Over 100 senior chaplains and religious program specialists (RP) gathered for the Chaplain Corps' 2015 Strategic Leadership Symposium at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Aug. 18-20.

The annual, three-day Strategic Leadership Symposium provides an opportunity for senior chaplains and RPs to come together and hear from Chaplain Corps leadership on "where we've been and where we're going as a Chaplain Corps community as well as where we are today in the strategic context in which we operate," said Chief of Navy Chaplains Rear Adm. Margaret Grun Kibben.

Vice Adm. Ted Carter, superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, was among several sea service leaders who addressed the audience at this year's symposium.

Carter discussed the importance of chaplains' spiritual leadership and moral and ethical advisement in the command to help calibrate one's moral compass. "When we talk about moral, ethical and spiritual grounding, it's about personal choices and decisions," and "our people hunger for direction," he said.

Carter shared Lord Moulton's three domains for ethical decision making: positive law, absolute freedom and the obedience to the unenforceable. He went on to discuss how a chaplain is uniquely positioned to build and maintain trust with Sailors and to help them make sound decisions.

Carter was also joined by keynote speakers: Commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. Paul Zukunft, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Michael D. Stevens and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Ronald L. Green.

Zukunft expressed his appreciation for his 40 Navy chaplains serving in the Coast Guard who are fulfilling his commitment of duty to people. Across Coast Guard stations, sectors, training commands, and deployed on cutters, "chaplains know their people, the command climate and provide a spiritual outlet for the crew," he said.

Zukunft went on to stress the importance of a chaplain's embedded presence in the command and confidential pastoral counseling "to open the door to the conversation for Coast Guardsmen who may be hurting, in a dark place, or contemplating suicide."

Chaplains bring the power of empathy and a listening ear to the most difficult of situations, like a loss in the unit or a casualty notification to families who've lost loved ones at sea, said Zukunft.

MCPON's brief, entitled "Leading Today's Sailor," focused on the importance of leading by example in the Fleet and embodying quiet, humble, servant leadership. After all, "the more senior you become, the more people you serve," he said. "You can't talk to others about doing the right thing and not do it yourself," he added.

MCPON also discussed several key initiatives to improve morale and promote a command climate of dignity and respect. For the senior RPs in the room, MCPON underscored the power of the Chief's Mess to influence the enlisted population and model the standards of conduct expected of junior Sailors.

Whether it's sexual assault prevention, suicide prevention or alcohol abuse, "chaplains and RPs have a role to play in helping mitigate these destructive behaviors by engaging with and staying on the pulse of every sailor, every day," he added.

Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Ronald L. Green followed MCPON with a brief on "Leading Today's Marine," with a specific focus on spiritual fitness. Throughout his remarks, Green empowered the chaplains and RPs to engage warriors on the spiritual pillar of readiness, "the pillar you own and the one that is least talked about." Green used the analogy of a compass bezel ring to describe the role and value of chaplains' counsel to help Marines, commanders, and families get back to true North.

When discussing the moral and ethical grounding of the current generation of warriors, Green noted, "Young people are looking for leadership in this area from us. We owe it to them to help them make smart decisions," he said. "When chaplains are actively advising their people, they help them come back to true north, morally and ethically," Green added.

At the close of the symposium, Kibben encouraged the participants to think about what it means to bring "what matters" to the Fleet in the coming year, with a particular emphasis on advisement and spiritual leadership.

This was the first Strategic Leadership Symposium for Capt. William J. Muhm, 2nd Marine Logistics Group Chaplain.

"I enjoyed Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps' talk. He encouraged chaplains to speak up in our commands about spirituality and spiritual fitness," Muhm said. "It was a good reminder that we don't have to get into the specifics of religion in order to talk about spirituality," he added.

"I also appreciated the Supe's message on how commanders need to consider and apply ethical principles as they carry out the mission, and how we, as their chaplains, need to speak to these ethical issues in our advisement," Muhm said.

Learn more about the Navy Chaplain Corps, visit, http://www.navy.mil/local/crb and http://chaplaincorps.navylive.dodlive.mil.