Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Carl Clegg | U.S. Army Capt. Jess Foster, a chaplain with 4th Battalion, 118th Infantry Regiment,...... read more read more
Subscribe
Serving as chaplain for the Soldiers of 4th Battalion, 118th Infantry Regiment is U.S. Army Capt. Jess Foster, a small-town, Western North Carolina pastor. Foster, a former infantry officer, along with other Soldiers of the 4th, spent two weeks training in the sweltering, August heat of Fort Stewart, Ga. They returned home to their families Friday, Aug. 15 only to get the phone call the next morning telling them to report to their armories on Sunday Aug. 17. They’ve been tasked with helping to make Washington D.C. safe and beautiful.
Weeks into the mission, Foster explained what he sees as the primary ingredient that makes a chaplain successful on a mission like this, love.
“I believe it's important for a chaplain to love his Soldiers,” says Foster, “because if you don't love them, you're not going to be able to minister to them.” He explained further that when a chaplain loves his soldiers, he will not only care about them, but he will also “be motivated to go see them.”
With only one day home in over a month, there are inevitably Soldiers who are lonely, hidden in their hotel rooms and it takes real effort on behalf of the chaplain and his religious affairs staff to find the Soldiers who may be struggling with the stress of a rapid mobilization. Mission first; people always, is a common phrase in the military. Foster asks, “who’s focused on the people? Well, hopefully the chaplain,” he says, answering his own question.
Rain or shine, Foster puts on his uniform and heads out to the subway stations, pedestrian areas and locations on the National Mall to visit Soldiers. He asks them how their families are doing, if they are getting paid, and what their living conditions are like. Many Soldiers would rather weather adversity than admit they are struggling. Foster sees it as his job to show them that someone cares about them and is willing to help get their physical needs, as well as provide care for any mental health struggles. These interactions sometimes lead to counselling sessions that can come at all hours of the day or night.
“Maybe they’re carrying around too much weight in their ruck sack, and they’ve got to get some of that weight out of there,” says Foster. “It’s easy to get crushed under the weight of the demands of this life and it’s important for a chaplain to be able to help soldiers off load,” he continued.
Everywhere he goes, Foster asks if he can pray over the Soldiers and the answer is usually, yes. Foster puts his arms around the Soldiers and prays, “Lord, I pray a hedge of protection about these [Soldiers]. Lord, thank you, God, for all they do. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.”
“The chaplain is the spiritual leader for the unit,” Foster explains, “and as the spiritual leader, the chaplain is also the moral and ethical advisor to the commander.”
Foster offers a word of the day and a prayer at the daily update briefings for the battalion staff. Though the chaplain maintains confidentiality with the individual Soldiers, he updates the commanders on any trends he sees during his daily interactions with them..
Chaplain Foster offers two separate protestant services each Sunday and, when possible, facilitates access to services for non-protestant Soldiers. Foster told a story of sometimes offering services whenever he can, even if it outside of the normal schedule:
“We got back from doing chapel service and got a call from a Soldier asking when the chapel service was. I said right now; I got just a few minutes. I said, you better come on down to my room. I said, I've got to leave in just a little while; so we had chapel service in my room, me and one soldier.”
Ministering to over 200 South Carolina Soldiers, Foster says, “I get to go by and nurture them each and every day, put my arm around them and tell them I love them.” Working among the many monuments and memorials of Washington, D.C., particularly those to fallen Soldiers, Foster summarizes, “the chaplains core competencies are truly achieved; to nurture the living, to care for the wounded and honor the fallen.”
| Date Taken: | 09.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2025 18:31 |
| Story ID: | 548639 |
| Location: | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 142 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A chaplain on duty in D.C., by SMSgt Carl Clegg, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
