A LETTER FROM A CONCERNED MILITARY CHAPLAIN

From: (Name withheld)
Date: June 8, 2026 at 5:07:48 PM MDT
To: [email protected]
Subject: A LETTER FROM A CONCERNED MILITARY CHAPLAIN

MRFF,

I am frustrated, tired, and anxious.

As a military chaplain, I have dedicated my career to supporting the free exercise of religion for all service members, regardless of their faith tradition, background, or worldview. My oath was not to a denomination or political party. It was to the Constitution and the men and women entrusted to our care.

For that reason, I write with growing concern regarding recent decisions and policy directions that may unintentionally undermine the very religious freedom they seek to protect.

Religious liberty within the military has always required balance. Chaplains are called to faithfully represent their own religious traditions while simultaneously ensuring that every service member can exercise their beliefs freely. This delicate balance has allowed the Chaplain Corps to serve a remarkably diverse force for generations.

When religious freedom is perceived as favoring some groups over others, trust begins to erode.

The strength of military chaplaincy has never rested on advancing one religious perspective. It has rested on the confidence that every Sailor, Marine, Soldier, Airman, Guardian, and Coast Guardsman can seek support without fear of exclusion or favoritism.

I am also concerned about the proposed removal of visible rank insignia for military chaplains.

Supporters may view this change as a way to emphasize the spiritual identity of chaplains. However, military chaplaincy has historically been effective because chaplains have been both clergy and commissioned officers. Visible rank is not merely symbolic. It communicates responsibility, access, accountability, and institutional authority within one of the world’s most hierarchical organizations.

In practice, visible rank often helps chaplains gain access to leadership spaces, advocate for service members, and respond effectively during crises.

This concern may be especially significant for women and minority chaplains.

Military organizations, like all human institutions, continue to navigate challenges involving perception, credibility, and inclusion. While visible rank does not eliminate bias, it can provide immediate organizational clarity regarding a chaplain’s role and authority.

Many women and minority leaders have experienced situations in which their expertise or authority was questioned until their position became unmistakably clear. Removing visible rank may unintentionally create additional barriers for chaplains who already work to establish credibility in environments where assumptions can shape perception.

Within the Chaplain Corps, some women and minority chaplains have already experienced instances in which their authority, judgment, or leadership has been challenged in ways that their peers have not. There is concern that recent shifts in emphasis within portions of the chaplaincy community have emboldened some subordinate evangelical chaplains to show diminished respect for senior women and minority chaplains, particularly when theological, cultural, or ideological differences exist. While such behavior does not reflect the values of most evangelical chaplains, any environment that weakens recognition of legitimate military authority risks exacerbating these challenges.

Visible rank serves as an immediate and universally understood indicator of responsibility and authority. Its removal could unintentionally increase ambiguity regarding leadership relationships and make it more difficult for some senior chaplains to exercise the authority necessary to fulfill their duties effectively.

Such outcomes would not strengthen inclusion. They could weaken the ability of some chaplains to advocate effectively for those entrusted to their care.

The military needs chaplains who are spiritually grounded, operationally integrated, and trusted by both service members and commanders. Policies that reduce institutional clarity or create uncertainty regarding a chaplain’s role deserve careful examination.

My purpose in writing is not to criticize individuals. Military leaders carry enormous responsibilities, and reasonable people can disagree on matters of policy.

Rather, my hope is that decisions affecting religious liberty and military chaplaincy will continue to be evaluated through the lens of mission effectiveness, constitutional principles, and the diverse needs of the force.

The Chaplain Corps has served our nation faithfully through war and peace because it has balanced religious conviction with constitutional commitment, spiritual care with military service, and personal faith with institutional responsibility.

That balance is worth preserving.

Respectfully,

A Concerned Military Chaplain