Religious program specialist (RP) is a United States Navy rating. Religious program specialists assist naval chaplains in their duties as well as provide support to naval chaplains in developing programs to meet the needs of U.S. Navy sailors, U.S. Marines, and their families. They also act as armed bodyguards for the chaplains (who are largely unarmed).RPs perform functions that do not require ordination and do no pastoral counseling; adherence to a religion is not a requirement or prerequisite to become an RP and some RPs are even atheists.