Civil Air Patrol Chaplains Denied Access to Hurricane Katrina Victims

Charles Sharp
Col Charles E. Sharp

By AuxBeacon News Contributor

[Editor’s Note: We received this from a former CAP member. Thank you for your contribution. It is about a CAP Chaplain disclosing information of what he had witnessed during Hurricane Katrina, but was falsely accused of lying by the CAP National Chief of Chaplains, Col Charles E. Sharp.]

—–Original Message—–
From: “Dr. Phillip Blansett” (Blansett@…)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 11:15:32
To: csharpmajor@…
Cc: (G. Hedges), (Larry Kauffman), (Tony Pineda), (Don Rowland)

Subject: Re: The Tipping Point draws nearer…

Chaplain (Col) Sharp:

Thank you for replying to quotes from the Civil Air Patrol Katrina After Action Report.

As a Chaplain, I’m certain that you must enjoy and appreciate parables, illustrations and the like, and I share a factual one with you here.

A Senior in College at Texas Christian University, I was under Contract with the Air Force to receive a monthly allowance, to graduate from the University and accept a Commission in the Air Force, and to enter active service. In preparation for that entrance into active service, I was probed and prodded at Carswell AFB’s Medical Center. Blood was drawn, and I received a plethora of vaccinations and other shots. They were all transcribed carefully into the DOD Immunization Record and handed back to me to keep. As I entered into Active Service, at Flight School, I received another round of booster shots. When asked to produce the Immunization Record, I could not find it anywhere. I looked but it didn’t turn up. I knew that I’d had the shots, but there was no Immunization Record to be found.

As I presented myself at the Clinic, I pled my case. I am forever grateful, Chaplain Sharp, that the medic dealing with me directly was able to keep a straight face. But I’ll forever remember each of the nurses and doctors and orderlies behind him who were giggling and snickering.

“Lieutenant, if there isn’t a record of it, it didn’t happen.” Then I received them, all immunizations, again, there and then.

That only happened to me one other time in life. That was when my flight instructor failed to annotate my flight records for a necessary endorsement. When I appealed the decision to have to repeat the event, it was stated again, same words, different vocal chords: “Captain, if there isn’t a
record of it, it didn’t happen.”

Chaplain Sharp, I didn’t create any Katrina report, or imagine any Katrina sign in sheet, I only quoted (in fact a careful reading shows I photo-captured) the actual Katrina After Action Report (see: http://starrswon.com/KatrinaAAR.pdf ) I have testimony from Chaplains wanting assignment to the Katrina Disaster zone who were denied assignment or simply not responded to. Those reports are proprietary reports that I’ll share with the Congressional Review Task Force upon subpoena, but are otherwise protected.

But, sir, despite your protestation and assertion, “if there isn’t a record of it, it didn’t happen.”

Blessings to all who serve the Risen Lord.

Phillip L. Blansett


—– Original Message —–
From: csharpmajor@…
To: Blansett@…
Cc: (Larry Kauffman), (Tony Pineda), (Don Rowland)
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2006 5:32 PM
Subject: Re: The Tipping Point draws nearer…

There were chaplains serving following Katrina. I served at Baton Rouge, another chaplain from Arkansas served in Baton Rouge prior to my service. The Wing chaplain in Mississippi served in a shelter for the evacuees in Mississippi for 15 days.

I served in a shelter for evacuees in Arkansas for 15 days. There were at lest five chaplains that went to Louisiana shortly after the hurricane and served in three locations counseling those who had need. They also provided morning prayers for the troops before they went out to serve. The wing Chaplain in Louisiana served several weeks in Louisiana.

To say the Chaplains did not respond is a untruth to say the least.

Yes, there are improvements that need to be made and we are working on this issue.

In His Ministry,
Chaplain (Col) Charles E. Sharp
CAP Chief of Chaplain Services


March 2, 2013:

Maj Gen Charles “Chuck” Carr announced this morning that Ch, Col Charles E. Sharp had passed away in recent days. Chaplain Sharp had served in CAP since 1993. He began as a Squadron Chaplain in Garden City, Kansas. Later he served as the Wing Chaplain for Kansas and Arkansas. He served as the Southwest Region Chaplain from 2002 to 2004 before being appointed as the National Chief of Chaplains (2004-2008). During his tenure, the Chaplain Corps underwent a major restructuring. The corporate position of the Director of Chaplain Services was eliminated and the day-to-day responsibilities was transferred to the Chief of Chaplains. Chaplain Sharp guided the Chaplain Corps through this transitional phase with much grace and a steady hand. Services for Chaplain Sharp will held in Arkansas on Monday.

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