Chaplain of the Coast Guard
Encyclopedia
The Chaplain of the United States Coast Guard (CHCG) is the senior chaplain
of the United States Coast Guard
(USCG) and is attached to USCG Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
as a United States Navy Chaplain Corps
officer who reports directly to the Commandant of the Coast Guard
. The current Chaplain of the Coast Guard is Captain Gary P. Weeden
.
by USCG personnel. Chaplains provide religious ministry, advocate for and promote the well-being of USCG personnel, and serve as command liaison officer
s to civilian religious leaders, communities, organizations and agencies.
The USCG does not have its own chaplain corps. United States Navy
and Public Health Service
chaplains from the United States Navy Chaplain Corps
are assigned to the USCG to serve in USCG units. The USCG Chaplains Orientation Manual provides guidance for chaplains assigned to these duties. Chaplains come from many different faiths and may be ordained or appointed as ministers, priests
, imam
s, and rabbi
s.
Military chaplain
A military chaplain is a chaplain who ministers to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other members of the military. In many countries, chaplains also minister to the family members of military personnel, to civilian noncombatants working for military organizations and to civilians within the...
of the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
(USCG) and is attached to USCG Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as a United States Navy Chaplain Corps
United States Navy Chaplain Corps
The Chaplain Corps of the United States Navy consists of ordained clergy who are commissioned naval officers. Their principal purpose is to "promote the spiritual, religious, moral, and personal well-being of the members of the Department of the Navy," which includes the Navy and the United States...
officer who reports directly to the Commandant of the Coast Guard
Commandant of the Coast Guard
The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard is the highest ranking member of the United States Coast Guard. The Commandant is normally the only four-star Admiral in the Coast Guard and is appointed for a four-year term by the President of the United States upon confirmation by the United...
. The current Chaplain of the Coast Guard is Captain Gary P. Weeden
Gary P. Weeden
Chaplain Gary P. Weeden is the 9th and current Chaplain of the United States Coast Guard. He was appointed to this assignment on June 11, 2010. Captain Weeden is a graduate of Western Seminary.-References:...
.
Purpose
The Chaplain of the Coast Guard serves as the Commandant's senior advisor on matters pertaining to chaplains and the free exercise of religionReligion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
by USCG personnel. Chaplains provide religious ministry, advocate for and promote the well-being of USCG personnel, and serve as command liaison officer
Liaison officer
A liaison officer or LNO is a person that liaises between two organizations to communicate and coordinate their activities. Generally, they are used to achieve the best utilization of resources or employment of services of one organization by another. In the military, liaison officers may...
s to civilian religious leaders, communities, organizations and agencies.
The USCG does not have its own chaplain corps. United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and Public Health Service
United States Public Health Service
The Public Health Service Act of 1944 structured the United States Public Health Service as the primary division of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare , which later became the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The PHS comprises all Agency Divisions of Health and...
chaplains from the United States Navy Chaplain Corps
United States Navy Chaplain Corps
The Chaplain Corps of the United States Navy consists of ordained clergy who are commissioned naval officers. Their principal purpose is to "promote the spiritual, religious, moral, and personal well-being of the members of the Department of the Navy," which includes the Navy and the United States...
are assigned to the USCG to serve in USCG units. The USCG Chaplains Orientation Manual provides guidance for chaplains assigned to these duties. Chaplains come from many different faiths and may be ordained or appointed as ministers, priests
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
, imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
s, and rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s.
U.S. Coast Guard Chaplains
| Name | Photo | Term began | Term ended | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | CAPT Eddie B. Moran | 1983 | 1986 | |
| 2. | CAPT Richard A. Plishker | 1986 | 1989 | |
| 3. | CAPT James G. Goode | 1989 | 1992 | |
| 4. | CAPT Thomas K. Chadwick Thomas K. Chadwick Thomas K. Chadwick is retired officer in the United States Navy and Chaplain of the United States Coast Guard.-Biography:A native of Ohio, Chadwick is an ordained Presbyterian minister. Chadwick is a graduate of Ohio University, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Pepperdine University... |
1992 | 1995 | |
| 5. | CAPT Skip Blancett | 1995 | 1998 | |
| 6. | CAPT Leroy Gilbert Leroy Gilbert Leroy Gilbert is a former officer in the United States Navy and Chaplain of the United States Coast Guard.-Biography:A native of Albany, Georgia, Gilbert is an ordained Baptist pastor. Gilbert holds a B.A. from American Baptist College, an M.Div. from Howard University, an S.T.M. from Yale Divinity... |
1998 | 2002 | |
| 7. | CAPT Wilbur C. Douglass, III | 2002 | 2006 | |
| 8. | CAPT William F. Cuddy, Jr. | 2006 | 2010 | |
| 9. | CAPT Gary P. Weeden Gary P. Weeden Chaplain Gary P. Weeden is the 9th and current Chaplain of the United States Coast Guard. He was appointed to this assignment on June 11, 2010. Captain Weeden is a graduate of Western Seminary.-References:... |
June 11, 2010 | Incumbent |
See also
- Military chaplainMilitary chaplainA military chaplain is a chaplain who ministers to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other members of the military. In many countries, chaplains also minister to the family members of military personnel, to civilian noncombatants working for military organizations and to civilians within the...
- United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
- United States Navy Chaplain CorpsUnited States Navy Chaplain CorpsThe Chaplain Corps of the United States Navy consists of ordained clergy who are commissioned naval officers. Their principal purpose is to "promote the spiritual, religious, moral, and personal well-being of the members of the Department of the Navy," which includes the Navy and the United States...
- Chiefs of Chaplains of the United StatesChiefs of Chaplains of the United StatesIn 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...
- Chaplain's Medal for HeroismChaplain's Medal for HeroismThe Chaplain's Medal for Heroism is a decoration of the United States Congress which was authorized by an act of Congress on July 14, 1960. Also known as the Chaplain's Medal of Honor and the Four Chaplains' Medal, the decoration commemorates the actions of the Four Chaplains who gave their lives...
- Armed Forces Chaplains BoardArmed Forces Chaplains BoardThe Armed Forces Chaplains Board is an organizational entity within the United States Department of Defense established to advise the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness on religious, ethical, and moral matters, in addition to a number of policy...