Internal advisement is an activity within the US Army Chaplain Corps
that is usually executed in congruence with whatever position an army has in the scope of it’s mission and objectives. Once a concise definition of the activity itself has been achieved, it’s up to the Chaplain Corps to assess, plan, prepare and execute the activity to all levels and structures
of the force that they are responsible for advising.
The Task of Religious Advisors:
Each branch of the military is tasked with work around a specific mission objective or sets of objectives. They fulfill a certain role in relations to those objectives, and in coherence with the total joint force that together work to fulfill the overall objective, whatever that may be. Chaplain Corps specialize in a form of support role as it pertains to providing commanders with the assistance they need when these commanders of land based echelons in particular, want to provide their units with opportunities for exercise of freedom of religion, and ethical and religious clarity in moments of moral difficulties. This religious support system is thought to significantly impact the success of missions carried out by units as they set out to develop soldier’s ethical, mental and spiritual toughness and virility, in accordance with law and policy.
The following picture illustrates the Core Principles of Religious Support Pyramid:
Attribution: US Army ATP 1-05.04 Religious Support and Internal Advisement
Religious support is often executed and phased into situations and environments that are unpredictable, sophisticated and difficult. Development of cognitive, psychological and moral mechanisms in the human condition is often done through three primary dimensions:
- Nurture the living
- Care for the wounded
- Honor the dead
There are two overall capacities with which they are used and those are to provide and advise. The act of internal advisement falls within this spectrum.
The following picture illustrates the logic that comprises the system typically followed by religious support units:
Attribution: US Army ATP 1-05.04 Religious Support and Internal Advisement