Chaplain corps offers confidential counseling

Photo By Senior Airman Madelyn Keech | U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Regan Spinner, 86th Airlift Wing public affairs apprentice, reads a devotional booklet at the South Side Chapel on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Sept. 26, 2022. Pamphlets and various religious books are in the chapel for Airmen and their families to read and practice their faith or matter of conscience. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Madelyn Keech)  

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, RHEINLAND-PFALZ, GERMANY

09.27.2022

Story by Airman 1st Class Madelyn Keech 

86th Airlift Wing

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Chaplains’ offices are a safe space. Chaplains have a higher level of confidentiality and are not allowed to share private conversations held in counseling sessions, and as a spiritual advisor, ensuring everyone’s right to confidential counseling.

The 86th Airlift Wing Chaplain Corps at Ramstein Air Base specifically focuses on building and repairing the spiritual health of others to help Airmen and their families.

All service members and their dependents are able to schedule appointments to speak with a religious support team, which is made up of a chaplain and a religious affairs Airman.

“There is 100% confidentiality,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Thomas Simmons, 86 AWHC chaplain. “Confidentiality is what our services are best known for because it is not offered anywhere else. It ensures that whatever you share in your heart and mind stays between myself, as a chaplain, or a religious affairs Airman.”

With many tasks being given to Airmen to complete the mission, being mentally well can help relieve stress. Regardless of if a person is religious or not, they can make appointments to go see a chaplain.

“We want to validate what you believe, or do not believe, if it is meaningful and relevant to you,” he said.

Many people in the U.S. Air Force are familiar with the four pillars of health and wellness: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. The four pillars of health and wellness is a collective concept, where each pillar compliments the rest. When one pillar is lacking, the others follow suit.

“When your mind is not well, you are not well,” Simmons said. “It is very important that mental health and stability is something we pay attention to.”

For more information, please see below for resources:

The chapel’s Facebook page is @RamsteinChapelOfficial.

Contact the chapel by calling DSN 480-6148 or COMM ([phone].

For a 24/7, crisis and emergency support on-call chaplain contact command post by calling DSN 480-2121 or COMM ([phone].

• Date Taken: 09.27.2022
• Date Posted: 09.27.2022 03:40
• Story ID: 430148
• Location: RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE