YEOMAN CHAPLAIN’S
PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANT
(YN-2525)
Until 1979, personnel of the Yeoman rating
were sometimes designated as the Chaplain’s
Clerk (YN-2525). The purpose of the YN-2525
was to assist the chaplain in conducting the Com-
mand Religious Program. Figure 1-4 describes the
duties of the YN-2525 Chaplain’s Professional
Assistant.
In most cases, chaplains had to justify the need
for a YN-2525 billet before a Yeoman could be
assigned to the office of the chaplain. This proved
to be a time-consuming process and placed the
CRP in direct competition with other command
departments for the services of personnel. Often,
unqualified personnel (those lacking the YN-2525
designation) were assigned to the office of the
chaplain as temporary solutions to manning
problems.
Many of the individuals who worked in the
office of the chaplain, both those with the
YN-2525 designation and those without, per-
formed admirably under difficult circumstances.
However, the pursuit of a permanent rating to
assist the chaplain in managing the CRP
remained a primary goal of the Chief of
Chaplains.
RELIGIOUS PROGRAM
SPECIALISTS
The 101-year quest for a permanent
Chaplain’s Assistant rating was finally realized
on 15 January 1979 when the Secretary of the
Navy approved the establishment of the Religious
Program Specialist (RP) rating. Stringent selec-
tion requirements were set, and personnel
requesting lateral conversion from another rating
to the RP rating had to be interviewed and recom-
mended by a Navy chaplain. The commanding
officer also had to recommend the applicant. An
individual requesting conversion to RP had to be
a high school graduate or have a GED equivalent;
be eligible for access to classified information;
have demonstrated support of the Navy’s Equal
Opportunity Program; have no speech impedi-
ments and have demonstrated the ability to write
effectively; have no conviction in civilian or
military court within the past 3 years; and be
willing to support persons of all faith groups.
These requirements have not changed since the
establishment of the rating. Obviously, a person
must be trustworthy, dedicated, and quite con-
scientious in order to serve as a Religious
Program Specialist.
Two important points should be noted
regarding personnel selections for the RP rating:
(1) RP personnel are combatants and (2) RPs are
limited to performing religious program tasks that
do not require ordination or licensing. Even
though members of the rating are required to
support chaplains and persons of all faith groups,
a Religious Program Specialist does not conduct
worship services, administer sacraments and
ordinances, or function as a pastoral counselor.
RPs cannot exercise any of the ministerial
functions of a member of the clergy or Navy
chaplain.
On 9 May 1979, the Chief of Naval Opera-
tions approved the RP rating insignia, which is
Figure 1-4.–Description of duties for chaplain’s professional assistant (YN-2525).
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