Chaplain making an impact through local base ministry

by 1st Lt. Holli Snyder
188th Fighter Wing Chief of Public Affairs

7/16/2013 - FORT SMITH, Ark. -- For many, times of change bring about uncertainties in life and that has been no different for the members of the 188th Fighter Wing. During these times, there are some who stand out among the rest and serve as a beacon of hope and resiliency for the many members of the unit at Fort Smith. For the 188th FW, that man is Lt. Col. Thomas Smith, wing chaplain or "Chappy T" as some may call him.

Having been a chaplain, pastor and missionary in the Philippines for 10 years has enabled Chaplain Smith to embrace his calling and bring his ministry to the 188th. Chaplain Smith has been serving in the Arkansas Air National Guard for more than 18 years and has been working for, serving and ministering to the members here in various heartfelt and innovative ways.

"The ministry of presence has been a main focus of mine throughout my career," Smith said. "It is being able to just be a pastor to the Airman and to be able to help a family and minister to them."

In recent months, Smith noticed that there was a great need for a full-time chaplain presence at the base and has been working with the Airmen of the 188th through the mission conversion process. Through this, the brown bag lunch bunch was started as a weekly Bible study last spring. Each Wednesday, Smith and members of the 188th gather together to share fellowship, study the Bible in Protestant worship, and eat lunch. These short study sessions last roughly 30 minutes and are open to all members of the unit.

"I'm just glad to be here," Smith said. "I've always felt like there was a need, but after the last deployment I spoke with the commander and said there is a need for a presence here and he agreed and now we wonder how we ever did without it."

After receiving a low number of 12 on his draft notice for the Vietnam War during college, Smith was sure he was headed overseas in the military, but was given a deferment. When he enlisted in 1980 as a chaplain at the 123rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in Kentucky, Smith noted, "I felt like I had an obligation [to the military] because I had been deferred without asking."

Smith spent three years in the 123rd TRW and then transferred to the 188th where he stayed until 1989. That year, he left the Air Force to serve as a missionary in the Philippines for 10 years, never thinking he would put on the Air Force uniform again.

In 2001, Smith did just that and returned as a traditional Guardsman in the chaplain office here. He has since been working for this unit through the many changes and challenges that have arisen.

Another way Smith combats those challenges is the "kisses ministry," which started in 1985 as a way to break down barriers with Airmen and foster relationships with them.
"When I first started this [kisses ministry] in Gulfport, Miss., in 1985, I walked up to an Airman on the flight line and asked him if he had 'gotten a kiss from the chaplain today,'" Smith said. "He laughed and I handed him some chocolates and that ministry has not stopped since then."

This ultimately became the grounds for a ministry of handing out small chocolates to Airmen or leaving them on the desk as a calling card to show presence and care to the members. During Unit Training Assembly weekends, Smith can usually be spotted handing out chocolate candy to the Airmen on base.

Through a long-serving career in the Air National Guard, Smith has no doubt impacted numerous Airmen and their families through his ministries and presence at the unit. He is looking forward to many more years of service with the Air Force and looks forward to whatever path God may lead him down.