A civilian clergy is unable to serve soldiers the same way a Chaplain can, civilians if dropped of in a war zone require special security detail and are unable to relate to the special needs of soldiers. A multi tour Iraq veteran, Army Chaplain Seth George talked about the unique challenges of a uniformed minister, “You will be with a platoon that just lost a soldier. Guys are crying. You're hugging them. You are trying to talk to them a little bit, and then you literally walk around the corner to another company area and it's, "Hey Chaplain, what's the word for the day?" And they want to laugh and cut up, just like always, and so to switch gears like that is very difficult, and I try my best to do that. You rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep, and that's part of, I think, the unique element of being a Chaplain in the Army.”(pbs.org, Seth George, 2008) Another major function of a military Chaplain is as a social conscience in regards to major decisions within the military. For example Chaplains are credited with stopping the regular floggings of sailors in the
A civilian clergy is unable to serve soldiers the same way a Chaplain can, civilians if dropped of in a war zone require special security detail and are unable to relate to the special needs of soldiers. A multi tour Iraq veteran, Army Chaplain Seth George talked about the unique challenges of a uniformed minister, “You will be with a platoon that just lost a soldier. Guys are crying. You're hugging them. You are trying to talk to them a little bit, and then you literally walk around the corner to another company area and it's, "Hey Chaplain, what's the word for the day?" And they want to laugh and cut up, just like always, and so to switch gears like that is very difficult, and I try my best to do that. You rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep, and that's part of, I think, the unique element of being a Chaplain in the Army.”(pbs.org, Seth George, 2008) Another major function of a military Chaplain is as a social conscience in regards to major decisions within the military. For example Chaplains are credited with stopping the regular floggings of sailors in the