"Just take care of my people"

Photo By Sgt. James Stanfield | U.S. Navy Lieutenant Daniel McGraw, the Chaplain for 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, from Bentonville, Arkansas, plays guitar during a religious service on Fort Pickett, Virginia, Jan. 23, 2022. McGraw is a reserve Chaplain and has been serving the Marines and Sailors of 23rd Marine Regiment, deployed on Fort Pickett, Virginia, in support of Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), since December 16, 2021 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. James Stanfield)  

FORT PICKETT, VA, UNITED STATES

01.28.2022

Story by Cpl. James Stanfield  

Operation Allies Welcome - Operation Allies Refuge   

"Just take care of my people." According to U.S. Navy Lieutenant Daniel McGraw, the Chaplain for 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, from Bentonville, Arkansas, these are the most common instructions given to Chaplains by their commanders.

McGraw is a Chaplain in the U.S. Navy Reserve serving the Marines and Sailors of 23rd Marine Regiment deployed to Fort Pickett, Virginia, in support of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) led mission Operation Allies Welcome (OAW).

The Navy Chaplain Corps was founded on November 28, 1775. These officers represent more than 100 different faith groups. They are charged with supporting the total fitness concept: physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being of Sailors and Marines.

Chaplains with Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) work to ensure that the Marines and Sailors of MARFORRES are fit to augment and reinforce the active component, based on that total fitness concept.

"I think a lot of my job is serving those who serve. To just walk alongside people and say [to myself] regardless of what I encounter, how do I serve them today?" said McGraw. "From my theology, how do I serve God faithfully, as he's called me to be, and how can I serve them to the best of my ability, for their benefit and their blessing?"

McGraw embodies a spirit of service in his interactions with the Marines and Sailors of 23rd Marines by providing them with different forms of support. This includes providing faith-specific support, facilitating support for those of other religions and caring for all, including those who do not subscribe to a specific belief, and advising commanders on troop wellness and faith-based issues.

"Probably 75 percent of what I do is just going out and being present. So when I'm out with Marines, hiking and talking, I ask, how's morale? What are they fearful of? What's going well? How are they being treated? They can tell me things that, even though it does stay confidential, allow me to see patterns," he explained.

Discovering patterns that describe the overall welfare of Marines and Sailors gives McGraw the insight he needs to advise task force leadership on the troops' well-being properly. These insights, however, are not freely provided by the troops. Instead, chaplains must earn them through trust and care.

"You have to build trust before you can do that. It's being present, being available, showing up, and putting in the hard work," he said. "That allows you to leverage the trust we've built over time because [commanders] do want you to take care of their people," said McGraw. "That's their desire. They want their Marines, soldiers, sailors to be as good as they can be, and they're trusting us to do that. So how do we [chaplains] want to be present for these Marines here? It all comes down to trust that's built over time."

Chaplains serving at a regiment can support over one thousand Marines and Sailors. U.S. Navy religious program specialists (RP) assist them in this task. RPs fill many roles while aiding Chaplains, including providing logistical support for religious services, maintaining records, and providing physical security to Chaplains.

While serving with Task Force Pickett, McGraw has worked with Religious Program Specialist First Class (RP1) Duy Trinh, who usually serves as an RP with 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company, 4th Marine Division.

RPs do not fill the same role as Chaplains; instead, they work to augment and act as a force multiplier in the Chaplain's mission. However, they still work to reinforce the well-being of Marines and sailors.

"[The Chaplain is] just one person. If a Marine needs someone to talk to, I can't counsel anybody, but I can be another ear if they need someone to listen, or if they need to talk with Chaps later, I can help set up a meeting."

The opportunity to mobilize for an extended period has given both RP1 Trinh and Chaplain McGraw space to grow within their roles while fostering growth in those around them. In September, Trinh was promoted to the rank of petty officer first class and continues to develop in this new role.

"I know there's more weight to it, so now I'm trying to see how to fill those shoes," said Trinh. "I'm looking at how I interact with other people at our level; how they perceive me and how do I meet those expectations, now that I am supposed to be a leader and a subject matter expert?"

McGraw has seen progression and development throughout his time on his mobilization.

"This is my first deployment. I don't put on the uniform for more than two weeks at a time [as a drilling reservist]," explained McGraw. "Doing this day in and day out, I've seen just a different shift of how I approach the job; how I approach my life."

As a preacher in the Church of Christ, the religious support side of being a chaplain has always come easy to McGraw. "This is my job; this is what I do," he said while pointing to the golden cross worn in the place of a rank on his collar. The cross insignia represents a Christian Chaplain.

Deploying in support of OAW has provided him with more opportunities to learn as an officer than traditional weekend drills and annual training drills do.

"I feel like I'm pretty good at the religious side, but I'm growing a lot in my understanding of what it means to be a standard officer," continued McGraw. "To be able to speak and advise in the appropriate ways and to step into some gaps as a staff officer [has been] a huge takeaway."

McGraw believes that the overall welfare of the Marines can measure his impact on OAW.

"Most of the time people just need a chance to talk and get things off their chest, which then allows them to go back out, more whole, more ready, more good-to-go, than they would have been if they were ruminating on the things that might be bothering them and weighing them down," he explained. "As a force multiplier, in many ways, I hope to leave that individual just a little bit better than they were whenever I walked through the door, whether that's 30 seconds later or 30 minutes later, [ensuring] that they are more ready to go and good-to-go for their mission."

McGraw has seen the mission aboard Fort Pickett as an essential opportunity for the Marines and sailors of 23rd Marines to grow.

"What are you learning from this? How do you grow from this?" He routinely brings up these questions when speaking with Marines on post. "'What can you take away from this?' because this will make you a better Marine. That will make you a better civilian. This will make you a better human being in the grand scheme of things."

Serving at Fort Pickett has allowed McGraw to see the Marines and Sailors through a unique lens, watching them care for the evacuees who are patiently waiting to begin their new lives.

"One of my joys is just watching our Marines play with the kids, learning their language, and helping them practice their English," he said. "Walking alongside them has been a great honor."

In support of the Department of Homeland Security led OAW mission, the Department of Defense is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan personnel essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan.

• Date Taken: 01.28.2022
• Date Posted: 01.28.2022 11:05
• Story ID: 413592
• Location: FORT PICKETT, VA, US
• Hometown: BENTONVILLE, AR, US