Local clergy visit Grand Forks AFB

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Amanda Callahan
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  More than 30 clergymen from the Grand Forks area participated in the base's first Fall Interfaith Leadership Summit held here Oct. 28, which gave base chaplains an opportunity to explain how the Air Force meets spiritual needs of Airmen and civilians on base, and invite attendees to become part of Team Grand Forks as honorary chaplains. 

"We are thrilled that so many faith leaders from the community, as well as a prominent speaker and leaders such as Dr. [H.B] London would join us for the unveiling of this important event," said Col. John Michel, 319th Air Refueling Wing commander. The program is yet another first in the Air Force, and is one that further strengthens the bond with the community and ensures Warriors of the North have access to an even broader level of care and support, he added. 

The goal of the summit was to introduce local clergy to military life and present the base's high operations tempo environment so they could gain a better understanding of the wing's population. 

"The Honorary Chaplain Program is an opportunity to create a unique relationship with local clergy in which they walk alongside our commanders and their units to enhance care giving for Airmen," said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) John Kinney, the 319th Air Refueling Wing chaplain. "One may think that honorary chaplains are additional chaplains who pray and lead services, but that is not the intent. Honorary chaplains build relationships through spending time with the commander and the unit, and participating in special unit activities." 

In order to showcase the base's mission and high operations tempo and further explain the need for robust spiritual fitness, attendees were taken on a tour of the base, including the fitness center and a KC-135. They were also given a mission briefing by Colonel Michel. 

"My primary goal for this program is simple," the colonel said. "To provide yet another resource to our precious teammates so they can succeed in all they do, both at work and at home - a tangible demonstration of our belief that 'a team's spiritual fitness is the key to their personal and professional success." 

According to Colonel Michel, the introduction of the Honorary Chaplain Program also reflects the wing's willingness to venture into new directions to ensure we are doing all we can to equip our precious Airmen and their families to succeed both at home and at work, here or abroad. 

"Each of our chaplains and chaplain assistants reported high appreciation from participants for the caliber of the day, the introduction to the Grand Forks AFB mission and the invitation to become an honorary chaplain," added Chaplain Kinney. "We're looking forward to their participation as force multipliers to the Chaplain Corps and commander in meeting Airmen and civilian spiritual fitness needs." 

Not only will the program add strength to the Chaplain Corps in the 319 ARW, it also strengthens the bond between the base and the Grand Cities. 

"The program provides yet another tangible way in which our community partners can invest in the lives of our teammates," added Colonel Michel. "It also provides a venue for members of the local community to enjoy their base, after all, we who serve in uniform are merely stewards of these tremendous facilities and, as such, I think we should celebrate every opportunity we have to make others feel at home at Grand Forks AFB."