GTS alumnus becomes Chief of the Atlantic
The Coast Guard has 43,000 active-duty members, more than 8,000 Reservists, and 30,000 Auxiliarists. The 50 active-duty chaplains assigned to serve these people and their families are augmented by more than 100 chaplains in the Auxiliary Chaplain Support (ACS) program. ACS Chaplains are uniformed civilian volunteers, who do this ministry on the side while active in or retired from full-time civilian ministry. Because the ACS program has no age or physical fitness requirements, it is open to ministers, rabbis, and clergy of other faiths who always had a dream to serve but for one reason or another did not do so earlier in their lives. With specialized training in areas such as suicide prevention, spiritual resilience and critical incident stress management, ACS chaplains provide support to the Coast Guard in a multitude of situations, regardless of their faith (or no faith) background.
The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Shambaugh, rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Hampton, is an ACS chaplain for Sector Long Island Sound, providing pastoral support to Coast Guard stations close to his home. He has just completed a term as Branch Chief for District One South, overseeing ACS Chaplains in NY, NJ, CT and RI. He previously served both as Branch Chief of District One North and as Branch Assistant for all of District One, headquartered in Boston.
On January 1, Chaplain Shambaugh, became the Branch Chief of the Atlantic Area East, known as LANTEAST. As Chief of the Atlantic, he oversees ACS chaplains caring for Coast Guard members and their families from Canada to the Caribbean, as well as those serving Europe and other locations abroad. He works with two other Branch Chiefs (of Atlantic Area West and Pacific Area) in providing support to ACS chaplains serving throughout the Coast Guard.
Though Auxiliary chaplains are not commissioned officers, “Chaps” Shambaugh wears the stripes of a Lieutenant Commander, as well as a National Service badge, and an Auxiliary Operations Device. He has received two Commendation medals, the Achievement medal, and the Humanitarian, Operations Service, Sustained Service, and other awards. This fall he deployed with the Cutter VIGOROUS on an anti-narcotics mission which transited the Panama Canal and the Caribbean. He has previously deployed with the Cutter VALIANT doing migrant operations off Florida and with the Barque EAGLE training Coast Guard Cadets. His shorter adventures include time in Maine on an icebreaker and on smaller cutters doing fisheries management. In addition to being qualified as a chaplain, he holds auxiliary qualifications as a Public Educator, Public Affairs officer, Public Visitor, and Musician.
For more information on the ACS program contact Chaplain Shambaugh at 207 400-7516 shambaugh04103@gmail.com or The Rt. Rev. Ann M. Ritonia, Bishop Suffragan Armed Forces and Federal Ministries of the Episcopal Church 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
Office: 202-459-9998 aritonia@episcopalchurch.org