Chaplain (Lt Col) Timothy H. Miner, CAP
On March 24, 2023, the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Chaplain Corps published a revised version of its CAP Pamphlet 40-80, Chaplain Corps Handbook and Specialty Track Guide. Chapter 1 is now titled, “Ethos of the Chaplain Corps, Basics of Ethics”. This first comprehensive ethos for the Chaplain Corps is a direct result of the creation of the Civil Air Patrol Chaplain Corps College and its ability to respond to real-world requests for academic and staffing support. Documenting the history and results of the process is an important case study in servant leadership and the power of collecting the talents of the CAP Chaplain Corps as a force for change, innovation, and evolution.
Building a professional volunteer chaplain corps has been important to the corps since 2020 when the first online national Chaplain Corps Regional Staff College took place during the COVID pandemic. The Spring 2021 issue of The Transmitter newsletter (Miner, 2021) articulated the early vision. The college’s think-tank, the Center for Religion, Ethics, and Excellence in Leadership (CREEL) was to be a place for innovation and change. It was perfect for the mission.
While supporting the first offering of the new and innovative, Advanced Character Development Class (ACD) at the college in July 2022, this author received a request for assistance from the corps’ Chief of Chaplains to support rewriting the current ethical statements for chaplains. The old code of ethics was published in CAP Regulation 80-1 dated October 7, 2021, and its predecessor CAPR 265-1 and CAPP 265-2. All previous statements were copies of the ethical statements for chaplains from the association of their national endorsing bodies. There was nothing in print that applied to Character Development Instructors (CDI). The class and its population of senior chaplains and CDIs was a natural fit for support. The project is now the model for relevant, timely, and innovative class projects for ACD classes.
While this author drafted the first attempt of the Statement of Ethics, it was only through the input of the staff and students in the class that the final ethical statement evolved to its present form that is found in Attachment 1. Immediately, the CAP Chaplain Corps College stepped up to earn its credibility as a center of excellence for the moral development of youth and adults supporting missions for the nation and its communities. (See link on the bottom of this page)
ATTACHMENT 1: Civil Air Patrol Pamphlet 40-80: Chaplain Corps Handbook and Special Track Guide Chapter 1
ethos [‘e-thos] NOUN – the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations.
The Civil Air Patrol Chaplain Corps is a volunteer professional “corps” within the United States Air Force Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol. As professionals we are obligated to conduct everything we do to the watchful eye and scrutiny of our commanders and all the members we serve. Our mission is to serve our members by “shaping futures”. That can only be done with the utmost of care and diligence. We begin the process by shaping ourselves to the solemn task that is our calling.
As a non-combatant member of the United States Air Force Auxiliary, we still hold ourselves to a “warrior ethos.” In this case, being a ‘warrior’ is an attitude about how to handle the challenges of life, a calling, or a mission. It is not a paid profession.
This concept was first adopted in 2007 by the USAF. In their manuals it is written: “What is warrior ethos? A warrior is ‘one who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause or conflict;’ ethos is ‘the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person or institution.’ The warrior ethos is a guiding principle by which we live. It guides more than just our professional life as Airmen. By dedicating ourselves to the warrior ethos, we become better people overall.”
A Chaplain Corps ethos reflects how we, as professionals, view themselves [sic] (identity), how we fulfill our function (expertise), and we relate to our parent organization, our government and to society (responsibility).
There are five keyways that those who are appointed to the CAP Chaplain Corps can exemplify their role as members of a unique professional organization.
- Act professionally according to the core values of the Civil Air Patrol in all things at all times. Be a living role model of the four core values in everything you do, inside the organization and in your private lives.
- Look the part of the role model and professional in the Civil Air Patrol. Every member of the CAP Chaplain Corps should know the uniform regulations and follow them every time they are called to visually represent the organization. 5 CAPP 40-80
- Communicate professionally, effectively, and precisely. Every member of the Chaplain Corps should know and use the communications materials that outline the requirements
Link to transmitter article
Miner, Timothy H., The Transmitter; Spring 2021, pages 16-18. https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/ media/cms/Transmitter_Spring_2021_07FAF9BED44B9.pdf