Command Chaplain visits Fairchild

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kali L. Gradishar
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Air Mobility Command's command chaplain and command chaplain assistant paid a visit to the base chapel and staff Sept. 26 - 28 to conduct a customary pastoral support visit.

Chaplain (Col.) Brain Van Sickle, AMC command chaplain, and Chief Master Sergeant Russell Geyer, AMC command chaplain assistant, visited the base to disseminate command-level information, as well as to observe ongoing programs at the base chapel.

"This is a chance for them to meet new staff members if we've received any since their previous visit and make sure that we are up to date on changes in the Chaplain Service," said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Jeffrey Neuberger, 92nd Air Refueling Wing chaplain.

In their February visit, the command chaplain and his assistant were introduced to the many aspects of Team Fairchild, the base mission and the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape school, noted Chaplain Neuberger. During this visit, the command chaplain provided the chapel staff with the Professional Dynametric Program, a program that evaluates a person's way of functioning in normal and stressed circumstances, as well as others' perception of the person.

The program, a type of personality analysis, assesses strengths and styles of life, among other things. This can be useful in environments where people work very closely together, such as in the chapel, to enhance capabilities by knowing one's capacity.

"A lot of these things we discusses with the chapel staff because a lot of the things we do, we have to do together," Chaplain Neuberger noted.

The command chaplain and the command chaplain assistant attended a courtesy call with Col. Roger Watkins, 92nd Air Refueling Wing vice commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Paul Sikora, 92nd ARW command chief, discussing recent chapel programs and assess the various pressures members of Team Fairchild endure.

A major reason for the pastoral support visit was to help find ways to manage the pressures here, such as manning issues related to deployments and changes affecting the Chaplain Service.

Also discussed was the shortage of Catholic priests, enlisted development and promotion boards, said Chaplain Neuberger. "They were also here to encourage us in our ministries."

During their visit, the command chaplain and chaplain assistant were provided a tour of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Spokane and the Paulsen House, the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane headquarters, and also get a closer look at the workings of the base chapel's accommodating programs and activities.