Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center
Encyclopedia
The Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center (AFCC) is the center for training of United States military chaplain
s, located at Fort Jackson
, Columbia, South Carolina
. Co-located on the AFCC campus are: the United States Army Chaplain
Center and School, the United States Naval Chaplaincy
School and Center, and the United States Air Force Chaplain Corps
College. The Center includes the "Joint Center of Excellence for Religious Training and Education."
Ground-breaking for the AFCC took place May 6, 2008, and the official dedication of the campus occurred on May 6, 2010.
" (BRAC) mandate for U.S. military chaplains. The mandated included two "imperatives":
The decision to create the AFCC included a 11.6 million dollar construction plan for a building with 45800 square feet (4,255 m²) of space, including a 300-seat auditorium.
However, although each service school will train its chaplains, sharing the AFCC campus will allow for some joint classes and lectures, especially when guest lecturers in subjects like preaching--subjects that cross military service lines--visit the center.
To set the tone for the center, a famous image of George Washington
, kneeling in prayer with his chaplain and soldiers at Valley Forge
was chosen for the front lobby.
. The first session began March 3, 1918, at Fort Monroe
, Virginia
, based on a plan developed by Chaplain (MAJ) Aldred A. Pruden, approved by the War Department
on February 9, 1918.
Before moving to its present location at Fort Jackson in 1996, the school has been
located in areas including 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).
In 1957, Army General Order No. 1-57, created the U.S. Army Chaplain Museum as a branch museum at Fort Slocum, New York, later moving along with the Chaplain Center and School to all other locations, including the current site at Fort Jackson.
. The school began at Naval Station Norfolk
, Norfolk, Virginia
, later moving to the campus of the College of William and Mary
, in Williamsburg, Virginia
, until its decommissioning November 15, 1945.
With the beginning of the Korean War
in 1951, the school was reestablished, located in Newport, Rhode Island
as part of the Naval Schools Command. When the Naval Officer Training Center was established July 15, 1971, later becoming the Naval Officer Training Command on July 1, 1974, the school continued to operate under that Center and Command, until the school became a separate shore activity in March 2007 under the Center for Service Support.
The Chaplain School ceased activities in Newport August 21, 2009 for its move to Fort Jackson, and its name was changed on October 1, 2009 to the Naval Chaplaincy School and Center (NCSC), to reflect the fact that the school would no longer only train chaplains, but would now include training for Religious Program Specialists, as well.
The first graduation of Navy chaplains at the AFCC took place November 13, 2009.
in Texas
, under the overall Officer Basic Military Course In 1960 the USAF Chaplain School was officially established, remaining at Lackland AFB, where it remained until moving to Maxwell Air Force Base
, Montgomery, Alabama
, in May 1966, where it would remain until its move to Fort Jackson.
Under the leadership of the Air University Command Chaplain, the USAF Chaplain Service Resource Board waqs formed in July 1959. It was originally named the USAF Chaplain Writers Board, preparing lectures and identifying audiovisual resources for the Air Force Moral Leadership Program.
The board's name was changed in 1976 to USAF Chaplain Resource Board, and in January 1989 to USAF Chaplain Service Resource Board, "to reflect the mission of providing resources to all chaplain service professionals: chaplain service support personnel (CSSP), religious education coordinators, laity, and chaplains." It is now known as the USAF Chaplain Service Institute Resource Division.
Air Force Chaplain Assistants began training at Carlisle Barracks
, Pennsylvania
, in 1960, as "Welfare specialists," moving to Keesler Air Force Base
, Mississippi
in 1960 at the same time the specialty name was changed to "Chaplain Service Personnel." In 1992, training moved to Maxwell AFB, where it became part of the "Ira C. Eaker Center for Professional Development," alongside the Air Force Chaplain School and Air Force Chaplain Service Institute.
Military chaplain
A military chaplain is a chaplain who ministers to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other members of the military. In many countries, chaplains also minister to the family members of military personnel, to civilian noncombatants working for military organizations and to civilians within the...
s, located at Fort Jackson
Fort Jackson
Fort Jackson can refer to several places or things:*Fort Jackson , also called Fort Toulouse, a War of 1812 fort*Fort Jackson , a frontier trading post located near present-day Ione, Colorado...
, Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
. Co-located on the AFCC campus are: the United States Army Chaplain
Chaplain Corps (United States Army)
The Chaplain Corps of the United States Army consists of ordained clergy who are commissioned Army officers as well as enlisted soldiers who serve as assistants. Their purpose is to offer religious services, counseling, and moral support to the armed forces, whether in peacetime or at war.-Army...
Center and School, the United States Naval Chaplaincy
United States Navy Chaplain Corps
The Chaplain Corps of the United States Navy consists of ordained clergy who are commissioned naval officers. Their principal purpose is to "promote the spiritual, religious, moral, and personal well-being of the members of the Department of the Navy," which includes the Navy and the United States...
School and Center, and the United States Air Force Chaplain Corps
United States Air Force Chaplain Corps
The Chaplain Corps of the United States Air Force consists of enlisted chaplain assistants and clergy who become commissioned Air Force officers, endorsed and ordained by their particular religious organization...
College. The Center includes the "Joint Center of Excellence for Religious Training and Education."
Ground-breaking for the AFCC took place May 6, 2008, and the official dedication of the campus occurred on May 6, 2010.
History
The creation of the AFCC began with the November 11 2005 "Base Realignment and ClosureBase Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
" (BRAC) mandate for U.S. military chaplains. The mandated included two "imperatives":
- (1) Relocate to Fort Jackson, in Columbia, South CarolinaColumbia, South CarolinaColumbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, the location of the US Army Chaplain Center and School: the Naval Chaplains School from Newport, Rhode IslandNewport, Rhode IslandNewport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, the Religious Programs SpecialistReligious Programs SpecialistReligious Program Specialist is a United States Navy occupational rating. Religious Program Specialists assist Navy chaplains. Religious program specialists provide support to Navy chaplains in developing programs to meet the needs of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel and their families...
training from Meridian, MississippiMeridian, MississippiMeridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, and the Air Force Chaplain Service Institute from Maxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force BaseMaxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
, Montgomery, AlabamaMontgomery, AlabamaMontgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
; - (2) Establish the Joint Center of Excellence for Religious Training and Education.
The decision to create the AFCC included a 11.6 million dollar construction plan for a building with 45800 square feet (4,255 m²) of space, including a 300-seat auditorium.
Relocation milestones
- November 11, 2005 - BRAC Mandate
- June 1, 2007 - USA assumes AFFC Directorship
- May 6, 2008 - Ground breaking
- July 1, 2008 - AFCC Directorship transferred to USN
- July 1, 2009 - AFCC Directorship transferred to USAF
- January 2010 - Schools move into new facility
- January 2010 - First USN classes in new facility
- Jan 6, 2010 - First event in new facility: Interservice prayer
- January-April 2010 - Furnishings and AV/IT installed
- March 2010 - First USAF classes in new facility
- May 6, 2010 - AFCC, Air Force, Navy Dedication ceremonies
Mission and leadership
The Army, Navy, and Air Force schools are co-located on the AFCC campus, but their training programs for Chaplains, Chaplain Assistants and Religious Program Specialists are independent, and each has its own Commandant/Commanding Officer, faculty and staff. There is an overall Director and Senior Enlisted Advisor who deal with common issues affecting all schools, but each of the three schools maintains its own lines of authority and responsibility with the Chief of Chaplains and training leadership for its branch of the Armed Forces.However, although each service school will train its chaplains, sharing the AFCC campus will allow for some joint classes and lectures, especially when guest lecturers in subjects like preaching--subjects that cross military service lines--visit the center.
Setting
The first AFCC director Air Force Chaplain Col. Steven Keith, said the directors of the individual schools that will share the AFCC campus worked to bring together elements with special meaning that could be shared. For example, the Center's hallways have stained glass from a closed Army chapel in New Jersey and a closed Air Force chapel in Germany.To set the tone for the center, a famous image of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, kneeling in prayer with his chaplain and soldiers at Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
was chosen for the front lobby.
Army Chaplain Center and School
The U.S. Army Chaplain School was created in 1917, to train civilian clergy for service as chaplains in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The first session began March 3, 1918, at Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, based on a plan developed by Chaplain (MAJ) Aldred A. Pruden, approved by the War Department
War Department
War Department may refer to:* War Department * United States Department of War - See also :* War Office , a former department of the British Government...
on February 9, 1918.
Before moving to its present location at Fort Jackson in 1996, the school has been
located in areas including Camp Zachary Taylor
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. Its name live on as the Camp Taylor neighborhood of Louisville...
(Kentucky), Camp Grant (Illinois)
Camp Grant (Illinois)
For other uses see Camp Grant.Camp Grant was a U.S. Army facility located in the southern outskirts of Rockford, Illinois named in honor of General Ulysses S. Grant...
, Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
(Kansas), Fort Benjamin Harrison
Fort Benjamin Harrison
Fort Benjamin Harrison was a U.S. Army post located in suburban Lawrence, Indiana, northeast of Indianapolis. It is named for the 23rd United States President, Benjamin Harrison. Land was purchased in 1903, with the post being officially named for President Harrison in honor of Indianapolis being...
(Indiana), Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(Massachusetts), Fort Devens
Fort Devens
Fort Devens is an active United States military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens. The nearby Devens Reserve Forces Training Area is...
(Mass.), Fort Oglethorpe
Fort Oglethorpe
Fort Oglethorpe may refer to:*Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, a town*Fort Oglethorpe , Army base founded in 1904*Fort Oglethorpe , a World War I military facility near the town of Fort Oglethorpe...
(Georgia), Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks is a United States Army facility located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It is part of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and is the site of the U.S. Army War College...
(Pennsylvania), Fort Slocum (New York) (1951–62), Fort Hamilton
Fort Hamilton
Historic Fort Hamilton is located in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst, and is one of several posts that are part of the region which is headquartered by the Military District of Washington...
(N.Y.) (1962–74), Fort Wadsworth
Fort Wadsworth
Fort Wadsworth is a former United States military installation on Staten Island in New York City, situated on The Narrows which divide New York Bay into Upper and Lower halves, a natural point for defense of the Upper Bay and Manhattan beyond. Prior to closing in 1994 it claimed to be the longest...
(N.Y.) (1974–79), and Fort Monmouth
Fort Monmouth
Fort Monmouth was an installation of the Department of the Army in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The post is surrounded by the communities of Eatontown, Tinton Falls and Oceanport, New Jersey, and is located about 5 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The post covers nearly of land, from the Shrewsbury...
(New Jersey) (1979–95).
In 1957, Army General Order No. 1-57, created the U.S. Army Chaplain Museum as a branch museum at Fort Slocum, New York, later moving along with the Chaplain Center and School to all other locations, including the current site at Fort Jackson.
Naval Chaplaincy School and Center
The first Naval Chaplain School was created in February 1942 when civilian clergy, the majority of whom had no prior military experience, entered the Navy to serve during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The school began at Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
, Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, later moving to the campus of the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
, in Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
, until its decommissioning November 15, 1945.
With the beginning of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
in 1951, the school was reestablished, located in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
as part of the Naval Schools Command. When the Naval Officer Training Center was established July 15, 1971, later becoming the Naval Officer Training Command on July 1, 1974, the school continued to operate under that Center and Command, until the school became a separate shore activity in March 2007 under the Center for Service Support.
The Chaplain School ceased activities in Newport August 21, 2009 for its move to Fort Jackson, and its name was changed on October 1, 2009 to the Naval Chaplaincy School and Center (NCSC), to reflect the fact that the school would no longer only train chaplains, but would now include training for Religious Program Specialists, as well.
The first graduation of Navy chaplains at the AFCC took place November 13, 2009.
Air Force Chaplain Corps College
In July 1953 the Air Force was given the responsibility of training its own chaplains, and the United States Air Force Chaplains Course was established at Lackland Air Force BaseLackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located west-southwest of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, under the overall Officer Basic Military Course In 1960 the USAF Chaplain School was officially established, remaining at Lackland AFB, where it remained until moving to Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
, Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, in May 1966, where it would remain until its move to Fort Jackson.
Under the leadership of the Air University Command Chaplain, the USAF Chaplain Service Resource Board waqs formed in July 1959. It was originally named the USAF Chaplain Writers Board, preparing lectures and identifying audiovisual resources for the Air Force Moral Leadership Program.
The board's name was changed in 1976 to USAF Chaplain Resource Board, and in January 1989 to USAF Chaplain Service Resource Board, "to reflect the mission of providing resources to all chaplain service professionals: chaplain service support personnel (CSSP), religious education coordinators, laity, and chaplains." It is now known as the USAF Chaplain Service Institute Resource Division.
Air Force Chaplain Assistants began training at Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks is a United States Army facility located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It is part of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and is the site of the U.S. Army War College...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, in 1960, as "Welfare specialists," moving to Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler, Jr., a Mississippi native killed in France in First World War.-Units:The base is home of...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
in 1960 at the same time the specialty name was changed to "Chaplain Service Personnel." In 1992, training moved to Maxwell AFB, where it became part of the "Ira C. Eaker Center for Professional Development," alongside the Air Force Chaplain School and Air Force Chaplain Service Institute.
External links
- Joint Publication 1-05: Religious Affairs in Joint Operations. 13 November 2009. United States Joint Forces Command (lead agent and JS doctrine sponsor for this publication: Office of Religious Affairs)
- Video: AFCC dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony video: Part I, PartII, Part III
- Library of Congress photo collection, link to Library of Congress WWII chaplain photo collection, many from Chaplain School when it was located at Ft Benjamin J. Harrison