U.S. Military Chaplain Corps Is Increasingly Diverse

USINFO, published by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of International Information Programs, carried a posting on Friday discussing the increasing religious diversity of the 5,000 clergy in the U.S. military's chaplain corps. This is in part a response to the increasing diversity of the personnel in the military-- active duty soldiers report belonging to 109 different religions. The Defense Department wants to make certain that even small groups of believers have access to a chaplain. This month the first Buddhist chaplain will join the Navy. Chaplains are trained in interdenominationally and provide services not just to individuals of their own denomination, but to all service personnel.