By Pfc. Brenda Salgado Morales
14th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Soldiers with the 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, participate in a rotation in May 2022 at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California. Capt. Jeremy Pruitt is the chaplain who oversees the 3rd AHB and offers guidance to every Soldier within its ranks. (Photo by Chaplain Jeremy Pruitt)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — The 4th Infantry Division celebrates the Army Chaplain Corps’ birthday each year on July 29, 2022, the day the Continental Congress authorized it. The Army Chaplain Corps’ mission is to help, mentor, counsel and teach the Soldiers within the Army ranks.
Capt. Jeremy Pruitt, with the 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, is a member of the Army Chaplain Corps. Pruitt was a civilian pastor before commissioning into the United States Army as a chaplain, at the age of 43. There was a big adjustment from the life of civilian ministry and then entering Army chaplaincy, said Pruitt.
“When I was a local church pastor, we always honored veterans that had served, and I always sought to find ways to bless active military personnel,” said Pruitt. “The idea of me wearing the uniform was never anticipated to be a reality. It was overwhelming and a humbling experience.”
Pruitt said that serving his country would be a great way to serve God, while also making a difference in the lives of Soldiers. As he began looking into the field of chaplaincy, he said there were many obstacles standing between himself and his opportunity to serve. Pruitt faced both health issues, and the obstacle that he was a year older than the commission deadline, so he had to seek waivers to join.
“I felt like if God was in it, then he would take care of it all,” said Pruitt. “I finally got approval, and I felt like that was the Lord’s direction to move me from civilian life to military life.”
Pruitt recognized the many benefits that the Army chaplaincy offers, and the extensive education required to commission as a chaplain. Pruitt said he is here to share the gospel to all Soldiers open to receiving it and witness the journeys of Soldiers coming to Christ. In order to do so, he had to have a minimum of two years pastoral experience in the civilian sector and obtain a master’s degree.
“I have 25 years of experience in civilian ministry outside of the military,” said Pruitt. “I have gotten two master’s degrees, and I’m soon working on a PhD.”
Pruitt has honed many skills and indulged in many experiences that are not offered to civilian ministers, while in the Army Chaplain Corps. Pruitt was given the chance to go to Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) School, which was challenging both mentally and emotionally.
“I got to not only be a student in that school, but I got to be a chaplain to those other students,” said Pruitt. “Being able to come alongside some of them as they were at a breaking point, and being able to encourage them, and allow them to lean on me for even a brief few moments, was just enough to get them to the finish line. That was pretty fulfilling for me.”
While adjusting to a different ministry lifestyle, Pruitt began working with people on a much more individual basis and had the big takeaway to retain his heightened sense of compassion for people, because often people become desensitized to circumstances. Pruitt said he also realized that his initial Chaplain Basic Officer Leader Course challenged him more on an emotional and intellectual level than he anticipated.
Entering the course, Pruitt said he and his Family were excited for him to take on his new journey. He had always envisioned those who wore the uniform as heroes. When arriving at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, it opened his eyes to what the military life entailed. He had never dreamt that he would be in the Army, and he felt like “a grasshopper among giants,” said Pruitt.
FORT IRWIN, Calif. — Soldiers with the 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, fly in a helicopter while participating in the National Training Center rotation in May 2022, at Fort Irwin, California. Capt. Jeremy Pruitt, chaplain, sat alongside his battalion commander, Lt. Col. Mike Hultquist and executive officer, Maj. Dallas Durham during the training rotation conducting welfare checks with their Soldiers. (Photo by Chaplain Jeremy Pruitt)
“The day that they took us to the clothing and sales, and I got all my uniforms, the first thing I did when I tried them on was send a picture to my wife,” said Pruitt. “I was just overwhelmed; I couldn’t believe I was wearing an Army uniform.”
Looking back on his initial training, Pruitt said that the Chaplain Corps can improve on training for chaplains who only have a civilian background, so that they too can become equipped and immersed in military culture.
The Army Chaplain Corps has changed immensely since it was first established in 1775 and will still continue to change over the years to come. Military chaplains have served alongside Soldiers, providing for their spiritual needs, working to improve morale, and aiding those who seek guidance. Pruitt is one of many chaplains who serve to fulfill this mission. Chaplains not only provide religious services but also act as counselors to all Soldiers, no matter their beliefs, on both an emotional and physiological level.
“Chaplaincy is not for everybody, but that being said, good chaplains are needed within the Army,” said Pruitt. “The Army needs chaplains who will love their Soldiers and seek to be a blessing and a help to them. Being able to offer both religious and moral support to Soldiers is very fulfilling, and that’s the nature of the job.”