Engineers build place in Iraq for U.S. Soldiers to worship

Engineers build place in Iraq for U.S. Soldiers to worship

By Spc. Bryan KinKade

Missouri National Guardsmen build a chapel in Iraq to give U.S. Soldiers a place to worship.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Army News Service, April 7, 2004) – From the ground up, a 200-seat chapel in Iraq is being built to give U.S. Soldiers a place to worship.

Engineers from the Missouri National Guard, put their carpentry and masonry skills to the test.

“These Soldiers are hungry for services,” said Lt. Col. David Moran, a chaplain from 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. “When I got here a little over four weeks ago, it was a level concrete pad.”

The structure will be ready to its full potential by April 15. Services will include Contemporary Protestant, Catholic Mass and Lutheran.

“We’ve been at a steady pace and everyday we make progress,” said carpenter, Staff Sgt. Clifford Bailey, with the Missouri National Guard. “We’re well ahead of schedule and we’ve had no problems with the building materials.”

“This building would not have been started by now, but they wanted a real project they could look back on and know that they took care of the Soldiers spiritual needs,” Moran said.

Even though the building isn’t complete, the chaplains haven’t let that get in the way of their services.

“We used a large cardboard box as a make-shift alter,” said Maj. Grant Johnson, the deputy division chaplain for 1st Cav. “We also used a laptop so people could read songs, and we gathered in a circle for prayer and worship.”

The 203rd engineers have built many other structures throughout the Iraq area, since their June 2003 deployment, to include a live-fire search and seizure training building, showers, a water tower and living quarters.

(Editor’s note: Spc. Bryan D. Kinkade is a staff writer for the 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs Office.)

1 posted on 04/07/2004 7:33:04 PM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

2 posted on 04/07/2004 7:37:08 PM PDT by Miss Marple

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3 posted on 04/07/2004 7:37:23 PM PDT by Support Free Republic (Don't be a nuancy boy)

To: MJY1288; xzins; Calpernia; TEXOKIE; Alamo-Girl; windchime; Grampa Dave; anniegetyourgun; ...

BAGHDAD, Iraq – From the ground up, a 200-seat chapel in Iraq is being built to give U.S. Soldiers a place to worship.

“These Soldiers are hungry for services,” said Lt. Col. David Moran, a chaplain from 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      203^rd Engineer Battalion
                          ~ ~
           Missouri National Guard

4 posted on 04/07/2004 7:42:36 PM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl (Marine in Fallujah 4/7 to father re. terrorists:"if they have not left town, they are going to die.")

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

5 posted on 04/07/2004 7:43:28 PM PDT by SAMWolf (My Dog Can Lick Anyone.)

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

6 posted on 04/07/2004 7:48:01 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl (Glad to be a monthly contributor to Free Republic!)

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

We just sort of take civilization with us where ever we go.

7 posted on 04/07/2004 7:48:06 PM PDT by McGavin999 (Expecting others to pay for your enjoyment of FreeRepublic is socialism: Donate now!)

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

Tell you what, I'm not Jewish but think we should be one GIANT synagogue right smack dab in downtown Badhdad and/or Fallujah.

Have it be the largest and most ornate structure. Do it for poetic justice. Do it for a big fat F YOU to these terrorist bastards.

8 posted on 04/07/2004 7:52:30 PM PDT by Made In The USA (Where is the outrage?!)

"May God bless them!"
You can't be more right than that. I'm so utterly respectful, and grateful for your soldiers. My prayers are with them and their families. Thanks America for taking the leadership!

Estevan, SK., Canada

9 posted on 04/07/2004 8:29:52 PM PDT by mirado

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

10 posted on 04/07/2004 8:51:33 PM PDT by EagleMamaMT

To: Support Free Republic

Left hand over the heart. WTH?

11 posted on 04/07/2004 9:06:55 PM PDT by Ben Chad

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

retired Army chaplain bump

12 posted on 04/07/2004 9:25:36 PM PDT by LiteKeeper

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

13 posted on 04/07/2004 10:57:07 PM PDT by radu (May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)

Good on all of them. May the Lord protect this structure and all who worship there.

14 posted on 04/07/2004 11:08:23 PM PDT by GretchenEE

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

15 posted on 04/08/2004 10:20:44 AM PDT by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

I've seen Chaplains use the hood of their jeep, up turned empty ammo crates, a full pallet of "C-Rats", or just about any thing else for an alter. Troops have stood, sat on their helmets, rocks stumps or just the dirt at divine services in the field. Coming in they were dirty, tired, red-eyed, and could barely talk above a whisper. Once there and after the invocation from the Chaplain a miracle happened, the voices were loud and clear on the Hymn, their eyes were wide open and attentive, the heavy mantle of weariness looked to be gone. They were new men they truly had received the bread of everlasting life.

The present of these surrounding so much like what was left at home will go a long way to increasing that portion of the manna from above.

16 posted on 04/08/2004 5:58:46 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)

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