Memorial services ‘toughest part’ of chaplain’s service in Iraq

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) — Ernie Carroll’s life now has two time frames: “before Baghdad” or “after Baghdad.”

Carroll, director of missions for the Friendship Baptist Association in north Alabama, returned this spring from a 13-month deployment to Iraq as a chaplain in the Alabama Army National Guard. Major Carroll was stationed at Camp Falcon in Baghdad, Iraq, with the 231st Military Police Battalion.

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Serving under fire – Chaplain Ernie Carroll, third from left, who was deployed in Iraq for 13 months, leads a Bible study with soldiers from his National Guard unit from Alabama. Carroll serves as director of missions for Friendship Association in north Alabama.

“I am still in the process of discovering how this life-changing event has changed me,” Carroll said in an interview with The Alabama Baptist after his return. In a question-and-answer session, Carroll talked about his experiences and those of the soldiers he serves.

Q: What was it like to serve in Iraq?

A: One day I was in the Friendship Baptist Association visiting churches; the next I was being mortared, shot at and rocketed. I taught Bible study every Wednesday night and preached every Sunday night as well as some on Sunday morning. It was very much pastoral ministry in the truest sense of the word, but in this case, I knew that there were people who wanted to kill the members of my congregation. That knowledge affected sermon preparation.

Q: What was the toughest part about serving in Iraq?

A: The memorial services were the toughest part of being a chaplain. I conducted five memorial services for seven soldiers and one civilian. My first service was in late June after arriving in March [2004], and my last service was one week before I left. My role was to minister to the fellow soldiers at the time of death and to captivate in words the meaning of the ultimate sacrifice made for our country. I never lost sight of the loss that parents, spouses and children were experiencing back here in the States. The human dimension of their sacrifices was tough to capture in words, but my main focus was the Lord Jesus Christ and His help as comforter.

Q: What is the greatest need soldiers have, and how can Baptists meet it?

A: Each soldier needs prayer and they need to know that you are praying for them. The prayers of Baptists were effective and used by God for me and my ministry. The corporate prayers of Christians are the greatest resource deployed soldiers have available. We need to remember in prayer the families of those soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice and not let their service be forgotten.

Q: What were some of the ways churches ministered to deployed soldiers?

A: The churches sent care packages, phone cards and prayer notes. We were all on the Wednesday night prayer lists, and we knew we were being kept before God by Christian people at Wednesday night prayer meetings.

Q: How did those ministries affect the soldiers?

A: It told the soldiers they were not forgotten and that they were supported back home. By taking the time and money to send care packages, the churches were saying, “We remember you and we care.” It made my work as a chaplain more effective, because I had something tangible to place in the hands of the soldiers. It became a ministry of care and comfort.

Q: How does it feel to be home?

A: My sister asked me if I was going to kiss the ground when I got back to Fort Benning [near Columbus]. I said, “No, but I will when I get back home!” It is great to be home. I have had a month of accrued leave from the military, and my wife has taken a month away from her work for us to be together. Our children had [spring break] from college and high school soon after I arrived home, and we were able to vacation together. We have all needed this time to be together as a family and reconnect with ourselves and each other.

Q: What are your future plans?

A: My immediate plans are to return to my work as director of missions for the Friendship Baptist Association. I look forward to visiting in the churches and thanking them for their support. I want to spend time with my family as ... we have more time together.

Q: How are you different?

A: I am a combat veteran. I understand what my dad experienced as a combat veteran in Korea. My deployment to Baghdad, Iraq, was a life-changing event. Probably everything in my life will be referenced to as “that was ‘before Baghdad’ or that was ‘after Baghdad.’” I am still in the process of discovering how this life-changing event has changed me. I have a deep appreciation for freedom. Having fought for freedom, I view it differently than I did before.