NORFOLK, Va. — In an all-out push to meet the mental health needs of sailors, the Navy is embedding chaplains as a permanent part of guided-missile destroyer crews.
While the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps already has permanent positions aboard larger vessels, such as aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships and guided-missile cruisers, in 2023 it was announced that the service planned to add 48 chaplains to guided-missile destroyers.
The decision came after two clusters of sailor suicides in 2022 and 2023 resulted in the deaths of at least nine personnel.
The goal is for clergy to connect with sailors, believers and non-believers alike, in complete confidentiality.
"We have the responsibility to care for America's greatest treasure: her sons and daughters. So, it's one more opportunity for us," said Rear Admiral Gregory Todd, the Navy's Chief of Chaplains.
"How's it going? Great," he continued. "The data is showing the ships that have a full-time chaplain, there is a reduction of destructive behavior,"
Todd oversees a force of about 860 chaplains, with plans to grow to 905 this year.
In an interview with 13 News Now, Todd said with the demand signals he's receiving from the fleet, he would like to see the chaplain corps grow to 1,200, eventually.
"It's creating a challenge for me, though, because the brand is really good, people want more and more chaplains, and I need to recruit more. So, we're looking for adventurous clergy, who want to make a difference in the world," he said.
The ongoing increase in the number of Navy chaplains is the first time the force has grown since the end of the Cold War.