"Chaplain's Assistant 2.0" gets his chance to shine

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

03.04.2008

Courtesy Story

316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

By Spc. Marcus Johnson
Company F, 151st Infantry, Public Affairs Representative

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Being an active Christian while in uniform and on deployment was not always an easy task for Spc. Michael Albert, a Goshen, Ind., native with Company F, 151st Infantry, a National Guard based out of South Bend, Ind.

The 21-year-old runs convoy security missions at night and church services are most commonly held in the late mornings, a time when he would usually be asleep.

"I would go to services," Albert says, "and I would be so tired, I could barely sit up." Attending church services on a regular basis became difficult at first, then impossible.

Fortunately for Albert, 168th Brigade Support Battalion holds afternoon chapel services, led by the battalion chaplain, Capt. Charles Leggett, a seasoned veteran of several tours of duty in Iraq.

When Chaplain Leggett's assistant, Sgt. Matthew Lee, chaplain's assistant for 168th BSB, elected to go on leave in the month of February, Spc. Albert was the chaplain's first choice to act as a substitute assistant.

Leggett has had past experiences of working with substitute chaplain's assistants assigned to him as extra duty. Most of those experiences didn't end well, but Leggett has had nothing but praise to offer when asked about Albert's performance as his assistant.

"I knew he would work for me," Leggett said, "He has a definite interest in unit ministry."

Albert's substitution as chaplain's assistant, referred to lightheartedly as "Chaplain's Assistant 2.0," is not an uncommon coincidence within the 168th BSB. Several times over the course of this deployment, soldiers from Company F have temporarily replaced their battalion counterparts while they were on leave.

Although Albert's role as chaplain's assistant is temporary, the opportunity to work within the unit ministry has had its impact.

"Being a pastor at a church never really appealed to me," said Albert, "but the idea of unit ministry is interesting."

Albert still takes pride in his role as a gunner, but after this deployment, he could consider expanding his career options to include the chaplaincy.

Back home in Goshen, Albert splits up his church attendance between Bristol Missionary Church in Bristol, Ind., and Granger Missionary Church in Granger, Ind. He is an active churchgoer and a member of the worship team in both churches.

• Date Taken: 03.04.2008
• Date Posted: 03.04.2008 11:29
• Story ID: 16983
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ