A message of hope to help sustain the soldier’s soul was offered along with the day’s first meal Monday morning during the 2011 Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield National Prayer Breakfast.

“For me, personally, prayer promotes inward healing,” 3rd Infantry Division deputy chaplain Maj. Bart Herndon said. “For some, it is a direct connection to God. For others, prayer helps them gain a renewed sense of self-awareness and hope.”

Maj. Gen. Douglas Carver, the U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains, was guest speaker. Carver came to Fort Stewart to speak with post chaplains and chaplain assistants about core issues facing the chaplaincy as they help other soldiers cope with life’s challenges.

Carver told those assembled, “We’ve never had a greater need for hope than we do in this world today.”

Army chaplains are responsible for the spiritual well-being of soldiers and their families, according to www.goarmy.com. The Army Chaplaincy also is religiously diverse, reflecting the diverse faith traditions of soldiers, the website states. Chaplains are non-combatants and do not carry or use weapons.