The Chaplain of the United States Coast Guard (COCG) is the senior

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

of the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...

(USCG) and is attached to USCG headquarters in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

as a

United States Navy Chaplain Corps The United States Navy Chaplain Corps is the body of military chaplains of the United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services ...

officer who reports directly to the

Commandant of the Coast Guard The commandant of the Coast Guard is the service chief and highest-ranking member of the United States Coast Guard. The commandant is an admiral, appointed for a four-year term by the president of the United States upon confirmation by the Uni ...

. The current Chaplain of the Coast Guard is

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Daniel L. Mode, USN.

Purpose

The Chaplain of the Coast Guard serves as the Commandant's senior advisor on matters pertaining to chaplains and the free exercise of

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

as enshrined in

First Amendment to the United States Constitution The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents the government from making laws that regulate an establishment of religion, or that prohibit the free exercise of religion, or abridge the freedom of speech, the ...

as exercised by USCG personnel and their eligible family members. Chaplains provide religious ministry, advocate for and promote the well-being of USCG personnel, and serve as command

liaison officer A Liaison officer is a person who liaises between two or more organizations to communicate and coordinate their activities on a matter of mutual concern. Generally, liaison officers are used for achieving the best utilization of resources, or empl ...

s to civilian religious leaders, communities, organizations and agencies. The duties of the office are described in the Commandant's Religious Ministries in the Coast Guard instruction. The USCG does not have an organic chaplain corps; chaplains from the

are assigned to the USCG to serve in USCG

billets A billet is a living-quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. Historically, a billet was a private dwelling that was required to accept the soldier. Soldiers are generally billeted in barracks or garrisons when not on combat duty, alth ...

."Locations"
of Navy chaplains assigned to USCG (June 5, 2009). U.S. Coast Guard official website (Chaplain of the Coast Guard). Retrieved 2009-12-03. Traditionally, documents such as the USCG Chaplains Orientation Manual provided guidance for Navy chaplains assigned to USCG duties. includes "Coast Guard Map of Areas & Districts", "Part A – General Orientation", "USCG Chaplain Orientation Process", "Chapter Two – Coast Guard Chaplains", "History of Coast Guard Chaplains", "Mission of Coast Guard Chaplains", "Coast Guard Chaplains Organizational Structure", "Role of Coast Guard Chaplains", "Part B: Plan of Ministry for Coast Guard Chaplains". Chaplains are

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

who hail from many different faiths and denominations and may be ordained or appointed as

ministers Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...

priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in p ...

imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...

s, and

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

s by their denomination.

U.S. Coast Guard Chaplains

References

{{Current U.S. Military Chiefs of Chaplains United States Coast Guard job titles * * United States Coast

Purpose

U.S. Coast Guard Chaplains

See also

References