July - Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass

PATRIOT | NEWSEDITOR’S NOTE: SrA. Kelly Galloway interviewed Chaplain(Capt.) Matthew Zimmerman to find out more about Westover’s fulltimechaplain. Chaplain Zimmerman’s office is in Bldg. 1100 on WalkerAvenue.Why or what made you decide to or inspired you to join themilitary?I’ve always had a bit of a superhero complex. Ihave always felt compelled to make a difference...to save the world. That was part of it. However,when you ask this question to a chaplain, theanswer better have something to do with God!Seriously, though... for me, I believe the militarywas and is a part of God’s plan for me. As Iwrapped up high school, it was very clear to methat West Point was the path for me to take.How long have you been in?I joined the Army June 15, 1997 when I tookthe oath entering West Point. I transitionedfrom active duty in December 2004 to go to theseminary. I switched from the Army Reserve tothe Air Force Reserve in 2008.Tell me a bit about your experiences at West Point - a memorablemoment/life experience?West Point taught me a lot about me: my values, my priorities,and my resolve. My freshman year was extraordinarily difficult(even by West Point standards). I became THE target of the wrathof all three upper classes for about three months. I nearly failedout during my first semester. However, I eventually overcame andgraduated. I learned my breaking point, the strength of my faith,and the true depth of our need to be connected to people aroundus. As a senior, I was on the command staff and repeatedly spokeand represented the Corps of Cadets to people on the outside. Inshort, it grew from near disaster to an experience I am quite proudof. I was on the rowing (crew) team, served as director of the CadetRadio Station, helped facilitate the annual military skills competitionbetween West Point, Sandhurst (the U.K.’s version of WestPoint), and countless ROTC teams.What did you do before you became a chaplain?I was an Army armor officer. I commandedtanks and scouts.Have you ever deployed?I was stationed at Camp Casey, Korea asa tank platoon leader from 2002 to 2003.I was deployed to Iraq during OperationIraqi Freedom from 2003 to 2004. In Iraq,I served as a scout platoon leader. We wereactive in the hunt for Saddam, apprehendinghigh value targets, and the collectionof weapons. We were involved in missionsacross Western Iraq in which my guys andI conducted countless raids resulting in thedetention and arrest of about 30 knowninsurgent leaders and the discovery/seizureof two of the largest weapons caches to date.We were engaged in several direct conflictsand my Bradley Fighting Vehicle struck a land mine during a nightpatrol. I’m pleased to say that every one of my guys made it home.I received the Bronze Star primarily because I had some incrediblepeople and we took care of each other and the mission.What made you decide to become a chaplain?As I hinted above, I live and orient my life by asking God whathe would have me do...when I was in Iraq, I believe that he gave mevery clear instructions that this is what I am to do. I simply choseto listen and do it.What do you love most about being a chaplain?TROOP TALK |What is your favorite summertime vacation destination?“Some place Tropical like an island or Hawaii. Ihave always wanted to visit Hawaii.”>>Amn. Christopher Sayre439 th Maintenance Squadron“ M y i d e a ls u m m e rvacationdestinationi s a l w a y ssomewherein the Carribean.I’ve been thinking about the Bahamasbecause I haven’t been there yet. It would beone of the quieter islands.”>>SrA. Aida Tellado439 th Communication Squadron“I love going home to St. Thomas.Anytime I get to leaveConnecticut, it’s a vacation.”>>SrA. Kia Chapman42 nd Aerial Port Squadron