Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 4/30/2009

Question
Mark
it's me again. After re-reading your answer to my last question I have two more questions. If she talks to the chaplian and it does eventually come out,will she still be discharged. Also I think that she has a chaplian where she does her reserve duty, but what if she wants to go ahead and email the chaplian you gave me. Is that ok? I think the sooner she talks to someone the better and I think a chaplian is just what she needs to help her get through all that she's going through.

Answer
Christi,
There's an old saying in the military, "Nobody messes with the Chaplain."  Whenever a Chaplain is involved, a commander is afraid of doing something that might get himself in trouble.  Religion is always a touchy subject.

Like I said, she may want to use the e-mail I gave her where she can remain anonymous for a few times.  Eventually she'll have to tell him her name, just so he can protect her.

Whether she's religious or not, the Chaplain can be a powerful ally.

Even if it does come out somehow, they can't take action on a Chaplain's ongoing case.  If she indeed wants to stay in, he'll ensure that he does everything in his power to help her.

The e-mail address I gave you is to Chaplain McKay, THE head Chaplain of the Coast Guard.  His rank is Commander, and he's the boss of every Chaplain in the USCG.  So you can't do any better than him.  He's been an ordained Southern Baptist minister for nearly 30 years and is a great guy.  Tell him I sent you.

Good luck,
Colonel H