Air Combat Command chaplain emphasizes Airmen's religious freedom

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TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  In a multicultural, diverse Air Force, respect for the religious freedom of every Airman is key to performing the job of chaplain, said Chaplain (Col.) Howard Stendahl, Air Combat Command's new command chaplain, in a visit to Tyndall's 1st Air Force Aug. 31.

"As a chaplain, it is a privilege to provide for and support the religious freedom of every person in the military," Chaplain Stendahl said. "The key is to recognize and respect everyone's Constitutional right to enjoy that freedom."

Formerly the command chaplain for Air Education and Training Command, Chaplain Stendahl, who is stationed at Headquarters ACC, Langley Air Force Base, Va., made his remarks while touring 1st Air Force's new Killey Center for Homeland Operations and the 601st Air Operations Center. First Air Force is one of five numbered air forces assigned to ACC.

Chaplain Stendahl said his core job as command chaplain ― providing commandwide leadership for all chaplain functions ― will not change significantly simply because he has moved to a different major command.

"The culture and operations of the two commands are different, but my job will continue to be one that provides the spiritual component that is important for every command," he said, adding that he feels especially privileged to have met and discussed his new role with 1st Air Force commander, Maj. Gen. Hank Morrow.

"This is my second visit here, and I see some great facility improvements from the last time," he said. "It is also an honor whenever a general officer takes the time to explain his mission to me."

Having served as an Air Force chaplain since 1985, Chaplain Stendahl realized as a boy growing up in Minnesota that one day he would like to become a military chaplain, partly because his father was in the Navy and partly because of his own yearning to follow that early calling to the ministry.

"My earliest memories are of desiring to become a chaplain," he recalls, adding that in the seventh grade, he worked hard and did well on a classroom project, detailing his hopes and dreams for a future career as a military chaplain.

Years later, prior to his joining the Air Force and following college and seminary, he was ordained a Lutheran minister and served as a parish pastor in both Texas and Wisconsin, important stepping stones to his work in the military.

Today, with 25 years of military chaplaincy behind him, including multiple assignments stateside and overseas, he has listened to and counseled countless Airmen with problems big and small. He has heard a wide variety of personal, work-related or family issues that involved pain, disappointment and tragedy.

Often people just needed to talk; sometimes they sought practical advice; most frequently, they asked for spiritual guidance or someone to pray with or for them. If they wanted to talk about God, they could. If not, that was OK, too. Whatever the situation, he tried to respond in a respectful and caring way.

On the lighter side, sometimes he found himself the happy, listening ear for individual joys and celebrations, such as a promotion, an upcoming marriage or the birth of a baby.

Because of this wide variety of experience, the chaplain now feels he has learned some "secrets of success" related to his chosen life's vocation. Most importantly, he knows that people will much more likely seek spiritual counsel if they know their own religious beliefs -- or lack of beliefs -- will be accepted and respected.

"My responsibility is to make sure every individual knows the chaplain's office is a place where they will find respect for their own beliefs," he said. "I am a Lutheran, but that does not mean I would ever attempt to make anyone else believe the way I do. My job is to listen and to ask, 'How can I serve you?'"

Chaplain Stendahl feels fortunate that he has never served in a command where the commander did not recognize the importance of the chaplain's office and work. "It's important for all commanders to understand that everyone has a right to his or her belief -- even if they are in the minority," he said.

Although chaplains do their best to meet the spiritual needs of all Airmen, regardless of belief, there can sometimes be a gap, he noted. Increasingly, one of those gaps is the dwindling numbers of Roman Catholic priests available to minister to the large numbers of Roman Catholic Airmen, who comprise about 25 percent of all Air Force personnel.

"We now work with Catholic churches in local communities around Air Force bases to help meet this need," he said, pointing out that fewer and fewer young men are entering the priesthood, even in the civilian communities.

Overall, he feels the work of chaplains is vital in every military organization. "My hope is that every Airman finds in his or her chaplain an advocate for their religious freedom, someone who can either provide ministry personally or provide for their Constitutional right to their free exercise of faith while in uniform," he said.