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In the late summer of 2008 approximately 2800 soldiers from the Illinois Army National Guard are projected to deploy to Afghanistan. This will be Illinois’ largest single mobilization of citizen soldiers since WWII. As congregations and pastoral leaders I ask you to consider your preparation for this significant event in our state. These men and women live down the street from our churches, were baptized in our fonts, attended our Sunday Schools and Vacation Bible Schools, were confirmed by our own hands, received communion in our churches, and were married with our blessing. They prepare our taxes, fix our phones, drive our buses, heal our wounds, attend our colleges, put out fires, enforce our laws, and teach our children. Our state family is deploying. 'Christ who is our neighbor’ is deploying. These men and women will be trained and ready. We should not however underestimate the impact of a deployment on communities, schools, churches, families, and soldiers. Your loving hands can make a crucial difference. As the only Chaplain from the ELCA in the Illinois Army National Guard I will have the responsibility of deploying with these soldiers as the Deputy Brigade Chaplain. It is a task I find to be humbling and rather significant. I ask for your help in providing love, care, and support to the soldiers and families that will walk through this time of service to the nation. So how can you help? As the deployment nears Congregations/clergy should send a very clear signal that military families and soldiers will be accepted, loved, and cared for - no matter what! Every congregation/pastor can wrestle with this question, how are we welcoming or excluding of families that serve in the military? It is possible to believe that war is a sign of brokenness in our world and still express concern for those directly caught up in the current conflicts. Recognize and pray for those serving in the military. A soldier or military family only needs the obvious to be named; we are in need of God's love and protection! Connect with the family by building a caring relationship. Offer a prayer service upon deployment and return. During the deployment Pray for the soldier and family both privately and in the prayers of the church. Remember that most military families are proud of their service, they are not sorry to be serving the nation in a difficult time. Write or send e-mails with stories from back home. Offer to help the family and follow through! Look for signs of depression, family struggles, financial struggles, marital stress, stressed kids, and addictions. Connect the family with help; www.armyonesource.com is a great resource with very helpful information. The stress is great even if not publicly demonstrated. Please - do not tell the family that their soldier is wasting their life on a wasted cause - show love, care, and support. Do not be surprised if military families keep to themselves. Respect the space and privacy which they require. After the Deployment There will be a period of adjustment for both the solider and the family lasting as long as two years. Recognize the return, on the terms given by the family. Not everyone wants a party. Respect the service and sacrifice given by the family. Listen to the stories offered by the family and soldier, please do not push for more detail than they offer. The coming year will be an important one of service and sacrifice for many families in our state. Some of these families worship in congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. All of these families live in our communities. What a great opportunity for each of us to reach out with love, care, and support. My thanks to you in advance, Rev. Gregory C. Moser
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