DATE: July 11, 2025 11:21:18 AM CDT

MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood welcomes new command chaplain

By Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (July 11, 2025) — The Maneuver Support Center of Excellence has a new command chaplain, Chaplain (Col.) Craig Ludwig.

Ludwig officially took over the position July 3 following Chaplain (Col.) Brad Godding’s retirement ceremony.

Ludwig moved to Fort Leonard Wood from Fort Meade, Maryland, where he served as the command chaplain for the 7th Signal Command (Theater).

The Wisconsin native said this is his first time serving in Missouri and he is delighted to be here.

“Fort Leonard Wood is great. My wife and I are excited to be back in the Midwest. We’ve enjoyed meeting the people and interacting with Soldiers, families and the greater Fort Leonard Wood team,” Ludwig said.

He has been serving as a chaplain for nearly 22 years.

“I was serving as a pastor of a church in Texas when Operation Iraqi Freedom kicked off in the spring of 2003. My wife and I were watching the military operation unfold on cable news and felt that we needed to join the Army and serve the Soldiers and their families,” Ludwig said. “I am still motivated to take care of Soldiers and their families — regardless of the circumstances, my calling hasn’t changed.”

He said the Army seemed like a “natural choice” since his father and several other family members served in the Army.

“My father served in the Army National Guard,” Ludwig said. “He did his basic combat training here at Fort Leonard Wood.”

Ludwig said he is eager to meet Fort Leonard Wood community members.

“My calling is always to take care of people. I’m also looking forward to mentoring the chaplains and religious affairs Soldiers,” he added.

For more information about the Religious Support Office, visit their website, or call 573.596.2127. The RSO also has a Facebook page where they post service information.

New Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Command Chaplain (Col.) Craig Ludwig (left) and Resource Manager Chaplain (Maj.) Travis Hairston review their schedules to confirm the Religious Support Office is ready to support Fort Leonard Wood’s events and community members. (U.S. Army photo by Melissa Buckley)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-30-

About Fort Leonard Wood

Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 80 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains nearly 80,000 military and civilians each year.

Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.

Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.

Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.