During the major combat phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Chaplain (Major) Gary Payne served as chaplain for the 82nd Airborne Division's 82nd Signal Battalion and remained in Kuwait as the division rear chaplain. After three months, he was allowed to redeploy, but by September he'd been recalled back to theater, this time to Iraq itself - specifically Ar Ramadi - and stayed until May of the following year as the acting deputy division chaplain. In this interview, he discusses the full range of his duties, from helping soldiers deal with combat stress and family problems back home, to crises of faith brought on by individual or accumulated battlefield experiences. Payne talks about chaplains of other faiths that he worked with, including a Muslim, and also about some of the difficulties he faced in terms of getting all the materials he needed (devotional and otherwise) through the Army's regular supply system. Additionally, he addresses the issue of using US Army chaplains in a more prominent role as what he calls "powerbrokers," especially in countries where religion plays a dominant role in people's everyday lives. According to Payne, "a chaplain is a great resource … for being able to brief the commander on religious sensitivities and maybe even as a bridge builder to some of the local religious leaders." Payne continued by remarking that, "I think the religious issues have been underrated by us as Americans. We live in a secular society where we have emphasized the separation of church and state. A lot of times as Americans we just don't get it in terms of what other countries do and how they operate." He also discusses his conversations with soldiers on the idea of "just war," his regrets with having to work primarily in the division's tactical operations center instead of being out among the troops more, and candidly relates a casualty event that he considers "the darkest time for that deployment." In closing, Payne talks about how he dealt with family separation and then recommends that there be a chaplain at division level who is well versed and knowledgeable in a variety of religious issues, who can provide a full breadth of analysis and lend an operationally-focused perspective to the commander.

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