DISA welcomes new chaplain

Renee Hatcher
Office of Strategic Communication and Public Affairs
March 28, 2022 

Army Col. Suk Kim reported to DISA Feb. 1, to serve as the agency’s newest chaplain.

“I’m here to support, to love and to help everyone at DISA regardless of who they are and where they are because God loves us all,” Kim said.

Born in South Korea, Kim fulfilled his obligation to join the Republic of Korea Army and served as a drill sergeant.

“Serving in the RoK Army is mandatory in Korea for young men, so I didn’t have a choice,” Kim said. “But I made a conscious decision to join the U.S. Army.”

In 1989, Kim immigrated to the United States and enlisted in the Army the following year. He was honorably discharged in 1994, and enrolled in college to pursue a ministry degree. At the same time, he also served the Korean-American Church in Dallas, Texas, as a children’s pastor, youth pastor, director of education, and associate pastor for seven years.

Growing up as a non-practicing Buddhist, Kim said he was saved by God’s grace when he was 26 years old and pursuing a degree in ministry was a calling from God.

“After God saved me through Jesus Christ, he called me to be a minister,” Kim said. “I believed that one way to fulfill this calling was to pursue a degree at a college. Just prior to graduation, God challenged me to pursue even higher education. I was skeptical at first because of my finances at the time, but God provided and I graduated with a master’s of divinity.”

In February 2001, Kim rejoined the U.S. Army as a chaplain. He served as a chaplain for several battalions and installations including Fort Lee, Virginia; South Korea; and Fort Stewart, Georgia. He’s been forward-deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Germany and Korea. Before reporting to DISA, Kim was the senior garrison chaplain for Fort George G. Meade.

Throughout his career, Kim has received several awards including three Bronze Stars, two National Defense Service Medals, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, three Iraq Campaign Medals, a Korean Defense Service Medal, a NATO Medal, and a Parachutist Badge.

Before his first deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom III in January 2005, Kim was looking for a way to show extra support and encouragement to his Soldiers.

“Two months prior to deployment, I signed up for the airborne training to show our Soldiers that their chaplain was with them even in the airborne training,” Kim said. “They liked me being side-by-side with them; it was comforting.”

Kim also earned a Combat Action Badge for saving a Soldier’s life during his first deployment.

“I went out with our Soldiers on a patrol mission to give comfort and encouragement,” Kim said. “One day, one of our Soldiers was hit by a sniper and I was right beside him. He collapsed, and I immediately moved him out of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and got help from the other Soldiers. And, yes, the Soldier survived without any harm except some scratches.”

Kim’s job at DISA will be a two- to three-year assignment, depending on what the Army chief of chaplains needs. For now, Kim said he doesn’t have any major changes planned, but he and his team will evaluate and update programs as necessary to support the global workforce’s spiritual fitness and resiliency.

“I want everyone to know that they can come to me about anything and expect the highest level of confidentiality,” said Kim, who thinks the best part about being a chaplain is helping people.

One of his proudest moments as a military chaplain came after 14 sessions of couples counseling when a Soldier sent him an email that said, “Thank you, chaplain, you saved our marriage and family.”

Kim and his wife, Eun, have been married for 30 years; they have three children.
In his free time, he enjoys watching movies and walking his Australian Shepherd and miniature Schnauzer. An outdoor enthusiast, Kim also likes to hike, camp, hunt and fish, and said that family is where he gets his energy, strength and comfort.

“With a stable and strong family, we can deal with anything from outside regardless of the difficulties,” said Kim, who remembered a lesson learned from his grandfather as a child.

When he was just 4 years old, Kim lived with his grandparents for a few years on their farm. One day, his grandfather told him to gather some sticks, grab one and break it in half. Kim did as he was directed. Then, the grandfather told him to grab three sticks and break those in half. It was harder this time but Kim did it. Then he told Kim to grab five sticks and break those in half. Kim tried but just couldn’t break the bundle of five sticks.

Kim admitted he didn’t fully understand the meaning of that lesson at the time. What his grandfather wanted him to learn was if family stays together, nothing can break it apart.

“I believe the same concept applies to this day,” Kim said. “If we stick together, we cannot be broken.”