Sailor, cop, a game warden leads to doing God=92s = work

Navy

The=20 Waterline

Naval District, Washington=20

Tester

Naval = Air=20 Station, Patuxent River=20

The=20 Journal

National Naval Medical Center=20

Trident

U.S. = Naval=20 Academy=20

South Potomac=20 Pilot

Naval District Washington West Area, Indian Head, = MD and=20 Dahlgren, VA

Sailor, cop, a game warden leads to doing = God=92s=20 work

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by Dennis Ryan Pentagram = staff=20 writer

Chap. (Lt. = Col.) Barry=20 White smiles at his office in Memorial Chapel.=20

Lt. Col. Barry = White has=20 a rather unusual career path. He joined the Navy after high = school=20 in Tampa, Fla. in 1967.

White became a Tampa police officer in 1974. He worked a = beat=20 until 1977, when he left the force to attend college, with a = goal of=20 attaining a degree in criminal justice.

He worked as a Florida state wildlife officer from 1978 = to 1980,=20 while attending college.

Something happened in White=92s life in 1979, which = reawakened his=20 religious feelings.

White had married his wife Lisa in 1976 and became drawn = to her=20 and her family=92s Methodist faith. He resigned from his = wildlife=20 department job in 1980 and returned to college to finish his = under=20 graduate degree at the University of South Florida.

The former Sailor-policeman-wildlife officer entered Duke = Divinity School in 1981, graduating in 1985. White attended = Chaplain=20 school at the age of 39.

=91=91From the first day of feeling my calling, I do = believe God was=20 calling me to be a chaplain,=94 he said. =91=91Because of my = prior Navy=20 service I didn=92t think it was going to be in the Army.=94

He believes his tenure as a policeman helps him in his = present=20 job.

=91=91You learn a lot about the struggles people go = through,=94 White=20 recalled. =91=91Having been a Sailor helps me with the = enlisted.=94

Garrison Commander Col. Thomas A. Allmon appreciates the=20 chaplain=92s diverse background.

=91=91It is obvious Chaplain White brings a wide variety = of=20 experiences to our installation chapel team,=94 Allmon said. = =91=91The=20 chaplain of the Fort Myer Military Community not only has to = administer to the Soldiers, their family members and = civilians on=20 post, but he conducts funerals for senior officers and = public=20 dignitaries, supports the aero-medical evacuation of = military=20 personnel at Andrews Air Force Base and many other tasks to = meed the=20 spiritual needs of our greater National Capital Region = community. It=20 is a challenging job and Chaplain White has performed = superbly.=94

White entered the Army as first lieutenant and made = captain after=20 only eight months. While chaplains come from particular = faiths, they=20 have to minister the spiritual needs of a diverse flock.

=91=91I=92ve counseled Soldiers from atheists to = Muslims,=94 he said. =91=91I=20 try to be sensitive to all faiths. My goal is not to convert = people=20 to my faith. I don=92t have to pray in Jesus=92 name when = I=92m in a=20 public arena. God knows who I am.=94

White enjoys the unusual nature of his command at Fort = Myer and=20 its proximity to Arlington National Cemetery and to the = capital.

=91=91We conducted the funeral for Caspar Weinberger,=94 = he said.=20 =91=91There=92s all sorts of taskings for prayers at diners = or banquets or=20 at memorials at Arlington Cemetery. We try to help out the = Arlington=20 chaplains with funerals. There=92s so much going on when = you=92re at=20 Fort Myer. It=92s a great place to work.=94

The father of two sons, appropriately enough named, = Matthew, 26,=20 and Mark, 24, will reach the mandatory retirement age of 62 = in four=20 years. White will retire to Florida, where he will have = plenty of=20 time to drive around in his 1993 ruby red 40th anniversary = Corvette.

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Thursday, October 5, 2006

Sailor, cop, a game warden leads to doing = God=92s=20 work