Ministry in motion. Adventure and challenge. Serving those who serve. You will accompany Soldiers all over the world as they carry out their missions. And while you minister to the Soldiers, you and your family will be enriched as you are exposed to new places, new peoples, and new cultures. Your faith will be enriched, challenged, and strengthened as you carry out your duties as the spiritual leader in the spiritual community known as the Army.

You're already busy in the life of your faith community.  You have a clear calling where you currently serve, but you want to serve your nation.  Why not expand your ministry right where you are without moving and serve our nation's Reserve and National Guard Soldiers?  As a Reserve Chaplain, you'll be a preacher, a teacher, a counselor and a Citizen-Soldier. You'll serve the spiritual needs of the people in your community without leaving your current vocation.

All Army Chaplains are coupled with an enlisted soldier known as a Chaplain Assistant.  Together they form the Unit Ministry Team (UMT).   To military types they're simply referred to as the UMT.  The UMT is inseparable in duty.  Due to the non-combatant status of a Chaplain, the Chaplain Assistant is responsible for the security of the team.  Fully trained in Soldier tasks and religious support matters, the Chaplain Assistant rounds out the ministry of the UMT.

Army Chaplains are expected to observe the distinctive doctrines of their faith while also honoring the right of others to observe their own faith.  The Army is a pluralistic environment.  Rabbis, Ministers, Imams and Priests serve our Soldiers with conviction and commitment.  While serving their own faith groups in the Army, chaplains also ensure and provide the means for others to observe their own faith in accordance with US law and regulations.

While Soldiers are at the heart of a chaplain's ministry, chaplains are also responsible for caring for the Soldiers' families, and may often find themselves serving the spiritual needs of sailors, marines, or airmen.  Whether it is leading worship and preaching, administrating the sacraments, counseling young couples, establishing education classes and youth groups, or working with parish and congregational advisory groups, the Army Chaplain is never spiritually AWOL.

You must obtain an ecclesiastical endorsement from your faith group. This endorsement should certify that you are:

1. A clergy person in your denomination or faith group.
2. Qualified spiritually, morally, intellectually and emotionally to serve as a Chaplain in the Army.
3. Sensitive to religious pluralism and able to provide for the free exercise of religion by all military personnel, their family members and civilians who work for the Army.

Educationally, you must:

1. Possess a baccalaureate degree of not less than 120 semester hours.
2. Possess a graduate degree in theological or religious studies, plus have earned at least a total of 72 semester hours in graduate work in these fields of study.

1. Applicants for active duty or the National Guard MUST be U.S. citizens. Permanent residents can ONLY apply for the Army Reserve.
2. Be able to receive a favorable National Agency Security Clearance.
3. Pass a physical exam at one of our Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS).
4. A minimum of two years of full-time professional experience, validated by the applicant’s endorsing agency (This requirement is not applicable to Army Reserve applicants).
5. Must be at least 21 years of age at time of appointment. No applicants are accepted at the age of 50 or above. Applicants aged over 42 should contact a regional chaplain recruiter for the latest age waivers being granted for chaplains and chaplain candidates.

• Exceptional pay and allowances
• 30 days vacation earned annually
• Up to 10 days administrative leave annually
• Housing allowance or free on-post housing
• Reimbursement of all moving costs plus dislocation allowance
• Comprehensive health care coverage for the entire family
• Excellent retirement plans
• Up to $400,000 in life insurance at low rates
• Use of worldwide world class recreational facilities
• Uniform allowance
• Tax free shopping at military exchanges and commissaries

Chaplains and Chaplain Candidates do not go through Basic Training. Instead, they attend the Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course (CBOLC), which is a 12-week course taught at the USA Chaplains Center and School (USACHCS) in Fort Jackson, S.C. Instruction at USACHCS is conducted by highly trained, professional, and experienced Army officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs).

CBOLC provides an introduction to the non-combatant common core skills, Army writing and Chaplaincy-specific training. Classroom and field training is dynamic, fun, and interactive. CBOLC is conducted in four phases. Each phase must be taken sequentially. However, the entire course does not have to be taken in the same year.

A four-week resident course that teaches non-combatant common core skills such as map reading, military customs and courtesies, operations in field conditions and combat survival. Attendance is required for Chaplains and Chaplain Candidates who have no prior Army officer training. It is optional for others.

A two-week course that focuses on Army writing and correspondence. This course can be completed by correspondence for Chaplains whose first duty assignment will be in a reserve component.

Two three-week resident courses of instruction in Army-specific Chaplain duties. This training gives Chaplains and Chaplain Candidates the ability to apply their civilian chaplain and pastoral skills in the Army environment.

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