By Andrea Stone, USA TODAY

Army Maj. Paul Hurley journeyed four days by convoy, aircraft and helicopter to reach the remote outpost in Iraq near the Syrian border where 50 U.S. soldiers hunkered down in November 2006. He was the first Roman Catholic priest to visit in six months.

“It was a very profound experience (to) visit soldiers who are facing their mortality every day,” Hurley recalls. He celebrated Mass and heard confession from a dozen Catholic soldiers before leading Thanksgiving prayers for the base.

Hurley belongs to a dwindling flock of chaplains whose mission to support soldiers and their families has been strained by the demands of war and a shortage in their ranks. The Navy and Air Force usually recruit enough religious leaders, but the Army, which expects chaplains to be able to do everything soldiers do except carry a weapon and now relies heavily on reserve units, is hurting for spiritual aid.

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Some answer the call to serve their country. Some answer the call to serve God. Some choose to do both by becoming a chaplain in the Army National Guard. What’s your calling?

If you’d like more information on becoming a Chaplain or Chaplain Candidate in the Army National Guard, please visit our website at https://www.nh.ngb.army.mil/Recruiting/Chaplain.htm

Or, outside of New Hampshire, please contact the National Guard by going to our website at www.1800GOGUARD.com or call 1-800-GO-GUARD. (more)

See why religious leaders of many faiths have found the National Guard both an emotionally and spiritually fulfilling experience. The ability to engage in meaningful ministry with soldiers can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.

To read more about Chaplains in the New Hampshire Army National Guard, please visit our web page at: https://www.nh.ngb.army.mil/Recruiting/Chaplain.htm

If you would like to find out more about the National Guard in other states, please visit www.1800GOGUARD.com or call 1-800-GO-GUARD.

You will serve in the active Army, with an initial duty of three years.

Part Time

Serving in the Army Reserve means you’ll still have a civilian job, but you’ll train each month close to home and complete a two-week training exercise once a year. This way you will be trained and ready if called. And, of course, you’ll be able to bring invaluable experience back to your civilian ministry.

Chaplain Requirements

1. You must obtain an ecclesiastical endorsement from your faith group. This endorsement should certify that you are:
   1. A clergy person in your denomination or faith group.
   2. Qualified spiritually, morally, intellectually and emotionally to serve as a Chaplain in the Army.
   3. Sensitive to religious pluralism and able to provide for the free exercise of religion by all military personnel, their family members and civilians who work for the Army.
2. Educationally, you must:
   1. Possess a baccalaureate degree of not less than 120 semester hours.
   2. Possess a master’s degree in divinity or a graduate degree in theological studies, which includes at least 72 semester hours.
3. Applicants for active duty or the National Guard MUST be U.S. citizens. Permanent residents can ONLY apply for the Army Reserve.
4. Be able to receive a favorable National Agency Security Clearance.
5. Pass a physical exam at one of our Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS).
6. A minimum of two years of full-time professional experience, validated by the applicant’s endorsing agency (This requirement is not applicable to Army Reserve applicants).
7. Must be at least 21 years of age and not older than 42 years of age at time of appointment. Age waivers are available, based on prior military service, and are considered for applicants from faith groups that are critically short of supply in the Army.

[Taken from GoArmy.com.]

For ordained clergy who have already earned a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) or master degree in religious studies of at least 72 hours, who have completed at least two years of pastoral ministry, and who are otherwise qualified to serve as a chaplain in the Army Reserve, the Army will now repay your student loans up to $20,000 in exchange for three years in the Army Reserve.

The Selected Reserves is currently offering a Chaplain Loan Repayment Program (CLRP) to attract qualified clergy who have completed their civilian education and have outstanding school loans. For a three year service obligation, a qualified individual may receive up to $20,000 in loan repayments. The loan must originate from a qualified lending institution, be incurred in the pursuit of the professional degree which qualifies a person for the chaplaincy and be verified prior to signing the written agreement for the CLRP. The loan repayment will be paid in amounts not exceeding $6,666.66 at the end of each qualifying year. The individual must request in writing the payment of each annual installment. Current chaplain candidates may not participate in this program.

This is a new incentive for clergy to serve as Reserve chaplains. This seems to be a very good deal considering the commitment is only three years.

There is also a bonus available, though I doubt an individual can receive both the loan repayment and the bonus.

A $10,000 bonus for newly accessioned officers, payable upon successful completion of the Chaplain Officer Basic Course (CHOBC) and assignment to a USAR Troop Program Unit (TPU) is currently available.

There is also help available for chaplain candidates.

The USAR provides Tuition Assistance for Chaplain Candidates up to $4,500 per year (Contact Dale Spannbauer, Fort McCoy, WI at 608-388-5072).

Chaplain candidates should be aware that they will owe a year to the Army Reserve for every year of tuition assistance received. Thus, if a chaplain candidate receives tuitition assistance but decides to go on active duty with the regular Army before completing his Reserve commitment, he will be required to repay the tuition assistance monies to the Reserve.

If you have questions about these programs, I will do what I can to answer them. However, the best qualified people to help you are here:

For more information on qualifications for U.S. Army chaplaincy, visit the website at http://chaplain.goarmy.com or call 866-684-1571 and follow the prompts to reach your local Chaplain Recruiting Team (CRT) who can answer your questions.

What’s required to be a US Army Chaplain?

1. An ecclesiastical endorsement from a recognized faith group. This endorsement should certify that the applicant is:

a. A clergy person.
b. Qualified spiritually, morally, intellectually and emotionally to serve as a Chaplain in the Army.
c. Sensitive to religious pluralism and able to provide for the free exercise of religion by all military personnel, their family members and civilians who work for the Army.

2. Educationally, the applicant must:

a. Possess a baccalaureate degree of not less than 120 semester hours.
b. Possess a graduate-level degree in religious and theological studies, which includes at least 72 hours.

3. Be a U. S. citizen or permanent resident.
4. Be able to receive a favorable background check.
5. Pass a physical exam.
6. As to age, normally less than 40; but there are exceptions. The exceptions can be addressed by a Chaplain Recruiter (call toll free: 1-866-684-1571, press 1, press 1 again, then enter zip code).

For more information on qualifications for US Army chaplaincy, visit the website at http://chaplain.goarmy.com or call 866/684-1571 and follow the prompts to reach your local Chaplain Recruiting Team (CRT) who can answer your questions.

A $10,000 bonus for newly accessioned officers, payable upon successful completion of the Chaplain Officer Basic Course (CHOBC) and assignment to a USAR Troop Program Unit (TPU), is currently available.

The USAR provides Tuition Assistance for Chaplain Candidates up to $4,500 per year (contact Dale Spannbauer, Fort McCoy, WI at 608/388-5072).

CH (LTC) Kenneth L. Beale, Jr. Kenneth.beale@usarec.army.mil, (502) 626-0722, Chief. Chaplaincy Recruiting Branch, USAREC.

Understanding the picture

If you’re in the middle of BCT, don’t think you’ll become a chaplain in AIT. I’ve been told by trainees that they want to be chaplains. That’s well and good, but it takes years to complete the requirements for chaplaincy. If you’re just starting your career as a soldier, understand that you may have a while before you can qualify as a chaplain.

For an overview of the requirements for chaplaincy, I recommend that you read my series on the chaplain candidate program. It will help you understand the educational, denominational, and other requirements for chaplaincy.

In short, you must complete the following requirements:

Paying for your education
If you want to become a chaplain and do not have the requisite education, there are several options. If you’ve managed to live within your means and have been resourceful in saving or investing, you may have the funds necessary to complete your learning. If you have a family and your financial resources are tight, it will be a little harder.

Hopefully, you have some benefits accrued in the Montgomery GI Bill. If not, or if you need to supplement this, there are grants, scholarships, and loans available. Tuition assistance is also available.

If you are a reservist or enter the chaplain candidate program while in school and you receive tuition assistance, you will be required to serve one year in the Army Reserve for each year of tuition assistance you receive. If you wish to go on active duty before completing this reserve duty commitment, you must pay back the full amount of the tuition assistance you received. Consider carefully whether to apply for tuition assistance. If you want to go on active duty immediately after completing all requirements for chaplaincy, you may not want to take tuition assistance unless you can afford to pay it back. Think about how your family may be affected if you are required to pay back the money–or if you serve the time in the Reserve and, thereby, find it necessary to secure supplemental employment in the meantime.

The very first thing you should do toward financing your education is complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is used by the U.S. Department of Education to determine whether you are eligible for federal grants or loans. Even if you aren’t eligible for grants or loans, you should complete this form because it is almost always important for scholarships and other institutional aid. Sit down with a copy of your tax return and fill this out each year. The priority deadline for submission of the FAFSA set by most schools is March 1.

Making your finances work
Transitioning from enlisted to officer will mean a big boost in financial resources. However, if your situation requires that you move from active duty to reserve duty, you or your spouse may need to find a new job to help with your family expenses. If you are married and have children, finances will be tight–count on it. You’re probably used to this already from living on enlisted income.

If you are at a point where you wish to take a break in service to finish off your education, this is a good idea. If you have completed no educational requirements, you will need about four years for an undergraduate degree and three or four years for a master degree. If you can’t afford to be in school for seven or eight years straight, there are some alternatives.

If you have the requisite undergraduate degree already, you only need to find resources to pay for seminary. I’ve already covered some options above. If you remain on active duty, you may be able to complete up to 18 hours of graduate education through correspondence or Internet courses, depending on the seminary you wish to attend. This will allow you to continue on active duty with your regular pay. After you have completed all the work possible via this method, you may then need to change to reserve status.

At this point, you have two options: remain in your enlisted position or seek an appointment as a chaplain candidate. If you keep your enlisted spot, find a local reserve unit near your seminary where you can drill each month. This will help supplement your income a little. If you become a chaplain candidate, you will be commissioned a Second Lieutenant. You may be able to drill with a local reserve unit, if you wish, but you will not be paid. However, there are several chaplain candidate training opportunities offered throughout the year. Most training is available in the summer. So, as a candidate, you could train 30-45 days in a practicum each summer and earn pay at the rate of a Second Lieutenant. When you go through the Chaplain Officer Basic Course (CHOBC), you may train for a longer period of time. This would be a way to supplement your income.

The important difference between the enlisted and chaplain candidate option: as a drilling reservist, you are subject to callup and deployment; as a chaplain candidate, you are in a training status and are non-deployable. Consider what is best for you, remembering that, if you were deployed for a year, you would be that much behind in your education, so it would take longer to finish your education and to eventually get back on active duty as a chaplain.

If you have not completed your undergraduate degree, things will be a bit tougher. Again, there are options for completing college coursework by correspondence or Internet. Do as much as possible this way, remembering that your college will only accept a certain number of correspondence courses; check with the school to find out how much is acceptable. When you complete all of the correspondence courses you can, it’s time to enroll in residential courses. This means leaving active duty.

Because you do not yet have an undergraduate degree, you will not be able to be commissioned as a chaplain candidate. However, through the Green to Gold program, you may be able to participate in ROTC in college and receive a scholarship; contact the ROTC staff at your college to determine your eligibility. When you complete your college program and move on to seminary as a chaplain candidate, you can receive an ROTC waiver allowing you to forego immediate active duty service. Take advantage of grants, scholarships, loans, or whatever it is that you have to do to make it work. If you are married, your spouse may need to take a job. You may need to find a part-time job; usually, off-campus jobs will pay more but on-campus jobs may offer the opportunity for you to study while you work.

When you complete your undergraduate program, you can either continue to drill as a reservist or become a chaplain candidate. If you were in ROTC, you must become a chaplain candidate at this point in order to forego the required active duty assignment the ROTC program normally requires. If you become a chaplain candidate, you can complete some occasional training at the Second Lieutenant pay rate, as explained above.

If you thought undergraduate education was expensive, graduate school is even more so. Seek out scholarships, fellowships, grants, loans, teaching assistantships, or anything else that will help you pay for school. If you have any GI Bill benefits remaining, this is the time to use them. If finances are particularly tough, you may consider working full time for a semester or two while you complete a few correspondence or Internet courses toward your master degree, if your seminary will allow this. However, don’t expect to earn a graduate degree entirely through correspondence work–the Army requires that you complete a residential program.

Choosing a degree program
Which master degree should you seek? The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) generally is a 90-105 semester hour program. A Master of Theological Studies (MTS) is generally a 60-hour degree and would not qualify you for chaplaincy. A master degree program that requires at least 72 semester hours will qualify you for chaplaincy; the program must include at least 36 semester hours of religious studies. For example, you might simply enroll in the graduate school at the same university where you completed your undergraduate degree and work toward a master degree in the religious studies department. This way, you wouldn’t have to uproot your family for another move.

Check with your denomination to make sure that whatever degree program you enroll in will satisfy any denominational requirements for education. The worst thing you can do is earn a 72-hour degree when your denomination actually requires the M.Div. for ordination. You wouldn’t qualify for ordination and you can’t serve as a chaplain without ordination. If your denomination doesn’t require the M.Div., you have the option to choose a lesser degree program.

A few final notes
Remember that, in order to receive an appointment as a chaplain, you must be able to serve at least ten years on active duty after you receive an appointment. This may be a make or break issue for you, depending on your age and time in service. If you’re Roman Catholic, some exception may be made for your age because of the shortage of priests; talk with your endorser about this.

Watch for the second installment of this series soon.

Chaplaincy qualifications

To serve as a chaplain, you must fulfill these basic requirements:

1. Be ordained.
2. Receive an ecclesiastical endorsement for chaplaincy from your denomination or endorsing organization.
3. Have a bachelor degree of at least 120 semester hours from an accredited school.
4. Have a Master of Divinity from an accredited school (or a graduate degree in theological studies, with at least 72 semester hours).
5. Be able to pass a military entrance physical exam.
6. Be able to receive a Secret security clearance.
7. Have ministry experience.

Chaplain candidate qualifications

If you do not yet meet all the requirements for appointment as a chaplain, you can work on completing them while you train for military ministry by serving in the Army chaplain candidate program.

To serve as a chaplain candidate, you must fulfill these basic requirements:

1. Receive an ecclesiastical approval for the chaplain candidate program from your denomination or organization.
2. Have a bachelor degree of at least 120 semester hours from an accredited school, or be in your last semester of undergraduate studies.
3. Be enrolled in graduate theological studies at an accredited school, or have been accepted for admission to such a program in the next enrollment period of the school, or have completed such a program and be actively engaged in a process leading toward ordination.
4. Be able to pass a military entrance physical exam.

From this point forward, I will focus on information for chaplain candidates, beginning with inquiring about the program to accessioning to active duty. Some of this information may be useful for persons who already have completed seminary and are ordained and, thus, are seeking to be directly accessioned to the Chaplain Corps. Some of it may also be useful for chaplains and chaplain candidates in the Air Force and Navy. However, I am specifically targeting Army chaplain candidates.

Please note that this is an ongoing series of short articles. In order to see the list of articles available to date, you must view this article in its archived format by clicking the title of the article. At the bottom of each article in the series is a list of available articles. You may leave comments or ask questions by filling in the comment box at the bottom of any article or you may contact me directly.

I hope you will find this series helpful.