Chaplain George Youstra retired in 2021 following a distinguished 38 years of service in the United States Army and the United States Air Force. As a uniquely qualified former Green Beret and Chaplain, he served our nation’s top military leaders and the Joint Force. He was the only chaplain serving at the national strategic level and was hand-chosen to serve the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff as the Chief of Religious Affairs on the Joint Staff. Youstra advised on the role and impact of religion in a strategic environment. He also liaised with the Service Chiefs of Chaplains, Combatant Commands, component functional offices, interagency partners, and allied partner nations. In 2015, he worked jointly with the Department of State, the White House, and the Department of Defense, to write and implement the National Strategy for Senior Religious Leader Engagement. He directed the strategic, global application, and integration of religious diplomacy, policies, special emphasis training, and resources in the interagency and joint environment for the Department of Defense. Chaplain Youstra was the personal staff advisor to 9 four-star generals. As the United States Special Operations Command Chaplain, Chaplain Youstra spearheaded transformative training for all USSOCOM chaplains. In his role as the Spiritual Plank holder of the Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) initiative, he integrated specialized Suicide Prevention/Intervention/Postvention training. His Crisis Care and Counseling courses ensured that all chaplains within the Joint Force were trained in Moral Injury and Post Traumatic Stress theory and practice. Finally, he helped reclaim the chaplain’s role as moral and ethical advisor to the commander by writing and editing the Special Operations Command: Field Ethics Guide. This cutting-edge ethics training became mandatory for all special operations commanders. 

George Youstra was born in Greenville, South Carolina. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Studies Education from Bob Jones University, a Master of Divinity from Anderson University School of Theology, and the Master of Strategic Studies from the Air War College. Prior to his posting as the Chief of the Leadership Division, Center for Character Development at the United States Air Force Academy, Chaplain Youstra completed intensive post graduate studies at the University of Missouri in Character and Leadership Development Theory. He is currently completing his doctorate.

Chaplain Youstra spent the first 14 years of his military career in the U.S. Army where he was a Special Forces, Infantry, Military Policy Officer, and Chaplain. In 1998, Chaplain Youstra entered active duty as an Air Force Chaplain.  He has served at all levels of the Chaplain Corps, from Group Chaplain, Senior Protestant Chaplain, Wing Chaplain, Numbered Air Force, and MAJCOM Staff Action Officer. His assignments have included: Keesler AFB, MS, Luke AFB, AZ, Kunsan AB, ROK, USAFA, CO, Beale AFB, CA, Ramstein AB, GE, the Pentagon, and USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, FL. Chaplain Youstra also deployed in support of operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Chaplain Youstra and his wife, Rose, have been married almost 40 years. They have two married sons and three amazing grandchildren.