CHAPLAIN DISHES OUT MERCY ON THE FRONTLINES IN IRAQ
FEB. 26, 2006
Steve Quigg’s convoy has been shot at and bombed and his camp is continually shelled with mortars. But he doesn’t even carry a gun.
The U.S. Army chaplain, a member of Lee’s Summit Community Church (1440 S.W. Jefferson), is home on a short break from Camp Anaconda near Balad, Iraq.
Quigg puts in 12 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week, looking after the spiritual needs of stressed out and traumatized soldiers at the camp — the largest in Iraq with 30,000 soldiers.
“The reason we can do that is we’re so focused on why we are there and what we do — there’s nothing else to do,” he says. “We’re separated from our families. At the same time, God has confirmed to me why he has me there.”
His duties include hospital visits, counseling, holding services on base and traveling to remote areas to provide spiritual assistance. Quigg, a major, is the third ranking chaplain on the base and helps lead the team of 20 chaplains.
“We’re proud of Steve and the heroic yet humble work he is doing in Iraq,” says Nick Kendall, executive pastor of Lee’s Summit Community Church. “He is truly on a mission of peace in a time of war.”
Quigg says the challenges and the opportunities to help others are immense but rewarding.
“I call it the ministry of a lifetime in just a few short months,” he says. “Because it is a non-stop ministry opportunity, the days actually fly by.”
It’s not a ministry for the faint of heart. Quigg arrived at Anaconda in one of the worst seasons of the war. Incoming helicopters usually signaled the arrival of more wounded soldiers.
“There were a lot of things most people shouldn’t see — soldiers brought in without legs or arms,” he said. A surgeon asked Quigg to come to an operating room and silently pray for his work and the health of the troops undergoing surgery.
In addition to responding to emergencies, Quigg is a constant resource to troops.
“They share what they are going through, even what is going on in their life back home,” he says.
Quigg’s faith in Jesus Christ has been a source of strength for troops who struggle with the harsh environment.
“I trust Him to protect me,” he says. “What that means to me is that I could still die there, but whether I live or die, He is going to be present with me. Because of that I am able to go to sleep at night and really sleep well.
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