Comprehensive Airman Fitness: McChord chapel an example of support, spiritual guidance

Published Jan. 21, 2011
By Airman Leah Young
62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- "Our mission is simply to help people," said Lt. Col. Michael Husfelt, 627th Air Base Group wing chaplain. "We are here to develop relationships and support everyone on the installation in any way that we possibly can."

As a direct contribution to the Comprehensive Airman Fitness program, the McChord Field chapel helps servicemembers, civilians and family members become more resilient and better-equipped to deal with the rigors of military life.

"Our main goal is to support and encourage people through the ups and downs of life," said Chaplain Husfelt. "Whether it be a person of faith or not, we view this as our calling. We encourage and suggest spiritual guidance, but we certainly don't demand or require anyone to be a part of a certain faith."

Between the two McChord Field chapels, the staff hosts a wide variety of weekly prayer services.

"We conduct a number of different services to include Catholic and Protestant," said Chaplain Husfelt. "We offer child care during the services to help accommodate family members, and we also hold weekly bible studies for all different age groups."

The chapel provides servicemembers and families of Joint Base Lewis-McChord-relevant programs that foster spiritual health.

"We offer several religious education opportunities," said Chaplain Husfelt. "Our audience is stressed from a number of things including deployment, high operations tempo and separation from loved ones. We help the community by offering classes that cater to their specific needs at the time."

Since Jan. 23, the chapel began offering weekly relationship strengthening classes.

"We're starting these classes to help strengthen relationships, cope with deployment separations and explore God's love," said Chaplain Husfelt. "They are offered every Sunday morning before mass from 10 to 11 a.m."

The chapel is geared at not only strengthening relationships, but building a more resilient community as a whole.

"One of our visions is to build a God-loving community," said Capt. Nicholas LoPresto, 627th ABG chaplain. "We are establishing a solid foundation for people to rely on. We're focusing on the younger servicemembers so the next generation will be a stronger community as well."

In addition to the weekly worship services and bible studies, the Chapel Support Center hosts weddings, commander calls, annual holiday events and more.

"We host pretty much anything and everything you can think of," said Tech. Sgt. Susan Robinson, 627th ABG chapel support staff. "We provide the facility if a group or organization wants to have their event at one of the chapels or the Chapel Support Center. They just give us a call, and we schedule everything with them."

The McChord Field chapel staff is determined to provide assistance and support to anyone in need.

"Regardless of military branch, religious preference, civilian, family member, age group, we are here to help the people," said Chaplain Husfelt. "There is a chaplain on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We're here to listen and help in whatever way we can."

The goal of Comprehensive Airman Fitness is to help our Airmen, Air Force civilians and family members become more resilient and better-equipped to deal with the rigors of military life, Air Mobility Command officials said. Initiatives in the Comprehensive Airman Fitness culture throughout AMC support the "four pillars" -- physical, social, mental and spiritual fitness -- and the five "Cs" -- caring, committing, communicating, connecting and celebrating.

(Note: At every base, there is a chapel staff like the people at Joint Base Lewis-McChord available to support similar activities. See what they have to offer as well.)