Chaplain Roles in Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Operations

摘要

When called upon to intervene in crisis, United States Armed Forces effectivelyprovide humanitarian and civic assistance (HCA) for fellow countrymen and suffering people around the world. Missions to protect and preserve life are very demanding physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Sometimes, the helper becomes hated in the process. Army Unit Ministry Teams (UMTs) minister to military members, relief workers, civilian victims in these stressful situations. Even though their ministry is acknowledged as essential for mission accomplishment, almost nothing has been written about chaplain roles during HCA operations. UMTs should possess some national missions, legal issues, the roles of other players, and Army doctrine on operations other than war. This paper reviews chaplain ministry and duty performance during four HCA operations: Restore Hope in Somalia, JTF Andrew in southern Florida, National Guard response to Midwestern Flooding, and Garden Plot in Los Angeles, California. It also discusses chaplain organization, responsibilities, logistical support, and training. The best training for HCA duties is combat readiness. An extensive review of literature and UMT experiences was used to develop lessons learned and suggest some recommendations for improving chaplain readiness and ministry in HCA operations.