There are plenty of chaplains in SF Groups who are not nor have ever been SF qualified. I can remember two in 1st SFG(A) recently who were only airborne qualified.

At least when I was at the Tng Gp we stopped 'visitor' SF qual non SF branched attendee's.
I can't see the bang for the buck.
A Chaplain, of any religion, is there to mentor OUR troops not the indig and being SF Qualified doesn't make him a whit better at his job.
He is not going to interface with the indig in an SF manner as that is not his gig...in any way, shape, form.
I appreciated the prior enlisted SF guys that went Chap corps etc. but it didn't make me respect them any more/less in their new job.
It was irrelevant.
For every non branched guy going thru there was one less team guy.
That goes against what the Tng Gp stands for.
How many hundreds of thousands of dollars goes to each attendee...and we need to waste that for an I've been there certificate that pays no dividends.
No.

Very few Chaplains are allowed to attend either Ranger school or the Q course. Over the years, the policies change back and forth. Back when I was Group Chaplain for 1st Group ('84-''86) the policy was "Don't even ask." I submitted numerous requests anyway, all of which mysteriously got lost at the Chief of Chaplain's office in one particular office. Then a few years later, a Chaplain friend of mine went thru Ranger school and another Chaplain friend went thru the Q course. Then things tightened back up again. Luck of the draw.

The reality here is that part of the issue is indeed, as was pointed out, finances and slots. The assignment pattern for Chaplains, as they progress in rank means that Chaplains very infrequently get back to the Special Ops community--there are just not that many positions available as you move up thru the rank structure compared to the rest of the conventional Army.

The other part of the issue is that as young Chaplains, there is a great internal push to "fit in" and have the correct badges on the uniform. With maturity, comes the understanding that its not what I wear on my uniform, but who I am in my heart and character that make me truly approachable and useful. AH, but that maturity---its often hard to attain and it often comes with great lumps and bruises..........

Yea, Pete (CPT Hofman) and I deployed together in 2012 and he's been talking about earning his tab for years. And he's not the first I've had. My Chaplain (I forget his name) in 1/1 SFG(A) earned his tab while serving as a Chaplain in the early '90s. The program has been around a while.

Mr. Spock, what's your take on this?
I find it fascinating, Jim. Although the logic escapes me.
;)

We had many, many different support branch officers qualified through the SF Detachment Officer Qualification Course in the mid-80s through the early 90s. Although they could be awarded a tab and the identifier they remained in their own branch (chaplains, docs, veterinarians, dentists, etc.) and wore their basic branch brass (crosses, caduceus, etc.).

They do NOT "Steal" a quota or slot from NCOs -- they will never become an 18B, C, D, E, F, or 180A.

DOD GWOT policy has been to rotate units overseas on short tours -- they have NOT PCS-planted a group flag forward which may or may not have required MOS-qual'ed other branch officers. Most officer management program restrictions from the Cold War seem to have gone away, others just got worse.

Having jump wings seems to still be the common denominator for being able to divert an MD to serve as the Group Surgeon / Dive Surgeon / Flight Surgeon, or one of the other branch officers into SMU, Group, and Battalion-level staff positions (dentist, vet, SIGO, Comptroller, etc.). We had a number who served as jumpmasters, one who was MFF-qualified, and a few others who some time during their careers went through Ranger school.

Padres had to have special permission/dispensation to carry a weapon through the course (since they are non-combatants per Geneva-Hague).

While they certainly looked odd with the cross on the collar they still had a long tab and occasionally a star or wreath on their wings.

There was a Chaplain going through the course a couple of classes ago. He said they are letting one or two a year go through the course. He did well.

Prior to putting this guy through I had only met a couple of Chaplains that reclassified after serving in Group for a number of years.

Some of you certainly must remember Chaplain Dennington.
Of course I think he started as an SF Officer and then later became a chaplain.
Awesome dude.


I've seen quite a few long tab Padres in my day, but without a doubt, Chaplain Dennington and Chaplain Hoffman are the two best.

Neil Dennington was an SF NCO who ran recon and was awarded a Silver Star.

He went on to become a chaplain later in his career.

An outstanding chaplain, NCO, and officer.

TR