Air Force Chaplain Candidate program helps people fulfill divine calling

Published March 27, 2007
By Staff Sgt. Jennifer Lindsey
Air Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs

RANDOLPH AFB, Texas -- Second Lieutenants Brian Wood and Derek LaBranch are men with a passion for God and country. Thanks to a relatively new Air Force recruiting program and the blessings of their hometown churches, the Diocese of Lubbock, Texas, and the Diocese of Sacremento, Calif., respectively, they will be able to serve both wholeheartedly as Catholic chaplains.

Under the Air Force Chaplain Candidate program, Lieutenant Wood, a former active-duty technical sergeant with two deployments under his belt, received a commission in the Inactive Ready Reserve on Feb. 28. The switch enables him to devote his attention to six and one-half years of full-time theological studies at Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas. Upon graduation, with his diocese' endorsement, he will be eligible for reappointment as a Catholic chaplain and first lieutenant in the active-duty Air Force.

"I felt that in this way I could serve servicemembers in a greater capacity," Lieutenant Wood said. "My 13 years as an enlisted Airman will help me relate to the needs of enlisted members at their home base and deployed."

Lieutenant LaBranch graduates from Assumption Seminary in June after 10 years of study following high school and is set to serve as a Catholic chaplain in the Air Force Reserve. His desire to follow in a relative's footsteps and to serve close to his hometown of Fair Oak, Calif., inspired him to gain the approval of his diocese to serve as a Catholic chaplain in the Air Force Reserve.

Both lieutenants learned that their dreams of becoming Catholic chaplains could be a reality at Vocation Discernment Retreats sponsored by the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services. Prayer and guidance shared by a trusted chaplain helped Lieutenant Wood, a former Dyess Air Force Base fitness program director, make his leap of faith by altering his military career. As a seminary student, Lieutenant LaBranch needed the approval of his church bishop, which he received after nine years of requests.

"It's a good program," Lieutenant LaBranch said. "It will allow me to branch out and see if the military is for me. I look forward to finding a balance between civilian and military parish life."

Although it will be more than six years before the Lieutenant Wood returns to active-duty service, the benefits are worth the wait, said Chaplain (Capt.) Chad Zielinski, Air Force Recruiting Service Chaplain Accessions Office. The Air Force Chaplain Candidate program assists Airmen who don't currently qualify to serve as chaplains. In return, the Air Force gains a future moral and spiritual leader with personal insight to chaplain service demands and a strong enlisted background. It also assists in recruiting the ideal number of Catholic chaplains to meet the religious needs of servicemembers of the faith.

"The program focuses discernment toward a particular ministry - in this case, Air Force Chaplaincy," Chaplain Zielinski said.

Chaplain recruiting holds distinct challenges and there is a current shortage of Catholic priests in the active-duty force, although the numbers are on a rise due to recent familiarization tours and increased advertising. Active-duty chaplain qualifications require ecclesiastical endorsement from a recognized endorser, U.S. citizenship, a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, a graduate degree in theology or related studies from an accredited institution, and two years of religious leadership experience, as well as meeting Air Force commissioning requirements and entering active-duty before age 42. Also, in addition to ministering to members of their own faith, Air Force chaplains must willingly provide spiritual guidance and facilitate religious accommodations for Airmen of all denominations.

For more information about the Air Force Chaplain Candidate program or Vocation Discernment Retreats, visit the U.S. Air Force Chaplain Service Web site at www.usafhc.af.mil/, or call the AFRS Chaplain Accessions Office at (210) 565-0335 or DSN 665-0335. For details on active duty Air Force benefits, visit www.airforce.com. For Reserve benefits or Air Force Reserve Catholic Candidate unique information, visit the Air Force Reserve Command Web site at www.afrc.af.mil/.