Chiefs of Chaplains of the United States
In the United States armed forces, the Chiefs of Chaplains of the United States are the senior service chaplains who lead and represent the Chaplain Corps of the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force. The Navy created the first Office of the Chief of Chaplains in 1917; the Army followed in 1920, and the Air Force established its own in 1948 after it became a separate branch.
The three Chiefs of Chaplains and the three active-duty Deputy Chiefs of Chaplains from the Army, Navy, and Air Force comprise the Armed Forces Chaplains Board (AFCB) which advises the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness on religious, ethical, and moral matters, in addition to a number of policy issues.[1][2]
The current military Chiefs of Chaplains are:
Name | Photo | Rank and Service | Chaplain Corps Emblem |
Position | Appointed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thomas L. Solhjem | Major General US Army |
Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army | May 31, 2019 | ||
Brent W. Scott | Rear Admiral US Navy |
Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy | July 23, 2018 | ||
Major General US Air Force |
Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force | October 2021 |
Chaplains of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard[]
As the Marine Corps and Coast Guard do not commission chaplains, the United States Navy Deputy Chief of Chaplains also serves as Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps, and a senior Navy Chaplain holding the rank of Navy Captain serves as Chaplain of the Coast Guard. The current chaplains are:
Name | Photo | Rank and Service | Position | Appointed |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gregory N. Todd | Rear Admiral US Navy |
Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps | June 21, 2018 | |
Thomas J. Walcott | Captain US Navy |
Chaplain of the United States Coast Guard | April 12, 2018 |
See also[]
- International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference
- Chaplain General
- Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center
- Religious symbolism in the United States military
References[]
- ^ prhome.defense.gov Archived 2011-06-30 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved May 13, 2011.
- ^ DOD Instruction 5120.08, retrieved May 13, 2011.
- United States military chaplaincy
- American military officers
- Religion in the United States military