The Stars and Stripes reports that a “former” US Army Chaplain, Capt Joseph Parker, was convicted in an assault on a German national (that resulted in a fractured skull) after Parker’s girlfriend was “disrespected.”

Parker has apparently said Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, brought on by his interactions with servicemembers in Iraq, explained the “out of character” conduct: 

Two incidences were especially tough on him.

In one, a soldier reached out to Parker for help but then committed suicide; Parker arrived the soldier’s camp one day too late.

Another time, Parker advised a soldier to go to the hospital for help. The soldier was killed in a shooting at the hospital.

How, precisely, Parker is a “former” Chaplain remains unclear.  Apparently, his ecclesiastical endorser had already rescinded its endorsement due to other behavioral issues, which would normally result in administrative separation proceedings.

While Parker’s conduct is not a reflection of the military Chaplaincy as a whole, it does serve as a reminder that Chaplains are people, too, and their community is not without its struggles — or flaws.