Chaplaincy Symposium Held During Rim of the Pacific 2016

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Travis Litke | HONOLULU (JULY 8, 2016) More than 40 chaplains from military services around the globe attended a Rim of the Pacific 2016 chaplaincy and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief symposium at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu. Twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 30 to Aug. 4, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971. Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Travis Litke/Released)  

HONOLULU, HI, UNITED STATES

07.08.2016

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeffrey Troutman 

Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet           

More than 40 chaplains from military services around the globe attended a Rim of the Pacific 2016 chaplaincy and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief symposium at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, July 8.

The symposium focused on building relationships between chaplains across an international platform, in order to better respond during times of crisis.

U.S. Navy Capt. Terry Gordon, chaplain for U.S. 3rd Fleet and a key speaker at the symposium, cited international military response during disasters such as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines as a way chaplaincies from different nations have worked together to make a difference.

“I feel like, based on some of the recent humanitarian experiences we’ve had in the last several years, we can really benefit from a common understanding that a chaplaincy symposium affords,” said Gordon. “It affords us the opportunity to wrestle with some of the issues of how we he can help care for host nationals in need during a time of crisis and help address and take away some of the friction that can come up during a humanitarian relief effort. At the end of the day, we’re all there to help other people. ”

The symposium featured a panel discussion centered around religious approaches in different cultural landscapes and a series of group breakout sessions where the chaplains were able to brainstorm ideas and solutions for a variety of humanitarian crisis scenarios. Commander U.S. 3rd Fleet Vice Adm. Nora Tyson was also present to address the audience and said the relationships built during RIMPAC were invaluable.

“It is truly a coalition partner effort when we do HADR. The better prepared we are for how we respond in those scenarios, the more lives we can save together. During a crisis, it’s our mission to address the needs of those impacted, and this forum is a great way to prepare for that,” said Tyson.

“In truth, you have very little notice of when a crisis will happen,” said Gordon. “Our aim is to make sure our chaplains are prepared as best as possible for when one of these events occurs. For a lot of our younger chaplains who have yet to experience this kind of event, this symposium is a great resource and training opportunity to help them process how to think through a situation, should they be called upon.”

The group sessions at the symposium provided many of the chaplains a unique insight into how U.S. military chaplains respond to natural disaster relief efforts and the role they themselves play in broader sense.

“There’s a lot for Australia to learn and contribute in the space of HADR,” said Royal Australian Navy Chaplain Duncan Becsi. “As a chaplain, I focus not on what I can give but rather what I can learn at an exercise like RIMPAC...to understand better the role that we as chaplains have in the amphibious space and how I can better coordinate chaplains within the Royal Australian Navy. I think that’s going to be invaluable, as far as moving forward.”

Besci, attending his third RIMPAC, said he hoped his past experiences could benefit the other chaplains participating in the exercise.

“There’s just so many positives about an exercise like this,” said Becsi. “Obviously, the location has its benefits, but the opportunity to work together with so many different nations – particularly the U.S. – always has us coming away stronger with the wealth of experience we all can gain from something like RIMPAC. I would love to be able to go back home and continue to have a long-distance relationship in the years ahead with all the chaplains I’ve had an opportunity to connect with here.”

Other visiting chaplains said they were grateful for the opportunity the symposium provided them to understand the inner workings of their allies’ chaplaincies better.

Lt. Col. André Gauthier, the senior chaplain for Canada’s National Command and Support Element, said RIMPAC served as a terrific platform for the chaplains to engage in an interoperability setting.

“A symposium of this kind helps us learn how other chaplaincies are prepared to respond to HADR during an event, the things we have learned from it and how we can be better prepared to care in a time of crisis and distress,” said Gauthier. “We want the other coalition chaplains to understand each of our unique roles and our possible contribution to HADR efforts that may occur.”

Gordon said he was optimistic RIMPAC would provide ample opportunity for the chaplains to learn and grow from one another over the course of the event.

“One of the enduring legacies of RIMPAC is the opportunity to build bridges with our partner nations and reinforce relationships during a times of crises,” said Gordon. “It not only shows us what we can do together, but it builds some very enduring bonds, and there’s a richness in that which I believe transcends the RIMPAC exercise.”

Twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 30 to Aug. 4, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

• Date Taken: 07.08.2016
• Date Posted: 07.09.2016 18:44
• Story ID: 203492
• Location: HONOLULU, HI, US