(More on military chaplain kits can be found at The Chaplain Kit website)
.
British Chaplain with his Communion Set in “The Longest Day.”
Each chaplain is issued a chaplain kit when they complete their initial military training. Over the years they have been called by various names to include chaplain kits, field kits, field altars, etc., and have ranged from the very bulky and heavy to very portable. Perhaps the most well-known portrayal of a chaplain and his kit can be seen in the movie, “The Longest Day” when on D-day a chaplain is seen searching in the water for his heavy, non-floating, field kit. The chaplain portrayed in this scene, or from whose story it is inspired (Chaplain Sampson), went on to become the Army Deputy Chief of Chaplains and directed that a more lightweight and portable chaplain kit be developed.
Below are pictures of chaplain kits that I have, beginning with the one issued to me when I became a chaplain:
The current kit is the lightest and most portable to date. It comes in two nylon cases, though I combined mine into one case for ease of transport (a 200-round SAW pouch, for those interested). It comes with everything necessary to perform a worship service with the celebration of Communion.
.
.
This next kit was used during the Vietnam era. It is designed as a light-weight kit that has everything needed to perform a worship service with the celebration of communion, including having candles! I’ve been told that it also floats, to avoid loosing it in situations where you may find yourself in water!
A look inside of the new kit I just received from a chaplain friend. This is a new (in box) kit of this era which came with everything they were originally issued with so is complete and “like new”!
As much as this kit is smaller and lighter than the previous kits which were metal and even more transportable than the WW2 kits, it still wasn’t perfect. I just learned today that during the U.S. invasion of Grenada, the chaplains were not permitted to jump with these chaplain kits because of their size. Further, they could not be added to the airdrops since ammunition was deemed as more important to the mission(!). “Space and weight
The new kit I received all packed up and ready to go. Still too large for an Airborne jump though!
limitations were very critical to the Ranger Battalion. Ranger chaplains therefore had to take as little equipment as possible. Chaplain Mack modified his chaplain’s kit to a small demolition bag carrying a communion cup and a host container plus some New Testaments, a Jewish Prayer Book, and rosary beads. Sacramental wine was carried in an extra canteen.”1 Not long after this operation, the new, even smaller, chaplain kit was developed which could be either worn on the pistol belt or attached to a rucksack enabling chaplains to carry them along during parachute jumps...
.
As we move back in time, we see the kits get more bulky and heavy. This kit comes in a metal box and has altarware that is larger and heavier, though it provides a more satisfying set-up. This kit began being issued following the Korean War. This particular one is dated 1962.
.
.
I just picked up another kit from a chaplain friend who offered it to me after hearing me talking about buying a different kit. He was on deployment in Saudi Arabia providing religious support to the U.S. Military Training Mission (USMTM) near Riyadh when they were closing things down and was told to take what he 
could/wanted. He was only able to grab this kit which he thought he may later like to have, but told me that I would appreciate it better than he would. On the outside is marked in white “USMTM “C” Kit.” The inside has foam for storing the pieces, which aren’t all there. It seems that missing are the candlesticks, the lid to the ciborium, the chalice paten, the glass individual communion cups and the cloths; but it does have an extra communion paten. Combined with another kit I had, it looks like this:
.
.
I recently bought a new chaplain kit, my oldest! This one is from World War 2 and seems to be in great condition. I haven’t received it yet but here are a couple of pictures they sent me before I bought it. By the way, my getting this kit almost seems providential! Someone came across this post when they were performing an Internet search for WW2 Chaplain
Kits. It turns out that her father, who is a retired UMC minister, was given this kit from a friend who found it in the attic of a house that they bought. It looks like a retired chaplain stored it away, to be found half a century later . . . so that I could get it and preserve it for future generations to enjoy!
.
.
This next kit was used primarily by Navy chaplains on transport ships. I’m still trying to find out if they may have been used by some Army chaplains. They began making this particular kit for World War Two but they continued to be used through the Korean War and into the Vietnam War. It consists of individual cup communion trays, two bread trays and a nice chalice.
On the outside, there is a large cross on the front and “US” by the handle. Some of the items that are in it are also marked with “US.”
This particular kit, while it shows signs of being used, is in very good condition. I came across it on an online auction site as a “Buy-it Now” item but I made a lower offer and it was accepted! Always nice to get a new kit for a good price!
.
.
I just aquired an interesting find from World War I. I found this box which originally was part of the Homan’s Sick Call Outfit patented in 1897. By itself it wouldn’t attract my attention as a chaplain item, but what caught my eye was that on the back is written, “23rd Infantry 3 February 1918 France”! This sure makes it sound like a chaplain had used it. Whether he used it for last-rites as it was designed or as a portable field altar I am not sure. In World War I, Roman Catholic chaplains were issued a chaplain kit from the RC Church which continued relatively unchanged through World War II, though as it was larger, heavier and more bulky I could see why a chaplain may have carried this smaller set-up into the field.
Advertisment for the Homan’s Sick Call Outfit from 1897 or 1898.
An advertisement for this kit in a periodical from 1897 states that it “furnishes a complete altar for family devotions” so a chaplain could have used it to provide worship or celebrate mass for the troops.
Hopefully I’ll be able to find out more information on chaplain kits used in World War I and maybe even identify the chaplain who took this one with him on deployment to France. In the mean time, since the box came empty I’m working on replacing the articles that would have come with it which include a combination crucifix/candelabrum/ holy water font, two trays with “IHS” on them-one for salt and one for cotton, a bottle for holy water, a spoon-cup and a brush (I don’t anticipate finding the original cloths for it, though!
.
All of the previous kits have been for Christian or Catholic chaplains. This next kit is from about the era between Vietnam and the modern era, but is designed for a Jewish chaplain. Missing from this kit are the Torah scrolls and the yad.
.
Here is another Jewish kit but is a current issue. This one is very much lighter and more compact but has everything essential for a Jewish service. Unfortunately, it’s missing the legs to the Torah stand, but I’m working on getting these replaced.
.
.
.
There were other smaller kits issued for more specific uses or distinctive faith groups. This kit was essentially for a more “liturgical” celebration of the Eucharist. It includes a chalice, cruet plate and two cruets. I believe that there is at least one or two pieces that my kit is lacking (the ciborium and communion paten).
.
.
Another small, specific kit that I have seems to be for small-group communion, perhaps for hospital visitation or squad-size worship. It comes with an individual cup communion tray.
.
.
.
Related to the chaplain kits, but issued separately these days, are the chaplain stoles that are worn by chaplains in worship or during certain funerals or Memorial Ceremonies or Services. The three that I have include the one issued to me (far right), one issued during World War Two (far left) and one used during the Vietnam era (center).
All of the kits, equipment and supplies are issued or provided to chaplains, not to endorse or establish any particular religion, but to enable chaplains to provide for the free exercise of religion for the Soldiers in their unit. Chaplains either perform worship services according to their religious tradition (in the field, often using the chaplain kits seen in this post), or provide chaplains and/or worship opportunities in other faith traditions to allow as many Soldiers in the unit as possible to worship as they desire. However, it is also the chaplain’s duty to ensure that Soldiers who do not desire to worship or practice any particular religious rite are not required or unduly persuaded to do so. It is the chaplain who the commander relies on to ensure the Constitutional right of every Soldier to worship according to the dictates of their own conscience.
.
(More on military chaplain kits can be found at The Chaplain Kit website)
.
.
1 Brinsfield, John W., Jr. “Encouraging Faith, Supporting Soldiers: The United States Army Chaplaincy, 1875-1995. Part Two.” Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Chaplains, Department of the Army, 1997. 3.
Liberal commentators such as found at 
Here I Sit 