Video: Church in the desert

Many soldiers find solace in church and prayer from the battlefield.
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Photo by James Lee
Special to The Star

Lt. Paul Chierico attends a service inside a nondenominational worship hall that's a plywood hut surrounded by concrete blast walls at Camp Ramadi in Iraq.

Photo by James Lee
Special to The Star

Storekeeper 3rd Class Vincent Odiamobi, right, sings a hymn with the Memorial Chapel Choir during a service Sunday at Camp Ramadi in Iraq. "Having fellowship with God every Sunday refreshes you," he said. "And you think less of yourself and more of other people."

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq — The sound of Christian songs belted out by a three-member choir and band could be heard drifting from a plywood hut, a nondenominational worship hall that is surrounded by concrete blast walls.

Inside, men and women in uniform sang, some with their arms raised and some with side arms strapped to their legs. Others tucked their M-16s under the pews. Many had khaki- colored soldier's Bibles in their hands.

In a war zone, working almost constantly in blazing heat, some troops turn to the only thing they know for solace.

They go to church.

"There's that saying, There are no atheists in a foxhole,'" said Lt. Mark Conrad, a former Marine who is now chaplain of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3, deployed here from Port Hueneme.

The battalion is based at Camp Ramadi, with a large assortment of other units from the Marines, Air Force and Army. Also crowded into the camp is a huge force of civilian employees, many from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. They are the backbone for many of the support services.

The civilian employees help keep the camp running: washing the laundry, cooking the meals and operating a small coffee shop near one of the Marine compounds.

War violence is down more than 90 percent since its height in 2006, but Iraq is still a very dangerous place.

Although stationed at Camp Ramadi, Seabees are scattered at other bases across the province. They have not suffered a single attack or been hit by any roadside bombs since arriving on their latest tour in April.

"Apart from a few rounds fired down range, we haven't had any contact," said Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Deviney, the battalion's executive officer.

But the risk is palpable.

Don't become complacent

At a mandatory training session Sunday afternoon, Cmdr. Antonio Edmonds, the battalion commander, reminded the Seabees, made up of men and women, not to become complacent.

"Outside the wire, I don't want excessive comfort," Edmonds said. "In part, we've been lucky."

Only the day before, a car crammed with explosives sped toward a post at an Iraqi base north of Camp Ramadi. The Iraqi troops guarding the camp fired on the vehicle but were unable to stop it before it blew up.

The blast wounded more than a dozen Iraqi soldiers, four critically. A contingent of Seabees at a base a few miles away rushed to aid the wounded, Edmonds said.

"The only way we'll continue to be lucky is if we continue to be good," he said.

To relieve the strain of living in a war zone, being away from loved ones and the rigors of work, some soldiers turn to working out or off-time entertainment, such as going to one of the two Internet cafes and instant messaging families and friends back home. But others turn to a long-term staple.

At a morning worship service Sunday, Marine Lance Cpl. Josh Sharrar, 22, played his guitar and sang a song he wrote for his daughter, Cheyenne, who was born in April right after he was dispatched to Iraq.

"This song was about not being able to be there," said Sharrar, who is from Arizona.

"So I put the pen to the paper and hope that one day when she hears it, she'll know how much I loved her and still do love her."

He was not alone in expressing sadness for missing something significant at home and feeling guilty for not being there to help. It was a theme throughout the morning service.

"They're all stressed out about being away from their families, and that's pretty common," said Lt. Col. Gary Califf, an Air Force chaplain.

Even though things are a lot less hostile now, the hard work, long time away from home and looming possibility of violence can be a heavy burden.

"I think going to church puts a little normalcy into their lives," Califf said. "It's also a place where people can share their commonality in beliefs and in some ways feel they're tied back to their families at home."

Singing in the choir helps

For Storekeeper 3rd Class Vincent Odiamobi, a Seabee out of Naval Base Ventura County, going to church and singing in the choir helps center him.

"Having fellowship with God every Sunday refreshes you," said the tall Nigerian, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen and joined the Navy two years ago. "And you think less of yourself and more of other people."