black  soldiers  that  if  there  was  a  slave  ship 
they  would  hear  the  slave  bell  ringing  in  the  market  place/" 

In  general  the  ministries  of  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  in  the  10th  Mountain  Division 
included  conducting  worship  services,  counseling,  visiting  the  troops  and  the  sick  and  wounded  in 
the  hospitals,  as  well  as  providing  religious  support  for  United  Nations  and  diplomatic  personnel 
when  the  opportunities  arose.  A  typical  day  for  a  chaplain  in  the  10th  Mountain  Division  in  Somalia 
might  begin  with  a  stand  up  at  0600  hours,  followed  by  counseling  with  ten  to  20  counselees  a  day. 
There  would  be  trips  to  visit  soldiers  and  a  visit  to  the  hospital  and,  on  Sundays,  as  many  as  five 
worship  services  for  each  UMT.   Some  services  began  as  eariy  as  0800  and  ended  by  1900hours.^" 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


257 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

Chaplain  and  chaplain  assistants  also  attempted  to  provide  care  packages  for  soldiers  that  included 
candy  and  books  and  sometimes  popcorn  poppers  so  that  there  could  be  a  diversion  from  the  constant 
after-duty  boredom.  Eventually  a  MARS  radio  station  went  into  operation  providing  some 
communication  for  the  soldiers  with  their  home  installations.  Initially,  however,  there  were  no  Stars 
and  Stripes  newspapers  available  and  only  limited  radio  programming. 

A  good  deal  of  the  counseling  support  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  provided  to  the 
soldiers  could  be  categorized  as  morale  support  or  "putting  out  fires."  Many  soldiers  reacted 
emotionally  to  inaccurate  information  or  rumors  which  contributed  to  their  anxiety  in  Somalia.  Some 
of  the  soldiers  from  Fort  Hood,  for  example,  were  told  that  they  would  be  in  Somalia  only  thirty  days 
when  actually  their  orders  called  for  them  to  be  in  the  country  for  six  months.  Some  soldiers  needed 
assurance  that  what  they  were  doing  was  of  lasting  value,  and  some  soldiers  did  not  understand  the 
type  of  conflict  or  limits  on  their  mission  which  they  encountered  in  Somalia.  There  was  no  real 
doctrine  for  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  to  use  in  each  contingency  and,  therefore,  much  of  the 
ministry  was  simply  directed  by  the  unit  ministry  teams'  own  concepts  of  what  it  meant  to  serve 
soldiers  in  such  unusual  circumstances. 


Mission  Shift  1 

In  February  and  March  it  appeared  that  things  were  going  well  in  the  effort  to  provide  relief 
for  the  Somali  people  and  to  keep  the  peace  with  a  minimum  of  security.  The  United  States  and  other 
multi-national  troops  opened  roads,  got  the  food  moving  again  and  even  carried  out  some  (though 
not  enough)  disarmament.  President  Clinton  gave  his  blessing  to  negotiations  by  Secretary  of  State 
Warren  Christopher  with  U.N.  Secretary  General  Butros  Ghali  to  draft  a  plan  for  replacing  American 
soldiers  with  a  United  Nations  multi-national  force.  Since  American  troops  were  coming  out  of 
Somalia  rather  than  going  in.  President  Clinton  left  the  detail  work  to  subordinates  By  March,  in  a 
hurry  to  withdraw  most  of  its  troops,  the  United  States  agreed  to  a  Security  Counsel  Resolution 
specifying  what  the  United  Nations  would  do  to  rebuild  Somalia  while  the  Blue  Helmets  kept  security 
throughout  the  country.  The  resolution  assigned  the  U.N.  force  some  nation-building  tasks.  These 
included  setting  up  regional  counsels  with  a  view  to  eventual  nationwide  elections.  That  complex  and 
time-consuming  mandate  might  have  set  off  alarm  bells  in  Washington.  But  since  U.S.  forces  were 
being  cut  from  28,000  to  4,500,  and  because  things  were  going  so  well  in  Somalia,  none  was 
sounded.  In  fact,  the  House  of  Representatives  decisively  passed  a  resolution  endorsing  the  nation- 
building  mission  and  favoring  the  use  of  American  troops  to  support  it,  for  several  years  if 
necessary. "" 

There  were  some  misgivings  from  the  start  however.  If  the  Somali  war  lords  perceived  that 
their  power  bases  were  eroding  during  this  nation-building  process,  many  observers  warned  that  they 
might  seek  to  undermine  the  mission.  Smith  Hempstone,  Ambassador  to  the  neighboring  country  of 
Kenya,  persistently  noted:  "Somalis,  as  the  Italians  and  British  discovered  to  their  discomfiture,  are 
natural  bom  guerrillas.  They  will  mine  the  roads.  They  will  lay  ambushes.  They  will  launch  hit-and- 
run  attacks.  "^■'  Nevertheless,  on  March  26,  1993,  Aidid  and  fourteen  other  clan  leaders  signed  a 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 258 

peace  pact  under  United  Nations  auspices  in  Addis  Ababa  which  pledged  their  mutual  efforts  toward 
a  peacefijl  Somalia.  Under  Chapter  7  of  the  United  Nations  Charter,  a  mandate  was  developed  for 
the  United  Nations  to  support  this  nation-building  effort.  The  nation-building  mission  did  not 
preclude  the  continuing  relief  and  peacekeeping  missions  as  much  as  it  shifted  emphasis  toward  a 
broader  scope  for  the  United  Nations  operations. 

Robert  Oakley,  the  special  Presidential  Envoy  who  helped  launch  the  political  talks  among 
the  fifteen  clan  leaders,  left  Somalia  in  March.  Somalia  "clearly  looked  like  it  was  back  on  the  road. 
Somalis  were  starting  to  repaint  their  houses,  clean  their  own  streets,  relocate  market  places,  and 
open  schools,"  said  Marine  Lieutenant  General  Robert  Johnston.  In  light  of  the  peace  pact  and  with 
strong  U.S.  backing,  the  United  Nations  adopted  a  resolution  on  March  27  setting  up  an  international 
(UNISOM  II)  peacekeeping  force  "  The  United  States  was  to  contribute  some  4,000  logistics 
troops,  a  number  that  was  to  dwindle  to  3,000  by  the  end  of  1993. 

But  even  as  the  United  Nations  was  organizing  its  force,  signs  of  trouble  began.  Oakley's 
idea,  said  a  senior  U.S.  official,  was  to  marginalize  the  so  called  war  lords — the  political  and  military 
leaders  of  the  country's  clans — and  allow  other  leaders  to  develop  Such  grass  roots  leadership  was 
envisioned  to  include  clan  elders,  intellectuals,  former  government  officials,  and  some  of  the  war  lords 
who  ruled  by  more  than  just  the  barrel  of  a  gun.  Among  the  war  lords,  U.S.  officials  in  Somalia 
thought  Mohammed  Aidid's  biggest  rival,  Mohamed  Abshir,  was  the  "best  of  the  lot."  April  Glaspie, 
a  State  Department  official,  who  served  as  political  advisor  to  U.N.  Envoy  Jonathan  Howe,  was  one 
of  several  Americans  who  met  with  Abshir  and  made  no  secret  of  the  U.S.  dislike  of  Aidid.  Aidid, 
sensing  he  was  being  marginalized,  complained  that  the  United  Nations  was  cutting  him  off.  Mr. 
Howe  responded  that  if  he  wanted  to  talk  he  could  come  to  U.N.  headquarters.  Lieutenant  General 
Johnston  noted,  "I  consciously  avoided  any  indication  that  we  were  supporting  one  clan  over  the 
other.  "^* 

With  the  announcement  that  the  bulk  of  American  forces  would  be  redeployed  to  the  United 
States — to  be  replaced  by  a  multi-national  force  of  United  Nations  troops  beginning  May  1 ,  and  with 
a  change  of  command  ceremony  on  May  4 — a  great  deal  of  administrative  work  had  to  be  done 
From  the  chaplains'  perspective  it  was  not  only  a  matter  of  redeploying  units  and  substituting  other 
units  with  their  unit  ministry  teams,  but,  as  it  happened,  the  change  in  units  occurred  at  the  primary 
religious  holiday  season  of  the  year.  Both  the  Jewish  Passover  season  and  the  Christian  Easter  season 
would  take  place  from  the  first  through  the  end  of  the  second  week  in  April.  In  effect,  by  the  end  of 
April  Operation  Restore  Hope  would  be  concluded  with  all  of  the  senior  chaplains,  to  include 
Chaplain  Hutcherson,  Chaplain  John  and  Chaplain  Inghiherta,  departing  from  Somalia. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


259 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

Observing  Holy  Days 

"Sweating  seemed  to  be  the  national  pastime." 

Chaplain  Richard  White 

At  the  FORSCOM  Chaplain's  Office  it  became  clear  that  a  Jewish  Chaplain  would  be  needed 
to  help  the  American  Jewish  soldiers  celebrate  the  Passover  season  in  Somalia.  Chaplain  Richard 
White  from  the  United  States  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School  at  Fort  Monmouth  was  selected  to 
go  In  addition.  Chaplain  Paul  Bomba,  a  Roman  Catholic  Chaplain  assigned  to  the  U.S.  Army 
Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency,  was  selected  to  augment  Catholic  support  in  Somalia  at  Easter. 

At  Third  Army  Headquarters  at  Fort  McPherson,  Chaplain  Jerry  Reynolds  began  the  process 
of  coordinating  the  assignment  of  chaplains  to  replace  those  leaving  Somalia  at  the  end  of  April.  As 
the  2nd  Brigade  of  the  1 0th  Mountain  Division  prepared  to  depart,  the  43  rd  Corps  Support  Group 
from  Fort  Carson,  Colorado,  was  alerted  to  deploy.  The  new  contingent  of  troops  which  was 
projected  to  number  almost  4,000  would  include  1,100  soldiers  from  the  First  Brigade,  1 0th 
Mountain  Division,  and  a  logistical  support  unit  of  2,600  soldiers  from  Fort  Carson  to  help  support 
the  Quick  Reaction  Force  from  the  First  Brigade.  Chaplain  requirements  for  these  4,000  soldiers 
included  one  Major  and  one  Captain  in  the  First  Brigade,  and  a  Lieutenant  Colonel,  a  Major  and  three 
Captains  in  the  logistical  unit 

Since  most  of  the  chaplains  in  the  10th  Mountain  Division,  to  include  both  of  the  re-deploying 
Roman  Catholic  chaplains,  had  already  been  in  Somalia,  requests  went  from  Chaplain  David 
O'Connell  at  Fort  Drum  through  U.S.  Forces  Command  to  crosslevel  some  chaplains  from  other 
installations  to  help  meet  the  requirements  in  Somalia  This  crossleveling  took  a  great  deal  of  time 
and  several  chaplains  working  at  diflFerent  echelons.  Chaplain  John  Rasmussen  at  the  Chiefs  Office, 
Chaplain  Raymond  E.  Ennis  and  Chaplain  John  Brinsfield  at  FORSCOM  coordinated  with  Chaplain 
Willard  D  Goldman,  the  assignments  officer  at  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  Office,  to  try  to  meet  the 
requirements  either  from  the  Reserve  components  or  from  the  active  duty  forces.  Since  the  7th 
Infantry  Division  at  Fort  Ord  was  losing  many  of  its  units  and  the  chaplains'  positions  that  went  with 
them.  Chaplain  Mark  Werner  and  Chaplain  Dean  Rominger  from  the  7th  Infantry  Division  were 
selected  to  go  to  Somalia  As  Chaplain  John  was  scheduled  to  leave  Somalia  on  May  2,  Chaplain 
Werner  would  be  the  senior  Army  chaplain  in  Somalia  until  a  Lieutenant  Colonel  could  arrive. 
Chaplain  Steve  Doman,  the  Installation  Staff  Chaplain  at  Fort  Ord,  and  Chaplain  William  De  Leo, 
who  helped  manage  personnel,  played  key  roles  not  only  in  preparing  two  chaplains  for  deployment 
but  in  covering  their  units  at  Fort  Ord  as  two  brigades  of  the  7th  Infantry  Division  prepared  to 
deactivate  and  Fort  Ord  prepared  to  close 

The  two  chaplains  sent  to  assist  with  the  celebration  of  Easter  and  Passover  had  a  rather  rocky 
deployment  to  Somalia  in  April  Chaplain  Bomba  from  the  Chaplaincy  Services  Support  Agency 
developed  back  trouble  in  route  to  Europe  and  had  to  be  hospitalized  at  Fort  Dix.  Chaplain  Bomba 
departed  for  Somalia,  nevertheless,  as  soon  as  he  received  medical  clearance  to  leave  Chaplain 
White  departed  from  the  U.S.  Army  Chaplain  School  in  the  company  of  his  chaplain  assistant. 
Sergeant  Alvin  Chaplin,  from  Fort  Bragg.  Unfortunately,  Sergeant  Chaplin  was  bumped  from  the 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    Colonel    Ian    "Red"    Natkin   and   Chaplain   Barbara    Sherer   at 
Passover   Service,    Mogadishu,    1993;     (Bottom)    Chaplain   Leo    "Joe" 

O'Keeffe   at  Mass    in   Somalia 


261 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

manifest  at  the  last  moment,  but  made  it  to  Mogadishu  four  days  after  Chaplain  White's  arrival. 
Chaplain  White  recorded  his  impressions  upon  landing  at  the  airport  in  Mogadishu: 

The  Airport  was  humming  with  activity  You  could  definitely  tell  that  this  was  a  U.N. 
operation.  There  were  French,  Italian  and  Canadian  troops  leaving  and  arriving.  The 
Airport  was  guarded  by  Egyptian  soldiers,  and  vehicles  fi^om  many  nationalities 
zoomed  about  the  area.  After  retrieving  my  luggage  and  donning  my  helmet  and  flak 
jacket,  we  set  off  through  the  streets  for  the  University  of  Somalia  compound. 
Evidence  of  mass  destruction  abounded.  Most  people  lived  in  small  shacks  Many 
streets  had  no  paving  left,  and  burned  and  battered  vehicles  were  scattered  here  and 
there.  Sweating  seemed  to  be  the  national  pastime  After  settling  into  my  quarters 
(a  spacious  room  in  a  building  with  no  running  water  or  toilet)  I  set  about  preparing 
for  the  Passover  services  and  Seder  I  found  out  that  J.  W.  B.  (Jewish  Welfare 
Board)  supplies  were  nowhere  to  be  found  but  that  we  had  plenty  of  kosher  Passover 
wine. 

Chaplain  White  could  not  find  all  of  the  things  he  needed,  but  Chaplain  Nichols,  U.S.  Navy, 
had  already  arranged  through  a  civilian  contractor  for  a  supply  of  hard  boiled  eggs,  celery,  and  a 
roasted  leg  of  lamb.  This  sharing  of  supplies  by  the  Navy  with  Army  enabled  Chaplain  White  to 
conduct  his  Passover  Seder. 

Jews  and  Christians  from  all  over  Mogadishu  gathered  for  the  Seder.  Colonel  Ian  Natkin, 
Commander  of  the  62nd  Medical  Group,  brought  his  chaplain  to  the  celebration.  Colonel  Natkin 
described  how  important  it  was  to  meet  with  other  Jews  for  prayer  on  the  Sabbath.  "The  Seder  was 
the  culmination  of  all  my  previous  experiences  of  worship  during  the  deployment,"  he  explained. 
The  fact  that  they  were  celebrating  in  an  Islamic  country  added  to  the  unique  quality  of  the 
experience.  "Gathering  for  this  celebration  was  a  real  high  point.  What  made  it  even  more  special 
was  the  opportunity  to  share  it  with  my  chaplain."^' 

Chaplain  White  concluded  his  observations: 

The  situation  was  far  more  secure  than  just  a  few  months  ago.  Before  I  left  Somalia, 
the  water  was  turned  on  in  Mogadishu  and  I  saw  many  of  the  merchants  repainting 
their  store  fronts.  The  city  is  gradually  coming  back  to  life.  There  is  now  a  local 
police  force  (I  heard  they  will  receive  weapons  soon),  and  negotiations  to  form  a 
government  continue.  No  one  knows  what  will  happen  when  the  U.N.  and  U.S. 
forces  leave  Somalia,  but  for  now  we  should  all  be  justifiably  proud  of  the  job  we 
have  done.^* 

Easter  came  on  April  1 1  and  many  of  the  chaplains  in  the  10th  Mountain  Division  attempted 
to  travel  throughout  the  country  in  order  to  visit  soldiers  at  different  outposts.  Sunrise  services  were 
held  wherever  possible.  Chaplain  Inghilterra  coordinated  with  chaplains  from  Nigeria  and  Australia 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 262 

in  order  to  cover  as  many  soldiers  of  different  nationalities  as  possible.  On  one  occasion  he  was  even 
able  to  hold  Mass  on  a  guided  missile  cruiser  Nevertheless,  by  the  end  of  the  Easter/Passover 
season,  most  of  the  soldiers  and  unit  ministry  teams  were  concentrated  on  meeting  their  re- 
deployment schedules.  In  effect,  UNISOM  I  ended  on  the  last  day  of  April  1993. 


UNISOM  II 

On  May  1,  1993,  the  United  Nations  formally  accepted  responsibility  for  the  peace-keeping 
and  nation-building  operations  in  Somalia.  On  the  4th  of  May  a  new  military  command  relieved 
Lieutenant  General  Robert  Johnston  to  set  up  UNISOM  IT  The  Commander,  Turkish  General  Cevik 
Dir,  was  assisted  by  Major  General  Thomas  M.  Montgomery,  the  Deputy  Commander  of  United 
Nations  Forces  and  the  Commander  of  U.S.  Forces  Somalia  General  Montgomery  thereby 
maintained  command  of  U.S.  troops,  but  under  the  overall  authority  of  the  United  Nations  Command. 
Within  US  Forces  Somalia  was  the  Quick  Reaction  Force  drawn  from  the  First  Brigade,  10th 
Mountain  Division,  and  the  United  Nations  Logistical  Support  Command,  largely  made  up  of  the 
43rd  Corps  Support  Group  from  Fort  Carson,  Colorado. 

In  May  and  early  June  eight  chaplains  and  eight  chaplain  assistants  formed  the  nucleus  of 
religious  support  for  the  American  soldiers  in  UNISOM  II  Chaplain  Mark  Werner  was  the  Quick 
Reaction  Force  troop  chaplain  supported  by  Chaplain  Dean  Rominger  and  Chaplain  Nathanael  Carr 
from  Fort  Drum.  Since  Chaplain  Werner  was  the  senior  chaplain  for  a  brief  period  of  time  he  also 
served  on  the  "Pocket  Staff"  for  General  Montgomery.  Chaplain  Michael  Norton  from  Fort  Knox 
arrived  to  support  the  43rd  Corps  Support  Group  in  the  U.N.  Logistics  Support  Command.  As  the 
only  Roman  Catholic  Chaplain,  Chaplain  Norton  was  very  busy  trying  to  cover  the  entire  American 
force.  Chaplain  Duncan  Baugh  from  Fort  Carson  arrived  to  likewise  support  his  own  43rd  Corps 
Support  Group.  Other  chaplains  included  Chaplain  James  R.  Miller,  68th  CSB,  Chaplain  Jon  E. 
Lambert,  42nd  Field  Hospital,  and  Chaplain  Jack  A.  Woodford,  260th  CSB 

Since  Operation  Restore  Hope  had  ended  officially  with  the  change  of  command  on  May  4 
between  General  Johnston  and  General  Montgomery,  the  Army  began  using  the  term  "Operation 
Continue  Hope"  to  describe  the  continuing  presence  of  Army  troops  in  Somalia.  The  official  United 
Nations  designation,  however,  was  UNISOM  II. 

On  May  1 1,  1993,  General  Montgomery,  published  General  Order  1.  The  purpose  of  the 
order  was  to  publish  guidance  for  the  activities  of  the  U.S.  personnel.  One  paragraph,  number  5, 
contained  prohibited  activities,  among  which  were  the  introduction,  purchase,  possession,  use,  or  sale 
of  privately  owned  firearms,  ammunition,  or  explosives.  Entrance  by  non-Muslims  into  a  mosque  also 
was  prohibited.  The  introduction,  purchase,  possession,  use,  sale,  transfer,  manufacture,  or 
consumption  of  any  alcoholic  beverage  was  also  forbidden  unless  it  was  command-approved.  Such 
command-approved  alcoholic  beverages  were  limited  to  beer  or  wine.  Other  activities  prohibited 
including  the  possession  of  the  narcotic  stimulant  known  as  "khat,"  gambling  of  any  kind;  removing, 
possessing,  selling,  defacing  or  destroying  archeological  artifacts  or  national  treasures,  selling, 
bartering  or  exchanging  currency  other  than  at  the  official  exchange  rate,  and  taking  or  retaining  of 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


263 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

individual  souvenirs  of  the  operation  in  Somalia  The  last  paragraph  contained  what  was  known  as 
"further  restrictions."  These  included  adopting  as  pets  or  mascots  any  domestic  or  wild  animal; 
providing  food  items  directly  to  or  feeding  civilian  refugees;  and  distributing  small  items  such  as 
candy  to  civilian  refugees  unless  approved  by  the  individual  supervising  non-commissioned  officer 
or  officers,  under  conditions  that  were  safe  both  for  the  recipient  and  the  military  personnel  involved. 
These  restrictions  were  designed  to  protect  U.S.  personnel  as  well  as  the  Somalia  people  from  any 
harmfijl  substances  or  food  which  the  Somalis  were  unaccustomed  to  ingest.^' 

On  14  May  U.S.  Forces  Command  changed  the  rotation  policy  to  reflect  a  normal  tour  of  1 79 
days  rather  than  120  days  as  had  been  the  case  at  the  beginning  of  Operation  Restore  Hope. 
Operation  Continue  Hope  was  supposed  to  be  a  relatively  "steady  state"  mission  of  humanitarian 
relief  peacekeeping  and  nation-building/"  Although  the  nation-building  mission  was  supposed  to 
be  a  peaceful  fijnction,  the  term  "peacemaking"  was  perhaps  more  accurate.  George  J.  Church,  a 
correspondent  for  Time  Magazine  wrote  on  1 7  May: 

So  was  Operation  Restore  Hope  a  failure''  The  US  sent  in  25,800  soldiers  armed 
with  machine  guns,  tanks,  rocket  launchers,  anti-tank  weapons  and  helicopters  at  a 
cost  of  $30  million  to  $40  million  a  day  to  carry  out  the  humanitarian  mission.  They 
accomplished  the  primary  goal:  saving  thousands  of  Somalis  from  imminent 
starvation.  The  Americans  and  their  allies  in  the  24  nation  expedition  created  at  least 
some  oasis  of  safety  in  a  desert  of  anarchy  And  they  blazed  the  way  for  a  new  kind 
of  U.N.  Force — not  the  lightly  armed  peace  keepers  of  the  past  but  "peace  enforcing 
troops"  toting  enough  weapons  to  fight  a  real  battle  and  authorized  to  shoot  when 
needed.  To  the  US.  military  the  job  is  finished  yet  the  unfinished,  and  in  some  cases 
unstated,  tasks  the  Americans  are  handing  over  are  staggering.  The  Somalis' 
underlying  problems — the  absence  of  any  central  government,  the  lack  of  basic 
security,  the  clan  warfare  and  banditry,  the  destruction  of  the  countries 
infrastructure — have  not  significantly  improved.  Charged  with  broad  responsibility 
for  national  repair  and  reconciliation,  the  U.N  troops  will  have  much  more  to  do  than 
the  U.S. -led  force.  They  will  be  more  lightly  armed,  deploying  weapons  such  as 
mortars  but  no  tanks  or  heavy  artillery,  and  they  will  be  stretched  over  the  whole  of 
Somalia,  not  just  the  southern  and  central  population  centers.^' 

As  the  UNISOM  II  military  command  shifted  into  high  gear  the  last  week  in  May,  some  of 
the  previous  directives  from  UNISOM  I  began  to  be  implemented  with  greater  attention  to  detail. 
One  of  the  missions  the  United  Nations  Forces  had  was  to  continue  the  disarmament  of  the  rival 
Somali  clans  in  and  around  Mogadishu  In  an  effort  to  carry  out  this  mission  with  a  minimum  of 
resistance,  on  4  June  the  United  Nations  informed  Aidid  that  his  weapons  depots  would  be  inspected 
the  next  day,  5  June.  Aidid  clearly  viewed  this  announcement  as  a  threat.  His  perception  was 
heightened  when  he  was  informed  also  that  a  force  of  Pakistani  U.N.  peacekeepers  had  an  additional 
mission  to  close  Aidid's  Mogadishu  radio  station,  thereby  prohibiting  the  Somali  nation  from  hearing 
any  voice  other  than  that  of  the  United  Nations     Whereas  this  information  may  not  have  been 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 264 

accurate,  Aidid's  clan  saw  it  as  a  direct  and  unfair  threat  to  its  power  base  in  Mogadishu.  On  5  June 
gunman  loyal  to  Aidid  ambushed  a  force  of  Pakistani  troops  inspecting  unguarded  weapons  depots, 
killing  24  of  them.  The  bodies  of  the  24  dead  Pakistani  soldiers  were  mutilated  and  left  for  the  United 
Nations  to  recover.  An  outraged  United  Nations  Security  Counsel  immediately  passed  resolution  837 
authorizing  "the  arrest  and  detention  for  prosecution,  trial  and  punishment  of  those  responsible"  for 
the  murder  of  the  Pakistani  troops.  Eleven  days  later  retired  U.S.  Admiral  Jonathan  Howe,  Butros- 
Ghali's  chief  deputy  in  Somalia,  plastered  the  bombed  out  buildings  of  Mogadishu  with  posters 
offering  a  $25,000  reward  for  information  leading  to  Aidid's  capture.  On  June  1 7  the  United  Nations 
formally  classified  Aidid  himself  as  an  outlaw. 


Mission  Shift  2 

The  ambush  of  the  Pakistani  troops  led  to  yet  another  shift  in  mission  among  the  U.N. 
peacekeepers.  In  Washington,  President  Clinton  directed  his  advisors  to  draft  a  document  known  as 
"Presidential  Decision  Directive  (PDD)  13,"  which  welcomed  the  rapid  expansion  of  U.N.  peace 
enforcement  operations  and  pledged  the  commitment  of  U.S.  troops  under  U.N.  commanders.*' 
American  officials  pointed  to  United  Nations  Resolution  837  as  the  moment  when  the  humanitarian 
mission  began  to  turn  into  a  mini-war  against  Aidid.  At  the  time,  authorities  in  Somalia  thought  Aidid 
posed  a  serious  threat  and  could  be  contained  most  efficiently  by  military  means.  Madeleine  Albright, 
U.S.  Ambassador  to  the  United  Nations,  wrote  that  "failure  to  take  action  against  Aidid  would  have 
signaled  to  other  clan  leaders  that  the  U.N.  is  not  serious."" 

From  the  14th  to  the  18th  of  June,  under  the  auspices  of  the  U.N.  mandate  for  peace 
enforcement.  United  Nations  troops  attacked  suspected  weapons  caches,  Aidid's  compound  and  other 
military  targets.  U.S.  C-130  ground  support  planes  and  Cobra  attack  helicopters  pounded  the  capitol. 
Pakistani  troops  opened  fire  on  a  crowd  of  demonstrators,  killing  at  least  20  Somalis,  women  and 
children  included.  Whereas  Mr.  Howe  called  the  operation  "very  surgical,"  most  Somalis  were  not 
convinced.  Aidid  remained  at  large,  whereas  four  Moroccan  and  one  Pakistani  soldier  were  killed 
and  more  than  100  Somali  militiamen  died  in  the  raid.** 

As  the  sniping  continued  after  the  June  raid.  General  Montgomery  asked  the  Pentagon  for 
additional  armored  vehicles.  General  Montgomery's  request  was  ultimately  forwarded  to  Secretary 
of  Defense  Les  Aspin  who  disapproved  it  on  the  grounds  that  armored  vehicles  would  be  "over-kill" 
for  such  a  lightly  armed  enemy.  Moreover,  the  situation  in  Mogadishu  was  viewed  as  a  political 
problem  rather  than  a  purely  military  one.  The  Clinton  Administration,  as  well  as  the  Security 
Counsel  of  the  United  Nations,  was  not  interested  in  conquering  and  occupying  Somalia.  Their 
interest  was  to  help  build  the  nation,  and  the  introduction  of  more  troops  and  armor  was  not  the  first 
priority.*^ 

In  the  new  mission  of  peace  enforcement  the  United  States  took  the  lead  in  a  deadly  cat  and 
mouse  game  with  Aidid — turning  him  into  an  outlaw  and  completely  changing  the  mission  from  one 
of  peacekeeping  and  humanitarian  relief  to  a  police  manhunt.  "It  was  a  gross  miscalculation," 
Lieutenant  General  Johnston  suggested.  U.S.  officials  also  admitted  that  they  underestimated  Aidid's 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


265 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

strength,  his  intimate  knowledge  of  Mogadishu,  and  his  training  as  a  guerrilla  fighter  The  standoff 
escalated,  with  a  succession  of  raids  against  Aidid  followed  by  reprisals  on  his  part.  It  began  to  take 
a  toll  on  the  28-nation  U.N.  force,  and  events  began  to  reel  out  of  control.''* 


UMT  Rotations:  A  Chaplain  Assistant's  Perspective 

0  n  15  June  Sergeant  First  Class  Wayne  Collum,  a  senior  chaplain  assistant,  from  Fort  Hood, 
Texas,  arrived  in  Mogadishu  with  30  other  augmentees  for  the  U.N.  Logistics  Support  Command. 
Sergeant  First  Class  Collum  was  to  assist  Chaplain  Craig  Dunham,  who  would  arrive  two  weeks  later 
to  become  the  U.S.  Forces  Somalia  Staff  Chaplain  Sergeant  Collum,  who  had  previous  tours  in  both 
Korea  and  Germany,  had  departed  knowing  that  fighting  was  going  on  in  Mogadishu.  Upon  his 
arrival  at  the  University  Compound  in  a  convoy  from  the  airport.  Sergeant  Collum  discovered  that 
the  Chaplain  Section  had  no  space  for  an  office  nor  was  there  an  operations  plan,  an  operations  order 
or  even  a  religious  support  plan  for  the  orderly  administration  of  religious  support  For  two  weeks 
Sergeant  Collum  worked  to  get  a  space  for  the  U.S.  Forces  Somalia  Chaplain's  office  and  then  to  set 
up  the  office,  and  the  supply  network  which  was  needed  in  order  to  fianction  properly.  In  addition 
to  his  administrative  duties  Sergeant  Collum  also  was  informed  that  he  would  have  to  learn  how  to 
run  combat  convoys,  to  set  up  gun  positions  and  to  function  as  a  combat  NCO.  As  the  senior 
chaplain  assistant  in  the  Army  forces.  Sergeant  Collum  coordinated  with  the  other  chaplain  assistants 
for  communication  and  area  responsibilities.  Sergeant  Collum  wrote: 

1  arrived  in  Africa  on  June  15,  1993  The  mission  up  to  that  time  was  strictly 
humanitarian  assistance,  with  a  dash  of  peacekeeping.  The  day  prior  to  my  arrival  on 
the  ground  that  [mission]  changed.  Although  humanitarian  aid  was  still  going  on  in 
other  parts  of  the  country,  in  Mogadishu  the  U.S.  mission  changed  to  peace 
enforcement. 

Sergeant  Collum  wanted  to  ensure  that  the  chaplain  assistants,  and  indeed  the  chaplains  throughout 
Somalia,  were  familiar  with  both  the  defensive  and  the  offensive  missions  of  the  US.  forces  In  order 
to  accomplish  this  task  he  made  sure  that  he  understood  the  rules  of  engagement,  the  restrictions  on 
travel  and  the  necessity  to  protect  convoy  vehicles  against  the  possibility  of  mines,  rocks  and 
projectiles  thrown  from  crowds.  Chaplain  assistants  also  had  to  know  about  the  establishment  of 
main  supply  routes  as  well  as  search  and  seizure  missions  and  the  control  of  key  areas  such  as 
airfields,  seaports  and  roads. 

Unite  ministry  teams  also  made  friends  and  gained  support  for  th  United  Nations'  presence. 
That  resulted  from  working  along  side  former  university  professors,  police  and  tribal  leaders, 
although  the  primary  job  of  the  military  chaplains  was  to  support  the  G5  (civil  affairs  officer)  and  his 
team  and  not  to  be  part  of  any  formal  negotiation  process 

The  primary  mission  of  the  unit  ministry  teams  was  no  different  than  that  in  any  other  military 
operation:  to  perform  or  provide  direct  religious  support  for  soldiers.    UMTs  provided  worship 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 266 

services,  counseling  support,  and  classes  on  reunion  and  world  religions  where  appropriate  The  most 
important  security  mission,  of  course,  was  providing  security  for  the  unarmed  chaplain  and  the 
ministry  team  itself 

Sergeant  Collum  also  had  an  eye  to  considerations  for  mass  casualty  support,  memorial 
services,  contingency  forces  ministry,  and  cooperation  between  UMT's  Some  of  the  challenges 
which  he  encountered,  even  before  the  arrival  of  Chaplain  Dunham,  included  problems  of  supply,  unit 
ministry  teams  deploying  without  chaplain  assistants,  and  the  need  for  technical  supervision  in 
extremely  difficult  circumstances.  Whereas  unit  ministry  teams  could  communicate  with  one  another, 
movement  from  one  position  to  another  was  extremely  challenging  because  of  the  necessity  to  move 
only  in  combat  convoys.  ""^ 

It  took  Sergeant  Collum  approximately  three  weeks  to  reserve  a  space  for  the  U.S.  Forces 
Somalia  Chaplain  Section.  Eventually,  in  his  words,  "after  I  stood  on  the  right  desk,"  Chaplain 
Dunham  was  given  an  office  with  the  Provost  Marshal.  Sergeant  Collum  set  up  the  office,  found  the 
necessary  supplies,  and  helped  draft  the  first  operation  plan  and  operation  order  to  include  religious 
support  considerations  after  Chaplain  Dunham  arrived  He  realized,  as  did  the  chaplains  almost 
immediately,  that  a  good  chaplain  assistant  has  a  most  important  role  even  in  the  absence  of  a 
chaplain.''* 

To  make  the  situation  even  more  challenging  for  the  arriving  UMT  replacements,  gun  battles 
raged  in  the  streets  as  they  had  almost  daily  since  the  24  Pakistani  peacekeepers  had  died  in  the 
ambush  on  June  5th  The  U.S.  troops  led  the  U.N  forces  in  several  aggressive  bids  to  flush  out 
Aidid.  In  early  July,  at  the  end  of  a  20-minute  barrage  of  missiles  and  cannon  fire  from  U.S. 
helicopter  gunships,  dozens  of  bodies  lay  scattered  around  a  demolished  villa  where  Aidid's  top 
commanders  were  reportedly  meeting.  When  foreign  journalists  arrived  to  view  the  carnage,  an 
enraged  mob  turned  on  them  with  stones,  guns  and  machetes,  killing  four.  The  Italian  government, 
which  had  three  soldiers  killed  in  Somalia  in  July,  threatened  to  withdraw  its  2,400  troops  unless  the 
goals  of  the  mission  were  reassessed.  The  German  defense  ministry,  which  had  sent  only  250  of  a 
promised  1,700  strong  contingent,  grumbled  that  it  was  a  mistake  to  have  soldiers  in  Somalia  at  all. 
In  Washington,  Senator  Robert  Byrd  thundered  a  warning  that,  "the  Senate  has  not  bought  into  a 
police  action  against  Somalia  war  lords.""*'  A  total  of  35  peacekeeping  troops  died  in  May  and  June 
but  none  of  them  was  American  "The  U.S.  is  quick  to  stir  up  trouble  with  air  strikes,"  said  a 
Pakistani  peacekeeper,  "but  it  is  Pakistanis  and  other  Third  World  soldiers  who  always  draw  the 
tough  assignments  on  the  ground."'" 

Fear  and  resentment  frayed  cohesion  among  the  20,854  troops  that  29  countries  had  sent  to 
Somalia  for  UNISOM  II.  India  had  promised  a  brigade  for  February  that  still  had  not  arrived  in  July. 
The  Kuwaitis  and  the  Saudis  would  not  take  action  without  first  checking  with  their  home 
governments.  A  growing  number  of  critics  suggested  that  the  United  Nations  had  gone  off-course 
in  hunting  Aidid,  damaging  its  credibility  as  a  neutral  peace  maker  Mr.  Howe  insisted  that  the  United 
Nations  remained  impartial.  "We  oppose  no  clan,  sub-clan  or  party,"  he  said.  "We  must,  however, 
defend  ourselves  and  the  people  of  Somalia  against  terrorists'  attacks  and  take  the  necessary  measures 
to  prevent  such  attacks."  Howe  was  supported  by  the  Pakistanis  and  others,  who  agreed  that  Aidid 
had  to  be  removed  from  the  scene  if  national  reconciliation  was  to  be  achieved.  That  determination 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


267 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

was  shared  at  the  Pentagon  in  July  when  Secretary  of  Defense  Les  Aspin  said  bluntly,  "there  is  no 
reason  to  change  the  course. "'' 

On  July  18,  Aidid  told  supporters  to  rebel  against  the  United  Nations  military  presence  in 
Mogadishu  in  retahation  for  US.  bombing  "We  can  not  accept  foreign  domination,"  he  said."  In 
Washington,  Frank  Crigler,  former  Ambassador  to  Somalia,  stated  somewhat  sarcastically,  "Perhaps 
we  should  rename  the  United  Nations  mission  ...  Operation  Inflict  Punishment  and  Restore  Hatred."" 

By  the  end  of  July,  Chaplain  Dunham,  the  U.S.  Forces  Somalia  Staff  Chaplain,  had  been 
notified  of  expected  unit  ministry  team  replacements  due  in  to  Somalia  in  August.  These 
replacements  included  Chaplain  Stephen  Fountain,  Chaplain  Orlando  Sunga,  Chaplain  Geoffrey 
Alleyne,  Chaplain  Richard  Sones,  Chaplain  James  Hartz,  and  Chaplain  Terry  Walsh.  These  chaplains 
represented  the  third  rotation  of  unit  ministry  team  members  into  Somalia  since  December  of  1992. 


A  Long,  Hot  August 

Upon  Chaplain  Craig  Dunham's  arrival  he  had  discovered  that  no  mission  statement,  standing 
operating  procedure,  or  religious  support  plan  existed  for  U.S.  Forces  Somalia  Since  these 
documents  were  standard  for  any  operation  in  peace  or  wartime  situations,  one  of  his  first  priorities 
was  to  develop  a  religious  support  plan  for  all  unit  ministry  teams  in  the  theater  The  SOP  was 
general  in  nature  and  broadly  written  to  allow  each  unit  ministry  team  to  use  it  as  a  guide.  One 
invaluable  resource  for  all  unit  ministry  teams  was  Reference  Book  1-1,  the  unit  Ministry  Team 
Handbook,  which  had  been  developed  at  the  beginning  of  Operation  Desert  Shield. 

Chaplain  Dunham  also  discovered  that  there  was  some  confiasion  about  the  primary  mission 
of  unit  ministry  teams.  Some  unit  ministry  teams  were  acting  as  civil  affairs  teams  for  the  civil  affairs 
officer.  Chaplain  Dunham  noted;  "their  idea  of  ministry  was  to  devote  a  great  deal  of  time  to  the 
humanitarian  effort,  neglecting  their  primary  duty  of  ministry  to  the  U.S.  soldiers."'^  Chaplain 
Dunham  immediately  reminded  the  unit  ministry  teams  of  their  first  mission  priority  as  received  from 
the  ARCENT  Chaplain's  Office,  namely  to  be  available  primarily  for  the  religious  support  of  the 
United  States  soldiers.  The  second  issue  Chaplain  Dunham  addressed  was  the  lack  of  training  for 
chaplain  assistants  to  provide  adequate  security  for  the  chaplain  during  a  hostile  attack  in  an  urban 
environment.  As  a  corrective  measure  he  scheduled  training  for  all  chaplain  assistants  within  two 
months  of  his  arrival.  The  training  was  conducted  by  United  Nations  personal  security  agents  and 
was  quite  valuable  for  the  overall  mission. 

Area  coverage  was  yet  another  problem  in  an  environment  where  detachments  were  scattered 
throughout  a  large  geographical  region.  Chaplain  Dunham  urged  unit  ministry  teams  to  make  every 
effort  to  provide  general  religious  support  to  any  units  they  could  possibly  reach.  Other  training 
topics  Chaplain  Dunham  and  SFC  Wayne  Collum  addressed  in  the  field  were  as  follows: 

•  Training  in  key  religions  represented  in  the  multi-national  force  to  enable  unit  ministry 

teams  to  cooperate  with  religious  coverage  for  multi-national  and  multi-cultural 
forces. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 268 

•  Mass  casualty  training. 

•  Transition  between  ministry  teams  arriving  and  departing  the  country. 

•  The  resupply  system  and  proper  techniques  for  securing  necessary  items. 

In  addition  to  training.  Chaplain  Dunham  and  Sergeant  First  Class  Collum  implemented  a 
mission  essential  task  list  which  included  the  provision  of  worship  services,  pastoral  care,  religious 
support  activities,  sacramental  ministry,  and  battle  fatigue/stress  ministry  for  all  soldiers.  The  overall 
goal  of  the  unit  ministry  teams  in  U.S.  Forces  Somalia  was,  as  doctrine  dictated,  to  insure 
comprehensive  religious  coverage  and  free  exercise  of  religion  for  all  soldiers  in  the  theater. 

In  any  given  week  Chaplain  Dunham  and  his  staff  of  eight  unit  ministry  teams  were  able  to 
provide,  on  the  average,  some  22  worship  services  a  week  ranging  from  Catholic  Mass  and  collective 
Protestant  services  to  denominational  services  held  in  at  least  eight  different  locations  throughout  the 
greater  Mogadishu  area.  Chaplain  Sunga  was  able  to  conduct  seven  Roman  Catholic  Masses  for 
soldiers  each  week.  In  addition,  the  chaplains  also  conducted  1 8  Bible  studies  a  week  and  two  song 
services  on  Saturdays. 

In  response  to  Aidid's  call  for  rebellion  against  military  authorities,  Somali  gunmen  increased 
the  attacks  on  United  Nations  personnel  beginning  the  first  week  in  August. 

•  August  4  —  a  U.S.  soldier  and  a  civilian  engineer  were  injured  when  their  truck  hit 
a  command-  detonated  land  mine. 

•  August  8  —  four  Military  Police  soldiers  from  Fort  Riley  were  killed  when  their 
vehicle  drove  over  a  bomb  remotely  detonated  by  Somali  guerrillas. 

•  August  19  —  four  soldiers  were  wounded  when  their  vehicle  drove  over  a  bomb 
October  21  on  Road  west  of  the  U.S.  Embassy. 

•  August  22  —  six  troops  were  hurt  when  their  truck,  traveling  in  a  22-vehicle  convoy 
to  Mogadishu's  port,  was  destroyed  by  a  bomb  triggered  by  Somali  soldiers 

Chaplain  James  C.  Hartz,  the  battalion  chaplain  for  the  2nd  Battalion,  14th  Infantry  Regiment  of  the 
2nd  Brigade,  10th  Mountain  Division,  recorded  a  number  of  other  attacks  which  required  chaplain 
and  chaplain  assistant  support.  On  August  4,  there  was  a  mortar  attack  at  the  University  of  Somalia 
which  resulted  in  one  U.S.  casualty.  On  September  9,  Somalis  ambushed  some  engineers,  killing  one 
Pakistani  soldier  and  wounding  two  U.S.  soldiers.  Additional  fire  fights  on  September  13  resulted 
in  three  more  U.S.  soldiers  wounded  and  on  September  25  a  downed  aircraft  resulted  in  four  soldiers 
from  the  10th  Aviation  Brigade  being  killed  in  action  and  five  wounded  in  action.  Chaplain  Hartz, 
Chaplain  Baugh,  and  Chaplain  Norton  were  very  busy  with  hospital  visitations  and  memorial  services 
for  all  who  were  casualties  in  these  operations.  Chaplain  Hartz  recorded  his  reactions  on  September 
25th  when  he  heard  that  a  U.S.  aircraft  had  been  shot  down: 

I  was  first  notified  by  Chaplain  Walsh  from  the  Aviation  Brigade  that  an  aircraft  was 
down.  I  prepared  to  respond  but  awaited  fiarther  guidance.  Since  he  was  at  the 
combat  support  hospital  and  no  reports  had  come  from  the  tactical  operation  center 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


269 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

about  the  Quick  Reaction  Force  movement,  I  called  back  later  and  determined  that 
a  unit  ministry  team  was  needed  I  was  informed  that  we  had  casualties  enroute  to  the 
combat  support  hospital.  We  proceeded  to  the  46th  Combat  Support  Hospital  where 
we  stayed  for  approximately  five  hours  ministering  to  the  soldiers  and  to  the  hospital 
staff — listening,  praying,  and  crying  Chaplain  Dunham,  the  U.S.  Forces  Somalia 
Chaplain  and  Chaplain  Sunga,  the  46th  Combat  Support  Hospital  Chaplain,  were  both 
busy  providing  ministry  and  assessing  needs  of  soldiers,  staif,  and  unit  ministry  team 
members.  During  the  next  week  our  focus  of  ministry  was  on  C  Company  and  several 
individuals  identified  as  having  the  most  difficult  time — squad  members  and  one  M-60 
gunner  who  had  killed  a  large  number  of  the  enemy  On  28  September  we  held  a 
memorial  service  with  Chaplain  Walsh  and  Chaplain  Sunga  presiding.  Over  300 
soldiers  attended.  It  was  a  catharsis  for  many." 

In  response  to  the  escalating  attacks  against  United  Nations'  and  United  States'  forces. 
President  Clinton  ordered  400  Rangers  from  the  3rd  Battalion,  75th  Ranger  Regiment  at  Fort 
Benning,  Georgia,  to  deploy  to  Somalia  The  Rangers  were  to  augment  those  forces  designated  with 
the  special  mission  to  try  to  capture  Aidid.  As  was  so  often  the  case  in  other  operations,  the  Rangers 
expected  and  received  the  most  dangerous  missions  involved  in  the  peace  enforcement  operation. 

Despite  signs  of  trouble,  the  Clinton  Administration  was  eager  for  the  U.N.  mission  to 
succeed  as  a  model  for  humanitarian  operations  around  the  world — from  Bosnia  to  Haiti.  The 
Rangers  mission,  to  capture  Aidid  and  improve  security  for  the  other  American  soldiers  there,  seemed 
a  first  step. 

Yet  as  the  American  forces  encountered  a  handfijl  of  embarrassing  setbacks,  the  White  House 
and  Clinton  himself  began  having  second  thoughts  about  the  effectiveness  of  the  U.N.  force.  On 
September  28,  President  Clinton  publicly  began  to  distance  himself  from  the  U.N  operation,  saying 
it  had  become  too  directed  against  Aidid  and  asked  for  a  date  certain  to  end  the  U.S.  role  in 
Somalia.'*  In  response  to  the  Presidents  request.  General  Joseph  Hoar,  the  CENTCOM 
Commander,  proposed  a  date  in  March,  1994,  for  the  withdrawal  of  American  troops  firom  Somalia. 


October:  Mission  Shift  3 

At  0730  hours  on  Sunday,  October  3,  1993,  100  U.S.  Rangers  and  12  Blackhawk  helicopters 
closed  in  on  an  area  near  the  Olympic  Hotel  in  Mogadishu  where  followers  of  General  Aidid 
reportedly  were  meeting.  The  members  of  Task  Force  Ranger  had  orders  to  capture  two  of  General 
Aidid's  chief  lieutenants  and  as  many  of  his  supporters  as  possible.  The  Rangers  captured  the  hotel, 
the  two  men,  and  20  bodyguards.  Special  Forces  Lieutenant  Colonel  Lee  Van  Arsdale  recalled  that 
"a  small  convoy  of  five  ton  trucks  with  the  prisoners  and  three  HMMWVs  broke  oflFfrom  the  main 
body  to  return  to  the  compound.  One  Ranger  had  been  critically  injured  and  needed  immediate 
attention.""  As  the  Rangers  tried  to  take  the  prisoners  away,  the  streets  erupted  with  gun  fire, 
reportedly  escaped  out  a  back  door.   As  the  Rangers  tried  to  lead  the  prisoners  away,  the  streets 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 270 

erupted  with  gun  fire.  Somali  fighters  fi'om  all  over  Mogadishu  ran  to  join  the  action.  In  the  Bakhara 
Market,  near  the  hotel,  gunmen  set  up  barricades  of  burning  tires  and  anything  else  flammable  to 
block  the  Rangers'  retreat.  Soldiers  fanning  out  into  nearby  streets  found  fire  coming  at  them  from 
small  arms  in  every  direction.  Specialist  Carlos  Rodriguez  recalled,  "all  of  a  sudden  the  Somalis  just 
opened  up  on  us  with  small  arms  and  grenades.  There  was  shooting  fi"om  all  directions  and  we 
couldn't  see  who  was  shooting  at  us.  I  saw  a  muzzle  once  sticking  around  a  corner  and  I  shot  at  it." 
Almost  immediately  Specialist  Rodriguez  himself  was  shot  in  the  right  hip.  He  continued,  "then  I  got 
some  shrapnel  in  my  left  foot  and  a  little  bit  in  my  face.  It  broke  some  bones,  and  I  was  down.  Our 
squad  leader  got  hit  too.  It  got  pretty  conflising."^* 

The  convoy  fought  a  tremendous  battle  all  the  way  back  to  the  airfield,  taking  numerous 
casualties    Meanwhile,  Van  Arsdale  wrote: 

The  remainder  of  the  [Rangers  from  the]  four  blocking  positions  were  pulling  in  to 
the  objective  for  a  helo  pick  up.  As  they  moved  in,  MH-60s  with  snipers  aboard 
provided  support  to  the  assualt  force  and  [Rangers  in  the]  blocking  positions.  During 
this  lime  the  first  helicopter  was  shot  down.  Six  crew  members  and  four  snipers  were 
killed  in  the  crash.  The  Quick  Reaction  Force  from  the  EmbassyAJniversity 
Compound  was  ordered  to  the  crash  site. 

Rescue  helicopters  could  not  land  in  the  narrow  streets,  the  only  way  in  or  out  was  by  ground 
vehicle  Ranger  Major  David  Stockwell  commented,  "it  sounded  like  the  air  was  filled  with  angry 
hornets  The  buzz  and  crack  of  small  arms  fire  was  all  around."  The  pinned-down  Rangers,  with 
ammunition  running  low,  returned  fire  as  two  rescue  columns  fought  to  reach  them.  The  Quick 
Reaction  Force,  riding  on  armored  trucks,  could  not  get  through.'' 

One  of  the  attack  helicopters,  flown  by  Warrant  Officer  Michael  Durant,  was  shot  down 
approximately  one  mile  south  of  the  first  crash  site.  The  entire  Task  Force  Ranger  eflfort  was  on  the 
first  crash  site — there  was  no  way  to  get  to  the  second.  Master  Sergeant  Gary  Gordon  and  Sergeant 
First  Class  Randall  Shughart  fi-om  the  U.S.  Special  Operations  Command  were  in  the  lead  helicopter 
when  Durant  went  down.  "They  requested  three  times  to  be  allowed  to  land  and  go  to  the  aid  of 
Durant's  chopper.  On  their  third  request,  the  mission  commander  relented  and  approved,  knowing 
he  couldn't  get  anyone  else  there,"  Van  Arsdale  recalled. 

In  spite  of  automatic  weapons  and  rocket-propelled  grenade  fire,  Gordon  and  Shughart 
quickly  landed  and  attempted  to  provide  cover  for  Durant  and  four  injured  crewmen  at  the  helicopter 
crash  site.  When  Shughart  and  Gordon  hit  the  ground,  equipped  with  only  their  sniper  rifles  and 
pistols,  they  fought  their  way  through  a  dense  maze  of  shanties  and  shacks  to  reach  the  critically 
injured  crew  members  Upon  reaching  the  helicopter,  they  immediately  pulled  Durant  and  his  crew 
members  from  the  aircraft  and  established  a  defensive  perimeter.  Gordon  and  Shughart  killed  an 
undetermined  number  of  Somali  attackers  until  they  ran  out  of  ammunition.  They  attempted  to  locate 
any  unspent  rounds  in  the  helicopter,  but  when  Shughart  ran  out  again  he  was  killed.  Gordon  handed 
a  rifle  that  contained  the  last  five  rounds  to  Durant  saying  simply,  "Good  Luck"  Soon  after  Gordon 
was  also  killed.  Michael  Durant,  who  was  captured  alive  by  the  Somalis,  said  later,  "anyone  in  their 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


271 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

right  mind  would  not  have  done  what  Shughart  and  Gordon  did.  But  they  passionately  believed  in 
that  creed  that  says,  'I  will  not  fail  those  with  whom  I  serve  ""'"  Both  Sergeant  First  Class  Shughart 
and  Master  Sergeant  Gordon  received  Congressional  Medals  of  Honor  posthumously  for  their  actions 
in  Mogadishu 

Pakistani,  Malaysian  and  U.S.  troop — some  ironically  aboard  Soviet-made  armored  personnel 
carriers — finally  made  it  to  the  scene  16  hours  after  the  Rangers  came  under  attack Z"'  By  then  the 
Rangers  had  suffered  a  shocking  toll:  14  dead,  plus  one  who  died  4  days  later,  and  77  wounded. '^■ 
The  International  Committee  of  the  Red  Cross  estimated  200  Somalis  had  died  in  the  battle,  and 
hundreds  of  wounded  piled  into  hospitals  that  in  some  cases  had  no  plasma  or  other  supplies  to  treat 
them." 

At  the  48th  Field  Hospital  located  next  to  the  University  Compound,  Chaplain  Craig  Dunham 
and  SFC  Wayne  CoUum  met  incoming  helicopters  carrying  wounded  Rangers.  Some  of  the 
helicopters  carried  not  whole  bodies  but  pieces  of  them.  SFC  CoUum  recalled  watching  Chaplain 
Dunham  pull  an  amputated  foot  out  of  a  boot  which  the  accompanying  medic  was  unable  to  do. 

As  soon  as  the  choppers  landed.  Chaplain  Sunga,  Chaplain  Fountain  and  Chaplain  Hartz 
began  ministering  to  the  most  seriously  injured  soldiers.  Chaplain  Steven  Michalke,  a  160th  SOAR 
Chaplain,  was  ministering  to  soldiers  at  the  airfield  and  was  unable  to  reach  the  Army  Field  Hospital 
at  the  University.  There  was  no  available  transportation  for  the  chaplains  or  assistants  because  every 
armored  vehicle  and  helicopter  was  dedicated  to  trying  to  rescue  the  American  soldiers  under  fire  and 
to  transport  the  wounded  back.  The  ministry  to  83  casualties  at  the  48th  Field  Hospital  lasted  for 
more  than  40  hours.  Chaplain  Fountain  recalled  the  scene  at  the  hospital: 

The  doctors  had  done  all  they  could  to  repair  the  damage  on  the  bodies  of  the  soldiers 
in  intensive  care.  But  we  all  knew  they  were  slipping  away  fast.  I  read  scriptures  for 
them.  I  prayed  with  them  I  held  their  hands.  I  kept  vigil.  I  was  there  when  they 
died.  A  young  newlywed  went  first  The  older  father  of  four  fought  for  several  more 
hours  before  his  body  gave  out.  The  nurses  and  medics  who  had  cared  for  the 
soldiers  could  not  hold  back  the  tears  when  the  doctor  finally  turned  off  the  machines. 
A  nurse  from  the  Intensive  Care  Unit  came  and  asked  if  I  would  go  break  the  news 
to  the  wounded  friends  who  had  risked  their  own  lives  to  save  them.*^ 

Chaplain  James  Hartz  fi-om  the  2nd  Battalion,  14th  Infantry,  worked  for  19  hours  at  the  46th 
Combat  Support  Hospital.  In  the  course  of  his  ministry  he  practiced  a  type  of  "spiritual  triage."  At 
the  Combat  Support  Hospital  the  critically  wounded  soldiers  at  risk  of  immediate  death  were 
identified  and  the  chaplain  was  notified  to  give  prayers  of  reconciliation  or  comfort.  The  seriously 
wounded  soldiers  were  usually  surrounded  by  medical  staff.  If  possible  the  chaplain  would  wedge 
in  to  comfort  the  soldier  and  pray.  If  not,  the  next  critical  area  for  ministry  included  the  less  seriously 
wounded  who  were  conscious,  those  who  were  usually  worried  about  team  members,  fiiends,  or  their 
own  wounds.  The  third  area  of  concern  was  to  make  sure  that  the  chaplain  and  chaplain  assistant  got 
back  to  visit  soldiers  who  were  unconscious  or  sedated.  By  practicing  the  "spiritual  triage"  the  unit 
ministry  teams  were  able  to  go  to  the  place  of  the  most  critical  need  in  the  shortest  time  possible. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 272 

Four  days  after  the  helicopter  incident  the  chaplains  held  a  memorial  service  for  the  dead.  More  than 
500  soldiers  attended  to  pay  their  respects  to  their  fallen  comrades 

On  Thursday,  October  7,  President  Clinton  met  with  Congressional  leaders  in  Washington. 
The  most  common  complaint  Congress  had  was  that  the  United  States  had  no  vital  interest  in 
Somalia.  Clinton  replied  that  the  vital  interest  at  stake  was  the  credibility  of  American  power.  At 
1 700  hours  President  Clinton  went  before  cameras  in  the  Oval  Office  and  proclaimed  his  policy.  The 
President  sent  1,700  additional  soldiers  to  Somalia,  plus  104  tanks  and  Bradley  fighting  vehicles,  and 
four  Cobra  attack  helicopters.  In  addition,  3,600  Marines  would  be  waiting  offshore  if  needed.  All 
together  the  available  force  was  doubled  to  1 0,000  troops.  That  did  not  count  another  1 0,000  or  so 
aboard  the  ships  of  the  Carrier  Battle  Group  steaming  offshore.  There  were  not  many  targets  in 
Somalia  for  the  F-18s  aboard  the  I J SS  Abraham  Lincoln  to  bomb  and  strafe,  though  U.S.  officials 
threatened  to  take  out  Aidid's  arms  caches  in  the  countryside  if  he  made  more  trouble  in  Mogadishu. 
However,  in  addition.  President  Clinton  ordered  the  United  States  forces  to  begin  restricting  their 
mission  to  three  primary  points:  1  )protecting  US  troops  and  bases,  2)  securing  ports,  roads,  and 
lines  of  communication,  and  3)  keeping  pressure  on  attackers.  The  President's  position  was 
essentially  to  downgrade  the  manhunt  for  Aidid  Whether  or  not  Aidid  was  captured,  the  President 
set  a  deadline  of  March  31,  1994,  when  U.S.  troops  would  leave  Somalia.  Seven  days  later,  on 
October  14,  when  Warrant  Officer  Michael  Durant  was  released  by  the  Somalis,  President  Clinton 
stopped  the  manhunt  for  General  Aidid. ''^ 

President  Clinton's  policy  of  sending  more  troops  to  Somalia  on  one  hand  and  yet  setting  a 
withdrawal  date  on  the  other  hand  had  an  accordion  effect  on  the  country.  An  armor  company,  the 
l/64th  Armor  from  Fort  Stewart,  Georgia,  prepared  to  deploy  Reinforced  by  the  4th  Aviation 
Battalion  and  the  2/22nd  Infantry  Battalion  along  with  the  10th  Mountain  Division's  Aviation 
Brigade,  the  number  of  combat  troops  increased.  However,  some  chaplains  saw  a  siege  mentality 
develop  around  Mogadishu  From  October  14,  in  general  terms,  soldiers  no  longer  carried  out  search 
and  destroy  missions,  but  rather  sought  simply  to  consolidate  the  humanitarian  gains  until  additional 
United  Nations  troops  could  arrive.  By  the  end  of  October  the  last  rotation  of  chaplains  and  chaplain 
assistants  was  alerted  and  partially  deployed  to  Somalia  Some  14  unit  ministry  teams  were  on  the 
ground  in  Somalia  in  November  of  1993.  Of  the  14  chaplains,  11  were  captains  and  of  the  11 
captains,  seven  were  on  their  first  tour  of  active  duty.  Chaplain  Chester  Egert,  from  the  10th 
Mountain  Division,  served  his  second  tour  in  Somalia. 

Chaplain  Leo  J.  "Joe"  O'KeeflFe,  from  the  18th  Airborne  Corps,  Fort  Bragg,  North  Carolina, 
and  his  assistant.  Sergeant  First  Class  Steven  Carter,  replaced  Chaplain  Dunham  and  Sergeant  First 
Class  Wayne  Collum.  Other  chaplains  arriving  included  Chaplain  Stephen  Russ,  Chaplain  Richard 
Sones,  Chaplain  Sammy  Wade,  Chaplain  David  Epperson,  Chaplain  Timothy  Bedsole,  Chaplain  Rubin 
Colon,  and  Chaplain  Wylie  Johnson.  Chaplain  Bemie  Lattner,  with  the  169  Combat  Support 
Battalion,  and  Chaplain  Joseph  W.  Smith,  with  the  4th  Aviation  Battalion,  rounded  out  the  unit 
ministry  teams  in  Mogadishu.  At  the  end  of  October,  Chaplain  Jerry  Reynolds  and  Sergeant  Major 
Oscar  Lee  Crumity,  the  ARCENT  Chaplain  UMT  from  Fort  McPherson,  Georgia,  visited  Somalia. 
Chaplain  Reynolds  met  not  only  with  the  chaplains  and  chaplain  assistants  but  also  with  General 
Thomas  Montgomery.    General  Montgomery  told  Chaplain  Reynolds,  "We  had  great  chaplain 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


273  OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

coverage," — a  compliment  Chaplain  Reynolds  was  happy  to  pass  on  to  the  other  chaplains  in  the 
country.''* 


"An  Armed  Truce" 

Chaplain  Joe  O'Keeffe  arrived  in  Mogadishu  on  November  1 5  to  replace  Chaplain  Dunham 
as  the  U.S.  Forces  Somalia  Chaplain.  With  but  a  24-hour  overiap  with  Chaplain  Dunham  to  receive 
essential  information  and  guidance.  Chaplain  O'KeeflFe  began  work.  The  U.S.  Forces  had  been 
consolidated  into  the  area  around  Mogadishu  to  include  the  port,  the  airfield.  Hunter  Base,  Sword 
Base,  Victory  Base,  the  University  Compound,  and  the  Embassy  Compound.  The  Joint  Task 
Force/Quick  Reaction  Force  Commander,  Major  General  Carl  F.  Ernst,  from  Training  and  Doctrine 
Command,  consolidated  convoys  and  directed  that  there  be  no  needless  travel.  The  security  around 
the  American  compounds  was  provided  by  the  United  Nations  troops,  many  drawn  fi-om  Third  World 
countries.  Among  these  were  some  outstanding  Tunisian  soldiers  who  guarded  the  United  Nations 
Logistical  Support  Command,  among  other  sites.  The  day  after  Chaplain  O'Keeffe  arrived  in 
Somalia,  the  United  Nations  Security  Council  suspended  the  arrest  order  for  General  Aidid.  After 
November  1 6  Aidid  began  to  appear  in  public  and  even  to  carry  on  negotiations  with  Mr.  Oakley 
concerning  the  future  of  the  Somali  people. 

In  effect  fi"om  October  14,  1993,  to  the  end  of  March  1994,  American  soldiers  were  involved 
in  an  "armed  truce"  in  Somalia.  There  also  existed  a  situation  which  was  rare  in  military  history:  the 
American  forces  would  execute  a  tactical  redeployment,  that  is  a  redeployment  under  combat 
conditions.  No  other  military  operation  had  concluded  in  this  manner  for  the  U.S.  Army  in  recent 
history. 

As  the  U.S.  troops  began  their  redeployment  in  December,  United  Nations  forces  increased 
in  strength  to  a  level  of  19,000  troops  drawn  from  26  nations  and  extended  UNISOM  II  in  Somalia 
through  at  least  May  of  1994.''^  Eventually  Chaplain  O'Keeffe  wore  three  hats.  He  became  the 
United  Nations  Logistical  Support  Command  Chaplain,  the  Joint  Task  Force  Chaplain  and  the 
UNISOM  II  StaftXhaplain.  Even  though  the  redeployment  of  American  Forces  was  on  everyone's 
mind,  the  risk  level  for  American  soldiers  did  not  diminish.  Chaplains  moved  only  by  helicopter  or 
in  combat  convoys.  By  order  of  the  commander,  everyone  carried  ax  handles  or  pepper  spray  in  the 
event  the  Somali  people  attempted  to  swarm  vehicles.  There  was  still  no  central  Somali  governmental 
authority  nor  had  there  been  one  since  1991.  There  was  no  recognition  of  the  Geneva  Conventions 
among  the  various  clan  militiamen,  yet,  chaplains  were  still  prohibited  by  their  own  doctrine  and 
tradition  from  bearing  arms. 

Among  the  8,000  American  soldiers  in  Somalia  in  mid-November,  700  to  800  of  them  were 
female  soldiers.  Chaplain  O'Keeffe  thought  that  they  needed  a  female  chaplain  to  assist  with  some 
of  the  counseling  responsibilities.  However,  the  deployments  had  been  set  and  no  additional 
reinforcements  were  authorized. 

Ministry  to  soldiers  continued  unabated  until  the  last  unit  ministry  team  left  Somalia.  A  rest 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


(Top)    Chaplain   Kristi    Pappas ,     (Bottom)       Sergeant    Carter  and 
Christmas   decorations    in   Somalia 


275 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

and  recreation  program  was  instituted  to  take  soldiers  to  Mombasa,  Kenya,  where  they  could 
recuperate  from  the  endless  nights  under  fire  in  Mogadishu.  Sergeant  Steve  Carter  was  able  to  get 
kosher  meals  for  Jewish  and  Muslim  soldiers  over  the  December  holidays  By  coordinating  with  the 
NATICK  Laboratories  in  Massachusetts,  Sergeant  Carter  secured  864  kosher  test  MR£s  for  the 
soldiers  during  Chanukah. 

Moreover,  Chaplain  David  Lapp,  the  director  of  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board  in  New  York, 
contributed  candles,  menorahs,  and  Chanukah  gifts  for  soldiers  in  Somalia  During  Christmas  week, 
from  Wednesday,  December  22,  through  Saturday,  December  25,  the  Christian  chaplains  conducted 
24  worship  services  for  the  soldiers  in  Mogadishu.  Chaplain  O'Keeffe  and  Chaplain  Sunga  held  a 
total  of  12  Masses  on  three  days  at  every  site  where  soldiers  were  located.  By  February  1994, 
Chaplain  O'Keeffe  was  able  to  get  a  newspaper  from  Europe,  the  old  reliable  Stars  and  Stripes,  for 
the  soldiers  in  addition  to  limited  radio  and  television  programming.  Moreover,  the  U.S.  Forces 
Somalia  Commander,  Major  General  Montgomery,  authorized  a  small  newsletter  to  be  distributed 
to  the  soldiers  each  week  The  title  of  the  newsletter  was  77?^  Somalia  Sandpaper.  The  small 
newsletter  contained  information  about  redeployment,  laundry  services,  religious  services  and  other 
information  of  command  interest. 

In  spite  of  the  armed  truce  environment,  American  forces  continued  to  take  casualties.  On 
March  13,  eight  soldiers  were  killed  when  an  AC  130  aircraft  crashed  off  the  coast  of  Kenya  The 
total  losses  among  American  military  personnel  in  Operation  Restore  Hope  and  Operation  Continue 
Hope,  from  December  1992  through  March  1994,  equalled  42  killed  in  action  and  175  wounded  in 
action.  Among  the  United  Nations  troops,  exclusive  of  Americans,  68  soldiers  were  killed  in  action, 
while  262  were  wounded  in  action.  The  Washington  Post  noted  that  Operation  Restore  Hope  and 
Operation  Continue  Hope  were  the  bloodiest  peacekeeping  operations  in  Africa  in  more  than  30 
years.** 


Evaluation:  Contributing  Food,  Time  and  Hope 

America's  Army  is  seen  hy  all  the  world  as  a  force  of  peace  keepers.  Our  mission  in  Somalia  has 
strengthened  and  tested  that  picture  as  never  before.  Our  soldeirs  have  been  bloodied  and  some 
have  given  their  all,  but  they  never  lost  their  sense  of  purpose 

Chaplain  (Maj.  Gen.)  Matthew  A.  Zimmerman 

Chief  of  Chaplains 

On  March  16,  1994,  the  last  units  from  the  10th  Mountain  Division  returned  from  Somalia 
to  Fort  Drum.  President  Bill  Clinton  made  a  special  trip  to  the  post  to  welcome  the  soldiers  home. 
President  Clinton  complimented  the  soldiers  upon  completion  of  their  part  of  a  large  mission  and  a 
difficuh  one — a  mission  that  saved  hundreds  of  thousands  of  innocent  Somalis  from  starvation  and 
gave  that  nation  a  chance  to  build  its  own  fijture.'''^ 

In  Mogadishu  Major  General  Thomas  Montgomery  told  a  circle  of  reporters  that  he  thought 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 276 

the  operations  had  seen  "some  very  great  success,"  and  he  said  American  troops  should  "be  very 
proud  of  what  we  have  done  here."  General  Montgomery  added:  "I  pray  to  God  for  the  Somalia 
people  I  pray  that  they  will  find  a  way  to  raise  themselves  above  this  anarchy  and  turmoil,  and  to 
build  some  kind  of  society  based  on  love,  instead  of  based  on  the  gun."™ 

At  Fort  McPherson,  Chaplain  Jerry  Reynolds,  the  Third  Army  Chaplain,  reflected:  "Things 
worked  well  in  Somalia  as  far  as  ministry  was  concerned.  Soldiers  got  the  ministry  they  needed  in 
spite  of  the  way  the  various  organizations  worked.  Our  unit  ministry  teams  demonstrated  great 
cohesiveness  and  cooperation  in  order  to  get  a  very  difficult  job  done."^' 

In  Mogadishu,  Chaplain  Joe  O'KeeflFe  prepared  to  leave  on  March  17,  1994 — St.  Patrick's 
Day.  As  the  last  Army  support  troops  and  the  last  Army  chaplains  left  Somalia,  Chaplain  O'Keeflfe 
reflected  on  the  ministry  and  the  mission  of  U.S.  Forces: 

We  made  a  huge  difference.  We  gave  the  Somali  people  a  breathing  space.  They  were 
a  nation  imploding,  destroying  themselves  with  multi-tribal  civil  wars.  We  provided 
the  time  and  perhaps  the  hope  they  needed  to  build  a  better  future.  ^'^ 

At  the  United  States  Army  Chaplain  Center  and  School,  Chaplain  Wayne  McCurdy  noted  that 
the  operations  in  Somalia  demonstrated  a  need  for  the  Chaplain  Corps  to  review  its  doctrine 
regarding  operations  other  than  war  "  Chaplain  Kristi  Pappas,  who  had  served  in  Somalia  during 
Operation  Restore  Hope,  agreed,  stating:  "Somalia  was  a  proving  ground  for  many  chaplains,  it 
showed  what  ministry  is  in  the  most  difficult  conditions."^* 

From  December  1992  through  March  1994,  more  than  40  unit  ministry  teams  including  two 
female  chaplains  and  three  female  chaplain  assistants  served  in  Operation  Restore  Hope  and  in 
Operation  Continue  Hope.  One  of  the  simplest  and  yet  most  eloquent  evaluations  perhaps  came  from 
Chaplain  Barbara  Sherer  of  the  62nd  Medical  Group.  Given  the  intense  suffering  in  Somalia,  and  the 
values  of  compassion  and  sacrifice  exemplified  in  so  many  international  relief  organizations.  Chaplain 
Sherer  noted  simply:  "We  had  to  try.""  For  more  than  100,000  Somalis  who  might  not  have 
otherwise  survived,  the  international  effort  constituted  a  new  lease  on  life  and  evidence  of  the 
humanitarian  impulse  within  the  many  nations  that  provided  food  and  hope  to  those  who  were  hungry 
for  both. 


See  endnotes  at  end  of  chapter. 


277 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

ENDNOTES 

1  Edith  M.  Lederer,  The  Face  Of  Famine  In  Africa,  The  Washington  Times,  August  19,  1994, 
p.A-6. 

2, Norma  H.  Dickey,  (Ed  )  Somalia,  Funk  and  Wagtialls  New  Encyclopedia  (New  York;  Funk 
and  Wagnalls  Corporation,  1992),  pp  105-109. 

3. Ruth  Sinai,  Somalia:  What  Went  Wrong,  Associated  Press  News  Release,  November  4,  1993, 
CD  News  Bank  p. 4. 

4. Keith  Richhurg,  Aidid Reappears  In  Pubhc,  The  Washington  Post,  November  19,  1993,  pA-45. 

5. Interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Leo  J.  O'Keeffe,  August  18,  1994.  The  quotation  was  from 
a  conversation  with  Maj  Gen.  Thomas  Montogomery  as  recalled  and  cited  by  Chaplain  O'Keeffe. 

6. Chaplain  (Lt.  Col).  Gary  Councell,  Chaplain  Roles  In  Humanitarian  And  Civic  Assistance 
Operations,  United  States  War  College  Seminar  Paper,  Carlisle  Barracks,  Pennsylvania,  p. 66. 

7. U.S.  Army  Center  of  Military  History,  Resource  Guide,  Unified  Task  Force  Somalia 
(Washington,  DC:  USACMH,  1994),  p.  105. 

8. Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Gary  Councell,  Op.cit. ,p.67. 

9.1hid. 

1  O.Tom  Donnelly,  Katherine  Mclntire,  and  Sean  D.  Naylor,  Warriors  or  Angels,  Army  Times, 
July  5,  1993,  p.  13. 

1  I.Ruth  Sinai,  Somalia:  What  Went  Wrong,  p  5. 

12. Ruth  Sinai,  Op.cit.,  p. 2. 

13Lt.  Col.  A.  Biszak,  "The  Peace  Umbrella,"  unpublished  Strategic  Research  Paper,  (Carlisle, 
Pa.:  U.S.  Army  War  College,  1997),  pp.  12-14. 

\4Ibid 

15. See  US.  Army  Center  of  Military  History,  Resource  Guide:  Unified  Task  Force  Somalia 
(Washington,  D.C.:CMH,  1994),  pp.3- 104. 

16. Master  Sgt.  Darrell  Cochran,  Restoring  Hope  In  Somalia,  Soldiers,  February  1993,  p.  10. 

17.  Staff  Sgt.  Elroy  Garcia,  Where  Anarchy  Rules,  Soldiers  Magazine,  March  1993,  p.  16. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 278 

18. Named  for  the  24th  Infantry  or  "Victory"  Division  from  Fort  Stewart,  Georgia,  after  troops 
fi"om  that  division  arrived  in  Somalia. 

19.John  Elson,  Somalia:  War  Lord  Country,  Time  Magazine,  January  II,  1993,  p  24. 

20, Staff  Sgt.  Elroy  Garcia,  Op.cit.,  p.  14. 

21  .Chaplain  (Lt.Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  FORSCOM  Chaplains  Office,  January  15,  1993. 

22. Chaplain  Stephen  Walsh,  Combat  Developments  Teleconference,  July  5,  1994. 

23.Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Kristi  Pappas,  August  3,  1994. 

24. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col )  Leo  J.  O'Keeffe,  August  18,  1994. 

25. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Col.)  Vincent  Inghilterra,  May  25,  1994. 

26. Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Kristi  Pappas,  August  3,  1994. 

ll.lhid. 

28.Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Leo  J.  O'Keeffe,  August  18,  1994. 

29. Chaplain  (Maj.)  Steven  Fountain,  Combat  Developments  Teleconference,  July  5,  1994. 
Chaplain  Ed  Hartmann,  for  example,  flew  with  New  Zealand  "Kiwi"  pilots  serving  areas  where 
Catholic  coverage  was  not  always  available.  Chaplain  Bob  Hutcherson  called  his  ministry 
"indispensable  " 

30. Letter  From  Chaplain  (Cpt.)  Barbara  Sherer,  September  1 1,  1994,pp.l-2,  and  Dwight  Warren, 
Higher  Call  To  Duty:  The  Ministry  Of  Chaplain  Barbara  Sherer,  NeM'S  Tribune,  Jefferson  City, 
Missouri,  May  23,  1993,  pp.l-A,13-A. 

3 1  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Cpt.)  Kristi  Pappas,  August  3,  1994. 

32.1bid 

33.Michael  Duffy,  Anatomy  Of  A  Disaster,  Time,  October  18,  1993,  p.45.  The  House  of 
Representatives  resolution  in  May,  1993,  supported  UNISOM  IL 

34.1hid. 

35. U.S.  Army  Center  of  Military  History,  Resource  Guide,  p.  159. 

36.Ruth  Sinai,  Somalia:  What  Went  Wrong,  Associated  Press  Release,  November  4,  1993,  p. 2. 

37  .  Personal  interview  with  Col.l  Ian  Natkin,  23  February  1995. 


279 OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 

38. Chaplain  (Maj.)  Richard  White,  After  Action  Report  On  Deployment  To  Somalia,  U.S.  Army 
Chaplain  School,  Fort  Monmouth,  New  Jersey,  May  24,  1993. 

39. Maj.  Gen.  Thomas  M.  Montgomery,  General  Order  -  1,  Headquarters  U.S.  Forces  Somalia, 
May  II,  1993,  pp.  1-4. 

40. Chaplain  (Col.)  Jerry  Reynolds  at  Third  Army  thought  the  steady  state  mission  would  involve 
about  4,000  soldiers  without  large  increases  as  long  as  UNISOM  II  lasted. 

41. George  J.  Church,  Mission  Half  Accomplished,  Time  Magazine,  May  17,  1993,  p.  42. 

42. William  Buckley,  ir.  Assertive  Multi-Lateralism,  The  Washington  Times,  August  5,  1994,  p 
A-I8. 

43  Michael  Duffy,  Op.c//.,  p. 46. 

44. J.  F.  O.  McAllister,  Pity  The  Peace  Makers,  Time  Magazine ,  June  28,  1993,  p.  46. 

45  Michael  Duffy,  Op.cit.,  p. 46. 

46.Ruth  Sinai,  Op.cit ,  p. 3. 

47. Personal  interview  with  Sgt.  T'  Class  Wayne  Collum,  August  24,  1994. 

A2,.Ibib. 

49. Marguerite  Michaels,  Peace  Making  War,  Time  Magazine,  July  26,  1993,  p.  48. 

50. Marguerite  Michaels,  Op.cit.,  p.  48. 

SX.Ibid. 

52. Ruth  Sinai,  Op.cit.,  p.  3. 

53. Frank  Crigler,  Washington  Post,  June  19,  1993,  p.  A-20. 

54. Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  Craig  Dunham,  Discussion  Paper.U.S.  Forces  Command  Unit  Ministry 
Team  -  Somalia,  October  15,  1993,  p.  I. 

55. Chaplain  (Capt.)  James  C.  Hartz,  Serious  Incident  After  Action  Report,  February  16,  1994,  p. 
10. 

56. Ruth  Sinai,  Op.cit,  p.  3. 

57PersonaI  inteview  with  Lt.  Col.  Lee  A.  Van  Arsdale,  Carlisle,  Pa.,  May  20,  1997. 


OPERATION  RESTORE  HOPE 280 

58.Michael  Duffy,  Op.cit.,  p.  42. 

59.1bid. 

60.Heike  Wa^QmnQx,  Medals  of  Honor,  Soldiers,  July  1994,  p.  5. 

61  Personal  interview  with  Chaplain  (Lt  Col.)  Joe  O'Keeffe,  10  January,  1995. 

62.1hid.  Eventually  the  casualty  toll  climbed  to  1 8  Rangers  killed  and  75  wounded. 

63. George  J.  Church,  Op.cit.,  pp.  42-43. 

64. Chaplain  (Maj.)  Stephen  C.  Fountain,  Take  My  Hand,  Unpublished  Manuscript,  1993,  p.  2. 

65. Michael  Duffy,  Op.cit.,  p.  50. 

66. Personal  Interview  With  Chaplain  (Col.)  Jerry  Reynolds,  Third  Army  Chaplain's  Office,  Fort 
McPherson,  Georgia,  September  27,  1994. 

67  The  final  withdrawal  date  for  UN.  forces  was  finally  designated — 31  March  1995 — after  an 
"armed  truce"  of  5  months  from  October  14,  1993  to  March  31,  1994. 

68  Keith  B.  Richburg,  U.S.  Completes  Pull  Out  From  Somalia,  The  Washington  Post,  March  26, 
1994,  p.  A- 18 

69.Heike  Hasenauer,  Op.cit.,  p  5. 

70.Keith  B  Richburg,  Op.cit.,  p.  A-I. 

71. Personal  Interview  With  Chaplain  (Col.)  Jerry  Reynolds,  September  27,  1994. 

72. Personal  Interview  With  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col  )  Joe  O'Keeffe,  August  18,  1994. 

73. Mrs.  Margaret  Robertson,  Combat  Developments  Directorate,  USACHCS,  was  working  on 
this  project  with  Chaplain  McCurdy  and  Chaplain  Richter  in  1994  for  the  next  edition  of  FM  16-1. 

74. Personal  Interview  With  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Kristi  Pappas,  August  3,  1994. 

75. Letter  From  Chaplain  (Capt.)  Barbara  Sherer  to  Chaplain  (Col.)  John  Brinsfield,  September 
II,  1994,  p.  2. 


^> 


,> 


;3>-T,  , 


*^5» 


chaplains   and   Chaplain  Assistants   at    the   University  Compound 
Chapel    in  Mogadishu,    Somalia 


EPILOGUE 


Each  chapter  in  the  long  history  of  the  Army  Chaplaincy,  from  its  beginnings  in 
Colonial  America  through  the  end  of  the  Cold  War,  adds  fresh  insights  to  the  ways  and 
means  by  which  chaplains,  chaplain  assistants,  civilian  staff  and  volunteers  have  facilitated 
the  free  exercise  of  religion  for  service  members  in  the  military.  Certainly  this  most  recent 
part  of  our  history  recalls  the  selfless  service  of  thousands  of  dedicated  people  of  God  around 
the  world  who  supported  soldiers,  family  members  and  the  United  States  Army  as  a  whole  in 
difficult  times. 

Yet  histories  are  written  not  merely,  as  Herodotus  indicated,  "lest  great  and  wonderful 
deeds  should  become  lost  to  fame."  Histories  also  remind  us  of  the  processes  by  which  our 
peoples,  cultures,  and  institutions  evolved.  History  teaches  us  who  we  are.  what  values  we 
hold  and  how  we  have  met  the  challenges  of  the  past.  History  provides  the  roots  for  our 
religion,  our  language,  our  laws,  and  our  form  of  constitutional  government.  In  some  sense, 
history  is  also  prophecy;  for  it  portrays  issues  which  have  recurred  periodically  in  the  past 
and  which  may  well  appear  again  in  the  future.  The  solutions  of  the  past,  especially  within 
defined,  traditional  institutions,  may  well  suggest  the  parameters  of  possibility  for  future 
choices.  History,  therefore,  is  not  a  field  to  be  scanned  egocentrically,  but  to  be  studied 
systemically  and  ecumenically  for  its  practical  lessons. 

In  his  epical  Study  of  History  ,  the  late  Professor  Arnold  Toynbee  noted  that  all 
histories  are  but  slices  of  time  wherein  we  try  to  articulate  a  meaning,  however  imperfectly, 
for  the  events  of  which  we  were  a  part.  We  may  not  know  the  full  import  and  meaning  of  our 
service  to  God  and  Country  these  last  twenty  years  for  quite  some  time,  if  ever.  What  is 
certain  is  that  even  in  partial  analysis  we  have  met  our  challenges  with  confidence,  honor  and 
humility.  As  we  look  to  the  future,  to  the  Army  after  next.  I  hope  that  we  will  not  only  look 
forward  with  expectation  and  excitement,  but  also  that  occasionally  we  will  look  back  to  see 
from  whence  we  came. 


Gaylord  T.  Gunhus 

Chaplain  (BG)  USA 

Deputy  Chief  of  Chaplains 


283 


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Thomsen,  Darrell  E.,  Jr.  "Ministry  in  Panama,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1990,  p.  42. 

Waldman,  Steven.  "Deadbeat  Dads,"  Newsweek.  May  4,  1992,  pp.  46-52 

Warren,  Dwight.  "Higher  Call  to  Duty:  The  Ministry  of  Chaplain  Barbara  Sherer,"  News  Tribune.  May 
23,  1993,  pp.  1-Aand  13-A. 

Wells,  John  A.   "The  Gift  of  Unit  Ministry  Teams,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1990,  p.  3. 

Yates,  Kenneth  W.  "Battalion  Ministry  in  Panama,"  Military  Chaplains'  Review.  Summer  1990,  p.  34. 


289 


INTERVIEWS 


Able,  Roger  Mr., 

Camp,  Dennis  Chaplain, 

Castilll,  Rolando  Chaplain, 

Christy,  Peter  Chaplain, 

Collum,  Wayne  SFC, 

Cook,  Terry  Chaplain, 

Copeland,  Pat  Ms., 

Cottingham,  John  Chaplain, 

Councell,  Gary  Chaplain, 

De  Leo,  William  Chaplain, 

Dempsey,  Terry  Chaplain, 

Duke,  Horace  Chaplain 

Durham,  James  Chaplain, 

Einertson,  Norris  Chaplain  (MG). 

Ennis,  Eugene  Chaplain, 

Esterline,  Stan  Chaplain, 

Ettershank,  Jack  Chaplain, 

G'Segner,  Ford  Chaplain, 

Goldman,  WD  Chaplain, 

Gover,  Don  Chaplain, 

Gunhus,  G  T  Chaplain, 

Hatcher,  Tilhnan  MSG, 

Hill,  Greg  Chaplain, 

Hofirnann,  Wayne  W.  Chaplam  (BG) 

Horton,  Janet  Y  Chaplain, 

Hufham,  William  Chaplain, 


The  Pentagon, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft.  Riley,  KS, 
St  Louis.  MO, 
Ft  Lee,  VA, 
Ft.  Riley,  KS, 
Ft.  Mcpherson,  GA, 
St  Louis,  MO, 
Carlisle,  PA, 
Ft  McPherson,  GA, 
The  Pentagon, 
St  Louis,  MO, 
St  Louis,  MO, 
Sioux  Falls,  SD, 
Ft  McPherson,  GA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft.  Monroe,  VA, 
Ft  Benning,  GA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft.  Gillem,  GA, 
Ft.  Monroe,  VA, 
Ft.  Monroe,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
The  Pentagon, 
Carlisle,  PA, 
The  Pentagon, 


9  Dec  93 

11  Oct  94  and  12  Sept  94 

29  Mar.  94 

23  May  95 

24  Aug,  94 
29  Mar.  94 
4  Jan  94 

25  may  95 

24  Apr  94 
23  May  95 
18  Apr  95 

25  May  94 

25  May  9  and  30  Mar  95 

27  May  94 

1  July  93 

16  Mar.  95 

14  Dec.  93 

4  Jan  93 

7  June  95 
29  Dec.  93 
14  Dec  93 

14  Dec  93  and  30  Dec.  94 
18  Nov.  94 

8  Sept.  94 
3  may  95 

16  Dec  93  and  31  Mar  95 


291 


Inghilterra,  Vincent  Chaplain, 
Jennings,  Pat  Ms  , 
Johnson,  Irven  Chaplain, 
Johnson,  Kermit  Chaplain  (MG), 
Raising,  John  Chaplain, 
Keizer,  Herman  Chaplain, 
Kelly,  0ns  Chaplain  (MG), 
Kimmell,  Jere  Chaplain, 
Kithcens,  Herbert  Chaplain, 
Knete,  Charles  Chaplain, 
Kuehne,  Wayne  Chaplain, 
Kuhlbars,  Richard  Chaplain, 
Lamback,  Samuel  P.  Chaplain, 
Lamm,  Harold  Chaplain, 
Lehrer,  Wayne  Chaplain, 
Leonard,  Stephen  Chaplain, 
Lieving,  Bernard  Chaplain, 
Lonergan,  James  B  Chaplain, 
Loring,  Robert  Chaplain, 
Mack,  Larry  Chaplain, 
Mason,  Paul  Chaplain, 
Millraney,  Joseph  P.  SFC, 
Moore,  Lowell  Chaplain, 
Nardotti,  Michael  J  MG, 
Norton,  Thomas  Chaplain, 
O'Keeffe,  Leo  J  Chaplain, 
Parker,  Wilbur  Chaplain, 
Pejakovich,  George  Chaplain, 


St  Louis,  MO, 
Alexandna,  VA  , 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Fairfax,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
The  Pentagon, 
Manhattan,  KS, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft  Gillem,  GA, 
Gardner,  PA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft  Ue,  VA, 
Ft.  Monmouth,  NJ. 
Alexandria,  VA, 
Ft.  Monmouth,  NJ, 
St.  Louis,  MO, 
Ft.  Monmouth,  NJ, 
Ft  McPherson,  GA, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft  McPherson,  GA, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
St.  Louis,  MO, 
The  Pentagon, 
Carlisle,  PA, 
The  Pentagon, 
St.  Louis,  MO, 
The  Pentagon, 


25  May  94 
23  Mar.  95 
18  Jan  95 

10  Nov  93 

23  Mar.  95 
4  Apr.  94 
30  Mar  94 

28  Sept  94 

29  Dec  93 
12  Oa.  94 
16  Dec  93 

24  Aug.  94 
7  Dec  93 

1 1  Jan  94 
7  Dec  93 

25  May  94 

7  Dec  93  and  29  June  94 

23  May  95 

8  Mar  95 
18  Aug  94 
4  Jan  94 
18  Jan  95 

24  May  95 
20  Mar  95 
1  Dec.  94 
18  Aug.  94 

25  may  94 
20  Dec  93 


292 


Peterson,  David  Chaplain, 
Pierce,  James  E.  Chaplain, 
Pitts,  Mary  Chaplain, 
Prost,  Tom  MSG, 
RappI,  Joseph  Chaplain, 
Rasmussen,  John  Chaplain, 
Rennell,  James  Chaplain, 
Reynolds,  Jerry  Chaplain, 
Robnolt,  James  Chaplain, 
Rodriguez,  Jose  Chaplain, 
Romer,  Ben  Chaplain, 
Rutherford,  Donald  Chaplain, 
Ryland,  Cecil  Chaplain, 
Sanford,  Gary  Chaplain, 
Schmeling,  John  Chaplain, 
Scott,  John  C  Chaplain, 
Shea,  Donald  W  Chaplain  (MG), 
Smith,  Betty,  Ms  , 
Smith,  Thomas  Chaplain, 
Spang,  Frank  Mr  , 
Springthorpe,  Anet  R  N  , 
Sydnor,  Calvin  Chaplain, 
Tatum,  Timothy  Chaplam, 
Telencio,  Peter  Chaplain, 
Thompson,  Carl  Chaplam, 
Thornton,  Jesse  Chaplain, 
Touw,  Philip  R  Chaplain, 
Tupy,  Richard  Chaplain, 


Ft.  McPherson,  GA, 
Valley  Forge,  PA, 
Ft  Bel  voir,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
The  Pentagon, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft  Monmouth,  NJ, 
Ft  McPherson,  GA, 
Ft.  Monmouth,  NJ, 
Ft  Riley,  KS, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
St.  Louis,  MO, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Alexandna,  VA, 
Walter  Reed  AMC, 
Ft  Monmouth,  NJ, 
Alexandna,  VA, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft  Monmouth,  NJ, 
Ft.  Riley,  KS, 
The  Pentagon, 
The  Pentagon, 
Oceanport,  NJ, 


27  Sept  93  and  28  Apr.  94 

1  Jan  95 

2  Sept.  94 
18  Apr  95 
20  Jan.  95 

18  Nov.  94 

23  Oct  93 

27  Sept  94 
1 1  July  93 
29  Mar  94 

9  Feb  94 

19  Aug  94 

14  Mar  95 

28  Apr.  94 
25  May  94 

24  Dec.  94 

10  Jan.  94 
23  Mar  95 

28  July  94 
2  Apr.  95 
19  July  95 
8  Apr.  94 

4  Nov.  94,  28  Dec  94,  and  16  Jan  95 

4  mar  97 

29  Mar.  94 
18  Nov.  94 

15  May  95 

5  Nov.  93 


293 


Turner,  Trevor  Chaplain, 

Vickers,  Robert  Chaplain, 

Wake,  Henry  Chaplain 

Walker,  Marie  Ms., 

Weathers,  Cliff  Chaplain, 

Weddle,  Donna  Chaplain, 

Weixner,  Kerby  Chaplain, 

Windmiller,  Bernard  L.  Chaplain, 

Womack,  Shirley,  Ms., 

Yeosock,  John  LTG, 

Yuhas,  Debbie  Ms , 

Zahs,  David  Chaplain, 

Zimmerman,  Matthew  Chaplain  (MG), 


Front  Royal,  VA, 
Ft.  McPherson,  GA, 
The  Pentagon, 
The  Pentagon, 
Arlington,  VA, 
The  Pentagon, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft.  Monmouth,  NJ, 
Alexandria,  VA, 
Ft  McPherson,  GA, 
Ft  McPherson,  GA, 
Ft  McPherson,  GA, 
The  Pentagon, 


26  Oct  94 

4  Jan  94 

10  Jan  94 

24  Apr  95 

19  Feb  95  and  23  Feb  95 

12  Dec.  94  and  23  Mar.  95 
17  June  94 

16  Jan  92 
18Apnl95 

13  July  93 
4  Jan  94 

8  June  93 

9  Dec.  93 


294 


TELEPHONE  INTERVIEWS 


Adams,  Richard  Chaplain, 
Brown,  Harvey  Chaplain, 
Cianton,  Charles  Chaplain, 
CoUey,  Joe  R.  Chaplain, 
Covington,  Robert  Chaplain, 
Currey,  Cecil  Chaplain, 
Davis,  Dan  Chaplain, 
DeDonato,  David  Chaplain, 
Dresin,  Sanford  Chaplain, 
Flom,  Morgan,  Mr., 
Graham,  William  Chaplain, 
Grubb,  Hugh  Chaplain, 
Hannah,  John  Chaplain, 
Harris,  Tom  Chaplain, 
Hatler,  Gay  Chaplain, 
Hessian,  J  Patrick  Chaplain,  (MG) 
Hutcherson,  Robert  Chaplain, 
Johnson,  Leroy  Chaplain, 
Kelly,  Larry  Chaplain, 
Libby,  Billy  Chaplain, 
Mangham,  Gerald  Chaplain, 
Natkin,  Ian  Col  (I), 
O'Shea,  Edward  Chaplain, 
Pappas,  Kristi  Chaplain, 


Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
Atlanta,  GA, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Atlanta,  GA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Alexandria,  VA, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 
Atlanta,  GA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft.  Belvoir,  VA, 
Ft  Belvoir,  VA, 


16  Aug  94 

20  Jan  95  and  7  Mar  95 

6  Jan.  94 

4  Jan.  94 

18  Jan.  95 

30  June  94 

18  Apr  94 

22  Apr  94 

22  Apr  94 

2  Jan.  95 

23  Sept  94 

4  Mar.  95 

5  Jan.  95 

22  Apr  94 

3  May  94 
10  Dec  94 

24  Jan.  95 
12  July  94 
1  Dec  94 
30  Dec  94 
3  Aug  94 

23  Feb  95 

17  July  95 
3  Aug.  94 


295 


Parker,  Leon  Chaplain, 
Parton,  Ed  MSG, 
Plummer,  Roy  Chaplain, 
Racster,  Larry  Chaplain, 
Salinero,  Ben  Chaplain, 
Schwarzkopf,  H  Norman  General, 
Schweitzer,  Gordon  Chaplain, 
Scott,  Sir  WalterChaplain, 
Sherer,  Barbara  Chaplain, 
Smith,  O.  Wayne  Chaplain, 
Solhjem,  Tom  Chaplain, 
Stock,  Joseph  Chaplain, 
Van  Scheinkhof,  Carol  Chaplain, 


Ft.  Belvoir,  VA,  13  May  94 

Ft  Belvoir,  VA,  6  Jan  94 

Atlanta,  GA,  12  July  94 

Ft  Belvoir,  VA,  25  May  94 

Ft  Belvoir,  VA,  3  Aug  94 

The  Pentagon  20  Mar.  95 

Ft.  Belvoir,  VA,  30  Dec.  94 

Ft.  Belvoir,  VA,  1  May  95 

Ft  Belvoir,  VA,  1 1  Sept  94 
Aberdeen  Proving  Ground,  MD,      23  May  95 

Ft  Belvoir,  VA,  5  May  94 

Woodbridge,  VA,  1 5  Nov  94 

Ft  Belvoir,  VA,  20  Apr  95 


296 


INDEX* 


10th  Mountain  Division  54,  224,  229,  232,  234,  235,  250, 
251,  253,  255,  256,  259,  261,  262,  268,  272,  275 

1 72nd  Infantry  Brigade  5 1 

1st  Cavalry  Division  62,  63,  65,  67,  72,  78,  89,  91,  136, 
139,  147,  148,  166,  175 

Adams,  Charles,  Installation  Staff  Chaplain,  Ft  Campbell 
48,71, 

Adams,  Richard  L  ,  XVlll  Airborne  Corps  Staff  Chaplain 
229,230,231,234 

Alaska  51 

Anstide,  Jean-Bertrand   196,  204 

Armed  Forces  Chaplain  Board  54 

Army  War  College  245 

Bosnia    269 

Brinsfield,  John  ,  Chaplain,  Director,  Ethical  Program 
Development,  US  Army  War  College  75,  170, 
199,202,250,259 

Canada  225 

Chapel  Activity  Specialists  3,  6,  9 

Chaplain  Assistant  24,  25,  28,  30,  31,  37,  38,  44,  47-51, 
53,  60,  62-65,  68,  69,  77,  83,  84,  88,  91,  93,  95, 
119,  121,  122,  136,  138,  142,  143,  155,  157-160, 
162,  163,  170,  174,  176,  182,  197,  199-201,  203, 
204,  206-209,  212,  214,  226,  230-234,  236,  250, 
251,  253,  254,  256,  257,  259,  262,  265-268,  271, 
272,  276 

Chaplain  Board  54 

Chaplain  Center  and  School  45,  47,  48,  54,  76,  144,  1 76, 
258,  276 

Chaplain  Advanced  Course  47 

Chief  of  Staff,  Army  44,  74,  77,  78,  125,  162 

Clinical  Pastoral  Education  (CPE)  226 

Clinton,  Bill  ,  President  248,  257,  264,  269,  271,  272,  275 

Cold  War  81,  131 

Combat  Developments  76 

Constitutionality  235 

Continental  United  States  (CONUS)  68 

Cottmgham,  John,  Chaplain  1st  Infantry  Division   145 

Councell,  Gary,  Chaplain  76,  245 

Crumity,  Oscar ,  Sergeant  Major  272 

Department  of  Defense  (DOD)  157,  160,  224,  232,  233 

Edgren,  James,  Chaplain  76 

Endorsmg  Agents  54 

Esterline,  Stanley  R.,  Pentagon  Chaplain  46 

Ethics  164 

FamilyLife46,  226,  251 


Female  Chaplain  Assistant  49,  64,  276 
Female  Chaplain  51,  64,  229,  273,  276 
Forces  Command  (FORSCOM)  2,  37,  42-44,  48,  54,  68, 

77,  166,  199,  210,  225,  226,  233,  250,  251,  259, 
263 

Fort  Hood  43,  45,  46,  62,  63,  65,  250,  251,  254,  256,  265 

Fort  Chaffee,  Arkansas  50 

Fort  Monmouth  47,  258 

Forward  Thrust  Doctrine  37,  176 

Frankflirt  166,  169,  170,  174 

Goldman,  Willard  D  ,  Chaplain  ,  Office  of  the  Deputy 

Chief  of  Staff  for  Personnel  259 
Gospel  Service  1 70 
Gover,  Donald,  Chaplain  76 
Gunhus,  Gaylord  T  ,  Brigadier  General,  Deputy  Chief  of 

Chaplains  81,  82 
Harper,  Carlton,  Chaplain  143 
Hatler,  Gaylord,  Chaplam  75,  76,  90,  93,  96,  136,  138, 

161,  162,  170,  171,  176 
Hill,  Greg  ,  Chaplaui,  Chaplaincy  Assignments  Officer 

176,  177 
Hispanic  232 
Hobson,  Michael  W  ,  Major,  Editor,  Field  Manual  16-1  47, 

48 
Hoffman,  Wayne,  Bngadier  General,  Assistant  Chief  of 

Chaplains  46 
Hufham,  William  L  ,  XVlll  Airborne  Corps  Staff  Chaplam 

25,  50-54,  65,  71,  90,  130,  183,  161 
Hutcherson,  Robert,  Chaplam  229,  230,  232,  235,  251, 

255,  258 
Inspector  General  120 
Iran  39,40,41,  156 
Jesus  31 

Jewish  Welfare  Board  61,  169,  261,  275, 
Judge  Advocate  General  59,  176,  236 
Kaismg,  Jolin  J  ,  Chaplain,  Executive  Officer,  Office  of  the 

Chief  of  Chaplams  44,  46,  77 
Korea  51,  95,  265 
Korean  War  177 
Kuehne,  Wayne  E  ,  Chaplam,  Director  of  Plans,  Policy 

Development,  and  Trammg  46,  77,  125,  126,  250 
Lair,  Robert  E  ,  Reserve  Advisor  to  the  Chief  of  Chaplams 

78,  199 

Lehrer,  Wayne,  I  Corps  Staff  Chaplain  84-87,  89,  120, 

151,  159,  160 
Lonergan,  James  B  ,  V  Corps  Chaplain  45,  233,  250 


297 


Major  Commands  (MACOMS)  68 

Marsh,  John  0  ,  Secretary  of  the  Army  8 

Marshall,  George,  General  31,  266 

Mason,  Paul,  Chaplain  56,  68,  226,  230,  231,  234,  235, 

250 
Mathis,  Roy,  Chaplain  75 
McClary,  David  ,  Chaplain  USAR  204,  215 
Military  Chaplains  Review  256 
Minnesota  142 
Muslims  53,  130,  175,262 
National  Guard  42,  45,  48,  54,  55,  68,  6Q,  78,  144,  199, 

200,  202,  213,  223,  224,  225,  230-234 
National  Training  Center  (NTC)  48,  63 
Office  of  the  Chief  of  Chaplains  (OCCH)  37,  45,  54,  55, 

57,  68,  69,  70,  74,  76,  78,  199,  250,  255 
Operation  Restore  Hope  248,  249-252,  255,  258,  262,  263, 

275,  276 
Panama  21-31,  45 

Pappas,  Knsti,  Chaplain  229,  232,  233,  251,  253,  276 
Peterson,  David  P.,  CENTCOM  Staff  Chaplain  56,  57,  59, 

61,  62,  68,  74,  75,  90,  93,  123,  125,  155,  161, 

162,  163,  166,  170,  175,  176,  178,  179,  182,  199, 

214,233,236,250 
Pierce,  James  Eric,  Chaplain  47 
Pingel,  Gilbert  H  ,  Deputy  Director,  US  Army  Chaplaincy 

Services  Support  Agency  1 76 
Pitts,  Mary  A  ,  Chaplain  232 
Powell,  Colin,  General  22,  41-43,  62,  79,  80,  124-127, 

130,  157,  200,203 
Protestant  Women  of  the  Chape  311 
Rabbis  170,226 

Rangers  2-9,  25,  28,  140,  269-271 
Rasmussen,  John,  Reserve  Advisor  to  the  Chief  of 

Chaplains  176,  177,259 
Reagan,  Ronald,  President  1,  8,  40 
Reserve  Components  37,  45,  48,  54,  70,  74,  78,  130,  200, 

251,259 
Reserve  Advisor  200 
Reynolds,  Jerry  D  ,  Third  Army  Chaplain250,  251,  255, 

259,  272,  276 
Sandifer,  David,  Chaplain  48,  25 1 
Sanford,  Gary,  Chaplain  67,  89,  94,  95 
Schwarzkopf,  H  Norman,  General  2,  4,  40-43,  49,  50,  54- 

56,  60-63,  67,  78-80,  82,  90,  92,  93,  95,  1 19,  122, 

123,  125,  127,  130-134,  136,  141,  143,  155-157, 

159,  163.  164,  166,  169,  175,  182 
Shea,  Donald  W  ,  Major  General,  (Nineteenth)  Chief  of 

Chaplams  46,  47,  75,  176,  182,  197,  200,  226, 


*Due  to  the  size  of  the  manuscript  there  may  be  personal  names  and  events  which  were  missed  in 
the  index  but  which  can  be  found  in  the  text 


230,  250 
Sherer,  Barbara,  Chaplam  251,  255,  276 
Sinop  231 

Somalia  245,  246,  248-259,  261-269,  271-273,  275,  276 
South  Command  (SOUTHCOM)  21,  2_2,  29 
Soviet  Union  1,38,  40,  41,  79 
St  Louis  68,  163,  199 

Sullivan,  Gordon,  General  ,  Chief  of  Staff  Army  245 
Sydnor,  Calvm  III,  TRADOC  Staff  Chaplain  81,  82,  83, 

122 
Task  Force  Andrew  223-226,  233-236 
Tliird  World  73,  177,  245,  266.  273 
Training  and  Doctrine  Command  (TRADOC)  68,  75,  273 
Turkey  3  7,  4 1 ,  42,  80,  90,  94,  2  3 1 
U  S  Army  Europe  37.  47.  48.  80.  81,  86.  254 
U  S  Army  South  (USARSO)  21 
United  Nations  Command  181 
UnitedNations39,  41,42,  44,  91,  119,  123,  157,  159, 

177,  179,  195,  245,  246,  248-258,  262-269,  272, 

273.  275 
Vickers,  Robert,  Fifth  Army  Chaplain  55.  68 
Vietnam  1,  8,  22,  24,  41,  44,  54.  56,  65.  75.  95.  127.  182, 

253 
Wake,  Henry  .US  Army  Europe  Staff  Chaplain  46,  70 
Walter  Reed  Army  Medical  Center  234 
Wilk,  Max,  Chaplain  144 


298 


3  S^ro