Following his spiritual path

When Lawrence resident Mark Getman enlisted in the Army National Guard in 2006 as a communications technician specialist, he did not expect to be interested in the Chaplain Candidate program but after meeting a Jewish faith leader during his 19 weeks of training in Fort Gordon, Georgia, he decided to apply.

A lack of job stability in the information technology field and his family’s military background led the Long Beach High School Class of 1990 graduate and Hofstra alum to enlist in the National Guard. “My father served in the military in Israel from 1948 to 1959,” he said. “It’s something I wanted to do and it’s a way for me to give back to the community.”

Getman, 39, now a lieutenant, serves part-time in the National Guard for one weekend a month in Ronkonkoma and two to three weeks a year for drill training. He also attends professional development training throughout the year for Chaplain Officer School. “Most of the time the training is on Long Island or within New York State,” he said.

Steven Getman was worried when his brother first signed up for the National Guard. “At first I didn’t think he should join because I was worried that he would be deployed and because he was already (then) 34-years-old so I thought it would be hard for him physically,” said Steven, a Long Beach resident. “But when he told me how much he wanted to serve in the military, I was proud of his decision and proud of him for enlisting during a time of conflict.”

In 2008, Getman received commission as a Chaplain candidate and will be ordained as rabbi this January. “I will become a full Chaplain in the next year and a half,” he said. “I will fulfill the role as spiritual, moral and religious leader and advisor to soldiers by guiding them to the right sources.” Confused at Getman’s decision, Steven asked his brother, “don’t you have to be a rabbi first?”

“He explained the Chaplain Candidate program and the progression path he needed to follow in order to be a Chaplin, which included going back to school for his masters and 72 credit hours to become an ordained rabbi,” Steven said. “When he told me more about the role of a Chaplain, I was also proud of him for his decision to follow this path.”

New York State Chaplain Col. Eric Olsen has known Getman for five years and said his prior military experience and strong sense of faith will make Getman a great Chaplain. “He understands soldiers and he’s committed to bringing the presence and knowledge of God as he understands it to soldiers in difficult times,” Olsen said.

Growing up in Long Beach prepared Getman for the National Guard because of the diversity he encountered while attending Hebrew school at Congregation Beth Sholom in Long Beach and Long Beach High School. “Being in a high school with people from different backgrounds gave me a sense of diversity,” he said. “In the military you also encounter people from different backgrounds so it wasn’t hard for me to get friendly with everybody.”

Getman is a good candidate for the program because of his understanding and compassionate personality, Steven said. “I know that he would make everyone feel comfortable talking with him and confiding in him, in his position when he becomes a Chaplain,” he said. “He has a good heart and I know he understands the issues that enlisted soldiers have to go through.”