Photo By Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry | Indiana National Guard Capt. Scott Stout, of Camby and the chaplain for 1st Battalion,...... read more read more
EDINBURGH, Ind. -- Where Hoosier troops go, Indiana National Guard chaplains go..
So it was for Capt. Scott Stout, the 1st Battalion, 293rd Infantry Regiment chaplain, who traveled along with his battalion's troops when they answered the call to support the 2021 presidential inauguration.
"Where ever there are soldiers, that's pretty much where I'm going to be," said Stout, who's now supporting the 38th Infantry Division's warfighter exercise this summer at Camp Atterbury.
Prior to the warfighter and inauguration, Stout also supported Slovak Shield in 2019 and Pacific Pathways in 2018, which he said prepared him for the D.C. mission.
"It's par for the course for the job of being a chaplain," said Stout, of Camby, about 16 miles southwest of Indianapolis. "I'm here to help any section with whatever I can help them with. It's kinda just what we do."
Stout said he does his best to help soldiers with their spiritual needs or lend a sympathetic ear.
"I'm doing my job and meeting the needs of the soldiers whether it's a religious need, or they just need somebody to talk to, or they want to have a confidential conversation and air out their laundry," said Stout.
That was especially true during the D.C. mission as Stout adapted to the unusual circumstances and ministered to his soldiers in a 2-mile perimeter traveling to every guard post. He also held services five times per day at the Capitol's visitor center.
"The whole mission was really surreal, honestly," said Stout. "Just to be there in D.C., to be guarding the White House, guarding the Capitol, holding services there."
While surreal to Stout, Lt. Col. Kirtis Christensen, the division's senior chaplain, said the D.C. mission was amazing and that the unit and Stout adapted and persevered through it all.
"It's not a mission you'd ever imagine getting in your career to guard the Capitol," said Christensen. "What was really great about it was that the 293rd, never having anticipated or trained for a mission location like this, was able to handle it so well and that Chaplain Stout was able to adapt and help them do that. He was a key part of that, and I think that's what we should recognize."
Not only did Stout cover a wide area, but he also ensured that soldiers of different faiths got to their specific places to worship.
In addition to Stout's battalion's troops, he ministered to other Indiana Guardsmen and troops from other states as they guarded the nation's capital. This also included covering the different shifts, whether it was the two 12-hour shifts of the three 8-hour shifts.
"In an effort to be visible and available to everyone at all times I was actually running about 12- to 14-hour days," said Stout. "I was always just around. I'd do five different services spread across the entire day."
Though long days for Stout, he said he wanted to be there for the troops.
"So at any point and time if you were there you could take a break and meet those needs," said Stout. "Whatever they need and whenever they need it."
Stout helped troops meet those spiritual needs while they then ensured they met the needs of the mission whether it's here at a warfighter exercise or a real-world mission like guarding the infrastructure at the nation's capital.
"I'm here to help any way I can while also doing my job," said Stout. "I'm always up to volunteer for missions and exercises like this. It's a chance of a lifetime. It's a once in a career opportunity ... I hope. I hope we don't ever have to go back and do all that again."
| Date Taken: | 06.10.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 06.10.2021 13:21 |
| Story ID: | 398597 |
| Location: | CAMBY, INDIANA, US |
| Hometown: | CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA, US |
| Hometown: | FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 324 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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