200 Equipped to Provide Hope & Healing to Ft. Campbell

On January 9^th, Military Ministry trained more than 200 people at First Baptist Church in Clarksville, TN to minister to the military and lead combat trauma spiritual care groups for the Soldiers at Fort Campbell. The attendees included 12 Army Chaplains, a Brigade Commander, and individuals from Kentucky, New Mexico, Washington, Florida and even Russia, who were quoted as saying, “it was worth the trip.”

Powerful combat veteran speakers provided first-hand accounts of their battles with combat trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and spoke of how the church provided hope and healing. Amy Nuttall, wife of combat veteran Robert Nuttall, spoke about how church members didn’t force themselves into their lives. They simply provided food, and let the family know that they were there.

Fort Campbell is a large Army installation in Kentucky that is home to the elite 101^st Airborne Division, the 5^th Special Forces Group and the 160^th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Its Soldiers have become familiar with serving in combat, but have also experienced one of the highest suicide rates in the Army, which increased from nine suicides in 2007 to 14 in 2009.

Despite millions of dollars in new suicide-prevention programming, thousands of hours spent helping Soldiers suffering from “invisible wounds,” and appeals by top Pentagon officials for a change in attitudes about mental health, military suicide statistics are not improving.

Military Ministry wants to “get everything into the fight” against the spirit of suicide. Churches in America can make a difference – an eternal difference – in the lives of the military in their midst.

“Your job is simply to love them,” said Amy Nuttall, adding that it would be a mistake to assume cases similar to hers do not exist locally. “I can promise you there are people in your community that are hurting.”

Local News Coverage of the “Bridges to Healing” Seminar at Fort Campbell:

• Ministry reaches out to Fort Campbell soldiers, by Jake Lowary, The Leaf-Chronicle
• Seminar provides ways to reach out to Soldiers, Families, by Maj. Patrick R. Seiber, 101st Airborne Division, The Fort Campbell Courier

 “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Psalm 121:1-2