{"id":41926,"date":"2022-01-12T19:18:14","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T19:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/01\/12\/the-navy-is-making-chaplains-a-permanent-part-of-destroyer-crews\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:04:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:04:15","slug":"the-navy-is-making-chaplains-a-permanent-part-of-destroyer-crews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2022\/01\/12\/the-navy-is-making-chaplains-a-permanent-part-of-destroyer-crews\/","title":{"rendered":"The Navy is making chaplains a permanent part of destroyer crews"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a nod to the mental health needs of guided-missile destroyer crews, the Navy is starting to make chaplains<\/a> a permanent part of the warship\u2019s force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The effort began last month in the always-busy Japan-based U.S. 7th Fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There, Destroyer Squadron 15 assigned one of the uniformed religious leaders for each of the squadron\u2019s eight destroyers, making them a permanent part of the ship\u2019s company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before that, chaplains were farmed out to destroyers during workups and deployments as visiting \u201cship riders,\u201d according to Naval Surface Forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe mental health of our Sailors is a top priority for the Surface Force,\u201d command spokesman Jarred Reid-Dixon said in an email. \u201cWe identified the need to assign chaplains aboard destroyers to help build Sailor resiliency across the Fleet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t