Military Chaplain

[Anonymous]

Hello!

I am a college senior and about to graduate this year. I’ve been interested in the Military since High School, and that has not waned throughout college. I have been talking to all the services, trying to pinpoint which one is the right fit for me.

Recently, I’ve begun to feel a desire to pursue ordination, and service as a minister, or a Military Chaplain. This has caught me somewhat off guard, as I’ve always been the first to want to go skydiving, surfing, paint-ball fighting, etc. A quiet life of contemplation and meditation seems so different from who I am!  But, I can’t deny that this is what I strongly want to do.

I began to look into the Military Chaplaincy programs. There’s a surprisingly small amount of information on the topic. I went to all the service web pages, and searched the internet, but what was lacking was a personal side to the info.

I was wondering if you would be willing to tell me a little bit about your experiences with a Military Chaplain. I was wondering, in particular, where Chaplains can and do deploy, a “typical” tour of duty for a chaplain, whether they can do any of the “fun military stuff,” as my friends call airborne training, and if any of you know, the career ladder for a Chaplain.

I will be cross-posting this to all the service boards, to try to get a full perspective. I apologize if some read this twice!

Thank you so much for your help!
Blessings this Advent,
Karen
vzoe1@hotmail.com (friends e-mail account, if you'd rather e-mail)

Mathew 10:29 “Not a Sparrow falls to the earth without your Father knowing”
But the Sparrow still falls

[Anonymous]

Contact 1-800-525-0102 ext 71241. You are a little young at this point, but I would give them a call and tell them what your long term goals are. You will be talking to an actual Chaplain. They can tell you the qualifications, etc... Good Luck!

[wildblueamn]

As I'm an active member of the Officer Christian Fellowship, my group has high vis contact w/ our base chaplains.

You'll attend COT (Commissioned Officer Training) at Maxwell AFB AL for a short period of time then you'll attend another 'tech' school back at Maxwell thereafter.

Most chaplains are base level types who minister to the base population. Most chaplains are assigned a unit as a direct link for mil.members to the church/spiritual life.

There is only one Abn chaplain out of the 82nd ABN? from Ft. Bragg and they just featured him in the most recent OCF magazine and its up n coming, however as a female- I'm not sure how you can be placed in that type of job. I'm not familiar w/ the ABN yet (my future husband is an ABN MP)

They do deploy on their own deployments and their deployment lengths can vary out of the standard 4 mos.. particularly since we never have enough chaplains, the liklihood you'll deploy longer than usual - is high.

Requirements for Appointment



The requirements for appointment as an Air Force chaplain are

You must be a United States citizen

You must be less than 42 years of age (40 for the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve). For a full 30 year career one must be commissioned before age 32

Endorsement by one's religious denomination

A bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree with a minimum of 72 semester hours, from institutions regionally accredited and listed in the American Council on Education Graduate Schools publication.

Pass a complete Air Force physical

Pass a security background investigation

Selection is competitive and is based upon the needs of the Air Force.

Active Duty Chaplaincy



Chaplains enter active duty with an initial three year service commitment. They may apply for Conditional Reserve Status after serving two years of their three-year initial tour. If approved, they normally may serve on active duty until qualified for retirement, provided they are promoted.



Chaplain Candidate Program

This Reserve program allows individuals to explore the military ministry option while attending seminary. It is designed to expose seminarians to the diverse and demanding role of Air Force chaplains in a variety of ministerial settings. Requirements for appointment in the Chaplain Candidate Program include

Approval by the agency of your denomination which endorses chaplains for the Armed Forces

Being less than 35 years of age on the date of your appointment as a chaplain candidate

A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university

Full time enrollment in a seminary or theological school, which is regionally accredited and listed in the American Council on Education Graduate Schools publication, working toward a Masters degree with a minimum of 72 semester hours.

Applications are accepted after enrollment in seminary, and must be completed prior to the beginning of the third semester before graduation. You must be available for approximately 100 days of training

Meeting Air Force requirements for commissioning as a second lieutenant in the Reserve. Commissioning can occur after the Air Reserve Personnel Center favorably reviews at least one semester or quarter of your seminary work

Chaplain Candidates attend a Commissioned Officer Training course at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and a Chaplain Familiarization Course at the Air Force Chaplain Service Institute after completing one year of theological studies. You may also be assigned short tours of active duty at Air Force installations under the direct supervision of the senior chaplains. Such programs, if offered, would not conflict with any of your seminary-related programs. You could receive full pay and allowances during periods of active duty for training and school tours.

Upon completion of the Chaplain Candidate Program, you are encouraged to apply for reappointment as a reserve chaplain.

Active Duty Chaplaincy

Call toll free 1-800-803-2452, or write to
HQ AFRS/RSOCC
550 D St. West, STE 1
Randolph AFB TX 78150-4527
E-Mail: chaplains@rs.af.mil for inquiries

http://www.afrc.af.mil/hq/hc/howto.htm (this is from the AF Reserve Command page but the rules for application and commissioning are the same except for the age different as noted above)