WIESBADEN, Germany -- The 239th birthday celebration of the Army's chaplaincy corps wasn't just another occasion to eat cake. It was a time to muse over and celebrate the work chaplains have carried out for the nation's oldest military branch.
"This is a reminder of why we serve. It's not about us, but about the Soldiers and families," said Chaplain (Col.) Carelton Birch, 5th Signal Command chaplain, who said the time he spent as enlisted and as a commander gave him insight on the moral issues Soldiers and commanders
deal with. "It helped me understand the need for chaplains."
"They are not doing it to be remembered. They are doing it to preserve peace and liberty," said Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt, deputy commander of U.S. Army Europe and the event's guest speaker.
Piatt shared experiences from downrange to translate the importance of the role of the chaplaincy -- advising Soldiers on religion, ethics and morals -- to those attending the special luncheon at the Community Activity Center July 29.
Soldiers are well-trained on lots of things, but "the best training is to work on your moral navigation," he said.
Piatt said of those he spoke of that, in some situations, "by not acting," the Soldiers' intestinal fortitude left indelible impressions on him; making life-impacting decisions to follow internal or instilled guidance rather than what Army training, guides or regulations suggested in harrowing life and death circumstances.
"Such decisions come out of values built into Soldiers, not the manual," he said, acknowledging the important roles institutions such as schools and churches play in teaching foundational
principles and how the chaplaincy helps preserve Soldiers' moral bearing. "We lead with values. … We don't just train people to act, we teach them to pull from their values. That's what the chaplaincy does for us."
According to Birch, since 1775 more than 25,000 chaplains have served in the Army, 300 have died during battle and seven have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Today about 3,000 are actively serving Soldiers and families.
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