Preparing for his role as V Corps chaplain for what became Operation Iraqi Freedom, Chaplain (Brigadier General) Douglas Carver concerned himself with stress management training, placement of ministry teams at forward hospitals, working with family readiness groups, fitting chaplains into the battle rhythm of their units and identifying appropriate devotional reference materials. He felt that carrying messages of courage, hope, the peace of God and freedom from anxiety into Iraq were very important for soldiers' well-being. One particular area of predeployment study for chaplains was the Islamic faith. He also had to deal with the challenge of low-density, high-demand groups like Roman Catholic priests, in addition to assisting with operational planning and targeting by explaining the historical and religious significance of times and places. Once hostilities begin, he said, "It's important for our chaplains to be positioned in those places where we can most affect religious support as we nurture the living, care for the wounded and honor the dead, so I had to figure out where there would be casualties, where would there be a place that a chaplain was most likely going to be needed." Carver also notes that commanders (such as the V Corps commander himself, General William Wallace), even at the height of operations made real efforts to include chaplains. What's more, Carver had to address the "just war" concept, albeit rarely, and was enormously impressed with US soldiers, observing "a spiritual awareness, a maturity" and an outpouring of compassion towards the Iraqi people. Regarding the people of the Middle East, Carver states that the US military is an excellent model as it's an institution with a diversity of faiths. He talks about his own interaction with Iraqi religious leaders, the Coalition Provisional Authority's hesitancy to use chaplains' expertise, and his belief that chaplains should have a presence at the US State Department. Chaplains must "continue to offer hope and encouragement for this long war," said Carver - who, at the time of this interview, was the Army's deputy chief of chaplains - "so we're emphasizing that our chaplains must be embodiments of hope, encouragement and perseverance for a very impulsive, short-term, instant-result clientele." Additionally, Carver discusses the ramifications of "dealing with an enemy who seems to have no conscience and doesn't play by the rules" and his concern that "we'll lose our moral compass while we're fighting them." "We talk a lot about the national elements - democratic, economic and military - but religion is so very, very important," he said in closing, "especially in the Middle East."

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