The Voice for Chaplaincy - Chartered by Congress - Serving Since 1925
Weekly Newsgram - August 8th 2018

Air Force Chief and Deputy Chief of Chaplains Announced

Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis announced on July 24th that the president has made the following nominations:

Air Force Brig. Gen. Steven A. Schaick has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general, and for assignment as the chief of chaplains, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.  Schaick is currently serving as the deputy chief of chaplains, Office of the
 Chief of Chaplains, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.

Air Force Col. Ronald M. Harvell has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general.  Harvell is currently serving as the command chaplain, Headquarters Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

The MCA congratulates both of these chaplains and looks forward to supporting them both in these new positions of responsibility and service. 
 

Executive Director  Notes


   It appears that August will be a month with a number of meetings with some at least three sets of our colleagues: First, the VA chaplains will be having a convocation from 14 thru 16 August in Arlington, and MCA plans to have a representative dropping by to provide our greetings and support for our colleagues in this remarkable chaplaincy.
 
That will be followed by meeting with Civil Air Patrol chaplains at the national CAP conference at the Marriott Anaheim Convention Center, which will be the first time that I'll be attending the national conference of this distinguished group of colleagues. At the end of the month I'll be meeting with the president of Vet to Vet Tennessee, Ed Junod, who is representing one of our strategic partners with the Veteran Military Friendly Congregations (VMFC).
 
   Additionally, I'm going through a roster of our members in Western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee with the goal of having a gathering of members who are within about a 45 minute drive of Asheville this Fall. That said, I have heard from a number of your already, and feel free to email me to let me know if you are still in the area and we'll start the process of pulling together an inaugural gathering of our membership in the metro Asheville area.
 
As always, if there is anything we can do for you to provide support for you do not hesitate to let me know by emailing me at [email protected].

Fr. Razz Waff, DMin, BCC



Chaplains Participate in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Scenario During RIMPAC 2018

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM (July 13, 2018) Interviews with U.S. Navy Chaplain Lt. Ian Vanderhile and Canadian Army Chaplain Lt. Col. Michel Dion during a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief scenario as part of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. Twenty-five nations, 46 ships, five submarines, about 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 27 to Aug. 2 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security of the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2018 is the 26th exercise in the series that began in 1971. 

Watch Video Here



JOHN S. McCAIN NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019



The NDAA 2019 has been passed by the Congress and sent to the White House for the President's signature. This is the earliest the Act has been passed in many years. 

Language of interest to those concerned for military chaplaincy is contained in Section 510 - see below. 

This new language, once the bill is signed into law, will establish by statute the military ranks of the chiefs of chaplains of the three military departments. 

Earlier this year, plans had been made by one of the services to reduce the rank of their chief of chaplains to O-7 versus O-8. Though the other two services did not follow suit, this reduction was of concern to many supporters of military chaplaincy. 

Through an organized effort coordinated by the National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces with assistance from the Military Chaplains Association and others, many legislators and other high ranking officials were contacted and the ultimate result is this new language. 

We thank those members of Congress who recognized the need to support military chaplaincy by ensuring the appointed leaders hold rank commensurate with the responsibility invested in them. Representative Mac Thornberry, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, is deserving of special recognition for his leadership and support of this important decision. 


SEC. 510. GRADES OF CHIEFS OF CHAPLAINS.

(a) ARMY.-Section 3073 of title 10, United States Code, is amended
(1) by inserting ''(a)'' before ''There''; and (2) by adding at the end the following new sub-2 section: 3 ''(b) The Chief of Chaplains, while so serving, holds the grade of major general.''.

(b) NAVY.-Section 5142 of title 10, United States 6 Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ''(e) The Chief of Chaplains, while so serving, holds the grade of rear admiral (upper half).''.

(c) AIR FORCE.-Section 8039 of title 10, United 11 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ''(c) GRADE OF CHIEF OF CHAPLAINS.-The Chief of Chaplains, while so serving, holds the grade of major general.''.


Planning Ahead

Soul Repair Center 
presents 



Spiritual Care for Moral Injury:
Equipping Religious Leaders and Faith Communities

Thursday, November 15, 2018
8:45 a.m. - 5 p.m.

"Responding to Moral Injury with Pastoral and Theological Wisdom: A Conversation"
Carrie Doehring, Shareda Hosein, Shelly Rambo, Nancy Ramsay,
and Michael Yandell

"Cultivating Awareness of Moral Injury in Sacred Texts"
Exploring: Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist texts with
David Blumenthal, Warren Carter, Amir Hussain, Joseph McDonald,
and John Thompson

Hosted by Iliff School of Theology
2201 S. University Blvd, Denver, CO 80210

Visit www.brite.edu/moralinjury
for more information or to register.
Registration $35
Opens in June 1, 2018

Block of hotel rooms nearby will be available at conference rate November 14-15, 2018



The Military Chaplains Magazine
2018 Themes and Submission Deadlines
                                              
Fall Issue - Religious Accommodation in 2018
Articles to be submitted by August 31
Publication September 24
                                                
Winter Issue - Chaplaincy and Religion in a Post-Truth World
Articles to be submitted by November 30
Publication December 21


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If you missed the August 1st  edition of the Newsgram  click here
SUPPORTING CHAPLAINCY IN AND OUT OF UNIFORM: Active, Retired and Former Chaplains of the  United States Army,  United States Navy,  United States Air Force, Department of  Veterans Affairs, and  Civil Air Patrol

AND THOSE THEY SERVE: military members, veterans, and their families  at home and around the world

The Military Chaplains Association of the USA
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