Photo By Master Sgt. Lakisha Croley | Military religious professionals from several AOR nations, as well as the U.S.,...... read more read more
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By Tech. Sgt. Lakisha A. Croley
U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs
FORT JACKSON, COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina National Guard Chaplain Corps welcomed chaplains from Suriname, Paraguay, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic to attend a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Exchange for Partner Nation Chaplains, along with members from the U.S. Southern Command’s Religious Affairs Office.
The purpose of this event was for the SOUTHCOM Religious Affairs office to encourage the support of partner nations by h their chaplains’ capability and capacity, while enhancing their aptitude and immersion in SOUTHCOM exercises and operations. It is during these operations that chaplains’ assistance contributes widely to the mission of peacekeeping, stability, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
During the event, chaplains and staff visited the U.S Army Chaplain Center and School at Fort Jackson where they were greeted by Chaplain Col. James LaMar Griffin, commandant of the school and Col. Mark Nordstrom, deputy commandant.
The group also visited the U.S. Army Chaplain Museum and Library, Columbia International University Seminary and the McEntire Joint National Guard base in Eastover.
This was followed by a briefing from Maj. Gen. Robert E. Livingston, adjutant general in charge of the Military Department for South Carolina.
Religious Matters, a conference series which brings U.S and partner nation chaplains together for a series of intense and meaningful discussions about chaplains’ role in military operations, began in 2014.
Inspiration for the conference came from Chaplain Col. Michael Lembke, command chaplain at SOUTHCOM, after attending a lecture by Dr. Chris Steple at the National Defense University.
“I was very impressed by his presentation on how Religion can be seen as a factor for analysis in mission planning and a force for good in healing, hope and reconciliation,” he said.
The first Religion Matters symposium was held at SOUTHCOM headquarters in Miami in September of 2014.
The subject matter expert exchange focused on the inspirational training of chaplains and chaplain’s assistants and the use of hands-on methodologies. Both of which are designed to grow capability and capacity among the Partner Nations chaplains.
Lembke stated that in the future they hope to actively explore the possibility of partner nations’ candidates attending chaplain schools within the United States.
Col. Gumercindo Oviendo Sanchez, the National Evangelic Chaplain of the Paraguayan Military Forces, saw the great importance and need for the Chaplain school and this partnership.
“It is so important to see the students, their different beliefs and how they serve together; Continuity of religious matters is important for the life of our soldiers,” he said.
Maj. Denston George Smalling, Anglican Episcopal Force Chaplain, Jamaica Defence Force felt he had achieved important results from the five-day event.
“This opportunity has allowed me to see what is available, what happens and how training is done. To hear the experiences and practices, emphasized the need to impress upon my leaders that when a chaplain is appointed, that one of the provisions is formal training as a military chaplain,” he said.
With future symposiums ahead, the hope is that Religion Matters will develop further, gain strength and continue to solidify the relationship between our Partner Nations, the State Partnership Program (SPP) and SOUTHCOM’s Religious Affairs Office.
| Date Taken: | 08.15.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 08.21.2015 15:04 |
| Story ID: | 173917 |
| Location: | COLUMBIA (FORT JACKSON), SC, US |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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