Chaplain from Bartlett leaves military after three decades

For Chaplain Lt. Col. Jerry Gleason, whether it was serving in the church or the military, his mission from God was always clear: to provide spiritual guidance.

After 31 years of uniformed service, the deputy state chaplain for the Illinois Army National Guard is retiring and moving on to the next stage of his life: leading the Twin Oaks Baptist Church in Sleepy Hollow.

“It's settling in OK,” said the Bartlett resident, whose last day with the National Guard was Friday. “I had my last drill (recently), and it kind of hit me that I'll no longer need to put on this uniform.”

His retirement party will be held in June. Reflecting on his military career, Gleason said that time seemed to fly by. Initially wanting to serve on a ship during the Vietnam War, he tried joining the Navy three different times but didn't pass the entrance exam because they were looking for jet mechanics.

After joining the Army reserves in 1968, he enlisted as a wheeled-vehicle mechanic. In 1974, he left the Army to attend seminary. One day, while working as a pastor at a church in Bartlett, a stranger approached and asked Gleason if he would consider joining the reserves because they needed chaplains.

He joined the Illinois National Guard in October 1985 and the years just flew by, he said. “I loved what I was doing.”

He'd tell himself he'd stay on for “one or two” more years. He did this for more than a decade.

In 2003, Gleason volunteered for a year of active duty and was stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. Back in Illinois, he became the 65th Troop Command Brigade chaplain. In 2008, he again went on active duty, this time with the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team as the rear detachment chaplain.

Offering spiritual guidance to soldiers was a uniquely rewarding challenge. He counseled many returning soldiers from Afghanistan, helping them to deal with everyday stresses, including jobs, divorce and financial struggles.

As chaplain, Gleason was one of a pair who delivered the news of a soldier's death to relatives. The last two years were especially tough, with 13 death notifications, he said.

“Those were the hardest times,” he said. “I could tell you the reaction of every family. The minute you open the door, they already know. Most will walk away from the door screaming.”

For that heart-wrenching task, there was no one better than Gleason, the “soldier's chaplain,” said Illinois National Guard Chaplain Col. Dan Krumrei.

“He's the best pastor I know,” Krumrei said. “He goes with a loving heart to help. He accepts and recognizes where people are. He always made himself available.”

That the military gave Gleason two extensions beyond the mandatory retirement age “shows how valuable he was,” said Krumrei. “He leaves quite a legacy.”

Gleason said aside from listening, he focused on helping soldiers learn problem-solving skills and encouraged them to evaluate the role that faith played in their lives.

“Often, the faith element was left out,” he said. “They struggle with believing or they have walked away from God, and I help them begin to return to the church.”

After listening to people share their struggles, he'd often ask the Dr. Phil question: “How's that working for you?”

“It started them thinking,” he said. “Faith is a journey. Faith is not just an event – ‘I'm going to have faith in God, good for me.' It's starting on a journey, asking ‘How do I have faith in God in this situation?'”

Gleason said his role was particularly rewarding when he helped those struggling with suicidal thoughts. He also often got cards from people he helped, either from a one-time conversation or through numerous discussions.

“Some people you get a one-time shot at,” he says, “and there are others with whom you walk through a crisis – soldiers who have lost their children or dealt with cancer.”

Gleason says it was a privilege to work with soldiers and be a part of the military. He tries to relieve the fears of parents who worry about their children serving, saying they will walk away with “a sense of discipline and a responsible attitude that they will not find anywhere else.”

“It has been wisely said that ‘the soldier may take off the uniform, but they never take off the military,” Gleason said. “How true that will be for me.”