Military Chaplains

Military chaplains serve an important role in the United States Armed Forces. Serving in our country’s military can be a formative, challenging, and personally rewarding experience for those who choose to adopt the uniformed way of life. Finding and understanding one’s spiritual center and focus can sometimes be lost in the physical and mental rigors of military service, but is an important component of many soldier’s lives. To aid in easing the challenges and difficulties endured by members of our armed forces, many choose to seek the guidance of their chaplain, or similar religious servicemen.

Many of those serving in the military are the sons, daughters, nieces, and nephews of distinguished military families, many of whom are veterans. Veterans often face the challenges of handicaps, injuries, and illness they incurred during their service time. Veterans can suffer from a range of conditions, but among the lesser-known is mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer affecting the lining of the lungs and abdomen.

Mesothelioma cancer is known only to be caused by exposure to asbestos. Veterans of the United States military were exposed to a range of toxins, including asbestos, in military installations, naval shipyards, and other military infrastructure. Asbestos was used in ship boilers, insulation, and nearly any military industrial product that required resistance to fire and heat transfer.

Asbestos was banned in the late 1970s and strictly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and Consumer Product Safety Commission. Fortunately for those now serving in the United States Armed Forces, the risk of asbestos exposure has been removed from most military infrastructure. Unfortunately for veterans, many are now dealing with the adverse effects of toxic asbestos exposure.

Military chaplains are well aware of the challenges serving in the military presents to our soldiers- many of them endured similar challenges during their service. Moreover, they know the difficulties of being away from friends and family, particularly when a family member is battling aggressive illness like mesothelioma or other terminal disease. Military service men and women are urged to speak openly with their chaplain, preferred religious person, or other confidant to express these challenges and determine the best way to channel their grief and sadness while best serving their country.

Source

Military Chaplains Association of the United States of America
http://www.mca-usa.org/