America’s wars in the Middle East show how important a chaplain is, the Navy’s chief of chaplains told a group at the Denver Seminary.
“The U.S. military responds to a lot of situations in the world,” said Rear Adm. Robert Burt, “and the chaplain is always right there.”
The U.S. Navy has about 850 active-duty chaplains, who offer advice to soldiers on everything from faith to family relationships.
Near the start of the war in Iraq, a young officer faced a throng of angry Iraqis on a scorching-hot day, intent on keeping U.S. Marines away. The confrontation got tense before a chaplain cut through the crowd gently and whispered to the officer.
“We have a lot of water,” he offered, Burt said. “Why don’t we distribute water to them?”
They did, and the tension deflated.
“Our chaplains are being trained and study the culture of the place they visit,” said Burt, the Navy’s 24th chief of Navy Chaplains.
Born and raised in Denver, Sefra Powell, 33, realized about a year ago that she wanted to be a chaplain.
It was the loneliness and void faced by soldiers searching for their place in the world that made her apply, she said.
“To be the person who can ease those fears,” she said, “to me, it’s just awesome.”
The Navy has chaplains from 86 faiths. About a year and a half ago, the first Buddhist chaplain joined the ranks.
For Burt, he said, the fact that he’s a Christian who often ministers to non-Christians has never been a problem.
“I look them in the eye,” he said, “and I respect their choice.”
