So... what does a chaplain do, anyway? What does the position entail?

What is the hardest thing you've been called to do in your capacity as chaplain?

U. S. Air Force chaplain:

The primary job is to pastor a congregation and develop a rounded program of pastoral care.

As secondary requirement, accompany some military units upon deployment.

U. S. Army chaplain:

The primary responsibility is to join a military unit and participate with that unit in everything that the unit does. I.e. you go with that unit whereever it goes. When it goes to the field to practice going to war, so do you.

As a secondary responsibility, you will be a pastor to a congregation. You may be part of a staff, pastor it yourself, or some other conbination. As such, most will not develop a comprehensive program of spiritual nuture but will collecitvely participate in things such as a unified Sunday School for the entire base.

NOTE: in all of the branches of the military, thare are staff, and other specialized positons, to include hospital chaplins, which I never was as a military chaplain.

U. S. Navy:

In the first six years of your life as a Navy chaplain, you will spend at least three years on the oceans of the world in a ship.

In addition, you will have assignments in both the Navy, and in the Marine Corps. [I call the Marine Corps the Navies Army, which is more accurate than the Marines will acknowledge.]

Your duties will be both unit and congregational to include transfering between ships while at sea.

Chaplain responsibilites in the various branches include many duties that are not of a spiritual nature, more of Social Work in nature in helping people with their human needs. This places you where they are, and involved in their life. In addition, in all of the services you will be sent to be trained in military subjects common to all officers. Then there will be opportunities for civilian school. The Army sent me to full-time graduate school to obtain my MA in Counseling Psychology, paid my school expenses, and my salary. There are other educational opportunities.

Hospital chaplains:

You will have a dual role. One side will be pastoral, religious, and spiritual. You will care for such needs of your patients.

The other side will be clinical. You will participate in interdisciplinary treatment teams, and do other clinical/medical/institiutional work. I work in a teaching hospital, and round with Internal Medecine residents, among other things.

This seems to be the last question for me to respond to. If I seem short, I am getting a little tired, and supper is approaching. I have been reponding to these qeustions since 3 AM this morning.

So, if you want more, continue to ask, and maybe tomorrow I will give you longer answers.

Have a good Sabbath everyone.