OCA Army Chaplain promoted to the rank of Colonel
For the second time in history, an active duty Orthodox Christian chaplain in the U.S. Army is being promoted to the rank of Colonel.
United States Army Chaplain CH(LTC) Peter A. Baktis was notified on August 24, 2010 that he had been singled out to receive the honor by a Department of the Army Selection Board.
Archpriest Peter Telencio was the first chaplain to attain the rank of Colonel.
Father Baktis currently serves as the United States Army Europe Deputy Command Chaplain in Heidelberg, Germany. He is also the personnel manager for all Army Chaplains in Europe. He celebrates the Divine Liturgy and other services at the Coleman Chapel, Mannheim, Germany, where he lives with his wife, the former Jeanne Komenko, and his mother Luba.
Over the years, Father Peter has been on numerous deployments, from Bosnia to Iraq.
A complete listing of Orthodox Christian military chaplains may be found at https://www.oca.org/DIRlists.militarychaplains.asp?SID=9.