Army troop reduction: Churches can aid veterans

Churches have the potential to assist U.S. Army veterans who may find themselves retired prematurely within two years.

A reduction in force was announced by Brig. Gen. Randy George, the Army's director of force management, at the Pentagon in a July 9 briefing. The downsizing may affect 40,000 troops by the end of 2017, the Army News Service reported.

"These are incredibly difficult choices," George said. "The Army followed a long and deliberate process … to determine the best construct for the Army, based on the threats we face and the current fiscal environment we must operate in." George said the Army hopes to draw down the active force gradually to "minimize the turbulence we have with soldiers and their families."

Minimizing that turbulence is where churches can step in, said Doug Carver, a retired major general who served as the Army Chief of Chaplains and now is executive director of chaplaincy for the North American Mission Board (NAMB). Churches can be an integral part of re-entry into civilian life, he said.

"Military members are our neighbors," Carver said. "Over 85 percent of our military members, veterans and their families live in our communities. Many of them are unchurched and remain unreached by local churches. Arguably, the military community represents one of the nation's largest unreached people groups."

NAMB's chaplaincy team has resources available at the NAMB website to assist churches in reaching out to veterans, honoring them and serving them. Read more

Photo Credit: US Army file photo