Command and Unit Chaplain

Answer 1

A Command and Unit Chaplain is the military counterpart of a civilian clergy person. Command and unit chaplains, also called chaplains, are commissioned staff officers who are responsible for moral and ethical leadership in matters where religion has a direct impact on the programs, personnel, or policies of the branches of the U. S. Armed Forces. In the U. S. Army, chaplains are part of the Army Chaplain Corps.

Chaplains provide counseling, religious education, and workshops on religious matters. They perform religious ceremonies and rituals in accordance with the particular religious organization that they belong to. They provide these services for active and retired military personnel as well as for the family members of military personnel. Most command and unit chaplains minister for a particular faith.

A chaplain may be employed as a Chaplain Resources Manager, Community Parish Pastor, Confinement Facility Chaplain, Inter-religious Relations Chaplain, or Staff Chaplain. Chaplains oversee the spiritual well-being of soldiers throughout their training and deployment periods. Chaplains are responsible for administering religious services to as many as 1,500 people. Chaplains are called upon to officiate at ceremonies, such as funerals, memorials, or other military functions.

Chaplains must have completed theological training and received an ecclesiastical endorsement from a religious organization. Chaplains must either hold a graduate degree in religious studies, or hold a baccalaureate degree and currently be pursuing graduate studies. Chaplains must have completed a minimum of 72 hours of graduate work in religious studies before applying for work in the Army Chaplain Corps.

Command and unit chaplains begin service as a staff officer immediately upon entering military service. Chaplains and Chaplain Assistants form a Unit Ministry Team (UMT) that is assigned to a specific military unit. Because they are considered non-combatants, chaplains do not carry weapons or participate directly in combat actions.

Chaplains are not required to complete Basic Training. Chaplains must successfully complete the Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course (CH-BOLC) at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The CH-BOLC is a 12-week course that teaches students non-combatant skills, military writing formats, and specific training for command and unit chaplains.

The starting salary for a chaplain is approximately $36,000. Chaplains may make as much as $51,700 annually.