RICHMOND, Va. –
The Virginia National Guard’s Col. Benjamin Sprouse pinned on the rank of brigadier general during a ceremony May 3, 2026, at the VNG’s Sergeant Bob Slaughter Headquarters at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia presided over the ceremony and administered the oath of office, and the 29th Infantry Division Band provided ceremonial music for the event.
Sprouse, a former VNG state chaplain, currently serves as the National Guard Bureau’s Joint Chaplain, Director of the Office of the Joint Chaplain.
“Chaplain Sprouse and his family have walked in service of the Citizen Soldier, not only here but around the globe,” said Ring. “He will be the senior advisor spiritually, morally and holistically, not only for the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, but to the hundreds of thousands of Guard men and women who serve our joint force. We recognize what an honor it is for us to be with you as you become a general officer. We thank you for the tremendous dedicated service you have given through the decades.
During the ceremony, Sprouse’s wife and two adult children helped pin on the chaplain’s new rank. Sprouse and his son also led the gathering in a rendition of Amazing Grace, accompanied by a guitar Sprouse has taken with him throughout his service in the Guard, including deployments.
Sprouse said the decision to pursue a chaplaincy started before he ever enlisted, after seeing the conflict in Mogadishu, Somalia, and realizing it was chaplains who were comforting the families who lost loved ones.
“Thus began my enlistment, as my kids would say, in the late 1900s, as Pvt. Sprouse, with the dream to one day be a chaplain and to serve in combat, at least somewhere once,” said Sprouse. “Well, I did that back in 2004, and then I just stayed in, becoming a chaplain, serving overseas. And I am thankful for all the folks that have supported me through all of this adventure together.”
Ring noted the timeliness of Sprouse’s promotion relative to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Several days after the declaration was signed, George Washington issued a general order mandating a dedicated corps of chaplains.
“George Washington, in his general order of that day, directed that every regiment within the Continental Army will have a chaplain,” said Ring. “The founders of our nation, the founders of our military recognized the value of the Chaplain’s Corps as a critical component of what we do in service to our commonwealth, our nation and around the globe. We recognize that Chaplain Sprouse personifies what George Washington called forth almost 250 years ago.”
Sprouse said serving others can take many different forms.
“Sometimes it was in a little chapel in Afghanistan, sometimes in a makeshift chapel in Iraq, sometimes in a corner room in an armory, sometimes on the side of a Humvee, sometimes just out in the middle of a field at Fort Pickett,” said Sprouse. “Sometimes it’s just walking out of the car, sometimes catching up over coffee in between drills, sometimes in a hospital room. Sometimes it's just going for a little walk. But there are times that we are called to simply be there, one for another.
“For myself as a chaplain, that is a personal and sincere call, but for all of us, as good people, as service members, that is all of our call,” added Sprouse. “We're called to take care of one another. We're called to honor what is good and right and true.”
After decades of service, Sprouse has a message for everyone in the organization, especially young Soldiers and Airmen.
“I tell them, you just gotta keep showing up. Hold on to the inspiration that first started your journey,” he said. “Look around you and be inspired by the people you walk with. Don't give up. Don't give up when it's dark, it's scary, and it's fearful. Keep moving on in lanes of inspiration. Keep showing up.”