My time as an Army chaplain candidate has been very enjoyable but, at times, also very frustrating. Unfortunately, there is little guidance for candidates and the frequent turnover in chaplain recruiting and management doesn’t help.
So, to help those who come behind me, I will offer a series of posts with advice for chaplain candidates and potential chaplain candidates. My advice will be based on my own experiences and knowledge and does not necessarily represent official Army doctrine. While the information in this series is specific to the Army chaplain candidate program, Air Force and Navy candidates may also find the information helpful.
If you’re a chaplain, chaplain candidate, or potential candidate, I encourage you to ask questions or make suggestions by filling in the comment box below (if you don’t see it, click the title of this post) or the contact form.
Hi CH Sparks, how are you Sir? I’ve been commissioned as a Chaplain Candidate and completed CH-BOLC this past summer. I’m considering going into the reserves and understand there is tuition assistance for a four year commitment. According to the Chaplain Candidate handbook, I’m to communicate with the RSC full-time support Chaplain’s officer. However, I am unclear on that accronym and did not find it online. Could you give me some guidance on this?
Thank you,
Sam
Sam, RSC is “Regional Support Command.” All RSCs have now been renamed “Regional Readiness Commands” (RRCs). Since you are a reservist, you should have an RRC in your region that handles personnel assignments, TA, etc. There should be an RRC chaplain who can help point you in the right direction. If you don’t know how to contact your RRC, talk to your unit chain of command–they should know how to put you in touch with the RRC.
I heard that the army may be going away from accepting online schools such as Liberty to fulfill the educational requirements for becoming a chaplain. Is that true? And if so, would it affect me if I began taking courses now and finished in a couple of years?
Thanks,
Carl
Carl, I haven’t heard anything of that nature. So long as the school holds regional accreditation, it should be acceptable for the military. You should discuss this with a chaplain recruiter so that he can give you some insight as to whether your program would meet the requirements.