An article at Army.mil explains the unique roles and necessity of the Chaplaincy to the success of the Army mission, something that applies across the services to the US military as a whole.  One of the command Chaplains noted the value of the Chaplaincy goes beyond the tangible:

I would hate to think what the Army would be like without the Chaplain Corps. What if all of the positive spiritual emphasis in the world was removed in a moment? What would the world look like?  It would be ugly.

Though not often said, there are moral virtues supported by religion and the Chaplaincy that positively contribute to the mission of the US military.  Regrettably, those positive contributions are often forgotten, until they are removed and the impact of their loss is felt.

Via the Army Chaplaincy blog.