Containerized chapels support multidenominational worship. (News).

The first completely containerized chapel, built at the Army Soldier Systems Center at Natick, Massachusetts, was deployed last July to a Force Provider base camp at Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan. Two more chapels are set to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and another is waiting for the order to move out.

Eventually, 40 of the portable chapels, developed by Product Manager-Force Sustainment Systems, will be positioned around the world and available for deployment with each Force Provider, the Army's deployable "tent city." Many of them were initially the chapel component of Force Provider and are being refitted into stand-alone containerized chapels.

The containerized chapel is transported in a single steel ISO container that provides a multifunctional religious facility for a 550-person base camp. From the outside, the only thing setting it apart from other tents is the chaplain's flag flying near the entrance of the tent. Inside are altars, lecterns, linens, candles, crosses and crucifixes, offering plates, communion sets, and several versions of the Bible to support Protestant and Catholic Christians. Jewish and Islamic supplies include yarmulkes, prayer mats, Torahs, and Korans.

Each climate-controlled chapel has its own generator, electrical outlets, lights, and seats for 100 people. Also included are a portable public address system, an electronic keyboard, and a digital hymnal programmed to play hundreds of hynms. Other support items are 6 months' worth of consumables such as communion wafers and wine, a TV/VCR, a microwave oven, a coffee pot, and folding tables.