Chaplain Candidate 2nd Lt. Tyler Harris

In this edition of Catholic Military Life, the official podcast of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Tyler Harris recounts how he first sensed a vocation to become a priest and a military chaplain way back in 2001 while he was climbing the enlisted ranks. But it took Tyler many years, including time spent serving as a chaplain's assistant in Kuwait and Afghanistan, and one false start in seminary, before he finally committed himself to God's call. Now, if all goes as planned, he will be "Father Harris" in 2020 and "Chaplain Harris" in 2023 following a period of pastoral service in his home Diocese of Monterey, Calif. Lt. Harris shares the struggles he encountered in discerning his vocation, the inspiring influence of his mentor, the late Bishop Richard Garcia of Monterey, and his first-hand experience, as a chaplain's assistant, of the effects of the Catholic chaplain shortage in the Air Force, where only 60 priests remain on active duty, serving 80,000 Catholic Airmen--approximately one priest for every 1300--spread worldwide. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alyssa M. Akers.)