Photo By Staff Sgt. Ty Stafford | The walls and stained glass windows of the Al Taqaddum chapel were all painted by...... read more read more
Sundays across Iraq are much like Sundays in America. Soldiers rise in the morning, have a cup of coffee and read the newspaper, if available. But some attend church services like the one at Al Taquadam logistic support base.
The service is run by Maj. Hayden E.A. Goodwin, a chaplain, and his assistant Staff Sgt. Edward Hoyum, both from the 620th Combat Support Battalion from St. Louis, Mo.
Goodwin and Hoyum, embarked on a mission not only to better their lives, but to enhance the lives of the Soldiers and Marines at the base.
"We painted the chapel since we've been here and it sure has brightened things up in here," Hoyum said.
Many Soldiers volunteered their personnel time to help lay the two coats of paint in the chapel and to help build the chaplains office, Hoyum added.
The chapel, which is one of many at Al Taquadam, holds several types of religious ceremonies for servicemembers of different denominations.
Besides church services, the duo helps assist at the Black Sheep Coffee House and hold prayer meetings and bible studies.
For the Soldiers that do not attend services, the team holds prayers prior to each combat logistics patrol that leaves the gates.
"When we first started doing the prayer, half the people left. Now, everyone stays," Hoyum said. "And that is a great feeling."
The chaplain team also attended three memorial services for a fallen Soldier and two contract employees who had died during their year here.
"We also had a crisis intervention program set up for friends of the Soldier who died," Hoyum said, "which I think was a great success because they were pretty shook up about it."
The Soldier was Cpl. Kevin Jones, who recently was memorialized by the 620th CSB during the grand opening of a MWR tent dedicated in his name.
As their time in Iraq nears an end, the chaplain team held its last gospel concert Oct. 29. The concert featured four choir groups from the different chapels at Al Taquadum.
"It's been a long year and I think we are all ready to go home," Goodwin said.
The chaplain team will also be conducting redeployment briefings as the 620th prepares for the redeployment process to the U.S. The 620th, along with the chaplains, will be replaced by the 44th CSB from Fort Lewis, Wash.
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2005 08:34 |
| Story ID: | 3772 |
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| Web Views: | 109 |
| Downloads: | 38 |
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