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Chaplain candidate: 'I do it for the Airmen'

  • Published
  • By Airman Emily E. Amyotte
  • 460th Space Wing Public Affairs
BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  For Airmen aspiring to become chaplains, it takes a lot of time and effort and their dedication to the men and women in uniform. Second Lt. Scot Kerns, 460th Space Wing chaplain candidate, can attest to that.

His time at the Air Force Academy opened his eyes to the need for someone to turn to for guidance during basic training and the daily stresses of being in the military.

"Starting during basic training you have those questions of identity, security, meaning and purpose," Kerns said. "Like, 'who are you?' and 'where are you going?' You realize that, guess what -- you're not in control. Something is over you and generally that brings people back. They begin to think, 'maybe I need to see if there's something out there with meaning and purpose.' And I want to be who they can turn to find the Holy."

Kerns had previously been a pastor at St. Paul's Lutheran church near Lincoln, Kansas.

When asked the biggest difference in his transition from being a civilian pastor to a military chaplain candidate, he recalled other than the demographic; it's the change of pace.

"As a sole pastor out in the-middle-of-nowhere Kansas," explained the chaplain candidate. "I am it; the buck stops with me. Whereas in the military, we're a team - a chapel team, and learning how to understand the dynamics, and working with both enlisted and officers is quite the experience."

Becoming a chaplain is not a quick and easy task, it takes much more than what people realize, the Buckley chapel staff agreed.

On top of the required four-year bachelor's degree he received from Concordia University of Chicago, Kerns also had four years of education at Concordia Theological Seminary, equaling a total of almost a decade of post-secondary schooling.

During his religious leadership experience, Kerns said there's the spiritual aspect of going to seminary where he performed field work for his first two years, then again for his fourth. In his third year he went to vicarage, which is an internship under a pastor, similar to the structure of which he is currently a part at Buckley's chapel.

Kern's path is similar to what all other candidates have gone through to earn the title of chaplain; each completes a five-week officer training course, a two-week Chaplain Candidate Course, and two, five-week chaplain candidate intensive internship tours. His supervisor, Protestant Chaplain (Capt.) Joseph Eggleston, 460th Space Wing, explained that he had a similar experience and hopes to share his knowledge with Kerns.

"Being his supervisor is a good opportunity to give something back and help somebody else who is doing the exact same thing I was six or seven years ago," Eggleston said. "Hopefully, I'm providing some good leadership and guidance for the next generation."

When it comes down to it, Kerns' dedication to helping people is what shines through here at Buckley on his fifth five-week Chaplain Candidate Intensive Internship Tour.

"It's hard not to think about what a privilege it is to serve the men and women in uniform," Kerns said. "I want to be with people in their darkest times and happiest times; nothing else. I do it for the Airmen and their families."