Combat Chaplains

The U.S. government provides for military members' right to free exercise of religion (under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution), using the widest possible selection of credentialed professional clergy who have volunteered to minister in the military. There is a Chaplain Corps in the U.S. Army, Air Force, and Navy. The Navy Chaplain Corps provides chaplain coverage for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The prerequisites to become a chaplain are to hold the master of divinity degree, be ordained in the denomination or faith group he or she represents, have a minimum of 2 years' vocational ministry experience, and receive ecclesiastical endorsement from an approved endorsing agency. Chaplain applicants must meet age, physical, and moral requirements established by the individual branches of service.

Chaplains serve in the various branches of the military as representatives of their own faith groups and as military staff officers, coordinating religious support for all personnel within their units of assignment. In addition to conducting religious services mandated by U.S. code, the chaplain performs counseling and other activities to help maintain the spiritual and emotional health of soldiers in his or her unit of assignment. These chaplain functions become crucial when serving in a theater of combat operations. While chaplains serve in combat, they are noncombatants. Chaplains may not carry a weapon or ammunition and cannot engage in activities that will endanger their noncombatant status. This entry briefly describes the duties and roles of the combat chaplain, reviewing religious support standards and circumstances.