Chaplain Corps (United States Army)

United States Army Chaplain Corps
United States Army Chaplain Corps Branch Plaque
Active	29 July 1775 – present
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Army
Type	Corps
Role	Military Chaplaincy
Size	2,700
Mottos	"Pro Deo et Patria" (Latin: For God and Country)
Colors	Black
March	"Soldiers of God"
Engagements	American Revolutionary War War of 1812 Mexican–American War American Civil War Spanish–American War World War I World War II Korean War Vietnam War Gulf War Somali Civil War Kosovo War War in Afghanistan Iraq War
Website	Official Website
Commanders
CCH	CH (MG) William Green Jr.
DCCH	CH (BG) Jack Stumme
Notable commanders	CH (COL) John T. Axton CH (MG) William R. Arnold CH (MG) Francis L. Sampson CH (MG) Kermit D. Johnson CH (MG) Patrick J. Hessian CH (MG) Gaylord T. Gunhus
Insignia
Branch Insignias
Distinctive unit insignia

The United States Army Chaplain Corps (USACC) consists of ordained clergy of multiple faiths who are commissioned Army officers serving as military chaplains as well as enlisted soldiers who serve as assistants. Their purpose is to offer religious church services, counseling, and moral support to the armed forces, whether in peacetime or at war.

Established on 29 July 1775, by an act of Congress to serve the Continental Army, the chaplaincy has been involved in every armed conflict in which the United States has partaken. Many different modes of operation and structures have been used over the course of the Corps' existence; currently, chaplains, duly endorsed by a religious body, serve as commissioned officers alongside an enlisted Religious Affairs Specialist; together, they make a Unit Ministry Team, assigned to battalion-level units and higher.

History

Revolutionary War

Prior to the formal establishment of chaplains within the Continental Army, clergy were already serving within regiments of their respective colonial militias at the pleasure of the regimental commander. ^{[1] : 75, 106} However, the Chaplain Corps formally traces its origins to 29 July 1775, when Congress passed a resolution establishing pay for various roles within the Continental Army. ^{[1] : 106} Chaplains were allotted $20 per month ($608.20 in 2024)). This action officially recognized the men already serving within the Continental Army, either appointed specifically by their respective colonies or helping on a part-time basis. Throughout the fall of 1775, the number of chaplains fluctuated up and down from as low as fifteen to as high as twenty two. ^{[1] : 107} Seeking more stability within the chaplaincy, on 31 December 1775 George Washington asked for a pay raise for the chaplains, noting that some owed more money to the clergy replacing them in their church than they were being paid by the military. On 16 January 1776, Congress approved a pay raise to $33.50 per month ($1,019 in 2024). ^{[1] : 108}

Legal challenges

In November 1979, two Harvard law students, Joel Katcoff and Allen Wieder, filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of the chaplaincy. ^[2] They stated that paying chaplains to conduct prayer services was an unconstitutional act of governmental support for a religion. ^[3] After various rulings and appeals, Katcoff and Wieder sought to drop the suit; Chief of Chaplains Patrick J. Hessian argued that the case should be brought to completion. ^{[4] : 129} The case was eventually dismissed with prejudice. ^{[4] : 129}

Operation

Non-combatant status

The First Geneva Convention specified medical staff and chaplains were to be given the "benefit of ... neutrality" and to be "protected and respected" on the battlefield, provided that they maintain non-combatant bearing. However, this did not formally ban chaplains from bearing arms; medical personnel were regularly allowed to maintain weapons to defend themselves, but could not use them for offensive action. Army manuals throughout the early-to-mid 20th century did not explicitly prohibit the carrying of weapons. One chaplain during World War II recounted being told to carry a defensive weapons so that his uniform could not be stolen by the enemy to be used deceptively. Several chaplains during the Vietnam War recounted carrying weapons for defense as well. In 1989, the Army explicitly directed that chaplains do not bear arms; all other branches of the US military now hold this position as well. ^[5]

Training

The U.S. Army Chaplain School was approved on 9 February 1918. Its first session began on 3 March 1918, at Fort Monroe, Virginia. It subsequently moved to Camp Zachary Taylor (Kentucky), Camp Grant (Illinois), Fort Leavenworth (Kansas), Fort Benjamin Harrison (Indiana), Harvard University (Massachusetts), Fort Devens (Mass.), Fort Oglethorpe (Georgia), Carlisle Barracks (Pennsylvania), Fort Slocum (New York) (1951–62), Fort Hamilton (N.Y.) (1962–74), Fort Wadsworth (N.Y.) (1974–79), and Fort Monmouth (New Jersey) (1979–95). It moved to Fort Jackson in South Carolina in 1996.

Notable Chaplains

Since the American Civil War, seven Army chaplains and one chaplain assistant have been awarded the Medal of Honor. ^[6]

The Four Chaplains

Main article: Four Chaplains

Other notable chaplains

• Patrick J. Boyle – Colonel, US Army, Roman Catholic Chaplain for the 82nd Airborne Division and 1st Air Cavalry Division, serving three tours during the Vietnam War. Awarded two Silver Stars, three Bronze Stars, Air Medal, and Parachutist Badge.
• Francis P. Duffy – Chaplain during World War I, the most highly decorated cleric in the history of the U.S. Army.
• Herman G. Felhoelter – Chaplain during the Korean War. Killed in Chaplain–Medic massacre. ^[7]
• Augustus F. Gearhard - US Army Catholic chaplain who received the Distinguished Service Cross during World War I, then the Silver Star and Legion of Merit during World War II as a chaplain in the Army Air Forces. Transferred to US Air Force in 1947 and retired as a brigadier general in 1953 after serving as Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the Air Force. ^[8]
• Dale Goetz – Chaplain during Afghanistan War. First U.S. Army chaplain to be killed in action since the Vietnam War. ^[9]
• Milton L. Haney – Chaplain during the Civil War. Called "The Fighting Chaplain" by the men of the 55th Illinois Infantry. Awarded the Medal of Honor
• Philip Hannan – Chaplain during World War II.
• Alice M. Henderson – First woman, and woman of color commissioned as a chaplain in the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps ^[10]
• Abraham Klausner – Chaplain during and after World War II who cared for the more than 30,000 survivors found at Dachau concentration camp, shortly after it was liberated in April 1945, as well as for thousands more in other Displaced Persons camps in southern Germany. ^[11]
• John McElroy, SJ – One of two of the Army's first Catholic chaplains. Chaplain during the Mexican–American War, founder of St. John's Literary Institute, Boston College High School, and Boston College. ^[12]
• Abdul-Rasheed Muhammad – First Muslim chaplain in the United States Army, 1993
• Anthony Rey, S.J. – One of two of the Army's first Catholic chaplains. Chaplain during the Mexican–American War and Vice President of Georgetown College (1845). First Catholic chaplain killed during service with the U.S. military.
• John Rosbrugh – Chaplain during the Revolutionary War. First U.S. chaplain killed in battle.
• H. Timothy Vakoc – Chaplain during Iraq War. The only U.S. military chaplain to die from wounds received in the Iraq War.
• Pratima Dharm - First Hindu Chaplain. ^{[13] [10]}
• Matthew A. Zimmerman – The 18th Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army from 1990 to 1994 and the first African American to hold the position.

Controversies

Further information: United States military chaplains § Controversies

Army Chief of Chaplains

Main article: Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army

The Office of the Chief of Chaplains was created by the National Defense Act of 1920 in order to better organize the chaplaincy; the position was first held by John T. Axton. The current chief of chaplains is William Green Jr.

References

1. Thompson, Parker C. (1977). From Its European Antecedents to 1791: The United States Army Chaplaincy. Washington, D.C.: Washington : Office of the Chief of Chaplains, Dept. of the Army. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
2. "Two Law Students Sue On Service Chaplaincy". New York Times. 29 November 1979. p. B15. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
3. Latham, Stephen R. (30 November 1979). "Law Students File Suit Against Army". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
4. Brinsfield, Jr., John W. (1997). Encouraging Faith, Serving Soldiers: A History of The U.S. Army Chaplaincy, 1975–1995. Office of the Chief of Chaplains. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
5. Friedman, Joseph (September 2023). "Pistol-Packing Padres". Military Review. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
6. Stamps, Paul (12 July 2022). "U.S. Army Chaplain Corps Medal of Honor recipients". U.S. Army. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
7. At the following webpage, scroll down to "Captain Herman G. Felhoelter • Korean War • 1914-1950". Centner, Pat. "No Greater Love: A Memorial Day Salute to Military Chaplains". American Family Association. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2011. A Catholic priest from Washington state, Chaplain Herman Felhoelter had been assigned to the U.S. Army's 19th Infantry Regiment. ... Four days before his death, he had written his mother: 'Don't worry, Mother. God's will be done. I feel so good to know the power of your prayers accompanying me. ... I am happy in the thought that I can help some souls who need help. ...'
8. "Chaplain (Brig. Gen.) Augustus F. Gearhard".
9. Capt. Goetz joined the Chaplain Corps in 2000. Before that, he was pastor of the First Baptist Church in White, South Dakota. https://www.facebook.com/notes/1st-brigade-4th-infantry-division/raider-brigade-remembers-iron-knights-chaplain-cpt-dale-goetz/434322338186 "Army: Chaplain is 1st killed in action since '70: Captain based at Fort Carson, Colo., had hitched ride on supply convoy". NBC News. 2 September 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
10. Cruz, Louis (24 September 2024). "Women in Chaplaincy: Female Pioneers & Opportunities". Franciscan Theology & Seminary School | Franciscan School of Theology. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
11. Stewart, Jocelyn Y. (4 July 2007). "Abraham J. Klausner, 92; rabbi was an advocate for Holocaust survivors". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
12. O'Conner, Thomas H. "Breaking the religious barrier", The Boston Globe , Boston, 10 May 2004.
13. "Pratima Dharm is US Army's first Hindu chaplain". Hindustan Times. 4 June 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2021.

Further reading

• Bergen, Doris L. The Sword of the Lord: military chaplains from the first to the twenty-first century (Univ of Notre Dame Press 2004)
• Honeywell, Roy John. Chaplains of the United States Army (Office of the Chief of Chaplains, Department of the Army, 1958)
• Pickard, Scott D. "Co-workers in the field of souls: the Civil War partnership between Union chaplains and the US Christian Commission, 1861–1865." (2013). online
• Shea, Michael E. Sky Pilots: The Yankee Division Chaplains in World War I (2014)
• Stover, Earl F. The United States Army Chaplaincy (Office of the Chief of Chaplains, Department of the Army, 1977)
• O'Malley, Mark. An History of the Development of Catholic Military Chaplaincy in the United States of America (Gregorian University, Rome, 2009)

External links

• US Army Chaplain Corps (United States Army Chaplaincy official homepage). Retrieved 2010-03-04.
• U.S. Army Chaplaincy (DACH). Army.mil/Chaplaincy. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
• Army Chaplain Corps: Overview. GoArmy.com. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
• Army Chaplain Corps: About Army Chaplains. GoArmy.com. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
• Army Chaplain Corps: Chaplain Candidate Program. GoArmy.com. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
• US Army Chaplain Center & School website. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
• Chaplaincy Museum (U.S. Army Chaplaincy official homepage). Retrieved 2011-02-24.
• Zach Morgan (Fort Polk Guardian staff writer), Chaplain Corps crucial to Army. Army.mil. 19 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
• Kelvin Davis (Chief of Chaplains), Civilian Clergy Resources: Ministering to Families Affected by Military Deployment. 4 June 2009. Army.mil (U.S. Army official homepage). Retrieved 2010-03-05.
• Military Chaplains Association (MCA) official website. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
• National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces (NCMAF) official website. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
• The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation official website
• Library of Congress audio and video history interviews of former U.S. military chaplains
• The short film Big Picture: Opportunity to Learn is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive .
• The short film Big Picture: The Army Chaplains is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive .