NINE CC/CofC CHAPLAINS MINISTER TO U.S. TROOPS
IN WAR ZONE DURING LIBERATION OF IRAQI PEOPLE
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As America's Armed Forces prepared to invade Iraq in mid-March, hundreds of military chaplains were there serving the troops. They led worship services, prayed individually with soldiers and marines who had not previously seen battle, provided encouragement as they mingled with these young men and women on a daily basis, and shared the gospel with many who had not previously had a relationship with Jesus Christ. They also performed a large number of baptisms, some in the ocean and some in trenches dug in the desert sand---lined with waterproof material and filled with water!
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At least nine chaplains from the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ were in the war zone during all or part of the conflict, and many of them are still there as sporadic fighting continues in many parts of Iraq. The CC/CofC chaplains who served in the war zone were Lavern Clark (Army), John Maurice (Navy), Kal McAlexander (Navy), Michael Myers (Army), Donald Nedza (Army), Kevin Sears (Army), Larry Toney (Army), Jack Woodford (Army), and Gary Buffington (Air Force). They served in many different locations, ranging from ships in the Persian Gulf to Baghdad, Iraq itself. And, unlike previous wars, modern technology made it possible for many of them to keep in touch with us back home via E-mail. The Christian Military Fellowship wants to share with you some of the E-mail messages we received from our chaplains during the conflict.
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CHAPLAIN JOHN MAURICE DELIVERS MEANINGFUL
SHIPBOARD PRAYER ON THE EVE OF WAR IN IRAQ
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Navy Chaplain (CDR) John Maurice sent us the following message from the USS Saipan, a ship out of Norfolk, VA, then located in the Persian Gulf:
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"Aboard naval vessels there is a long-standing tradition of the ship observing evening prayer. At 2155 each night while underway, the word is passed: 'Tatoo, tattoo, lights out in five minutes. Stand by for evening prayer." This is the prayer I prayed onboard Saipan last night (March 19, 2003):
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"Shipmates, this the chaplain with a quote and prayer. Billy Mitchell, one of the proponents of American air power wrote, 'No nations ever want war; they do not resort to war unless all other means have been exhausted.' Dear God, on the verge of war with Iraq, we are aware that all efforts to avert war have been exhausted---and we must now resort to using military force. We pray tonight for every soldier, sailor, marine and airman who contributes to our war effort. May You, O God, strike fear into the hearts of those evildoers who oppress their own people; who torture and maim their own citizens; who support terrorism and who threaten free peoples everywhere. May they be afraid as our military men and women bear the swift sword of Your wrath and justice. May the conflict end quickly, and peace and order be restored so that we may all live as free peoples. Instill our warriors with courage, loyalty and strength, and uphold them in the day of battle. Amen, and onboard Saipan, good night."
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CHAPLAINS FIND WAR ZONE SERVICEMEN AND
WOMEN OPEN TO THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
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Our chaplains report they have found our deployed servicemen to be open to the gospel message---very receptive to their teaching. Someone long ago expressed the words, "There are no atheists in foxholes." But it is something to rejoice about when our servicemen are eager to hear the message of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and it provides a special opportunity for our chaplains! Chaplain Maurice added the following comments on April 2:
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"It is great to know that folks are supportive of our troops. The ministry out here is rich. Last night after the Bible study I had one of the young marines come up and ask if we could talk. When we returned to my office, I was able to share the gospel with him and provide him some scriptures to read. We are going to meet again today and I believe he is going to make a profession of faith! Bible studies are standing room only. A couple of weeks ago we ran out of grape juice for communion and we had to quickly pour some into a chalice and let people dip the bread, since there was no way to get a tray filled. (I've since ordered an additional tray!) God continues to work in the lives of folks. The email you forwarded has brought additional folks from our brotherhood out. We have a nurse onboard who is from a Christian Church in Jacksonville, FL; Sue Dalton (from Lakeview Church of Christ, Akron, OH) is onboard and is very helpful setting up a website for the religious programs; and I've received a couple of emails from folks who used to be on board. Thanks for keeping in touch! In Him, John."
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CHAPLAIN KAL McALEXANDER SERVES SAILORS,
MARINES ONBOARD USS BONHOMME RICHARD
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Chaplain (CDR) Kal McAlexander served on the USS Bonhomme Richard in the Persian Gulf during the Iraq war. En route to the war zone, Kal baptized several young men into Jesus, even before arriving in the Persian Gulf. Kal's wife, Cindy, wrote us, "Thought you might also want to know what the ministry is like on this ship. When they departed, they had four chaplains on board. There are two services on Sunday and Bible studies each night and every one of them is packed. Some of the young men have come to Kal to ask him to help them start studies of their own. They ran out of the Bibles they took within the first few weeks and the church we attend here in Yuma, AZ donated and sent ten more cases of Bibles on to the troops. The Lord's work is carrying on."
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Kal emailed the following additional information, "I passed out every Bible, book and pamphlet I had before the ground element went ashore. Their assigned chaplain was not prepared for the requests. I was prepared for my unit but not both. Fortunately, the Community Christian Church in Yuma came along side us ordering Bibles and having them sent directly to the ship. We received the first shipment in time to send some with the last folks going ashore. Since then we have given all the first shipment out and just received the second shipment of four cases, 96. Our chaplains are handing out Bibles and baptizing people in makeshift baptisteries, which are holes in the ground, lined and filled with water. Kal."
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CHAPLAIN MIKE MYERS SERVES SIGNAL BATTALION
TROOPS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN KUWAIT
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Our chaplains in the war zone sometimes have to minister to servicemen and women who have experienced traumatic circumstances. Chaplain (CPT) Mike Myers is serving 40th Signal Battalion troops at several locations in Kuwait, after being deployed from Fort Huachuca, AZ. On April 17 he shared the following account:
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"I just want to share some news with you from Kuwait. Yesterday I spent 14 hours on the road, visiting soldiers at five different base camps here in theater. My main mission was to make my way to one of our most northern camps here in Kuwait to talk with five soldiers who in my opinion are true heroes. (The five are from a sister battalion that has no chaplain.) These soldiers were flagged down Monday morning at the scene of a very gruesome vehicle accident. There were dozens of people standing around not knowing what to do, or just not acting, when these soldiers arrived. The soldiers provided first aid and spiritual comfort to the dying soldier. They stayed with him until help arrived and then assisted the Medevac crew in loading him in the Blackhawk (helicopter) that would carry him to the medical facility, where he would later succumb to his injuries. These soldiers went above and beyond the call of duty when no one else would.
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"They were traumatized by what they saw there that morning. I was able to talk with each at great length about their feelings and their own spiritual condition. One soldier who is not a Christian is searching for God and I believe he will come around soon. I will be going back for another visit with them in about a week. I was able to pray with the group and saw the peace of Christ upon them as they prayed and talked about their relationship with the Lord. Please be in prayer for these five soldiers and the family of the soldier who was killed in the accident. He was a National Guard soldier from Michigan. Mike."
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CHAPLAIN JOHN MAURICE MINISTERS TO WOUNDED
IN AFTERMATH OF SAIPAN SHIPBOARD EXPLOSION
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In early May the news media reported an explosion onboard the USS Saipan in the Persian Gulf, which injured 11 marines, one seriously. The seriously injured marine received a bad arm wound, but the injury was not life threatening. The surgeon on the Saipan operated on the marine immediately and he was then evacuated to a field hospital in Kuwait. Chaplain (CDR) John Maurice, serving on the Saipan, sent us the following account:
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"As usual, the media blew things out of proportion (no pun intended) about the explosion onboard the ship. The actual cause is under investigation---but most folks think a detonation device was discarded in a trashcan and blew up. One person nearly lost an arm as he dropped something in the trashcan. Most of the injuries were to folks who were sitting and relaxing in the berthing area. A couple of marines were peppered pretty good with shrapnel, but thankfully no one was killed.
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"One of the chaplains assigned with the Marines and I were practicing music with our praise team for the Sunday service when the explosion took place. Word was passed for all stretcher-bearers to report to Medical. He and I bolted down to Medical Triage when we heard that passed and then the word that we had mass casualties was passed over the 1MC. By the time the casualties were being brought in, we were both on station and went around providing ministry to the wounded. Most of them were "walking wounded." One marine went into surgery. He was medevaced that night to a field hospital in Kuwait. We believe they were able to save his arm. He has since been transferred to Germany for further surgery. He will have a long road ahead of him---it was a serious injury.
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"I stayed with a marine who was hurt the worst---covered with shrapnel from his knees to his back and neck. I talked with him as they tried to remove the shrapnel. He was in quite a bit of pain and as I stayed with him I had him squeeze my hand when the corpsmen removed the shrapnel fragments. Later, when I went up and washed my hands, I thought I had dried blood on my hands, but it wouldn't wash off. He had squeezed my hands so hard that the blood was actually bruises on my hand. I'm fortunate that he didn't break any of my fingers! We stayed in Medical until the marines were either released or taken into the ward.
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"The following day I went back to check on the men and they had all been released back to duty. As you can imagine, a scene like this can be chaotic. However, through the chaos, the corpsmen, doctors and nurses performed magnificently. The young patriots who serve in our Navy and Marine Corps are top-notch young men and women. The way the marines cared for their wounded and the Blue/Green Team (Navy and Marine Corps) seamlessly handled the situation was remarkable. That night as I gave the evening prayer, I thanked God that we had not lost a marine and prayed for all of the injured and those who provided care. Indeed, God is good!
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"We have been very blessed with the Christian witness on this ship. The senior marine is a strong Christian and our captain and executive officer are Christians, and the entire mission has been one of faith and seeking God's direction. One of the infantry officers returned last week and told me that his company was in a horrendous firefight in Nasariya (Iraq). About 20 marines were injured---but none killed. We give thanks to God that His protection has been with our warriors "bearing the sword" of justice. Continue to pray for our military, that we will remain focused until we return home. In Him, John."
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CHAPLAIN KEVIN SEARS MINISTERS TO 3RD INFANTRY
DIVISION TROOPS AS THEY ARRIVE IN BAGHDAD
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Chaplain (CPT) Kevin Sears was the first of our chaplains to message us from Baghdad, Iraq. He is serving with the 3rd Infantry Division's 11th Engineer Battalion, deployed out of Fort Stewart, GA. He wrote the following on April 15:
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"Hey, Fred. I received your letter. Today is the first day I have had e-mail access since the war started. I don't know if I will be able to use this as we move again, but if I can, I will continue to correspond. I am in 3ID, 1st Brigade, 11th Engineer BN. We are currently in Baghdad, Iraq. I can't tell you exact location, but I am sure the media is being quite specific. I would encourage you to send any names (of soldiers) that I may be able to help with. I could probably have a good idea or could find out about the soldiers in the following units: 1-7 Infantry, 3-7 Infantry, 11th Engineer BN. If I can help, please let me know. Like I said, we move frequently and the availability of internet is based on luck and being at the right place at the right time. Please pray for my soldiers in the 11th Engineer BN. We lost three in a two-day time frame, all in the same company. Some of the guys are really dealing with this in a bad way. Thanks for the letter. God Bless, Chaplain Kevin Sears."
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CHAPLAIN LAVERN CLARK MINISTERS TO TROOPS
STATIONED IN CENTRAL IRAQ, NORTH OF BAGHDAD
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Chaplain (MAJ) Lavern Clark has been deployed to Iraq with troops from Fort Sill, OK. He shared the following information with us May 13:
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"Fred, just a note to let you know that I have since moved (from Kuwait) into Iraq. I am working out of what we call Sustainer Army Air Field, north of Baghdad near the town of Balad. We arrived on the 6th of May and should be here for some time. This place is growing and will continue to grow. There are a lot of Army here. It is really strange to be able to drive through the country of Iraq, a place that has been closed for so many years. The people seem to be friendly, however there are still incidents of people firing on our forces. Just have to be very cautious all the time. Hope things are well with you. Vern Clark."
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On May 15, Chaplain Clark sent this follow-up note: "Just an update note. Chaplain Jose Salcido (from the a cappella Churches of Christ) is now on Sustainer Army Air Field, the location where I am. I have had several opportunities to talk with him. Also, I am writing to you from the Presidential Palace at the Baghdad International Airport. I am not a houseguest, but we have a lot of troops living in this place. This is really a nice place. There is even a lake around the palace. Things sure have changed these past few weeks! Take care and God Bless, Vern Clark."
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CMF HELPS SERVICEMEN FIND FELLOWSHIP WITH
CHURCHES, MISSIONARIES WHEN THEY TRANSFER
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The Christian Military Fellowship can help you find Christian fellowship with Christian churches, missionaries, chaplains and other servicemen and women when you transfer to a new location. If you are one of those making a PCS move this summer, please be sure to let CMF know about it as soon as you know about it. That will allow us to send you information on churches, chaplains, missionaries, and/or other military Christians at your new location BEFORE you transfer. And in most cases, we will be able to arrange for someone at the new location to write or E-mail you BEFORE you depart your old base!
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There are three ways you can let us know about your transfer: (1) you can notify us by E-mail, sending the information to the E-mail address printed at the top of this page, (2) you can fill out the Serviceman Information Form at the CMF web site, which is located at: http://members.iquest.net/~c_m_f/cmfform1.htm, or (3) you can complete the information form included with the printed version of this newsletter and mail it to CMF, PO Box 2408, Oroville, CA 95965. The info we would like to have is name, rank, address, phone, E-mail address (if any), marital status, name of spouse, number of children, departure date from old base, and arrival date at new base.
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You can also use the CMF web site (http://members.iquest.net/~c_m_f) to access info for yourself on churches, chaplains and/or missionaries at the new location. The site provides addresses, phone numbers, E-mail addresses and links to the web sites of more than 260 Christian Churches and Churches of Christ located near U.S. military bases, and similar information on 30 CC/CofC military chaplains, and more than 30 overseas missionaries. The web site also includes links to more than 360 official U.S. military base web sites around the world, most of which have links to nearby community web sites. Thus, the CMF web site provides "one-stop shopping" for military who receive transfer orders and need information on their new bases, nearby churches, and communities!
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CHURCHES ASKED TO UPDATE CMF ON MILITARY
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Churches that haven't updated the CMF on their military people in the last three months are asked to do so now. We want to know about anyone you have in the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Reserves, or National Guard, and government civilians employed by the Department of Defense. The information we would like to have is name, rank, mailing address, phone, E-mail address, baptismal status, marital status, name of spouse, number of children, new location (if they are about to transfer), and arrival date at new location. You can send this information to us using one of the three methods listed in the paragraph above.
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Churches and parents of military people can use the web site to submit addresses of servicemen and women to CMF. The site includes an "on-screen" form that can be used to provide name, address, phone number, military rank, marital status and other pertinent information. If the military person is assigned away from your area, CMF will make E-mail, letter or phone contact with a church located near the military person and request that they contact the individual and offer their fellowship. For overseas military, CMF will ask a nearby Christian Church/Church of Christ missionary or military chaplain, or one of more than 400 military members of the CMF to contact the serviceman or woman. The CMF currently has contacts at most overseas locations.
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