In addition to the three official Chaplain Corps seals for the army, navy, and air force, chaplaincies also have special seals and emblems for special schools and organizations for their chaplains, as well as a shared emblem for the "
Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center
The Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center (AFCC) is the center for training of United States military chaplains, located at Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina. Co-located on the AFCC campus are: the United States Army Chaplain Center and School, ...
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-largest ...
, where chaplains from all branches of the military receive their training.mca-usa.org retrieved May 23, 2011. The original AFCC emblem had three symbols traditionally associated with learning and wisdom—a lamp, a torch and a book. A second emblem was developed by the Commandants and Commanding Officer of the three schools, in part so that it could be used on the reverse side of a two-sided AFCC
challenge coin
A challenge coin is a small coin or medallion, bearing an organization's insignia or emblem and carried by the organization's members. Traditionally, they might be given to prove membership when asked and to enhance morale. They are also coll ...
, with one symbol drawn from each of the army, navy, and Chaplain Corps emblems: a dove from the army emblem, cupped hands from the air force emblem, and an anchor from the navy emblem. In addition to using both emblems on the two sides of the AFCC coin, both designs were displayed in the AFCC lobby.
Also included on the front side of the emblem were the words "Caring for the warfighter's soul," a phrase which has been called "both the motto and the vision of the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center."www.army.mil, August 5, 2010 retrieved June 29, 2011. Training at the AFCC was provided by three service schools co-located on its campus: the US Army Chaplain Center and School (USACHCS), the US Naval Chaplaincy School and Center (NCSC), and the US Air Force Chaplain Corps College (AFCCC). According to USAF Chaplain Steven Keith, the first Director of the AFCC, "Caring for the warfighter's soul" was the "vision" that "binds the Air Force Chaplain Corps College, the Army Chaplain Center and School, and the Naval Chaplaincy School and Center together." The new facilities were dedicated May 6, 2010, under a plan that rotated the Director of the AFCC among the three military services, each serving in that position for one year at a time.
Religious symbols were included in designs for older Chaplain School seals, such as the U.S. Army Chaplain School insignia, approved December 26, 1961, that included the symbols for Christian and Jewish chaplains.Stein, Barry Jason; and Capelotti, Peter Josep U.S. Army Heraldic Crests: A complete illustrated history of authorized University of South Carolina Press, 1993, retrieved May 25, 2011. Current designs all include symbols for shared concepts such as wisdom, learning, faith and peace, instead. Only the Army Chaplain Center and School unit insignia and device incorporates images taken directly from its Chaplain Corps Seal/branch plaque, and they are the only ones to include a biblical verse from the
Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...
, in Virginia.
Device (coat of arms)
The first device (coat of arms) for the school (then "The Chaplains' School of the United States Army") was approved May 18, 1925 when the school was at
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perma ...
(Kansas), showing a cross against the backdrop of a Torah scroll. This design was slightly altered on March 2, 1927. The design was redesignated for the Chaplain School at
Fort Slocum
Fort Slocum, New York was a US military post which occupied Davids Island in the western end of Long Island Sound in the city of New Rochelle, New York from 1867 to 1965. The fort was named for Major General Henry W. Slocum, a Union corps comma ...
(New York) on April 17, 1952, and the same design (cross against backdrop of scroll) was approved for the "distinctive insignia" of the school. On December 6, 1961, the design was changed to show the two separate chaplain insignias for Christian chaplains (cross) and Jewish chaplains (two tablets of the ten commandments, topped by the six-pointed Star of David), with the commandments on the tablets represented by the first ten Roman numerals. On December 23, 1983, the design was changed to replace the Roman numerals with the first ten letters of the Hebrew alphabet, to reflect the change in Chaplain insignia worn with uniforms, and this new device was the first to use the title "The Chaplain School of the United States Army," rather than "The Chaplains' School of the United States Army."Official Dept of the Army correspondence, Subj: Distinctive Unit Insignia for the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School, dated December 23, 1983, on file with The Institute of Heraldry, U.S. Army. On February 11, 1993, the design of the device was changed to use symbols of faith and wisdom from the Chaplain Corps emblem, rather than specific religious symbols.www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil , retrieved June 2, 2011. This device is now used for the Army Chaplain Center and School, although the words in the device reflect the school's historic title, "The Chaplain School of the United States Army."
Image:US Army Chaplain School emblem old 2.jpg, Old Army Chaplains' School device, with symbol of Torah scroll and cross, May 18, 1925
Image:US Army Chaplain School emblem old.jpg, Old Army Chaplains' School device (coat of arms), with symbol of Torah scroll and cross, March 2, 1927, and redesignated April 17, 1952
Image:Old Army Chaplain School Device TIOH.jpg, Old Army Chaplains' School device (coat of arms), with Christian and Jewish symbols (Roman numerals), December 6, 1961
Image:US Army Chaplain School coat of arms.jpg, Old Army Chaplain School device (coat of arms), with Christian and Jewish symbols (Hebrew letters), and the change from "Chaplains' School" to "Chaplain School," December 23, 1983
File:USA - Chaplain Center and School Seal.png, Current US Army Chaplain Center and School device (although device still reads "The Chaplain School of the United States Army"), with no specific religious symbols, February 11, 1993
Distinctive unit insignia
The first distinctive unit insignia for the school was approved April 17, 1952, when the March 2, 1927 coat of arms design was redesignated for the school at Fort Slocum. This design showed the cross superimposed over an open Torah scroll. Succeeding changes in design were made on the same dates for both the device (coat of arms) and distinctive unit insignia: December 6, 1961, to show the cross and tablets, with Roman numerals in the tablets; December 23, 1983, to replace the Roman numerals with Hebrew letters, and February 11, 1993, to change to the current insignia for the United States Chaplain Center and School, showing no specific religious symbols.
Image:US Army Chaplain School emblem 1952.jpg, Original US Army Chaplain School seal, with cross and open Torah scroll, 1952
Image:US Army Chaplain School emblem 4.jpg, Old US Army Chaplain School seal, with Christian and Jewish religious symbols—with Roman numerals in the Jewish symbol, 1961
Image:Old Army Chaplain School Seal TIOH.jpg, Old US Army Chaplain School seal, with Christian and Jewish religious symbols—with Hebrew letters in the Jewish symbol, 1983
Image:US Army Chaplain Center and School unit insignia.jpg, Current US Army Chaplain Center and School unit insignia, with no specific religious symbols, 1993
Shoulder sleeve insignia
The Shoulder Sleeve Insignia was approved on September 13, 1991. The Institute of Heraldry describes the symbolism in the design as follows: "Black is the branch color of the Chaplain Corps. Gold is emblematic of excellence and white denotes purity. The torch signifies knowledge and leadership. The open book symbolizes the sacred "word" and the divine knowledge and wisdom of religion. The open book is radiating ten rays suggesting spiritual enlightenment."
Navy
The first Naval Chaplain School was created in February 1942 when civilian clergy, the majority of whom had no prior military experience, entered the Navy to serve during World War II.www.netc.navy.mil , retrieved May 23, 2011.] The school began at
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hampt ...
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...
, in
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is ...
, until its decommissioning November 15, 1945. With the beginning of the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
in 1951, the school was reestablished, located in
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...
until its move in 2009 to Fort Jackson, to the campus of the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center, at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.AFCC Dedication Bulletin , retrieved May 23, 2011.
The school's first seal—then referred to as a "Coat of Arms"—was created in 1955, and included the motto "Cooperation without compromise" along with images of a hand or hands symbolizing rituals associated with faith group traditions linked to Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish faith group traditions. The raised hand is normally associated with Christian blessings, the hand with the spread fingers is associated with the Jewish
Priestly blessing
The Priestly Blessing or priestly benediction, ( he, ברכת כהנים; translit. ''birkat kohanim''), also known in rabbinic literature as raising of the hands (Hebrew ''nesiat kapayim'') or rising to the platform (Hebrew ''aliyah ledukhan'') ...
, and the hands holding a host are associated with the Christian sacrament or ritual of the
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
. In the outer ring of the seal, small versions of the Christian and Jewish chaplain insignia—the cross and the tablets of the Ten Commandments—are also included. The second version replaced the hand symbols with two more universal symbols of wisdom and learning, and a third image representing interracial/intercultural cooperation: clasped hands, one light and one dark.
The third version (1999) replaced the motto with the three values of spirituality, leadership, and humanity, and also added the initials of the four military communities served by USN chaplains: the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines. It also used only one shared symbol—the lamp—considered a universal symbol of wisdom and learning.
The name of the school was changed from the U.S. Naval Chaplains School when the school was moved to the Armed Forces Chaplain Center (AFCC) in 2009. At that time, training for Religious Program Specialists (RPs) was combined with chaplain training, and the name of the school was changed to the U.S. Naval Chaplaincy School and Center. The only change to the seal (other than the change of name) was the substitution of the word "flexibility" for the word on the 1999 seal, "humanity."
Image:US Naval Chaplains School Seal 1955.jpg, Non-color rendering, US Naval Chaplains School Seal (Coat of Arms), 1955, with hand symbols representing religious rituals
Image:Naval Chaplains School Patch.jpg, Patch showing US Naval Chaplains School Seal, with "universal" symbols of wisdom and cooperation
Image:US Naval Chaplains School Seal 1999.jpg, US Naval Chaplains School Seal, 1999
Image:US Naval Chaplaincy School and Center 2009.jpg, USN Chaplaincy School and Center emblem, showing new name, 2009
Air Force
Air Force chaplain training began July 1, 1953 (when the Air Force was given responsibility to train its own chaplains) when the Air Force Chaplains Course was created under the Officer Basic Military Course at
Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Bexar County, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and an enclave of the city of S ...
.US Air Force catalog , retrieved June 7, 2011.www.mybaseguide.com retrieved June 6, 2011. The USAF Chaplain School was established in June 1960, and its emblem was approved Oct 30, 1961, incorporating Christian and Jewish chaplain insignia, along with a motto that reads "Ut Omnes Unum Sint"—"That all may be one". The emblem was revised in 1966, still including the symbols for Christian and Jewish Chaplains, keeping the motto. However, when it was revised again in 1984, when the Roman numerals in the Jewish insignia changed to Hebrew letters, the motto was replaced with the school's title, "Air Force Chaplain School". On Oct 31, 1992, chaplain training was integrated into the Ira C. Eaker Center for Professional Development, and the school was redesignated as the U.S. Air Force Chaplain Service Institute (CSI, which also incorporated the Chaplain Service Resource Board, so that training and resourcing could be consolidated), located at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Chaplain Assistants, along with active duty, reserve, and Air National Guard chaplains were all included in CSI training. The motto as well as the specific religious symbols were all removed for the new CSI emblem. When the school moved to the campus of the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center, Fort Jackson, (Columbia, South Carolina) in 2010, its name was changed to the USAF Chaplain Corps College and the current emblem was approved.
Image:USAF Chaplain School first emblem.jpg, Old emblem, USAF Chaplain School, Christian and Jewish symbols, Roman numerals, with motto "That all may be one," 1961.
File:USAF - Chaplain School Second Emblem 2.png, Old emblem, USAF Chaplain School, Christian and Jewish symbols, Roman numerals, same Latin motto, 1966
File:USAF - Chaplain School Second Emblem.png, Old emblem, USAF Chaplain School, Christian and Jewish symbols, Hebrew letters, motto replaced with school title, 1984
Image:CSI Seal.jpg, Emblem accompanying school name change, USAF Chaplain Service Institute, no specific religious symbols, 1992
Image:USAF Chaplain Corps College seal.jpg, Shield for USAF Chaplain Corps College, no specific religious symbols, 2010
Image:ChaplainCorpsCollege_Seal.png, Emblem for USAF Chaplain Corps College, incorporating shield, no religious symbols, 2010