Chaplain assistants provide vital service for Airmen, families

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amanda Dick
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ..."

In May 1949, the Air Force created its own Chaplain Corps to give Airmen the ability to exercise this First Amendment freedom. While chaplains may immediately come to mind, they are only one half of the corps.

The chaplain assistant career field, Air Force Specialty Code 5R0X1, was born in 1948 and has seen many changes within the Air Force since then.

"Originally called 'welfare specialists,' the AFSC has evolved over the past 60 years into a highly professional AFSC," said Chief Master Sgt. Al Clemmons, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe Chaplain Assistant functional manager. "The most significant changes, particularly in the past 25 years, have been the professionalization of the AFSC, as well as defining its specific role in resourcing and managing spiritual care for Airmen and their families."

To become a chaplain assistant, Airmen go through a six-week technical school at Ft. Jackson, S.C. There, they learn about various religions and practices, basic crisis and suicide intervention skills, counseling support and basic administrative and resource management skills. Trainees also go through a one-week deployment experience to simulate living and working in a field environment.

Once out of school and at their base, chaplain assistants provide key support for chaplains, Airmen and their families.

According to Staff Sgt. Samantha Wallace-Ferguson, 86th Airlift Wing Chaplain Corps chaplain assistant, coordination is a big part of her job. For events like the National Prayer Luncheon, chaplain assistants coordinate not only the event, but also handle the bulletins, set up, ticket sales and publicity. Memorial services are also big events for the Chaplain Corps, requiring coordination with several agencies on base.

However, coordination is not the only service a chaplain assistant provides.

"As the enlisted component of the Religious Support Team, chaplain assistants have seven core competencies: religious program planning, religious observances, crisis intervention, unit involvement, advising leadership, religious program management and being expeditionary combat Airmen," Chief Clemmons said.

Chaplain assistants also help set up for church services when needed. And, along with their typical duties, they have unit additional duties like any other Airmen might have, said Sergeant Wallace-Ferguson.

"The expansive and diverse capability of chaplain assistants enables us to translate our duties into many civilian duties," the chief said. "Some examples include crisis counselors, emergency call center operators, executive assistants, resource managers and traumatic event responders."

While deployed, chaplain assistants provide the same ministries and services as at their home station, but with a stronger focus on visitations.

"We provide deployed ministries with the chaplains, especially visitations with them to the troops," said Sergeant Wallace-Ferguson, who has been a chaplain assistant for four years.

While on visitations, chaplain assistants can be seen out at the units, installation events and even the smoke pits.

"Our venues for ministry are not limited to inside the chapel walls," Chief Clemmons said.

As with many other AFSCs, chaplain assistants typically serve 179-day rotations for deployments.

"Like our fellow Airmen, our chaplain assistants are 'all in,'" the 20-year chaplain assistant said. "We take great pride in our service to our Airmen in any environment, and as we expect and demand of each other; we do it with excellence."

The Chaplain Corps at Ramstein is doing just that, providing excellence, whether it's creating a safe environment for Airmen to hang out at Club 7 or offering marriage seminars as part of Year of the Air Force Family.

No matter if you're at Ramstein, downrange or stationed in the States, the Air Force Chaplain Corps has something for everyone, according to Sergeant Wallace-Ferguson.

"Every chapel will have to do a national prayer luncheon," she said. "They will always have some type of memorial service, something that caters to the younger Airmen and marriage seminars."

And regardless of your religious practices, chaplains and chaplain assistants serve all Airmen.

"All religions are catered to," she said. "It's our main priority -- to provide religion and accommodate for everyone ... military members and their families. And, to give everyone the opportunity to exercise free religion; it's everyone's right."