| A Message from the Chief of the Chaplain Corps Chaplain (Colonel) John F. Reutemann III |
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Pictured above Chaplain (Col.) John F. Reutemann III
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In my very first Transmitter article as the new Chief of Chaplains, I have to begin by thanking our outgoing Chief of Chaplains, Ch Linda Pugsley, and her entire team. During this past command term, they continued to grow not just the size of our Corps but indeed its impact at every echelon, expanding training opportunities for our chaplains and CDIs, updating CAPR 80-1, and overall making us a more visible presence throughout our organization. We as chaplains and CDIs know firsthand the impact that our ministry can have on the mission, and most of our members do too. Of course, there will always be some members who struggle to see what we bring to the mission, and so it is my hope that during this command term we can continue to prove ourselves as an invaluable resource to our diverse field. That said, I have been overwhelmed by the support received from our new National Commander and CEO, Maj Gen Regena Aye, who is one of the biggest supporters of the Chaplain Corps that I have ever met, not to mention a woman of deep faith. In fact, during her speech at the national change of command last month, she specifically mentioned the importance of spiritual fitness and asked all of us to “nurture the spark for the long haul.
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Helping our members keep that spark lit and fanned is what spiritual fitness is all about, and we as a Corps must own that domain. Using the Air Force’s model of “Comprehensive Airman Fitness” – since we are now included in the definition of Airmen – Maj Gen Aye described how one’s fitness in the other three domains (physical, mental, and social) really depend on being fit in the spiritual domain first. According to DAFI 90-5001, spiritual fitness is defined as “the ability to adhere to beliefs, principles, or values needed to persevere and prevail in accomplishing missions” (p. 47). That is, spiritual fitness is all about our spark, our why, without which it is impossible to stay fit in those other domains. For instance, how could anyone go to the gym to stay physically fit if they have nothing in their lives to get them out of bed in the first place? Even people who work out solely for the sake of their own vanity arguably have a why, a spark, even if it’s something as superficial as the admiration of others. Thankfully, our fellow Airmen in CAP tend to have much deeper whys, be it rooted in religion or not. For many of our members, the “beliefs, principles, and values” that help get them out of bed each morning come from a belief in a God Who asks us to love and serve others. For such individuals, the Chaplain Corps is here to help them stay connected to that God through our providing of religious rites and our role in the religious accommodation process. However, there are an increasing number of members who have no religion and mistakenly believe that the Chaplain Corps is just not for them, except for perhaps the occasional word of encouragement or conducting Character Development classes. To such members, we have to be experts at explaining what spiritual fitness is and why they need it be comprehensively – that is, fully – fit. This requires taking the time to talk with them and (1) find out what their beliefs, principles, and values are (everyone has some!), and then (2) offer guidance and tools to maintain that ability to adhere to them. For an atheist, their why might stem from a belief in America, or the principle of leaving this world in a better place than they found it, or they may value things like greater opportunities for others. As a Corps, our job is to help them identify and then adhere to those beliefs, principles, and values, thus developing and maintaining their spiritual fitness. We cannot push religion on our members, but we can – and should – push spiritual fitness. It is our spark for the long haul. |
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National Blue Beret reflection by Character Development Instructor Captain Shirliann Cook
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This year at National Blue Beret, Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Jill Holm of the Minnesota Wing served as the activity Chaplain. She happily served along with Bravo flight during several of our duties. I served at Bravo flight TAC (Teach, Advise, Counsel) Officer as well as CDI for several cadets who were tested emotionally through the activity and requested my time to just be there.One cadet in particular requested to chat with me about where I found my happy in this world filled with uncertainty. I was able to share with him. He asked for help to find his faith and began his walk with Jesus. Chaplain Holm was there to support me with this cadet as he had lots of questions and a desire for something bigger than himself. It was truly a blessing to be chosen by God himself to bring all the planted seeds to fruition for this new believer. I never knew just how God would use me when I was invited to serve in the Chaplain Staff. What a blessing! I wanted to be sure and share photos of our Chaplain "Chappy Holms" in action. Working side by side with Bravo flight really opened the door for conversation that would have otherwise likely not happened. Pictured Below Bravo flight with Capt. Shirliann Cook NBB Bravo flight TAC 2024. |
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Chaplain Corps Activity Reporting System (CAPCCARS) |
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Civil Air Patrol Regulation 80-1 requires Chaplains and CDI's to report their Chaplain Corps in the Chaplain Corps Activity Reporting System (CAPCCARS).
Per Section 9.1. Each member of the Chaplain Corps is required to maintain an ongoing activity/statistical report using the online CAP Chaplain Corps Activity Reporting System (CAPCCARS) in eServices. Chaplain Corps members are encouraged to make entries immediately after an activity. Members will report all Chaplain and CDI CAP activities to National CDI. The current reporting period ends December 31st and must be reported no later then January 5, 2025.
CAPCCARS is part of eServices. Log in to your account at https://capnhq.gov and click Menu in the upper right hand corner. Then click on Chaplain and then Chaplain Corps Reports.
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The process of entering information has been streamlined. You only need to enter the activities you do as a Chaplain or CDI. Examples include: teaching a Character Development lesson, serving at an activity, attending a conference or meeting, or participating Chaplain or CDI training event or class.
For Character Development Facilitation put the actual date. The next field is the number of activities and usually marked as a "1" because teaching the lesson is one activity. The next field is for time you spent teaching and preparing for the activity. Please round to the whole number. The miles you traveled to the meeting is in the next field. If you purchased any supplies put the amount you spent in the next field. The last field is a description of the lesson you taught. |
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Remember there are many other activities that you can enter but per CAPR 80-1 you only need to enter those activities you do as a CDI or Chaplain. If you have questions please email [email protected]. |
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Chaplain Corps Education and Training Opportunities |
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This information is updated regularly. |
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Finding Values for Living 2.0 files in Absorb
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All of the Values for Living 2.0 files are contained within the new Absorb learning management system with eServices The graphic below shows you the steps to find them. |
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Once you've navigated to Absorb click on the menu in the upper right handcorner. Then in the pull down menu choose Resources. Values for Living Lesson files are in the list that appears. Each file is in a .zip format and when you select them they will download to your computer. Most computers will allow you to unzip them for use by double clicking them. If you have any questions contact [email protected] |
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Can you provide support to another unit? |
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The Transmitter needs your Articles!
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We need your stories, articles and photos.
Examples of information that would be good to distribute would be photos and articles from a CCRSC, an Encampment, NESA, or any of the many other activities we as Chaplains and Character Development Instructors participate in. |
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Find the information you need on the Chaplain Corps Website |
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The Dispatch is a newsletter published monthly for Health Services, Safety and Chaplain Corps.
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The Transmitter is published monthly by the Civil Air Patrol Chaplain Corps Please send inquires to [email protected] October 2024 |
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