AF deputy chaplain reflects on life's necessity for spiritual wellness

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Julius Delos Reyes
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  It was 104 degrees on Sunday morning at Edwards. In a compound between Park Street and Fitzgerald Avenue, there were more than 50 cars parked outside a white building, accented with colorful windows and brown roof. More than 150 people were gathering inside the building. The temperature inside the building was a contrast -- it was about 25 degrees cooler.

Inside, ushers were passing pamphlets to a flock of people coming in, groups were practicing their songs and others were talking with their friends and families. It was a gathering of people to listen to Chaplain (Brig. Gen.) Cecil Richardson, Air Force deputy chief of chaplains, talk about Spiritual Wellness.

After a couple of ceremonies, Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Herrie Reed, 95th Air Base Wing chaplain, introduced the guest speaker. Standing near a stained glass window, Chaplain Richardson began to talk about his mission to Edwards -- communicate about spiritual wellness.

"Spiritual Wellness is a spiritual foundation in one's life to be able to stand on when difficult times come," Chaplain Richardson said. "You can be physically or emotionally strong, but unless you are spiritually strong then you are not really that strong. You can make it through the everyday experiences, but when the crisis comes then the foundations is swept away."

Chaplains work on people's spiritual wholeness and wellness, he said. They provide counseling to form a foundation for Airmen before they deploy. They help them on family and marriage matters. They also help parents, children and individuals with the spiritual foundation so that when they go into what is perhaps the most difficult times they have ever gone through, they would be able to stand strong knowing they are not alone.

"We have some awesome airmen out there. In fact, I call this youngest generation the 'A-plus generation' because they are the finest I have ever seen," Chaplain Richardson said. "However, these Airmen also need to have somebody who has a spiritual perspective and is able to say, 'we love you, we are rooting for you and we are here to cheer you and help you in every possible we can.'"

Chaplains are the resource people and the "cheerleaders," he said. Chaplains cheer Airmen on their faith, family and service to their country.

"Sometimes, when people come to see me for counseling about anything, I start talking to them and find that, deep down, they are suffering from spiritual problems -- they don't have any firm foundation," Chaplain Richardson said. "When we begin talking about that (aspect of problem), things suddenly fall into place."

Airmen are going through some of the most stressful times with deployments, which stress family, individuals, parent-child relationships and marriages, he said. With spiritual foundation, Airmen can handle these stresses. Without it, it can be very difficult.

"In the world, there is always going to be some time of challenge," Chaplain Richardson said. "I call it a personal '(Hurricane) Katrina' -- it comes, you could see it coming but you don't have any idea how it impacts your life."