As I head off to my second deployment—this time to Afghanistan—I anticipate many field services. I try to take services to my Soldiers wherever they are, and my standard at forward outposts is an abbreviated service of Holy Communion.

After a great deal of trial and error during field training exercises and during my last deployment in Iraq, I have developed my own field altar arrangement. The standard Army issue Protestant chaplain kit requires some modifications to meet my needs, but I’ll share about that in another article. Here I offer a look at my field altar setup.

I hope this example will spark ideas in the minds of new chaplains about how to prepare for combat ministry. Garrison chapels are generally well-equipped with the necessary tools for conducting Sunday services. In the field, the chaplain must be prepared to carry everything needed for his services when he hits the road. One of the most important lessons I learned from my previous deployment is to be flexible and portable. This field altar set and my modified chaplain kit allow me to be prepared for dignified services of Holy Communion almost anywhere. If time and space allow, this field altar can be set up quickly and easily; setup requires five minutes or less, and, when set up, the altar takes up no more room than a couple of TV dinner tray tables.

The picture below shows my field altar ready for service. Missing from this photo are the people’s wafers, wine, and water. At my services, I hand out to Soldiers a laminated bi-fold pamphlet of the liturgy, which is not shown here.

Below the photo, I have listed each item and its origin.

1. Field Altar. I purchased this collapsible aluminum camp table from Amazon.com for approximately $45 (28″ x 28″ x 27″). The table disassembles and can be packed in its own carrying case. I recommend this table as a lighter and less bulky alternative to the Army’s folding wooden field table.
2. Fair Linen. I had this item custom made by a seamstress. The material is some sort of synthetic blend, almost like parachute material.
3. Corporal. From the Army issue Protestant chaplain kit.
4. Chalice. From the Army issue Protestant chaplain kit.
5. Pall. I had this item custom made by a seamstress. The material came from an Army issue corporal. I cut the stiffener from a larger one found inside a standard-size white pall sold commercially.
6. Paten. From the Army issue Protestant chaplain kit.
7. Priest’s Wafer. From Army stock.
8. Purificator. From the Army issue Protestant chaplain kit.
9. Prayer Book. My personal copy.
10. Stole. I had this item custom made by a seamstress. It was made from one of my old uniforms.
11. Cross. From the Army issue Protestant chaplain kit.

My field altar is currently in a shipping container on its way to Afghanistan. When I retrieve it, I’ll add more photos and information in a second part to this article.