Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army
Chief supervising officer of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps
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The chief of chaplains of the United States Army (CCH) is the chief supervising officer of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps.[a] From 1775 to 1920, chaplains were attached to separate units. The Office of the Chief of Chaplains was created by the National Defense Act of 1920 in order to better organize the chaplaincy.[3]
AbbreviationOCCH
Reports toChief of Staff of the Army
AppointerThe president
with Senate advice and consent
with Senate advice and consent
Constituting instrumentNational Defense Act of 1920
10 U.S.C. § 7073
10 U.S.C. § 7073
| Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army | |
|---|---|
Seal of the Office of the Chief of Chaplains | |
 Flag of the chief of chaplains | |
Incumbent since April 2, 2026vacant | |
| U.S. Army Chaplain Corps Army Staff[1] | |
| Abbreviation | OCCH |
| Reports to | Chief of Staff of the Army |
| Appointer | The president with Senate advice and consent |
| Constituting instrument | National Defense Act of 1920 10 U.S.C. § 7073 |
| Formation | June 4, 1920 |
| First holder | CH (COL) John T. Axton |
| Deputy | Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army |
| Website | Official Website |
The most recent chief of chaplains, Major General William Green Jr., was removed from the role on April 2, 2026, by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.[4] No successor has been named.
U.S. Army chiefs of chaplains
| No. | Rank[b] | Name | Photo | Denomination | Term began | Term ended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | COL | John T. Axton | .jpg) |
Congregational | July 15, 1920 | April 6, 1928 |
| 2 | COL | Edmund P. Easterbrook |  |
Methodist | April 7, 1928 | December 22, 1929 |
| 3 | COL | Julian E. Yates |  |
Northern Baptist | December 23, 1929 | December 22, 1933 |
| 4 | COL | Alva J. Brasted |  |
Baptist | December 23, 1933 | December 22, 1937 |
| 5 | MG | William Richard Arnold |  |
Roman Catholic | December 23, 1937 | February 14, 1945 |
| 6 | MG | Luther D. Miller |  |
Episcopalian | April 12, 1945 (acting) July 14, 1945 (appointed) | August 1, 1949 |
| 7 | MG | Roy H. Parker |  |
Southern Baptist | August 2, 1949 | May 27, 1952 |
| 8 | MG | Ivan L. Bennett | _Ivan_L._Bennett.jpg) |
Southern Baptist | May 28, 1952 | April 30, 1954 |
| 9 | MG | Patrick J. Ryan | _Patrick_J._Ryan.jpg) |
Roman Catholic | May 1, 1954 | October 30, 1958 |
| 10 | MG | Frank A. Tobey |  |
American Baptist | November 1, 1958 | October 31, 1962 |
| 11 | MG | Charles E. Brown Jr. |  |
United Methodist | November 1, 1962 | July 31, 1967 |
| 12 | MG | Francis L. Sampson |  |
Roman Catholic | August 1, 1967 | July 31, 1971 |
| 13 | MG | Gerhardt W. Hyatt |  |
Lutheran | August 3, 1971 | July 29, 1975 |
| 14 | MG | Orris E. Kelly |  |
Methodist | August 1, 1975 | July 1, 1979 |
| 15 | MG | Kermit D. Johnson |  |
United Presbyterian | July 2, 1979 | June 30, 1982 |
| 16 | MG | Patrick J. Hessian |  |
Roman Catholic | July 1, 1982 | June 30, 1986 |
| 17 | MG | Norris L. Einertson |  |
Lutheran | July 1, 1986 | August 26, 1990 |
| 18 | MG | Matthew A. Zimmerman |  |
National Baptist Convention | August 27, 1990 | August 6, 1994 |
| 19 | MG | Donald W. Shea |  |
Roman Catholic | August 7, 1994 | May 31, 1999 |
| 20 | MG | Gaylord T. Gunhus |  |
Lutheran Brethren | July 1, 1999 | July 28, 2003 |
| 21 | MG | David Hicks |  |
Presbyterian | August 16, 2003 | July 11, 2007 |
| 22 | MG | Douglas L. Carver | _Douglas_L._Carver.jpg) |
Southern Baptist | July 12, 2007 | July 21, 2011 |
| 23 | MG | Donald L. Rutherford |  |
Roman Catholic | July 22, 2011 | May 21, 2015 |
| 24 | MG | Paul K. Hurley |  |
Roman Catholic | May 22, 2015 | May 30, 2019 |
| 25 | MG | Thomas L. Solhjem | .jpg) |
Assemblies of God | May 31, 2019 | June 20, 2023 |
| 26 | MG | William Green Jr. | _William_Green_Jr.jpg) |
National Baptist Convention | June 20, 2023 (acting) December 5, 2023 (appointed) | April 2, 2026 |
See also
