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March welcomes Air Force Reserve's first full-time chaplain

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Zach Anderson
  • 4th Air Force Public Affairs
Standing in front of the wooden altar, leather-bound Bible in hand, Chaplain (Maj.) Craig Benson looks as natural as any other chaplain in the sanctuary of the March Air Reserve Base chapel.

What sets Chaplain Benson apart is his status. He is the first of six fulltime chaplains the Air Force Reserve is placing at six of its busiest locations: Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.; Schriever Air Force Base, Colo.; Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., and at March.

According to Chaplain (Col.) Don Smith, AFR command chaplain, March and the other locations were chosen because of high deployment rates and operational tempos. The idea is that full-time chaplains will help people better deal with major stresses in their lives.

In this new position with the 452nd Air Mobility Wing, Chaplain Benson augments five reserve chaplains and provides full-time support to the base.

He's excited about serving as a trailblazer in this developing program.

"I feel like this is a great opportunity and something that is very rewarding. It's a new position and we are creating it as we go. We really don't know how it will change or what it will look like two years from now," said Chaplain Benson.

"At a reserve base, people don't live on the base or close by. The chaplains are part-time, and they are here only during that one weekend a month. But stuff happens during the week, not just on the drill weekend. You need someone full-time to work those issues, get coordination going and be there for the Air Reserve Technicians, the civilians here, the reservists who are on two or three-day tours, and we can provide that help," he said.