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NAD Honors Historic Promotion of an Adventist Chaplain Serving in the U.S. Air Force

Chaplain John Elliott is the third Adventist chaplain in the Air Force to achieve the rank of colonel. 

Air Force chaplain John Elliott receives recognition for the NAD for achieving the rank of colonel.

John Elliott, Air Force chaplain, receives recognition from Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries of the North American Division for achieving the rank of colonel as Paul Anderson, director of ACM, presents the Flame Award on July 2, 2019. Photo by Pieter Damsteegt

Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries of the North American Division recognized Chaplain John Elliott of the United States Air Force on July 3, 2019, for his recent promotion to colonel. He is the third Seventh-day Adventist Air Force chaplain to achieve the rank — the first was Chaplain David Buttrick, who was promoted in 2017, the second was Chaplain Andrew Pak, who was promoted in 2018.

“Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries is proud of our chaplains who have milestone events. We have a Flame Award we present to military chaplains when they achieve the rank of colonel or upon their retirement ... Chaplain Elliott is not retiring. In fact, he's at an apex of his career,” said Paul Anderson, director/endorser of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries, during a special ceremony at the division’s headquarters in Columbia, Maryland.

Elliott was commissioned into the Air Force Chaplain Corps in 1999. He is currently the Air Force Chaplain at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia. Before that, he was the director of Plans and Procedures for the Air Force Chief of Chaplains. Elliott was officially promoted to colonel on May 1.

“It's a privilege to be in ministry, serve our country, and be a minister for those who serve our country, whether it be soldiers, sailors, airmen, or Marines. It's been a great honor,” said Elliott upon accepting the award. “One of our primary [roles is to] provide the free exercise of religion. That means everybody in uniform gets to worship God the way they believe that they need to worship God. That means Seventh-day Adventist as well.”

— ARTICLE UPDATED ON JULY 22, 2019

John Elliott and Kate, his wife, are greeted by Dan Jackson, NAD President. Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries of the North American Division

Air Force Chaplain John Elliott and Kate, his wife, are greeted by Daniel R. Jackson, NAD president, and other division leaders at the conclusion of the chaplaincy award presentation. Photo by Pieter Damsteegt