MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Capt. Richard A. Pusateri, the Marine Forces Pacific chaplain, visited the station here for the first time during his tour of United States military bases in Japan June 25.
Pusateri visited the station to better understand and meet the needs of service and community members here.
“I’ve never been to Iwakuni, I wanted to get a handle on what it’s like,” said Pusateri. “Interacting with all the congregation is just a snap shot, but it gives me a good piece.”
During his visit here, Pusateri met with Col. Michael O’Halloran, station commanding officer, Lt. Col. Bret Saunders,
executive officer of Marine Aircraft Group 12, Lt. Col. Christopher A. Feyedelem, commanding officer of Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, and with some of the junior Marines and sailors to get a better idea of what life was like aboard the station. He also had an opportunity to meet and dine with the chaplains and religious program specialists of the station.
Pusateri said through his meetings with the commanding and executive officers and from what he has seen, his overall impression of the station was of a community well off.
“I’m not naive, this isn’t heaven,” said Pusateri. “But it looks pretty good.”
The MARFORPAC chaplain’s visit to the station also presented him with the opportunity to find out how well the chaplains and the religious programmers served the community and service members around them.
Pusateri said though the chaplains and religious programmers looked great, he always wants them to do better believing it’s always possible to improve.
Some of the chaplains and religious programmers were impressed by what they saw of Pusateri’s interest in the community.
“He’s the chaplain in charge of the entire Marine Pacific,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua Bruner, a religious programmer with the Memorial Station Cha pel here. “It’s good to know that people high above us are still in
our corner. Seeing their face is really important.”
Bruner spent a day as Pusateri’s chauffer, driving him around the station to his various appointments. During his time with Pusateri, Bruner said he was able to learn something from him.
“It keeps you humble,” said Bruner. “No matter how high ranking you are, you still should have an interest in every part of your command structure and not just in what you’re used to.”
Some of the senior chaplains had their own opinions of Pusateri.
“He’s brilliant,” said Lt. Commander Allen Kuss, station commanding chaplain. “His knowledge, his concern, his depth of understanding I think will help in his advisement role as a chaplain.”
As a chaplain, Pusateri feels he has a mission to accomplish for the military community.
It’s a mission he feels he shares with all chaplains and religious programmers.
“We can stop a lot of pain and solve a lot of problems,” said Pusateri. “We do it all the time and we got to keep trying.”
Pusateri’s prior post was as First Marine Expeditionary Force chaplain with additional duties as U.S. Marine Forces, Central Command chaplain.
He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as the Multi National Force and First Marine
Expeditionary Force chaplain from Jan 2008 to Jan. 2009.