Posted on Dec 7, 2015
Today I saw a chaplain with a long tab and a combat action badge. Is there a scenario where this is possible?
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Absolutely possible. Many chaplains are prior enlisted or even branch transfers if they meet the qualifications.
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When I came in the Army in 98 my battalion chaplain had the long tab and a lots of other things in his uniform. The CAB adjudication has changed so many times from you been in direct contact with the enemy from you been in the same convoy that experienced an IED strike etc So I believe his tab is legit.
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It seems strange to see, but I've worked with chaplains before that have been awarded Drill Sergeant, Recruiter, Career Counselor, Ranger, Special Forces, Freefall Parachutist, and even one who had a permanent marksman award ( not sure which ) as a result of his enlisted time on the Army Marksman team.
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As an OSUT company commander, we had a chaplain, big guy, with a CIB earned as an enlisted Infantryman in Vier Nam. He also wore aviator wings earned as a warrant officer. He left the service, entered a seminary, then rejoined the army as a US Army Chaplain. We called him "Sky Pilot" and as a "fire & brimstone" Baptist, the snivellers who cried about wanting to see the chaplain......rarely asked for a second interview.
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When I was in SF Command we had an SF tabbed chaplain with a CIB and combat patch from Vietnam. He was prior enlisted (18B), got out, we to seminary, and came back in as a chaplain.
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Many of us Chaplains were something else before joining the Chaplain Corps. I've known Chaplains who, in another life, were Ranger Regiment, Special Forces, and even Navy Seals. Stranger things have happened.
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Yes it is. We have several Chaplains prior service who earned tabs, CABs, and Combat/Expert Infantry Badge. I can name you one I know very well as he is my brother Catholic Priest from Baltimore: CH (LTC) Tyson Wood. SF tab and EIB. Many Chaplains have earned the CAB in Iraq and Afghanistan. We also have a few Chaplains who graduated from Ranger School as Chaplains. I believe we have one or two who went through SF as Chaplains but I am not certain. Patch is the patch for the Army Chaplain Center & School.
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Anyone except infantry can recieve a CAB for being near fire, my question is if you don't know that, or what the long tab he's wearing is, just what kinda sparkly uniform do you sport?
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IDK - Army question. I do have a quick story though. While just arriving to Kuwait for a rotation I saw a 2LT with a 9-level maintenance badge (enlisted badge for E-7 and above) on his chest. He looked young. So, I confronted him and asked him about it. He squared up and said he is a former MSgt that went to OTS and got his commission. Oh...crap! Turns out, he became my deployed supervisor! Crazy. On the same rotation, I knew a SF SrA who was once an Army infantry guy. He wore a CIB on his AF uniform. Lastly, on the same tour, the base CC allowed the Red Horse guys to wear their red baseball caps with their DCUs. We were ordered to support these guys no matter what. This was in 1999-2000. I entered in the new millenia in Kuwait. I also had three girlfriends there...morale was good. This was before all the PC bullshit, PT uniform wearing when off-duty, and so on. We were cool to each other and things got done without fear of someone watching your every move.
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When I was in bct at bible study we were told about a ranger that was involved in Mogadishu who later became a chaplain, still wears his tan beret and his ranger tab
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Way back in the day...when I was stationed at FT Meyer, MDW. The Old Guard a Chaplain who was in Vietnam as a Ranger, earned a CIB, then had a break in service. Came back in as a Chaplain in the 80's to finish his career. I was at Fort Meyer from 1998-2000. He was a Major or LTC as I remember, very humble guy. Who would not hesitate to tell you his story.
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Oh, and by the way, if anyone is butt hurt enough about my previous comment to want to call *MY* commander, feel free to private message me for his number. His name is MAJ Willie G. Mccallister. I won't post his number publicly, as it's not for public consumption, but if you're active, you can easily look him up in DISA EE and email him.
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TSgt James Curts
You might want to relax high speed, life will be much easier for you. And I don't need to go crying to your daddy about your insecurities or your apparent lack of reading comprehension skills.
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Why not... Chaplains come from all kinds of backgrounds like every other soldier. In my early infantry days my battalion was blessed to have not one but two of this type of fine men . My first chaplain was STRUCKER of something like that (my apologies if I misspelled the last name) he was a Ranger that survived the Somalia battle of Mogadishu. Not sure but I think he also was in the invasion of Panama. Later on We got chaplain Garayua, he was a special Forces 18C before becoming a chaplain. Those are guys that become chaplains later because they found their calling but they can't be away from the troops.
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It's called prior enlisted - had a chaplain who with Ranger tab and CIB
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Yeah saw a Chaplin who was an Ssg in the infantry and had all kinds of scary badges
Chaplains don't always start as Chaplains. I have met a long tab, CIB wearing chaplain that was SF prior to becoming a Chaplain.
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