My Biography
Chaplain (CPT) Songkran Waiyaka
Songkran Waiyaka was born in Chiangrai, Thailand,
in 1972. He was raised in a Buddhist family, ordained as a
Buddhist Samanera (novice monk) when he was 13 in 1985,
and ordained as a Buddhist Bhikkhu (fully ordained monk) in
1993 at Wat Rajanaddaram, Bangkok, Thailand. He served
as a Buddhist Spiritual leader in Thailand for 12 years.
Prior to entering the United States Army Chaplain Corps, CH. Waiyaka worked at Wat Buddhanusorn, the Thai Buddhist temple in Fremont, California to serve people in the San Francisco Bay Area and other cities. After ten years as a Buddhist monk in America, he founded the chaplaincy program in the United States Army. Finally, he became a Buddhist lay minister to accomplish this mission. He joined the Army as a direct commissioned officer in the United States Army and was assigned as a Reserve Army chaplain candidate (56X) in 2011. He became a qualified chaplain (56A) on November 09, 2016. This transition allows him to grow spiritually to serve men and women in the uniform on the other side of his culture, faith, and background to support the Command Team to nurture the living, care for the wounded, and honor the fallen.
Monastic and Civilian Academic education:
2014: Master of Buddhist Chaplaincy : University of the West, California, USA
2009: Associate of Science (AS Degree in Computer Networking and Information Technology) : City College of San Francisco, California, USA
2006: Associate of Art (AA Degree in General Education) : City College of San Francisco, California, USA
1997: Bachelor of Art in Humanities : Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya Buddhist University, Bangkok, Thailand
1995: 7th level of Pali Language Study from Wat Suthat Pali School, Bangkok, Thailand
Trainings:
2016 CPE II (Clinical Pastoral Education): Methodist Hospital of Southern California, California, USA
Military education/Trainings:
2022 C-4 (Captain Career Course) Fort Jackson, South Carolina, USA
2022 SLD (Strategic Leader Development) Program, New York, USA
2018 CMM (Combat Medical Ministry), Fort Sam Houston, Texas, USA
2016 Chaplain Practicum, The United States Military Academy (West Point), New York, USA
2015 Chaplain Practicum, Fort Knox, Kentucky, USA
2014 Chaplain Practicum, Fort Benning, Georgia, USA
2013 CHBOLC (Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course), Fort Jackson, South Carolina, USA
Assignments:
Present : Battalion chaplain, 53rd Transportation Battalion, JBLM, Washington, USA
2019-2022 Battalion chaplain, 703rd BSB 2nd Armored BCT, Fort Stewart, Georgia, USA
2018 Battalion chaplain, 387th MP BN., Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
2017 Chaplain (56A), 92nd CH DET. "Fight Tonight Unit", Mesa, Arizona, USA
2011 Chaplain candidate (56X), 11th MP BDE., Los Alamitos, California, USA
Depolyment:
2020 Defender Europe 2020, Poland
2020 JMRC / RAF, Germany
Military Awards:
- Award of the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal
- The Army Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Clover
- The Army Commendation Medal
