BATTLE CREEK, Mich. –
Defense Logistics Agency Command Chaplain U.S. Army Col. Thomas Brooks visited the workforce located at the Hart–Dole–Inouye Federal Center in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Brooks traveled here to connect with people, offering personal counseling sessions—particularly in light of the many changes employees have experienced in recent months.
He said another goal was to gain a deeper understanding of DLA Disposition Services-Document Services and its mission.
Though it wasn’t his first visit to Battle Creek’s historic federal center, Brooks said he still appreciated the beauty of its architectural design and fine details, which he noted are rarely found in modern buildings.
While meeting with the team, he shared that he once believed he had to choose between military service and a life in religious ministry. While studying in seminary, a friend introduced him to the Army’s chaplain candidate program, which allows seminary students to gain military chaplaincy experience before ordination.
Discovering that he could serve both his faith and his country set him on a new path—one he hadn’t known was possible. That realization affirmed his calling to military chaplaincy, a vocation he has followed for 26 years. He spent the first three years of his service in the Army Reserve before transitioning to active duty.
Brooks noted that the most rewarding part of his role is helping people—whether they’re facing a crisis or working through everyday challenges—and connecting with service members from all walks of life.
He said he approaches each situation by first asking individuals how they want to be supported, whether through a faith-based perspective or simply as a confidential listener. In some cases, he has intervened on a soldier’s behalf with their chain of command.
Brooks emphasized that his support extends to everyone, regardless of religious belief or lack thereof. While he operates within the guidelines of his endorsing faith group, he said he is careful not to impose his beliefs, instead focusing on helping individuals in the way that best suits their needs.
Providing pastoral care to DLA’s global workforce of around 25,000 employees may sound like a full-time job, but Brooks—like all DLA team members—plays a direct role in supporting warfighters through logistics.
One of his key responsibilities is overseeing DLA’s ecclesiastical supply program. Working with a team from DLA Troop Support, he helps ensure chaplains across all military branches receive the materials they need to support religious practices in the field.
“I provide oversight and input, gathering information from chaplain sections across different branches to determine what’s needed,” Brooks said.
He also collaborates with representatives from various faiths to ensure DLA provides the appropriate religious supplies for warfighters to practice their faith, no matter where they are stationed.