ASSOCIATE Magazine FBINAA Q4-2023

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAPLAIN

FBINAA.ORG | Q4 2023

Mike Hardee

A Spiritual Partnership

J ust as you don’t have to have a specific religious affiliation to have a spiritual relationship with God, you also don’t need to hold any particular political point of view to recognize other human beings suffering and desire to reach out to them. A recent event occurred that perhaps follows this concept of spirituality, hope, and faith. I was taken by surprise when the head of the Ukrainian Chaplaincy for Law Enforcement Agencies for the Ukraine, Chaplain Yarsolav Malko recently reached out to me through social media to introduce himself and the Ukrainian Law En forcement Chaplaincy Program. He explained that a brigade of law enforcement officers is currently serving on the front line in the war, supporting the soldiers and providing aid the citizens in war torn communities. Few of us think about the role our fellow law enforcement officers play when a war is fought on one’s own soil—our country has been fortunate to never have experienced that. I was astonished to learn that one of their critical needs right now is trauma kits for these police officers. Since police don’t usually serve on the front lines, there are not enough kits in supply to provide adequate protection. Chaplain Malko described a few other issues and needs facing Ukrainian law enforcement officers, their families, and the communities they serve: • Spiritual prayer and support for the brigade of Ukrainian law enforcement officers now fighting in the war and support of their military efforts to protect their citizens throughout the war-torn communities. • The need for spiritual prayer and support for the orphaned children of the Ukraine who they must tend to, and for the other vulnerable groups among them: the aged, wounded citizens and soldiers, people with limited capabilities, and those who lost their families in the war. • Spiritual prayer for the repair of the severe damage that has destroyed the very fabric of their lives—their economy, infrastructure (water supply and electrical grids), and food supplies. People are starving and lack the necessities we take for granted every day. • Spiritual prayer for the areas now freed of Russian occupation that were utterly destroyed. These areas have no hospital buildings, no schools, no preschool, or any other social infrastructure. The situation hits close to home when you consider that to date the FBI National Academy has graduated 18 Ukrainian police officers representing various law enforcement agencies throughout the Ukraine – some of whom are actively supporting the war effort. It is with this connection of brotherhood and spirit that our very own Spiritual Leadership Network is reaching out to those in need. There is currently a movement within the Ukrainian law enforcement community to build a strong faith-based Chap laincy program for all law enforcement agencies to support not only the officers who are serving on the front lines of the war, but also their families, friends, and colleagues. Their need to bring

about an awareness of spiritual need throughout the country, especially now for all law enforcement, has reached out to our FBI National Academy Associates Spiritual Leadership Network for support, partnership, and spiritual friendship. On Aug. 24, the people of the Ukraine celebrated their 32nd year of independence from the former Soviet Union and for the past 18 months they have lost thousands of innocent Ukrainians in the war fighting to retain that independence from Russia. Police officers are facing the horrors of war as the stress contin ues, coping with the constant fear as their air-alarm system starts warning of a possible missile attack. As first responders to bomb attacks on civilian populations, many are also suffering the long term trauma of human loss. United in our common beliefs and faith we recognize the most vulnerable people of war are the el derly, wounded citizens and police officers, children, and people who have lost their homes. Each of these issues alone have a devastating impact on the law enforcement communities, and combined are both physically and emotionally overwhelming. I must believe that God speaks to each of us in a very special and intimate way if we open our hearts and minds to Him each day. As we approach another opportunity to serve our membership at home and around the world, our Spiritual Leadership Network is helping bridge relationships by responding to our membership needs in a of moment of solidarity and kindness. Our goal has been to develop a national and international network of those who serve in an official or unofficial capacity as clergy, chaplain, minister, or spiritual leader for their state and/ or international chapters. Both here in our own backyards as well as abroad, the need for us to unite in a faith-based, spiritual way is so very important today. Connecting our state/international chapter spiritual leaders with the National Office will bring sup port to those in need, unite us in spiritual thought and prayer more efficiently, and bring us closer together in times of celebra tion and in times of need. That’s why I am again asking each Chapter to consider recognizing a current member to represent you in our Spiritual Leadership Network. Preference will be given to those applicants who are active FBINAA members and affiliated with a Chapter. To vet all the requests, we ask that you complete the following FBINAA Chaplain endorsement application. https://fbinaa.form stack.com/forms/fbinaa_cea

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