I am glad you stopped by!

Let me share a little about myself. I was born and raised in the beautiful State of Oregon. Most of my school years were spent in southern Oregon in timber country. In many ways the beauty of my home state has shaped my life as I know that I am drawn to things that are green, lush, and vibrant with life.

Interesting that most of my assignments as an Air Force chaplain have taken me to places that are dry, brown, and not so pretty. Still, I have learned to see beauty where we are; even on the high plains of eastern New Mexico or the flat, windswept expanses of West Texas.

My wife, Shelley, and I have been married for over 30 years and we are from the same town. Shelley is an Air Force nurse and is currently working as a Health Care Integrator at an Air Force hospital in the Washington DC area. Not only is she creative, disciplined, fun, and a great organizer, she is my soul mate. There is no one I would rather be with than Shelley!

We have four kids: one boy and three girls, all now grown and “out of the nest.” Our son and his wife presented us with our first grandchild, a boy, last year, and we are thrilled to be grandparents. Our oldest daughter was married last summer to a young man who is an Army captain, someone we have known for almost 20 years. Our middle daughter and her husband graduated from college in December and are working. Our youngest daughter is in college in Texas, and the older three are in Oregon.

I am a Christian, unapologetically! Jesus Christ has changed my life and given me forgiveness, hope, and a future. It is my joy to serve Him and to wear a cross on my uniform as a Christian chaplain, since He is the one I represent in my ministry.

Still, I am ready to assist any military member or family member with their faith needs, no matter what that faith expression may be. You may have a religious commitment very different from mine, or none at all, and I will still try to help you in any way that I can.

That’s our job as chaplains. As a prominent chaplain used to say, “I am pastor to some, chaplain to all.” That’s exactly right. Please contact me with whatever you would like to talk about.

I served as a civilian pastor for over 13 years in churches in Oregon and Alaska. During that time I got interested in serving in the military and became a reserve chaplain. Five years later, the door opened for active duty and I’ve been serving in that capacity since. It was during my second active duty assignment that my wife, Shelley, got interested in the military.

We have been very fortunate to be assigned together, most of the time, though we know it is not guaranteed. We have learned to not force the system or strong-arm any assignment staff … rather, let our desires be known, ask that our assignment officers talk with each other, and pray … a lot!

I have deployed twice: just before and after 9/11 to the UAE and Oman; and more recently to Iraq. Shelley has also deployed, to Qatar at the beginning of OIF. We both know what it is to deploy, and to be at home alone with the kids while the other is deployed.

As for hobbies, I like to travel. The Air Force has been good for that. I probably would not have lived in the South, or the East Coast, or Korea, or England if it had not been for military assignments.

Photography is also an interest. Years ago (before the military) I took some classes in photography, and more recently I have acquired a digital SLR. Washington is a good place to use it!

I also like to fish, but don’t do it much any more. Trout. Steelhead. Salmon. Halibut once in Alaska. Bluegill, croppie, and bass are also fun.

Shelley and I both like to drink coffee and read books. We hang out in Borders or Barnes and Noble in our free time, browse the books and magazines, and drink coffee.

I’m also getting interested in alternative energy sources, possibly for our retirement home. Windmills, solar power, and possibly micro-hydro are things I think about as possibilities for the future.

Chaplain Mark Campbell has served in the U. S. Air Force on active duty since 1992. Prior to this he was a civilian minister for 13 years, during which also he served as an Air Force Reserve chaplain for five years. He has deployed twice to the Middle East (UAE, Oman, and Iraq) and completed a one-year unaccompanied tour in Korea. He has served as Protestant Chaplain, Senior Protestant Chaplain, Installation Chaplain, Deputy Wing Chaplain, and Wing Chaplain. Currently, he serves as Chaplain to the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Military Community and Family Policy Office. He holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Education:

Chaplain Campbell was raised in Oregon and holds degrees from Wheaton College (BA), Western Seminary (M.Div.), and Tarleton State University (M.S. in Counseling Psychology). He is a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and holds the title Pastoral Psychotherapist from the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy.