The Baptist Press notes the story of Chaplain (Col) James White of the 10th Mountain Division,  

Fine sand and blinding dust swirled across the Iraqi desert, providing cover for U.S. Army soldiers to advance deeper into enemy terrain. The lead Humvee inched cautiously forward. The soldiers on point radioed to a support group behind them — and asked for a chaplain…

“We’re scared,” the soldiers told Chaplain White when he joined them. “Could you take a few minutes to pray with us?”  “We all knelt there in the sand and prayed,” said White…

Heading back to the support unit, White awaited the impending battle…[The soldiers] drove slowly forward — and suddenly met a Russian-built T-72 tank. The battle was on.

Chaplains serve a vital–and unique–role in our nation’s armed forces.