New garrison center supports troops, families

Military members and their families have a brand new Chaplain Family Life Center at U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern.

The center, dedicated Oct. 3 at Pulaski Barracks, is open to anyone in the KMC for pastoral counseling and education.

It’s also a resource for Unit Ministry Teams within the KMC. Following a brief ribbon cutting ceremony community members were treated to a barbecue of grilled steaks, baked beans and potato salad. 

The center will offer effective counseling, training for chaplains and chaplain assistants and serve as a community resource to help Soldiers, civilian workers and families become more resilient, said Chaplain (Maj.) Everett Franklin, the garrison’s family life chaplain.

There are three new counseling rooms equipped for video instruction, plus a conference room with comfy couches and large screen televisions. There will also be a food pantry, to support emergency needs of community members.

When Franklin arrived at the garrison in August 2010, he saw a growing demand for community services.

This summer, his vision for a new center became a reality, with $45,000 worth of equipment, materials and literature. Then, staff from the garrison’s religious support office reorganized their building to create space. 

“Many people worked very hard to get this together. The RSO staff and volunteers worked tirelessly to make this happen,” Franklin said.

The center will benefit all Unit Ministry Teams in the KMC, who are an integral part of the support and services offered to the community, said Jeffrey Crisp, deputy to the garrison commander.

“We can’t do our job as a garrison without all of you,” Crisp told the crowd gathered during the lunchtime event. “We need the UMTs to make this one garrison family.”

Other organizations, such as family readiness groups, can also use the space for their activities.

“We still have a few finishing touches. But we are up and running and excited to serve the Soldiers, civilian workers and families of the KMC,” Franklin said.

For more information about the center, call 493-4152 or 0631-3406-4152.