Army Chaplains provide for the spiritual needs of Army personnel of any denomination. Chaplain Assistants provide much-needed support to the Chaplains during missions and everyday activities. A Chaplain Assistant primarily provides support for the Unit Ministry Team programs and worship services.

Some of the skills you'll learn are:

• Synchronize religious support in the contemporary operating environment. Integrate the Unit Ministry Team into a tactical element.
• Coordinate force protection for religious support operations. Monitor situational awareness for the Unit Ministry Team
• Coordinate the circulation of the Unit Ministry Team in the contemporary operating environment. Operate a tactical wheeled vehicle platform and organic armaments
• Operate communication equipment and digital reporting systems. Assist in planning religious support operations and deployments
• Maintain reports, files, and administrative data for religious operations. Coordinate religious support in the absence of the chaplain
• Apply technology to religious operations. Integrate religious operations with Civil Military Operations. Research religious information to answer Commander's Critical Information Requirements
• Prepare religious area analysis. Provide coordination, security and analysis support to indigenous religious leader liaison operations
• Safeguard privileged communications. Perform crisis intervention
• Coordinate Traumatic Event Management. Conduct specialized peer counseling for combat stress casualties
• Provide emergency religious ministrations. Assess unit morale for targeted religious support
• Manage religious support resources to include property, ecclesiastical equipment, section material/supplies and non-appropriated funds. Manage multi-purpose worship facilities and programs. Coordinate religious support for all faith groups

Job training for Chaplain Assistants requires nine weeks of Basic Training, where you'll learn basic Soldiering skills, and seven weeks of Advanced Individual Training. Some of the skills you'll learn are:

• English grammar, spelling and punctuation
• Typing and clerical skills
• Preparing forms and correspondence in Army style
• Roles and responsibilities of Army chaplains
• Religious history and background

Helpful attributes include:

• Interest in organization and keeping accurate records
• Preference for clergy office work
• Interest in operating typewriters, computers and other office machines
• Ability to organize and plan

Advanced level Chaplain Assistants are responsible for performing religious support duties in first-level battle fatigue care. Advanced level Chaplain Assistants provide emergency ministrations on the battlefield, organize support for Unit Ministry Team programs and conduct training on different religions, cultural distinctions and world customs. As an advanced level Chaplains Assistant, you may also be involved in:

• Integrate Unit Ministry Team into tactical elements and directs small unit actions
• Supervise tactical wheeled vehicle platform operations
• Supervise religious support facility staff and operations
• Train spiritual fitness tasks
• Analyze religious data and conducts religious civil military activities
• Assist in the development of religious support planning
• Synchronize religious support requirements with staff elements
• Coordinate for movement of the Unit Ministry Team by air, land, and sea
• Advise senior NCO leadership on religious support issues

The skills learned as a Chaplain Assistant can be applied to many positions assisting clergy members in churches, synagogues or mosques.

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Learn more about the relationship between military training and civilian certification requirements.