FARGO, N.D. — Pastors and priests in uniform, National Guard chaplains are the ones helping Soldiers and Airmen maintain their spiritual health, whether it’s during State Active Duty for flooding, on drill weekends or when deployed overseas.

Maj. Steve Cooper, a chaplain with the North Dakota Army National Guard’s 164th Engineer Battalion, said the spiritual aspect is the most important part of a person’s health. He and five other chaplains in the North Dakota National Guard work to maintain that health.

Maj. Leo Moenkedick, a chaplain with the North Dakota Air National Guard’s 119th Wing, is one of those five. He said Guardsmen’s morale during the flood fighting operations had remained exceptional, but that he and the other chaplains were there to help if spirits dipped.

“Our duties are to make religious services available to the troops, to monitor morale, and to inform commanders of any issues we see develop along those lines,” Moenkedick said.

He said they were also available for unit visitations, talking with the troops and providing counseling.

“Besides these duties, we are linked with other services, like Military Family Life Counselors and other programs in the Guard so we can direct them to any support they need,” he continued.

The National Guard offers an extensive network of services for all military members and their families. These services range from full-time social workers, chaplains and counselors to Military One Source, a far-reaching network of benefits and resources.

“If this [flood operations] were to drag out for a long time, we would look for ways to keep them entertained during hours of down time,” Moenkedick said.

There are currently six chaplains within the ranks of the North Dakota National Guard. They are spread evenly between the Air and Army sides of the force. The North Dakota Guard is actively looking for five more chaplains to fill the spiritual needs of its Soldiers and Airmen.

“The healthier your Soldiers are, the more they are equipped for the mission,” Cooper said.

Part of maintaining this health is ensuring that counseling services are confidential.

“Anything someone wants to talk about is strictly confidential,” Moenkedick said. “We’re really the only personnel in the military who can maintain 100 percent confidentiality.”

Chaplains find their military duty enhances their own service; by serving in the National Guard, they are providing for the spiritual health of thousands of men and women in uniform, as well as serving their state and country.

“I certainly appreciate everything they are doing,” Cooper said of his fellow Soldiers and Airmen. “If I can be of some type of help — a force multiplier — that would be outstanding.”

Even once the flooding has ended, chaplains will remain on duty — just as they did before the floodwaters began to run. They serve throughout the state, providing chapel services on drill weekends, checking on Guardsmen’s health and morale and offering spiritual support. Flood or not, they will still be working to keep spirits healthy and high.