Needs of the Army

It's Friday and I love to sleep in on Friday's.  This morning my phone rang at 8:30am.  I was still half asleep and it was an area code I didn't recognize.  When I tried to answer it, I was already too late.  It had gone to voice mail.  I waited a minute, got the voice mail, and listened eagerly.  

It was the Chaplain Accessioning Officer.  He said he wanted to talk with me about my assignment.  I sent him an email yesterday in an attempt to become a squeaky wheel that might get a little grease.  Well I got greased alright. 

I called him back and we discussed my first assignment.  He said, "Chris, I wasn't able to get you a spot at any of your top 3 choices.  (at this point I was just praying it wasn't Alaska)  The Army needs you at Fort Campbell immediately after you finish the Chaplain School."  

If you have been following the news at all you probably heard about the tragic suicide rate at Fort Campbell this year.  If not, either of these 2 stories will fill you in:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30964820/

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/27/army.suicides/

Apparently, the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Chaplains have ordered that no battalion (which is the smallest unit that has a chaplain) at Fort Campbell be without a Chaplain at any time.  That means, most of the people who where chosen with me for Chaplaincy back in May are headed to Fort Campbell.  

The Chaplain School ends on August 28th and I will be reporting to Fort Campbell around August 31st.  

Thankfully, Fort Campbell is only about a 7 1/2 hour drive from Chicago (its on the KY and TN boarder).  Thankfully it's close enough for long weekends or holidays.  It's not what Christina and I were hoping for or expecting, but I signed up to serve soldiers and there is obviously a huge need at Fort Campbell, so we will go.  

I'm sure more information will be coming but I wanted to let everyone know where Christina and I would be headed.  

Have a great weekend!