Posted on Apr 2, 2014
What are you opinions on Chaplain Assistants getting "Special Treatment" from their units?
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What are you opinions on Chaplain Assistants getting "Special Treatment" such as exemption from CQ/Staff duty, Comp-Time for working Chapel Services on the weekends, etc. from their units?<div><div><br></div><div>What do you think should Chaplain Assistants be treated differently or should they be treated the same as any other soldier in the unit? <br></div></div>
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Chaplain
Edited 11 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 242
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If i remember correctly, soldiers who pull CQ/Staff Duty receive the next day off for recovery. A Chaplain Assistant works chapel services on weekends and midweek family night services, usually til 2000-2100 hours, work weekends while supporting Strong Bonds training events, and accompany the Chaplain. I think CQ is just once every month/quarter. Still think its unfair?
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In my opinion to many units (Guard wise, pick the wimpy bible thumper to be the Chaplains Assistance, but once you get in theater, the Chaplains some bad ass escort to make sure we get the Chaplain back in the vertical positon rather than the horizontal position. My unit had of only 2 Roman Catholic Chaplains the year I was in Iraq, that man had more flight time then most of the pilots. He needed a bad ass, more so after his normal assistant froze during a convoy ambush. Chaplains need muscle with office skill set, not thumpers IMHO.
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PO1 Barbara Matthews
I knew a "Bible Thumper" Chaplains Assistant in the Navy. She got her undies in a bundy when she found out that Chaplains are human too.
Our Command Chaplin would curse behind closed doors and I think he drank some and smoked cigarettes. She thought that was immoral behavior then went nuts.
She got med-borded out. Sad case though she was young and very nieve. She took everything too personal. She was very religious too and was disappointed that the Chaplains were fallible.
Our Command Chaplin would curse behind closed doors and I think he drank some and smoked cigarettes. She thought that was immoral behavior then went nuts.
She got med-borded out. Sad case though she was young and very nieve. She took everything too personal. She was very religious too and was disappointed that the Chaplains were fallible.
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PO1 Kerry French
Could do without the character assassination but yeah... the chaplains asst has to be the chaps body guard and many chaplains really have no biz being chaplains.. there is so much more than just "swearing, drinking and smoking..." soooo much more.
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You are first and foremost a soldier and as such you should be treated the same pulling the same duties of the other soldiers. My opinion.
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SGT Mark Saint Cyr
SSG (ret) William Martin - RE: how many CAs. Usually you get ONE BN Chaplain and ONE CA to go with him. At Brigade Level there may be one or two Chaplains, and up to 3 CAs. As you go up, their staff increases, as does the Chaplain's area of responsibility. Most of the CAs at higher levels are very experienced CAs with years of experience doing it at a lower level and then they tend to have more training/schooling in counseling and other areas than regular troops. I remember one SSG from active duty who had a bachelor's in counseling and sociology, though he may not have been the norm. I don't he ever did normal CQ duties, but could assist the Chaplain directly in family counseling. Don't think that because your station may have 2 CAs that they are not busy doing numerous duties.
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PO1 Kerry French
You guys forget... we don't just serve the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coasties - we serve their families too!
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Here's a challenge to the one posting the original question: get a clipboard and pencil, spend a week to ten days in EACH and EVERY Chapel on your installation. Document, from open to close, when all of the 56Ms are there and what they are doing. Note which units they are assigned to and the fact that the Chapels are Installation Property. (Yes, they have duties outside of their assigned units.) Then go to each maneuver unit and get a copy of their training schedules, including field exercises, and note when the CA must be in the field, the motor pool, other unit training, plus required Installation Chaplain training, etc. Watch them supervise the counting of offering money to Army standard (for which someone could get a long vacation in Kansas if not done correctly!), then drive to the bank or credit union in their POV with their own gas and put it in the night depository while most of their peers are watching a ballgame on TV. Knowing that you have only seen a portion of what these Soldiers do, tally up the hours per week THAT YOU HAVE SEEN in this exercise.
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The Religious Affairs Specialist gets this treatment for 2 reasons.
1. They work on average 2-3 weekends a month, not just Sundays. There are services on Saturdays also.
2. They are on call to react to events. I was a platoon sergeant and a religious affairs NCO and was unable to attend a PCI because I was dealing with an SIR.
Furthermore, if you read AR165-1 the 2015 version, the regulation says the 56M can pull these duties if approved by the Chaplain. That said many commands choose not to put these soldiers on duty because of their additional duties and the chance a more significant event may pull them away.
1. They work on average 2-3 weekends a month, not just Sundays. There are services on Saturdays also.
2. They are on call to react to events. I was a platoon sergeant and a religious affairs NCO and was unable to attend a PCI because I was dealing with an SIR.
Furthermore, if you read AR165-1 the 2015 version, the regulation says the 56M can pull these duties if approved by the Chaplain. That said many commands choose not to put these soldiers on duty because of their additional duties and the chance a more significant event may pull them away.
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CA's might get some duties they are exempt from, but they have others you have no idea about. They are at the beck and call of the Chaplin, so in some ways, they have more, "Hey you" duties than anyone else.
Different jobs have different demands, suck it up.
Different jobs have different demands, suck it up.
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AR 165-1 exempts 56M's from things like Guard Duty. Live with it. We (Chaplains) are on duty constantly and rarely, rarely get a full day off. My Mikes were with me constantly and moving when I was moving which was constantly. I could not be held up to (as for example) make a death notification while I waited for SSG Benjamin to get off CQ.
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The Chaplain and the Chaplain Assistant make up one unit. The Chaplain needs the Chaplain Assistant. AR
165-1 clearly states the relationship and the guidelines and regulations.
165-1 clearly states the relationship and the guidelines and regulations.
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I was a chaplains assistant. It’s for the same reason that a colonels driver is exempt. Chaplains assistants have to be available to the chaplain 24/7. Also, I’m garrison chaplains assistants have to often pull other weekend duties that other soldiers have to do. Each mos is different, and I think it’s frustrating how some soldiers will complain about a different mos....
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My understanding, they BELONG to the Chaplain. Meaning He\She is their direct Supervisor. The Chaplain may belong to an HHC or HHD on paper BUT according to Regulation & IG, they and their personnel are exempt from Duty. They also recieve BAS even if they live in the Barracks because they, even more than a regular Service member are on DUTY 24\7.
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