Outside of the “Can you Pray in Jesus Name?” question, one of the most frequent questions about being a Chaplain is whether or not I can carry a weapon. The Chief of Chaplains Office is very clear about the non-combatant status of Chaplains and I whole heartedly agree that this should be our stand.
The noncombatant status of Chaplains forbids me from carrying a weapon. And, yes, I am ok with that.
I am a noncombatant. My mission is not to engage in war. I believe war is necessary in just cases, however I am not a combatant. I gave that up when I became a Chaplain. My role is different. My role is to be the spiritual leader and the minister in the unit. There is nothing farther from my mission than the killing of enemy personnel. Carrying a weapon would undermine the role that God has given me to be a voice of peace and restraint. There are those who fight and there are those who do not. I am one who does not.
If I am in danger, God is there to oversee my movement. He is there to protect me. I place my trust in God.
But, there are other reasons.
If we are to expect “Private Snuffy” to obey the Rules of Engagement, the Chaplain, of all people should obey his. It is that simple.
Further, if I need to have a weapon to defend myself; then things are really bad or I am in the wrong place. Even in the new complex environment of the modern battlefield, I do not intend to be in the area if either happens.
The bottom line is that I also trust the men and women around me who are there to protect me. They will do their job, so I can do mine. The Army works that way.
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Photo from Unsplash.com
This post is a rewrite of a post titled “Carrying a Weapon” written in April 2008.