AFMES

Operation Colony Glacier 2025

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Operation Colony Glacier 2025

Alaska National Guard

Operation Colony Glacier 2025

Chaplains’ ministries include fallen and those who honor them

  • Published
  • By Ed Drohan
  • Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  For two Air National Guard chaplains, their deployment to the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center hits close to home.

Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Lance Jennings' son served with the Air National Guard in Kirkuk, Iraq, in 2002, while Chaplain (Maj.) Richard Bach's son is currently an Army forward observer supporting convoys in Afghanistan.

When your ministry revolves around serving those who have given their lives for their country, their families, and the men and women who provide the full measure of dignity, honor and respect for the fallen, you can't help but think about family members who have been or are in harm's way.

The two chaplains have been providing spiritual and moral support here since September and will return to their units - the Alaska Air National Guard's 168th Air Refueling Wing for Chaplain Jennings and Maine Air National Guard's 101st ARW for Chaplain Bach - in January. Neither had been here before, but both said they volunteered for the deployment.

"I'd heard about the mission and thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to bring honor to our fallen heroes," Chaplain Bach said. "For a chaplain, this is the pinnacle. We get to see the gamut, from the beginning when our troops are training in the United States. For me, I wanted to see the other side as well."

Chaplain Jennings agreed, saying he's also done a tour of duty at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, ministering to wounded warriors. His work at the AFMAO has given him a chance to see and appreciate not only the fallen servicemembers, but the professionalism of those who provide dignity, honor and respect for the them, as well as care, service and support for their families.

As part of their duties, both chaplains and the rest of their "padre cadre" have worked with families of the fallen who come to Dover to observe the dignified transfer of their loved ones. In their civilian ministries they've provided comfort to families of accident victims, and while there are similarities, their work here is different.

"We see death, but here, because of the violence of war, it is more intense," Chaplain Bach, who is often called upon to say a prayer for the fallen before the transfer case is moved from the aircraft, said. "Because of that, the focus of my ministry here is to provide spiritual and emotional support and comfort."

That support and comfort isn't limited to the fallen and their families, though. They also provide a "ministry of presence" for the men and women called upon to prepare those Fallen for the trip to their final destination.

Many of the young men and women who deploy here from around the country are exposed to stresses most people will never see, the chaplains said. Whether it's assisting with autopsies, cleaning personal effects so they can be returned to families, or dressing the fallen in the proper uniform for a funeral, exposure to the horrors of war can take its toll on individuals.

"These people are doing things for our heroes that they can't necessarily talk to their families about," Chaplain Jennings said. "They see and do things that people can't understand unless they've been here."

Chaplains work closely with mental health specialists to help ease those stresses. They try to be very visible and establish relationships with workers throughout the center, they said.

"You have to establish relationships to make it easier for them to talk if they need to," Chaplain Bach said. "We see them during different resiliency programs so they get to know us. Then chatting becomes easier."

"You have to develop trust before they'll talk," Chaplain Jennings agreed.
One thing both agreed on is the level of professionalism and devotion they see in people who work at the center.

"There's a camaraderie, especially in the back (where the fallen are prepared for transport)," Chaplain Jennings said. They move around together and there's a lot of humor in the morning, but when the preparation starts, things get quiet and they focus on the task at hand."

The chaplains also help with the center's Resiliency Program, which is designed to help people deal with the stresses they encounter in the workplace. They have set up trips to off-base sites, including a trip to Arlington National Cemetery and a kayaking trip - trips that not only tie together the work they do here but also provide relief from stress.

When they return to their homes, the chaplains said they will take a part of the center with them.

Chaplain Bach said he'll leave Dover with a deeper appreciation for the trauma that death leaves on the families. Seeing the grief and anguish the families feel has left a lasting impression.

Chaplain Jennings agreed and added that they'll leave with memories, both painful and positive.

"We all have scars on our body, like when I fell on a bike and got gravel under my skin. Every once in a while you'll touch that scar and remember that life experience," Chaplain Jennings said. "The analogy with those scars is that I'll remember the pain, the sadness, the grieving parents and spouses. But I'll also remember the pleasantries as well...the personalities who have touched me in positive ways. They've helped heal those scars."