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United States military chaplains hold positions in the armed forces of the United States and are charged with conducting religious services and providing counseling for their adherents. As of , there are about 2, chaplains in the Army, among the active duty, reserve, and National Guard components. Within the United States Department of Defense , the Armed Forces Chaplains Board AFCB advises the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness on religious, ethical, and moral matters, as well as policy issues affecting religious ministry and the free exercise of religion within the military services.
A military chaplain must be endorsed by a religious organization in order to serve on active duty. In the contemporary U. This religious endorsement must be maintained throughout the chaplain's military service and can be withdrawn at any time for religious or disciplinary reasons by the religious body with which the chaplain is affiliated, [4] [5] though provisions exist for exceptional cases.
Each is identified in uniform both by rank and religious affiliation insignia that indicate as well the branch of service. Chaplains have served in the various branches of the United States armed forces since their formation, including in the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
Congress authorized the hiring of an Army chaplain in Reverend John Hurt of Virginia who had served as Chaplain of the 6th Virginia Regiment during the American Revolution was appointed to the position on March 4, , and became the first officially recognized United States military chaplain. Jones served until he was discharged on 15 June He later served as a chaplain during the War of After a lobbying campaign, the law was changed and President Lincoln appointed Rabbi Jacob Frankel of Philadelphia as the first Jewish chaplain on September 18, The U.
Marine Corps and the U. Coast Guard do not have their own chaplaincies, but are served by the Navy Chaplain Corps. In , Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff , a U. Navy chaplain, proposed widening the chaplain's role to include that of engagement with local religious leaders in conflict zones to improve the military's understanding of local religious issues and include chaplains in the conflict prevention and reconciliation processes.
Whether they are already required to support such non-theists is disputed. Chaplains are not trained to provide such support and often oppose doing so. Two Harvard law students brought a suit in arguing that military chaplains should be replaced with non-combat volunteers or contractors.
In Katcoff v. Marsh , [18] the U. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit determined that the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring the suit and upheld the right of the military to employ chaplains. According to one analysis of the case, the court analysis described the First Amendment's free exercise clause and establishment clause as separate issues. It noted that only the wealthiest religious sects could provide chaplains for their adherents, effectively denying to other military personnel the "free exercise" of their religion.
A September 14, , court-martial resulted in a reprimand and fine for U. Navy Chaplain Lieutenant Gordon Klingenschmitt , a Protestant, who participated in uniform at a March protest in front of the White House, though he had been given a direct order not to wear his uniform.
The protest was in support of his and other chaplains' complaint that the military restricted the free exercise of their religion by allowing only non-sectarian prayers at public ceremonies. In August , the U. District Court for the District of Columbia granted class action status to a lawsuit on the part of 17 evangelical Protestant chaplains who challenged the Navy's chaplain-selection criteria. In April , the court held that the Navy had abandoned the thirds policy and that its current criteria were constitutional because the Navy has broad discretion to determine how to accommodate the religious needs of its service members.
Numerous complaints have been made against chaplains for mandatory prayers, coercion, and using government money to promote Evangelical Christianity. During the presidential campaign, the possibility of allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.
During the summer, Captain Larry H. Ellis, a Navy chaplain, sent senior military officers and senior chaplains his analysis that said: "In the unique, intensely close environment of the military, homosexual conduct can threaten the lives, including the physical e. AIDS and psychological well-being of others". He called the presence of homosexuals in the military a "physical and psychological" threat.
Advocates of the policy objected that the Department of Defense might exploit Ellis' role as a chaplain in opposing the policy: "It's as if the religious attribution somehow gives their argument more credibility. Chaplain groups and religious organizations took various positions on " Don't ask, don't tell " DADT. Some felt that the policy needed to be withdrawn to make the military more inclusive. The Southern Baptist Convention battled the repeal of DADT, warning that their endorsements for chaplains might be withdrawn if the repeal took place.
The Roman Catholic Church called for the retention of the policy, but had no plans to withdraw its priests from serving as military chaplains. In May , revelations that an April Navy memo relating to its DADT training guidelines contemplated allowing same-sex weddings in base chapels and allowing chaplains to officiate if they so chose resulted in a letter of protest from 63 Republican congressman, citing the Defense of Marriage Act DOMA as controlling the use of federal property.
On September 30, , Under Secretary of Defense Clifford Stanley announced the DOD's policy that military chaplains are allowed to perform same-sex marriages "on or off a military installation" where local law permits them. His memo noted that "a chaplain is not required to participate in or officiate a private ceremony if doing so would be in variance with the tenets of his or her religion" and "a military chaplain's participation in a private ceremony does not constitute an endorsement of the ceremony by DoD".
Air Force chaplain who had served as a reconnaissance pilot during the Vietnam War , questioned the use of U.
He wrote that "The need to use military force in this circumstance Air Force officials noted that he identified himself by rank to the newspaper, when he could have written as a private citizen. Robertson's orders to relocate to Germany were canceled. He submitted to three psychological examinations, and was relieved of his pastoral duties. He was honorably discharged without benefits in September based on a record of "poor leadership".
He told the New York Times : "If you're consistent with the teachings of your church, there will always be tensions between being a minister and being an officer". Death during service combat and non-combat [48]. Navy chaplain in Iraq studies his Bible for an upcoming service. President George W. Navy chaplain offers Catholic Mass for U. Marines at Saipan , June The Military Chaplains Association of the United States of America is dedicated to the religious freedom and spiritual welfare of our armed services members, veterans, their families, and their survivors.
Founded in , it received a congressional charter in by the 81st United States Congress. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.
March Chaplain Lt. Retrieved Library of Congress. Francis B. September 19, Retrieved 7 March July 23, New York Jewish Week.
Retrieved March 10, January 19, April 23, US Fleet Forces. United States Navy. Archived from the original on Marsh, F. Rosen, " Katcoff v. Military policies allow participation in such events by military personnel, so long as they did not wear uniforms or appear to be in attendance in a way that gives the appearance of endorsement by the military.
Stars and Stripes. Military Atheists Agnostics and Freethinkers. Report on chaplains. The New York Times. June 19, The Washington Post. Retrieved October 13, HRC Back Story. April 28, Archived from the original on October 19, August 4, Archived from the original on October 10, July 14, No, the mission is to serve all troops". USA Today. The Wall Street Journal.
Military Chaplains Association.
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