European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 26, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sonja Creech stationed in Katar Alalem Germany la one of Only 12 women chaplains in the . Army. Magazine a by Dontate stall writer for the troops the sound of Drums the feeling of patriotism came Early for Sonja  took up a collection in a steel pot Lorther when she was born. Soldiers made he crib. She remembers the sound and sight of troops marching past almost As soon As she remembers anything. Today thai child of a military family is capt. Creech a soft voiced Blond woman of 44 whose smile could Light up a regiment. But the Light in her she trusts emanates irom a higher source. Creech with the90lh personnel and support in 21st support come in Kaiserslautern. Germany is one of the few women chaplains 22 Oul of about 1500 in the . Army. Tell it to Lite chaplain. The army s sometimes cynical but usually genuine Call for reinforcements from a higher commander when nothing Down below works and they be sure told in to Creech. After comparing the work of a chaplain to a male Buffalo ending the Herd making sure everything is of she laughingly makes a minor adjustment and sometimes a Lemale Buffalo circling 1tie Herd " now she s asked about a much More Din cull adjustment How a minister dedicated to peace and the saving Ollile. Makes inc decision to pick up a weapon and Light for his her troops in War a morally Sticky question thai Creech who has l seen combat has pondered with chaplains who be seen plenty. Most of us eel. Thai when it comes right Down to it those Are our people in our arms and somebody s coming to kill Ihen. I Don l think Well let thai happen without defending them. In War there s More to it than that. You re convincing a Soldier he can gc1 through it tying into his Wilt to live to make in Back to remember Home remember family. To know that god is Wilh him every single step of the Way. Because in a foxhole mat s All there finally is him and god. Even i he s not god tearing you can help some poor Soldier understand that he has  in peacetime Field exercises chaplains go out and conduct sen ices Lor troops in Tho rear. But the Good part for Creech is getting out to people on the Forward line. You crawl irom Lux Hole to foxhole sometimes in the Dak and give them an abbreviated service right where they Are. Out there in the night the counselling can be ferocious it All comes out whatever they re dealing with. I know some old vet is going to laugh but there s no belter place than a foxhole to hear some truth 1 mean they la Tell you everything " everything even some rough Macho Type. Not known for swimming in vats of sell Pill. May be Moio Likely o spill his soul to a sympathetic woman chaplain. She believes. Than he would another male the Guys Lalk. And a woman might have the to i when it comes to listening. I think i could keep an office open Day and night packed. Not us Lor Young Enlis Iod people hut Loi Calams and colonels. Most anyone you Slop and ask. How s i1 going today will certainly Tell you How it s going Creech Calls the chaplain the necessary Sally valve link in a Chain of auth Only figures. They la come to us if they be murdered somebody or Ore about to to have numerous programs that up us in Louch Wilh the troops. One is suicide prevention and Thore to been some real Strong attempts at in. We counsel and iry to prepare people. We be had three people who whole us Anonymous notes saying our efforts slopped them irom going All the Way " like the Lime she helped coax Wilh talk then touching. A Young Soldier a would be suicide off a  chaplains see a larger Darker slice of Itie tortured underside of humanity than Rosl says san a Creech. Most things Don t bother me. Tho Long hours Tho conditions. What does Bolher me she sighs Biles her ipas she reflects is when i Sec. At different Levels people Selling out their souls. If you let soldiers Down Long enough when rank becomes Al  finally funnels Inlo your Bones something inside you is just destroyed. I think the hardness of this me. The tremendous flexibility and creativity soldiers have to have can got 1o them. But there Are Many who Don t become cynics they care about troops. Care about values " Tell it to the chaplain. These Days says this chaplain telling it gets results. A big Parl of what we do is checking out morale All the time. Where s it hurling what can we do Aboul in we hear things. Somebody Bent on suicide somebody going awol. And usually we can go Back Inlo the system and get the ear of the commanders get  How hard is in for a chaplain to Roach the a Cage american Soldier it s not. Ii you re real they re real they Are so  says that Dospil the much noted Deleno Rahon in values of modern society. The constant refrain Aboul sex drugs to first and Tho would gone to hell she Lind s there s still a purity about the american Soldier. S1ni a straightness of the Back. A willingness to stand up for  travels from unit to unit and says there s always plenty of work because soldiers know whatever they say will stay confidential the number one problem she hours just How to gel through this Day. Everyday stress. It s my wife they say looking about to bus it s my Boss my Iob they say. So i give stress classes anything to give them a handle on How to make life a Little better Creech makes a Case Lor More women chaplains but says it s not As simple As it sounds the ones i know Are really super. We re looking Al a civilian world where most of the seminaries now have women on the other hand no every female minister wants to put on bus and Comba Bools. Or run two or three Miles a Day. And be willing if necessary to work All night forever. Some just Don t have the sense of adventure. Being a minister in civilian Hie is much More  our attrition ale is very High. I think like 55 percent Sonja Cierech says thai if her unit Well to War As of right now she would Loo. Because there s nothing in the code barring a woman chaplain from going. It could change if War came but right now chaplains Aie chaplains Are chaplains. And i Don t want it to  being a chaplain notes Sonja Creech unleashing her Sunburst smile is by no Means endless grim dark struggle with troubled souls. A chaplain gels asked to bless almost Over Lhing to Pray for  one win Happy sergeant even begged her to bless his Bowling Ball. I said top. I can t bless your Bowling Ball. But Iii Pray or you id for Gollen All Aboul it when one Day he rushes up and says would you Nold this a second please it was his bowing bal and i held it. To got this great big Grin an his lace took in Back and ran Oil to the Bowling Alley Yelling la s blessed h s blessed 1 1 advised him that to was a stolen Blessing it would t Woik but he looked so Happy. Maybe in did work Friday june 26, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 13