In the United States armed forces, the chiefs of chaplains of the United States are the senior service chaplains who lead and represent the Chaplain Corps of the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force. The Navy created the first Office of the Chief of Chaplains in 1917; the Army followed in 1920, and the Air Force established its own in 1948 after it became a separate branch.
The three chiefs of chaplains and the three active-duty deputy chiefs of chaplains from the Army, Navy, and Air Force comprise the Armed Forces Chaplains Board (AFCB) which provides advice and recommendations to OSD officials (the secretary of defense and the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness) on policies and issues related to the free exercise of religion and on all matters concerning religion, spiritual readiness, morality, ethics, morale, and military chaplains, in addition to a number of policy issues.[1][2][3]
The current military chiefs of chaplains are:
| Name | Photo | Rank and service | Chaplain Corps emblem | Position | Appointed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vacant | Major General US Army |  | Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army | since April 2, 2026[4] | |
| Gregory N. Todd | .jpg) | Rear Admiral US Navy |  | Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy | May 16, 2022 |
| Trent C. Davis |  | Major General US Air Force |  | Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force | August 9, 2024 |
Chaplains of the Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force
editAs the Marine Corps and Coast Guard do not commission chaplains, the United States Navy deputy chief of chaplains also serves as chaplain of the United States Marine Corps, and a senior Navy chaplain holding the rank of Navy captain serves as chaplain of the Coast Guard. The Air Force chief of chaplains also serves as chaplain for the United States Space Force. The current chaplains are:
| Name | Photo | Rank and service | Position | Appointed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carey H. Cash | .jpg) | Rear Admiral US Marine Corps | Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps | May 17, 2022 |
| Jennifer D. Bowden | .jpg) | Captain US Navy | Chaplain of the United States Coast Guard | July 2024 |
| Trent C. Davis | | Major General US Air Force | Chaplain of the United States Space Force | August 9, 2024 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Current AFCB Site". Archived from the original on April 15, 2018.
- ↑ Archived AFCB Site at the Wayback Machine (archived 2024-03-26).
- ↑ DOD Instruction 5120.08, The Armed Forces Chaplains Board (24 Apr 2024).
- ↑ Wingfield, Mark (2026-04-03). "For first time ever, Army chief of chaplains fired — by Hegseth". Baptist News Global. Retrieved 2026-04-03.