[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 119 (Monday, July 27, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H5472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CHAPLAIN CORPS' 240TH ANNIVERSARY
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Collins) for 5 minutes.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the
240th birthday of the military Chaplain Corps.
During the early days of the Revolutionary War that led to our great
Nation's independence, General George Washington called for the
establishment of the Chaplain Corps to minister to the men who braved
harsh conditions and incredible odds to fight for the freedom of their
families and their Nation.
On July 29, 1775, the Continental Congress responded to that call.
The initial Army Chaplain Corps would later expand to every branch of
America's armed services.
The very existence of the Chaplain Corps and its persistence over the
last 240 years says much about our Nation's view of the fighting force.
From the beginning, America has understood that our warfighters are
not only soldiers, but whole human beings whose hearts and souls need
just as much care as their bodies.
Chaplains have served in all of America's conflicts and major wars
and engagements, from the colonial era to the battlefields in
Afghanistan and Iraq. Hundreds of chaplains have laid down their lives
for our Nation.
Chaplains are not simply people of faith who decide to minister in
the military. Chaplains are professionals who have had extensive
religious education as well as experience walking with people through
the challenges of life.
Candidates for chaplain must receive an ecclesiastical endorsement
from their faith group that testifies to his or her spiritual, moral,
intellectual, and emotional preparedness to serve as a chaplain. They
must possess a graduate degree in theological or religious studies.
Furthermore, each potential chaplain must demonstrate their
commitment to a free exercise of religion by all military personnel
while, at the same time, adhering to all military standards of conduct
and physical training.
In a very real sense, chaplains serve on the front lines in the
battle to ensure religious liberty in our pluralistic society.
Chaplains are there for those of faith and for those of no faith.
Chaplains are there for the people who serve us.
In war and peace, chaplains provide our servicemembers and their
families with prayer, counsel, guidance, sacraments, and sometimes just
simply a shoulder to cry on.
The Chaplain Corps and its vital role in the United States Armed
Forces is a matter near and dear to my heart for, since 2002, I have
had the privilege of serving the United States Air Force Reserve as a
military chaplain.
I volunteered to serve the men and women of the U.S. Air Force
Reserve as a chaplain because I believe the calling of all is to serve
how we can in the best way we can. The freedoms of our country have
asked no less of us.
Chaplains have the honor of serving every member of the Armed Forces
who might cross their path. We see the military from a very unique
perspective.
We hear young enlisted soldiers and seasoned officers ask similar
questions of faith and family. They speak of all-too-familiar family
challenges and the struggles that they, too, go through.
As members of the military ourselves, chaplains certainly are not
blind to rank. But given our focus on the unseen, our care for the
soul, we do have a tendency to see more of what binds our fighting
force together as fellow sojourners in this life than anything that
might separate them.
You see, our challenges take us from the very war rooms and the very
inner circles of commanders preparing for battle to the very newest who
serve just on a guard.
As I did in Iraq back in 2008, it was my privilege to see some of our
best and brightest serving at night in the middle of a land far away
from home. One in particular sticks out.
When she came, I first met her. She was there, arriving late.
When she got there, I was sort of wondering: Why did you come late
from your unit?
She said: Well, sir, I had a little bit of a delay.
And I said: Well, what was that?
I was just curious.
She said: Well, just a few months ago, I had my little baby girl.
And I thought for just a moment.
She said: But I was wanting to be here because I have trained and I
didn't want to let my fellow members down.
So for the rest of that time, I was there with her. Over those next
few months, we explored and I saw through pictures the life of a mother
separated from her young child, but watching the experiences of growth
as she not only served her country, but she served as a mom.
It has been a tremendous blessing to see and to honor the commitment
of our fellow chaplains, chaplains who go when they are told to go.
They commit themselves to serving when others are in need.
And those are the kinds of stories that the Chaplain Corps' birthday
celebrates for me. It is seeing men and women who take their faith
seriously, but also take the Constitution seriously when religious
liberties are protected. Those are things worth standing up for. It is
truly a blessing.
The men and women who have poured their lives into the servicemembers
and their families over the last 240 years have made a profound impact
on our military and our entire Nation.
It is with that thought in mind that I wish every member of the
Chaplain Corps the very best on this special occasion.
Chaplains, wherever you are today, as one who serves with you, you
serve a vital role. Keep it up. Keep protecting our Constitution, and
keep taking care of the Nation, who sends their best young men and
young women to protect us for the very privilege of sitting in this
Chamber, speaking today, and being a part of it.
May the Chaplain Corps continue to provide a strong spiritual, moral,
and ethical compass for the United States Army and Armed Forces for
many centuries to come. And as one who serves, may I just say, bless
them all in peace as they go about their work.
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