| Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Formation | 1949 |
| First holder | Col Peter A. Dunn [1] |
| Website | https://www.airforce.com/careers/specialty-careers/chaplain |
The Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force is the second senior-most chaplain in the United States Air Force Chaplain Corps, holding the rank of brigadier general, and acting as principal deputy to the Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force. [2]
Official Air Force instructions task chaplains with providing "spiritual care and the opportunity for Airmen, their families, and other authorized personnel to exercise their constitutional right to the free exercise of religion." [3] This goal is accomplished through "religious observances, providing pastoral care, and advising leadership on spiritual, ethical, moral, morale, core values," in addition to additional religious accommodation issues that have already been identified or might arise in the future. [3]
Additionally, "Chaplain Corps personnel conduct needs assessment based upon the commander’s mission requirements in order to plan and execute religious programs." [4]
As the active duty Deputy Chief of Chaplains for the Air Force, the man or woman holding this position is one of the six chaplains (Chiefs of Chaplains and active duty Deputy Chiefs of Chaplains of the Army, Navy, and Air Force) who together comprise the Armed Forces Chaplains Board, advising the Secretary of Defense and Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness on matters affecting military personnel throughout the U.S. military services. [4]
| Name | Photo | Term began | Term ended | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Col Peter A. Dunn |  | July 1949 | August 1950 |
| 2. | Brig Gen Augustus F. Gearhard |  | September 1950 | August 1953 |
| 3. | Brig Gen Terence P. Finnegan |  | August 1953 | August 1958 |
| 4. | Brig Gen Robert P. Taylor |  | August 1958 | September 1962 |
| 5. | Brig Gen Edwin R. Chess |  | September 1962 | July 1966 |
| 6. | Brig Gen William Leon Clark |  | August 1966 | February 1969 |
| 7. | Brig Gen Roy M. Terry |  | March 1969 | July 1970 |
| 8. | Brig Gen John F. Albert |  | August 1970 | July 1972 |
| 9. | Brig Gen Henry J. Meade |  | August 1972 | July 1974 |
| 10. | Brig Gen Thomas M. Groome Jr. |  | August 1974 | July 1976 |
| 11. | Brig Gen Richard Carr |  | August 1976 | July 1978 |
| 12. | Brig Gen Jeremiah J. Rodell |  | August 1978 | July 1980 |
| 13. | Brig Gen John A. Collins |  | August 1980 | July 1982 |
| 14. | Brig Gen Stuart E. Barstad |  | August 1982 | November 1985 |
| 15. | Brig Gen John P. McDonough |  | 1985 | 1988 |
| 16. | Brig Gen Donald J. Harlin |  | 1988 | 1991 |
| 17. | Brig Gen Arthur S. Thomas |  | 1991 | 1995 |
| 18. | Brig Gen William J. Dendinger |  | 1995 | 1997 |
| 19. | Brig Gen Hiram "Doc" Jones |  | 1997 | 1999 |
| 20. | Brig Gen Lorraine K. Potter |  | 1999 | 2001 |
| 21. | Brig Gen Charles C. Baldwin |  | 2001 | April 2004 |
| 22. | Brig Gen Cecil Richardson |  | April 2004 | May 2008 |
| 23. | Brig Gen David H. Cyr |  | 2008 | 2011 |
| 24. | Brig Gen Howard D. Stendahl |  | 2008 | 2012 |
| 25. | Brig Gen Bobby V. Page |  | 2 August 2012 | September 2015 |
| 26. | Brig Gen Steven A. Schaick |  | September 2015 [5] | August 2018 |
| 27. | Brig Gen Ronald M. Harvell |  | August 2018 | August 2020 |
| 28. | Brig Gen Randall E. Kitchens |  | August 2020 | October 2021 |
| 29. | Brig Gen James D. Brantingham |  | December 2021 | January 2023 [6] |
| 30. | Brig Gen Trent C. Davis |  | 5 December 2023 | 9 August 2024 |
| 31. | Brig Gen David W. Kelley |  | 9 August 2024 | Incumbent |
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The Secretary of the Air Force, sometimes referred to as the Secretary of the Department of the Air Force, is the head of the Department of the Air Force and the service secretary for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. The secretary of the Air Force is a civilian appointed by the president, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The secretary reports to the secretary of defense and/or the deputy secretary of defense, and is by statute responsible for and has the authority to conduct all the affairs of the Department of the Air Force.
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The United States Navy Chaplain Corps is the body of military chaplains of the United States Navy who are commissioned naval officers. Their principal purpose is "to promote the spiritual, religious, moral, and personal well-being of the members of the Department of the Navy," which includes the Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Additionally, the Chaplain Corps provides chaplains to the United States Coast Guard.
A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases, they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations.
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The Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force (HAF/HC) is the senior chaplain in the United States Air Force, the functional leader of the United States Air Force Chaplain Corps, and the senior advisor on religious issues to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.
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The Armed Forces Chaplains Board (AFCB) is an organizational entity within the United States Department of Defense established to provide advice and recommendations to OSD officials on policies and issues related to the free exercise of religion and on all matters concerning religion, spiritual readiness, morality, ethics, morale, and military chaplains. It is made up of the three Chiefs of Chaplains and three active-duty Deputy Chiefs of Chaplains of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Religious symbolism in the United States military includes the use of religious symbols for military chaplain insignia, uniforms, emblems, flags, and chapels; symbolic gestures, actions, and words used in military rituals and ceremonies; and religious symbols or designations used in areas such as headstones and markers in national cemeteries, and military ID tags.
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