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Chaplain provides guidance, counseling in Mosul

Dec-28-2005 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

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By Margaret Friedenauer, News-Miner

MOSUL--Chaplain Capt. Steve Dunn has received literally hundreds of Christmas trees this year from people wanting to make sure the soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment have a festive holiday. There have been trees of all sizes, artificial and real. And he has passed on every tree to a soldier.

"We don't go to war with Christmas decorations," he said, sorting through boxes of countless donations sent from family, well-wishers and church and community groups in Fairbanks and elsewhere.

Playing holiday elf is just one of Dunn's many roles as battalion chaplain. His main job is to provide spiritual support to the 2-1 of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. But that hat takes many forms. Dunn counsels soldiers and families, he goes on patrol with platoons, he conducts a variety of religious services and bible studies. He lives next to soldiers and is reachable at any hour.

"At 1 a.m., at 2 a.m., I get that knock on the door; "Chaplain, I just talked to the wife and I need to talk," he said. "I say 'Just a minute,' I pound a Red Bull and then, 'Let's talk.'"

Dunn is a self-proclaimed goofball. He was in the Army 20 years as a medic and when he got out he became a hospital chaplain. But he said the military was always in his blood. While watching the events of Sept. 11 unfold on television he said he decided right then that he wanted to rejoin the Army as a chaplain. [...]


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