Chaplain's assitants help meet wing's needs

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tom Talbert
  • 442nd Fighter Wing public affairs
Did you know that in a combat zone, parts of the Chaplain Assistant's duties are to be the armed protection for the Chaplain? Chaplains are considered non-combatants, so are unarmed during combat.

"The Chaplain Assistant acts as the eyes and ears for a Chaplain", according to Staff Sgt. Allen Haas, 442nd Fighter Wing Chaplain Assistant. But it's just one aspect to a seldom-discussed job that is probably far more involved than the average observer might suspect.

"Of course we are the administrative portion of the office, but most people aren't aware, we try to observe and report the unit's spiritual needs to the Chaplain," said Master Sgt. Chiquita Wilson. "We do this through various questionnaires, needs assessments and just being aware."

Probably the most challenging aspect of the job, according to Sergeant Haas, is the level of diversity the Chaplain Assistant must be prepared to handle.

"You are not a Protestant or Catholic Chaplain's Assistant," he said. "You assist the entire Chaplain corps, which could be Muslim, Jewish or any number of religions. I need to be sensitive to the beliefs of all Airmen and informed about those beliefs."