Today I saw a chaplain with a long tab and a combat action badge. Is there a scenario where this is possible?

100% legit this is him

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2014/may-online-only/unconventional-warfare.html

The patch is the US Army Chaplain Center and School, Fort Jackson SC.
I am one of the Admins at This Aint Hell. I research Stolen Valor all the time. I don’t want to get preachy but I do want to make a few points.
Never assume that just because something doesn’t look right to you that it’s a case of stolen valor. Very often asking a simple question or two will resolve your concerns.
Do not confront someone until you have absolute proof, just a suspicion is not enough. I would rather see someone get away with Stolen Valor than insult a real vet who has a messed up uniform or anyone on active duty.
I personally do not like the recent popularity of the confrontation Videos, getting in someone’s face, yelling screaming and shouting will more than likely get you in trouble god help you if the person is legit.
One last point,
You have taken the picture of an Army Officer without his permission, published it on a Social Media site devoted to the Military where undoubtedly his peers will see it and attached a stolen valor tag as well as a veiled implication. What in the Hell were you thinking? How would you feel if someone did this to you?
I hope the Admins of this site remove the photo.

Yes. Seems like an SF guy who got commissioned into the Chaplain field. You can get a CAB if the enemy engages you, even if you don't engage the enemy. I assume he would have gotten the CAB as a Chaplain.

Here is the criteria for the CAB:

- May be awarded to any soldier.
- Soldier must be performing assigned duties in an area where hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay is authorized.
- Soldier must be personally present and actively engaging or being engaged by the enemy, and performing satisfactorily in accordance with the prescribed rules of engagement.

SSG Robert Burns He is only a CPT. Probably was prior enlisted. For the CAB, all they have to do to earn it is be actively engaged by the enemy. It's kind of like seeing an O wearing a DS patch. It's odd and I would usually ask why they turned to the dark side and would get a little chuckle and an explanation.

This fine Chaplain is currently one of my students at the US Army Chaplain Center & School. He earned his CAB during an assignment in one of the Army's premier Divisions and later was assigned to USASOC where he had the opportunity to attend and successfully complete the Special Forces Qualification Course. He is one of a number of Chaplains who have completed the Q course. Chaplains come from a vast variety of backgrounds to their calling as Army Chaplains and their uniforms often represent those backgrounds and/or the variety of assignments they've had in the Chaplain Corps. If you ever have a question for a Chaplain, the best COA in the future is just ask the Chaplain. Thanks for your service! -CH (COL) Pete Sniffin; Commandant, US Army Chaplain Center & School

yes, chaplains can go to the q course whether as chaplains in SF units or as prior service SF who went to the chaplain corps

I have run into a few who were SOF before becoming a Chaplain. It is possible...

I have a good friend, who is a Chaplain and ranger tabbed and has a CIB. He was an 11A before exiting service to attend seminary school and returned as a Chaplain....so this is a very plausible case, where as this Chaplain was a former 18 series (enlisted or officer), got out and came back in as a Chaplain.

On a side note - I have a good friend with the long tab, who was an 18C at one point, got out, finished college and came back in as an officer and instead of going back through SFAS/SFQC...he opted for the less strenuous CAAS/CAQC and now is a CA officer. Why not just go up to someone and ask their story - I would say most wouldn't mind sharing the path they took in their careers.

Chaplain (Major) Jeff Struecker. Remember him from Blackhawk down. He is now a Chaplain

Some of these comments sicken and disgust me. Automatically assuming disrespect for asking a question is arrogant in the extreme, and shows that the person making that assumption thinks their rank makes them better than the person asking the question. This is how you create yes-men who don't think for themselves instead of developing subordinate leaders. I wouldn't be surprised if someone went to his chain of command over this to try to get him in trouble *smdh*... PV2 (Join to see) SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" CPT (Join to see) LTC Yinon Weiss

Yes, very possible. The chaplain that married my wife and I was former enlisted Green Beret. Chaplain Bob was one of the best chaplains I ever served with!

I've seen a Navy Chaplain who was a prior enlisted Marine have all sorts of chest candy, a CAR not the least of his decorations.
I think, and I'm not saying this is implied in this thread just something I've been pondering, that the culture of stolen valor might be taken a little bit far in some cases. A buddy of mine is an 0-3 and has enlisted guys straight out (or nearly so) of boot camp come up to him in public and start asking him about all his ribbons and decorations while he was in his whites. They thought they might get the next cool post to youtube. Caution- disrespecting an officer, assumed or not, in public (or anywhere else for that matter) isn't a road that should be trod lightly.
There are cases where there is undoubtedly stolen valor. These are generally easily spotted and dismissed.

We occasionally saw Navy Chaplains with Rifle & Pistol Expert Medals & Combat Action Ribbons in the Corps. They normally had a USMC/USN Good Conduct to go with it.

If I'm looking at him and the picture correctly, he appears to be a Captain, and "well seasoned" so I would guess he's got some enlisted time.

I am an Air Force chaplain who was awarded the CAB while serving with the Army in Afghanistan. With the revision of the AF uniform instructions Airmen are allowed to wear these and similar badges. You should see some the looks and hear some of the questions I get. As you might imagine I don't care what they think.

Past lives. I thought for a little bit about going navy medical after the Corps. I'd have had some unlikely looking ribbons on my Navy blues if I had.

SSG Robert Burns, I've seen (knew only briefly) two Army chaplains that had been awarded the CIB. They were infantry, came home, went to divinity school, were ordained and returned to the field as Army chaplains.
I have a friend here on RP who is an airborne, air assault, Ranger captain. He's served at least two deployments, the last one as an infantry company commander, and has also been awarded the CIB. He returned home, has graduated from divinity school and intends to transfer to the Chaplain Corps.
Happens more often than you might think.

It's definitely possible for a chaplain to receive a CAB because mine got one when we were in Afghanistan.

I once knew a Chaplain with an EIB

I knew a Navy Chaplain with a Combat Action Ribbon. It was legit. I will say on liberty, he NEVER bought a round.

I had a chaplain with a CIB when I was Bn S-3. He had been an Infantry platoon leader in Vietnam. We had an O-6 chaplain while I was at Third Army with a CIB, SF tab and Master Jump Wings. Somewhere along the way, these guys found a different calling. They were great Chaplains.

One of the best Chaplains I ever had the honor to serve with has a scroll, halo wings, EIB, Master Rated Jump Master, and Best Ranger Competition winner Chaplain Jeff Struecker. An amazing soldier and chaplain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy7yoNr9d6E http://jeffstruecker.com/about-jeff-struecker/