Posted on Mar 27, 2022
As a Military Chaplain, what protections are given to you by DOD? What are your rights and what limitations have you experienced?
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Chaplain
56A: Command and Unit Chaplain
Chaplain 56A: Command and Unit Chaplain
Posted >1 y ago
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As a non-combatant, you have extra protections under the Geneva Conventions. Under the Constitution, you maintain your religious freedoms.
You will not be required to perform religious ceremonies with which your religion disagrees. But you will have to find a way to accommodate those religious ceremonies for Soldiers in your unit. (This may be finding an appropriate clergy person, finding a location, talking with the Command to allow time off - mission permitting, of course - or other accommodations.) Even if you disagree with the religion or ceremony, you still are required to support the Soldiers.
You are allowed to share your faith, but you are not allowed to force it upon others. And you will be required to provide comfort, counsel, and solace to all members of your unit, regardless of their religion. This may mean leaving your religion at the door if it is one diametrically opposed to theirs. You won't have to VIOLATE your religion - but again with the not forcing it upon others.
I am sure there is more - as you can tell, I am not a Chaplain. But this is the big picture stuff.
The Chaplain is another set of eyes and ears for the Commander, going places the Commander/CSM cannot, and seeing and hearing things the Commander/CSM would not. Very few Soldiers will tell the Commander he is an idiot to his face. But if it is the friendly neighborly Chaplain... well, that's just Chappy. And if Soldiers all across the formation are telling Chappy that the Commander is an idiot (or at least this one policy is stupid), then it is time for the Chaplain to have a heart to heart with the Commander. If the Chaplain is doing his/her job right, he/she can be a VITAL tool for the Command to understand the health, morale, and mental state of the unit. Of course, key to this being effective is the Chaplain maintaining confidentiality. Even outside the confessional (when possible within professional, legal, and ethical constraints).
You will not be required to perform religious ceremonies with which your religion disagrees. But you will have to find a way to accommodate those religious ceremonies for Soldiers in your unit. (This may be finding an appropriate clergy person, finding a location, talking with the Command to allow time off - mission permitting, of course - or other accommodations.) Even if you disagree with the religion or ceremony, you still are required to support the Soldiers.
You are allowed to share your faith, but you are not allowed to force it upon others. And you will be required to provide comfort, counsel, and solace to all members of your unit, regardless of their religion. This may mean leaving your religion at the door if it is one diametrically opposed to theirs. You won't have to VIOLATE your religion - but again with the not forcing it upon others.
I am sure there is more - as you can tell, I am not a Chaplain. But this is the big picture stuff.
The Chaplain is another set of eyes and ears for the Commander, going places the Commander/CSM cannot, and seeing and hearing things the Commander/CSM would not. Very few Soldiers will tell the Commander he is an idiot to his face. But if it is the friendly neighborly Chaplain... well, that's just Chappy. And if Soldiers all across the formation are telling Chappy that the Commander is an idiot (or at least this one policy is stupid), then it is time for the Chaplain to have a heart to heart with the Commander. If the Chaplain is doing his/her job right, he/she can be a VITAL tool for the Command to understand the health, morale, and mental state of the unit. Of course, key to this being effective is the Chaplain maintaining confidentiality. Even outside the confessional (when possible within professional, legal, and ethical constraints).
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CH (CPT) Antonio Arnold
You got it on the mark my friend. You definitely have a deep insight or perhaps worked with individual within your career.
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I've never seen a Chaplain in command (not saying that it doesn't happen). I've also never seen anyone mess with Chaplains.
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SGT Chris Padgett
My uncle is a LTC Chaplain.
He's not in command, but he's in charge. It's a weird dynamic that I don't really understand.
He reports to his COC but he also has to answer to the leadership of the Methodist Church Council of Bishops, but not really.
I know that his staff is responsible for making sure that there are religious services for various faiths and that the chaplains under him are equipped to perform those services.
He has several other duties as well, to include being responsible for a couple of the post churches.
He's not in command, but he's in charge. It's a weird dynamic that I don't really understand.
He reports to his COC but he also has to answer to the leadership of the Methodist Church Council of Bishops, but not really.
I know that his staff is responsible for making sure that there are religious services for various faiths and that the chaplains under him are equipped to perform those services.
He has several other duties as well, to include being responsible for a couple of the post churches.
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SFC Casey O'Mally
SGT Chris Padgett Chaplains are (almost always) Staff Officers. They are usually designated as "special staff" and they fall outside the S1/S2/S3/etc. or G1/G2/G3/etc. structure. But still Staff.
As Staff Officers they are in charge of many things, without being in Command. Their "Command Authority" is actually "delegated authority," being delegated from the Commander they Staff for. As a LTC, I am guessing your uncle is a Division and/or Post Chaplain, serving on the staff of the Division or Garrison Commander. Your uncle can issue guidance to subordinate echelon Chaplains, but any actual orders will most likely come from the Commander (usually via Daily FragO for most routine things). And he, of course, runs his staff as the Staff primary for his office.
As Staff Officers they are in charge of many things, without being in Command. Their "Command Authority" is actually "delegated authority," being delegated from the Commander they Staff for. As a LTC, I am guessing your uncle is a Division and/or Post Chaplain, serving on the staff of the Division or Garrison Commander. Your uncle can issue guidance to subordinate echelon Chaplains, but any actual orders will most likely come from the Commander (usually via Daily FragO for most routine things). And he, of course, runs his staff as the Staff primary for his office.
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