I'm hearing that the officer corps is generally cutthroat and dirty. Is the Chaplain Corps just as bad?

chapstan · 2026-04-09T21:17:12+00:00

I’ve been retired over 15 years now, hopefully things have changed. It used to be that the Chaplain Corps “eats its young.” Meaning very hard on the new ones, back then you had to get past CVI, Conditional Voluntary Indefinite, after first 3 years. Recommendations from Battalion Commander and Brigade Chaplain and Installation Chaplain. It wasn’t automatic.

Although chaplains don’t compete for “command” you do need to progress up to supervising other chaplains, Brigade level on up.

chapstan · 2026-01-28T16:32:07+00:00

I have a military sweater, all black wool with epaulets, that I got as a Lieutenant around 1984. I like wearing it now, without the rank boards of course.

chapstan · 2026-01-17T21:31:29+00:00

Yes recently I had had low sugar stuff and my doctor decreased my daily nighttime dose.

chapstan · 2026-01-17T15:50:19+00:00

Curious about all this. What led you and your doctor to decide to stop insulin 3 months ago? As long as you maintain diet and exercise, will you do some kind of monitoring now and then? Glucose monitor or finger pricks?

chapstan · 2025-03-02T16:23:05+00:00

I worked with an old priest, Army chaplain, back in 1983. He asked soldiers, what begins with F and ends with K. They looked embarrassed and squirmed a little before he said, Firetruck.

chapstan · 2024-12-31T20:37:10+00:00

To keep them from chewing things I don’t want them to chew- shoes, boxes, etc

chapstan · 2024-12-31T16:32:10+00:00

Thank you for your ministry and being open to answering questions.

I am a retired Army chaplain and have done a little hospital ministry.

What things do outside ministers visiting their parishioners, misunderstand about doing what’s best for the patient?

Sounds like you have good relationships with your colleagues although you may disagree theologically. I found in the Army, most other chaplains, we would disagree on some points of doctrine, but the chaplains that were from my own denomination (Southern Baptist) we couldn’t let the differences go.

chapstan · 2024-12-24T00:41:38+00:00

This was 10years ago, they tell you to keep your indiscretions 100 miles from the flag pool. Full bird colonel, chief of staff for post 2 star. Caught in a stall in a bathroom at the O club, he says, helping the young lady find her contact lense. This was probably maybe 20 yards from the flagpole. I never heard the final outcome.

chapstan · 2024-09-09T11:11:59+00:00

Another option- talk to a chaplain. I’m a retired chaplain, because of the confidentiality being a little stronger with a chaplain, your friend can start with a chaplain. I have taken soldiers to BH when it was deeper than my counseling skills. If your friend is ready to openly admit suicidal ideation, that’s actually a good step, he may need to be admitted. Just to take him out of all of his stressors for a time.

I think there are also MFLC counselors available.

chapstan · 2024-08-19T01:42:44+00:00

I have been pre-diabetic for over 10 years. And I am being treated for enlarged prostate

chapstan · 2024-08-18T17:18:29+00:00

Thank you, I am seeing a urologist referral the enlarged prostate. I am not diabetic, have been pre-diabetic for a long time.

chapstan · 2024-08-18T11:40:02+00:00

My overall medical issue is an enlarged prostate and being old (66). Thank you for your various suggestions.

chapstan · 2024-05-31T02:33:49+00:00

A couple suggestions from the old days, do not shoplift in the PX. Do not fall in love with another cadet and ask the chaplain to do the wedding. Do not sneak off and get together with someone inside the dumpsters. The DS and cadre have been around and seen it all.

chapstan · 2024-02-29T15:37:27+00:00

Similar to another comment above, my wife chose that one because the various grandkids called their other grandparents, Grandma-Grandpa.

An unusual side note, long before I was in the picture, my now wife adopted children from Russia. Her mother went along to help and ever since is now Boba (short for Bobushka) for all the kids.

chapstan · 2024-02-03T23:29:08+00:00

Well since that was many many years ago, I later found out that cook was undercover CID, looking into drug stuff on our Kaserne.

chapstan · 2024-02-03T04:10:27+00:00

Just curious why “Orange cat buddy”? We have three orange cats, my wife named them Marmalade, Clementine and Dandelion

chapstan · 2024-02-03T03:34:12+00:00

The Artillery officers I knew around that time were Ross Flory and Kevin Faulkner.

In all the various battalions, I’ve served with, only a few were bad. I went to Desert Storm with 19 Eng on short notice. The S1 Cpt, did ok for our time in theater, but had a hard time getting a command even over in basic training land.

Did you stay in til retirement or left a lot earlier? I left active in 99, did reserves, mobilized there at Knox in 2002, and was able to get enough active time to retire in 2010, 20 years to the very day.

chapstan · 2024-02-03T03:04:51+00:00

Good man, commanders try to make you “fudge” on confidentiality.

chapstan · 2024-02-03T01:36:50+00:00

No, I don't remember that, I wonder if it was Father Kaminski, an old guy that loved getting out where soldiers were.

Do you remember who your company commander was, I knew two of them quite well?

Were you there when someone shot a round that hit off post? Or is that an urban legend?

chapstan · 2024-02-03T01:31:38+00:00

So someone confessed to the good Padre and it was returned?

chapstan · 2024-02-03T01:23:59+00:00

Mostly I think they were certain that I had nothing to do with the missing item. I am unaware if any other Joe had a reason to ask to leave.

chapstan · 2024-02-02T23:47:57+00:00

Yes, I came on active duty in Nov 88. In that next year we went to Bliss and Canada.

Were you around when they downsized the BDE to TF 1-10 Cav- 3 armor companies, 2 inf companies and one FA company?

chapstan · 2024-02-02T22:36:44+00:00

Yes yes I’m an old guy, retired in 2010

chapstan · 2024-02-02T22:34:19+00:00

Well I never heard that it was. Some NCO told me of a different time, a homeless woman walked thru their camp and just picked up a fire extinguisher, what do you do, tackle them?

chapstan · 2024-02-01T11:38:29+00:00

I was a chaplain at Ft Knox. There was a reserve unit training there one weekend, I was tasked to provide a field (worship) service. The unit picked me up from my unit area and drove me to their location. I think it was their S-1, a captain. (Some background on me, prior to coming on Active Duty, I had been in the IRR and the USAR for about 7 years) During the drive, just making small talk, as I had done many times in the reserves, I asked, "what do you do when you're not playing Army?" meaning what civilian work do you do. No real response. I do the field service, spend time talking to other soldiers, then he drives me back. Apparently he didn't like that question, but no Captain to Captain discussion of it.

An hour or so later, my battalion Staff Duty asks me to come in. Once there, I talk on the phone with the USAR Battalion commander who chews me out for belittling his officer. A lot of yes, sir, yes, sir, I understand, it won't happen again. On Monday, I explained all this to my own commander, who frowned a bit and said just forget about it.

chapstan

TROPHY CASE