Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army

Chief of Chaplains of the
United States Army
Seal of the Office of the Chief of Chaplains
Flag of the chief of chaplains
Incumbent
vacant
since April 2, 2026
U.S. Army Chaplain Corps
Army Staff[1]
AbbreviationOCCH
Reports toChief of Staff of the Army
AppointerThe president
with Senate advice and consent
Constituting instrumentNational Defense Act of 1920
10 U.S.C. § 7073
FormationJune 4, 1920 (1920-06-04)
First holderCH (COL) John T. Axton
DeputyDeputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army
WebsiteOfficial Website

The chief of chaplains of the United States Army (CCH) is the chief supervising officer of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps.[a] From 1775 to 1920, chaplains were attached to separate units. The Office of the Chief of Chaplains was created by the National Defense Act of 1920 in order to better organize the chaplaincy.[3]

The most recent chief of chaplains, Major General William Green Jr., was removed from the role on April 2, 2026, by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.[4] No successor has been named.

U.S. Army chiefs of chaplains

No. Rank[b] Name Photo Denomination Term began Term ended
1 COL John T. Axton Congregational July 15, 1920 April 6, 1928
2 COL Edmund P. Easterbrook Methodist April 7, 1928 December 22, 1929
3 COL Julian E. Yates Northern Baptist December 23, 1929 December 22, 1933
4 COL Alva J. Brasted Baptist December 23, 1933 December 22, 1937
5 MG William Richard Arnold Roman Catholic December 23, 1937 February 14, 1945
6 MG Luther D. Miller Episcopalian April 12, 1945 (acting)
July 14, 1945 (appointed)		 August 1, 1949
7 MG Roy H. Parker Southern Baptist August 2, 1949 May 27, 1952
8 MG Ivan L. Bennett Southern Baptist May 28, 1952 April 30, 1954
9 MG Patrick J. Ryan Roman Catholic May 1, 1954 October 30, 1958
10 MG Frank A. Tobey American Baptist November 1, 1958 October 31, 1962
11 MG Charles E. Brown Jr. United Methodist November 1, 1962 July 31, 1967
12 MG Francis L. Sampson Roman Catholic August 1, 1967 July 31, 1971
13 MG Gerhardt W. Hyatt Lutheran August 3, 1971 July 29, 1975
14 MG Orris E. Kelly Methodist August 1, 1975 July 1, 1979
15 MG Kermit D. Johnson United Presbyterian July 2, 1979 June 30, 1982
16 MG Patrick J. Hessian Roman Catholic July 1, 1982 June 30, 1986
17 MG Norris L. Einertson Lutheran July 1, 1986 August 26, 1990
18 MG Matthew A. Zimmerman National Baptist Convention August 27, 1990 August 6, 1994
19 MG Donald W. Shea Roman Catholic August 7, 1994 May 31, 1999
20 MG Gaylord T. Gunhus Lutheran Brethren July 1, 1999 July 28, 2003
21 MG David Hicks Presbyterian August 16, 2003 July 11, 2007
22 MG Douglas L. Carver Southern Baptist July 12, 2007 July 21, 2011
23 MG Donald L. Rutherford Roman Catholic July 22, 2011 May 21, 2015
24 MG Paul K. Hurley Roman Catholic May 22, 2015 May 30, 2019
25 MG Thomas L. Solhjem Assemblies of God May 31, 2019 June 20, 2023
26 MG William Green Jr. National Baptist Convention June 20, 2023 (acting)
December 5, 2023 (appointed)		 April 2, 2026

See also

2008 meeting of current and former Army chiefs of chaplains in Arlington, Virginia
  • Armed Forces Chaplains Board
  • Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army
  • Chiefs of Chaplains of the United States
  • International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference

Notes

  1. ^ Chaplains do not hold commanding authority.[2]
  2. ^ Rank column indicates the person's highest rank attained while serving as Chief of Chaplains.

References

  1. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 7031 - The Army Staff: function; composition.
  2. ^ Army Command Policy (PDF). Department of the Army. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 15, 2004.
  3. ^ Army Birthdays Archived 2010-04-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
  4. ^ Wingfield, Mark (April 3, 2026). "For first time ever, Army chief of chaplains fired — by Hegseth". Baptist News Global. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
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