CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Two New York Army National Guard chaplains represented the U.S. military at an annual meeting of South African military chaplains in Cape Town Oct. 14-18.
New York National Guard State Chaplain (Col.) Douglas Brock and Deputy State Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Timothy Miller joined 200 South African Defence Force chaplains at the symposium held by Brig. Gen. E.T. Masweu, South Africa’s chief of chaplains.
Brock and Miller attended the meeting as part of the New York National Guard’s State Partnership Program relationship with the South African National Defence Force.
Chaplains representing nine of the 16 counties in the Southern African Development Communities also attended.
Brock said he and Miller were invited as a courtesy and to further the relationship between the New York National Guard and South Africa’s military.
New York National Guard chaplains have visited South Africa in the past. In April, Brock and Miller took part in a regional chaplain’s workshop conducted by Zambia’s chaplain general, Brig. Gen. Rev. Dr. Henry Matifeyo.
Brock said visiting chaplain delegations were invited to speak to the symposium.
The topic of the symposium was “Unity in Diversity,” Brock said. So, he spoke about the ways military chaplains use their calling to bring people within military units together.
Chaplains are at peace “because of our call from the divine,” Brock said, and they get to “foster and grow peace.”
Being present at these kinds of events strengthened the strategic partnership between the United States and South African militaries and allowed the two New Yorkers to learn from the experiences of African military chaplains, Brock explained.
“We get to see how other chaplaincies are doing their business, how other chaplaincies are fulfilling their call,” Brock said.
Masweu said he would like the New Yorkers to regularly attend his annual chaplain’s training events.
Brock said he would like to invite South Africa to send representatives to the New York National Guard’s Joint Chaplain Annual Sustainment Training in January.
New York has had a partnership with South Africa since 2003 under the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.
Ongoing engagements with South Africa include New York participation in the South African National Defense Force Combat Rifle and Soldier Skills Competitions, New York Army National Guard Military Police officers visiting the South African military police training center, firefighter exchanges, and other specialty staff and family readiness engagements.
The New York Air National Guard also regularly participates in the biannual African Aerospace and Defense Air Show at Air Force Base Waterkloof on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa.