Day Thirty Five

Day One of the Field Exercise:

We reported to the school building for a 1400 briefing. We were being sent out of Kadena AFB in Okinawa, Japan to a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Brunei (fictional). We are part of a coalition force going to help the Bruneiese against an offensive by Kalimanten and China. They are expecting random attacks tomorrow with the main thrust to begin on Tuesday.

After the briefing, we were assigned our transportation chalks (a mobility term, meaning the group with which you are traveling), and the transports began.

Our destination was a mock-up of a FOB - it was pretty amazing!

Welcome to the FOB!

These gates were locked every night - there was no way out!!

Airman Stanley opening the gates for our transport

Ready for war! From left to right: Kent Smaciarz, Brian Honett, me, Matt Nansel

Looking back at the gate from the inside

Getting a tour of the FOB

Walking through the tents - the tents at the end of this aisle were the showers

The showers... Not quite as bad as in M*A*S*H, but not the Hyatt, either!!

The female latrines

Male latrines (note the big "M"!)

Every major area is surrounded with HESCOs - wire frames holding up burlap that is filled with sand - they serve as sand bags.

Dining facility - were we get to stand in the heat and eat

Our only drinkable water supply

Our washing station!!

We got to the base and proceeded to the main building, which we also designated as out chapel. It was divided into two sides - the chapel side and the classroom side. First thing we were told was that all the work we did on Friday, dividing up our religious programing and planning, was all scrapped. Everyone had ten minutes to come up with a new schedule.

During the briefing, we were told that we always had to have our Airman's Manual with us, and we would be judged by our ability to access important information under fire. At one point, the instructor said something, and I said, "Amen!" (prounounced: Ay-men) Some smartass turned around and said, "Rabbi, are you even allowed to say that?" "I turned to him and said, "Excuse me - we INVENTED IT!" Later, the instructor reiterated, "Folks, this Manual is your Bible!" The chaplains all looked at each other a little uncomfortably with that blasphemous statement. I just said, "I guess it's my New Testament!" Awesome...

We got the tour of the grounds, and then brought our things to the tents. The tents were sweltering, even with a field AC unit attached. The fact that it was in the high 90's didn't help.

Setting up our tent - guy in the right is Ray Pajas (more on him later)

NO back support with those bed frames - almost like sleeping in a hammock

  We then proceeded to the dining area for our first meal. Dinner was MREs (Meals, Ready to Eat). The kosher ones are awesome - but they are meant for "minimum output" if you know what I mean.

My MRE - the bag on the right contains the heating element, and all the other goodies, like raisins, peanuts, granola bars, coffee, cereal, candy, sunflower seeds, etc...

My "Old World Stew"! MMMmmmm!!

Everyone enjoying their tasty dinner!

After dinner, we went to the chapel for an icebreaker. Remember, this was the second time we were spending time with the Chaplain's Assistants, and certainly the longest time we would be together. Furthermore, the Chaplaincy has a concept called Religious Support Teams (RSTs), which consists of a Chaplain and Chaplain's Assistant (talked about this a while ago in the blog), so the purpose of this entire exercise was to see how to build an RST and then function in real-world scenarios.

After the icebreaker, I offered a class called "Judaism 101: Everything you wanted to know about Judaism but where afraid to ask!" Of the 36 participants in the school, 23 attended. They kept me there for an 1 hour 45 minutes. We called it a night, and went to the showers, and then bed. Tomorrow would be a LONG, HOT day!

Getting ready for bed - shower towels drying!

We interupt this blog...

Pvt Robbins helping Pvt Lemke put on Tefillin (last Sunday)

Me and the troops - I love them!

It is Sunday afternoon, and I am about to leave for a three day field exercise. I will not be able to update the blog until Wednesday night. In the meantime, I wanted to include a few pictures. Had an amazing chapel service this morning, and the troops all came outside to take a picture with me...

Day Thirty Three and Thirty Four

Test day! Got to class in the morning, and after davening, we settled in for the test. Thirty Three questions (on teh the 33rd day of the program!) with a passing grade of 70 required. The test was one everything we learned from the second week on. It was fairly written - I got a 91 (three wrong - one was TOTALLY my fault, as I rushed through the question and did not read it properly).

After the test, the Command Chaplain for the Air Force Reserve, Ch, Col Willis spoke to us about the role of the Reserves. When he was done, the Director of the National Guard Bureau, Ch, Col Les Hyder spoke to us as well. He was a big hit! He did a great job explaining the important and ever-changing role of the Guard - I, for one, was very proud.

Afterwards, each commander took their respective airmen to lunch. I, of course, went with Ch Hyder to the Officers' Club (I brought my own lunch) and we had a nice time, asking questions and spending quality time with him. He then called me up and said he rarely has the opportunity to do this and was excited to be able to do so. He then gave me a Jewish Chaplain's Kit - a battle bag that attached to one's web belt during combat - that contained some stereotypical "judaica items" - like a little Torah Scroll and a wine cup... It is pretty useless, but the thought and effort were touching. I may fill it with better stuff when I get back to my base... My Christian colleagues received their own bags, which contained a prayer shawl made of ABU (camo) material... nice!

Ch. Col Les Hyder and me. I look HUGE in this picture - I KNOW I am not that fat... If you look at the door and the pillar, you can see the picture is distorted... (Do I sound like I am protesting too much??)

After lunch we had a "bag drag" - we were told to pack our duffels according to a checklist we had, as if we were being deployed. The "bag drag" is when we schlep the bags into our classroom and unpack it all for inspection. After repacking, we officially began the field exercise that will take up most of our last week. Each of us was assigned a chaplain responsibility, and teamed with a Chaplain's Assistant (CA). We were assigned to "chalks" (groupings of troops for purposes of transportation) and then went to meet with the CAs. We had about an hour to start planning and programming with them, after which we were given our sleeping bags, web belts and canteens and ponchos. The trip begins on Sunday!

I went back to my room and got ready for Shabbos. One of my classmates, Tara Dixon, gave me a ride to the Coopers (where I was last Shabbos)...

Shabbos was great! I think everyone was tired Friday night - I know I was - and after dinner I crashed. Shabbos morning we went to shul to set up, and services went from 0900 to 1230, followed by Kiddush. After lunch back at the Coopers I took a 3.5 hour nap (!!!) and at about 1900 I got up and we hung out until Shabbos ended at 2121.

I came back to my room and prepared my service for Sunday morning - this time I hope I get up on time!! Anyway, after services tomorrow, we have to report with our packed bags at 1400 for transport to the camp site - i'll try to keep y'all posted...

Good night!

Day Thirty Two

Today was very relaxing. Of course, when I said that to my wife, she said, "I didn't realize the other days weren't!" Nice.

Today was "Retreat Day" - no, it is not a reenactment of every French battle. We left at 0815 for Victory Ranch, which is a Christian campsite dedicated to taking care of the troops. They provide a place to unwind and relax, and receive spiritual guidance, as well. We got there at about 0900 - they had a breakfast put out - I had strawberries and coffee - and we all spent an hour eating and "fellowshipping."

At breakfast. L to R: Courtland Pitt, Matt Zimmerman, Ch Hamel, and staff member

Afterwards, we all gathered in a room, and Ch Hamel asked what we each do - outside of the context our religions' rituals - to connect to God. It was an important question. We talked for a while, and then he led us on a self-hypnosis routine, which he called the "Centering Prayer" - really just a way to turn off the noise around us and reconnect.

Sitting around before the "Centering Prayer" - on the couches (L toR): Tara Dixon, Micah Baker, Matt Zimmerman, Robert Tilley. Ch Hamel has his back to the camera on the far right (blue checked shirt)

From 1000 to 1200, we each went outside and did our own "connecting." It was absolutely gorgeous outside. The grounds have a lake and a barn - there are picnic tables and Adirondack chairs all around - it was truly idyllic.

Standing on the porch, looking out

Ch Tilley in a canoe, as part of his meditation period

I sat at a picnic table and read Lazar Brody's book, The Train to Tranquility, which I am enjoying very much. It is a Rav Nachman approach to Anger management.

At 1200, we came in for lunch. I had my microwavable lentil stew and a package of tuna, while they all had a buffet lunch... From 1300 until 1500 everyone did their own thing. Some guys went fishing, other played ball. I studied for our test tomorrow. We left at 1500 and got home at 1530. I had a 1.5 hours to do my laundry, because at 1700 a bunch of us met for Wallyball! I never played this before - it is AWESOME!! It is volleyball in a racquetball court - and you can use the walls and ceiling!

Not us - just to show you what it  looks like

We played for an hour and half - and there was no AC in the gym. We were DRENCHED! But it was just so much fun!!!

Upon return, a shower, and dinner, I packed my duffel for our "deployment" next week. Tomorrow - after the test - we are having a "bag drag." That is when you bring your bag for inspection - everything is dumped out and inventoried to see if you have all the things you were told to bring. We will also be issued our sleeping bags and other stuff - then we bring it all back to our rooms. The actual "deployment" will be on Sunday afternoon, when we will be going off for three days of field exercises. That will be were we are paired up with a Chaplain's Assistant, and ALL the things we learned the last 5 weeks will be tested - hospital ministry, counseling, funerals, Casualty Notification, religious accommodations... Can't wait!! I will not be able to blog from there - but I'll fill you in when I get back on Wednesday!! Wish me luck on tomorrow's test! Good night...

Day Thirty One

Wednesday began portending another wasted day. We started the day with a class on Youth Ministry, with the argument being most airmen are youth... hence, our "ministry" is a Youth Ministry. Regardless, the class really was one discussing the generational differences between the Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and the Millenials. I found it to be more of a marketing class for one's church than anything else. Did not enjoy it.

When that was over, we all presented our Cultural Briefs to our small groups. Let me explain. When troops deploy overseas, they go through a deployment line. Think of it as a cafeteria line. There is a long line of stations, and the troops make their way down the line. They stop at Medical to make sure their records are accurate, they stop at the JAGs to make sure they have a will and a power of attorney, they stop at the Chaplains to get a bible - and it's their last chance to declare conscientious objection. You get the picture. When they are done with all that, they go down the hall towards the plane. But before they leave the building, they go to a briefing room where they get a series of briefings on the mission, the flight, etc. The LAST of the briefings is traditionally given my a chaplain, and its called the cultural briefing. The role usually is to just quickly give an overview of some customs and courtesies of the country into which they are flying, and to remind them about the chaplains who will be there when they arrive.

Our assignment was to prepare a 4-6 minute briefing on a country which we were assigned. We could not be less than 4 minutes and not more than 6. I was assigned Somalia. I did mine in 5 minutes and 26 seconds - I got a 98 on the assignment.

We had another 2.5 hour lunch, and upon return we were told we'd be watching a movie called "Baghdad ER." I believe it was an HBO special. It was one of the most heart-wrenching, painful experiences have ever had. The movie follows the 86th Combat Support Hospital (CSH - that is the new M*A*S*H) in Baghdad during the worst of the fighting in Iraq. The human carnage is unspeakable. The video is completely uncensored, and it is not for the faint of heart. The bravery of the men and women who go into harm's way to fight and die for our freedom is truly breath-taking. And the bravery and strength of the medical teams... there are just no words.

There were some funny moments. There was one soldier who was trying to be funny with a nurse, and his expressions were priceless. My favorite was when an investigator was debriefing a soldier who had just been shot by a sniper, and the guy asked, "Did you not see who was doing the shooting?" And the soldier, grimacing in pain, said, "Uh, I was a little busy, lying on the floor, crying like a little bi@ch!"

When the movie was over, there was absolute silence. No one could have prepared themselves for this movie, and we were all in shock. Ch Hamel asked for us to process. I raised my hand and said, "This just confirms my feeling that a prerequisite for running for federal office must be serving as a combat troop. Let the men and women in Washington live this a bit before sending our sons and daughters to war."

Other people spoke - most couldn't continue because they choked up from the emotions it generated. Throughout the movie, there was a chaplain, walking and talking among the wounded, praying for the dead... and we knew that would be us one day. One chaplain, taking a long time to gather her thoughts, said, "I watch that chaplain, and I don't know if I could do it. I've been to church - and there's nothing like this going on in church."

I won't forget that movie for a long time...

http://www.amazon.com/Baghdad-ER-HBO-Documentary-Film/dp/B000G1R4V6

We finished the discussion at about 1600 and were dismissed. I'm ready to come home...

Day Thirty

They are REALLY running out of stuff to teach...

We had yet ANOTHER Diversity class this morning, followed by a class about the Career Progression of a chaplain. We were done at 1045 - which meant we had a 2 hour and 15 minute lunch - which I spent registering my son in college.

After lunch, we reviewed what would be on Thursday's test (the last one), and then we had a presentation by the Active Duty recruiter about what it takes to go from the Guard/Reserves into the Active Duty. I found out all I needed to know - the OLDEST you can be to start in the  Active Duty is 42. In other words, you MUST be out by 62, and they HAVE to give you the opportunity to do 20 years. So that rules out any thought I might possibly have had about going full-time.

And we were done at 1330. I worked out for and hour and half. The most productive part of my day.

Day Twenty Nine

Okay, now it's just getting silly. I know the Air Force needs to have us here for six weeks, and Lord knows I am thrilled to get paid - but why can't they actually fill our time effectively?

Today we went to Shaw Air Force Base, home of the 20th Fighter Wing, the largest combat F-16 wing in the country. We left at 0815 and arrived in time for our 0900 brief. Too bad our presenter didn't. So at 1000, we left for our briefing by the Assistant Wing Commander... but he was in a meeting until 1040. So he did his presentation in 20 minutes. That means we had two hours for lunch.

Most people went to a Thai kiosk - I brought a tuna packet with me. As we walked towards the food area, it seems I was walking with a Southern Baptist and Ch Hamel (a Catholic priest). Suddenly, a guy behind me - a Presbyterian - said, "I need to get away from this group - between them, there's no sex, no pig, and no drinking. It may be contagious!"

At 1300, we met again with the Asst Wing Commander, and we proceeded to the only highlight of the day. He took us to the weapons loading training hanger. That's where the troops learn how to load ammunition under the wings of and F-16. The hanger had two F-16s and every type of munition the F-16 carries. It was pretty awesome, especially considering that every few minutes another F-16 would tear down the runway a few hundred yards away.

The class in front of an F-16. From left to right: Kent Smaciarz, Ron Faith (best name for a chaplain EVER), me, Courtland Pitt, Countess Cooper, Matt Zimmerman, Micah Baker, Brian Honett, Trendce Hudson, Kenneth Tidwell, Tara Dixon, Ryan Williams, Seth Still, Matt Nansel, Scott Wilson. (Kneeling) Robert Tilley, Ioan Dumitrascu, Jose Martinez.

At 1400 we went to the base clothing store to fill in our uniforms - and then left. We were home by 1500. Another well-spent day.

Day Twenty Seven and Twenty Eight

I had a very nice Shabbos. There is a family in Columbia, the Coopers, who sent their two children to Memphis to attend the Jewish high school there. The younger one - the daughter - became sort of a daughter to Melissa and I. Particularly to Melissa, as she became this young lady's "Mommy" away from home. She was at our house all the time, and once day I mentioned I was going to Columbia for a month and a half, and she said, "Columbia? That's where I'm from!"

I have been sitting with their father, Betzalel, at services each weekend, and he told me that when the two kids come back from Memphis, I would have to spend Shabbat with them. Well, that weekend finally arrived. Betzalel is a former Marine, and the military banter - primarily knocking out mutual enemy, the Army - was great fun. He drilled into my head the great, albeit sacreligious motto of the Marine Corps:

WE STOLE THE EAGLE FROM THE AIR FORCE, THE ANCHOR FROM THE NAVY AND THE ROPE FROM THE ARMY.

ON THE SEVENTH DAY WHILE GOD RESTED, WE OVERRAN HIS PERIMETER, STOLE THE GLOBE AND WE'VE BEEN RUNNING THE WHOLE SHOW EVER SINCE.

Marine Insignia

 After Shabbos, I went back to the Fort to prepare my service for the next morning. That's when the story gets good.

For some reason, I could not sleep on Saturday night. I tried everything - TV, reading - finally at 0300 I took half a Unisom and set my alarm clock for 0815, knowing I had to get up, shower, shave, daven, eat, and meet my ride downstairs at 0915 for an 0930 service. In the middle of a dream, something was prompting me to get up, and my eyes opened and looked at the clock... AND IT WAS 0917!!!!!!!!

I jumped out of bed, "Oh, my God"ing, over and over and over. I ran to the sink, dashed water on my face, filled my mouth with mouthwash, threw on my uniform, pulled on my boots (didn't lace them properly), grabbed my backpack, laptop, and the guitar I borrowed from Reb Hesh, made sure I had my room key, grabbed my shaver to shave in the van... and it was dead. I must have unplugged it a while back and there was no charge. I ran down the steps (the whole time, I was throwing up a heartfelt message to God: "I don't know why you did this to me - I'm sure there is a good reason, and maybe one day I will know what it is..."), and THANK GOD my ride was still waiting from me (he had texted me at 0916 saying he was downstairs). We ran to the van, and were driving by 0928 (not bad...).

I got to the chapel at 0935 (could have been MUCH worse... in fact, imagine if Chaplain Soussan had been waiting for me!!!) and everyone was patiently waiting in their seats. I rushed up, apologizing, sweating, and began my service. And the service was awesome. My message - apropos to the morning - was the importance of finding the positive in the world around us.We discussed how the Jews could say, "We have nothing" after they had been fed Manna by God. It is all what you look for in the events of your life. So of course, I tied it into the events of the morning. I didn't tell them why I was late - just that something had come up - but the point is to look for Hashem's role and lesson in everything.

Afterwards, we retired to the Commander's Conference Room across the street (where we go each week after service) and Rabbi Soussan came at that point (I apologized for the unshaven face; he seemed nonplussed) and he announced that the Aleph Institute, a Lubavitch organization that provides services for military personnel (and prisoners... Hmmmm) had sent, in honor of Shavuot, individual cheese cakes (Cholov Yisroel, no less) with little wooden ice cream spoons in each. A good time was had by all!

The soldiers - and chaplains - with their cheesecakes! The arrow on the right is over me; the arrow on the left is over Chaplain Soussan

The highlight of the morning was when I turned around and saw one of the soldiers, who grew up observant, helping another soldier put on Tefillin. The guy putting them on had a HUGE tattoo of a Magen David covering his entire upper arm, and the tefillin lay just under the tattoo - it was an AWESOME scene, and I took a picture. However, Ch Soussan specifically asked that I not put it online... oh, well!

I went home, did some school work, worked out, and dreamed about the fact that I am about to start Week Five of six... I can't wait to come home!

Day Twenty Four, Twenty Five and Twenty Six

Shavuot was very nice. As previously reported, the program at Reb Hesh's house began at 1900 with a buffet dairy dinner. At 1930 the first round of classes - three in all - began, and the 30+ people split up. I went to Rabbi Soussan's class on the history of the Jewish Chaplaincy in the US military. At 2030, there was a another round of three classes - this time, I was one of the presenters - and I spoke on "Why a reasonable person should believe God gave the Torah at Mt Sinai" - an oldie but a goodie for me!

At 2130 we davened Maariv, and then most people left. Those that stayed washed and had dinner. After dinner I took a Gemarah and started learning by myself, but by 0030, I crashed.

Morning services were not until 1000. I woke up at 0800, had some coffee and read a little - I went to shul at 0900 to learn a little before services. Services went for 2 1/2 hours, an hour shorter than on Shabbos. I davened Shachris, and my Hallel was quite a hit. They asked me to do an encore the second day...

After services, there was a cheesecake and ice cream kiddush. We went home, had lunch, and guess what... I napped! The whole thing repeated itself the next day - and on Thursday night, my friend Jose picked me up.

Friday was another one of those days... we spent the morning doing Strengthsfinders, which is another Myers-Briggs-type personality assessment. After a two-hour lunch, we met with our small group leader - in my case, Ch Hamel - to go over our assessments, as well as discuss what we thought of the course so far.

This weekend I have a test to study for, but this program is running down QUICKLY!!! Two weeks from today and I'm home!

Shabbat Shalom!

Day Twenty Three

I overslept! Well, almost - I normally get up at 0630 and out the door at 0715. We are required to "check-in" to our classroom by 0730, and then go to services. I don't know if I hit the snooze button over and over again, or what - but in my DREAM I was realizing it was late - and I opened my eyes and saw the clock showed 0708! Good thing I took a shower last night!

The day started with two more classes from my LEAST favorite teacher, the JAG. She didn't let me down - when she talked about the Kobe Bryant case, she described the position his victim was in when he raped her. She used the most graphic terms she could when ever she could, and capped it all off with an "S" bomb ("The  supervisor didn't give a s**t, oh, excuse me...") - what a consummate professional.

That was the theme of the day's classes - sexual assault, domestic violence, and finally the chaplain's role in counseling both of these areas. After lunch (during which I watched the final episode of "Heroes" - what an awesome show!) we met privately with our small section teacher (in my case, Ch Hamel) to review work we had done. That was over at 1330... and as the afternoon's teachers were away, we were dismissed!

I went with Ch Tilley to deliver cold drinks to the poor soldiers manning the base gates, and came back to my room to prepare for Shavuot. Chabad here has an interesting way of getting around the fact that Yom Tov doesn't start until 2115 - Reb Hesh invites the whole community to his house for dinner and learning at 1900 - they learn for two hours, and then daven Maariv and make Kiddush - and then continue for all those that want to stay! I'll be teaching tonight...

Chag Sameach - Gut Yontiff - Happy Shavuot!!!

Day Twenty Two

For those who followed lat year's blog of my COT experience, and remember it, you may recall that I mentioned that we were addressed by a JAG (military lawyer) on legal issues, and I wrote a scathing review about her. She used foul language, she tried to titillate in, what I thought, was an unprofessional manner, and frankly, wasn't a good teacher.

This morning I walked into class to see my old friend! They brought her in to teach us all the legal issues with which the Chaplains deal, such as Privileged Communication, Law of Armed Conflict, inappropriate relationships... With the exception of her language - which she cleaned up - my observations of last year's presentations remained well-preserved. And we get more of her tomorrow!

We had to come back from lunch in our service dress uniform - that's the blue jacket and tie - for inspection. It wasn't for grade - it was more having to do with the fact that next week we are going to Shaw Air Force Base (up the road) and if we need stuff for our uniforms, that will be the time to get them.
 
After the interminably long class day, I asked a friend to drive me off base to a mail box. When I did the service Sunday morning one of the things we do is take mail the troops want sent home. It seems base mail pickup and processing is very slow, so as a favor to the soldiers, we mail them off base. Afterwards, he dropped me off at the gym... in which the AC was broken. I ran about three miles, and decided to continue the exercise by walking to the Shopette (their name, not mine) to buy some deodorant. It was about a 15 minute walk. And they didn't have spray deodorant. So I walked a little further to the PX, bought my deodorant - and then walked the half hour home. Dripping sweat the whole way.

On the way, I passed the famous car. Every base - around Memorial Day - displays a civilian vehicle in which military personnel were killed. It is meant to sober up the troops to the reality of drunk driving.  I took pictures  for you...

Good night!

Day Twenty/Twenty One

I am officially at the half-way point - time flies when... well, time flies.

I had a very nice Shabbos, thanks to the amazing hospitality of the Kleins.  I have decided that their house is the Shabbos Nap Capital of the World - I had a 3 1/2 hour nap - outstanding! This week is Shavuos, so I will be back at their house on Wednesday and Tursday - however, I will be spending next Shabbos at a different home. More on that later in the week.

Sunday morning was my opportunity to lead the Jewish Service. Rabbi Sassoun was gracious enough to leave the whole program to me, and I brought Ch Berger - the student at the Army Chaplain school - along with me.

Leading the service...

The rest of the day was pretty chilled. I did my laundry, homework, and then went to the gym to run. When I got there, it was closed! What's up with that?? This is a military base! Well, I was motivated enough to just go ahead and run outside anyway. By the way, it was about 100 degrees... Yeah.

This week will be short - Shavuos will break it up - so I'm looking forward to it!

Day Nineteen

Happy Rosh Chodesh! I had three attendees this morning for services, and explained to them all about Kiddush HaChodesh and why that is so important to us...

By the way, the wind did a number on the tents...

This is right in front of our wing - the tent is obscuring our beautiful F-22

Another tent...

 Another filler day. Other than my presentation on Judaism, of course. Today was the class on World Religion - the goal was not a class detailing each faith, as much as getting the basics to be able to serve all troops in the field. I was asked to the component on Judaism and the Eastern Orthodox Priest did the component on Orthodox. The instructions were NOT to go into details. So I did a quick discussion on the three three branches (as 99% of the Jews they will encounter in the military are not Orthodox, so they need to know why Johnny doesn't do Kosher like Friedman did), a quick discussion on Kosher and explained MREs (Meal Ready to Eat) that are available to the troops, explained what we do with bodies and the importance of trying to keep the blood, and a quick synopsis of Shabbat and holidays and what to expect from the troops. That took 20 minutes. It was suggested that when we do our field exercise, that one night I do a Q&A to fill in the gaps (they all want to know what the deal is with Chassidim!). My Eastern Orthodox friend did not follow directions. I'll just leave it at that. What can I say - it was a LONG 20 minutes...

At lunch, I went over to the Army side and met the rabbi attending the Army chaplain school. She is a Reconstructionist/Renewal rabbi and we talked for about 20 minutes. I will be leading the service on Sunday and invited her to participate...

The day ended with a class on military funerals, which we capped off with a trip to the National Cemetery in Fort Jackson.

Chaplain Kenyon (well, half of Ch Kenyon) is facing us - some of the tombstones are in the background. It is a new cemetery (opened Jan 2009)

The guys

Upon return, I helped a friend move from his room in our building to another building, after which he gave me his car for the weekend. That means that I can drive myself to Chabad for Shabbos!

Day Eighteen

Boring day.

Let me begin by showing you the Jewish chapel in the joint Air Force/Navy facility (the Army, I believe, has their own).  

There is a Torah in the Ark

I am not sure I understand why there is a Judaica exhibit...

As you can see, it is fully outfitted, along with every item a Jew could ever need, on display. If you look at the picture above, on the left table is a washing cup, Challah board, cover and knife, candle sticks, and underneath a kiddush cup and reading Yad. On the middle table is a seder plate, a small shofar, and underneath two MORE candle sticks and another kiddush cup. On the table to the right is a LARGE shofar, a travel pack (has some interesting "field" items, like a shawl talis with no strings on the corner - just Velcro. In a separate bag are pre-made strings with Velcro at the end - you stick the strings to the end of the Talis and...voila!!). Underneath is a mixed-denominational selection of siddurs.

The highlight of the day was the end-of-the-day kickball game. Yeah, I said it. Kickball. I'll even put myself out there and say I stink at kickball. Always have. But our team made a glorious comeback in the last inning and we only lost by two (17-15) - it HAD been 9-2 at one point...

What are those tents in the background, you ask? And why are they in front of our school house? Well, tomorrow (Friday) is the Change of Command for the Navy Chaplain School. They are setting up in advance... I hope that works out for them, as they are expecting a tremendous storm tonight.

Okay, now it's night. And there is a tremendous storm. This may be the highest number of successive lightening strikes I have ever seen. We had a power outage for about a half-hour, and the wind is CRAZY!! I hope their tents are okay...

Test

Just testing to see if my son fixed the Import function to Facebook...

Day Seventeen

Good day! As I have previously explained, as a result of the BRAC base closings, the Navy and the Air Force moved their chaplain training facilities to the Army training center at Fort Jackson. We do not train together - we are just co-located. The Army - by far the biggest branch, and with the significantly more chaplains - has a very large facility, complete with museum. The Navy and Air Force are in a smaller building behind theirs. We have NOTHING to do with the Army folks, except during Sunday services.

This morning (Wednesday), the Army dedicated a memorial to the Chaplains and Chaplains Assistants who died in the line of duty since the beginning of our country. We were invited to participate (which meant standing at the back where we wouldn't be seen!) - let's face it; the Army is Army all the time. They are always in formation, always marching, etc. As one of our chaplains joked (as he told us not to bother with formations), "The Army marches; we fly."

Ch, Major Rabbi Soussan did the opening invocation. Beautiful job!

Preparing to lay the wreath at the memorial

Afterwards, we were addressed by Chief Master Sergeant Al Clemmons, who is Chief of Chaplains Ch, Major General Richardson's Chaplain's Assistant. That makes him the Number One Chaplain's Assistant in the Air Force. He spoke about understanding the mentality of the CA's and understanding that they are not out bodyguards. They are really "Case Managers" (my wife's description).

Afterwards, Chief of Chaplains, Ch, Major General Cecil Richardson came to speak to us. It was great. He couldn't have been more loving and gracious.

Ch Richardson listens as we go around introducing ourselves

Ch Richardson

After his talk, he invited us all to join him at the Officers' Club for lunch (no, he wasn't paying!). I wasn't going to miss this opportunity, so I ran to my room and got a pack of tuna and a pack of chilli. We got to the O Club and I decided to heat up the chilli pack in a plastic cup of hit water - it was very tasty, but BOY did their food look good!

My chilli heating up next to my tuna!! WOOHOO!

 

The General and his chaplains (I was at a different table)

Ch, Major General Cecil Richardson, Chief of Chaplain - and me.

After lunch, we had two classes on military writing - and were dismissed at 1500! I borrowed a car from a friend and drove to a medical facility where I had to give a urine sample as part of my application to the Department of Homeland Security for my clerkship position for the coming year.


I went shopping to fill in some things - and by the time I came home, I was so hot and sweaty that I used that as an excuse for not working out. Shame on me!

Day Sixteen

Today (Tuesday – I am a day behind…) was… interesting. In group dynamics, we are taught that first comes Forming, wherein the group feels out each other. Then comes Norming, wherein the group all finds their place in the structure. Then comes Storming, wherein the group finds itself butting up against biases and prejudices and has to “work stuff out”. Only then comes Performing, wherein the group really fires on all cylinders, having gotten through their “issues.” Today we Stormed!!

The day began with our first test. I did acceptably – an 87. Following the test, we convened upstairs in the Protestant chapel for the promotion of our Ch, Capt Steven Richardson to Major. Ch Richardson was the instructor who taught us the Marriage Retreat class we had the first week. He is a great guy… and did I mention he is the son of the Air Force Chief of Chaplains, Ch, Major General Cecil Richardson? (That’s two stars, for those counting)  Ch Richardson (Sr) is the highest ranking chaplain in the Air Force; we serve at his pleasure. Well, he was there for the promotion, and it was a real honor.

Two of Ch Richardson's three sons (the youngest was too small) pinning his Major rank insignia on his shoulders. How awesome is that!!!

Air Force Chief of Chaplains, Ch, Major General Cecil Richardson looks on as his son is promoted to Major. It is believed that they are the first father/son active duty chaplains, serving at the same time, in the history of the military.

Following the ceremony, we had a class on Ethics in the Chaplaincy. That was pretty tame. Then the poop hit the fan.  We had our long-anticipated class on Pluralism. This is where I found that some of my fellow chaplains who are “on fire for the Lord” scared me just a WEE bit. What I seemed to be hearing pretty clearly was that they (well, SOME of them) feel called by Jesus to minister and witness wherever and to whom ever. If a Jewish kid comes in with a problem, it’s time to bring up Jesus. I became the spokesman for a more pluralistic approach (surprise, surprise, surprise!), but many a head nodded in agreement with me throughout the debate. While the conversation never lost civility, I summed things up at the end when I said, “Guys, there are great pastors that make lousy chaplains, and there are great chaplains that make lousy pastors. But the military is not just another church; it is a unique church with a unique mission. And it’s not for everyone.”

The conversations continued in the hallway, the breakroom, the bathroom… Even after an unrelated class, the conversations continued. By the end of the day, the guys clarified for me that if a Jewish kid would come in, they would first ask, “Do you mind if I bring Jesus into the conversation?” If the kid said no, they wouldn’t  bring it up. But they would also probably refer the kid elsewhere. Small comfort.

The intervening class was on Chaplaincy in the battlefield. The class was given by an Army chaplain, who has served in the “Sandbox” extensively. His PowerPoint was horrificly graphic, which he he prefaced by saying, “I want you to see this stuff here for the first time, not there in front of the soldier.”

He had the most AWESOME Army expressions – as an example, he asked, “What is the effective range of a prayer?  Answer: Beyond the light of sight.” (His point was you don’t need to be with the soldier to pray – but it uses an artillery metaphor… oh, forget it!)

He also informed us that Iraq is the Beenie Baby Capital of the World. It seems that the Beenie Baby craze ended when the war in Iraq was on – and as people started cleaning out their closets, they figured what better thing to do with their MILLIONS of Beenie Babies than to send them to Iraq. He told me that soldiers throw them by the armful from Humvees to Iraqi kids – and most have at least one stuffed into a pocket in the uniform for comfort…

My friends went to dinner at a burger joint – so I joined them virtually from my room, having two Morningstar Grillers and microwaved French Fries! Yeah!

Day Fifteen

Happy Memorial Day. We are officially allowed to say that. I attended a Memorial Day service this morning, and the Commanding General of Fort Jackson, Major General James Milano, stated that the day was not for mourning but for celebrating the lives of those upon whose shoulders we all stand. Okay. I hope he excuses me for mourning them just a little bit...

The event began at 0900 at the Jackson Memorial at Gate 1. There were soldiers dressed in period uniforms from WWI through the present. While we were waiting for the event to start, an elderly man in a WWII uniform approached me and said, "Shalom! Mah Nishma?" Turns out he is a local Catholic guy who is obsessed with the Jews. He has been studying conversational Hebrew at the local Reform Temple. He confided that he wanted to convert, but his wife - a devout Catholic - will have none of it! What a gem!

After the opening prayer and the General's speech, there was a wreath-laying ceremony by the head of the local Veterans' Widows organization. That was followed by a 21-gun salute - but not rifles... GUNS! As in, CANNONS! They were behind me and there was no warning when they went off - I thought I soiled my uniform... (but I didn't...)

Color Guard

Major General Milano speaking (sorry for the weird color - I don't know what happaned)

The General assisting two widows with the wreath

The canons firing - notice the plume of smoke from the one to the right - it just fired (you can't see the third gun all the way to the right)

After a few more rounds - notice how thick the smoke is!

The Andrew Jackson Memorial

WWII Memorial

Afterwards, I decided to try out the ol' knee - so I went to the gym and, lo and behold, I got in a good three-mile run! Afterwards, I decided to go see "Pirates of the Caribbean," and when a friend of mine dropped off the keys, he asked me where I was going. He indicated he wanted to go as well, which was great - there are few things more lame and depressing than going to a movie theater alone!

I came home and studied for the big test tomorrow - wish me luck!

Day Fourteen

This morning I gave the "drasha," such that it was, at the Jewish Service! I got great feedback from the troops. I am REALLY looking forward to being able to lead the whole deal...

I got back to my room at 1145, and spent the rest of the day alternating between studying and watching TV. At 1630 I did a half hour of push ups and sit ups, but that was the extent of the exertion for the day! Tomorrow will be more of the same, with the exception of a Memorial Day event on base at 0900. I'll take - and post - pictures...

Day Twelve/Thirteen

We finished ASIST training today. There was one highlight moment of the day. The day was spent role-playing suicide interventions, with one student playing the potential suicide and the other the friend/counselor. At the beginning, one of the instructor's played the suicide and had people come up and try to intervene. One of the young chaplains went up and started asking him what was wrong. The "suicide" went off on how his wife cheated on him and she was all he had and he had no reason to live... The chaplain, with all earnestness, asked, "I know how you must feel" to which the suicide turned to him and said, "Why - has your wife cheated on you?" Without a hesitation, the chaplain said, "Not yet."

Awesome.

Class ended early, so I printed off my study material (we have our first test on Tuesday) and went to my room to change for my workout. I got to the gym and did a 4.5 mile interval run. I looked down at the display and thought, "I can run another 1/2 mile - let's just make it an even 5 miles!"

I began feeling it by the last 1/8 mile. Not as badly as I felt it for the next two days! More on that in a minute...

I arranged for a friend to take me to Reb Hesh's house at 1845, as he told me we would be davening at his assistant's house. I got there to discover the plans had changed, and we would be staying home for the night. He had a couple over for dinner (the guy grilling in the Lag B'Omer pictures posted previously), and Reb Hesh cracked open the 18 year old Glenlivet I bought him on base. Yummy!!!

One would think with some great Scotch in the system I would have had a good night's sleep. However, my right knee and hips were hurting me so bad I could not get comfortable. Nor did I have Advil. I tossed and turned the whole night until I finally struggled out of bed at about 0730. The 10-minute walk to shul was not fun - and when I got there, I helped set the shul up (they tear it down after each Shabbos service, as they rent space in a country club - they are moving into their own building within a month) which also hurt like the dickens!

I'm not gonna lie - last week I commented on how long the services were. Well, this week I decided that there was nothing I could do about it, nor did I have anything to read... so I may as well read slowly along with them. I must say I had one of the best Shacharis prayers I have had in a decade! We started at 0900 and ended at 1230 (!) after which we tore down the shul and went to Reb Levi's house (Hesh's assistant) for a big kiddush in honor of his birthday. We left at about 1500 and had a perfunctory lunch, which included an awesome conversation about the state of Judaism today (my favorite topic!) and I got to my nap at 1730... however, after an hour the pain in my knee and hips woke me up.

I left the house at 2130 - a friend picked me up - got home, took Advil and went to bed. Sunday should be better...

Day Eleven

Today we began ASIST, a suicide prevention program. The best part of the whole thing is that, as we are doing this teamed up with the Chaplain's Assistants, we moved into air conditioned rooms! Nice!

My plan was to work out after class, and then join in an Ultimate Frisbee game at 1900. However, after class I got into a conversation with one of my classmates, and African-American chaplain a few years younger then me. She and I ended up speaking until 2015 - it was such an awesome experience. Time for a late supper!

This weekend is a three-day weekend. However, on Tuesday is our first test, so there is studying to do. There is also a paper due next week, so I will take advantage of the down-time.

My son, Eli, arrives in Memphis tomorrow after spending a year studying in Israel. I will miss the blessed event; I trust he forgives me!

Day Ten

Very uneventful day.  Spent the entire day role-playing Solution-Based Brief Therapy. Planned on working out, but was feeling a little under the weather, so I took the van, stocked up on milk, fruits and veggies, stopped off at the base liquor store to buy some Scotch for Reb Hesh, and went to my room to watch the American Idol finale and get some sleep.