By Sgt. Salvatore Ottaviano, 99th Readiness Division

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – The U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division strengthened its Battle Focused Training for chaplains and unit ministry teams by holding three consecutive exercises here this spring.

The training surge comes as the U.S. Army focuses on large-scale combat operations featuring high-intensity, sustained conflict against near-peer adversaries involving multiple corps and divisions.

“We’re looking at large-scale combat operations, multiple-domain operations, and even large-scale mobilization operations,” said Lt. Col. James Andrew Laker, Building Strong and Ready Teams instructor for the 99th RD Chaplain Office. “We’re trying to train unit ministry teams and chaplain sections to increase their capability so that they can be ready for future conflict or conflict that’s even occurring now.”

BFT is a requirement throughout the Army Reserve, directed by Western Hemisphere Command. Approximately 40 Soldiers attended the first iteration of the 99th RD BFT in March, which was a four-day training for chaplains, chaplain candidates, and religious affairs specialists, primarily from the Military Intelligence Readiness Command.

“The Battle Focused Training events are to focus on just those collective tasks or individual tasks that focus on battle,” explained Laker. “Our task as a chaplain section was to try to make it as realistic as possible with the capacity we have here at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and effectively increase our capability through these tasks so that we can then be ready to support Soldiers and their families.”

Due to the continuous transformation of the Army, there is an emphasis on battle-focused tasks that are determined by combatant commanders and their requirements.

“We got out in the field, which is sort of a new element to Battle Focused Training,” Laker explained. “In the past, it’s been a lot of classroom training; we really wanted to push them out, kind of practicing things like dismounted activity, land navigation and reacting to drones.”

Some senior NCOs and chaplains who have been deployed attended the training and shared their experiences with the junior officers and enlisted Soldiers. Chaplains, religious affairs specialists, and chaplain candidates can all draw from the experienced Soldiers during the classes.

“You want the next generation to be prepared, and so you’ll hear a number of people who have been in for a while say, ‘Oh, this is good, we haven’t done this in a very long time,’ so it’s really fun when the newer Soldiers say, ‘This is awesome, and it hasn’t been what we’ve always done,’ but it is where we’re headed and I think it’s the right direction” said Laker.

Chaplains oversee a full program of religious ministries, including workshops, counseling sessions, religious education, and special events. As spiritual leaders who reach out and provide spiritual guidance to anyone in need, they have the responsibility of caring for the spiritual well-being of Soldiers and their Families.

“I’m just proud of the Soldiers who showed up and gave it 100 percent,” Laker said. “I think it’s most satisfying because, in the end, it’s not for us – it’s for God and country, and for the Soldiers and families we’re serving”