An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | July 31, 2015

South Carolina Air National Guard chaplains attend multi-national event in Colombia

By Tech. Sgt. Jorge Intriago South Carolina National Guard

BOGOTA, Colombia - South Carolina Air National Guard Chaplain Lt. Col. Brian Bohlman and Master Sgt. Charles Williams, noncommissioned officer in charge of the SCANG Chaplain Corps, attended a three-day symposium in Bogota, Colombia, discussing how religion matters to military commanders, service members and their families, July 13-16.

The symposium united representatives from 12 countries from the Caribbean, North, South and Central America, gaining an increased awareness on the role religion can play in a service member's life, the role of the chaplain in a military context and the ability of religion to influence individual and institutions toward peaceful coexistence.

This U.S. Southern Command Senior Religious Leader Symposium was hosted by Monsignor Fabio Suescun Mutis, Archbishop for the Colombian Military in cooperation with the USSOUTHCOM Religious Affairs Office.

"Making that initial connection with the religious leaders was important to me, I don't think the priests were aware of our State Partnership Program with the Republic of Colombia," said Bohlman. "I've been wanting to do something with the State Partnership Program and it [the symposium] was just perfect."

Bohlman and Williams were able to hear what other countries are doing with their chaplain programs. One program that stood out to them was the Dominican Republic chaplains' participation in crisis response and are very involved in their country's support during natural disasters.

"I discussed the importance of taking care of oneself following a crisis in order to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue," said Bohlman. "I also explained how the National Guard trains chaplains and chaplain assistants in spiritual resiliency and traumatic event management to help individuals recover following a traumatic event."

It was discovered during conversations, that the countries involved share similar social issues like suicide, domestic violence and alcoholism among their ranks.

"It brought a lot of conversation between the countries on what programs were in place to help the service members and their families. We were able to talk about how our Strong Bonds program and the chaplain's assistant are tools to help in these issues," said Williams. "I was the only National Guard chaplain assistant there, for them to see that Chaplain Bohlman and I could work together as a team even though I'm Catholic and he is Protestant, intrigued them on what we do as a team and they wanted to find out how we made this work."

The trip was also used as an opportunity to mentor and encourage new chaplains in their military roles to support the service member. This allowed for camaraderie and fellowship around meals which those in attendance said it felt like God's family at large and was a neat experience.

"It was good for us as a Religious Support Team (RST), Chaplain Bohlman's role as the wing chaplain and my role as NCOIC is more administrative here. This gave us an opportunity to grow together as an RST and to foster a relationship between the country of Colombia and the United States," said Williams.

In a country [Colombia] which is 90 percent Catholic, integration of religion in the military creates a broader dialogue on how it can be used to leverage it as a force for good.

"We believe the language of healing, hope and forgiveness is a religious language and we believe that religion, along with diplomacy together, can help bring about peace," said Bohlman.

 

 

Related Articles
Staff Sgt. Brock Logan (in the main cab) from the 132d Logistics Readiness Squadron Vehicle Maintenance looks up at Staff Sgt. Russell Bunger (in the de-icing boom cabin) both requalified on de-icing equipment with the help of the 176th LRS Vehicle Maintenance, Alaska Air National Guard. The requalification took place during the unit’s annual training at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
lowa Airmen Take Training to New Heights
By Capt. Matthew Doyle, | July 1, 2025
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – More than 75 Airmen from the Iowa Air National Guard’s 132d Logistics Readiness Squadron, 132d Communications Squadron and 132d Wing Staff traveled to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson,...

Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jim Seward visited Ohio County on Tuesday, Jun. 24, 2025, surveying flood recovery efforts firsthand while also recognizing the hard work of the approx. 110 service members on the ground around the area. Soldiers of the 115th Engineer Vertical Construction Company, 119th Engineer Company (Sapper), 601st Engineer Support Company, 821st Engineer Construction Company, 1092nd Engineer Battalion, 150th Cavalry Regiment, and Airmen with the 167th and 130th Airlift Wings continue to partner with emergency managers, public works, community members, local businesses and volunteers to support debris removal and community assessments. Following severe flash flooding in West Virginia’s Ohio and Marion counties that began late in the day on June 14, 2025, Soldiers and Airmen with the WVNG have been mobilized at the direction of Governor Patrick Morrisey, resulting in troops and equipment on the ground since June 16th.
West Virginia Guard Continues Flood Cleanup Efforts
By Staff Sgt. Zoe Morris, | July 1, 2025
WHEELING, W. Va. – The West Virginia National Guard continues to work with local, state and volunteer partners on flood recovery operations in the severely damaged communities of Marion and Ohio counties.Maj. Gen. Jim Seward,...

Captain, facility therapy dog, 114th Fighter Wing, greets Airmen as they work June 24, 2025 at Joe Foss Field, South Dakota. Her handler, Nichole Gruber, an integrated primary prevention workforce integrator at the 114th Fighter Wing, leads the Wing’s facility therapy dog initiative to promote mental wellness, support emotional regulation, and strengthen connections among Airmen.
South Dakota Air Guard’s New Therapy Dog Lends a Pawsitive Touch
By Master Sgt. Luke Olson, | July 1, 2025
JOE FOSS FIELD, S.D. – At the 114th Fighter Wing, the commitment to Airmen extends beyond physical readiness and now includes a four-legged presence focused on mental wellness. Captain, a 2-year-old yellow Labrador retriever,...