Marines redeploy through Manas

MANAS AIR BASE, KYRGYZSTAN -- Marines make one of their first stops in the Personal Support for Contingency Operations tent to learn community standards as well as maintaining accountability here, Oct. 13. The Marines are redeploying through Manas after a seven month deployment in Afghanistan. (Air Force photo / Senior Airman Ruth Holcomb)

Navy chaplains help Marines transition home

Published Oct. 14, 2008
By Senior Airman Ruth Holcomb
376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

MANAS AIR BASE, KYRGYZSTAN -- They carry no weapon, but military chaplains are still considered one of the military's greater strategic assets. Caring for servicemembers' minds and hearts on and off the battlefield, they are responsible for the spiritual needs of all military personnel.

Their jobs range from counseling young troops to being an ethical presence among those that are trained to fight and kill. The high operations tempo for those serving in the military today necessitates a spiritual leadership that the military chaplain can provide.

As the 2,400 Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit redeploy back to Camp Lejeune, N.C., after an eight month deployment in Afghanistan, they are met at Manas AB by two of their own military chaplains to support them in their redeployment transition.

The warrior transition program is a three step program that helps Marines transition from war to home.
"Statistics have shown that many in uniform have had some difficulties returning to a stable home life after being in combat," said Navy Commander Peter St. Martin, 24th MEU chaplain.

Meeting the troops at Manas is the first step in the program; making sure the chaplains see the troops before they return home to their families and friends. They try to give the Marines an idea of what to expect when they return home such as how children may react to a parent returning after an eight month absence.

The chaplain goes on to describe a process of what he likes to call the 'oh no's!' such as, "oh no, he's deploying, oh no, he's gone, or oh no, he's returning home," said Cmdr. St. Martin. "The military saw a need to help servicemembers transition back home and the warrior transition program was created so we can deal with these stages."

"We are now examining post traumatic stress disorder and combat stress and finding out how to help Marines look within themselves to see if they fall into any of these categories," said the Navy chaplain. "Most Marines know the symptoms of PTSD by heart, but it is important to just remind them of what to be aware of if it ever happens to them."

"I think one of the key ways to help people make the transition to back home is to help them really understand that they have done something important," said Cmdr. St. Martin. "It's important to tell them that they did something big, that they have done some very exceptional things and the nation has noticed as well."