BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. –
A Lutheran pastor from a midtown Sacramento, Calif. church is the newest addition to the 940th Air Refueling Wing's chaplain office.
Air Force Reservist Chaplain Capt. Jason Bredeson comes to the 940th ARW from Tyndall Air Force Base Fla., where he served under the individual mobilization augmentee reserve program there. He was also a pastor at Lutheran church in Pensacola, Fla.
He completed his bachelor's degree at Simpson College in Redding Calif. and attended seminary at Concordia University in St. Louis, Mo. He was commissioned in the Air Force Reserve on May 3, 2006.
The most rewarding experiences in Chaplain Bredeson's Air Force Reserve career were during his time as a chaplain candidate.
"When I was a chaplain candidate at Travis AFB Calif., I took a week-long cargo mission. I got the opportunity to see much of the world from inside a cargo plane," said Bredeson. "It gave me the opportunity to practice the ministry of the presence, which is being a representative of the holy and basically just being there to minister to Airmen."
"I got to pray with two people on the plane that were deploying to the desert, and it gave me a chance to really get to know the people," said Bredeson.
The wing's newest chaplain has a unique hobby that he discovered through a friend. He brews his own beer at home. According to Chaplain Bredeson, in the Lutheran traditions, Martin Luther was also a home brewer as well. He states the responsible consumption of alcohol is not condemned by the Lutheran faith.
"As I expressed more interest (in home brewing), I purchased a home brewing kit. My first batch came out really well, however my second batch of beer was terrible," said Bredeson. "Now I am into dark beers, stouts, and porters. Right now I have a Norwegian Christmas ale being fermented for the holiday season."
His goal with the 940th is to be an active member of the community, and interact as much as possible with the Airmen of the wing to provide spiritual counseling when it's needed.
"I would like to thank the wing for having me onboard, and I look forward to serving the wing in any way that I can," said Chaplain Bredeson.
Chaplain Bredeson also emphasized that he loves being a Seahawks fan in 49ers country!