Disciple: Life as a Military Chaplain

By Chaplain (Captain) Anna Page

To be invited into the most intimate aspects of another person’s life is the most humbling privilege. To be viewed as an embodied representation of grace, hope and love is the most immense joy. To be trusted to advise on matters bigger than any one person in order to keep our souls, spirits and minds steady is the greatest honor. This ministry defined by privilege, joy and honor is my calling as an Army chaplain. In this calling, blessings are wrapped in uttered words, observed silences, shed tears, shared laughter and knowing glances.

As an Army chaplain, I serve individuals and their families who willingly decided to serve something greater than themselves. The stressors of life are only exacerbated by the reality of possibly being in harm’s way at any moment. As their chaplain, I journey alongside my flock to places far off and places near, to emotional highs and emotional lows. I am daily confronted by divine radiance consubstantial with the rawness of humanity. Though this calling could be characterized in many ways, for me, it is a calling to bring light to others in a world that often can feel so dark.

[Image: Chaplain (Captain) Anna Page celebrates the Eucharist with her troops, one of her many duties as an active duty Army chaplain stationed at Fort Liberty. Photo courtesy of Page]

DUALITY

Every branch of the United States military has chaplains serving among its ranks. In each branch, we wear the dual hats of clergy member and military officer. This duality is symbolized by the religious identifier—cross, crescent moon, Stone Tablets, wheel of dharma or Om—and rank worn simultaneously on our uniforms. All military chaplains are also supported by an endorser, or a civilian religious organization that screens, permits and affirms a clergyperson for service as a military chaplain. Our endorser for Episcopal chaplains is the bishop suffragan for Armed Forces and Federal Ministries. This relationship enables us to remain connected to the broader church. Thus, all military chaplains are responsible to—and balance relationships between—not only our chain of command within the military but also our episcopacy.

There is one final unique relationship all military chaplains observe. Our clerical permission to serve comes through our endorser. However, our legal permission to serve comes through the Constitution of the United States. Military chaplains are considered embedded champions of the First Amendment’s freedom of—and from—religion. A chaplain ensures the free exercise of faith and protects against the establishment of a state-sanctioned religion by providing religious support for everyone in our care. This mandate of service is as old as our nation itself. All military chaplains, therefore, stand in a time-honored tradition of service to both God and country. The nuances of military chaplaincy then emerge when looking at the specific branches.

OUTWARD SIGNS OF INWARD GRACE

As an active duty Army chaplain, my roles and responsibilities manifest in a way that empowers our service members to “fight and win the Nation’s wars.”[1] These responsibilities can be divided into the categories of religious leader and religious advisor. As a religious leader in the Army, I “perform and provide religious support” for all personnel within my care. This includes service members, partners, children and Department of the Army civilians. Religious needs can vary from providing the sacraments offered by The Episcopal Church, to connecting personnel with other faith leaders, to confidential counseling much like confession or pastoral care, to aiding people seeking a religious accommodation so they can freely express their faith.

I am invited into the most intimate aspects of the lives of those whom I serve, including those who claim Christianity, those of different religious traditions and those for whom religion is the furthest thing from their mind. Yet to all, I, as their chaplain, am viewed as a person of safety and support. This ministry takes place everywhere—in the office, chapels, the outdoors, drop zones and countries around the world. Thus, much of my role as a religious leader can be summarized as a ministry of presence. Where my people are so, too, am I.

As a religious advisor, I counsel my commander on all matters pertaining to morale, ethics and world religions. This advisement is both internal and external. Internal advisement pertains to how the mission or current events are impacting the well-being, practice of religion and ethical decision-making of our personnel. This often lends itself to classes on ethics, suicide prevention and awareness, and spirituality. External advisement pertains to the ethics of war and the potential impact of religion on our missions. This includes country and culture reports, teaching about cultural religious norms in various regions and discussions about the just war tradition.[2]

At any moment, I must be able to go from discussing the emotional and spiritual wellness of our unit to the potential impact of religion and culture on our missions throughout the globe. This is a dynamic calling that is truly representative of the priesthood. In all this work, the military chaplain embodies the charge of the priest to be “called to work as pastor, priest, and teacher.”[3]

Losing one’s grounding could be easy given the dynamism of this calling. However, what keeps me focused is seeing God in all—in every exchange, silence, tear, laughter and look. God emerges in the expression of fear before an airborne operation, in the confession of uncertainty about the future of a relationship, in the sharing of a secret that has been held inside for a person’s entire life and in the exasperation of a parent at the actions of their child. God emerges in the joy at a baptism, the love at a wedding, the sigh of relief when one’s beliefs are supported without judgment, the spark of curiosity while on a spiritual journey, and even the cheery good mornings shared during the wee hours of the day. God emerges when a sense of peace is felt amongst the chaos of life.

All these moments are sacred, and through seeing God in all, I bear witness to the light, hope, grace and love that is Christ. Ultimately, mine is the work of recreation and rebirth when surrounded by death. It is the work of shining light in the darkness. It is the work of being an outward sign of inner grace. It is the work of reminding all of us that divine radiance is consubstantial with humanity. And when my personnel cannot feel any of this, I have the distinct privilege of reminding them that they, in their humanity, are good.

[1] Army Doctrine Publications 1, “The Army” (Washington, DC: 17 September 2012), 1-8.

[2] Broadly, the just war tradition measures the justness of war by considering both the justice of going to war in the first place and justice in the course of fighting. “Military Chaplains Just War Education Project,” The Episcopal Church, March 23, 2023 (bit.ly/JustWarTEC)

[3] The Book of Common Prayer, “Ordination of a Priest,” (New York, The Church Hymnal Corporation: 1979), 531.

CALLED TO SERVE

If you are interested in serving as a military chaplain in any branch of the armed forces, contact the office of Bishop Ann Ritonia, the bishop suffragan for Armed Forces and Federal Ministries (AFAFM) at bit.ly/Ritonia or (202) 459-9998. Age and medical waivers may be available to you on a case-by-case basis. For more information, visit the AFAFM website at bit.ly/afafmTEC.