NAV EX 1st QTR 2018 NavEx 1st Qtr 2018 - Draft 7a | Page 27

Auxiliary Clergy
Support in Action
Story by The Rev. Doug Kroll, Ph.D.
In the morning of 5 February, as a member of the Auxiliary’s new Clergy Support Program, I
received a telephone call from CDR Judy Malana, CHC, USN, Deputy Chaplain of the Coast Guard,
who oversees chaplains at all Headquarters Units. She explained that LT Kevan Lim, the active
duty chaplain assigned to the Coast Guard Training Center in Petaluma, California was going TAD
to the POLAR STAR (WAGB-10) to ride it on its return voyage to Seattle, having completed its
Antarctic mission. Chaplain Lim would be departing on 15 February for several weeks.
Chaplain Malana had found some Navy Reserve Chaplains to cover the time he would be gone,
except for the first week. Knowing that I live on the Pacific coast and have family in the San
Francisco Bay area, she asked if I would be able provide chaplain coverage there from 15 February
to 21 February. I responded affirmatively, telling her that I could rearrange my schedule.
The Training Center is located about 40 miles north of San Francisco and just west of Petaluma,
California. It is one of the three training sites operated by the Coast Guard, and its largest West
Coast Training Center, training about 4,000 students each year. It is one of the two major centers
that host “A” schools. The other center is in Yorktown, Virginia. Graduates from Petaluma are
the latest chefs, medics, storekeepers, yeoman, information systems technicians, electronics
technicians, and operations specialists. In addition, every Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer comes
to Petaluma for Basic EMT training. It is also home to the Coast Guard Leadership Development
Center’s Chief Petty Officer Academy.
Training Center Petaluma has one active duty Protestant chaplain and has contracted the services
of a local area Roman Catholic priest, to provide ministry to the students, permanent party and
family members of our base. The chaplain also provides support to other Coast Guard commands
in the area as needed.
LEFT: The Rev. Doug Kroll conducting services at the Lighthouse Chapel at TRACEN Petaluma, CA.
OR express
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