The Rev. Alston Johnson was commissioned as a Chaplain in the United States Air Force on August 6 in Meridian.
The 43 year old rector of Chapel of the Cross in Madison will serve in the Air National Guard with the 186th Air Refueling Wing headquartered at Key Field in Meridian.
“My military obligation includes monthly drill time, some of which will be on a Saturday-Sunday schedule, and some will be on a Friday-Saturday schedule,” said Johnson who began the application process to serve his country in this way several months ago.
Johnson was commissioned as an officer, a Captain/O-3, and will attend Commissioned Officer Training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama sometime within the next year. He also will attend Chaplain’s School within two years of being commissioned.
Regarding deployment, Johnson acknowledges that he will always be subject to that event, but in the Air Guard, chaplain deployments are currently assigned on a voluntary basis, rather than on a mandatory basis, as is other branches of the military. “I don’t anticipate volunteering for any long term deployments,” said Johnson.
Johnson said he’s received a lot of support from the parish. “I am grateful for the many notes of congratulations and prayer that people have sent to me during this process. There is a small group of people who ‘prayed’ me through losing the 35 pounds necessary to begin my application process.”
Many people had never seen their priest and friend in his normal body weight before. Johnson continues to keep physically fit through running and Tae-Kwon-Do.
The Episcopal Church has a stake in military chaplaincy. Part of the application process was for Johnson to travel to Washington, D.C. and meet with the Right Reverend James Magness who is the Episcopal Bishop of Armed Services and Federal Ministries.
To learn more about the U.S.A.F. chaplaincy program log on to: //airforce.com/chaplain.
