Photo By Spc. Nathan Hammack | U.S. Army Maj. Michael Smith, the Special Operations Command Africa chaplain, elbow...... read more read more
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Special Operations Command Africa has been in the business of training with African counterparts since U.S. Africa Command became operational in 2008. This training has come in a variety of forms and has always been tailored to the operational needs of African partner militaries.
As useful and necessary as tactical and operational training is for any military, that isn’t the only spectrum in which militaries operate.
While chaplains are not usually involved directly in training partner nations, the SOCAFRICA chaplain office has taken a more aggressive approach. The SOCAFRICA chaplain team pulled assistance from outside units to enable a first-of-its kind Interfaith Chaplain Training Team to Burkina Faso Feb. 22-26. The team was sent to provide a basic course on chaplaincy for a newly minted Burkinabe army chaplain’s corps and featured Catholic, Muslim and Protestant chaplains.
“In a way similar to what you see in our own U.S. formations, the COVID restrictions have taken a toll on the resiliency and morale of (Burkinabe) forces,” said Chaplain (Maj.) Michael Smith, SOCAFRICA Chaplain. “This is compounded by significant casualties from VEO attacks. The Burkinabe chaplains asked us for help in learning best practices to be a force multiplier for their forces.”
This was not Smith’s first trip to Burkina Faso, but it was his first since COVID ground the world to a halt in early 2020 and travel restrictions came into effect. The U.S. and Burkinabe chaplains stayed in touch via electronic means since then. Smith was among the first in SOCAFRICA to receive the COVID vaccine this year to be able to travel safely and continue the relationship in person.
“The SOCAFRICA Religious Affairs Office continued engagement and training even during COVID, and this Chaplain Mobile Training Team was the next step in training and professionalizing the Burkina Faso Chaplain Corps,” Smith said. “The execution of this training event secured credibility and respect for the Burkinabe chaplains both within their own military leadership but also in the Sahel region.”
The training team, included Smith, a U.S. Army Green Beret and Protestant chaplain, Muslim imam and Navy Cdr. Abuhena Saifulislam on loan from U.S.S. George Washington, and Catholic chaplain Lt. Col John Ljeoma coming from Stuttgart Army Garrison. This combination of religions reflected the religious diversity present in Burkina Faso. The course focused on the three core competencies of military chaplains, regardless of denomination: resiliency for all, ministering to the wounded, and honoring the dead.
“The U.S. military is the premier example of diversity, inclusion, and religious freedom for all,” Smith said. “It is the military chaplain’s primary role to protect that First Amendment right to worship freely according to one’s own faith tradition. Burkina Faso has structured their Chaplain Corps to mirror that concept of religious freedom. They are evenly divided between Muslim, Catholic, and Protestant chaplains and work very well together to provide religious support to all the soldiers regardless of the faith perspective.”
The Burkinabe and U.S. course culminated with a 90-minute video conference with representatives from armed forces in Mali, Burkina Faso’s neighbor and ally in the fight against violent extremist groups in the Sahel. The three countries discussed building chaplain programs and the benefits of doing so. Malian leadership have expressed interest in bringing the program to Mali.
“This was a great success as it connected the two countries together to help strengthen one another in the fight against a common enemy through support in the religious domain,” Smith said.
This training shows how U.S. forces connect with partners through mutually shared values and personal relationships. The long-term plan for this type of training is to help build mature, resilient militaries that work together across borders to bring stability to places and people that sorely need it.
| Date Taken: | 03.15.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.15.2021 07:02 |
| Story ID: | 391369 |
| Location: | STUTTGART, BW, DE |
| Web Views: | 738 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Unconventional: SOCAF Chaplain brings spiritual leadership training to African partners, by SFC Daniel Love, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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