Douglas Brock, former pastor at Straits Corners Baptist Church, promoted to colonel in the Army National Guard

Brock serves as state chaplain for the 16,000 men and women of the Army and Air National Guard

Latham, New York (01/17/2023) — Douglas Brock, the pastor of the Straits Corners Baptist Church from 1999 to 2021, and who serves as the state chaplain for the New York National Guard, was promoted to the rank of colonel in the New York Army National Guard during a ceremony on Friday, January 13 at Guard headquarters in Latham.In his role Brock coordinates the activities of New York Army National Guard and New York Air National Guard chaplains.

Brock currently lives in Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, with his wife, Lori, and four of their twelve children. Three of their adult children are in the military and five are involved with the Navigators Military Ministry.

Military chaplains provide for the religious needs of service members and their families, while also serving as an expert on religious, moral, and ethical issues for commanders. They play a key role in helping Soldiers and Airmen and their families deal with the stresses of military life and deployments.

Brock also serves as the chaplain for Joint Task Force Empire Shield, the New York National Guard's 700-person security augmentation force in New York City that is based at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn.

Major General Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York, praised Brock for his service to the Soldiers and Airmen of the National Guard, particularly during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Young men and women were asked to do the difficult work of retrieving the bodies of those who died, Shields said, and Brock and his chaplains were there to help them deal with the emotional fallout of the necessary job.

"Chaplain Brock has earned this promotion through his years of service," Shields said.

In his remarks, Brock thanked his family, his friends, his fellow chaplains and soldiers, and the members of his church for their support over the years.

"It just think, this feels like this promotion feels like the result of a group effort," Brock said.

His military experience made him a better pastor and his civilian experience made him a better chaplain, Brock said.

Brock has served as battalion chaplain for two units, as well as the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade and the 42nd Infantry Division. He deployed to Kuwait in 2013 and again in 2020, when he served as the head chaplain for Task Force Spartan Shield, the Army forces based in Kuwait and other Middle Eastern countries.

Brock enlisted in the Air Force in 1985 after graduating from high school in Hayward, California. He served as a radio technician in Iceland and Texas.

After leaving the Air Force, Brock studied at Davis Bible College in Binghamton where he earned a bachelor's degree in religious education and went into the ministry.

In 2008, Brock decided to become a military chaplain and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army's chaplain's candidate program and attended Liberty Theological Seminary as part of that process.

His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation, and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

Brock's military education includes the Operational Religious Support Leader Course, Command and General Staff Officer Course, Chaplain Captain's Career Course, and the Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course. He is also certified as a Building Strong & Ready Teams Trainer.

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