Br. Bob: A friar serving God and country

As a friar Air Force chaplain, Br. Bob Bruno, OFM, blended Franciscan spirituality with the demands of the military in a dynamic ministry of care, faith and adventure. 

In 34 years, Br. Bob moved 15 times, serving in extreme climates from the intense heat of Nellis Air Base in Nevada to the frigid Arctic Circle at Greenland’s Thule Air Base. His distinguished record includes work at the Pentagon and Ramstein Air Base in Germany. 

He met two presidents and worked for two Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He flew shotgun in an F-16 fighter three times and jumped out of a perfectly good airplane five times to earn his jump wings. 

Now retired from active duty, he serves as auxiliary Catholic chaplain in Hampton Roads, Virginia at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Fort Eustis Army Base in Yorktown and Navy Base (NAVSTA) in Norfolk.  

Throughout his ministry, he has literally served God and country.  

“It was the people, most importantly, the young men and women in service to America and their families, trying to live their faith for themselves and their children” that meant the most to me, Br. Bob said. 

Br. Bob Bruno, OFM, rides in an armored Humvee in Iraq. (Photo courtesy of Br. Bob Bruno, OFM)

Franciscan ‘lifer’ takes flight 

Br. Bob joined the Franciscans’ high school seminary in his teens, professed his solemn vows as a Franciscan friar on June 30, 1973, and was ordained in 1977, just as the Apple II computer launched and Silver Slew won horse racing’s Triple Crown. 

Inspired by another friar chaplain, Br. Bob pursued military chaplaincy to minister to young service members and experience flying.

He recalls being fascinated as a child by a tour of the former Griffiss Air Force Base in New York, where his uncle worked as a jet engine mechanic.  

At 64, Br. Bob retired from his final active post at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He was set to minister as an auxiliary chaplain in “God’s Country,” as he calls Colorado, when he got a call about the sudden death of a civilian priest at Joint Base Langley–Eustis in Virginia.  

They asked if he could come out. 

"I didn't want to leave Colorado," he said. "Four seasons, low humidity, the Rocky Mountains, and no mosquitos or cockroaches. But I prayed to the Lord and said, 'I want to be where you need me to be.’” 

After holding that position for five years, he retired again. Today, he helps at military bases that serve all branches, including the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, and Space Force. “It’s a good place for me to be now,” said Br. Bob. 

Br. Bob Bruno, OFM, with Technical Sergeant James, USAF, who served as his enlisted teammate while deployed to Ali al Salem Air Base, Kuwait. The pair supervised the transfer of mission of the port mortuary (center for battlefield fatalities) in Kuwait City from the U.S. Marine Corps to the U.S. Air Force. (Photo courtesy of Br. Bob)

Leading with the Franciscan spirit 

Leadership is a mainstay in Br. Bob’s service, whether in friars’ habit or Air Force service dress uniform. That's how it goes for a man who served as a Provincial Councilor and as Wing Chaplain at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. 

“As Command Chaplain for Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Illinois, I had pastoral visitation responsibilities covering 21 bases in the U.S. and overseas,” Br. Bob said.   

His fair and kind demeanor as a friar shaped his military career. As a colonel, he managed a staff of 50 at the academy, providing needed resources and support. 

“People can fear that rank unless you de-claw it,” he said. He would tell his staff: “If you can’t get something – training, personnel, funds – in the chain of command, please come see me.”  

Br. Bob motions to the silver eagle insignias that would be on his uniform, marking him as a field-grade officer. “I can fly these eagles to get us past the hurdles of bureaucracy. I didn’t want the team to be afraid to ask.”   

His staff understood the balance between military authority and Franciscan kindness. One night, as cadets left a meeting while Br. Bob worked in his office, they tapped on the window. When he turned around, he saw all 23 of them posing humorously for him. 

“A Kodak moment,” Br. Bob remembers with a smile. “I’ll never forget that.” 

Br. Bob Bruno, OFM, seated to the right of the rock, with The Chaplain Corps Team (386th Air Base Wing, Kuwait). This version is not a formal pose, a testament to the team’s comfort level in his presence. (Photo courtesy of Br. Bob)

Chaplain knows his audience 

Both friar life and military life are filled with changing assignments and connecting with people. Like delivering a homily, he must know his audience when he speaks. 

In the chapel audience, “we have Airmen from an array of career fields,” Br. Bob said. “That makes it exciting and rich. You have to know your ground to stand your ground, but you also have to know when to go with the flow.  

“You have to be able to relate to young people. These guys are sharp and at the top of their game. You gotta be at the top of your game, or you will lose them. Not once, but for good.” 

Br. Bob, influenced by tradition, is one of the latest Franciscan military chaplains. Some young personnel seek him out, curious whether such a dual role is for them, too. 

“They might say, ‘he wears a habit. He wore an Air Force uniform. This guy had a pretty exciting life,'” Br. Bob said. “That sounds appealing to them. So, we dialogue.”