Mobility Airman profile: Minnesota Air Guard NCO serves as deployed chaplain assistant in Kyrgyzstan

Published Dec. 23, 2010
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Supporting the spiritual needs of deployed service members is just the tip of the iceberg for Tech. Sgt. Karly Vogel. As a chaplain assistant with the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, is an important member of her deployed base's community.

"I support the spiritual needs and well-being for both the permanent party and transiting personnel by facilitating chapel programs, activities, administrative responsibilities, and visitations," Sergeant Vogel said in a 376th AEW Public Affairs news report. "I am also highly involved with various humanitarian assistance projects through the Transit Center and (other) organizations."

Sergeant Vogel, a Sioux Falls, S.D., native who is deployed from the Minnesota Air National Guard's 133rd Airlift Wing at St. Paul, Minn., recently earned 376th AEW "Warrior of the Week" honors for her deployed work. According to the news report, the person honored by this achievement "is recognized based on outstanding performance, good conduct, work ethic, and most importantly, for a job well done."

"The Transit Center has a phenomenal community and mission," Sergeant Vogel said in the report. "I have certainly enjoyed the friends I have made and the opportunity to get involved with the humanitarian assistance projects, such as with the local children's cancer center."

According to the official Air Force job description for the 5R0X1 career field for chaplain assistant, Sergeant Vogel is doing exactly what she is trained to do. The job description states that chaplain assistants are trained to apply "integrated support processes to ensure the free exercise of religion in the Air Force."

Chaplain assistants like Sergeant Vogel also manage and implement support processes essential to executing Air Force Chaplain Service's core processes -- religious observances, pastoral care, and advice to Air Force leadership regarding spiritual, religious, ethical and moral concerns. They also manage and apply personnel, logistics and professional resources to support chapel-based, unit, medical and deployed ministries.
Furthermore, Air Force chaplain assistants provide direct support for chaplain professional ministry and apply religious sensitivities to support the distinctive spiritual needs of the pluralistic military community, the job description states.

"Serving as a chaplain assistant affords countless opportunities to touch the lives of the brave men and women who putting their lives on the line," said Sergeant Vogel, an eight and a half-year veteran of the Air Force. "Lending a listening ear, offering toiletry items, or even providing just a quite place to pray can be just the encouragement someone may need to be affective in their mission and relationships with their loved ones back home."

Sergeant Vogel's deployed unit -- the 376th AEW -- has mobility aircraft such as the KC-135 Stratotanker and C-17 Globemaster III assigned. On the air refueling side in 2009, KC-135s deployed there off-loaded more than 190 million pounds of fuel to more than 14,500 receivers during 3,400-plus missions. The C-17s there support airlift operations for Operation Enduring Freedom daily and recently supported flood relief operations in Pakistan.

The Transit Center at Manas was activated in December 2001 when coalition forces deployed to Manas International Airport and began supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and the International Security Assistance Force after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the 376th AEW fact sheet states. The base continues to promote regional stability in Central Asia.

At her home station with the 133rd AW, Sergeant Vogel supports a mission that supports and accomplishes "federal and state requirements for the airlift of troops, cargo, and medical patients anywhere in the world," according to the wing's Web site. Additionally, the wing has eight C-130H aircraft that support tactical airlift and airdrop missions all over the world in support of in-place and deployed combat operations.

(376th AEW Public Affairs contributed to this report.)