Religious affairs specialist

The Religious Affairs Specialists, which is military occupational specialty (MOS) 56M, support the unit Chaplain and Commander in responding to the needs of soldiers, family members, and other authorized personnel.

Duties include preparing spaces for worship, managing supplies, and ensuring the security and safety of the chaplain during combat situations.

The official military occupation specialty (MOS) of chaplain assistant was established by General Orders No.

[4] The trainees were volunteers who had completed nine weeks of basic combat training and nine weeks of clerk typist advanced individual training (AIT)[4] In August 1965, during a major revision of Army Regulation 611-201, chaplain assistants were designated 71M, given a job description and specific skill requirements.

[4] Then in 1972, the 71M was implemented into the Non-Commissioned Officer Education System (NCOES) and was accorded the same degree of professionalism as other enlisted specialties.