Howard Douglas Stendahl (born August 1, 1951)[1] is the Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force, promoted to Major General with an effective date of August 2, 2012.

[2] He was officially promoted and installed as the Air Force Chief of Chaplains at a ceremony held at Bolling Air Force Base on August 31, 2012.

Born and reared in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota], Stendahl was ordained in 1977 into the ministry of The American Lutheran Church now a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

He studied Clinical Pastoral Education and served as a parish pastor in Texas and Wisconsin before entering the Air Force Chaplain Service in 1985.

According to Stendahl's official U.S. Air Force bio, his education includes:[3] Stendahls's past assignments, prior to his promotion to brigadier general and assignment as U.S. Air Force deputy chief of chaplains, included:[3] In the 2024 United States presidential election, Stendahl endorsed Kamala Harris.