What are the duties of a military chaplain?

The chaplain’s responsibilities include performing religious rites, conducting worship services, providing confidential counseling and advising commanders on religious, spiritual and moral matters. Chaplains are commissioned officers stationed wherever there are military members, including combat environments.

What can you tell a chaplain?

Before the interview, your chaplain is required legally to explain your conversation isn’t privileged, which means it can be shared with others. Outside of this one instance, the chaplain cannot and will not disclose your conversation to anyone or even mention you spoke.

Can chaplains give orders?

What that means is that a chaplain is not allowed to order Soldiers to attack an objective or direct defensive operations, even if they are the only remaining commissioned officer. Like our officer counterparts, chaplain assistants are also quite misunderstood within the greater enlisted structure.

What does a religious affairs specialist do in the army?

Religious affairs specialists, previously known as chaplain assistants, provide full-time religious and spiritual support to Army installations and units around the world. They support chaplains during missions and activities and support unity ministry team programs and worship services.

Can a chaplain break confidentiality?

No. The unique role of Navy chaplains includes a sacred trust of maintaining confidentiality. Therefore, chaplains are bound by this unbreakable trust. Commanders are required to honor the confidential relationship between service personnel and chaplains and therefore cannot compel a chaplain to break confidentiality.

Do military chaplains fight?

Chaplains are in the military — but they do not fight in combat. Chaplains may not be deliberately or indiscriminately attacked and, unless their retention by the enemy is required to provide for the religious needs of prisoners of war, chaplains must not become POWs.