The Rev. Joe Holzhauser wanted to serve both God and country, so he did for 26 years and two deployments.
To Holzhauser, a newly retired military chaplain, the two go hand-in-hand.
"As an ordained person, we are always able to keep in mind that we're not there to make policy, but to bring God to soldiers and to bring soldiers to God," he said. "We don't normally take a position on the events, but we would simply be there to take care of the people who are there doing their job."
Holzhauser retired from his post in the National Guard on Aug. 15. He will continue his work as a pastor at St. Mary's Church in Aberdeen, where he has been for the past five years.
His military post had him leaving the parish for periods of time. He worked one weekend a month and two weeks each year, to train with the soldiers he was assigned to serve.
"What it did for me was that it helped me minister to another group and it kept me current with a certain generation, namely those between 18-45, and all the dynamics that are going on with their relationships and their attitudes toward service of God and country," he said.
A native of Agar, Holzhauser has served as a priest for 30 years.
He was a priest for four years before he signed up and went to Fort Jackson, S.C., for chaplain's school and basic and officer's training.
His brother was in the military at the time and had spoken about the need for chaplains, Holzhauser said.
"There were different chaplains who came to the seminary to recruit along the way and my brother just verified what they were saying," Holzhauser said. "I knew I wanted to be a priest and I knew I wanted to be a military chaplain and that started before I ever got to high school."
After completing the training, he was commissioned as a chaplain and began the process of working with guard members.
"The most challenging events that I won't forget were the notification of families in South Dakota of those who had lost someone in the war effort," he said.
During his tenure, he was required to notify 12 different families.
In 1991, he was sent to Saudi Arabia for six months during Operation Desert Storm. In 2005, he served a yearlong deployment in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom.
Holzhauser said he never doubted his decision to become a military chaplain during deployment, but did have some worries as he was serving.
"In the Gulf War it was a concern for chemical weapons and scuds," he said of the weapons used during wartime. "In Afghanistan, it was more IEDs and rocket attacks."
Instead, he focused on the task at hand. And a chaplain has to do more than ever before, he said.
"Today, a soldier, it's not just a soldier," Holzhauser said. "When we minister to the individuals, we are ministering to their extended relations as well."
During his career, Holzhauser has been with several churches in the East River region. Before coming to St. Mary's, he served for nine years as a pastor in Huron.
"It was great to have all the parishes I served at be very understanding and supportive," he said.
He attained the rank of colonel during his military career and served for seven years as the Joint Force Headquarters Chaplain. He said he chose to retire because it seemed like a good transition period.
"It was a good time to make a break and there was a person who's been well-prepared behind me and able to step in and do a hand-off," he said.
There are 13 chaplains in the South Dakota Air and Army National Guard, he said. Because military work is moving from combat operations to more peacetime, Holzhauser said the duties of a military chaplain will change in the upcoming years.
"When there's downsizing in the military force, the emphasis moves away from deployments to taking care of individuals and families dealing with certain things like post-traumatic stress disorder and the enhancing of other relationships," he said. "That will take some energy."