In an interesting and well-received move, the US Army has begun assigning Chaplain-candidates to the US Army’s Leadership Development and Assessment Course, through which ROTC cadets train.  The commander of the school, US Army Col. Paul Wood, praised the efforts to integrate the Chaplains-to-be with the officers-to-be:

“We know chaplains as those responsible for religious services, pastoral care, and answering the difficult, solitary questions we all sometimes ask.”

“The Army Chaplaincy is…giving its candidates a place to train while assisting Army ROTC with the leadership development process. Through religious support, counseling and their ministry of presence, they play a crucial role in the making of lieutenants.”

By being alongside cadets for 29 days embedded in each regiment, sleeping in tents and under the stars, navigating the same terrain, and overcoming the same obstacles, these young candidates carry a kind of credibility that other cadre and leaders here can’t match, Wood said.

The unique program seems to have the benefits of engendering a beneficial relationship between both the officer corps and the Chaplaincy within the Army.