Photo By Sgt. Garett Hernandez | The interior of the Camp Sabalu-Harrison chapel, located on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.... read more read more
The Camp Sabalu-Harrison Ministry Complex was dedicated Tuesday, March 23rd, by chaplains stationed on Bagram Airfield in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Col. John F. Garrity, the Commander of the 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne).
Col. James Harrison and Master Sgt. Wilberto Sabalu were Military Police mentors to Afghan National Policemen when they were killed near Kabul, Afghanistan.
“This was a tremendous labor of love from the Military Police,” said Lt. Col. Michael Yarman, the 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) chaplain, in his remarks about the contributions Soldiers made to the buildings.
The Camp Sabalu-Harrison Ministry Complex consists of two buildings and a 64-foot long tent. One building houses the offices of the Unit Ministry Teams assigned to units stationed at the life support area. The second acts as a Ministry Center, providing space for service members to conduct religious education classes, religious seminars or to simply relax.
Garrity, deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on Bagram Airfield as the commander of Task Force Protector, commented on the progress the Camp Sabalu-Harrison Chapel has made since it was first established in late fall of 2009.
Previously, said Garrity, the ministry complex was only an idea in the mind of the former brigade chaplain, Lt. Col. Thomas Drake. Drake brought the idea to Garrity while the unit was still at Fort Bragg, N.C., and they worked together to ensure a containerized chapel was issued by the U.S. Army Chaplain’s Corps and shipped to Afghanistan with the rest of the deploying unit’s equipment.
Before he returned to Fort Bragg to begin the process to retire from the Army, Drake ensured his plans for the Camp Sabalu-Harrison Ministry Complex would help deployed U.S. Military Service members of all faiths.
“We really do stand on the shoulders of Brother Tom Drake,” said Yarman, acknowledging Drake’s work and his commitment to service.
The chapel is a tent designed to accommodate the religious requirements of any faith group. Yarman commented that one day the chapel might be used for a Catholic service in the morning, for Muslims seeking to pray during the middle of the day and at night for a Gospel service.
Yarman said a conflict of interest has never arisen between the services. Due to the nature of military operations and the accommodations service members have while deployed, many are grateful to have a place to worship and are happy to share with others.
A deck, built by Soldiers from a subordinate Military Police unit, connects the chapel, office building and ministry center. Service members of the task force stationed at Camp Sabalu-Harrison are encouraged to relax and enjoy fellowship on the deck before and after religious services.
Garrity and Yarman cut a green and gold ribbon- the colors of the U.S. Military Police Corps, to symbolize the official opening of the Camp Sabalu-Harrison Ministry Complex in the presence of Chaplains from units stationed on Bagram Airfield.
“This is a place of refuge, a place of rest and a place of encouragement,” said Yarman as he closed his remarks.
| Date Taken: | 03.23.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2010 02:08 |
| Story ID: | 51312 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 549 |
| Downloads: | 154 |
This work, Newly Opened Chapel Named in Memory of Two Fallen Military Policemen, by Thomas Cieslak, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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