{"id":16263,"date":"2020-01-10T23:15:43","date_gmt":"2020-01-10T23:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/01\/10\/airman-becomes-militarys-first-female-muslim-chaplain-candidate\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:22:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:22:45","slug":"airman-becomes-militarys-first-female-muslim-chaplain-candidate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/01\/10\/airman-becomes-militarys-first-female-muslim-chaplain-candidate\/","title":{"rendered":"Airman becomes the service\u2019s first female Muslim chaplain candidate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Air Force last month commissioned the first female Muslim chaplain in the service<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second Lt. Saleha Jabeen was commissioned Dec. 18 at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago by Air Force Chief of Chaplains<\/a> Maj. Gen. Steven Schaick, the Air Force said in a release Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Islamic Society of North America endorsed Jabeen to become the Air Force\u2019s first female imam, a spiritual leader in Islam, the release said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAny time we advance religious freedoms, it\u2019s a win for all persons of faith,\u201d Schaick said in the release. \u201cThis is a big day not just for Muslims<\/a>, but for persons of all faiths.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Air Force chaplains are ordained in their own particular faith, they are responsible for counseling and supporting the spiritual needs of all airmen in their units, even if the airman follows a different religion, or no religion at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his remarks at the commissioning, Schaick spoke about the importance of diversity in the Air Force\u2019s chaplaincy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Friends and family members of chaplain candidate Saleha Jabeen pin on her second lieutenant rank, during a commissioning ceremony, Dec. 18, 2019, at the Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, Illinois. Jabeen entered the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense as the first female Muslim chaplain candidate. (Tech. Sgt. Armando Schwier-Morales\/Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe fact is America is a place where the Constitution guarantees your freedom to embrace or abstain from religious ideals, and the Chaplain Corps, which Jabeen just entered, exists to ensure every airman has a religious freedom advocate,\u201d Schaick said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t