The Chaplain Corps of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

(USAF) is composed of both

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 ...

—commissioned

officers An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fr ...

who have been endorsed and

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

by a religious organization—and enlisted Religious Affairs. As

military chaplains 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 '' ch ...

, their main purpose is to support the free exercise of religion by members of the military service, their dependents, and other authorized personnel. They also provide advice on spiritual, ethical, moral, and religious-accommodation issues to the leadership of the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...

. Air Force chaplains come from a variety of religious backgrounds, including

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

Catholicism 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 ...

Eastern Orthodox Christianity Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...

, and

Protestantism Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

, and any other religious organization with an endorser that has been recognized by 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, ...

Mission statement

While serving as a visible reminder of the Holy, the Air Force Chaplain Corps provides spiritual care and the opportunity for Air Force members and their families to exercise their constitutional right to freedom of religion.

History

Beginnings

The first American military chaplaincy was established by the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

on 29 July 1775. Chaplains were paid $20 per month, a captain's salary, and required no formal ordination or endorsement by a religious organisation. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, attempts were made by both government and church organization to increase professionalism. Ordination by an authorized ecclesiastical body became a legal requirement and the

non-combatant Non-combatant is a term of art in the law of war and international humanitarian law to refer to civilians who are not taking a direct part in hostilities; persons, such as combat medics and military chaplains, who are members of the belligere ...

status of chaplains was officially recognised.

Air Force

The first Air Chaplain of the

United States Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War I ...

was Captain Charles I. Carpenter, appointed 28 July 1942. Although the

became a separate department on 18 September 1947, following the passage of the National Security Act, the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

opposed the creation of a separate Air Force chaplaincy as it would violate the Spaatz-Eisenhower Agreement, which stated that parallel organizations in the Army and the Air Force would not be approved unless organically necessary, and would serve as a precedent for the separation of other services. Carpenter, on the other hand, emphasized the need for a shared sense of identity between chaplains and the men they served and favored a separate Air Force chaplaincy. On 10 May 1949, after consulting with Carpenter, General Carl Spaatz ordered the institution of a separate Air Force chaplaincy; fewer than 10 of the 458 active duty chaplains elected to remain in the Army. Carpenter was promoted to major general and was appointed the first Air Force Chief of Chaplains, serving from 1949 to 1958. The Air Force Chaplain Assistant Specialist Career was established in 1948.

Leadership

The Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force (CCHAF) is the senior chaplain in the United States Air Force, the leader of the U.S. Air Force Chaplain Corps, and the senior adviser on religious issues to the Secretary and

Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force The chief of staff of the Air Force (acronym: CSAF, or AF/CC) is a statutory office () held by a general in the United States Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor to the secretary of the Air Force on matter pertaining to t ...

. The CCHAF is responsible for establishing an effective chaplain program that meets the religious needs of all members of the Air Force by leading an Air Force Chaplain Corps of approximately 2,200 chaplains and chaplain assistants from the active and Air Reserve components. As a member of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board, the CCHAF advises the

Secretary of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...

and

Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...

on religious, ethical and quality-of-life concerns. The position of Chief of Chaplains is currently held by

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 ...

Randall Kitchens. The Air Force Deputy Chief of Chaplains assists the Chief of Chaplains in directing and maintaining the Chaplain Corps. The Chaplain Assistant Air Force Career Field Manager runs the chaplain-assistant career field, preparing chaplain assistants to support the Air Force Chaplain Corps and advising the Air Force Chief of Chaplains on policy matters regarding chaplain assistants and the Air Force Chaplain Corps. The position is currently held by Chief Master Sergeant Dale McGavran.

Air Force Chaplain Corps College

The Air Force Chaplain Corps College (AFCCC) is located at the Ira C. Eaker Center for Professional Development at Maxwell AFB, Alabama.

Prayers

*Air Force Hymn

References

External links

U.S. Air Force Chaplain Corps
official website
U.S. Air Force
official website
Chaplain Corps Forum (Chaplain Corps Personnel only)Armed Forces Chaplains Board
(AFCB). Instruction Number 5120.08 (20 August 2007). Department of Defense. Retrieved 2010-09-09.
Military Chaplains Association
(MCA) official website. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces
(NCMAF) official website. Retrieved 2009-12-03. {{Armed Forces Chaplains Board Religion in the United States military United States military chaplaincy

Mission statement

History

Beginnings

Air Force

Leadership

Air Force Chaplain Corps College

Prayers

See also

Roles

Honors

Specialty insignia

Locations

Other military chaplaincies

References

Further reading

External links