Task Force Holloman Chaplain Corps Rise to the Occasion

Photo By Staff Sgt. Andrew Moore | U.S. Air Force Chaplain (1st Lt.) Saleha Jabeen, chaplain at Task Force Holloman, visits with Airmen at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, Dec. 7, 2021. Jabeen serves as a chaplain to the service members of Task Force Holloman as well a cultural advisor to the commander. The Department of Defense, through the U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan evacuees essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew Moore)  

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, NEW MEXICO, UNITED STATES

12.13.2021

Story by Staff Sgt. Andrew Moore 

Operation Allies Welcome - Operation Allies Refuge   

Since late August service members from across the country have been executing the unique mission at Task Force Holloman in support of Operation Allies Welcome.
From civil engineering to medical, to the service members working outside of their Air Force specialty codes, one thing is certain:
There is nothing ordinary about TF Holloman.
This is especially true for the multifaceted mission of the chaplain corps assigned to the task force.
One area of focus for the chaplain corps is providing services to service members assigned to the task force ensuring that all of their religious needs are met, said Chaplain (Capt.) Matthew Thompson, Life Support Area Chaplain for TF Holloman.
“We organize bible studies, resiliency trips as well as movie nights in the chapel tent,” said Thompson. “It’s a great way for our Airmen to get to know each other as well as their chaplain.”
Though bible studies, movie nights and resiliency trips are what is expected from a traditional chaplain corps mission, the TF Holloman chaplain corps directly engage in an atypical second mission that is just as important as the aforementioned.
“We have our second mission,” said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) David Leonard, Wing Chaplain for TF Holloman. “Which is working directly with the Afghan evacuees and advising the commander on cultural sensitivities.”
Spearheading this mission is Chaplain (1st Lt.) Saleha Jabeen, the U.S. military’s first female Muslim chaplain, who not only works to meet the religious needs of Airmen assigned to the task force but also works as a cultural advisor to the task force commander on behalf of the Afghan evacuees.
“I know the culture and the way it works in terms of every aspect of life: how we interact with each other, how we eat, clothing, places we pray, types of food eaten,” said Jabeen. “It is pretty integral. Not just from the religious perspective but culturally.”
Additionally, the chaplain corps partners with various entities aiding in the resettlement of the evacuees.
“We are working with non-government organizations, interagencies, and faith-based organizations that support the mission,” said Leonard. “This helps build bridges for the commander and the mission as a whole.”
Though their mission is challenging the members of the chaplain corps assigned to TF Holloman are grateful for the role they play in the resettlement of the Afghan evacuees.
“This mission is special because it is a way for the chaplain corps to be operationally relevant in a way that goes beyond what we do internally,” said Leonard. “We get to see people become Americans. People coming out of really difficult life circumstances into a place where they are safe and where their opportunities are expanded.”

• Date Taken: 12.13.2021
• Date Posted: 12.14.2021 12:12
• Story ID: 410999
• Location: HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, NEW MEXICO, US