F . Richard Spencer Frank Richard Spencer ( born June 10 , 1951 ) is an American Roman Catholic bishop . Formerly a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and a U . S . Army chaplain , he was appointed an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services by Pope Benedict XVI on May 22 , 2010 . Early life and service . Spencer was born in Sylacauga , Alabama , and graduated from Sylacauga High School in 1969 . He was an altar boy and earned the rank of Eagle Scout . He then attended Jacksonville State University , where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in law enforcement . He also received a Master of Education degree in counseling from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse . Spencer was commissioned an Army officer in 1973 and began serving active duty 1974 . Following Military Police Officer Basic Course and Airborne training , he was assigned as the first active duty Provost Marshal since 1954 to Fort McCoy , Wisconsin . He served as commander of the Military Police Detachment at Fort McCoy until summer 1977 , when he was assigned to serve with the 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Casey in South Korea . Inspired by Father Emil Kapaun , an Army chaplain who died as a prisoner of war during the Korean War , Spencer was released from active duty in 1980 to pursue his studies for the priesthood . He initially studied under the Order of Friars Minor of the Holy Name Province , but was later recruited for the Archdiocese of Baltimore by Archbishop William Donald Borders . He earned Master of Divinity and Bachelor of Sacred Theology degrees from St . Mary ' s Seminary in Baltimore , Maryland . On May 14 , 1988 , Spencer was ordained a priest by Archbishop Borders at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen . Priesthood . His first assignment was as an associate pastor at Sacred Heart Church in Glyndon , for three years . In 1991 , he was named director of the Monsignor Clare J . O ' Dwyer Retreat House in Sparks , and also accessioned again into the Army Reserve as a battalion chaplain , serving with the 92nd Field Hospital in Baltimore and the Aviation Brigade of the Maryland Army National Guard . Following his completion of the Chaplain Officer Advance Course in 1994 , Spencer served a deployment in Europe in support of Bosnia as a National Guardsman . From 1994 to 1998 , he was administrator of St . Peter the Apostle Church in Oakland . Spencer returned to active duty ministry in January 1999 , and served as the 2nd Engineer Brigade Chaplain at Camp Howze in South Korea . In 2000 , he served a deployment in Egypt supporting the Fort Bragg mission in the Sinai Peninsula . From 2001 to 2005 , he was an official of the Pentagon Office of Army Chief Chaplains , and served a deployment tour in Iraq with the 1st Cavalry Division . In the summer of 2005 , he began a one year program as a student of Clinical Pastoral Education at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington , D . C . He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2005 , and was appointed an episcopal vicar for the Archdiocese for the Military Services in 2006 . In the summer of 2006 , Spencer was assigned to serve as the Senior Clinician at the 121st Combat Support Hospital , the Deputy 18th MEDCOM Command Chaplain , and the Catholic pastor of Yongson in Seoul . In June 2008 , he was appointed to serve as the Division Chaplain of the Second Infantry Division in Korea , and currently serves as a Deputy Command Chaplain of the U . S . Army Europe for Operations , Plans and Training . Episcopacy . On May 22 , 2010 , Spencer was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services and titular bishop of " Auzia " by Pope Benedict XVI . His episcopal ordination was on September 8 , 2010 , in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington , D . C . Awards and honors . Spencer ' s awards include : The Meritorious Service Medal ( 3 Oak Leaf Cluster ) , Army Commendation Medal ( 5 Oak Leaf Clusters ) , Iraq Combat Medal , and the Korean Service Medal . He was awarded the Combat Action Badge for specific combat actions in Iraq in 2004 . His fraternal activities include a Papal Honor as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre and also a member of the Kappa Sigma Social Fraternity .