The fluctuating temperatures in the desert, eating dehydrated meals, serving his country and preaching the Word of God- it’s all part of a normal day for Luis Garayua III, `05 M.Div., serving in Afghanistan. Garayua always wanted to be in the military. His father had served as an infantryman in Vietnam and Garayua wore his dad’s old fatigues to play “Army” with his friends. Later as a senior in high school, Garayua watched the events of Desert Storm on TV and felt an impulse grew within to be a part of the country’s defense. That conflict ended by the time he graduated, but the embers of Garayua’s patriotism fed by his father’s example grew hot. Garayua went on to college and joined the Army Reserves. During college he joined the ROTC program to receive an active duty infantry commission, but it did not work out as he had planned. Garayua could wait no longer and he decided to enlist for active duty, three credit short of graduating college. Garayua was on active duty as an infantryman and was transferred to Ft. Liberty, N.C. to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC). It was during the last training phase of the SFQC that he received a new impulse, as strong as his desire to serve his country. This impulse was a call to ministry. He still felt God wanted him to continue his training and eventually serve within the special operations community. After serving on active duty for several years, he completed his last class via distance learning. His initial enlistment expired, three months before the events of 9-11. While serving as a college pastor, Garayua found himself once again watching from the sidelines as U.S. military forces entered into Afghanistan and Iraq. That impulse to serve returned and he sought out an assignment overseas, defending his country while sharing his faith. Below is Garayua’s account of serving in Kandahar, Afghanistan. I had started to feel a pull on my heart back to a lifestyle of military service. My desire to serve my country was always present, but I was now beginning to investigate the possibilities of becoming an Army chaplain. Within a few short months I had been accepted into the Army’s chaplain candidate program and was commissioned as a 2LT. I had already applied and was accepted to attend Campbell University’s Divinity School. I completed 60+ hours of graduate school in a two-year period. It was quite the challenge, but it was well worth the efforts, as I was able to graduate in May 05 and be assessed as an active duty chaplain in June. In September, I completed my Chaplain Officer Basic Course (CHOBC) and reported for my first assignment with the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Liberty, N.C. I feel my training and experience working with college students along with the education I received at Campbell University’s Divinity School has better prepared me for the ministry I now have as an Army chaplain. I thank Dr. Brock for challenging me the most to think “outside of the box” of my conservative Christian worldview. Don’t get me wrong, I am still very much a conservative-protestant-minister of the Gospel, but now I am better prepared to face many of the issues that are shaping the worldview of the soldiers with which I minister. Now I feel more well-rounded educationally and experientially as I was able to focus most of my efforts during those two years on counseling and deciphering post-modern thought and practices. The Army’s chaplain corps doctrine assigns a chaplain to every battalion and I happen to be in an infantry battalion. The Combined Joint Task Force-82 (CJTF-82) standard is at least one chaplain visit conducting religious support every fifteen days to outlying Forward Operating Bases (FOB’s) and units. This means I am able to facilitate a “ministry of presence” by living and traveling with the infantry companies while on combat operations. It is the part of the job I enjoy the most as I am able to build rapport by seeing and feeling what the soldiers are experiencing. This cannot be accomplished by sitting back at the main FOB in an office or chapel all day. I need to live amongst the soldiers as the Apostle Paul said, so I can be all things to all people. This has opened up many doors for me to have the best ministry opportunities I have ever experienced. I am feeling more and more comfortable in my job and excited about what God wants to do next. One of biggest challenges most chaplains face when they initially come on active duty revolves around having to be a staff officer, as a part of the battalion commander’s special staff, as well as a minister. I would prefer to primarily be a minister to the troops, but I sometimes find myself doing other tasks as a staff member. However, the biggest challenge I face, especially while in the field, is being able to find a suitable location that gives me proper working conditions. As a minister I need a quiet and private space to pray, study and counsel soldiers. By not having this work space, I feel a strain in focusing my attention on what is most important, being able to have a quiet time with God. Michelle, my wife, has always been supportive of my ministry call as a chaplain and feels similarly called to minister to other military spouses. The one thing that attracted her to me was her deep passion for missions and ministry. God placed this great woman in my life so we can walk together in our ministry endeavors. She has been such a grounding force for me when I get the feeling of biting off more than I can chew. Michelle completed her BA in Religion and Christian Ministry and Masters of Education degrees from Campbell University. She is now working on an Education Specialist (EDS) degree in Higher Education while I am deployed. Being in Afghanistan and working in a multi-national and joint task force has been a thrill for me. I am able to work with and learn from my British, Canadian, and Dutch and Romanian chaplain peers. This collegial relationship is causing me to become more interested in finishing my Masters in Intercultural Studies degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. Michelle and I are open to possibly doing some missions work upon my retirement from the military, if I were to continue serving another thirteen years. Whatever God has for us we just want to be willing vessels to go where He leads us, nationally and/or internationally, bringing glory to His name. Garayua is assigned to come home in May 2008. He has been there since Jan.2007. His unit has recently lost a paratrooper.Photo Copy: Luis Garayua III, Battalion Chaplain for 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division,05 M.Div graduate preaches to the troops in Afghanistan.
The call of duty