Photo By Jennifer Leggett | Sgt. Brian Bills, religious support specialist with the PoM Religious Support Office,...... read more read more
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. (December 20, 2024) – The Religious Support Office at the Presidio of Monterey plays a vital role in supporting the spiritual well-being and resilience of the Monterey military community.
Sgt. Brian Bills enjoys his work as a religious support specialist because of the meaningful connections that he makes with service members daily. In carrying out his duties to provide religious support and advisement to all service members who seek it, Bills says bigger topics often begin with basic introductions and simple conversations.
“I’ll set up video games on the projection screen in the chapel and people will stop by and play and then they just start talking and sharing what’s stressing them and we’ll all just talk,” Bills said. “Being available and present in the moment is sometimes just what’s needed.”
The PoM RSO currently coordinates the general protestant service, Catholic mass and confessions, Buddhists meditations, Islamic Jum'ah, and transportation to Jewish and LDS services in the Monterey community. There are even target language Bible studies, offering both opportunities to build community and practice their language of study.
Ken Mehmet Stewart, a retired Army officer and a distinguished religious group leader for the Islamic faith at PoM emphasized the importance of inclusivity and creating a space where people from all backgrounds and faiths feel welcomed and included.
"Islam is a very big tent, and there's room underneath that tent for everybody," Stewart said. "Regardless of their individual faith journeys that brought them, I want them to feel at home and welcome."
While RSO is a small team, they remain flexible and provide solutions to meet the needs of the community. When Bills learned that a group of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints soldiers were missing out on the tradition of watching the church’s general conference broadcast, Bills invited them over for a viewing party and provided snacks.
“It really made us feel like we were still part of a bigger community, even when we were stuck on base, said Pfc. Kyle Zierow of the 229th Military Intelligence Battalion. “It was a small act of kindness that made a huge difference, and I'm grateful for his care and support.”
Beyond religious support, the RSO serves as a hub for connecting people with other resources at PoM like financial counseling, run clubs, jujitsu groups, MWR activities and B.O.S.S activities.
"We want to meet with people as much as they need, but we also work closely with the other support services at ACS and look to connect service members with specialists who can provide on-going and practical support," Bills said.
The RSO is a vital part of Army life and promotes a sense of community and belonging through worship services and additional activities. By collaborating with other support services to provide comprehensive care, the RSO helps the Monterey military community navigate the challenges of military life.
The RSO invites all service members to participate in the diverse offerings of faith communities at PoM. Christmas season services will be in the PoM chapel. The general protestants service will be Tuesday, Christmas Eve, at 6 p.m. The Catholic Christmas Mass will be Wednesday, Christmas Day, at 11 a.m. For more information, service members can contact the office at (831) 242-5281 or (831) 242-5233.
| Date Taken: | 12.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.20.2024 19:32 |
| Story ID: | 488176 |
| Location: | MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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