Thanks a Million: ADF chaplain Charles Vesely working behind the scenes to help vulnerable

Charles Vesely has been a military chaplain with the Australian Defence Force for 15 years, yet he says people would only know five per cent of what he does.

Army chaplain Charles Vesely is used to being in tough situations, spending time with troops in the Middle East and with a background in policing and emergency services.

But all that only went part way to preparing him for the effect the bushfires and then COVID-19 had on the team of chaplains he manages.

“One of my primary roles is to support and encourage my team of chaplains,” Vesely said.

“Our chaplains are very well trained but it has been such a challenging year and some of the regular things they do to take care of their own wellbeing, like having time off to reboot, just hasn’t been possible to the same extent this year.

“I did some rough calculations and ADF chaplains contributed 39,700 man hours from the start of the year to mid-March, some of them averaging 12-hour days and sometimes for a few days on end. Then I’d intervene and tell them they’ve done an amazing job but they need some time to look after themselves now.

Army Chaplain Charles Vesely has been working hard ministering his team of Chaplains and Army personnel through the bushfires and COVID-19. Picture: David Clark

“Several chaplains are out of action due to mental health issues, they are just burned out.”

Santina Waugh nominated her boss in the Thanks a Million campaign for his dedication to soldiers and other chaplains working hard through a challenging year.

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“He has spent a great deal of time away from his own family as he assists soldiers and officers and their families to be resilient and the best version of themselves,” Waugh said.

The father of four spent 10 years as a police officer and was a volunteer firefighter for 25 years before he became a Uniting Church minister. He has been a military chaplain with the Australian Defence Force for 15 years.

He said, while the work of the military chaplain is often a “behind-the-scenes” role, it is one he is passionate about.

“There is the very public image of the military chaplain leading the Remembrance Day service, for instance,” Vesely said.

“But that’s only five per cent of my work. The rest is behind the scenes, saying ‘Hi, how are you doing?’ in the corridors but really listening for the answer.

“It’s a ministry of presence.”