Chaplain Candidate

I come to this calling as a firefighter. I’ve stood on street corners in the middle of the night, watching smoke pour out of windows while families wait on the curb for news they can barely bring themselves to ask for. I’ve heard the radio crackle with urgency, and I’ve seen the quiet moments that follow when the sirens fade and all that’s left is the weight of what people are carrying.

And in the National Guard, I’ve discovered I’m not alone in bringing that kind of experience into ministry.

Among our chaplains and candidates you’ll find police officers who have walked the beat in the busiest city in America, pastors who have prayed with families through life’s highest joys and lowest valleys, educators who shape young minds and hearts every single day, and campus ministers who sit with students wrestling with identity, purpose, and the big questions of life.

We come from different world, different workplaces, different rhythms of life, and have worn different uniforms. But God has called each of us into one mission: to stand beside Soldiers wherever they are and remind them that they matter, that God sees them, and that they are never alone.

Our backgrounds aren’t just interesting details—they are tools God has shaped for His work. A police officer understands the complexity of human behavior and the importance of presence and trust. A pastor understands the rhythms of spiritual care in every season of life. Educators and campus ministers understand how to listen, how to teach, and how to help people discover meaning and hope. A firefighter understands crisis, pressure, and the courage it takes to act when everything in you is afraid.

And when we step into the Guard, all that experience comes with us.

In a motor pool, on a training range, in the field, in a barracks at the end of a long day— Soldiers open up to chaplains who understand real-world stress. They trust chaplains who have walked their own hard roads. They talk to chaplains who know what it’s like to carry responsibility, serve under pressure, and balance faith, family, and duty.

God uses our different experiences so we can reach all kinds of people in all kinds of environments. Some Soldiers need a calm presence. Some need straight talk. Some need prayer. Some just need someone to sit beside them without judgment. Together, as a diverse team, we are able to meet them right where they are.

This is the beauty of the National Guard Chaplaincy. We are not removed from the world — we are formed by it, redeemed in it, and then sent back into it by God with compassion, wisdom, and humility.

And when we stand together — firefighters, police, pastors, teachers, campus ministers, and so many others — we don’t just bring our resumes. We bring our stories. We bring our scars. We bring our faith. And God weaves all of it into His work of caring for Soldiers and their families.

That is the calling. And it is an honor to answer it.