Comfort (T AH 20) - Naval Cruise Book

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KELVIN C. JAMES CHAPLAIN, U.S. NAVY Chaplain Kelvin James was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Naval Re- serve Theological Student Program and in 1982, received an appointment to ac- tive duty as a LTJG. He is a Baptist Minister of the American Baptist Church. His first active duty station was at the Fleet Religion Support Activity 104 in Philadel- phia in 1980. Subsequent assignments have been as Chaplain at 1st Force Service Support Group, Fleet Marine Force Pacific, Camp Pendleton. In 1986, Chaplain James reported to duty at Naval Air Station, Alameda, California. He then joined Amphibious Squadron Light, Norfolk. In 1986, he was selected for duty under instruction completing a Theological Master ' s Degree at Princton Theological Seminary in 1988. Chaplain James ' current permanent duty station is NNMC Bethesda to which he reported in 1988 and is presently deployed from TAD to USNS COMFORT. His duties on COMFORT include leading religious services, providing in-service training, and offering individual counseling. 15

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CDR GREGORY S. POKLADOWSKI CHAPLAIN, U.S. NAVY COMMAND CHAPLAIN, USNS COMFORT Chaplain Greg Pokladowski was commissioned as an Ensign in the Chaplain Corps of the U.S. Navy in 1970 in the Ensign Theological School Program. He was ordained as a Roman Catholic Priest in 1973 in the Archdiocese of Chicago after completing Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary. CDR Pokladowski reported on active duty in June 1976 to Fleet Religious Support Activity, Atlantic Fleet, in Mayport, Florida for squadron chaplain duty. Subsequent duty stations have been at the United States Coast Guard Training Center, Alameda, California and then at Commander Service Group ONE, Oakland, California. Additionally, he served with Marine Aircraft Group 15, Iwakuni, Japan 1983-1984 with two deployments in that period to Korea, the latter being for Team Spirit ' 84. CDR Pokladowski assumed duty as a Chaplain at Naval Hospital, San Diego until 1989. In December 1990, he was assigned as Command Chaplain on USNS COMFORT (T-AH 20) as part of OPERATION DESERT SHIELD DESERT STORM. As for his participation in these operations, CDR Pokladowski says that serving as Command Chaplain onboard COMFORT is for him, the pinnacle of his experience with Navy Medicine, of which he is very proud. u

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LT THOMAS E. WEBB CHAPLAIN, U.S. NAVY LT Webb served as a Naval reservist from 1984-1988. After ap- plying for a call to active duty in 1989, he came to National Naval Medical Center Bethesda for his Hrst duty station. Chaplain Webb ' s duties at Bethesda included pastoral patient care and worship ser- vices. His main focal areas were oncology, TRISARD, and psychia- try, as well as offering general patient and staff support. Upon reporting to Bethesda, Chaplain Webb was assigned to USNS COMFORT and was thereafter deployed in August 1990 with the first wave of MTF staff. His duties on COMFORT include pasto- ral care in the Burn ICU, PACU, psychiatric ward and combat stress center and also functioning as a Chaplain member of the casualty receiving team. In addition, he performs worship services; bible study classes; choir practices; coordination of Red Cross messages and assists in individual counseling. He relates that his first feelings about his deployment left him with a sense of a call to duty. 16