DVIDS – News – ASC chaplain shares army life-style, tradition in neighborhood coaching of faith-based organizations

MOLINE, Sick. – U.S. Army Sustainment Command Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Kevin Niehoff gave two displays at a coaching occasion comprised of area people faith-based organizations Oct. 18 searching for to grasp the lifetime of army personnel higher in an effort to succeed in out and supply assist the place wanted.

About 60 individuals attended the coaching held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the CityView Celebrations at Trimble Pointe in Moline.

Niehoff gave two displays titled “The Function of the Church and Religion-Primarily based Leaders” and “Navy Tradition, Deployment, Homecoming.”

“I talked in regards to the want in army tradition to grasp the language. Our use of acronyms and the totally different processes. The totally different sub-cultures inside Army tradition,” defined Niehoff concerning army tradition, “equivalent to Particular Operations are totally different from logisticians from aviators from line infantry items.”

Concerning deployment and homecoming, Niehoff defined how the army splits it up into three components and calls it Pre-deployment, Deployment and Publish-deployment. He additionally talked in regards to the variations between active-duty Troopers versus the Nationwide Guard and Reserve Troopers.

“Guard and Reserve items would conduct a six-month train-up to deploy and from these I had talked with inside two weeks after redeployment (coming dwelling) they might be again of their civilian job,” he stated.

Niehoff additionally informed attendees that “change” is the one fixed within the Army.

“I mentioned the adjustments in deployments from the Nineties — a brigade deploying for six months to Bosnia. Within the 2000s — complete divisions would deploy. Within the 2010s particular person brigades would deploy out of divisions and the division could be scattered throughout,” he stated.

“I additionally talked about how individuals change over that yr (of deployment). Coping with youngsters that yr may make a distinction. The distinction within the age of the depart and return,” Niehoff stated. “There’s a distinction between a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old, between a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old. Whereas away all people’s life continues to maneuver on.”

Throughout his second presentation, Niehoff defined the relevance of a chaplain’s function throughout troubled instances and the function of neighborhood church buildings.

“When you have got proven up, God has proven up,” he stated of a chaplain, particularly throughout a household disaster. “That’s how individuals see them.”

Niehoff defined that due to the nomadic life-style within the active-duty Army of transferring on common each two years, native non secular organizations and church buildings should attain out to the Soldier and the household early on in a brand new task.

“They’re very involved about their youngsters getting concerned,” he stated, of constant a faith-based life no matter the place they reside primarily based on a brand new task.

And church buildings can play an enormous function to fill the void when a Soldier deploys. Niehoff cited one instance of the place the partner stated “the church grew to become her household” whereas her husband was away.

“They’re individuals. Be there with them,” he stated. “Attempt to perceive the approach to life.”

Different audio system included:

• “Influence on the Household” – Terry Randolph, Army veteran and army partner.

• “Discovering God on the Battlefield” – retired Army Col. Burl Randolph, previously of U.S. Army Sustainment Command headquarters.

• “Vet Heart Assets” – Joseph Laden, Veteran Outreach Program specialist.

“Service-provider coaching is a part of our strategic plan. We need to educate key members of the faith-based neighborhood on army tradition, wounds of battle, and making referrals for companies,” defined Sherri Behr DeVrieze, Neighborhood Well being Program coordinator/ Navy Program coordinator, UnityPoint Well being – Trinity.

“We wished them to learn to help veterans, army members, and their households of their church buildings or organizations. We wished to offer training, instruments, and assets to raised equip them for these conversations,” DeVrieze stated. “Key stakeholders embrace pastors, parish nurses, church deacons and elders, and different church leaders. Different key faith-based entities had been included as nicely, equivalent to hospital chaplains, Church buildings United, Lutheran Social Providers, and Cornerstone Retreat Heart for First Responders.”

An identical occasion was held in Might on well being care and psychological well being suppliers, she stated. And in 2019, there additionally was a two-day occasion for veterans with 600 in attendance.

“It’s our perception that the extra individuals who perceive the challenges that our veterans and army members and households face, the higher we’re capable of help them when wanted and meet them the place they’re,” DeVrieze stated.