This morning I headed to the DFAC for an early breakfast. I found an empty seat and was later joined by SGT Smith and SGT Geeley – two nice young soldiers. They were just back from RR in the states and headed back to Afghanistan.

Everyone here is either coming from or going to a Forward Operating Base in the Middle East. Someone said the airbase is like a giant Greyhound bus station but with airplanes instead of buses. Some 3,000 to 6,000 troops come through the base every day. Some are in and out in 24 hours, others spend multiple days waiting on a flight to their destination. It’s a massive operation. And the wait is no fun, according to Smith and Geeley. We chatted over our eggs and coffee. They did their best to prepare me for the weeks ahead.

We have to wait until 1900 to get our passports back and then we can see about getting a flight to Baghdad. I spent the day walking around the base. Everything is brown. So much brown. The base blends right in with the desert landscape. I guess that’s the point.

There’s not much to do except walk past rows of tan tents, or maybe catch a movie at the MWR (I still don’t know what that means). I did a lot of walking. Any direction you looked was all flat desert. I’m sure it’s scorching hot in the summer, but this time of year it feels amazing. There’s always a breeze, and it doesn’t get above the mid-70s.

While we waited, I spent some time with Air Force Chaplain (CPT) Dallas Little who ministers to the thousands of individuals who walk past his office. He always has a pot of hot coffee and an inviting, safe place to hang out.

Little’s focus is to provide a ministry of hospitality. “We provide a safe, comfortable place for travelers as they wait for transport,” says Little. The chaplain’s office is no more than a couple of cubicles, but they managed to create an inviting atmosphere. Visitors to this small oasis are greeted with hot coffee and, if they’re lucky, Krispy Kreme donuts. “We probably go through 25-30 pots of coffee a day.”

Little sees a lot of soldiers on their way back from R and R. For some the trip home brings more trouble than rest. “They’ve been in combat, then they go home and manifest signs of post-traumatic stress,” Little says. “This often leads to trouble with the spouse. By the time they get back here, some wish they’d never gone home.”

Little sees a lot of soldiers and marines who suffer from combat stress and PTSD. His job is to provide a listening ear. “It’s my privilege and my burden to keep anything they say to myself,” says Little. “People come to us, because they know it’s safe to come to us.”

Last year (2018), an estimated 20.2 suicides occurred per 100,000 soldiers, the highest since the Army began tracking the figure in 1980. The figure is just slightly higher than the national suicide rate. 2008 marked the fourth consecutive year suicides have increase, according to the Army’s 2008 Suicide Data report released in January.

“Last year the military had more deaths due to suicide than combat,” says Little. “These guys are eye-to-eye with death. We try to help them deal with what they’ve seen and experienced.”

It’s an intense ministry, but Little is grateful to God for the opportunity to serve others.