Navy Chaplain (CAPT) Michael A. Mikstay recently provided a succinct summary of the role of the military Chaplaincy:

Mikstay may be a Catholic priest, but as a Navy chaplain he facilitates religious services for troops of all beliefs.

“When you get down to it, the primary reason we have military chaplains in any of the services is because our nation is adamant about the fact that we provide for the free exercise of religion,” Mikstay said. “It’s one of our constitutional rights to be able to exercise our religion, and chaplains are here to guarantee that, regardless of what faith you believe in, or even if you have no faith whatsoever.”

The presence of religious leaders in the military can be confusing to some, but Chaplains fill an essential role in supporting the religious liberty, and the Constitutional protections, of all military servicemembers — regardless of the faith of the Chaplain or the servicemembers they serve.

The US military recognizes the intrinsic and sacred value of religious freedom, even (perhaps especially) when members of the US military are deployed in combat and returning home.