text: Chapter 1
  Religious Support for the Army
  RELIGIOUS SUPPORT FOUNDATIONS
  1-1. On June 14, 1775, the 2nd Continental Congress established by resolution the American Continental
  Army authorizing ten companies of expert riflemen to support the American Revolution. In July of 1775, the
  Continental Congress provided for the appointment and pay of chaplains for the Army. That appointment
  provided the Army with a dedicated and intentional means to support the religious needs of American
  Soldiers fighting for our nation’s freedom and forever linked the chaplaincy with the operational mission of
  the United States (U.S.) Army.
  1-2. The passing of the Constitution and accompanying Bill of Rights enshrined into public law our nation’s
  fundamental liberties. The First Amendment guarantees all Americans the right to free exercise of their
  religious beliefs and prohibits the government from establishing a religion. This constitutional principle is
  firmly embedded in statutory foundations of the nation.
  1-3. The Army Chaplaincy serves to advise and assist commanders in the discharge of their responsibilities
  to provide for the free exercise of religion in the context of military Service as guaranteed by the Constitution;
  to assist commanders in managing religious affairs and to serve as principal advisors to commands for all
  issues regarding the impact of religion on military operations. Chaplains participate in operational planning
  and advise the commander and staff on matters as appropriate, consistent with their noncombatant status.
  (See DODD 1304.19 for discussion of chaplain appointments.)
  1-4. At every echelon of the force, the chaplaincy is the Army’s primary agency for facilitating the right to
  free exercise of religion for Service members on behalf of the commander. The chaplains and religious affairs
  specialists, from the Chief of Chaplains down to battalion unit ministry teams (UMTs), fulfill this core and
  essential responsibility. Based upon the requirements of an operational mission, a Soldier exercises this right
  in a number of ways to include, but not limited to—
  * Worshipping according to one’s faith.
  * Seeking religious counsel and care.
  * Keeping holy days and observances.
  * Participating in rites, sacraments, and ordinances.
  * Practicing dietary laws.
  MISSION
  1-5. The mission of the Army Chaplain Corps is to provide religious support (RS) to the Army across the
  range of military operations (ROMO) by assisting the commander in providing for the free exercise of
  religion and providing religious, moral, and ethical advisement and leadership. (DODD 1304.19) Provide is
  understood as either (perform) personal delivery or (provide) coordination of required support from other
  chaplain sources. (See ADRP 1-03, ART 4.2.4.1 for religious tasks.) Throughout our history, chaplains and
  religious affairs specialists have served alongside combat Soldiers, enduring the same hardships, and bearing
  the same burdens. They are members of the profession of arms. RS in the Army has no civilian equivalent.
  Chaplains execute their distinct RS mission for uniformed military Service members, Family members, and
  authorized civilians in a variety of geographical locations, operational situations, and circumstances.
  1-6. The Army is the dominant U.S. fighting force in the land domain. Army forces both depend upon and
  enable the joint force across multiple domains (air, land, maritime, space, and the information environment
  [which includes cyberspace]). This mutual interdependence creates powerful synergies and reflects that all
  operations have multi-domain components. Army forces, with unified action partners, conduct land