In a testament to excellence and determination, the 23rd Wing Chapel Team and Religious Support Team at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, has won two Major-Command-level awards for their accomplishments in 2023.

From offering support in three overseas combatant commands, to helping the local Moody community, both teams set themselves apart by showcasing their commitment for spiritual readiness collaboration in a global capacity, earning them the 2023 Air Combat Command Medium Chapel of the Year Award and the ACC Religious Support Team of the Year Award.

“I think that one thing that sets us apart from other chapel teams is the amount in which we’re deployed – it extends our reach across the globe,” said Maj. Thomas Peck, 23rd Wing acting base Chaplain. “Another thing is not only do we do things for all of our members on base, but we also do stuff off base.”

When impacted by Hurricane Idalia last year, the teams partnered up with an international humanitarian organization to help the local community get back to its feet. Generating 28 hours of tree cleanup, saving families thousands of dollars and raising $34,000 for a local school.

“One of our main goals is to always just do more and continue to reach different parts of the base and get as many people involved as we can,”
said Senior Airman Jordan Ganchenko, 23rd Wing religious affairs Airman.

The religious support team (RST), comprised of Chaplain Peck and Tech. Sgt. Giancarlo Cintron, 23rd Wing religious affairs noncommissioned officer in charge, also took the lead of providing guidance, care and support to multiple Airmen on deployment.

They provided spiritual care to 792 deployers, led three worship services, accumulated 25 hours of flight line visits and provided daily messages of hope, enabling operations to continue smoothly.

The accolades awarded to the 23rd Wing Chapel Team and Religious Support team, not only reflect their long lists of achievements, but also foreshadow the time and effort they are going to continue to put in as the next year comes around.

“We really couldn’t have done it without the support of wing leadership, first sergeants, and unit commanders – their support and partnership has enabled the work of our Moody Chapel team,” Peck said. “We plan to continue to take care of Airmen and their families and to do it to the best of our ability with God’s help.”