Interview of Chaplain (Captain) Jeff Struecker. Chaplain Struecker was previously enlisted and was involved in some of the events related in the movie Black Hawk Down.
Archive - October, 2008
Bullet Proof Faith of “Black Hawk Down” Ranger
By Admin 25 October 2008. Filed in News & Commentary.
0Chaplain’s library fits in his pocket
By Admin 25 October 2008. Filed in Deployment.
0Local firm provides digital resources for Army chaplain
By Tricia Pursell
The Daily Item
In the rugged and mountainous terrain of Afghanistan, Tyger knew it would be impossible to carry all of his books, pamphlets and hymnals with him as he ministered to the soldiers in the field, possibly many miles from his office or main base. Before heading overseas, he knew he had to find another way of doing his job.
And that’s when he called his old college buddy for some help.
Jason Harris, vice president of operations at Harris Micrographics, met Tyger at Lycoming College, in Williamsport, where they were both members of the same fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon. Shortly after college, when Tyger attended seminary, Harris joined the staff of his father’s business, which specializes in converting information to electronic formats. The company first began with microfiche technology and is now fully embracing the digital age.
Harris was glad to help his friend. Before he was sent overseas, Tyger arranged to have boxes of books sent to Harris Micrographics. Upon their arrival, Harris set out to convert Tyger’s entire library onto discs and thumb drives.
How do I contact an Army chaplain recruiter?
By Daniel J. Sparks 25 October 2008. Filed in Chaplain Candidates, News & Commentary.
0A frequent question from readers of this site is “How do I contact an Army chaplain recruiter?” A handful of chaplain recruiters cover large regions of several states. You may locate your nearest chaplain recruiter by visiting http://www.goarmy.com/chaplain/find_a_recruiter.jsp and typing in your ZIP code.
The Other Father Duffy
By Admin 24 October 2008. Filed in News & Commentary.
0Last week I posted on Father Francis Duffy who served as chaplain of the Fighting 69th in World War I. In World War II there was another Father Duffy, John E. Duffy, also an army chaplain.
John E. Duffy fought in World War I in the Rainbow division, the same division in which Father Francis Duffy served. After being ordained to the priesthood on June 28, 1928, he served as a teacher at Saint Wendelin’s in Fostoria, Ohio.
Father Duffy rejoined the army as a chaplain in 1933. During the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1942, Father Duffy, then a major, was chaplain of the North Luzon Force, and then of the First Philippines Corp. Father Duffy was a down to earth priest with a sardonic sense of humor. He used to tell the troops: “May the Good Lord take a liking to you, but not too soon!”.
READ MORE from American Catholic
Angry atheist drops lawsuit against military
By Admin 24 October 2008. Filed in News & Commentary.
0A former evangelical Navy chaplain is pleased that an atheist in the military has dropped his lawsuit against Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the Department of Defense.
Private First Class Jeremy Hall claimed that an officer prevented him from holding an atheist meeting while he was deployed in Iraq. So in 2007 the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) filed suit on behalf of Hall, claiming religious discrimination. Gordon James Klingenschmitt, a former naval chaplain, disagrees with Hall’s take on the situation.
Father Duffy once again the centerpiece of Times Square
By Admin 24 October 2008. Filed in News & Commentary.
0By Army Lt. Col. Rich Goldenberg
New York National Guard
NEW YORK CITY (10/23/2008) – Father Francis P. Duffy, the New York National Guard World War I hero and chaplain of the renowned “Fighting 69th,” stands once again as the centerpiece of the square named in his honor in the heart of Times Square.
Current and former members of the New York Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, New York City’s famous “Fighting 69th” joined hundreds of supporters, including New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Bishop Dennis Sullivan of the New York Archdiocese, the Coalition for Father Duffy, the Times Square Alliance and the Theatre Development Fund at a ribbon cutting ceremony Oct. 16 for the new, renovated Duffy Square unveiling.
Father Duffy, an ordained Catholic priest, served during World War I as chaplain for one of the most famous regiments in U.S. Army history, the 69th New York Infantry, proudly called the “Fighting 69th.” He is the most highly decorated cleric in U.S. Army history.
READ MORE from the U.S. National Guard
Battledress Clergy
By Admin 23 October 2008. Filed in Deployment.
0One of the fascinating side issues thrown up by the research for my book – arising from the fact that several in my subject’s circle were or became clergymen – is the role of religion in wartime.
When is a war just? Where did the truth lie when, as soon became apparent to the troops in the First World War, both Allies and Germans were taught God was on their side? In the face of such carnage and suffering sometimes not just the soldiers began to question their attitude to religion and the purpose of life. What spiritual comfort could – indeed should – a padre provide for men about to go into battle?
READ MORE from View from the Bridge
A Diverse Set of Skills
By Admin 20 October 2008. Filed in Chaplain Assistants.
0By Staff Sgt. James E. Brown Jr
1st Sustainment Brigade, PAO
…..
For Sgt. Charles Hayes, being a chaplain’s assistant is a lot different than working as a shipping and receiving dock team leader back home in West Point, Ky.
In his civilian career, Hayes ships and receives items through courier services, manually loads and unloads semi trucks, and also refurbishes laptops and screen TVs for various businesses and individuals.
Hayes has been working in the shipping and receiving field for 12 years and as a chaplain’s assistant for 11 years. While the two jobs have nothing in common, Hayes revealed he chose his particular MOS to fulfill a more spiritual and personal need.
“I assist the chaplain in setting up religious services, administrative paperwork, and [personal security],” said Hayes. “I became a chaplain’s assistant because I wasn’t sure on my religious background, and I figured that this job would help me find my religious background.”
…..
Army chaplain recruiting video message from Chief of Chaplains
By Admin 20 October 2008. Filed in Chaplain Candidates, News & Commentary.
0Former Army Chaplain Describes Combat Experiences That Led To PTSD
By Admin 19 October 2008. Filed in Deployment.
0Former Army chaplain Jim Johnson became one of the walking wounded after his combat experiences in Vietnam, but it took him years to realize that he really needed help. Dr. Johnson, who is the author of “The Aftermath of Combat Trauma,” a memoir about his journey through Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), spoke at Campbell University’s Friends of the Library’s annual dinner meeting on Sept. 26.
Dr. Johnson was only 26 when he served with an Infantry Battalion of 350 soldiers in Vietnam. Out of the eight and a half months he spent with them, more than 900 were wounded and 96 were killed. Dr. Johnson was in 22 firefights and several major battles. He later became a master at suppressing his feelings.
“For many years I had feelings and I didn’t know what they were about,” he said. “I was a chaplain, I was a helper. But as time went by, I suffered from extreme fatigue; I became withdrawn and didn’t want to answer the phone at night, and I began to have terrible dreams and flashbacks.
READ MORE from The Daily Record
