YN-2525 DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
“YN-2525 Chaplain’s Professional Assistant
Assists chaplain by promoting the religious program and performing administrative duties.
Prepares correspondence, requisitions, purchase orders, reports, and religious documents. Main-
tains material, fund, and interview records. Publishes schedules of services and programs.
Schedules chaplain appointments and keeps log of events. Operates office and audiovisual equip-
ment. Protects privileged communications. Maintains chapel equipment and supplies. Supervises
rigging according to designed liturgical practice. Follows the liturgical calendar and uses ec-
clesiastical titles and terms.
Figure 1-5.—Description of duties for chaplain’s professional assistant (YN-2525).
Before a Yeoman would normally be as-
signed to the office of the chaplain, the
command chaplain would have to justify the
need for a YN-2525 billet. This proved to be a
time-consuming process and placed the CRP in
direct competition with other command depart-
ments for the services of personnel. Unqualified
personnel (those lacking the YN-2525 designa-
tion) were often assigned to the office of the
chaplain as temporary solutions to the manning
problems.
Many of the individuals who worked in the
office of the chaplain, those with the YN-2525
designation and those without this designation,
performed admirably under difficult circum-
stances. However, the pursuit of a permanent
rating to assist chaplains in managing the
Command Religious
Program 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 conversions from other ratings
to the RP rating had to be interviewed and
recommended by a Navy chaplain. Also,
commanding officers had to recommend pro-
spective candidates based on a number of
factors including the chaplain’s endorsement.
Personnel requesting a lateral conversion to RP
had to be high school graduates or have a GED
equivalent; be eligible for access to classified
information; demonstrate support for the
Navy’s equal opportunity program; have no
speech impediments; have demonstrated the
ability to write effectively; have no conviction in
a civilian or military court within the past 3
years; and be willing to support persons of all
faith groups or religious categories.. These
requirements have
not changed since the
establishment of the RP rating. Based on the
stringent selection requirements, it is obvious
that a person must be trustworthy, dedicated,
and conscientious in order to perform as a
Religious Program Specialist.
On 9 May 1979 the Chief of Naval Opera-
tions approved the RP rating insignia which is
shown in figure 1-6. It consists of a compass, a
globe, and an anchor. The compass suggests the
direction which religion gives to life; the globe
symbolizes the fact that religious ministries are
available throughout the world; and the anchor
indicates that religious support is provided con-
tinually for personnel of the naval services.
RP Skills and Knowledge
The enlisted career pattern for RPs is shown
in figure 1-7. Personnel who meet certain
specific requirements may apply for commis-
sioning to Warrant Officer Ship’s Clerk (741X)
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