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 provides advice and recommendations to OSD officials (Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness) 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, in addition to a number of policy issues.[1][2][3]
The current military Chiefs of Chaplains are:
Name | Photo | Rank and Service | Chaplain Corps Emblem |
Position | Appointed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
William Green Jr. | ![]() |
Major General US Army |
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Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army | Dec 5, 2023 |
Gregory N. Todd | ![]() |
Rear Admiral US Navy |
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Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy | May 16, 2022 |
Randall E. Kitchens | ![]() |
Major General US Air Force |
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Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force | October 2021 |
Chaplains of the Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force
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 Air Force Chief of Chaplains also serves as Chaplain for the United States Space Force. The current chaplains are:
Name | Photo | Rank and Service | Position | Appointed |
---|---|---|---|---|
Carey H. Cash | ![]() |
Rear Admiral US Marine Corps |
Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps | May 17, 2022 |
Currently Vacant | Not Available | Captain US Coast Guard |
Chaplain of the United States Coast Guard | Pending |
Randall E. Kitchens | ![]() |
Major General US Space Force |
Chaplain of the United States Space Force | October, 2021[4] |
See also
- International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference
- Chaplain General
- Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center
- Religious symbolism in the United States military
References
- ^ "Current AFCB Site".
- ^ Archived AFCB Site at the Wayback Machine (archived 2024-03-26).
- ^ DOD Instruction 5120.08, The Armed Forces Chaplains Board (24 Apr 2024).
- ^ "Biography, MAJOR GENERAL CHAPLAIN RANDALL E. KITCHENS". United States Air Force. October 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2023.