Job Description for an Army Chaplain's Assistant
Army Chaplains provide spiritual and emotional guidance for soldiers and their dependents during times of strain. Though the Chaplain Corps is made up of officers, their support staff, composed of Chaplain Assistants (CA), are enlisted personnel. The Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) code for Chaplain Assistant is 56M. For anyone interested in service their country while helping others, Chaplain Assistant is a very fulfilling career.
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Qualifications
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In addition to the general qualifications for entering the Army, recruits must qualify for a Secret level clearance and must impartially provide services for all Army-recognized religions including Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Lutheranism, Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism, Baha'i, and Hinduism.
Training
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Chaplain's Assistants (CA) undergo Basic Combat Training with soldiers of other MOSs. They learn the basic skills required of soldiers including marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, knowledge of Army values, land navigation, rappelling, and urban combat tactics. They attend Advanced Individual Training for CAs. They learn how to prepare for different religious services, requisition religious supplies, conduct security operations, provide conflict mediation services, and perform basic administrative tasks.
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Responsibilities
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Perhaps most importantly, the Chaplain's Assistant serves as a bodyguard to the Chaplain. Army Chaplains are not permitted to carry a weapon so CAs establish a security plan whenever the Chaplain goes out to meet troops in the field. Chaplain's Assistants also perform crises intervention and peer counseling in absence of the Chaplain. In some cases the might refer a visitor to a personal meeting with the Chaplain. Finally, they handle administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments.
Advanced Responsibilities
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As CAs stay in the service longer, they acquire more responsibilities. Some of these tasks include supervision of junior CAs and control over religious facility maintenance and operations, as well as development of religious support activities. They also brief Noncommissioned Officers on religious and morale issues within the unit. Finally they supervise community service events taking place on and around the base.
After The Army
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This MOS transfers most directly to laity positions in most civilian churches. Lay individuals provide religious support and guidance, though they themselves are not ordained. The CA also prepares individuals to take part in any of the administrative jobs that keep houses of worship functioning including bookkeeping, facilities maintenance, event planning, and service preparation.
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References
- Photo Credit priest and bible image by Lars Christensen from Fotolia.com
