The VA defines “Advocacy," one of their core values, as: "Be truly Veteran-centric by identifying, fully considering, and appropriately advancing the interests of Veterans and other beneficiaries." As a Veteran, I draw my breath in pain to tell how upper management at Tucson's VA Medical Center (VAMC) does not honor a Veteran-centric privilege that is near and dear to me, a former USAF and VA chaplain. VHA Directive 1111 (July 21, 2021), Chapter 9, a. (6) states: "Chapels must remain available at all times for use by Veterans and their families."

Upper management at the Tucson VA Medical Center or Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System (SAVAHCS) allows the “Chapel and Conference Room,” its official 2015 blueprint name, to be available to VA staff members only. When not being utilized by pre-approved VA staff member(s), Building 4, Room 110, aka the “Chapel and Conference Room," is locked up. I have written to the VA OIG and the VA’s Office of Special Counsel multiple times about this issue and they have done nothing but reaffirm this non-Veteran-centric policy.

Since the "Chapel and Conference Room" is only open for VA staff member(s) and since there are only Christian VA chaplains at Tucson’s VAMC, then no other faith group but Christians get to use this room. Following VHA Directive 1111 guarantees fair treatment of all Veterans, regardless of their faith background. This is the number one reason why this offends me, someone who believes in the freedom of religion, not the freedom from religion. Making the "Chapel and Conference Room" a conference room for VA staff and locking it up when it is not in use, meets the needs of upper management, not Veterans and their families. There are over sixty other conference rooms on the Tucson VAMC campus other than the "Chapel and Conference Room." I was a VA chaplain at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System (SAVAHCS) for ten years. There is no shortage of conference rooms at Tucson's VAMC. This current policy shortchanges Veterans and their families.

Ms. Gutowski, the Tucson VAMC director, calls the "Chapel and Conference Room'' a “Patio Conference Room." In reality, this room has a vestry, an altar, a church organ, a chancel, and many other features which distinctively make this room more of a chapel than a conference room in any sane person's assessment. Gutowski offers as compensation: “Meditation Rooms,” which are not covered in VHA Directive 1111 as a suitable substitute for a VA chapel. In fact, the phrase “meditation rooms" does not appear in this VHA Directive anywhere.

Both Prescott and Phoenix’s VAMCs allow Veterans and their families to have access to their chapel “at all times." That means that all of Arizona’s federally funded VAMCs abide by the VHA Directive I quoted earlier, except for Tucson's. Why are Veterans and their families in the Tucson area not given the same privileges as their counterparts in the rest of Arizona?

(another version of the above paragraph from 7/12)
Both Prescott and Phoenix’s VAMCs allow Veterans and their families to have access to their chapel “at all times." That means that all of Arizona’s federally funded VAMCs abide by the VHA Directive I quoted earlier, except for Tucson's. Why are Veterans and their families in the Tucson area not given the same privileges as their counterparts in the rest of Arizona? Making the chapel a locked-up / off-limits-to-Veterans conference room meets the needs of upper management, not Veterans and their families. There are over sixty other conference rooms on the Tucson VAMC campus other than the "Chapel and Conference Room." I was a VA chaplain there for ten years. There is no shortage of conference rooms at this VAMC. So, why does Tucson’s VAMC upper management make the chapel into a conference room when there is no scarcity of them?

There is another reason, other than the federally mandated one plainly stated in VHA Directive 1111 why Veterans and their families should have access to their VAMC chapel at all times. When I served in Afghanistan in 2002 and 2003, we had a chapel, albeit a tent, which was available to all military members at all times. Our commander did not lock up our chapel when worship services were over or use it as anything other than a chapel. Period. Plain and simple. That was a given no matter where I was stationed during my active duty career. Veterans who are inpatients have no other options but to go to these poorly refurbished waiting rooms that management has lamely provided when they want to pray or spend a quiet moment meditation.

Veterans expect their leaders to protect their chapels from being used as anything other than a chapel. As a VA chaplain, that's what I expected from my supervisors. I tried to have the present chapel management policy at Tucson’s VAMC changed so that it would be in compliance with VHA Directive 1111: being unlocked and made available to Veterans and their families, but I was threatened by my supervisor with a Letter of Admonishment for my advocacy. It became apparent that this suppression came from the top of the chain of command at Tucson’s VAMC.

"...Veterans and their families…" are exactly the same people that were mentioned in President Lincoln's inaugural address in 1865 — “To care for him (or her) who shall have borne the battle and for his widow (or her widower), and his (or her) orphan.” I advocate that Veterans and their families have access to their chapel at all times at the Tucson VAMC — in accordance with VHA Directive 1111 (July 21, 2021).

Thank you,

Melvin Brinkley, USAF and VA Chaplain, Retired



IF YOU WANT THE TUCSON VA CHAPEL TO BE TREATED AS A CHAPEL, THEN PLEASE CONTACT THE FOLLOWING LAWYER:

“If Veterans have contacts with current patients and/or employees who have firsthand knowledge of and concerns about the chapel access situation, please feel free to provide them with my email address. That’s the best way to reach me.”

Danielle Runyan
Senior Counsel
drunyan@firstliberty.org
972.941.4444