Chaplain (Maj. Ret.) Chris Cairns grew up in a military family, with 106 years of unbroken Active-Duty service. Chris was medically retired from the Army 2023, as the Brigade Chaplain for the 2nd US Army Recruiting Brigade. He has been in faith-based, non-profit ministry since 1995, having previously served on the staff of Young Life, the Salvation Army, and Alpha USA. He now serves as a Chaplain and Mission Developer for Mission Mosaic, an Anglican Mission Society.

From his work with veterans, he is keenly aware that the Veteran Community has distinct difficulties they may experience. From the mere fact of transition from a unique workforce experience that they will never be able to re-enter and the strong bonds they’ve built in their military family that they are losing, to bodies in chronic pain, to administrative difficulties with the VA system, not to mention potential joblessness and homelessness, PTSD and/or despair. It is little wonder how this can end in drug and alcohol abuse, even crime and incarceration. With sacrificial service in their rearview, regardless of what they’ve done to land themselves in their current predicament, it is incumbent upon us, the civilian population, not to fail them a second time, and support them while they’re in the bottleneck of pre- and post- release before they return to the ruts of old habits for want of any vision of a better future.

Chris is a graduate of the University of the South with a B.A. in Developing World Studies and a Master of Divinity degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary. He is a recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal, three Army Commendation Medals, three Army Achievement Medals, the National Defense Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Korea Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Medal, and the Army Overseas Service Medal.