The United States Army Chaplain Corps (USACC) consists of ordained
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 ...
of multiple faiths who are commissioned Army officers serving as
military chaplain
A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations.
Although the term ''cha ...
s as well as
enlisted
Enlisted may refer to:
* Enlisted rank
An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or ...
soldiers who serve as assistants. Their purpose is to offer religious
church service
A church service (or a service of worship) is a formalized period of Christian communal worship, often held in a church building. It often but not exclusively occurs on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day Sa ...
s,
counseling
Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes.
This is a list of co ...
Base Realignment and Closure Commission
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end o ...
decided to put all military ministry training at the same location. While it was authorized, funding was not part of the BRAC, and the Air Force departed Ft Jackson in 2012, currently leaving only the Army and Navy at the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center.
The purpose of the AFCC was to have closer cooperation among the three chaplain corps and to share instruction and training. While that was the goal, the core curricula were maintained by the three service schools and a joint program of instruction (POI) was never created.
The U.S. Army Chaplain School was approved on 9 February 1918. Its first session began on 3 March 1918, at Fort Monroe, Virginia.Chaplaincy History & Museum: History of Chaplain Corps . US Army Chaplain Corps (United States Army Chaplaincy official homepage). Retrieved 4 March 2010. Chaplain (MAJ) Aldred A. Pruden, who developed the plan for the school, was named the first commandant of the school. It subsequently moved to
Camp Zachary Taylor
Camp Zachary Taylor was a military training camp in Louisville, Kentucky. It opened in 1917, to train soldiers for U.S. involvement in World War I, and was closed three years later. It was initially commanded by Guy Carleton and after the war it ...
(Kentucky),
Camp Grant (Illinois)
Camp Grant was a U.S. Army facility located in the southern outskirts of Rockford, Illinois named in honor of American Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant. Camp Grant covered an area of 5,600 acres during World War I and 3,200 acres during Wor ...
,
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks is a United States Army facility located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The site of the U.S. Army War College, it is the nation's second-oldest active military base. The first structures were built in 1757, during the French and In ...
Due to a revision of DA PAM 611-21 (Military Occupational Classification and Structure) Effective 1 October 2013, Chaplain Candidates, previously belonging to the Staff Specialist Branch until ordination have worn the Staff Specialist insignia in lieu of religious denomination insignia. The transition from the Staff Specialist Branch to the Chaplain Branch left the candidates without an authorized branch insignia. Responding to the need, Chief of Chaplains Chaplain (Major General)
Donald L. Rutherford
Chaplain (Major General) Donald L. Rutherford, USA (born August 4, 1955) is an American Army officer and a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese for the Military Services who served as the 23rd Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army.
...
submitted a request for collar insignia which was approved by HQDA, G-1 on 23 February 2012. The design for the collar insignia was authorized on 18 June 2012.
Religious Affairs Specialist or NCO
Specialty insignia
For FAQs regarding uniforms and insignia, see footnote
Chiefs of Army Chaplains
The Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army is the head of the Army Chaplaincy. The position was created to better organize the corps. The current Chief of Chaplains is Chaplain (Major General) Thomas L. Solhjem became the United States Army's 25th Chief of Chaplains on 31 May 2019.
Army bases chaplaincy
See footnotes
For a link to the chaplaincy at each of the bases listed below, see general footnote ''and the footnote following each base''
*
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees ...
*
Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cum ...
*
Fort Carson
Fort Carson is a United States Army post located directly south of Colorado Springs in El Paso, Pueblo, Fremont, and Huerfano counties, Colorado, United States. The developed portion of Fort Carson is located near the City of Colorado Springs i ...
Fort Gordon
Fort Gordon, formerly known as Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established in October 1941. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps, United States Army Cyber Command, and the Cyber Center of Excellence. It ...
*
Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca is a United States Army installation, established on 3 March 1877 as Camp Huachuca. The garrison is now under the command of the United States Army Installation Management Command. It is in Cochise County in southeast Arizona, appr ...
*
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold res ...
*
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost .
The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark ...
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw ...
For USA Civil War chaplains, see footnote
For historic photographs of Army chaplains in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, see footnote
The U.S. Army Chaplain Museum is located at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. It was established on 14 August 1957, at the then–United States Army Chaplain School at Fort Slocum, New York. It was dedicated on 10 February 1958, by Chaplain (MG) Patrick J. Ryan, Chief of Chaplains.Chaplaincy History & Museum: History (United States Army Chaplaincy official homepage). Retrieved 4 March 2010.
"The Four Chaplains"
When the troop-transport ship was torpedoed during World War II, four Army chaplains ministered to the soldiers and sailors on the sinking ship, gave up their life jackets, and sacrificed their lives when the ship sank. Those chaplains – known as "The Four Chaplains" – were Lt. George L. Fox, Methodist; Lt.
Alexander D. Goode
Alexander David Goode (May 10, 1911 – February 3, 1943) was a rabbi and a lieutenant in the United States Army. He was one of the Four Chaplains who gave their lives to save other soldiers during the sinking of the troop transport during W ...
, Jewish; Lt.
John P. Washington
John Patrick Washington (July 18, 1908 – February 3, 1943) was a Catholic priest and a lieutenant in the United States Army. He was one of the Four Chaplains, who gave their lives to save other soldiers during the sinking of the troop transport ...
, Roman Catholic; and Lt.
Clark V. Poling
Clark Vandersall Poling (August 7, 1910 – February 3, 1943) was a minister in the Reformed Church in America and a lieutenant in the United States Army. He was one of the Four Chaplains who gave their lives to save other soldiers during th ...
, Dutch Reformed.
Other notable chaplains
* Patrick J. Boyle-- Colonel, US Army, Roman Catholic Chaplain for the
82nd Airborne Division
The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...
and
1st Air Cavalry Division
The 1st Cavalry Division ("First Team") is a combined arms division and is one of the most decorated combat divisions of the United States Army. It is based at Fort Hood, Texas. It was formed in 1921 and served during World War II, the Korea ...
, serving three tours during the Vietnam War. Awarded two Silver Stars, three Bronze Stars, Air Medal, and Parachutist Badge.
* John G. Burkhalter – Chaplain during World War II and the Korean War.
*
John B. DeValles
John B. DeValles (1879–1920) was a Catholic priest who founded the first Portuguese parochial school at Espirito Santo Church in Fall River, Massachusetts, and later served with distinction as a U.S. Army military chaplain, chaplain during World ...
– Chaplain during World War I.
*
Francis P. Duffy
Francis Patrick Duffy (May 2, 1871 – June 27, 1932) was a Canadian American soldier, Catholic priest and military chaplain.
Duffy served as chaplain for the 69th Infantry Regiment (known as the "Fighting 69th"), a unit of the New York Army Na ...
– Chaplain during World War I, the most highly decorated cleric in the history of the U.S. Army.
*
John H. Eastwood
John H. Eastwood (May 12, 1911 – February 13, 2007) was an author, seminary professor, army chaplain, and church pastor in the United States. He grew up in rural Nebraska and earned a Doctor of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in ...
– Chaplain during World War II
* Herman G. Felhoelter – Chaplain during the Korean War. Killed in
Chaplain–Medic massacre
The Chaplain–Medic massacre took place in the Korean War on July 16, 1950, on a mountain above the village of Tuman, South Korea. Thirty unarmed, critically wounded United States Army (US) soldiers and an unarmed chaplain were murdered by mem ...
.
*
Augustus F. Gearhard
Augustus F. Gearhard (April 18, 1893 – March 19, 1974) was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force and a Roman Catholic priest.
Gearhard was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1893. He would attend St. Francis Seminary and was ord ...
- US Army Catholic chaplain who received the
Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
*Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
*Distinguished Service Cross (U ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, then the
Silver Star
The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...
and
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...
during World War II as a chaplain in the Army Air Forces. Transferred to US Air Force in 1947 and retired as a
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 ...
in 1953 after serving as Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the Air Force.
* Dale Goetz – Chaplain during
Afghanistan War
War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to:
*Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC)
*Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709)
*Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see als ...
. First U.S. Army chaplain to be killed in action since the Vietnam War.
* Milton L. Haney – Chaplain during the Civil War. Called "The Fighting Chaplain" by the men of the 55th Illinois Infantry. Awarded the Medal of Honor
*
Philip Hannan
Philip Matthew Hannan (May 20, 1913 – September 29, 2011) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington from 1956 to 1965 and as the eleventh archbishop of the Archdio ...
– Chaplain during World War II.
* Emil J. Kapaun – Chaplain during the Korean War. Died in a POW camp on 23 May 1951. In the process of
canonization
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...
; awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in April 2013
*
Abraham Klausner
Abraham Judah Klausner (April 27, 1915 – June 28, 2007) was a Reform rabbi and United States Army captain and chaplain who became a “father figure” for the more than 30,000 emaciated survivors found at Dachau Concentration Camp, northwes ...
– Chaplain during and after World War II who cared for the more than 30,000 survivors found at
Dachau concentration camp
,
, commandant = List of commandants
, known for =
, location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany
, built by = Germany
, operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS)
, original use = Political prison
, construction ...
, shortly after it was liberated in April 1945, as well as for thousands more in other
Displaced Persons camps
Displaced may refer to:
* Forced displacement, the involuntary movement of people from their home
* Displaced (2006 film), ''Displaced'' (2006 film), a 2006 British feature film produced by Skylandian Pictures
* Displaced (2010 film), ''Displaced ...
in southern Germany.
*
Charles Liteky
Charles James "Charlie" Liteky (February 14, 1931 – January 20, 2017), formerly known as Angelo Liteky, was an American peace activist who served as a United States Army chaplain in the Vietnam War and was awarded the U.S. military's highest dec ...
– Chaplain during Vietnam War. Awarded the Medal of Honor.
* John McElroy, SJ – One of two of the Army's first
Catholic chaplains
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a p ...
. Chaplain during the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, founder of St. John's Literary Institute, Boston College High School, and Boston College.O'Conner, Thomas H. "Breaking the religious barrier", ''
The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'', Boston, 10 May 2004.
*
Colman O'Flaherty
The Reverend Colman E. O'Flaherty (24 April 1878 – 3 October 1918), was an Irish-born American Catholic military chaplain and a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross during World War I.
Early life
O'Flaherty was born in Carraroe, Irela ...
– Chaplain during World War I. Awarded the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously.
* John D. McCarty – A Protestant Episcopal priest, he served as U.S. Army chaplain at the front, during the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, with General Scott's army.
* Mark Nordstrom – Anglican chaplain during Operation Iraqi Freedom and bishop in the Anglican Church in North America.
*
Chaim Potok
Chaim Potok (February 17, 1929 – July 23, 2002) was an American author and rabbi. His first book ''The Chosen'' (1967), was listed on ''The New York Times’'' best seller list for 39 weeks and sold more than 3,400,000 copies.
Biography
H ...
– Jewish chaplain during the Korean War, author.
*
Anthony Rey
Anthony Rey, S.J. (born at Lyon, France, 19 March 1807; died near Ceralvo, Mexico, 19 January 1847) was a French Jesuit academic, and U.S. Army chaplain during the Mexican–American War. He was the first Catholic chaplain killed during service wi ...
, S.J. – One of two of the Army's first Catholic chaplains. Chaplain during the Mexican–American War and Vice President of Georgetown College (1845). First Catholic chaplain killed during service with the U.S. military.
* John Rosbrugh – Chaplain during the Revolutionary War. First U.S. chaplain killed in battle.
*
Jeff Struecker
Jeffery Dean Struecker (March 7, 1969)Curriculum Vitae ,
75th Ranger Regiment
The 75th Ranger Regiment, also known as Army Rangers, is the U.S. Army's premier light infantry unit and special operations force within the United States Army Special Operations Command. The regiment is headquartered at Fort Benning, Georgi ...
. Prior to chaplaincy, was a sergeant and squad leader of
Task Force Ranger
Operation Gothic Serpent was a military operation conducted in Mogadishu, Somalia, by an American force code-named ''Task Force Ranger'' during the Somali Civil War in 1993. The primary objective of the operation was to capture Mohamed Farrah ...
Bronze Star
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
with
Valor device
Valor, valour, or valorous may mean:
* Courage, a similar meaning
* Virtue ethics, roughly "courage in defense of a noble cause"
Entertainment
* Valor (band), a Christian gospel music group
* Valor Kand, a member of the band Christian Death
* ' ...
and two oak leaf clusters.
* H. Timothy Vakoc – Chaplain during Iraq War. The only U.S. military chaplain to die from wounds received in the Iraq War.
*
Charles J. Watters
Charles Joseph Watters (January 17, 1927 – November 19, 1967) was a chaplain ( major) in the United States Army and Roman Catholic priest. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery exhibited while rescuing wounded men in the V ...
– Chaplain during the Vietnam War. Awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.
* Pratima Dharm - First Hindu Chaplain.
* George Wood - Chaplain for the
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment
The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (505th PIR), originally the 505th Infantry Regiment, is an airborne infantry regiment of the United States Army, one of four infantry regiments of the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army, with ...
and later for the
82nd Airborne Division
The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...
during World War II. Only chaplain to have made four combat jumps in WorldWarII. Wood Memorial Chapel in
Fort Bragg, NC
Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cu ...
is named in his honor.
*
Matthew A. Zimmerman Jr.
Matthew may refer to:
* Matthew (given name)
* Matthew (surname)
* ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497
* ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith
* Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Chi ...
– The 18th Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army from 1990 to 1994 and the first African American to hold the position.
Hymn
*
Eternal Father, Strong to Save
"Eternal Father, Strong to Save" is a British hymn traditionally associated with seafarers, particularly in the maritime armed services. Written in 1860, its author, William Whiting, was inspired by the dangers of the sea described in Psalm ...
(including special verses for West Point cadets, U.S. armed forces, wounded in combat, and for those deployed)
United States military chaplains
United States military chaplains hold positions in the armed forces of the United States and are charged with conducting religious services and providing counseling for their adherents. As of 2011, there are about 2,900 chaplains in the Army, amo ...
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 ...
Insignia of Chaplain Schools in the US Military
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 ...
* Bergen, Doris L. ''The Sword of the Lord: military chaplains from the first to the twenty-first century'' (Univ of Notre Dame Press 2004)
* Honeywell, Roy John. ''Chaplains of the United States Army'' (Office of the Chief of Chaplains, Department of the Army, 1958)
* Pickard, Scott D. "Co-workers in the field of souls: the Civil War partnership between Union chaplains and the US Christian Commission, 1861–1865." (2013) online * Shea, Michael E. ''Sky Pilots: The Yankee Division Chaplains in World War I'' (2014)
* Stover, Earl F. ''The United States Army Chaplaincy'' (Office of the Chief of Chaplains, Department of the Army, 1977)
* O'Malley, Mark. An History of the Development of Catholic Military Chaplaincy in the United States of America (Gregorian University, Rome, 2009)