Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Randall E. Kitchens is the Chief of Chaplains at the Department of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, and serves as the second Chief of Chaplains of the United States Space Force. As a member of the special staff of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and Chief of Space Operations, he establishes guidance and provides advice on all matters pertaining to the religious and moral welfare of Air and Space Force personnel. He is responsible for establishing effective programs to meet the religious needs of Airmen, Guardians and their dependents. As Chief of Chaplains, he is the senior pastor for more than 770,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian forces serving in the U.S. and overseas. He leads the Department of the Air Force Chaplain Corps of approximately 2,100 chaplains and religious affairs airmen from the active duty and Air Reserve components. As a member of the Armed Forces Chaplain Board, he and his colleagues advise the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on religious, ethical and quality-of-life concerns.
Chaplain Kitchens was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister in 1983. He entered the Air Force Reserve in 1987 and served as both a Chaplain Candidate and Chaplain. Chaplain Kitchens then entered the active-duty Air Force as a Chaplain in February 1993. He has served as Protestant Chaplain, Installation Chaplain, Unit Chaplain, Senior Protestant Chaplain, Wing Chaplain, Staff Chaplain, Deputy Commandant, Academy Chaplain, and Command Chaplain. Prior to his current position, Chaplain Kitchens served as the Deputy Chief of Chaplains at the Department of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.
EDUCATION
1983 Bachelor of Arts, Mercer University, Macon, Ga.
1987 Chaplain Candidate Familiarization Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1989 Master of Divinity, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky.
1992 Air Force Officer Orientation Course, Lackland AFB, Texas
1993 Chaplain Orientation Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2001 Doctor of Philosophy, Louisiana Baptist University, Shreveport, La.
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by seminar
2009 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Master of Science, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 1987–October 1990, Chaplain Candidate, Air Reserve Personnel Center, Denver
2. October 1990–February 1993, Reserve Chaplain, ARPC, Denver
3. February 1993–September 1994, Protestant Chaplain, 42nd Bomb Wing, Loring Air Force Base, Maine
4. October 1994–May 1997, Chief, Industrial/Readiness Ministries, 45th Space Wing, Patrick AFB, Fla.
5. May 1997–May 1998, Protestant Chaplain, 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
6. May 1998–May 2001, Operations Technology Chaplain, 451st Intelligence Squadron, RAF Menwith Hill, United Kingdom
7. June 2001–June 2002, Clinical Pastoral Education Resident, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
8. July 2002–July 2005, Senior Protestant Chaplain, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
9. July 2005–July 2008, Senior Protestant Chaplain, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan AB, South Korea
10. August 2008–June 2011, Wing Chaplain, 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo.
11. June 2011–June 2012, Staff Chaplain, Programs, Plans, & Personnel, Headquarters, Air Force Material Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
12. July 2012–June 2013, Student, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
13. June 2013–June 2014, Deputy Commandant, Air Force Chaplain Corps College, Fort Jackson, S.C.
14. June 2014–June 2016, U.S. Air Force Academy Chaplain, United States Air Force Academy, Colo.
15. June 2016–June 2017, Command Chaplain, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
16. July 2017–July 2020, Command Chaplain, Air Force Global Strike Command/Air Forces Strategic, Barksdale AFB, La.
17. August 2020–October 2021, Deputy Chief of Chaplains, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. October 2021–present, Chief of Chaplains, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with silver and oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with silver oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Organizational Excellence Award with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 15, 1987
First Lieutenant Oct. 28, 1990
Captain Feb. 3, 1993
Major March 1, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 2008
Colonel July 1, 2014
Brigadier General July 31, 2020
Major General Oct. 29, 2021
(Current as of September 2023)