VICENZA, Italy - Two U.S. Army Africa (USARAF) chaplains traveled to Burundi Feb. 13-16 to conduct a capability and capacity assessment of combat and operational stress experienced by Burundian peacekeepers recently returned from deployment to Mogadishu, Somalia.
The USARAF team conducted an overview of methods for potentially dealing with conflict-induced stress disorders and addressed concerns over suicide among returning peacekeepers, said Master Sgt. Carlos Clausel, USARAF master chaplain assistant.
"Burundi has a history of many fine chaplains before us, but due to the ravages and chaos of 12 years of war we need to renew our knowledge of policies guiding the acceptance of the chaplain as a full member of the commander's staff," said BFDN Chaplain General Gacukuzi Adelin.
"For the first rotation to Somalia the Burundi command decided not to take chaplains. After repeated and vocal demands from the deployed soldiers, the Minister of Defense personally escorted a chaplain to Mogadishu," said BFDN Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Godefroid Niyambare.
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