{"id":45117,"date":"2023-05-12T20:21:26","date_gmt":"2023-05-12T20:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:45:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:45:53","slug":"chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Chaplains taking frontline role in surface fleet mental health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SAN DIEGO \u2013  While many surface fleet sailors are stressed, most are not suffering from mental illness, the surface fleet\u2019s chief mental health officer told Navy Times recently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe majority of our sailors\u2019 issues are to the left of mental illness,\u201d Capt. Tara Smith, the surface fleet\u2019s chief mental health officer and a clinical psychologist, told Navy Times. \u201cIt\u2019s life stress, it\u2019s adulting, it\u2019s everything\u2026being away from home, adapting to the work hours, adapting to the environment aboard the ship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To help surface fleet sailors find someone they can vent to about these everyday stressors \u2014 and to ensure Smith\u2019s clinic can focus on more serious cases \u2014 Naval Surface Forces is expanding its efforts to make chaplains a permanent part of the guided-missile destroyer fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chaplains are increasingly training with mental health providers and the military family life counselors, or MFLCs, that are now assigned to each ship. The counselors spend half a day on a ship per week, or a full day on a ship every two weeks, according to Smith. The goal of having more ship-based care is two-fold, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2022\/01\/12\/the-navy-is-making-chaplains-a-permanent-part-of-destroyer-crews\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"227\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/destroyer-chaplain.jfif_.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The Navy is making chaplains a permanent part of destroyer crews<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The effort began last month in the always-busy Japan-based U.S. 7th Fleet.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having them there helps ensure that normal \u201chuman or Navy stress\u201d isn\u2019t turned into a bigger deal than it really is, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt also destigmatizes help seeking,\u201d Smith added. \u201cAnd it\u2019s not documented.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overseas destroyers already have their own chaplains, and the Navy is slated to fund a permanent chaplain on every destroyer over the next two fiscal years, said Capt. Richard Ryan, the surface force\u2019s head chaplain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To date, 29 destroyers between Naval Surface Force Atlantic and Pacific have their own permanent chaplains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while getting a permanent chaplain on every warship remains a work in progress \u2014 the Navy boasts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navy.mil\/Resources\/Fact-Files\/Display-FactFiles\/Article\/2169871\/destroyers-ddg-51\/\" target=\"_blank\">71 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers<\/a> overall \u2014 the ships are already deploying with chaplains onboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2020, 68 percent of destroyers deployed with a chaplain, Ryan said, and that number rose to 98 percent the following year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before, chaplains had only visited ships, and Ryan pointed to preliminary data suggesting sailors are taking advantage of having a chaplain among their ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chaplains stationed aboard ships averaged 31 counseling sessions a month last year, while ships that only had chaplains dropping in for sporadic visits averaged 2.4 sessions monthly, according to Ryan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe can see them after hours, we can work around their schedule, all that kind of stuff,\u201d Cmdr. Keith Lightner, the head chaplain for Destroyer Squadron 21, said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big difference in access to care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chaplains aboard ships are helping their sailors in dedicated space aboard newer destroyers, while closets or cabins generally reserved for visiting bigwigs are used on older destroyers, Ryan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c(Sailors) knew that when they went to the back of the ship by the crew training room, they would find a chaplain there who could care for them in a space that was somewhat private from the rest of the ship,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ryan noted that chaplains do not report to a ship\u2019s command, and there is 100 percent confidentiality between a sailor and their chaplain.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/01\/13\/wwii-navy-chaplain-posthumously-awarded-navy-cross-for-comforting-fellow-sailors-in-shark-infested-waters\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/210108-N-PM193-1279.jfif_.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">WWII Navy chaplain posthumously awarded Navy Cross for comforting fellow sailors in \u2018shark infested waters\u2019<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Lt. Thomas Conway swam to sailors to provide them with comfort, prayer and to administer sacraments after two Japanese torpedos hit the USS Indianapolis.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having a chaplain onboard also frees up the potential conflict that comes from a sailor going to their chief or lead petty officer to vent, Naval Surface Forces Master Chief Greg Carlson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s barriers sometimes,\u201d Carlson said. \u201cAs much as we\u2019re physically engaged with them, I have direct influence over their advancement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chaplains are senior enough that, if they hear a recurring concern or issue from within the ranks, they can take it to the ship\u2019s commander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have that ability to go to leadership and say, \u2018hey, this needs to be fixed,\u2019\u201d Ryan said. \u201cWe\u2019re part of the command, but we\u2019re not part of the chain of command.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"714\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chaplain-photo-3.webp_.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-81249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chaplain-photo-3.webp_.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chaplain-photo-3.webp_.jpg?resize=300,214 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chaplain-photo-3.webp_.jpg?resize=768,548 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chaplain Lt. Milo Curtis presides over a worship service aboard the guided-missile destroyer Porter in February 2022. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Eric Coffer\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Deckplate help<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ryan receives a monthly report from his destroyer chaplains on the primary issues sailors are discussing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The top \u201ccounseling topic\u201d last year was operational stress, he said, which means \u201cthe general stress of having to operate on a ship\u2026having to do life and having to do work and balance all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second topic was religious and spiritual needs, although Ryan stressed that chaplains are not there to proselytize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe don\u2019t force religion on anybody, that\u2019s not our purpose,\u201d he said. \u201cIf they want to talk about the religious stuff, we\u2019re glad to talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Family issues were the third most-common topic, while adjusting to and coping with Navy life was the fourth and command climate concerns rounded out the top five.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having chaplains as part of the ship\u2019s crew also allows them to serve as frontline mental health watch standers, able to keep tabs on struggling sailors and get them deeper help at Smith\u2019s mental health clinic if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amid a continued manning shortage in the surface fleet, Ryan said chaplains can also help ensure sailors get underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere might be some sailors that a mental health provider would be hesitant to send underway if there was no caregiver,\u201d he said. \u201cBut a chaplain can check on the sailor and watch the sailor. He\u2019s not going to do mental health therapy with them, but as long as this person has this avenue, they can get underway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"714\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chaplain-photo-2.webp_.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-81253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chaplain-photo-2.webp_.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chaplain-photo-2.webp_.jpg?resize=300,214 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chaplain-photo-2.webp_.jpg?resize=768,548 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chaplain Lt. Kurtis Matheny play guitar during a worship service aboard the guided-missile destroyer Paul Hamilton in February. While chaplains minister to the religious needs of their crews, officials stress they are available to any sailor, regardless of religious belief.  (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Elliot Schaudt\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As part of this expansion, a special \u201cSurface Chaplain Officer\u201d qualification and uniform device are in the works for destroyer chaplains, Ryan said. The hope is that by better understanding the ship and the departments and what the crew does, they can better relate to sailors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cChaplains don\u2019t need to know the procedure to start up a main engine or how to stand watch on the bridge,\u201d Ryan said. \u201cHowever, chaplains do need to have a basic idea of how the ship works and what the sailors do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Navy has not done any formalized polling on how crews feel about having a chaplain in their ranks, but Ryan said that, anecdotally, the feedback has been positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen you walk around a ship with a chaplain, you will see sailors of all ranks and rates greeting the chaplain,\u201d he said. \u201cNo one passes the chaplain with their head down\u2026(Chaplains) comment about their favorite sports team or ask how a particular event or test went. The chaplain asks how their family is doing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Destroyer chaplains are providing sailors with a confidant outside their chain of command who they can vent to about anything, officials say.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":81241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":65,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news","left-column","home"],"primary_category":"your-military"}}},"categories":[101,23,88,12,26,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3355],"class_list":["post-45117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-navy"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"YRH4BM5FBFHP3PP2XCIPR7EGRE","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Chaplains taking frontline role in surface fleet mental health - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Destroyer chaplains are providing sailors with a confidant outside their chain of command who they can vent to about anything, officials say.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chaplains taking frontline role in surface fleet mental health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Destroyer chaplains are providing sailors with a confidant outside their chain of command who they can vent to about anything, officials say.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-12T20:21:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T19:45:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Geoff Ziezulewicz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Geoff Ziezulewicz\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/12\\\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/12\\\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Chaplains taking frontline role in surface fleet mental health\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2023-05-12T20:21:26+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T19:45:53+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/12\\\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1124,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/12\\\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/chaplain-photo-1.webp_.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Left Column\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Your Navy\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/12\\\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/12\\\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/12\\\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Chaplains taking frontline role in surface fleet mental health - Navy Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/12\\\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/12\\\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/chaplain-photo-1.webp_.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2023-05-12T20:21:26+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T19:45:53+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Destroyer chaplains are providing sailors with a confidant outside their chain of command who they can vent to about anything, officials say.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/12\\\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/12\\\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/12\\\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/chaplain-photo-1.webp_.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/chaplain-photo-1.webp_.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/12\\\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"News\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"news\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Your Navy\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"your-navy\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 4,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Chaplains taking frontline role in surface fleet mental health\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Navy Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Chaplains taking frontline role in surface fleet mental health - Navy Times","description":"Destroyer chaplains are providing sailors with a confidant outside their chain of command who they can vent to about anything, officials say.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Chaplains taking frontline role in surface fleet mental health","og_description":"Destroyer chaplains are providing sailors with a confidant outside their chain of command who they can vent to about anything, officials say.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/","og_site_name":"Navy Times","article_published_time":"2023-05-12T20:21:26+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T19:45:53+00:00","author":"Geoff Ziezulewicz","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Geoff Ziezulewicz","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Chaplains taking frontline role in surface fleet mental health","datePublished":"2023-05-12T20:21:26+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T19:45:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/"},"wordCount":1124,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chaplain-photo-1.webp_.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Home","Left Column","News","Newsletters","Your Navy"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/","name":"Chaplains taking frontline role in surface fleet mental health - Navy Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chaplain-photo-1.webp_.jpg","datePublished":"2023-05-12T20:21:26+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T19:45:53+00:00","description":"Destroyer chaplains are providing sailors with a confidant outside their chain of command who they can vent to about anything, officials say.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chaplain-photo-1.webp_.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chaplain-photo-1.webp_.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2023\/05\/12\/chaplains-taking-frontline-role-in-surface-fleet-mental-health\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/","ad_zone":"news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Your Navy","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/","ad_zone":"your-navy"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Chaplains taking frontline role in surface fleet mental health"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","name":"Navy Times","description":"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization","name":"Navy Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","caption":"Navy Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Navy Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chaplain-photo-1.webp_.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45117"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45130,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45117\/revisions\/45130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45117"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=45117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}