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***image1***Continuing to build bridges in the KMC is what excites Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Doug Wootten about his new job as the 415th Base Support Battalion’s staff chaplain.
“The most exciting thing we are doing is building bridges with other Army ministries, the 435th Air Base Wing Chapel, and German and American churches within this huge footprint,” said Chaplain Wootten, who arrived here in June.
Chaplain Wootten supervises two chaplains, chaplain assistants and music contractors to provide proactive religious support in all contingencies to the 415th BSB. To do this, he develops quality staff and programs to increase readiness and well-being of Army members in the KMC.
“I do a lot of liaison with other ministry units within the community because they help us provide our ministry to the KMC,” said Chaplain Wootten, a native of Portland, Ore.
For example, the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center’s chaplains have taken over services at the 415th BSB Landstuhl Chapel and the chaplains from the 21st Theater Support Command and the 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital are providing services at the 415th BSB Miesau Chapel.
This frees up the 415th BSB chaplains to conduct services at the 415th BSB Daenner Chapel, hold workshop and plan retreats. There have been three family retreats in the short time that Chaplain Wootten has been here.
“Again, the 21st TSC chaplains helped with that,” said Chaplain Wootten, who has served in the U.S. Army as a chaplain assistant and chaplain for nearly 32 years. “These workshops were great training venues to help families, particularly the ones who had a Soldier returning from downrange.”
Chaplain Wootten and his staff are excited about an upcoming marriage enrichment workshop that they are doing with the 435th ABW Chapel and the 21st TSC chaplains.
The workshop is planned for late spring and is intended primarily for couples.
“We serve a great God at the great place of KMC,” said Chaplain Wootten. “The 415th BSB Chaplain’s Office is dedicated to Support.”
The Daenner Chapel’s Praise and Worship Band and Ramstein’s Northside Chapel hosted an Effective Tools to Praise Worship Workshop in October.
“We literally touched about 40 to 50 people throughout Germany who attended that workshop,” said Chaplain Wootten. “It had never been done before in the KMC, and we are looking to do another one in spring.”
Chaplain Wootten’s lifetime verse is Philippians 1:6:
“The Lord who has began a good work in you will continue that work until the day He decides to take you home!”
