Georgia NG chaplain proves himself as a shepherd of good will

Photo By Christina Bhatti | Capt. Andy Shepherd of Moreland, Georgia, who serves as chaplain for 3rd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment, Georgia National Guard, sings a hymn with the children who live at the Care and Share Foundation Orphanage in Soroti, April 15. Shepherd and his assistant, Sgt. Desmond Manning, of Stockbridge, Ga., visited many churches, schools and orphanages in the Soroti area during ATLAS DROP 11. Atlas Drop, an annual joint aerial-delivery exercise sponsored by U.S. Army Africa that brings together U.S. Army personnel with counterparts from the Ugandan Peoples Defense Forces, is designed to enhance the readiness of both countries’ resupply and logistical capabilities, and will consist of classroom instruction and a field training exercise. AD11 will increase the capability of both UPDF and U.S. forces to resupply soldiers operating in remote areas.  

SOROTI, UGANDA

04.17.2011

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

SOROTI, Uganda – Training in remote areas like the one in Soroti, Uganda for ATLAS DROP 11 give U.S. and host-nation soldiers the opportunity to share knowledge, tactics and skills. The training is rigorous and days are often long and the nights short.

Maintaining the spiritual needs of soldiers is an important task left to the chaplain and their assistant.

Chaplain (Capt.) Andy Shepherd, of Moreland, Ga., a chaplain assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment, Georgia National Guard, and his assistant, Sgt. Desmond Manning of Stockbridge, Ga., Shepherd’s spent their time during AD11 attending to the spiritual needs of U.S. Soldiers and provided counseling services.

Their job didn’t end at the edge of the Drop Zone, both Shepherd and Manning reached out to the surrounding communities.

“I just went out one day walking downtown to pick up some supplies. The locals were really glad to see us, and that really just touched my heart,” said Shepherd. “That really just put a drive in me to go visit more people out in the community to let them know we’re here and that we care and as a chaplain—as a Christian—just to show the love of God and that I do care, that I am concerned.”

That first walk around Soroti sparked a desire in Shepherd and Manning to get out more and meet people and visit schools, churches and orphanages to assess their needs and what they could do to help. Since that first walk they played soccer and prayed with school children, talked to numerous clergy from various faiths about their ministries shook hundreds of hands. This was all this in addition to taking care of and talking to Ugandan and U.S. soldiers.

Shepherd said the people of the Soroti area have touched his heart during his short stay.

“Going out into the community has really affected me in several ways,” he said. “One, it has really humbled me as a person, to see how the people live here and how they are so happy and enjoying life with so little. And also it has really affected me spiritually. I have been touched and challenged to, even when I leave here, continue to give to some of the places that I have visited. I feel just kind of challenged to do more.”

Manning has also been deeply moved by the people he has met and the lives they lead.

“It’s really touched me just to see the kinds of conditions the people live in. It’s something that I will take with me the rest of my life,” he said. “I go to bed and I cannot sleep…I just lay there going over all the things I saw during the day.”

In coming to Uganda, Manning was focused on providing spiritual support for soldiers, but after going out and meeting people and seeing the conditions in the schools, his desire to also provide spiritually for the people in Soroti grew.

“Maybe we cannot give them the material things that they need but we can provide them a little support and let them know that there’s a God, that there’s hope,” he said. “That’s what we do as chaplains and chaplains’ assistants: We reach out not just to our people but we go out there and give what support we can give.”

When AD11 ends, Shepherd and Manning will both return to Georgia having done their best to follow the scriptural admonitions of going the extra mile and succoring the weak that they believe deeply in. And it is also likely that both of them would say that they wish they could have done more.

“This experience in Uganda has also been a blessing to me, to experience the people here and how they have so much hope with the few resources they have,” said Shepherd. “It has really challenged me to figure out ways to minister and show the love of God to the Ugandans. I have been very fortunate to have this experience. I think it’s something that I will never forget.”

• Date Taken: 04.17.2011
• Date Posted: 04.22.2011 03:42
• Story ID: 69155
• Location: SOROTI, UG