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Trinity Welcomes Back Pastor Bob!
News From Pastor Bob:
Jan. 20, '04 letter
Feb. 18, '04 letter
Mar. 11, '04 letter
Mar. 18, '04 letter
Picture of Pastor Bob, Mar. 28, '04 (will open in a new browser window)
Apr. 5, '04 letter
Apr. 18, '04 letter
May 5, '04 letter
Picture of Pastor Bob & Anaconda Chaplains, May 22 '04 (will open in a new browser window)
May 26, '04 letter
Picture of Pastor Bob at a memorial service, June 1 '04 (will open in a new browser window)
Pictures from Pastor Bob
June 16, '04 letter
June 24, '04 letter
August 19, '04 letter
Pictures from Pastor Bob's trip to Babylon
September 13, '04 letter
December 8, '04 letter
December 17, '04 Pictures and info
January 6, '05 Picture
January 27, '05 letter
February 11, '05
Feb. 13, '05 - Pictures from Camp Attabury Homecoming!
An Update From Chaplain Mike Sneath
January 20, 2004 letter
Hello everyone. I wanted to let you all know what I have been going through. Everyday is an adventure here at Ft. Knox, KY. The weather is different each day. Today it is cold but partly sunny. Yesterday it snowed some. Each day is an adventure here at Ft. Knox because they have never mobilized an Aviation Battalion before - and there are three here! Ft. Knox is the home of the Patton Museum and the US Armor school. There are tanks everywhere! Yes - the Gold Depository is here too, and no - they do not give out free samples, I already asked. In fact, you are not even allowed to walk on the street leading up to the gold depository. All they will tell us is that the depository has the most updated security system available.
I have been busy preparing Religious Support Plans for my unit in every phase of our operations. We are getting new supplies in almost every day. We are receiving new uniforms, and replacement parts for every item we own. Each piece of equiptment must be inspected by the Army - and whatever is worn or old gets replaced. Our aircraft have all been inspected and passed. My unit will bring the largest replacement force of Blackhawk Helicopters to Iraq. We have been told that we will fly multiple missions every day and night that we are there. We have classified briefings and guards are posted at the doors when secret information is given out - that brings the reality of our missions to mind very quickly. My unit has been assigned to serve directly under III Corps, so we will take off our Illinois patch and wear theirs.
God has been good to me. He has sent a church musician and singer to our unit. PFC Michael Litteral plays guitar and sings for both of my Sunday worship services. He is excellent! Something that could help my ministry here is this: I am unable, according to Military Doctrine, to share my faith with anyone. I am allowed to share only if a soldiers asks me a question or begins a conversation with me. I am not allowed to "make the first move." I am allowed to put out any literature I want on my desk - free for the taking. So, if anyone of you are interested in helping me I am in need of a few items. Here it goes. I am here at FT. Knox until third week of February or so. I would like to put out on my desk copies of two books (soldiers come by my desk because I am the only one who puts "free candy" out - they are always looking for a free treat!). 1. "Unveiling Islam" by Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner. Published by Kregel Publications. I received a copy of this book from Ron Supeter - and it is excellent. There are many soldiers carrying copies of the Koran just because they are interested in what it says. This book will reveal the truth of Islam from two who were raised Muslim but are now Christians.
You can see many pictures of what we have been going through at my unit website: hhc106avn.org. I will be adding a Chaplain's page before long. I continue to lead worship on Sunday at 10:30 and 15:30. I lead Evening Prayer at 21:30 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. This week we start Bible Study on Wednesday at 21:30. I am receiving e-mail, at Prbobtlc@aol.com, so feel free to respond and if there is something that you want to talk to me about I will give you the phone number to my office here.
Have a great day! I miss all of you.
Hello everyone. This is my next update (February 18, 2004) to let you know what has been happening in the 106th Aviation. Our RLD (Ready Load Date) has come and gone - without us loading on a plane. Our next date is set for February 27 - we hope we will get to leave for Kuwait on that day. We have sent all of our aircraft and equipment by Naval Ship to Kuwait. The 2 things that we are waiting for are 1) Body Armor and 2) DCU - Desert Camo Uniforms. We are not allowed to leave the USA without the body armor - but we can go without the desert uniforms. I guess there is a very bad problem with logistics in the Army right now - there are not enough uniforms to go around. About half of the uniforms that we did get were already used by another unit that recently returned to the States. More than half of our unit did not receive any uniforms (I happen to be one of them who did not get any). The Army supply assures us that we will get some more soon - we are not holding our breath, most soldiers are ordering their own from private military suppliers. All of our mandatory training is completed. The last course I had to take was called ASIST. ASIST stands for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training. I will be teaching five classes to every soldier in our Battalion on Suicide Prevention and Intervention. We are now doing Company level training and Aviation specific training that will keep our skills sharp while we are in this waiting period - as the Army saying goes, "Hurry up and wait"!
I have continued to keep my worship, Bible study and prayer opportunities going for the soldiers in the midst of change. I lead worship twice on Sunday, Evening prayer on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. We have Bible study on Wednesday evenings. There are different soldiers who come each time - depending on their schedules. This past Saturday (February 14 - Valentines Day) I officiated at two weddings and renewed the vows of five soldiers. Our First SGT was engaged to be married this next year, but because of this deployment they decided to get married at an Army Chapel. I attended the Church this past Sunday at the Basic Training Chapel - I had flashbacks to when I was in Basic at Ft. Benning, GA. The young boys have this one hour a week away from their Drill Sergeants. The message was on Psalm 23 - how appropriate for a bunch of guys who at every glance of their Drill Sergeant believe they are living in "valley of the shadow of death"!
I want to say THANK YOU to each of you who have sent the requested books to me. All of the "Unveiling Islam" books have been given out and most of the "Case For Christ" have been given away. Nearly every day I hear someone talking about one of the two books. Many soldiers are asking me specific questions about Christ and Christianity. At lunch on Monday, I was sitting at a table and the whole discussion was on the Bible! The soldiers are very open to talking to me now that I have built up this relationship of caring for them! They all LOVE the special treats that they find at my desk. Many of you have asked how you might help me, what to send, etc. Right now I do not need anything except your PRAYERS. Ther are 41 soldiers in my unit who claim "no religion." These are the ones that I hope to share Christ with. Some of them have picked up the books that you have sent to me - so pray that they read them and that I have the opportunity to share Christ. Many soldiers have asked me for special scriptures - to memorize for comfort, or just to mark in their Bible - so I have been compiling a list for them.
I have a special prayer request for each of you: Please add Taylor Lyons on your prayer list - she is the 20 month old daughter of our B-CO Commander who had a cancerous tumor (malignant) removed - it was attached to one of her kidneys so the kidney had to be removed as well. She is now on Chemotherapy. CPT Lyons went home for the surgery but was recently returned to duty. So please keep him and his daughter and wife (Maria) in your prayers - thank you! I am so thankful for all of you. Thanks for your continued support.
Love in Christ,
(This is an email to Michele from Pastor Bob, she said it's a compilation of several emails.)
I am in Iraq. I will not be able to call for a while. Everything went well on our flight. It is actually COLD here right now - no kidding! It is very sandy and dirty with dust flying everywhere. I have a new room and bed with airconditioning. I get a room for myself - yes!
Everything is going well here. It is colder than Kuwait and the wind constantly blows. The end of their winter is near and the sand and dust storms are beginning. I live in a brand new trailer with Cheif Wilcox and CPT Husemann - we each have our own room. Our showers and toliets are in seperate trailers which we have to walk to. Our rooms are surrounded by concrete barriers and we have "bomb" shelters right outside if we get a mortar attack. Our aircraft get fired upon a lot less now, the Airforce has dropped a few 2 ton bomb near a village of Saddam sympathizers. Things are pretty quiet here in comparison to what it used to be. My flight here was very interesting. It was in a Shirpa (sp?) - a twin engine Army Fixed wing aircraft - it looks like a box on wheels. We flew in at 14000 feet - so we had to wear oxygen masks. Then it dropped VERY QUICKLY to about 70 to 90 feet off the ground as it approached Balad - that was cool! The Iraqi's in the feilds waved at us as we flew by. The laborers in our camp are all local Iraqi's and we pay them 5 dollars an hour in US currency. That is a lot of money for them. There are very expensive Persian Rugs here, hand made by generation after generation of the same family. People are buying them for about $600 to $1000 but would cost 5x more in the US. They are nice.
I went to Bible study last night. The Eastern Orthodox Chaplain is leading. He is using Serendipity materials so it is very good. He is from California and was Episcopalian. He did not like how liberal they were getting so he switched to Orthodox. He is a very nice man and seems to be a good Chaplain. There is one other LCMS Chaplain here. He is the Deputy Post Chaplain. He is from Milwaukee.
March 18, 2004 letter
Our entire convoy made it safely from Kuwait to Iraq. But we did encounter IED's (Improvised Explosive Devices). They were discovered before they could be detonated so that is good - Thank God! We have been attacked by rockets and mortars about three times so far. All have been on the opposite side of the Camp from where I live and work. One of the rockets came in and did not even explode. Things are calming down alot. They are being fired by foriegn fighters - not Iraqi's. We have over 400 Iraqi's employed on our airbase and I have talked to a handful of them. They all say to me "tell your family thank you fo letting you come here." I have seen and I here things that you probably will not see on television. The people here were starving, on our convoy, children were coming up to us and begging for food. Saddam had hurt his people by taking the aid money and using it to build all of his palaces rather than helping his people. So, every Iraqi I have talked to is
very happy we are here. I much more to tell, but time is short so i will give you another update soon. God bless and keep praying for us. Our pilots have already started some missions and they are dangerous.
-Pastor Bob
Here is my next update and attached is a list of items that we could use here in Iraq.
April 5, 2004 letter
We had our first dust/sandstorm since coming to Iraq. It hit at about 20:30 and lasted most of the night. The wind was very strong and when you looked outside it seemed that the whole place was covered in fog - as soon as you stepped outside, you discovered it was dirt and sand! About 01:00 I woke up to what I thought was large rain drops hitting our trailer, turns out it was rocks being thrown about by the wind. Needless to say but all of our helicopters stayed on the ground that night. We are flying 24/7 missions in the most dangerous areas in Iraq - but your prayers are working! Our helicopters seem to miss the majority of missle launches and our convoys have not encountered any IED's (Improvised Explosive Devices) - so thank you for the prayers. We really appreciate them. In fact, at one of our meetings the Battalion Commander said he did not know why we were just missing attacks and missle launches - then he said, "Chaplain, those prayers must be working. Keep them up!" So make sure you continue to pray for us - especially right now when we have to fly daily into Baghdad, Mosul, Tikrit and Fallujah and other places. I currently lead two worship services on Sunday - one at 09:30 and the other at 14:00. Each Sunday the number of worshippers increases - please pray that God continues to send more soldiers our way. I have a Baptism class and Confirmation class starting after Easter since some soldiers have asked me to start them (praise God!). There is another LCMS Chaplain here (MAJ David Sorensen from Milwaukee, WI). He is on the "North" side of the airbase and I am on the "South" side of the airbase. I am busy each day with "on the spot counseling" - this happens when a soldiers asks, "Chaplain, can I talk to you?" You never know what it will be about. Sometimes it is about relationships going bad, or a family member who is sick, or a soldier who is just scared about a mission coming up. The Military Chaplaincy is such a needed ministry - thank you for your support. We are getting ready for Easter and will have an outdoor sunrise service. I continue to become friends with Iraq nationals who are employed here - they call me "Chaplain." I am allowed to speak with them and if they ask, I can tell them about Jesus - so pray that they ask! All of us share the same mission and purpose, just like Trinity's Purpose Statement declares: to save the lost and to strengthen the saved! Morale here is good - especially because of the good housing and food that we have. The most important time of the day is mail call. Everyone is happy whenever their name is called! Thank you for sending me your encouraging cards and those snacks! That is all for now. God bless each one of you and keep those prayers coming! In christ,
Chaplain (CPT) Robert Geaschel
April 18, 2004 letter
Just after midnight tonight Jim is pounding on my door. I open it and he says one of our Chinooks is down. We get to the TOC and find out that it's crew called in a "mayday" and then the emergency beacon went off (it goes off automatically on impact). The CSAR (Combat search and Rescue) team was launched from our airport. I had a prayer with the rest of their Company - two of our Chinooks were still flying. The CSAR find the Chinook on its side and on fire. The five crew members were all out of the bird and are fine. I went to the CASH (Combat Army Surgical Hospital) where they were flown to. I was with them in the ER as they were each checked by the docs. They are now back in our housing area - I have been up all night. I have witnessed five walking miracles. You rarely survive a Chinook crash. So when you here about a helicopter from Balad - the 106th Aviation or C-193 from Hawaii, that is all the same unit. I am tired, good night
Chaplain (CPT) Robert Geaschel
Pastor Bob's Update from Iraq
Hello everyone! First let me say how important all of you are to the success of my mission and ministry here in Iraq. I certainly am encouraged by each of your e-mails, "snail mail" and of course the wonderful packages. I have to say, and perhaps there are combat veterans who are reading this who will understand, that your prayers are felt and answered on a daily basis. When the Elders had me come forward at church just before I left to FT. Knox, they placed their hands on me and prayed for me - that sense of God's presence has not left. All I can say is this, keep up those prayers, they are vital. I am reminded of St. Paul's request to the Thessalonians, "Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith." Thank you so much for your prayers. They have covered me and kept me safe that is for sure.
I will not give you all the details but let me tell you about a couple incidents. I had the most interesting Good Friday ever. The Lutheran Good Friday worship service was held at the Main Camp Chapel (a tent) - on the North side of the airbase. At the beginning of the service we mention what the soldiers are to do in the event we begin to take indirect fire (mortar or rocket attack). Guess what, about two minutes into the sermon we hear the rockets come in and begin to explode. The ground shakes and we put on our body armor, Kevlar helmets and move into the bunker. There, in the bunker, we finish the worship service - no one was injured in the attack. About two days later local Iraqi's showed our troops some homes where foreigners were stirring up trouble. Our infantry went and found a couple of people from Iran, rockets and rocket launchers, as well as Saddam sympathizers.
Please know that the VAST majority of the Iraqi people are very glad that we are here. They are not happy that people from Iran and Syria are coming in and causing trouble, nor are they in agreement with their own who are causing trouble. In the last few weeks I have flown on our Blackhawk helicopters to Tikrit, Kirkuk, Baghdad and other places. What did I see on each of the trips? People waving at us, jumping up and down. They are very happy that we are here. Those who were forced out of power and were serving the former dictator have mostly ended up in one location - Fallujah. The very Colonel who stole his soldiers pay and retreated from the airbase we now operate from is located in Fallujah. They have no where else to go and we will not let them get back into power to abuse people all over again. Please pray for the Iraqi people, they very much want us to be successful - success means that they have an elected government, a peaceful homeland and that US soldiers begin to go home. Believe me, that is what every soldier wants too!
Today the Iraq people who work for us gave us a surprise. We have hired a local contractor to paint the hangers and install new lighting. They have been working very hard for us the last few days on a project that is expected to last a few weeks. When they reported for work today, they brought with them a ton of food. They made a buffet of their favorite food at lunch time just for us. They said it was their way to say "thank you" for our service in Iraq. They had bread much like pita, seasoned meats, fresh vegetables - it was wonderful.
I know that Fallujah has been in the news lately and our helicopters fly in that area often, so remember to keep them in your prayers too. My unit has many different missions - we fly the 1st Infantry Division, transport Iraqi prisoners, fly the FBI, Special Operation Forces, WMD inspection teams, and transport VIP's like Paul Bremmer. We are the only Air Assault helicopter unit in Iraq so our pilots fly day and night. It was at night that our Chinook helicopter made a crash landing after losing the ability to see anything as a severe dust storm hit them in flight. Jim Luce came to my room and said those horrible words, "Helicopter down South of Baghdad, the Commander wants you at the TOC right away." When I got there we did not know if anyone had survived - the only thing the Air Force could get was the emergency beacon that goes off on impact. F-16's were dispatched as well as a special rescue team. As they approached the area they reported that the helicopter was on the ground and on fire. I asked the soldiers to pray - so we joined hands in a circle and prayed. The rescue team found that all five of the crew made it out of the burning wreckage alive! Praise God! I went to the hospital where the medevac helicopter had taken them - they were all cut, bruised and banged up pretty good but they have all returned to duty!
My ministry continues to expand as I put into practice our congregational purpose statement, "to save the lost and to strengthen the saved." Please pray that God's Word would work in the hearts and minds of the soldiers here and that God would open more doors for me to witness to the Iraqi people. Because of the "Case For Christ" books that you have provided I continue to discuss the truth of Jesus to those who do not believe. There is a Captain here who has shown a tremendous interest in Christianity lately. Please pray for my witness - that others will come to know Christ as Lord and Savior. I continue to lead worship twice a week and will start a confirmation class soon.
Jim Luce continues to be a tremendous help to me as he is my body guard whenever we fly or travel around our camp. He assists with worship and puts together all of the worship materials for each Sunday. Our address has changed a little (see below) I know he would love to hear from you too. If you have any specific questions about Iraq or the ministry opportunities here, just ask. We really enjoy getting your letters and e-mails! Some of you have sent regular letters by "air mail" and paid more than you need. All letters going to an APO take only the standard $.37 - don't let the postal workers tell you otherwise, I do not want you to spend more than you need.
Again, continue to keep us in your prayers.
CH (CPT) Robert Geaschel
SPC Jim Luce
Pastor Bob's Update from Iraq
Hello everyone. Here is another update on all that is going on here.
The weather has certainly changed! We have been in the 100+ degrees now for four days and were told to get used to it, for it will only get worse. Today reached 107 and in June it will reach 120+. So what does it feel like you ask? Let me give you this analogy, turn on your oven to 100 degrees and climb in. Next have someone turn on a hair dryer at high heat and medium air speed and point it right at your face. There, now you know what Iraq feels like. It is constantly windy and we have dust and sand "tornadoes" every day. They just jump out of no where and swirl around. Get caught in one and you will be moved around and pelted with sand for a few minutes. I was caught in one this last week.
This past Monday I had to lead the unit in a memorial ceremony for SSG Bill Chaney (from Schaumburg). You may have read about his death. He was from my unit - served at Midway airport. Please keep B-Company in your prayers and the Chaney family too. Bill was a Vietnam Veteran and chose to go with the unit to Iraq. He was an excellent soldier and we all wll miss him.
I am happy to report that my Sunday morning worship service has filled the room which we use and I have put in a request to be given a larger space for worship. Praise God!
Soldiers continue to pass around the Case for Christ books and ask me questions. Another soldier came to church for the first time in over five years - I have been encouraging him to come and he finally showed up! Keep him in your prayers, his name is Alan. I have asked two other soldiers to come to church - well actually I have asked much more - so keep the prayers coming, the soldiers here are asking faith questions and I hope God continues to use us here to make a difference among our soldiers and the Iraqi people. I have been invited to lunch tomorrow with Mahmood and Sajeed - I will try to take pictures and send them out so you can see the people we work with. Pray for them, they like 95% of Iraqi's are Muslim.
I have had two soldiers request to be Baptized, so we are making plans to go to the Euphrates River - where other U.S. soldiers go to be baptized.
Our unit is working with Operation Iraqi Children and we will collect and distribute bookbags and new school supplies for the children here. The little girls are the most excited since they encouraged to go to school with the boys now. Some areas allowed girls to go to school and some did not. Now they all do!
It seemed like Christmas this week too. The Army gave us a large duffel bag filled with new uniforms including two new pair of boots! All of the issue is new for field testing. It all looks much better than the gear it is replacing. Because we will help test the equipment we get to keep all of it when we leave!
I guess that is all for now, again thank you for your prayers. Remember our purpose, "to save the lost and to strengthen the saved."
-Pastor Bob
Chaplain (CPT) Robert Geaschel
June 16, 2004 letter
Hello everyone. Below is a report I found online right after todays rocket attack here at Anaconda. 8-12 rockets were fired at us. I am fine and everyone in my unit is ok too. Last night a rocket hit the runway where we park the helicopters and where we run for exercise - 2 helicopters were damaged but no one hurt. Thank God. KEEP PRAYING. Tomorrow at 0900 Iraq time we have a convoy that leaves Anaconda on a 150 trip to a Forward Operating Base. Please pray for their safety. Thanks for all of your support - but especially we appreciate your prayers!
-Pastor Bob
Rocket Attack Kills Two GIs in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq — A rocket slammed into a U.S. logistics base Wednesday near the city of Balad, killing two U.S. soldiers and wounding 26 people, the military said.
Two of the wounded were civilians working on the base, and two others were flown to Baghdad for treatment, according to a statement from the U.S. Army's 13th Corps Support Command, which occupies the sprawling base known as Camp Anaconda (search).
At least fourteen of the injured were taken to the U.S. Army's 31st Combat Support Hospital on the base and seven were treated at a separate clinic, according to a military statement.
Air and ground units responded to the attack, the military said. Balad is 50 miles north of Baghdad.
On June 6, a U.S. soldier on the same base was killed and another wounded in a mortar attack.
Hello everyone!
We continue to have hundreds of Iraqi's come on our post every day to work with us. I interact with many of them. I am slowly building my Arabic vocabulary. One day I was walking out to the Chapel and I was carrying about 15 Armed Forces Devotionals. The Iraqi workers wanted to know what I had. I showed it to one - and they all wanted one. So I passed them all out. One asked me what it was for and I said it was a tool to help us pray to God and to learn more about Him from the Bible. I said I was a Christian.
Immediately all but two returned the books to me - BUT two of them asked if they could keep them. I of course said YES! The two that kept them knew some English - so pray that God's Word would work in their hearts. Worship here continues to go strong with new faces each week. I preach at the 0930 Christian Praise service every other week and at the 1400 Lutheran Communion service every week. The Case For Christ books are being shared and talked about and I have had some requests for more - I am all out. If anyone wants to send some to me, I could use them. I have just finished the four week sermon series on Jonah (Nineveh is around Mosul, Iraq). That was a good sermon series for us, reminding us of God's grace and compassion. I have been to Babylon now, that was an interesting trip. So much from the Bible happened in Iraq - it is amazing. Thanks for your prayers. Our convoy had no problems. Keep us daily in your prayers please. Some prayer requests:
1. Specialist K. Matt Maupin - captured U.S. Soldier, is still being held somewhere in Iraq. Please pray for his safe rescue.
2. Pray for the people of Iraq and the new government. The best hope for the people here is for a good government and a stable nation - free from terrorist.
God bless!
Dear Friends!
Let me tell you some more about our Camp. It continues to get upgraded as more and more Air Force units show up. Whenever the Air Force shows up, quality of living increases dramatically. We now have an indoor theater, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, air conditioning in all of our buildings and work areas, satellite television and internet in our offices. We have a large PX where it is kept full of food and other items for us to purchase. Our dining facility is HUGE with a main course line, short order grill line, soup and salad bar and dessert section. We have water, milk, juice and soda at every meal. The Dining Facility (D-Fac) is open four times each day. Our laundry is done for us free of charge, but if you want your uniforms pressed, then it will cost you. Haircuts are required, and you have to pay $3.00 for a haircut. Or get your hair cut by the Batallion Barber - someone with clippers, but no training! OK, all of this sounds really good right? But what they are all surrounded by is dust, dirt, sand, a never ending wind, and the daily Red Alert sirens which send you into the bunkers and the wonderful smells of the port-a-potty trucks that drive around everywhere (there is no indoor plumbing where we work). Add the fact that we are separated from family and friends, every extra living enhancement that we get is a welcome one. Right now, they are building a gymnasium for us and our new chapel is being constructed at the same time. That means the current gym and chapel will get to move out of the tents and be located in hard buildings - with new airconditioners and generators! The ministry is going well - although the numbers have dropped off a bit this summer because it is so HOT in the tent. So I can hardly wait for our new building to be completed.
We had a ceremony a few weeks ago where our unit was awarded its combat patch from the US Army III Corps for duty in a hostile environment. Our unit has earned about three combat patches now. The other two are for service with the 1st and 2nd Infantry Divisions. I am currently teaching a class called "Who is Jesus? A Study of Jesus as Presented in the Gospel of Luke." The class is going well, I have soldiers from other units attending that class.
If you want to e-mail me, please use my army e-mail address. I am having problems with my AOL right now. I only ask you one thing please. DO NOT send me any forwards, jokes, stories, etc - NONE please. My Army e-mail has a limit to space. And I would much rather hear about you than a good joke. So write if you want, ,but do not be upset if I ask you to stop sending Forwards, jokes, stories, etc. I just do not have the space or time to read them - sorry! My army e-mail is robert.geaschel@us.army.mil If you have any questions that you would like me to answer in the next update, please ask. I will be glad to give you whatever information possible about our experience here so far. Also, I have been asked what could be sent to me. Let me start by saying what we do not need because of generous donations already. We do not need:
Items we can always use and that puts smiles on soldiers faces are:
Thank you everyone for your prayers! We really appreciate all of your prayers. Thanks to those who have sent me care packages. Thanks especially for the Case For Christ books! They are going fast and many lives are being changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ - praise God! Getting ready for another baptism. After reading the Gospels and turning to Acts, the soldier read about Philip and the Ethiopian Eunich - so we are having a Baptism soon! Praise God! Pray for the Iraqi people and their government. Pray for the Iraqi Christians who for the first time are allowed to share their faith - but have suffered through the recent bombing of their churches.
-Pastor Bob
Chaplain (CPT) Robert Geaschel
Hello everyone!
Here is my Iraq update so far for September. The bad news: we are all back to wearing our body armor. The good news: the weather is about 15 degrees cooler, around 100 to 107. My unit continues to be very busy in its mission here (and in some instances increasing). My work has been increasing too. Since we have been here for over six months now there are alot of interpersonal relationship issues, family issue, etc. that I have been involved with. The soldiers come to me and ask for my help or just for a prayer.
Our new chapel seems to be at a standstill. The construction was going well, but now it has stopped. The workers have not showed for about seven days now. They are from Turkey. We hope they will show up soon. The chapel was supposed to be finished by September 15th. We had about four more air-conditioners break in our current chapel - so the temperature is not helpful for worship.
Next Sunday we are having "Friendship Sunday." We have asked every soldier to invite a friend to come to chapel with them. We hope that many who have been witnessing to their friends will be able to bring fellow soldiers to worship. Pray that the Gospel is proclaimed clearly and effectively on this day! Pray also for those soldiers who witness to others of God's love in Christ - that their witness may be bold and that their actions might be evidence of their faith in Jesus.
Last Wednesday "The Passion of the Christ" played in our unit theater. It was packed - and many left with tears in their eyes. Today a soldier who has never been to worship here, but saw the movie said he was amazed a just what the Lord went through for us. We talked for a bit and I hope he will come to chapel this Sunday.
Last Thursday I led a memorial service for two soldiers from an Illinois transportation unit. They were killed when a mortar attack hit where they were sleeping. The transportation units are in need of our prayers - a very dangerous job here in Iraq. Please pray for this unit as they have dealt with a number of injuries and deaths since they have been here. They have six months of service left here in Iraq.
I will be home in October for two weeks or R&R. I hope to see you all at church on Sunday, October 24th. That is when I am planning to be at Trinity. I have asked for the opportunity to speak at the Bible study time between services. I want to be able to share with you what I am doing and answer whatever questions you may have. I am looking forward to worship with you as I am missing the awesome music and liturgy of our church.
Time here seems to be going quickly. Very fast in fact. I hope it seems the same way for you. I am so happy to see the pictures of Pastor Curtis at his ordination and installation. I am happy to know that you all are moving forward to make Trinity a spiritually healthy congregation.
Thank you for supporting and working so well with Pastor Reinhardt. He and his wonderful wife are truly belssings to us at Trinity.
I miss you all and I am looking forward to seeing you soon. God bless and continue to pray for us!
-Pastor Bob
Chaplain (CPT) Robert Geaschel
Here is my next Iraq update which is so long overdue. I want to begin by remembering an event that happened just before I came home for R&R. On October 7th I attended a memorial ceremony for a Transportation Soldier who was killed when a roadside bomb detonated beside his truck. This unit has lost a number of soldiers and had a number of them injured. I attended to show them my support and to encourage their Chaplain, Chaplain Stowers. But what I walked away with was more than I could have imagined. I was the one encouraged. It turns out that the soldier who died (Allen Duane Nolan) was a Christian – and everyone in his unit knew it. Remember, I knew nothing about this soldier until I attended this ceremony. But, it turns out that this soldier helped lead a weekly Bible study, and led his platoon in prayer before each convoy mission – he lived what he believed. In short, his daily life was a living testimony of his faith in Jesus. This was evident from the many testimonies of fellow soldiers during the memorial ceremony. He lived a simple lifestyle of daily worship to the Lord. Everything he did, he did to the glory of God. He was not just a truck driver; he was a Christian truck driver. I tell this to you because it does not matter if you are a Chaplain or a truck driver; God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. When we live for Him, it makes all the difference in the world – we are more likely to have a positive witness to unbelievers and be an encourager to fellow believers. That is what it means to “save the lost and strengthen the saved” – and I was strengthened by the faith of this one soldier. He leaves behind a wife and five children so please put the Nolan family in your prayers.
Then I came home for R&R – I really loved the time I had with all of my friends and family. Michele and I took Jesse to Orlando to spend a family vacation at Disney. We had a blast – absolutely loved it. We stayed at the military resort “Shades of Green” and really, really enjoyed the time together. It was a special blessing to see everyone from Trinity, my home congregation. It was especially nice to catch up on all the hugs I have been missing out on! I look forward to returning after my tour of duty is completed.
I returned to Iraq and had a bad case of Jet Lag. I was down because it was so sad to leave home again. But things were looking up as I got my inner clock on track and was getting over my post-leave blues when a terrible event happened.
Major Husemann came to me and whispered in my ear, “you should go to the TOC.” I sensed urgency in his voice. I am never called to the Tactical Operations Center unless there is an emergency. I walked in and the room was awash in precision movements and commands. I knew the routine; it was the same when our Chinook went down at the beginning of our duty in Iraq. This time, it was a Blackhawk. The report is “Blackhawk shot down. Three injured, one serious.”
I looked on the emergency procedures chart and saw the aviation mission number. I quickly turned to the mission board and found the mission details, including the names of the crew – two pilots, two door gunners. I know all of them. I wonder who is hurt. I wonder if three are injured and one is dead. I determined this kind of thinking was not where I should be dwelling so I began to silently pray for them all. By the time our Commander landed in his aircraft and entered the TOC, rescue operations were well underway. LTC Allen then asked everyone to stop what they were doing for a quick update and after speaking, he asked me to pray. Our entire TOC prayed for the soldiers and their safety. Then they went right back to the rescue and recovery effort.
A Blackhawk landed at the site and two more were sent to give cover and assistance if necessary. A quick reactionary force was assembled and ready to launch, the Air Force was standing by as well as our “Dart” team – Downed Aircraft Recovery Team.
Within minutes everyone from the Blackhawk that was shot down was put in the Blackhawk that landed. They took off for a rendezvous with a medevac helicopter that was waiting nearby in a safer location. The medevac flew the wounded to 31st CASH aeromedical trauma unit in Baghdad. There they received the best medical care available in theater. It was then that we got the first picture of who was injured – one pilot uninjured, one pilot lost two legs and was in surgery, one door gunner with leg wound and was in surgery, one door gunner bullet in back and was going to x-ray.
The Battalion Commander, HHC Commander, two Flight Surgeons and I flew to Baghdad in two Blackhawk helicopters to be at the hospital when they came out of surgery. We were allowed in their recovery rooms to visit and pray with them.
Many of you have heard the news about the conditions of the soldiers by now. Two are recovering in the United States and one has been returned to duty – with the bullet still in him! The one shot in the lower back will be just fine. He was sent to the hospital in Germany and then he requested to be sent back to Iraq. He just got back a few days ago. Thankfully everyone survived. The pilot, CPT Tammy Duckworth has many days of recovery ahead of her, but she is one of the strongest women I have ever met – I know she will not let being a double amputee stand in the way of her goals.
Everything else is going well. Our Brigade is being replaced right now. Our Battalion counterparts are coming soon. We have packed four shipping containers and had them inspected by customs. The transition is going well so far – with no word of any extension. So hopefully, we will not be one of the units extended.
Thank you for all that you have sent to us. As of right now I will ask all of you to stop sending care packages to me after December 18. Please no packages after December 18. Since we are packing and because of your generosity to us already, we will not need anything after that time. Please know that we are VERY grateful for all that you have sent. We KNOW without a doubt that we are supported by the wonderful people of the United States. THANK YOU all very much.
-Chaplain Bob Geaschel
Chaplain (CPT) Robert Geaschel
December 17, 2004 Pictures and info
Click here to see new pictures of Pastor Bob.
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I do not know where to begin - so much has been going on around here. One thing I know for sure, the rainy season is horrible! There is mud everywhere and it get's down to the low 40's high 30's overnight.
It is very busy around here since our REPLACEMENTS have arrived!!! The 1-189th, HQ out of Montana are here! Our official date to leave Iraq for Kuwait is now February 6, 2005. I will be leaving for our de-mobilization site soon after that. We will not go back to FT Knox, instead we will be sent to Camp Attabury, Indiana. We hope that our demobilization process will not take long. We have to endure a series of briefings and medical evaluations. There is still no definite date when I will be back home in Illinois.
Our new Chapel is now complete and we are only awaiting furniture in order for us to worship there. It is a very nice building. We continue to worship in the Dining Facility Leaders Room - a seperate room within the D-Fac set aside for VIP dining. It works well for worship.
We have completed "The Purpose Driven Life" book in a 40 day program. We have wrapped up a Bible Study on 1-3 John. Currently we are reading "The Screwtape Letters" by CS Lewis and our current Bible Study is on Philippians. My last sermon here in Iraq will be Sunday, January 30.
A new ministry opportunity that has opened up for me has been with a Special Forces unit located near to where I am. All I can tell you is that I have been serving with them and providing their religious support for the last five weeks after their Chaplain was injured in an aircraft accident. The Green Berets are an awesome group and I have really enjoyed serving with them.
Let me close by saying that the power of prayer and of God's praying people have sustained our unit and our mission more than I could have ever imagined. We faced danger everyday, and other obstacles as well - and through it all, the Lord has answered the prayers on our behalf. For all of you who have kept us in your prayers, THANK YOU! But please do not stop now. Continue to pray for us, and for all of our soldiers and units serving in Iraq. Pray also for the Iraqi people and especially for the elections. We hope that all goes well for the Iraqi's and hope that they might enjoy real freedom for the first time in their lives. This freedom includes religious freedom - a special and pecious gift!
God bless you all - see you soon... in the blessed USA!!!!
CH (CPT) Robert Geaschel
Pastor Bob and his unit landed at Camp Atterbury in Indiana at 10PM Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005! We thank God for the safe return of Pastor and all the soldiers.
Update from Chaplain Mike Sneath
A blessed Advent to you as you prepare for our Lord’s coming. May the wonder of Christ’s birth fill you with joy in this Christmas season!
As I write, I am currently underway on a three-week training exercise with the USS NIMITZ Carrier Strike Group. This is the initial training phase where all the units are able to work together for the first time in preparation for our strike group deployment next year. For the deployment, I will have two destroyers (the USS HIGGINS and the USS CHAFEE) to “take care of” that do not have a chaplain permanently assigned to them – each with about 350 sailors on board. Much like the itinerant preacher of the Old West, I will fly over to each ship, conduct worship services, stay for a brief time (a week or so), and then fly off to the other ship or back to the carrier where my staff is stationed. No permanent home, but plenty of work to do and people to care for.
Since I last wrote, I have been busy caring for the five ships of my squadron. Yes, we’ve grown. In September, I helped prepare one of my ships to transfer her home port from San Diego to Japan. And then we gained three new ships. That gives me a congregation of about 2100 sailors plus their families.
I split my time between the ships and get underway with each of them as I can – about 10-12 days a month. Being at sea gives me a captive audience and I am able to spend considerable hours doing “deckplate” ministry – walking around, encouraging my sailors, offering prayers, and leading devotions. It is amazing the conversations you can have on the bridge-wing at 2am, staring up at the stars of the sky! Even the most hardened sailor becomes a bit introspective and even receptive to a gently spoken Word from the Almighty God, creator of the seas and the heavens.
But perhaps the most satisfying part of my underway ministry lasts only about 90 seconds – the nightly Evening Prayer. According to naval tradition, the Chaplain gives an Evening Prayer over the ship’s speaker system each night, just before lights out. It is truly a holy moment, where everyone on the ship can be reached – emotionally, spiritually – and can bring a word of hope and peace into the chaos and confusion. It seems so simple, but it makes a significant difference in their lives. Sailors are just like all of us – needing to know God is with us and cares about us – needing hope and grace.
At home in San Diego, the bulk of my ministry continues to be counseling – helping sailors deal with the challenges of life. The issues faced by sailors are the same types of things that civilians face – family, personal and work challenges. And even though those problems seem “worse” in the face of a six-month deployment, the truth of God’s Law and Gospel remains. Our decisions have consequences. We are all sinners in need of the forgiveness won for us by Christ Jesus.
I have also had the opportunity to bring three people into the family of God through the waters of Holy Baptism. One was one of my sailors, an 18-year veteran who told me, “Chaplain, I’ve never been baptized – and I know I need it. Can you help me?” Praise be to God who gives new life! What an honor and joy. By naval tradition, the ship’s bell is used as the baptismal font. And after the service, the name of the person and the date of the baptism are engraved inside.
God has truly blessed my ministry with Destroyer Squadron 23 and I have enjoyed serving here. However, one of the basic truth’s of Navy life is that you never stay anywhere long. My tour here will be done in October ’05. Currently I am slated to become the Chaplain for Coast Guard Group Milwaukee. Orders can always change (they already have once), but we are very much looking forward to three years of shore duty and are hopeful that we will be back to the Midwest and Cubs country!
The Sneath family continues to enjoy Southern California, although we desperately miss the change of seasons and weather. A new record was set this summer – six months with no rain. We have enjoyed visiting Disneyland and the Zoo, and this year Abby started pre-school! We’ve also been thrilled to play hotel for several Trinity folks who have come to visit.
I thank you for your prayers for us and for the ministry here. Please continue to pray – especially when we head out on deployment for many months – that God would keep us safe, but mostly that He would bless the sharing of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
You also will be in our prayers, for we hold you in our hearts. May our gracious and merciful Lord be with you and hold you fast in His loving hand. Have a wonder-filled Christmas and a blessed New Year!
Because of Jesus,
And they will call him Immanuel--which means, "God with us." – Matthew 1:23b (NIV)
2. "The Case For Christ" by Lee Strobel. This is an excellent book and would provide skeptics with the answers they are looking for. So if any of you want to, please send a copy or two to my address below - the sooner the better. Thanks for considering this.
-In Christ, Pastor Bob
Pastor Bob
March 11, 2004 letter
Task Force 185th Aviation
HHC 1-106th Aviation Regiment
APO AE 09391
Task Force 185th Aviation
HHC 1-106th Aviation Regiment
APO AE 09391
5 May 2004
Love in Christ, Pastor Bob
Task Force 185th Aviation Group
HHC 1-106th Aviation Regiment
APO AE 09391
Task Force 185th Aviation Group
HHC 1-106th Aviation Regiment
APO AE 09391
26 May 2004
Task Force 185th Aviation Group
HHC 1-106th Aviation Regiment
APO AE 09391
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Things are going very well here for us in Iraq. R&R has started so we have troops leaving for two weeks of "Rest and Relaxation." A welcomed relief for many. After telling you about the attacks here because the media had reported it already, there are some things you should be aware of. First, these attacks are now few and far between the normal day of "peaceful" activities here at Anaconda. The attacks are not well planned or effective. Most of the time the rounds are duds and do not explode. The last report of so many rockets hitting us was false, it was actually less. I did not find that out until after I sent out my last e-mail.
A few people here get hurt on occaision, but in comparison to the thousands and thousands of soldiers we have here, the risk of injury is VERY small.
-Pastor Bob
Here is my next update from LSA Anaconda, Iraq. We are starting to see the beginnings of a change in weather. It is getting darker about a half hour earlier and the mornings are cooler. The days are still all over 100 degrees, but... it is a DRY heat! Whatever that means. We freeze our water bottles solid, and in less than 30 minutes they are all thawed. So that tells you how hot it is. We continue to fly our helicopters 24 hours a day and my unit has set many military records for aircraft hours flown and maintaining such a high operational readiness. I have never worked with better Army soldiers than this Aviation unit. We are reminded daily that there are people who do not want us here - but that is all I can say about that due to Operational Security. I have put together a trip for Chaplains to see the Babylon ruins. We took that trip on August 10th. I have a lot of pictures to share with you. I have a great picture of the tower of Babel ruins.
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Toilet Paper
Anti-bacterial Wipes
Q-Tips
Shampoo
Soap
Combs
Kleenex
Socks
Hand Sanitizer
Chapstick
Sunblock
Snacks (chips, canned fruit, beef jerky, all kinds of pop-tarts, cereal, etc)
Bath Towels (dark solid colors)
Hard Candy
Powdered Gatorade (In the plastic containers)
Any unwanted DVD's (soldiers get together for movie nights in our area - easier than going across post to the theater)
Hot Chocolate (getting ready for the winter here - gets down in the 30's)
Paper towels
Task Force 185th Aviation Group
HHC 1-106th Aviation Regiment
APO AE 09391
Task Force 185th Aviation Group
HHC 1-106th Aviation Regiment
APO AE 09391
Task Force 185th Aviation Group
HHC 1-106th Aviation Regiment
APO AE 09391
http://www.autozone.com/
Task Force Eagle Chaplain
Dear friends at Trinity,
Chaplain Mike Sneath