Major Jonathan Harmon, 336th Training Support Squadron combat rescue officer, provides a Catholic service to Airmen in the field March 27, 2016, at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. The Easter services in the field started last year, to give students and instructors the opportunities to worship even when training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Sean Campbell)

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Chaplain(Capt.) Joshua Rumsey, 336th Training Group chaplain, reads the Easter story from scripture to Airmen in the field as part of an Easter service March 27, 2016, at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. Rumsey and Major Jonathan Harmon, 336th Training Support Squadron combat rescue officer, coordinated with leadership on base and the churches to be able to provide the services correctly. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Sean Campbell)

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Major Jonathan Harmon, 336th Training Support Squadron combat rescue officer, provides a Catholic service to Airmen in the field March 27, 2016, at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. The Easter services in the field started last year, to give students and instructors the opportunities to worship even when training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Sean Campbell)

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Chaplain(Capt.) Joshua Rumsey, 336th Training Group chaplain, provides communion to Airmen in the field March 27, 2016, at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. Rumsey would like to see the program expand to meet as many religious needs as possible regardless of faith. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Sean Campbell

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Major Jonathan Harmon, 336th Training Support Squadron combat rescue officer, presents the Eucharist to an Airman in the field March 27, 2016, at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. Harmon received special admittance to be able to present the Eucharist himself. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Sean Campbell)

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Faith in the field

Published March 29, 2016
By Airman 1st Class Sean Campbell
92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Chaplain(Capt.) Joshua Rumsey, 336th Training Group chaplain, and Major Jonathan Harmon, 336th Training Support Squadron combat rescue officer, provided Easter services in the field to students and instructors in the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape program March 27, at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.

Rumsey read the Easter story from scripture to Airmen in the field, after which groups split up into a Catholic service to celebrate Eucharist and a Protestant service to observe communion.

The Easter services in the field started last year, to give students and instructors the opportunities for formal worship, even when training.

"We started Easter services because we realized Easter Sunday is the holiest day in the Christian calendar and the training mission prevents our people from having an opportunity for formal worship," said Rumsey. "We wanted to meet that need with a limited interruption to their training day."

Rumsey and Harmon coordinated with leadership on base and the Catholic Archdiocese of Military Service to be able to provide the services. Harmon received special permission to be able to hold the service without a Priest present.

"Military Chaplains provide for multiple faiths and I am honored to gain special permission to administer the Eucharist and celebrate this Easter with our Protestant brothers and sisters."

Rumsey would like to see the program expand to meet as many religious needs as possible, regardless of faith.

"I believe this opportunity is a very good illustration of the Chaplain Corps mission," said Rumsey. "We accommodated the religious needs of students and instructors in the field in the best way possible."

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