Types of chaplains you'll meet

 TYPES OF CHAPLAINS YOU'LL MEET 

 There are chaplains who are better skilled in certain environments than others.

For example, some will work better in garrison, and some will be adept at handling the pressure of being overseas. Some chaplains know how to deal with commanding officers that try to get too involved in an area not of their expertise, which is the spiritual guidance and leadership of the soldiers in the assigned unit. And some will not. Some know how to provide resources from almost nothing, like Jesus feed the 5,000 with scarce amounts of bread and fish. Some chaplains will know how to spiritually feed soldiers and some will leave others dry and thirsty. Some will stand firm with their beliefs and some will teeter.

Chaplain and Chaplain Assistant meeting at Crossroads Chapel in Ur, Iraq

Basically it’s up to you to find the right chaplain.

   

If your unit fails to provide you with an adequate chaplain, you will not be brought to court for espionage if you seek out a better chaplain in another unit. When it comes to you, the Army emphasizes physical, mental, and then spiritual in that order. This means that you are on your own. You need to make your own checklist. With chaplains of various religions it's up to you to make sure your sermons and counseling are ones based on Jesus and the cross and not Jesus the prophet, or Muhammad, or the law. Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, and even Atheist Chaplains will be in your midst. Choose carefully.

I didn’t have to search to find my good Chaplain, he was assigned to my unit, but there were a few I worked with or around that I would personally not take much spiritual advice from.

L ook for some of these basics:

1. Can the chaplain speak English?

 For some reason the Army has an abundant supply of Asian chaplains with the last name of Kim. I'm sure you will run into one at least once in a while serving your time in the military since they seem to be everywhere (If you are Asian, a Kim Chaplain could be beneficial). The Army is known for hiring chaplains that couldn't get a job with civilians and therefore some have brought their poor spiritual life and work ethic into the military. Be on guard for these types of unaccountable chaplains.

2.  Is the chaplain a pushover?

         If the chaplain is being run over by their chain of command, then he or she won't know how to help you in your spiritual walk. A chaplain needs to know that he cannot do everything for his unit, and still be a good chaplain. The chaplain needs to know how to draw boundaries with the unit as well as have a good working relationship with his assigned unit. This is one of the tough parts of being a chaplain, learning the balance between working with the unit in their logistical job requirements, as well as fulfilling the needs and spiritual needs of the soldiers. A chaplain has many tasks many of which are unseen. He needs to protect his job, and not get run over by the demands of his ranking officers.  

3.  Is the chaplain good at being a soldier?

 It's pretty much the same as being a good citizen. Does he pay his bills, help out in the community, show up on time for events and meetings, etc. When applying this to the Army, the chaplain is still a soldier first regardless of whether or not he is running around with a weapon. So at a minimum, even if he is not a "Hoohah, hoohah" type chaplain, he still needs to follow rules and play the part of a soldier. Even though they are above the law when it comes to the Old Testament, they are mostly not above the community Army laws. The stigma that every chaplain is a "shammer" should not be a quality characteristic in the chaplain you want to watch over your soul, life, and season.

     *Some basic questions to ask yourself:

• Is the chaplain overweight?
• Does the chaplain look like he (or she) has shaved, groomed, and is within the guidelines of AR 670-1?
• Does the chaplain's uniform look uniform? 

 *All of these questions sound unrelated to their spiritual life, but it applies when a Chaplain is advising a soldier and he/she looks ate up

4.   Is this chaplain respectable?

This goes back to #3, if the chaplain doesn't take care about his physical appearance, as well as what comes out of his mouth, they are unrespectable and don't deserve your time or the job. The chaplaincy is a business and needs to be run orderly and proficiently. 

5.   Is the chaplain a YES man?

A chaplain cannot be a YES man to the unit and a good chaplain, period.

6.    What is the spiritual climate of the unit and the chaplain?

Are people being fed? Do they recommend this chaplain? What have others said about him or her? Also, what is the chaplain up to? Is he or she running a Bible Study? How do they use the resources they've been afforded? What is their only soldier doing (the chaplain's assistant)? What work does the Chaplain give to his Chaplain's Assistant? 

Chaplain giving food to our Iraqi counterparts being trained and offering protective services while convoying throughout Iraq

Finally, 

in the case of my personal military experience I found such a good chaplain that he not only encompassed the points above, but he officiated my wedding and flew all the way from El Paso, Texas (Fort Bliss) to Champlin, Minnesota to do it. I worked for him along side my husband and he gave spiritual advice and displayed quality leadership, among all other chaplains I’d come across.