RAF CHAPLAINCY
SERVING THIS GENERATION: DEPLOYED ON OPERATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
The Reverend Alex Hobson
I’ m writing this on Good Friday, almost 5,000 miles from home in 40 degree heat. My‘ parish’ is spread over 5 countries, between which I travel in the back of a cargo aircraft, generally at very unsociable hours in the morning. This is one example of life on deployed operations for a Royal Air Force Chaplain.
At heart, Christian Chaplaincy is about embodying God’ s love for people by being alongside them, accompanying them on their journey and helping them to make sense of it. It is about being fully integrated into an organisation so as to understand its culture, live the experience of those who are part of it, and be able to articulate their concern at all levels of the organisation. Nowhere is this more true than on deployed operations, where Chaplains live, work, eat, sleep and play alongside servicemen and women for a period of months.
Whilst every deployment is different, for me this is Chaplaincy at its best. It has provided me with such a variety of different experiences and so many opportunities for ministry. I have been in Basra in Iraq, when our base came under almost daily rocket attack. I spent time lying on various floors with people wearing helmet and body armour, waiting for the all-clear, and spoke to those who feared for their lives. Sadly, I also spoke at the funeral of one who died, and conducted repatriation ceremonies for others.
As Chaplain at the deployed hospital in Camp Bastion, I was present in the Emergency Department whenever injured troops came in and were operated on, prayed for those who died, and kept vigil with those fighting for their life in intensive care – British, American, or Afghan, friend or foe. I have spent time in Air Operations Centres with those whose working day revolved around making life or death decisions about dropping bombs, deciding what were legitimate targets, and how to avoid killing the innocent.
Deployed life is not all doom and gloom. Recently I took a US Air Force rock band with me to entertain troops and build relationships at a coalition air base, and I find plenty of opportunities to be the most competitive volleyball player on camp.
But even in less austere locations, servicemen and women are spending 4-6 months or longer away from their homes, their normal lives and the people they love. This brings its own difficulties: for some loneliness; for others difficulties created by having to spend almost every hour of several months with the same individuals; and for others because things that happen at home become so much more difficult when you’ re thousands of miles away. In recent weeks I have supported people dealing with bereavements that have occurred since they deployed; with relationships which are running into difficulties, or have been ended over the phone; and with people seeking help in knowing how to live with watching the effects of the military actions in which they are taking part. Some simply need to talk things through; some need practical advice; some the Chaplain will speak up for with their commanders; and for all we have the privilege of praying for( and sometimes with) them.
Out here people are away from home, from their loved ones, and all the things which take our attention in normal life; there is no going home in the evening or at weekends, no DIY or gardening( although some people still find some of this to do in the strangest places!). This means that there is more time to think about the deeper questions of life, about meaning and purpose, and about what really matters to people. As a Chaplain, this means many more opportunities to have those deeper conversations with people who are not distracted by the daily round. I’ m not sure that I agree with the old line about there being no atheists in a foxhole, but people away from home facing intense experiences tend to be much more open to talking about questions of meaning and faith. And crucial to these conversations is the fact that Chaplains are going through the same things – we
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