Photo By Brad Rhen | Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Schaun Myers, Pennsylvania National Guard Joint Force Headquarters...... read more read more
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FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – The Pennsylvania National Guard Joint Force Headquarters chaplain recently moved his office to the main post chapel here.
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Schaun Myers moved his office from Building 0-47, the Joint Force Headquarters, to the chapel, which is located at the intersection of Wiley and Service roads.
The JFHQ chaplain had been working out of Bldg. 0-47 for over 10 years, Myers said. The primary reason, he said, was because the chapel did not have secure internet connectivity. That has been upgraded, and the office space was renovated so Myers could move into the chapel.
“It has been many years since a chaplain has worked out of the main post chapel, and I’m excited to be part of making it operational again,” he said.
Now that Myers is back in the chapel, he said he is hoping to expand the chapel program for Fort Indiantown Gap with Sunday services and other religious opportunities based in the chapel. The building will also be available for drilling and visiting chaplains as they support their units.
Having a functioning chapel and an expanded program is a big deal for the chaplain corps and the installation, Myers said.
“Other installations have chapels with chaplains in them, so for the Gap to have to actually have one up and running again is kind of significant,” he said.
And Myers said he’s not there just for religious purposes. He works closely with the behavioral health and mental health teams at Fort Indiantown Gap and throughout the commonwealth.
“We’re here to support Soldiers, religious or otherwise,” he said.
He believes having the chaplain’s office in the joint force headquarters building may have dissuaded people from seeking him out.
“Some people are afraid of going into that building,” he explained. “There’s sometimes a negative stigma about going to see a chaplain, and if they have to walk by the TAG’s suite and other senior leaders’ offices to get to me, they’re like, ‘I’m not doing that. I don’t want people knowing my business.’ This way, they can just come in the chapel. It’s more accessible and more private.”
Overall, having the chaplain in the chapel is a fantastic thing, Myers said.
“I’m really excited to see greater opportunities for our service members and civilian personnel here on post and visiting Soldiers from out of state,” Myers said. “We’re greatly expanding religious support here at Fort Indiantown Gap, so it’s a very good thing for the kingdom and the commonwealth.”
| Date Taken: | 01.21.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 01.21.2022 08:36 |
| Story ID: | 413196 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 145 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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