June 1, 2025 (ST. PAUL, Minnesota) – A retirement event was held for Minnesota Army National Guard Chaplain Colonel Philip “Buddy” Winn Jr., June 8, 2025, in Osseo, Minnesota. Chaplain Winn assumed duties as the State Chaplain for the Minnesota National Guard on March 15, 2020, and is retiring from the military, having served more than 37 years in both the National Guard and the Active Army.

“Chaplain Winn has been such an inspiration to the entire Minnesota National Guard in so many ways. His legacy and what he has put in motion for the future are equally powerful motivations within our formation and the community,” said Chaplain Keith Beckwith, Operations Chaplain for the Minnesota National Guard.

When the term “Military Service” charges with muddy boots through a person’s mind, the last person people think of in most cases is the unit chaplain. Every service-member remembers their buddies, those on the line with them through hot and cold, rain and shine. Most people remember their first commanders, that person making decisions during tense times and even mandatory fun. Few remember that crusty senior enlisted person that called them out for having their hands in their pockets and only trying to encourage professional disciplines. Everyone remembers the chaplain, that friendly face that came around to be a mentor or a friend during good times and bad.

Chaplain Winn enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard as a 13F, Artillery Forward Observer April 17, 1988. A graduate from Osseo Senior High School, he later attended the Forward Observer Advanced Individual Training course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in 1989 where he advanced as the Honor Graduate.

Choosing to transfer to the Active Army, Winn was stationed with the 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Casey in the Republic of South Korea during the early 90s and later assigned to the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, where he served as an Assistant Division Fire Support Sergeant and COLT Team Sergeant. COLTs or Combat Observation Lasing Teams are a sub-specialization within the Army’s 13F career field which trains in the directing of long-range fire such as rocket assisted artillery or GPS guided munitions. In 1994 he left Active Duty and entered the Minnesota National Guard serving in several roles with the 1st Battalion – 151st Field Artillery. – you could say: full-time roles across the 34th Division Artillery.

Through an unexpected turn of events, Winn was set up on a blind date by his brother in early 2000 and ambushed by a lovely woman who he later married the following August. His wife Colette has been by his side through hardships and victories, deployments and times when duty calls. Together they have three children and six grandchildren while still being very active within the greater community. In 2001, following a second choice in his career, Winn answered the call to ministry and entered the seminary. Explaining his decision to his wife Colette, it was her response that made the difference.

“She didn’t say, ‘I think that is what the Lord has in store for you’. She said, ‘I think that is what the Lord has for us’,” commented Winn.

The young couple faced the future together while he continued to serve with the Minnesota National Guard and finish a degree in Information Technology in Management from Concordia University in St. Paul. The events of September 11, 2001 set in motion many changes, but their commitment to be together has stayed for going on 25 years.

“I am more emotional about his retirement than Buddy. This has been our life, our kids’ lives. This will be a change of lifestyle for us all,” said Colette.

He was commissioned as a Chaplain Candidate in 2003 and served with 1st Battalion – 151st Field Artillery in Montevideo, Minnesota until 2006. His accession into the Army Chaplaincy culminated with a master’s in arts degree in Biblical and Theological Studies from Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota and a promotion to Captain in November 2006.

“A U.S. Constitutional endorsement by the Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches (CFGC) is meant for clergy who are led to serve as chaplains in nondenominational churches and networks of churches for military or other federal or state agencies,” added Winn. “It is a tremendous honor.”

In April 2007, Chaplain Winn mobilized with the Minnesota National Guard’s 2nd Battalion – 147th Aviation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom serving as the Battalion Chaplain. Following that 16-month deployment he was selected for assignment as Brigade Chaplain, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division in July of 2009. He was later promoted to Major and deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation New Dawn and Operation Spartan Shield until 2012.

In 2013, Chaplain Winn was selected as the Full-Time Support Chaplain for the Minnesota National Guard and assigned as Operations Chaplain, and later Command Chaplain for the 34th Infantry Division with a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel.

The hard-charging initiative of the leadership team built a Best Unit Ministry Team Competition in 2014 which drew positive attention of leaders from the National Guard Bureau and challenging the skills both tactically and spiritually of the group. In Mid-2015 Winn inspired a Religious Advisors Field Training eXercise FTX on the back end of the readiness exercise known as Vigilant Guard.

He served another tour in Kuwait from 2018-2019 in support of Task Force Spartan as the Command Chaplain before returning to Minnesota and assuming the duties as State Chaplain for the Minnesota National Guard on March 15, 2020.

“Our Chaplaincy here in Minnesota is well known across the nation; the Chief of Chaplains knows us by name. Our team took a serious role in outfitting the formations with a high level of spiritual readiness and prepared them to sustain that during times of stress,” added Winn.

Chaplain Winn led his teams through the process of operationalizing spiritual readiness. From a pilot program into an initiative and finally a full-speed training across the Army. This was done

to support federal missions such as overseas deployments, but state missions like disaster response and civil unrest as well. His team supported the largest deployment of unit ministry teams in the history of the Minnesota National Guard during Operation Safety Net in Minneapolis, late 2020, supporting over 7,100 activated Soldiers and Airmen. That team then implemented a collective Prayer for Peace event in eight different denominations along with members of the community and civic organizations.

He worked tirelessly developing and sustaining lifelong partnerships with the US Army Office of the Chief of Chaplains so that the Minnesota National Guard’s Religious Support Teams would always be seamlessly integrated into the fabric of the U.S. Army and the chaplaincy. The service of Chaplain Winn embracing the efforts of his team, mentoring when needed and praising as promised, helped to build effective and engaging ministry teams while supporting programs and initiatives across the force as well as here in Minnesota.

Thank you, Sir, for all that you have done for your community, state, and nation as well as the families and 13,000 Soldiers and Airmen of the Minnesota National Guard.

“All of us in our persistent, imperfect state are critical to the success of our mission. And it has been an honor of a lifetime to serve in your company,” said Winn.

Mr. Tony Housey

Camp Ripley Public Affairs