Thomas Lynn Solhjem (born 1956) is a retired

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

who last served as the 25th

Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army The Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army (CCH) is the chief supervising officer of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps. (Chaplains do not hold commanding authority). From 1775 to 1920, chaplains were attached to separate units. The Office of th ...

. Solhjem is the first ordained

Assemblies of God The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...

minister to attain the position.

Education

Solhjem received a Bachelors of Arts in Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries from

North Central University North Central University (NCU) is a private Christian university associated with the Assemblies of God and located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is owned and operated by 11 Assemblies of God districts of the upper Midwest. NCU was founded in 1 ...

in 1982. He completed a

Masters of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and di ...

with

Bethel Theological Seminary Bethel Theological Seminary is a Christian seminary in Arden Hills, Minnesota in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area affiliated with Bethel University (Minnesota). It is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools. It was initial ...

in 1988, and holds a second master's degree in Military Strategic Studies.

Military career

Solhjem began his military career in 1974 with the 82nd Combat Engineer Battalion. After serving on active duty for two years, he transferred to the Army Reserve, where he remained for fourteen years. After finishing his Masters of Divinity, he accessioned as an active duty chaplain in 1988. Solhjem has given direct religious support to soldiers, totaling more than 68 months in combat zones. Prior to his appointment as the Deputy Chief of Chaplains, he served in various key leadership positions to include United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), Command Chaplain, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as well as Command Chaplain, United States Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Florida. In July 2015, Solhjem was promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

and assigned as the 25th

Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army The Deputy Chief of Chaplains (DCCH) serves as the chief strategist for the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps and senior coordinating general officer for actions assigned to Assistant Chiefs of Chaplains (Reserve Component) and the USACHCS Chief of Chapla ...

. In May 2019,

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

William Green Jr., an African American Baptist minister, was nominated to succeed him as Deputy Chief of Chaplains. On May 31, 2019, Solhjem was promoted to

and assigned as the 25th

. As the Deputy Chief of Chaplains, Solhjem served as the chief strategist for the United States Army Chaplain Corps and senior coordinating general officer for actions assigned to Assistant Chiefs of Chaplains (Reserve Component) and the USACHCS Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army. As a member of the

Armed Forces Chaplains Board The Armed Forces Chaplains Board (AFCB) is an organizational entity within the United States Department of Defense established to advise the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness on religious, ethical, a ...

, he and other members advise the Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff on religious, ethical and quality-of-life concerns.https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-solhjem-684b4a64

Awards and decorations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solhjem, Thomas L 1956 births Living people North Central University alumni Assemblies of God pastors United States Army generals Deputy Chiefs of Chaplains of the United States Army Chiefs of Chaplains of the United States Army 20th-century American clergy 21st-century American clergy