SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – A quiet tone sounds as you slowly open your eyes. You look to the side and see your morning alarm glowing on your nightstand.

The rhythm of the morning echoes through the bedroom, into the bathroom, and to the kitchen. Weary-eyed, you turn the key to your all-wheel-drive SUV and make your way to work.

“Good morning how are you?” asks the security forces airman scanning your ID card.

You respond, “I’m good. How are you?”

“Good”.

You make your way into the building; your coffee sits tight in your left hand and your lunchbox and water in your right. You hear a voice call out, “Good morning! How are you?”

You respond again, saying, “Good. How are you?”

This time, the formulaic back and forth is broken by the familiar voice responding, “No, really. How are you?”

You pause, look back, and see a chaplain standing at the entryway of his office with a smile.

While the comfort of normalcy and routine can disguise your feelings, the Chaplain Corps is a unique group of individuals capable of affecting the hearts and minds of those to whom they provide counsel. The Vermont Air National Guard is fortunate enough to have a full-time chaplain, who is on-base every day bringing positive energy to Airmen.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Nathan Piotrowski is the full-time chaplain at the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard. A Vermont native, Piotrowski grew up in Essex, Vermont, and began his military journey at the JROTC program at Essex High School.

“I was really taken under the wing by a retired Air Force chief master sergeant who was running the JROTC program at Essex High School,” he said. “I was feeling a strong desire to serve my country and to leave home, and by God’s grace I received an appointment to attend the United States Air Force Academy.”

USAFA led to a 4 ½-year tour in the active-duty Air Force, serving as an airfield operations officer, but after a reduction in force, Piotrowski left the military in 2006.

Just like Piotrowski felt a calling to serve his country, he felt a calling to serve God in pastoral ministry, he said. Soon after separating from the military, he began seminary, where he spent the next four years earning a master’s degree in theology at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Piotrowski began fulfilling his calling to serve God by continuing his pastoral education, working with a local church in Vermont. His road in ministry then led him out of Vermont again.

Piotrowski and his wife moved to Colorado, where he planted a church while teaching 8th grade English at a local public charter school.He described the experience as a joy, specifically mentioning the joy of trying to make English fun for his uninterested 8th-grade students.

“I just really enjoy the opportunity to pour into others and to serve,” he said. “That has been my motive to serve in the military, to serve in pastoral ministry, and even to pour into the young people at my local school. And here I am at the Vermont Guard with the same desire, which is to serve, care well for people, and honor God who has called me here.”

A large reason Piotrowski chose to come back to the military to serve Airmen is that there is a great need, he said. His desire is to serve Airmen by being a source of light and encouragement, and even a source of healing for those in need.

Since beginning his job as the full-time chaplain on base in November of 2025, Piotrowski has run a weekly Bible study and prayer time for full-time members, as well as a crowd favorite “coffee and donuts with the chaplain” every Friday.

On drill weekends, he teams up with the part-time chaplains at the 158th FW to run worship services. The chaplains are also available for guidance and counsel for all Airmen, regardless of religious orientation, any time they are needed, he said.

One unique aspect of the chaplain corps is that they are 100 percent confidential for all service members. This provides them with a place to get something off their chest and receive guidance in a completely confidential environment, said Piotrowski.

“Sometimes people are struggling and carry a burden inside that they've never shared with anyone. That’s a heavy thing to carry, and it’s helpful to share your burdens with a trusted person,” he said.

Piotrowski looks forward to connecting with and meeting more Airmen around the base in his new role. He has also accepted the challenge of building trust with those who may not be comfortable opening up to him yet, he said.

“The typical Vermont culture is that it can take a long time to develop a relationship and earn trust. It takes a while to get beneath the surface,” he said. “But when you do, there can be deep relationships and meaningful connections that can be built.”