You’ve decide to take the plunge and become a chaplain–or at least to become a chaplain candidate and test the water. The work has just begun.
The first part of serving as an Army chaplain candidate is submitting a packet for the appointment board. First, let’s run over the list of things you should already have at this point:
If you’ve already taken care of those matters, let’s move on.
The appointment packet requires that you complete a lot of paperwork. Here are some things that will be required:
There are more forms to complete; your chaplain recruiter will let you know what they are. Be certain that you complete them all in their entirety and that you provide truthful information. If you are unsure of what information is required for a particular document, ask your recruiter. In all of your answers, be truthful!
To help you prepare for completing the appointment process, here are a few more details.
Physical Exam
You must submit to a physical exam as soon as possible. You will be required to go to the nearest Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) for a complete physical. At the MEPS, you will complete forms about your medical background; go prepared with a list of any medications you are taking, information about any time you’ve been hospitalized or suffered a significant injury or illness, and be ready for uncomfortable questions and poking.
You will be required to provide a urine sample for drug and disease testing; you will be given a breath alcohol test; you will be checked for hernias; your teeth will be examined; etc. You will be required to bend and squat, to waddle and twist; this is simply a part of ensuring that your body is able to function normally.
While you’re going through all of these pleasantries, remember this mantra: Do it for your country! Do NOT forget to get at least one certified working copy of your physical exam paperwork before you leave MEPS.
School
You must provide transcripts of your undergraduate and seminary work. Contact your schools as soon as possible and arrange to have official transcripts mailed directly to your recruiter. Most schools require that their transcripts remain sealed to be official; don’t send in an opened copy or a student copy–it may be rejected. Some schools require at least a couple of weeks to process transcript requests; order early.
If you have not yet matriculated at seminary, you will need to provide a copy of your acceptance letter.
Security Clearance
Starting well in advance of the deadline for your packet to be in, begin scouring your memory and your records for information that will go on your security clearance questionnaire. You will be required to list every address at which you have lived in the last seven years (including temporary school addresses), how long you lived there, and the contact information for someone who knew you when you lived at that address. You will need to provide names, birth dates, and current addresses and phone numbers for your parents and siblings. You will need to list every job you’ve had in the last seven years (including dates for periods of unemployment), the dates you worked at each, and the contact information for your supervisors.
You will be required to give information about any past due debts you currently have or any accounts that have been significantly overdue. Your credit report will be pulled by the investigators–order a copy for yourself now to make sure it shows correct information and that you include all the correct information on the questionnaire. (I suggest that you order a report from each of the three national agencies; you are entitled to one free report each year.) Do not leave out any information about past due accounts!
You will need to provide information about any arrests. If you formerly led a wild life, be forthcoming. It is essential that you are honest.
It is not necessary that your security investigation be completed before you receive an appointment; however, you will need to submit the questionnaire before the appointment board convenes. Rest assured, your investigation will not be complete any time soon unless something really unusual happens. Before the clearance is granted, an investigator may call to set up an appointment with you to go over any questions he has. Cooperate fully. If there are any concerns about your background (arrests or financial concerns), someone other than the investigator will make an in-depth review and decide whether your clearance can be granted; don’t panic if this happens. Even if the adjudicator wishes to deny your clearance, you will be given the opportunity to contest the decision and to provide any additional information that may be useful.
Read about the security investigation, download the software, and get to work now.
Other Things
There may be other minor things you will need to complete before your packet is ready. Again, follow the instructions of your recruiter.
Talk with your recruiter to determine when you want to have your packet before a board. Boards meet once each month from February through November. Remember that, if you have questions, it’s always best to ask. The chaplain recruiter’s goal is to get you appointed as a chaplain candidate. Communicate to him your needs or concerns.
Give yourself plenty of time in advance of the target board. There is no way you will be able to get all of this done within the last two weeks before a board convenes. All of these things may seem daunting, but don’t give up. It’s not as difficult as it sounds!
Once the board has reviewed your packet, you will learn of its decision approximately thirty days after the board recesses.
There is one more important piece of the appointment process. Please read Part 2 for this vital information.
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