I just commissioned into the Navy Reserve as a chaplain. What advice can you give me to be the best chaplain possible?

Be out and about with your sailors and Marines. Don't expect them to come to you all the time...something about being seen walking into a chapel especially when your team members know you are struggling. You will be amazed how a ping pong game or a game of horseshoes or checkers or a run etc will open up someone to you. Conversations here will flow into others especially when they feel comfortable around you. People will have to trust you before they will come see you. As stated below, be honest speak truth and don't be judgemental...they will know if you are slinging bull to just try to get close to them. The chaplains that I have been closest to over the years have beenthe ones that I got to know because they were out and about in the unit...not behind a desk in the chapel

As a side note...cookies are always good!!!

CHAPS-Patience is a virtue. You're going to have everyone from kids embarking on the biggest adventure of their lives to "young old men" struggling to get through another year towards retirement. You're also going to be the only "therapist", "priest" and advocate for many across many beliefs, creeds and expectations. You'll hear every "Sea Lawyer" trick on the books...and a few that haven't been written yet. That cross on your collar sometimes means more than the rank on the other side and then again, you're still a serving officer...it's a line you'll have to walk, but one many have walked successfully before. Look for the guy circling the drain and don't let him go down. Never forget that your greatest weapon is faith...and your "Boss" is a great commander.

Best wishes and Best of Luck! (from one the CHAPS didn't let go down the drain)

You've already received some very good advice from many here. I'll add this. When I came into the Navy as a Chaplain they stressed the fact that we have to balance the collars. We wear our rank on one side and our chaplain insignia on the other. Hence the need to balance the fact that we are both a religious professional and a Naval officer. I always offer this one addendum to that advice. There are things you can do that will cause you to lose the right to wear the rank and be a Naval officer (PT failures, being out of weight standards, etc.) but you could still be a religious leader in the civilian world. You only lose one side of the collar. However, if you do something that causes you to lose the right to be a religious leader, whatever that might be based on your faith tradition, then you lose both sides of the collar. Stay true to your faith tradition first and learn to be a good Naval officer at the same time.