AFRC chaplain impressed during Grissom visit

Published Oct. 11, 2013
By Staff Sgt. Andrew McLaughlin
434th ARW Public Affairs

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Some people answer a higher calling by serving as leaders in a religious community, while others answer that call in service of the nation's military.

Then again, some very unique people serve in both capacities. These uniformed men and women of the cloth are military chaplains, and in the Air Force Reserve, they are led by Col. Gary Califf, who visited Grissom recently.

Califf, the Air Force Reserve Command chaplain, along with Chief Master Sgt. Walter Sheehan, AFRC chaplain assistant to the functional manager, visited the Hoosier base during functional area visit.

Califf said he conducts regular visits to reserve units to get a first-hand understanding of how local chaplains are having an impact and the lives of Airmen and the challenges they face.

By getting out and visiting the units, he explained that he can also better advise AFRC leadership.

During their visit, Califf and Sheehan were able to observe how the Grissom chaplain team engaged with and advised 434th ARW leadership on matters pertaining to the well-being and support of Airmen and other servicemembers on the base.

They also provided developmental counseling, evaluation and direction for the Grissom chaplain team.

"We encourage the team and share lessons learned from other wings," said Califf, as he explained that the unique role of chaplains requires them to always be at their very best.

Sheehan further explained that the chaplain corps is in a unique position to help Airmen in need.

"We are the only career field to have 100 percent confidentiality when providing counseling," he said.

Toward the end of the visit, Califf said he found that the Grissom chaplain team was very engaged with the units here and that having full-time chaplain support had a positive effect on the base, including the tenant units.

There is increased morale on bases with an active chaplain team and one can tell the difference on bases without that support, he continued.

Sheehan concurred with that assessment and said he liked that the Grissom chaplain team is in the same building as Grissom's Airman and Family Readiness center because it's close to other offices that provide support to Airmen, sometimes on related matters.

During their visit, Califf and Sheehan also met with the Grissom Integrated Delivery System team, which is chaired by Maj. Obadiah Smith Jr., 434th ARW chaplain, and deals with a range of issues concerning Airmen including activities for single Airmen, challenges of deployments and physical fitness to prevent bad conduct that could lead to situations involving drunk driving and sexual assault.

Califf said he was impressed with the programs and initiatives Grissom had in place to address challenges that arise from these issues, and talked about how to effectively get through to people.

"We've got to engage the heart," he said.

People unfamiliar with the chaplain corps may not fully understand the actual work they do, added Califf. Some may think their main duty is conducting religious services, but he said that is only one part of their responsibilities, which include supporting individual service members when they are in need.

Grissom is home to the 434th ARW, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the AFRC, as well as three Army Reserve units and a Marine Corps communications detachment. Airmen, Soldiers and Marines frequently deploy from Grissom to support the Department of Defense mission and U.S. strategic objectives.

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AFRC Chaplain impressed during Grissom visit

AFRC chaplain impressed during Grissom visit

Public Affairs Staff