4/12/07

Manning native finds fulfillment as Army Chaplain in Africa
By Eric Goold

Submitted Photo

Manning native Cmdr. Walter “Sonny” Dinkins leads a crowd of Djibouti children in song as part of his role s Chaplain of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

Cmdr. Walter Dinkins has preached his way from Manning to Djibouti.

The Presbyterian USA minister, who started out as an Army Chaplain with C Battery, 4th of the 178th Field Artillery in the South Carolina Army National Guard stationed in Manning while he was going to school, is now the Command Chaplain for the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

Djibouti is located in Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between the countries of Eritrea and Somalia.

“Djibouti is the second hottest place in the world,” he said in an email, “with temperatures ranging into the upper 140 degrees during the really hot season.”

Dinkins serves as an Army Chaplain and ministers to a large group of people across a huge area of land.

“My Religious Ministry Team (RMT) consists of four people, two ministers and two Religious Program Assistants,” he said. “Together we are responsible for the religious program for every operation and team throughout East Africa and the Horn, including the islands off East Africa. That is a whole lot of territory.”

Dinkins serves with one Protestant chaplain and one Roman Catholic chaplain and is stationed at the base on Camp Lemoiner, located outside of Djibouti City. He said there are about 2,000 U.S. military personnel stationed there as well as officers and staff from the host country.

The chaplains visit and minister to U.S. personnel all over the Horn and the islands off the coast. They also assist with humanitarian operations, Seabee building teams, civil affairs and all kinds of other operations designed to help improve life for the inhabitants of the host nations.

“As Command Chaplain and the senior religious leader for the U.S. Military Joint Command, I also do Religious Ministry Engagement (RME) throughout the Horn and East Africa,” said Dinkins. “This is only being done in this theater of operations and is quite unique and exciting.

“I meet with U.S. Embassy personnel throughout all of our host nations and meet with senior religious leaders of all major religious faith groups,” he said. “We meet privately and in conferences to dialogue regarding building peace, unity and mutual cooperation between religious communities and their cities and countries.”

Dinkins said he works with Christians of all denominations, as well as members of the Muslim, Hindu and Orthodox faiths as well.

“We talk about how important it is to gather together and discuss peace, unity and how to bring stability throughout their regions, cities, villages and countries,” said Dinkins. “This has me traveling all over Africa. I travel into their villages, cities and communities and see their concerns and their issues with my own eyes.”