What are you opinions on Chaplain Assistants getting "Special Treatment" from their units?

Every military job has it's own "cross to bear" but that job deserves any sorry called perks it gets. Pro's no Cq Cons
JESUS is your battle buddie gotta hang around a officer every day all day. Want to go to a bar after work? Bet your battle buddie wants to go to the art museum. Who has the least friends in the unit guess right-- your battle buddie and your the next one. Chaplains play an important role in the military
and so do the assistants. But his free time is a whole lot different than the rest of the military so officer's and enlisted avoid him and his assistant.

Each of us has a call to duty, whether as a 42A, 11C, or as a 92Y, we all have a job to do! Thank God, I’m retired, too many whiners!

yes, so AR 165-1 defines those of us in Special Staff as, Special! So our skills are that of regular Soldiers, then we add our Additional Skills, some of which are affected by Rosters. We do not want to be exclusive and avoid all of these. The rules say they need the Chaplain to allow it. The true goal is Balance. We need to build rapport with the Soldiers to do our job, but this cannot interfere with direct Religious Support Operations. SO we should not be pulling duty late Saturday or early Sunday, but Wednesday morning should not be an issue. We want to use this as keeping us "regular Soldiers" to keep traditional duty respect, being in the trenches with the troops, gaining the insight an Officer would not be able to gain. Discuss this plan with the Chaplain, get back with a response to HHC and support their needs within the allowances the Chaplain has provided. MSG Hertzler

You are part of the unit and should be treated just like everyone else. I served as a Chapel Manager for twenty-two years and took great pleasure in supporting the mission of the unit. Also, Chaplain Assistants had quite a bit of down time during the week.

I would say their job and many others have special circumstances and that's just the way it is. I remember when I was in Iraq there was this fueler who worked two hours a day while the rest of us busted our asses 12-18 hours a day. That is what his Mos required daily, so he would help with other stuff (sometimes).

Clearly, anyone who thinks being a Chap's Assistant is such a good deal should become one.

Anyone who thinks being a Chap's Assistant is such a great deal should become one.

Keep in mind, the Chaplain's Assistant's #1 priority is to protect and serve the Chaplain. In Garrison, this can mean everything from maintaining the chapel, possibly serving as the Chaplain's driver, and who knows what else. They potentially work very long days. Take it to the combat zone, and they are also required to protect the Chaplain since the Chaplain is not authorized to carry a weapon. That means they go everywhere the Chaplain goes. So what's more important? Making sure the assistant gets his/her fair share of extra duty assignments or protecting the life of a Soldier who is not authorized by doctrine to carry a weapon?

Not sure why you are asking this question. If it is because you are an assistant and you just want to gage other's opinions, that's fine. But if its because you think the assistants are getting over, maybe try shadowing them for a day and see everything they do. Put yourself in their shoes. If you can't do that, maybe consider not worrying about whether someone else is getter preferential treatment or not. Worry about how well you are doing your job and how you can help others be more effective in their job.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA OOOOOHHHHH WOOOOOOO HOOOOOO BAHAHAHAHAHAHA This is HIGH-LAR-EE-OUS!! Who was the brain surgeon who came up with this crap? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Special treatment! BAHAHAHAHA!!! Sounds like someone who has never had to work for a chaplain to me! Guess what honey buns? They are not all like Father Mulcahey on MASH. You don't have enough time to hear all my stories of "special treatment" Do you get woken up in the middle of the night to pick up, notify and type up Red Cross Messages - ALL HOURS of the night? Do you hump 150 or more chairs up 5 decks by yourself for the Easter Sunrise service, set up the whole service, then tear it down and hump it back down... do regular duty, library duty, then a watch, work 7 days a week on deployment, Sundays, Holidays INCLUDING CHRISTMAS AND CHRISTMAS EVE??? Don't forget all the weddings that you have to be at the chapel for and the Bridezillas you get to deal with... or worse - their mothers who think you are there as their personal assistant.... Don't forget funerals too! Do you hump your own pack AND the chaplains pack AND the combat kit? And don't forget the mount out box... Do you think these "special trips" to CACO calls and health & welfare checks are fun? Oh you haven't lived until you get to tell a LCDR that his damn kid hung himself in a closet and get to set up the funeral for an 8 year old while the family falls apart - OOOOH FUN TIMES!!! I haven't even gotten started... How about scraping your shipmates guts off the bulkhead when some A-hole jihadi blows up your boat and all the letters you get to type telling the family that their loved one is DEAD... FUN TIMES INDEED! My favorite times are when the chaplain uses you like a personal slave... pick up his laundry, mail, etc... Or even better, when your chaps is a gigantic a-hole and likes to throw things at you or poke you in the head with his finger because you didn't bring something to yet another retarded community event that he wanted but didn't tell you he wanted? Or being asked to dress like the F'ing Easter Bunny? How about those Midnight masses... and you are still there when everyone else is gone? Setting up big buffet spreads for the ungrateful Protestants (the Catholics were usually pretty good and self sufficient which I appreciated so much!) who leave their kid's dirty diapers in your bathroom? Or having to unplug the toilet at fellowship because someone left a giant redwood turd in the toilet... or cleaning up some kid's barf on the floor? Or having to tactfully tell someone that you will find them another chaplain for counseling your little boy because... well... this priest is under investigation... YEEEEEEEAH..... How about you have a nice big foaming cup of STFU?

There are plenty of Soldiers on staff that have duty exemptions. They have different responsibilities than the average line Soldier. It's not special treatment. It's what is required for that Soldier to get the job done. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes and you may not like the fit.