PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- This is part three of a three-part series. Read part 1 here. Read part 2 here.
After 23 years in service and six combat-related deployments under his belt, Maj. Matthew Gallo, Space Base Delta 1 deputy chaplain, earned the Military Chaplains Association’s Distinguished Service Award for the number one Chaplain in support of the U.S. Space Force.
This award is presented to those who epitomize the Air Force core values and what it means to be a chaplain.
“Myself and another chaplain were picked by the Department of the Air Force Chief of Chaplaincy Corps to be part of two writing groups. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force is implementing our ‘spiritual fitness’ playbook. This will be given to all officers and help them understand how to utilize their chaplain throughout their careers.”
He humbly attributed his success to his Chaplaincy team, who encouraged him to submit for the award, boasting that this is the best staff he’s ever worked for.
As a chaplain, Gallo serves as a religious leader, guiding the spiritual and moral well-being of service members and their families. This duty often involves significant hardship, as chaplains are who people turn to in their darkest moments.
The rolling chair creaked as Gallo shifted in his seat, looking down at his hands. He took several minutes to process his words and then recounted one of the most influential moments in his career.
“She called me and told me she had a gun to her head,” Gallo illustrated. “The conversation was the same for about six months; she would call up and say she wanted to kill herself. We eventually got to the ‘why.’”
The individual was working through severe trauma and Gallo happened to be the chaplain on-call during that time. He expressed that, as a chaplain, religion is not pushed on those they work with, but in this circumstance, she decided she wanted to commit her life to God. A year and half after convincing her to take the gun away from her head, Gallo baptized the young woman on the shore surrounding MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
“The question, ‘What makes this makes sense?’ is what truly takes us straight to the heart of the human being that we are dealing with,” Gallo said. “She taught me to ask that question.”
There was no fanfare, medal or recognition after his experience.
“It was just honest-to-God chaplaincy; walking with her in the trenches of her life,” Gallo said. “Her story is the heartbeat of what it means to be a chaplain.”
Gallo shared that weight that chaplains carry can be overwhelming at times and after returning from his sixth combat-related deployment 2023, he chronicled a time in his life where he needed additional support.
“When I got back from Africa, all six deployments kind of meshed together in my head,” Gallo said. “I didn’t feel much of anything at that point.”
He went on to describe a tiredness that went beyond mere fatigue. He repeated the word “tired.” A tiredness of the heart, arising from many compartmentalized traumas he witnessed.
“Once we get back from deployment, we forget to open that box back up,” he stated. “It’s going to open itself up eventually and not on our terms. Some people handle it well, and others struggle more.”
He openly described seeking care at the mental health clinic.
“After about eight or nine sessions, I asked my therapist, do you have any diagnoses on me? Am I okay?’ and she stated, ‘Oh Matt, I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you. I diagnosed you with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder within the first 30 minutes of sitting down and talking with you.’”
He looked at her and cried, finally feeling heard.
While this comment may seem inappropriate to some, Gallo chuckled as he reminisced on the irony of the interaction. At the time, he was unable to pinpoint why he wasn’t feeling much of anything. The therapist made it sound so simple: PTSD.
Gallo’s wife, Erica, was the first person that led him to mental health. They met while deployed in 2008 to Baghdad, Iraq, and have been married for 14 years.
When asked who he thought has been an integral part of his life and career, without hesitation, he began to describe Erica.
“That woman is an incredible human being,” Gallo described. “When I married her, I married so far above my character paygrade. She is more than I ever deserved in life. It’s her loving acceptance that has been a way for me to be the best dad, husband and Chaplain I can be. I am forever grateful for her loving support in this and countless other areas in my life.”
The support of his wife and mental health counselor made all the difference in Gallo’s life and journey of healing. He listed three things he feels are the most important on the journey: counseling, mentors and truth.
“When I say truth, I mean honest-to-God truth. Truth like most human beings never do,” Gallo exclaimed. “You can tell them anything. Truth sets us free.”
Looking back, Gallo expressed that he wouldn’t change anything about the life he’s lived. However, he would tell his younger self something.
“I would tell and show myself that you are more worthy, powerful, enlightening, and stronger than you can possibly imagine because of Him who strengthens you,” Gallo stated.
Gallo eventually made peace with his earliest traumas when he and his father healed their relationship before his passing in 2019. “We were very much a father and son finally, and I praise God for that miracle."
Through unwavering faith, Gallo is prepared to shepherd his flock with resilience, guiding them through whatever challenges lie ahead.