PACAF command chaplain visits Andersen

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Angelique Smythe
  • 36th Wing Public Affairs
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam --  The Pacific Air Forces command chaplain and chaplain assistant functional manager came to Andersen for a pastoral assistance visit Nov. 6.

Chaplain (Col.) Richard Hartwell has been the PACAF command chaplain for more than one year.

"I have responsibilities to the PACAF Airmen," he said. "I see myself as the bishop for PACAF. I help wing chaplains and wing chaplain assistants to do their job and care for the Airmen."

The purpose of his visit was to meet with members of the chaplain staff, including the Air National Guard chaplains who are deployed here and the Guam ANG chaplain service personnel.

"I am here to meet them, to talk with General Owens (Brig. Gen. Doug Owens, 36th Wing commander) and to get a sense of how our chaplain service team is helping the Airmen here."

Along with the PACAF command chaplain came Chief Master Sgt. Steven Wachter, PACAF chaplain assistant functional manager, and Sharon Miner, executive director of Leadership Amarillo & Canyon.

Ms. Miner spoke with the chaplain staff about team building and leadership.

"We brought a person who has had a great deal of experience in being a leader to the team here at Andersen," said Chaplain Hartwell. "I am hoping that through her presence we achieve an even stronger team for chaplains and chaplain assistants here."

He said the over-arching goal is to make sure Airmen on Andersen and throughout other PACAF bases have the greatest resources and opportunities available to support their lives, family members and spiritual well being.

"We're here to encourage you spiritually," said Chaplain Hartwell. "We're here to encourage you in all the dimensions of life so that even while here on the island your life can be joyful, successful and a blessing to others."

As the senior enlisted chaplain assistant, Chief Wachter takes care of all the needs of the chaplain assistants and NCOICs of the chapels within PACAF from a functional and career progression standpoint.

Chief Wachter said the biggest change they have had is that chaplain assistants are now coming out more from behind their desks instead of playing the traditional role of being administrators. Their job is to support the chaplains in their daily work so they can be out in the community.

"From a strategic point we're trying to come up with better ways for our chaplain assistants to be able to work smarter, not harder in this day of manpower draw-downs and money and budget cuts," said Chief Wachter. "We're offering programs and redefining ways we do business in order to make it easier for our folks in the field to accomplish the mission of taking care of people."

One thing that has been developed is a centralized accounting system for all the chapels in PACAF to take away much of the manpower needs for management in executing a funding process for chapels. That is being centralized in San Antonio. Non-appropriated funds employees are have been hired to run the accounting system for the chaplain service.

"That frees them up in order to be chaplain assistants out in the community and not be stuck behind the desk doing bookkeeping work," said Chief Wachter.

Chaplain assistants are specially trained to help people in crisis ministry. They are a part of first responders in crisis situations and are trained in 'spiritual triage' for deployment situations or mass casualties.

While here, the PACAF command chaplain and chaplain assistant functional manager also met with Andersen's commander and command chief to share and express chapel needs and concerns that could make things better for everyone.

"I want to make sure the leaders, such as General (Paul) Hester (PACAF commander), General Owens and other wing commanders, have the best support from their chaplains as well," said Chaplain Hartwell.