A highlight of the ceremony came when his wife, Jennifer, and his father-in-law, Jack Davis, who is a veteran of World War II and Korea, placed the chaplain's decoration on Riley's uniform. The entire congregation cheered when Navy Lt. Cmdr. Dan Massey declared, "Welcome aboard."

The cheering actually began months ago when Riley informed the church body that he had applied for the chaplaincy. "The entire congregation applauded," Riley says. "There's been nothing but support from day one."

Reserve chaplaincy is just another extension of the ministry of local pastors, Riley believes. He notes that other pastors minister in different ways outside their congregation.

Riley has been a pastor for 25 years, but began thinking about becoming a military chaplain a year ago while attending the graduation ceremony of two church members from Camp Pendleton. "I found out a few years ago that there was a severe shortage of chaplains, especially in the reserves," Riley says. "So this was about coming alongside our service people."

The congregation of nearly 300 already has five members serving in the U.S. Marines. Two are in Iraq, another is a new father who is leaving soon for Iraq, one is at Guantanamo Bay, and another is finishing boot camp.

The new chaplain says he was further inspired by talking with other Covenant chaplains and reading stories about them in The Covenant Companion and in the online news report on the Covenant's web page.

Riley, a father of two, almost wasn't able to join - he was considered too old. The cutoff was age 40, but after initially denying the request, the Navy granted a waiver.

Riley begins his first weekend of work this Saturday. He still has to undergo his officer's basic training and additional training for chaplains, which probably will begin in the fall, he says.

Informal training has begun, however. The Orange Country Register reported Riley's swearing-in and the education he already received from one of the Marines in his congregation. The enlisted man told Riley he would now have to salute his pastor.

"I'm still you're pastor first, and I'll have to hug you," Riley said. The Marine replied, "That's okay. But you will have to initiate it."