Chaplain Corps (United States Army)

The United States Army Chaplain Corps (USACC) consists of ordained clergy of multiple faiths who are commissioned Army officers serving as military chaplains as well as enlisted soldiers who serve as assistants. Their purpose is to offer religious church services, counseling, and moral support to the armed forces, whether in peacetime or at war.

United States Army Chaplain Corps
United States Army Chaplain Corps Branch Plaque
Active	29 July 1775 – present
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Army
Type	Corps
Role	Military Chaplaincy
Size	2,700
Motto(s)	"Pro Deo et Patria" (Latin: For God and Country)
Colors	Black
Engagements	American Revolutionary War War of 1812 Mexican–American War American Civil War Spanish–American War World War I World War II Korean War Vietnam War Gulf War Somali Civil War Kosovo War War in Afghanistan Iraq War
Website	Official Website
Commanders
CCH	CH (MG) William Green Jr.
DCCH	CH (BG) Jack Stumme
Notable commanders	CH (COL) John T. Axton CH (MG) William R. Arnold CH (MG) Francis L. Sampson CH (MG) Kermit D. Johnson CH (MG) Patrick J. Hessian CH (MG) Gaylord T. Gunhus
Insignia
Branch Insignias
Distinctive unit insignia

U.S. Army Institute for Religious Leadership

Further information: Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center

See footnotes^[1][2]

The U.S. Army Institute for Religious Leadership (USAIRL) is part of the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center (AFCC), which also includes the Air Force Chaplain Service Institute (AFCSI) and the U.S. Naval Chaplaincy School and Center (NCSC). The three schools are co-located at Fort Jackson, in Columbia, S.C.^[3]

In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission 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.^[3]

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.^[3]

The U.S. Army Chaplain School was approved on 9 February 1918. Its first session began on 3 March 1918, at Fort Monroe, Virginia.^[4] Chaplain (MAJ) Aldred A. Pruden, who developed the plan for the school, was named the first commandant of the school.^[4] It subsequently moved to Camp Zachary Taylor (Kentucky), Camp Grant (Illinois), Fort Leavenworth (Kansas), Fort Benjamin Harrison (Indiana), Harvard University (Massachusetts), Fort Devens (Mass.), Fort Oglethorpe (Georgia), Carlisle Barracks (Pennsylvania), Fort Slocum (New York) (1951–62), Fort Hamilton (N.Y.) (1962–74), Fort Wadsworth (N.Y.) (1974–79), and Fort Monmouth (New Jersey) (1979–95).^[4]

Noncombatant status

Main article: Military chaplain § Non-combatant status

Chaplain Candidate

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 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.^[5]

Religious Affairs Specialist or NCO

Main article: Chaplain Assistant

Specialty insignia

See also: United States military chaplain symbols and List of U.S. Army Chaplain Corps regimental awards

For FAQs regarding uniforms and insignia, see footnote^[6]

Chiefs of Army Chaplains

Main article: Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army

See also: Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army

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) William Green, Jr., who became the United States Army's 26th Chief of Chaplains on 5 December 2023.^[7]

Army bases chaplaincy

See footnotes^[8][9] For a link to the chaplaincy at each of the bases listed below, see general footnote^[10] and the footnote following each base

Fort Carson[11] Fort Drum Fort Eisenhower[12]

Fort Huachuca Fort Johnson[13][14] Fort Knox[15]

Fort Leavenworth[16] Fort Bragg Fort Monroe[17]

Fort Moore Fort Myer Fort Sill[18][19]

Walter Reed Medical Center

Joint-base chaplaincy

Field Service (unfinished oil) by James Pollock, U. S. Army Vietnam Combat Artists Team IV (CAT IV 1967)

Chaplain Martain's Bible by Stephen H. Sheldon, U. S. Army Vietnam Combat Artists Team III (CAT III 1967)

A Roman Catholic army chaplain celebrating a Mass for Union soldiers and officers during the American Civil War (1861–1865).

• Joint Base Lewis-McChord^[20]
• Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst^{[21][22][23][24]}

U.S. Military Academy chaplaincy

Chapels

Main article: West Point Cadet Chapel

See also: West Point Jewish Chapel, Chapel of the Most Holy Trinity (West Point), and Old Cadet Chapel (West Point)

For all six USMA chapels, see footnote^[25]

Chaplains

See footnote^[26]

Cadet Prayer

See footnote^{[27][clarification needed]}

Museum

See also: National Museum of the United States Army and Museum of Army Chaplaincy (UK)

For USA Civil War chaplains, see footnote^[28] For historic photographs of Army chaplains in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, see footnote^[29]

The U.S. Army Chaplain Museum is located at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.^[30] 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.^[31]

"The Four Chaplains"

When the troop-transport ship Dorchester 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.^[32] Those chaplains – known as "The Four Chaplains" – were Lt. George L. Fox, Methodist; Lt. Alexander D. Goode, Jewish; Lt. John P. Washington, Roman Catholic; and Lt. Clark V. Poling, Dutch Reformed.

Other notable chaplains

• Patrick J. Boyle – Colonel, US Army, Roman Catholic Chaplain for the 82nd Airborne Division and 1st Air Cavalry Division, 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 – Chaplain during World War I.
• Francis P. Duffy – Chaplain during World War I, the most highly decorated cleric in the history of the U.S. Army.
• John H. Eastwood – Chaplain during World War II^[33]
• Herman G. Felhoelter – Chaplain during the Korean War. Killed in Chaplain–Medic massacre.^[34]
• Augustus F. Gearhard - US Army Catholic chaplain who received the Distinguished Service Cross during World War I, then the Silver Star and Legion of Merit 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 in 1953 after serving as Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the Air Force.^[35]
• Dale Goetz – Chaplain during Afghanistan War. First U.S. Army chaplain to be killed in action since the Vietnam War.^[36]
• 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 – Chaplain during World War II.
• Alice M. Henderson – First woman, and woman of color commissioned as a chaplain in the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps^[37]
• Emil J. Kapaun – Chaplain during the Korean War. Died in a POW camp on 23 May 1951. In the process of canonization; awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in April 2013^[38]
• Abraham Klausner – Chaplain during and after World War II who cared for the more than 30,000 survivors found at Dachau concentration camp, shortly after it was liberated in April 1945, as well as for thousands more in other Displaced Persons camps in southern Germany.^[39]
• Charles Liteky – Chaplain during Vietnam War. Awarded the Medal of Honor.
• John McElroy, SJ – One of two of the Army's first Catholic chaplains. Chaplain during the Mexican–American War, founder of St. John's Literary Institute, Boston College High School, and Boston College.^[40]
• Colman O'Flaherty – 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, with General Scott's army.
• Abdul-Rasheed Muhammad – First Muslim chaplain in the United States Army, 1993
• Khady Ndiaye – First female Muslim chaplain candidate^[37]
• Mark Nordstrom – Anglican chaplain during Operation Iraqi Freedom and bishop in the Anglican Church in North America.
• Chaim Potok – Jewish chaplain during the Korean War, author.
• Anthony Rey, 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 – Chaplain for the 75th Ranger Regiment. Prior to chaplaincy, was a sergeant and squad leader of Task Force Ranger during the Battle of Mogadishu. Awarded Bronze Star with Valor device and two oak leaf clusters.^[41]
• 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 – Chaplain during the Vietnam War. Awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.
• Pratima Dharm - First Hindu Chaplain.^[42][37]
• George Wood - Chaplain for the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment and later for the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II. Only chaplain to have made four combat jumps in World War II. Wood Memorial Chapel in Fort Bragg, NC is named in his honor.^[43][44]
• Matthew A. Zimmerman Jr. – 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 (including special verses for West Point cadets, U.S. armed forces, wounded in combat, and for those deployed)

See also

Army chaplains at the Tomb of the Unknowns, in Arlington National Cemetery.

• United Church, The Chapel on the Hill (former Army chapel)
• United States military chaplains
• United States Air Force Chaplain Corps
• United States Navy Chaplain Corps
• Religious Programs Specialist (Navy)
• Chaplain of the Coast Guard
• Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps
• Armed Forces Chaplains Board (AFCB)
• Chaplains Hill (Arlington National Cemetery)
• List of U.S. Army Chaplain Corps regimental awards
• Insignia of chaplain schools in the United States military
• Maryland Defense Force Chaplain Corps