FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The Maneuver Support Center of Excellence has a new command chaplain, Chaplain (Col.) Craig Ludwig.
Ludwig officially took over the position July 3 following Chaplain (Col.) Brad Godding’s retirement ceremony.
Ludwig moved to Fort Leonard Wood from Fort Meade, Maryland, where he served as the command chaplain for the 7th Signal Command (Theater).
The Wisconsin native said this is his first time serving in Missouri and he is delighted to be here.
“Fort Leonard Wood is great.My wife and I are excited to be back in the Midwest. We’ve enjoyed meeting the people and interacting with Soldiers, families and the greater Fort Leonard Wood team,” Ludwig said.
He has been serving as a chaplain for nearly 22 years.
“I was serving as a pastor of a church in Texas when Operation Iraqi Freedom kicked off in the spring of 2003. My wife and I were watching the military operation unfold on cable news and felt that we needed to join the Army and serve the Soldiers and their families,” Ludwig said. “I am still motivated to take care of Soldiers and their families — regardless of the circumstances, my calling hasn’t changed.”
He said the Army seemed like a “natural choice” since his father and several other family members served in the Army.
“My father served in the Army National Guard,” Ludwig said. “He did his basic combat training here at Fort Leonard Wood.”
Ludwig said he is eager to meet Fort Leonard Wood community members.
“My calling is always to take care of people. I’m also looking forward to mentoring the chaplains and religious affairs Soldiers,” he added.
For more information about the Religious Support Office, visit their website, or call 573.596.2127. The RSO also has a Facebook page where they post service information.
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