Photo By Pfc. Marvin Garcia | U.S. Army Chaplain (Col.) Brian Seide, command chaplain of the United States Army...... read more read more
Across the breadth of Fort Hunter Liggett throughout Mojave Falcon 2025, USARC Command Chaplain (Col.) Brian Seidel and his wife, Kerri Seidel, became a quiet yet transformative force. Known for more than just their titles, the Seidels have reimagined what morale support can look like in one of the Army Reserve’s toughest isolated training environments. Sometimes, a morale boost can come from a much smaller place, such as a simple gesture of a morning cup of joe.
“Fort Hunter Liggett is isolated. An hour to Walmart and not much around,” said Chaplain Seidel. “We knew we needed to mitigate the isolation and hardship soldiers face out here.”
That need sparked a mission that turned into a coffee bar near the chapel.
Kerri Seidel's vision became a cherished part of the people's lives here at Fort Hunter Liggett.
“She was the genesis of the idea,” Seidel explained. “She designed it, and then the team and I executed it; we built it from scratch.”
His wife hand-painted the coffee bar, making it a unique experience, especially since the coffee is served by someone of the rank of Colonel.
The coffee bar quickly became a place of relaxation, connection, and recharging for soldiers. It is equipped with espresso machines, cozy seating, and a welcoming atmosphere for connection. It became a place for soldiers to decompress from their daily duties, as well as the gift of coffee being given to soldiers at no cost at all.
They also launched a food bank and transformed a barren patch behind the chapel into a tranquil "serenity garden". This chapel space features a fire pit, artificial turf, picnic tables, and views of the surrounding mountains.
“We just asked, ‘How can we take the suck out of being here?’” said Seidel.
The heart of Chaplain Seidel’s mission lies in spiritual care and presence in what he calls “spiritual triage.”
“We identify who needs the spiritual care the most,” he said. “And we’re there, whether that’s after a mass casualty or when someone’s at a breaking point.”
With the chaplain’s help, a deployed soldier was able to virtually witness the birth of his child. An experience that became one of his most impactful.
“We set up a huge screen in the chaplain’s office and zoomed right into the delivery room,” Seidel recalled. “They were able to be there, at least virtually. That meant everything.”
From creating sacred space to offering quiet presence in life’s most pivotal moments, Seidels’ work is more than comfort; it’s combat support for the soul.
"We exist to ensure that a life lost is not wasted, to make sure the soldier and the mission have value," Seidel stated.
That is the epitome of what it’s like to be a Chaplain in the U.S. Army; increasing morale for those around you and constantly being a beacon of hope, even if it means brewing one coffee at a time.
| Date Taken: | 06.05.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.06.2025 18:29 |
| Story ID: | 499918 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 45 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Brewing Beyond the Battlefield: Chaplain Boosts' Morale One Coffee at a Time, by PFC Marvin Garcia, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
