Breaking Silence // March 26, 2008

Sunday was Easter and we celebrated in style. We held our Sunrise Service on the roof of the Dining Facility overlooking the air strip here at Baghdad International Airport. It was awesome! I don't know if it topped the Sunrise Service at the traditional birthplace of Abraham, but it came really, really close. Afterward, one officer thanked me for doing the service by saying, "you know chap, everything here is so negative, thanks for giving me a positive memory of this place."

That's just cool.

The chaplain team here in the 3^rd Combat Aviation Brigade is tired. Rightly so, they have been in country now for 11 months and five still to go. When I brought up a Sunrise service a month ago, they said they didn't want to do one. I figured that I would just let it drop and then my BDE chaplain called and asked if I wanted to head it up. Of course, the answer was in the affirmative and the service atop the DEFAC was the result.

I've really grown theologically and spiritually since becoming a chaplain. I'm coming up on my fourth anniversary of commissioning into the Chaplain Corps and change I guess is just part of it. Seeing so many expressions of faith has given me a regard for traditions I formerly would have just written off as liberal at best and cultish at worst. I think, well, I hope I understand the Kingdom of God better now than I did then.

Being that our service was outside and noise provided by helicopters flying overhead, planes taking off and landing and the other sundry noises of an active flight line, I focused more on community speaking of the congregation rather than trying to get good music out. We still sang, we just read a lot more. In fact, I put almost the entire "St. Patrick's Breastplate" prayer in the program. When the other chaplains saw that, they were a bit skeptical of the wisdom of such a move, but, I tell ya, when we stood in unison and prayed these words - the Spirit was indeed present!

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.

I arise today, through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me, God's host to secure me: against snares of devils, against temptations of vices, against inclinations of nature, against everyone who shall wish me ill, afar and anear, alone and in a multitude.

Christ to shield me today:
against poisoning, against burning, against drowning, against wounding, so that there may come abundance of reward. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today through a mighty strength:
the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of Christ. Ma y Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

Amen.

Pretty much the most awesome thing ever...

Other than that, I'm working crazy hours trying to catch up with everyone and get myself integrated into the unit. Its going really well. We are a Aviation Support Battalion and that means that we do everything! I have a TON of mechanics (affectionately known as "wrenches") who work on the helicopters, fuelers, warehouse workers, DEFAC workers (cooks), test pilots, pilots - the list goes on and on! Basically, we support four battalions of Apache, Chinook, Blackhawk and Kiowa helicopters. It's a 24/7 operation out here. Its very different for me since I grew up in the Infantry - being Aviation is a entirely different beast! Sometimes, I feel like I'm in an different Army altogether, but then I smell the dust and get over it...

Last night, as part of my Combat Lifesaver Training, I gave my very first IV. That was way cool.... Then my partner had to stick me... not so much...

Oh, another funny story:

So there I was, coming back from the shower, towel 'round my neck, shaving kit in hand, glorying in the feeling of being clean for the next fleeting moments, flip-flopping my way back to my CHU (Containerized Housing Unit - tiny room I share with another officer) and as I turn the handle, I realize that my roommate (God love him) has locked me out.

Yup, I'm standing there in my flip-flops literally over a mile from where he works, in the sun locked out of my room. I had no idea what to do next. I couldn't very well stroll the length of Camp Striker in my PJs to get a key back - but there was nothing else to do! So off I started, flip-flopping my way past solders headed to breakfast and others coming off duty - thankfully, I ran into one of my fellow officers who worked with my roommate and he conveyed the message that the Chaplain was in need...

... I got back into my room... an hour and a half after my shower...

gotta love the Army...