Chaplains assistants
Encyclopedia
In the US Army Chaplain Corps
, Chaplain Assistants provide support to Chaplains
. A Chaplain Assistant is part of the Unit Ministry Team (UMT) and supports UMT programs including worship services
. Additionally, since Chaplains are non-combatants, the Chaplain Assistant provides force protection for Chaplains in combat environments.
The MOS
was established on December 28, 1909, pursuant to General Orders No. 253.
Essentially, a Chaplain Assistant, or 56M (in the US Army), is the "how" in religious accommodation in both a peacetime
setting as well as in a combat
environment. In a combat environment, however, the Chaplain Assistant's job becomes much more vital to the needs in the Army. The Chaplain himself/herself is not a combatant, meaning s/he is restricted from bearing arms. The Chaplain Assistant, as the only combatant
in the UMT, is to apply force protection
. He does this because of the vital role of the Chaplain in a combat environment: the Chaplain is to support not only the religious welfare of the unit, but also the overall morale of the troops, which is a key issue in any combat environment.
Army Chaplain Assistants begin their training after successful completion of Army Basic Combat Training, which lasts 10 weeks. 56M AIT (Advanced Individual Training) lasts 7 weeks in Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, at USACHCS (United States Army Chaplain Center and School).
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...
, Chaplain Assistants provide support to Chaplains
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...
. A Chaplain Assistant is part of the Unit Ministry Team (UMT) and supports UMT programs including worship services
Church service
In Christianity, a church service is a term used to describe a formalized period of communal worship, often but not exclusively occurring on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day Sabbatarianism. The church service is the gathering together of Christians to be...
. Additionally, since Chaplains are non-combatants, the Chaplain Assistant provides force protection for Chaplains in combat environments.
History
- Regarding the centennial of Army chaplain assistants, see footnote.
The MOS
Military Occupational Specialty
A United States military occupation code, or a Military Occupational Specialty code , is a nine character code used in the United States Army and United States Marines to identify a specific job. In the U.S. Air Force, a system of Air Force Specialty Codes is used...
was established on December 28, 1909, pursuant to General Orders No. 253.
Duties
Duties performed by the Chaplain Assistant include:- Coordinating Unit Ministry Team activities
- Maintaining physical security of Unit Ministry Team facilities/equipment
- Safeguarding privileged communications and offerings
- Arranging religious retreats and memorial ceremonies
- Supporting the Unit Ministry Team readiness program
- Maintaining chaplain vestments and religious items
- Ensure worshippers are comfortable in their religious surroundings
Essentially, a Chaplain Assistant, or 56M (in the US Army), is the "how" in religious accommodation in both a peacetime
Peacetime
In politics, peacetime is defined as any period of time where there are no violent conflicts occurring. For example, the time after World War II is considered peacetime in Western Europe and the United States....
setting as well as in a combat
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
environment. In a combat environment, however, the Chaplain Assistant's job becomes much more vital to the needs in the Army. The Chaplain himself/herself is not a combatant, meaning s/he is restricted from bearing arms. The Chaplain Assistant, as the only combatant
Combatant
A combatant is someone who takes a direct part in the hostilities of an armed conflict. If a combatant follows the law of war, then they are considered a privileged combatant, and upon capture they qualify as a prisoner of war under the Third Geneva Convention...
in the UMT, is to apply force protection
Force protection
Force protection or FP is a term used by the US military to describe preventive measures taken to mitigate hostile actions in specific areas or against a specific populous, usually Department of Defense personnel , resources, facilities, and critical information.-See also:*Pentagon Force Protection...
. He does this because of the vital role of the Chaplain in a combat environment: the Chaplain is to support not only the religious welfare of the unit, but also the overall morale of the troops, which is a key issue in any combat environment.
Training
- See footnote
Army Chaplain Assistants begin their training after successful completion of Army Basic Combat Training, which lasts 10 weeks. 56M AIT (Advanced Individual Training) lasts 7 weeks in Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, at USACHCS (United States Army Chaplain Center and School).
U.S. Military Academy
- For chaplain assistants at USMAUnited States Military AcademyThe United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, see footnote.
See also
- United States military chaplain symbolsUnited States military chaplain symbolsReligious symbolism in the United States military includes the use of religious symbols for military chaplain insignia, uniforms, emblems, flags, and chapels; symbolic gestures, actions, and words used in military rituals and ceremonies; and religious symbols or designations used in areas such as...
(includes images and explanations of Chaplain Assistant badges) - 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...
(Navy) - Military chaplain#United States
- United States Air Force Chaplain CorpsUnited States Air Force Chaplain CorpsThe 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...
- United States Navy Chaplain CorpsUnited States Navy Chaplain CorpsThe 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...
- Chaplain of the United States Marine CorpsChaplain of the United States Marine CorpsThe Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps is a position always filled by the officer serving as Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy as a "dual hatted" billet since 2000...
- Chaplain of the Coast GuardChaplain of the Coast GuardThe Chaplain of the United States Coast Guard is the senior chaplain of the United States Coast Guard and is attached to USCG Headquarters in Washington, D.C. as a United States Navy Chaplain Corps officer who reports directly to the Commandant of the Coast Guard. The current Chaplain of the...
External links
- Careers & Jobs: Chaplain Assistant (56M). GoArmy.com. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
- Army Chaplain Corps: Chaplain Assistant Program. GoArmy.com. Retrieved 2010-03-04.