With a US Chaplain in Basra, Iraq

It often seems to me that while every chaplain's story is the same, each one is illuminating in its elements of call and service. Also, the ice cream angle is a nice touch here. :) MP+

Face of Defense: Chaplain Provides Guidance, Friendship
By Army Spc. Maurice A. Galloway
Special to American Forces Press Service

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2009 – An Army chaplain deployed to Iraq is determined to provide spiritual and emotional support to all soldiers under his care.

“As a civilian pastor, I can’t go to your office to check up on you, but as an Army chaplain, everywhere you go, that’s where I am,” said Army Chaplain (Maj.) Michael J. King, 17th Fires Brigade, from Vine Grove, Ky.

King’s job is to provide soldiers of the 17th Fires Brigade an open door to talk, spiritual guidance and a friend in their time of need.




Army Chaplain (Maj.) Michael J. King makes a strawberry soda float, while Army Maj. Kellard N. Townsend and Army Staff Sgt. Caroline A. Keller watch at the 17th Fires Brigade chaplain-sponsored, morale-building event, “Thunderbolt Floats,” in Iraq, Oct 1, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samantha Ciaramitaro

“It all begins with a call to serve God,” said King as he reminisced on the steps that led him to become a chaplain. “I was a teenager when I first gave my life to Christ and I can remember having this longing to serve in mission work. I did a few mission trips and enjoyed them. Early on, I wanted to be a youth pastor, but ended up teaching high school instead.”

After three years of teaching biology to high school students, King entered the seminary, followed by four years of pastoral work. Still, something was missing: a longing or need, King said, to serve an even larger audience.

Following the allure to walk in the footsteps of his father, who retired as an Army chief warrant officer and served three combat tours in Vietnam, King decided to join the Army Reserve.

Read the whole article here.