Tripler Army Medical Center  –   This week, Tripler Army Medical Center celebrated the 248th Anniversary of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps. Throughout the week, we are profiling the hospital’s chaplains.
 
Meet Col. William H. Scritchfield, who currently serves at the Chief, Department of Ministry and Pastoral Care for TAMC. Scritchfield graduated Chaplain Assistant Course, Chaplain Basic and Chaplain Career Courses, the Clinical Pastoral Education Course, Intermediate Level Education Course, the Brigade Chaplain’s Course, and The US Army War College.    

Learn more about Col. William H. Scritchfield in the Q&A below.
 
Q: Tell us about yourself?
My story is rich and marked with tragedies and success. The best descriptor of me is that I am a man of faith and a student of life.
 
Q: Why do you serve?
I’m celebrating my 39th year of military service (July 10, 2023). I serve because I believe. I believe that we are a nation worthy of my time, by sacrifice, and if need be, my life for this nation. Why, might you ask? We are a nation of opportunity. From humble beginnings, I worked hard, studied all that I could, and persisted in the face of adversity. My promotions from PV2 to COL over these last 39 years are the result of that opportunity offered and enacted. I also believe that there are millions of my fellow citizens who have similar stories to mine and that we can inspire hope in the generations to come that they too can succeed in a nation of great opportunity.
 
Q: What is the source of your strength?
My strength comes first from my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, second from my wife Robin, third, from my family of origin and fourth, from those with whom I served both past and present.
 
Q: What are some of the reasons to become a U.S. Army Chaplain?
I believe there is only one reason to become a US Army Chaplain. You are called to that ministry. I received my call to ministry during the bivouac phase of basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The realization that my call was specifically for U.S. Army Chaplaincy came over the course of many years. For others, they knew immediately that they were called to this ministry setting.  In the end, however, it is a call to serve others. If one embarks on the journey to become a chaplain and is not called, that individual will struggle and that will impact all who experience his or her work. 
 
Q: What advice would you give a student interested in becoming a U.S. Army Chaplain?
Understand what you believe and then read everything you can that disagrees with your viewpoint. In this way, you come to understand more deeply what you believe and in the process what others also hold deeply as vital beliefs.
 
Q: In what ways do you make a difference in today’s society?
We make a positive difference in society by helping it remember who it was, inspiring it to who it can be, and help it navigate the course of real and present challenges of today that exists between the past and future.