April 5, 2008
Priest finds joy in serving as chaplain in Air Force Reserve
By Susan Laird
Herald correspondent
Father Derek LaBranch, second from left, stops for a moment on Ash Wednesday with fellow Air Force chaplains while on deployment exercises at Tyndall Air Force Base. Both Catholic priests and Protestant ministers serve as military chaplains. With him, left to right are Father Van Dinh, Travis Air Force Base; Father Hoang Nguyen, Fairchild Air Force Base; the Rev. Nicholas LoPresto and the Rev. Michael Carollo. Photo courtesy of Father Derek LaBranch
Father Derek LaBranch has a dual calling: To serve God’s people in the Diocese of Sacramento as a parish priest and to also serve the faithful in the Archdiocese for the Military Services as a U.S. Air Force Reserve Catholic chaplain.
For the majority of the year, Father LaBranch serves as parochial vicar of St. John the Baptist Parish in Folsom. But for some months every year, he serves as a military chaplain – with a rank of first lieutenant – to the men and women of the Air Force Reserve, who are simply referred to as “Airmen.” He is stationed at Beale Air Force Base near Marysville.
Some 40 percent of the Airmen in the Air Force are Roman Catholic, according to Father LaBranch. At present, there are 86 Roman Catholic priests available for active duty and 40 percent of these are not deployable, due to age, rank or medical waiver.
“We need more priests to meet the needs of these Airmen, especially at a time when the Air Force is deploying all over the world,” Father LaBranch said in an interview.
The 29-year-old priest learned about the possibility of becoming a Catholic chaplain at a vocation discernment retreat sponsored by the Archdiocese for the Military Services. As a seminary student at the time, he needed the approval of his bishop to join the Air Force chaplaincy program.
“I wanted to be a military chaplain because it is a way for me to continue to serve God in my vocation as a priest and also to serve my country,” he said. “I was able to befriend two priests who were chaplains: Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate Father Don Burnet and Bishop Richard Higgins (of the Archdiocese for the Military Services). Bishop Higgins was very helpful to me when I wanted to be chaplain candidate. I’m very grateful that Bishop William K. Wiegand has allowed me to serve both God and country, because these Airmen are our people and they need priests.”
Father LaBranch grew up in Fair Oaks and attended local public schools, graduating from Mira Loma High School in 1997. He was a parishioner at St. Mel Parish in Fair Oaks.
He completed his undergraduate studies at Mount Angel Seminary in Oregon. Then he took a two-year leave of absence from being a seminarian and earned a master’s degree in education from the University of San Francisco. From there he went on to earn a master’s degree in divinity and a master of arts degree at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas.
After his ordination to the priesthood at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament last June, he attended Commissioned Officer Training – an intense program for chaplains, nurses, doctors and other professionals – at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama.
“It is a modified ‘boot camp’ for those entering the Air Force as officers,” Father LaBranch explained. “There are history lessons on the military, the Air Force and a great deal on leadership. You also have to go to ‘Air University.’ I was in the Basic Chaplains Course, which revolves around the specific duties of chaplains. A great number of classes are on problems that the Airmen face today: divorce, marital problems, suicide prevention, sexual assault, trauma, post-traumatic stress, reintegration in families after deployment and marriage preparation.”
To be a military chaplain, one must undergo the normal Catholic background checks and be endorsed by the Archdiocese of the Military Services. This means that the priest must receive permission from his diocesan bishop or religious superior to be on loan to the military.
“A chaplain is always a visible reminder of the holy, providing Air Force members and their families the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to freedom of religion,” Father LaBranch said.
The duties of the chaplain are similar to parish work. The chaplain offers the sacraments, makes visits to parishioners and the sick, and counsels when appropriate.
“One thing that is unique is that the chaplain is the one who makes recommendations to commanders on various issues, such as conscientious objector and religious needs,” he said. “The chaplain is there to serve all Airmen, families, civilian, and contractors on a military installation.”
Father LaBranch said the training he receives from the Air Force also benefits him in his work as a priest of the Sacramento Diocese.
“I have had some wonderful classes on leadership and counseling that would cost a lot of money on the outside,” he said. “I have so many new tools in my arsenal — if you will excuse the pun. In fact, I have already used some of the counseling skills in the parish.”
Father LaBranch feels a tremendous sense of joy in his ability to serve Airmen and to bring the sacraments to them.
“I haven’t been a chaplain too long, but from what I have experienced so far, when the chaplain walks in, there are a lot of smiles,” he said. “As an officer, I am able to work with and help both the 18-year-old Airman and the four star general. It is a unique position where in some ways, rank comes off and we sit with whomever we are with and experience the mystery of God.”
To someone considering a vocation to serve as a military chaplain, Father LaBranch cautions that it won’t be a rose garden.
“However, it can be a great and rewarding life, as any vocation is,” he said. “Be honest with yourself and your people. Realize God is in charge and control and then as (Franciscan) Father Mychal Judge’s prayer says, pray ‘Lord take me where you want me to go. Let me meet whom you want me to meet. Tell me what you want me to say – and keep me out of your way.’”
