Shortly before Thanksgiving, Deputy Mayor Menashe Miller, a Captain in the Air Force reserve was deployed to Iraq to provide military mission support there, which includes counseling; giving ministry to people of all faiths, even those not religiously affiliated; and accompanying convoys to provide moral support.

Captain Miller has made it a point to devote himself to others both nationally and locally. Besides his military service and contributions to the troops, Captain Miller has also been devoted to giving back to his community on a local level by serving on the Lakewood Township Committee, to which he was elected in 2003.

Raymond Coles, former Lakewood mayor and a member of the Township Committee, says, During his eight years on the Township Committee, it is obvious that Menashe is someone who is sincerely devoted to helping others, and not someone who is serving to enrich himself or advance some hidden agenda.

Captain Miller was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 2002. After attending officer training school at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 2003, he graduated as a First Lieutenant. In 2004, Captain Miller was promoted to Captain, and has been selected to be promoted to Major later this year. Captain Miller is a part of the 87th Air Base Wing, formerly a part of the 305th Air Mobility Wing.

Captain Miller says, As a Jew, and especially an Orthodox Jew, I feel a strong responsibility to give back to our country. My familymy great grandparents and their grandparentshave been persecuted in many countries for generations just for being Jewish. This is the first country in hundreds of years to actually allow people religious freedom and an expression of individuality. Joining the U.S. military is my way of giving back to this wonderful country.

Reserve training usually consists of two weeks of training in the summer and one day a month. This past summer, however, Captain Miller spent an additional six weeks in training.

The men and women in the military always enjoyed having me on Base, says Captain Miller, because while I dont work on Shabbos (the Sabbath), they always appreciated having an extra pair of hands to take the calls on holidays like Christmas and New Years. I was able to pinch hit on those holidays to give someone else time with their family.

Even when he is not on duty, Captain Miller is always available for calls from any base personnel who have questions about faith, family, or any other area. Unfortunately, the military has had a high suicide rate in recent years, and the chaplaincy is working very hard to reach those who need help, says Captain Miller.

Before being deployed, Captain Miller went through a rigorous training and out-processing, which included inoculations against anthrax, small pox vaccine, and typhoid. He also received additional training, specialized for a combat zone.

Going to a hostile environment always makes a person apprehensive about what he or she may encounter; but I have full faith in God and that he gives strength to the United States military.

Captain Miller, the father of six children, expects to return to Lakewood at the beginning of 2011.

(Source: APP)