Examining the Role of Chaplains as Non-Combatants while Involved in Religious Leader Engagement/Liaison
Abstract
In the summer of 1995 I had the great privilege of being deployed to Incirlik, Turkey, as the Combined Joint Task Force Chaplain. My duties included conducting worship in the tent city at Incirlik as well as counseling and visiting the thousands of joint and coalition forces that were stationed at Incirlik enforcing the Northern no-fly zone of Iraq. The rather typical set of tasks on my job description was augmented by the mandate to periodically visit a coalition of Special Forces troops located in Northern Iraq. To do this, I would board a C-12 and fly about an hour east to a location just north of the Turkey-Iraq border. There, I would climb onto a Blackhawk helicopter that would take me south into Iraq to the base camp of our Special Forces team. Upon arrival I would be shown my billeting arrangements and given a current and necessary threat briefing. Once settled, I would begin my walk around the camp checking in on special operators as well as the Kurdish contactors that were serving as interpreters and security specialists. I heard countless and horrific stories associated with DESERT STORM and its aftermath--stories of the brutality of Saddam Hussein and the many ways he wreaked havoc on his people and especially the Kurds. Occasionally I would be invited to sit and hear of personal problems; but for the most part, morale was high and personal problems were few.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 17, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA539854
Entities
People
- Steven A. Schaick
Organizations
- Air War College