In February of 2013, I was deployed to Parwan province in northern Afghanistan.
My partner Travis and I were deployed in support of base defense operations, providing over-watch and long range rifle coverage for combat patrols in the villages surrounding
Bagram Air Field. I began to experience a severe case of combat stress built up over four combat deployments between Iraq and Afghanistan. I went to the only place that made any sense to me, the base chapel. This was a big move for me, because even though I grew up in the Christian faith as a Lutheran, I was doing everything in my power to deny the existence of God. In my mind, there was no way that the all loving and benevolent
God that I always heard about could let the things that I saw on the battlefield ever …show more content…
After our first meeting concluded we scheduled another for the following week.
Seven days later, I went back to the chapel, only to find out that he had double booked and was already in session with someone. I was told that if I could wait 30 minutes, that I would be able to see him. I decided to wait and was then given information about a worship team that met that night to rehearse that needed a drummer. I was a music education major in college before the military, and decided why not, I had not really played in quite a few years. After meeting with the chaplain again, he told me that he was redeploying back to the U.S. and that if I ever needed to talk again, to call his personal number that he wrote on his business card, which I shoved in my pocket without looking
at it. I met with the band that night, and made some of the best friends I had ever had in my life. A few days later, I was doing my laundry, and pulled out the chaplain’s business card and looked at it. On it were the words “Combat Stress Counselor”. I instantly felt my soul jump. There was no way that this was a coincidence. This was God intervening and calling me to him. I attended chapel service every week for the remainder of
My partner Travis and I were deployed in support of base defense operations, providing over-watch and long range rifle coverage for combat patrols in the villages surrounding
Bagram Air Field. I began to experience a severe case of combat stress built up over four combat deployments between Iraq and Afghanistan. I went to the only place that made any sense to me, the base chapel. This was a big move for me, because even though I grew up in the Christian faith as a Lutheran, I was doing everything in my power to deny the existence of God. In my mind, there was no way that the all loving and benevolent
God that I always heard about could let the things that I saw on the battlefield ever …show more content…
After our first meeting concluded we scheduled another for the following week.
Seven days later, I went back to the chapel, only to find out that he had double booked and was already in session with someone. I was told that if I could wait 30 minutes, that I would be able to see him. I decided to wait and was then given information about a worship team that met that night to rehearse that needed a drummer. I was a music education major in college before the military, and decided why not, I had not really played in quite a few years. After meeting with the chaplain again, he told me that he was redeploying back to the U.S. and that if I ever needed to talk again, to call his personal number that he wrote on his business card, which I shoved in my pocket without looking
at it. I met with the band that night, and made some of the best friends I had ever had in my life. A few days later, I was doing my laundry, and pulled out the chaplain’s business card and looked at it. On it were the words “Combat Stress Counselor”. I instantly felt my soul jump. There was no way that this was a coincidence. This was God intervening and calling me to him. I attended chapel service every week for the remainder of