Training in Wisconsin // August 12, 2007
I'm wasted. Yup, used up, drained out, sucking chest wound and all that.
Actually, the comment about sucking chest wound is quite accurate since the training I have been doing is for a CSH (Combat Support Hospital) about to ship out. This is an entirely different kind of ministry environment then I am used to. Instead of hardcore infantry troops who are all about "closing with, and destroying the enemy," I am working with educated physicians, nurses and support staff. I kept meeting E4's and E5's that were like, "yeah, I'm working on my master's..." and a couple, "mhmm, this is my second master's degree, I plan on starting my phd while I'm deployed."
Cool. Totally cool. It made me want to deploy with them. But then, every unit I help train makes me want to deploy with them. Seriously, I love being with troops. At the BDE where I work, I am in a supporting chaplain role and am at a Training BDE whose make-up are mostly my dad's age. Its not a bad thing, its just that they are closer to their retirement than I am to my Date of Rank! (The day I joined the Army) I love being with joes in the field. Its why I joined the Army. I don't get to do it nearly enough.
That said, this is was a very unique expereince for me. I was not the trainer for this unit. I was the "OC/T" Observer, Controller/Trainer. In this case, it meant that SFC Taylor and I were sent up here to "Observe" the execution of the training that two UMT's received from others. Every unit that gets trained has a capstone exercise where they practice as a unit all the training they have received up to that point. In my case, I observe the Chaplain and Assistant and report how they do to my chain of command. I see if they are "up to par" as it were. I also "control" the training and ensure that everything happens in a safe manner. In the UMT world, sometimes, this means taking control of the situation if its getting out of hand or something like that. Case in point, during the exercise the CSH took incoming indirect fire (mortars), I observed how the UMT responded to the attack. I watched as the chaplain assistant took the chaplain to a safe place and then provided security for him. When I noted that the chaplain assistant took the chaplain to one location (safe) and then left him alone to go and provide security for the room (which had about 10 other soldiers that could have taken that mission) I needed to step in and provide on the spot "training." I pointed out that everyone in that ward had a weapon and ammunition - except the chaplain. I pointed out that no one, except the chaplain assistant, was tracking the safety of the chaplain. I also pointed out that when the assistant left the chaplain to provide additional security at the door, the chaplain was alone and without safety in a hostile environment. I made them do it again. The chaplain assistant does not pull guard duty, the chaplain assistant is not part of the total combat force of that hospital - he is the total security force of that chaplain and is the ONLY one whose SOLE mission is the security of the chaplain.
Point taken. Training Complete.
So, thats the kind of thing that I do. Especially on an ARTEP. In this case, there were some other issues that mitigated my training mission. That being the fact that I am always a chaplain and became the chaplain for the rest of the OC/Ts. This turned out to be a huge thing - there was the soldier whose friend had had a massive heart attack two weeks ago after PT and had not grieved about it. The other soldier who, just three weeks prior, had tried to resuscitate his own mother 10 times before EMT arrived and she died in his arms. Talk about guilt, anger, frustration... it was all there. We stepped aside and prayed for some time. That particular story was interesting because this soldier had been after me about church services for them - which were provided - and just kept mentioning church to me. Finally, in a quiet moment, I asked him if everything was alright, he said yes, and then proceeded to tell me about the event that had just taken place. And here he was, in a hospital, dealing with scenarios that mirrored his mother every few minutes. He needed to talk it out - and the first time he gets a chance is with a chaplain he has never met while on OC/T duties in Wisconsin. Go figure.
You never know when you will need to minister. You just have to be ready.
Actually, the comment about sucking chest wound is quite accurate since the training I have been doing is for a CSH (Combat Support Hospital) about to ship out. This is an entirely different kind of ministry environment then I am used to. Instead of hardcore infantry troops who are all about "closing with, and destroying the enemy," I am working with educated physicians, nurses and support staff. I kept meeting E4's and E5's that were like, "yeah, I'm working on my master's..." and a couple, "mhmm, this is my second master's degree, I plan on starting my phd while I'm deployed."
Cool. Totally cool. It made me want to deploy with them. But then, every unit I help train makes me want to deploy with them. Seriously, I love being with troops. At the BDE where I work, I am in a supporting chaplain role and am at a Training BDE whose make-up are mostly my dad's age. Its not a bad thing, its just that they are closer to their retirement than I am to my Date of Rank! (The day I joined the Army) I love being with joes in the field. Its why I joined the Army. I don't get to do it nearly enough.
That said, this is was a very unique expereince for me. I was not the trainer for this unit. I was the "OC/T" Observer, Controller/Trainer. In this case, it meant that SFC Taylor and I were sent up here to "Observe" the execution of the training that two UMT's received from others. Every unit that gets trained has a capstone exercise where they practice as a unit all the training they have received up to that point. In my case, I observe the Chaplain and Assistant and report how they do to my chain of command. I see if they are "up to par" as it were. I also "control" the training and ensure that everything happens in a safe manner. In the UMT world, sometimes, this means taking control of the situation if its getting out of hand or something like that. Case in point, during the exercise the CSH took incoming indirect fire (mortars), I observed how the UMT responded to the attack. I watched as the chaplain assistant took the chaplain to a safe place and then provided security for him. When I noted that the chaplain assistant took the chaplain to one location (safe) and then left him alone to go and provide security for the room (which had about 10 other soldiers that could have taken that mission) I needed to step in and provide on the spot "training." I pointed out that everyone in that ward had a weapon and ammunition - except the chaplain. I pointed out that no one, except the chaplain assistant, was tracking the safety of the chaplain. I also pointed out that when the assistant left the chaplain to provide additional security at the door, the chaplain was alone and without safety in a hostile environment. I made them do it again. The chaplain assistant does not pull guard duty, the chaplain assistant is not part of the total combat force of that hospital - he is the total security force of that chaplain and is the ONLY one whose SOLE mission is the security of the chaplain.
Point taken. Training Complete.
So, thats the kind of thing that I do. Especially on an ARTEP. In this case, there were some other issues that mitigated my training mission. That being the fact that I am always a chaplain and became the chaplain for the rest of the OC/Ts. This turned out to be a huge thing - there was the soldier whose friend had had a massive heart attack two weeks ago after PT and had not grieved about it. The other soldier who, just three weeks prior, had tried to resuscitate his own mother 10 times before EMT arrived and she died in his arms. Talk about guilt, anger, frustration... it was all there. We stepped aside and prayed for some time. That particular story was interesting because this soldier had been after me about church services for them - which were provided - and just kept mentioning church to me. Finally, in a quiet moment, I asked him if everything was alright, he said yes, and then proceeded to tell me about the event that had just taken place. And here he was, in a hospital, dealing with scenarios that mirrored his mother every few minutes. He needed to talk it out - and the first time he gets a chance is with a chaplain he has never met while on OC/T duties in Wisconsin. Go figure.
You never know when you will need to minister. You just have to be ready.
It was really fun to be the OC/T chaplain. At one point, I had these
two soldiers, who were about to get makeup put on them - you have never
seen makeup like this, they make these people look like they have been
in IED attacks and the like. This particular soldier had a large piece
of shrapnel sticking out of his chest and blood everywhere. It was VERY
realistic! - anyway, I prepped these two soldiers to scream and holler
and carry on about how they didn't want to die, wanted to see a
chaplain, kept begging the chaplain to "promise them they would not
die" and the like. My goal was to set the chaplain on edge and make him
deal with immense pain. (Basically, I reproduced a scene from my own
deployment.)
The one thing that kinda weird in this situation is that I always find myself training chaplains that are much older and more experienced than I am. Usually, its a great experience! I learn from him, he learns from me - its a fraternal experience. However, in this particular setting, the Chaplain was not thrilled about me being there and pointing out his mistakes. I'll put it this way, I learned a great deal about communication this week! Its not an easy thing to tell a LTC chaplain how to do his business. I just kept asking questions until it got fixed. I don't think the poor chaplain had ever worked quite that hard in the whole of his experience.
There were points when I thought I might be too hard on him. SFC Taylor told me later that the UMT had made the comment to him that "no matter what we do, it doesn't seem to be right." Taylor responded that "it was ok to feel that way and on day two of the ARTEP, it was very normal to feel that way." I guess most of it was that he and I are very different in our approach to the chaplain ministry. I am very much a "stay at work as long as you can since you are deployed and have nothing else to do and minister to everybody on every shift" kind of chaplain. Thats bound to run a muck with a chaplain who has the "8 hour" approach to ministry. Several times when the call went out for the chaplain, I was there and had to ask the question - where is your chaplain? Then the unit would scramble and the UMT would show up looking very disgruntled.
At one point, I came around the corner and he looked at me with that, "fisher, if you say one word...." I gave them some space.
But then, after all that work, came Sunday. The chaplain's favorite day! I never bust a chaplain about his service. Thats a sacred place and I know how I would feel if a chaplain told me how to run MY service in the field! I did daily "after action reviews" with the UMT and in my final AAR we talked through how much progress he made, how none of it was personal and how much he had taught me. We prayed and went on our way. I've been quite reflective since leaving the CSH. He's going to Iraq and I am going back to Ft Stewart. He's about to do the hardest ministry in his life and I am about to go home and write another report. huh...
The other chaplain was a surreal experience as well. He and I actually went to CHOBC together. Chaplain Ed Rivera was a classmate of mine and now I am evaluating and mentoring him for his deployment. Go figure! That was an entirely different kind of experience. He was like a sponge and I opened the fire hydrant. We had some awesome times of fellowship and did some great chaplain work in there too!
The really hard thing I found was that as I went through the hospital, I really wanted to visit with patients and staff - but that was not my job! I had to let other chaplains do it. It was really weird. I just smiled and helped and little bit... I couldn't stop myself...
All in all, it was really fun - I'm WAY glad to be done with these 4AM wake-ups - and I can't wait to see my wife and baby! Fun thought - I get to do that at the same time! (collective "aaawww"
Now I have to do some schoolwork. boo ooo ooo. I have not been able to do any schoolwork since I have been on this mission and its all due tonight! Ahh!!
The one thing that kinda weird in this situation is that I always find myself training chaplains that are much older and more experienced than I am. Usually, its a great experience! I learn from him, he learns from me - its a fraternal experience. However, in this particular setting, the Chaplain was not thrilled about me being there and pointing out his mistakes. I'll put it this way, I learned a great deal about communication this week! Its not an easy thing to tell a LTC chaplain how to do his business. I just kept asking questions until it got fixed. I don't think the poor chaplain had ever worked quite that hard in the whole of his experience.
There were points when I thought I might be too hard on him. SFC Taylor told me later that the UMT had made the comment to him that "no matter what we do, it doesn't seem to be right." Taylor responded that "it was ok to feel that way and on day two of the ARTEP, it was very normal to feel that way." I guess most of it was that he and I are very different in our approach to the chaplain ministry. I am very much a "stay at work as long as you can since you are deployed and have nothing else to do and minister to everybody on every shift" kind of chaplain. Thats bound to run a muck with a chaplain who has the "8 hour" approach to ministry. Several times when the call went out for the chaplain, I was there and had to ask the question - where is your chaplain? Then the unit would scramble and the UMT would show up looking very disgruntled.
At one point, I came around the corner and he looked at me with that, "fisher, if you say one word...." I gave them some space.
But then, after all that work, came Sunday. The chaplain's favorite day! I never bust a chaplain about his service. Thats a sacred place and I know how I would feel if a chaplain told me how to run MY service in the field! I did daily "after action reviews" with the UMT and in my final AAR we talked through how much progress he made, how none of it was personal and how much he had taught me. We prayed and went on our way. I've been quite reflective since leaving the CSH. He's going to Iraq and I am going back to Ft Stewart. He's about to do the hardest ministry in his life and I am about to go home and write another report. huh...
The other chaplain was a surreal experience as well. He and I actually went to CHOBC together. Chaplain Ed Rivera was a classmate of mine and now I am evaluating and mentoring him for his deployment. Go figure! That was an entirely different kind of experience. He was like a sponge and I opened the fire hydrant. We had some awesome times of fellowship and did some great chaplain work in there too!
The really hard thing I found was that as I went through the hospital, I really wanted to visit with patients and staff - but that was not my job! I had to let other chaplains do it. It was really weird. I just smiled and helped and little bit... I couldn't stop myself...
All in all, it was really fun - I'm WAY glad to be done with these 4AM wake-ups - and I can't wait to see my wife and baby! Fun thought - I get to do that at the same time! (collective "aaawww"
Now I have to do some schoolwork. boo ooo ooo. I have not been able to do any schoolwork since I have been on this mission and its all due tonight! Ahh!!
Categories
Operation Warrior Trainer , Training
Chaplain Jon Fisher
Leave a comment