Strengthening The Spirit Of The Seas
by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Stevin Atkins
May 5, 2023

Deploying at sea is an arduous task. It tests your mental fortitude. With limited contact to family back home, long hours, and an ever-changing schedule, deployment can leave Sailors feeling isolated and worn out.

Chaplains’ help Sailors strengthen their life skills that can help reduce stress and build resiliency.

Chaplains provide care and counsel to all regardless of religious affiliation or personal beliefs. Their responsibilities extend to caring for families and ensuring the free exercise of religion throughout the command.

“It's not our job to throw our faith in front of any sailor,” said Capt. Richard Ryan, Force Chaplain, Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. “It's our job to help every sailor.”

Ryan is currently spearheading an initiative to man the surface force billets with chaplains on all Navy destroyers.

“My mission is to man, train, and equip,” said Ryan. “Making sure our ships are manned with chaplains, and making sure they are trained and equipped with everything that they need to do their job.”

By 2025, every destroyer in the Navy and most ships in the Surface Force will have chaplains embarked. Embarking chaplains aboard all Navy destroyers is the first step toward providing this resiliency to the entire fleet. A Sailor who is well rounded, resilient, and balanced in their personal and professional life will be better prepared for the challenges of Navy and shipboard life.

“In the vast majority of situations, chaplains are able to get the Sailor back in the fight,” said Lt. Ronald Wade, command chaplain for the Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111). “If life happens to throw Sailors a curve ball, they never have to walk through it alone.”

In addition to their counsel and guidance, chaplains have a wealth of knowledge on resources for those in need.

“Chaplains know all the resources,” said Wade. “We can track down answers to tough questions in ways that could never lead back to the Sailor who needs the answers. We listen. We don’t judge. We list possible ways forward, and we walk with you as you make your decisions.”

It’s okay in the Surface Navy to get help. We need our Sailors to help their shipmates, and that starts with the care our chaplains provide.

“There’s an old saying that no one cares what you know until they know that you care,” said Wade. “That saying is rooted in relationships. That’s chaplaincy care. Just being there and being available can mean the world to someone going through a difficult time. It’s those moments that I treasure the most.”

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