The 70th ISRW Chapel: The Spiritual Flight Resource

  • Published
  • By Staff Sergeant Sonia Clark
  • 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. --  For some, the chapel can be a slight mystery. The services offered do not have a direct physical impact. And the resources available affect something that we cannot physically see or touch: our spirit.

The 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing Chapel provides religious support and spiritual care, ensuring that all Airmen and their dependents have opportunities to exercise their constitutional right to freedom of religion.

“Most of what we do falls under spiritual care,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Darren Brown, 70th ISRW Chapel resource management noncommissioned officer in charge. “It can be specifically religious or non-religious.”

Additionally, and most importantly, what is shared with the chaplains is 100 percent confidential.

“Some people just need to speak out loud about what’s going on in their lives,” said Brown. “Plus, we can give them guidance to other organizations more suited to provide the help they need, such as sexual assault prevention and response, behavioral health, or judge advocate, with 100 percent confidentiality.”

All chaplains are ordained ministers in their selected faith group. They provide direct and indirect religious support according to the tenants of their specific beliefs.

“I have provided support for Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Norse Pagan, and Muslim requests,” said Brown. “We have had members of other faith groups seek out religious support that we have provided for them by seeking religious support from another chaplain or a faith community off post.”

Other resources available include couples counseling and Strong Bonds events, which provides service members and families with offsite retreats to strengthen their relationships. They also offer reading materials on parenting, self-improvement, financial management, and enhanced leadership skills.

The chapel team also hosts monthly dinners for Airmen living in dormitories, which includes training on spiritual resiliency ideas, games, and other activities.

“Dorm Dinners are a great opportunity that we provide in the dorm, ‘the Roost,’ for our youngest and newest Airmen in the military,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Nupson, 70th ISRW chaplain. “It helps build connections with others, to build teamwork, and to network. We provide a meal via a donation courtesy of the [Fort Meade] Garrison Chapel.”

The 70 ISRW is a tenant unit on Fort Meade, which owns most of the traditional chapel facilities and programs. The 70th ISRW Chapel partners with their Fort Meade Garrison Chapel counterparts to help facilitate events.

“People say, ‘Fort Meade is different,’” said Brown. “One of the reasons is because Meade is an Army installation with joint mission responsibilities. As such, the Air Force, Navy, Defense Information School, and [other] geographically separated unit chaplains are all guests in the Army’s chapel.

“The more that the 70th ISRW Chapel can connect with other chapels, organizations, and leadership, the more effective we can be in our work,” said Brown.

Long term, the wing’s chapel team continues to find the best ways to connect with members and their families to ensure their religious and spiritual needs are met.
For more information about the 70th ISRW Chapel contact 301-395-1248 or email 70isrw.hc@us.af.mil.