By Dr. Ferrell Miller
The JC Breakfast Optimist Club celebrated optimism on March 9 by celebrating club member Red Dunham’s upcoming 87th birthday and a sharing by guest speaker Chaplain (COL) Michael Albano. Father Albano is the Senior Command Chaplain for the First Division and Garrison at Fort Riley.
Chaplain Albano told the Optimists that he is from the Philippines and attributes his becoming a priest to his parents. “My parents had had two daughters. They asked a priest named Michael to pray for them to have a son. If a son was born to them, they would offer his life back to God. He did and when I was born, my parents named me Michael. Following elementary school, my parents asked me to attend the seminary while in high school to see if I would like it. At first, I rebelled, but later liked it”.
Father Albano was ordained a priest in 1990. After seven years of being an associate pastor; professor in the seminary and vocational director, he took a sabbatical and moved to San Diego, California. After reflecting on the need for priests in the military, he decided to join the United States Army in 2002 to work with and support soldiers and their families. He has since had 7 deployments with 4 combat tours and moved 20 times in 20 years. “While in Kuwait we had a Humvee that kept breaking down as we moved from Kuwait to Iraq. The mechanics asked me to bless the vehicle. I did and it worked well after that”. He humorously told the Club members that “a priest can bless anything. “
The role of a Chaplain is to provide religious support for soldiers and their families and to advise the staff on religion and morals. There are three competencies for a Chaplain in the military: honor the dead; care for the sick, the wounded and those in prison and nurture the living.
Twenty-five to thirty percent of the soldiers in the Army identify as Catholics. There are 1,500 Chaplains, but only 83 priests”, he said. Chaplain Albano has oversight of the Religious Support at 6 chapels on Post.