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"What is one under the Modern Volunteer Army
program in the next few years will shape the character, efficiency and morale
of the U.S. Army for years to come," according to Chaplain (Col.) Leonard F.
Stegman, the newly-assigned Third U.S. Army Chaplain.
The new chaplain, whose hometown is Offerle, Kan.,
likes working directly with the troops and is especially interested in reaching
the young, single soldier through the Army Chaplaincy program.
Chaplain Stegman comes to Ft. McPherson from
Vietnam, where he served for the past year as staff chaplain for the U.S. Army,
Vietnam. He reports that while in Southeast Asia, he became deeply involved in
communications, human relations, and the drug problem as they relate to the
soldier. He intends to emphasize these aspects in the Third Army area.
Chaplain Stegman received a direct commission in
the U.S. Army Reserve in April 1948 and first went on active duty in 1950. His
major assignments since 1960 include serving as staff chaplain of the U.S. Army
Air Defense command; as division chaplain of the 3rd Infantry
Division in Germany; as staff chaplain of Headquarters, U.S. Army
Communications Zone, Europe; and as an instructor at the U.S. Army Chaplain
School, Ft. Slocum, NY, and Ft. Hamilton, NY.
His decorations include two Silver Stars, two
awards of the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal,
the Army Commendation Medal, and the Purple Heart in addition to numerous
foreign citations. He wears four campaign stars for service in Korea and two
for service in Vietnam.
A Catholic priest of the Capuchin-Franciscan Order
of Detroit, Mich., Chaplain Stegman was ordained in the order in 1944. He holds
a B.A. degree in philosophy from Mary Immaculate Clericate, Garrison, NY, and
has studied theology at St. Anthony Seminary, Marathon, Wisc. He also holds an
M.A. degree in international affairs from George Washington University,
Washington, DC. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus.
Chaplain Stegman is the son of the late Mr. and
Mrs. Alexander Stegman of Offerle, Kan.
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