Army facing severest chaplain shortage in history

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20070226-124607-1118r.htm

Chaplain shortage severe for Army

By Natasha Altamirano
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
February 26, 2007

The hardest part of Army Chaplain Lt. Col. Ran Dolinger's job is the long hours, which is partly why the Army Chaplain Corps now has about 520 vacancies, its most severe shortage in history.

"I go everywhere my troops go," said Col. Dolinger, who during his 21 years of service has been sent to Bosnia and Korea and whose most recent deployment to Iraq was from November to December last year.

The 48-year-old who also serves as pastor at the Fort Belvoir chapel and as spokesman for the U.S. Army's Office of the Chief of Chaplains in Arlington, calls his line of work "a blessed misery."

"When I see the atrocities of man toward man, it shows me the need for God," he said.

The Army Reserve and the Army National Guard have about 440 openings, while the Army has 80 vacancies. Col. Dolinger said it is more difficult to recruit chaplains into the reserves than into active duty.


more...

[rzemanfl]

1. I could swear I just read somewhere, maybe here, about a

fifty something woman who signed up for the National Guard as an assistant chaplain and wound up driving a truck in Iraq.

[Horse with no Name]

2. So did Casey Sheehan. n/t

[rzemanfl]

6. Right, So much to remember and so much of what we hear is

lies, then we have to remember how to debunk the lie. They, on the other hand, just have to make up new lies.

[Monkeyman]

4. Yep

[babylonsister]

7. I hadn't heard that, but it wouldn't surprise me. Things that make you go hmmmm. nt

[gratuitous]

3. That's even stranger than the troop shortage

There's been no small number of men of the cloth (and it seems to be a pretty exclusively male preserve) cheerleading for this war, and exhorting the United States military and the holy mission of redemptive violence. I can't imagine why the Southern Baptists haven't stepped up to the plate on this one, along with all the independent and non-sectarian congregations that have been so gung-ho about whomping some Muslim ass.

Surely Jerry Falwell and James Dobson should sign up for a couple of hitches, although I do think that the majority of the troops have suffered quite enough. Though watching Brother Falwell wet himself the first time a bang-bang goes off in his earshot might be worth the trouble.

[Greyskye]

5. let's not mention...

...however, the Chaplain who was kicked out when he tried to change from Christian to Pagan. He was too evil to continue. :sarcasm:

[libodem]

8. And psychologists, too

the truth comes out about how this administration REALLY supports the troops.

[Monkeyman]

9. There and here

The Truth must come out