Va. National Guard has chaplain shortage

[unhappycamper]

Va. National Guard has chaplain shortage
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jan 22, 2008 6:00:33 EST

NORFOLK, Va. — The Virginia National Guard has a chaplain shortage amid the wartime needs of an expanding military, a trend that mirrors the nationwide shortfall.

The Virginia National Guard has eight chaplains, well below the 19 slots it’s allotted, said Chaplain J.D. Moore, who works full time with the Guard.

Prospective recruits know that “if you join as a chaplain, you’re pretty much guaranteed to deploy,” said Daniel Pruitt, who went to the Middle East in September with a Portsmouth-based Army Guard unit, the 2nd Squadron 183rd Cavalry.

Virginia’s shortage is part of the National Guard’s overall shortage of 350 chaplains — out of the 700 it is authorized, said Chaplain Randall Dolinger, spokesman for the Army Chief of Chaplains Office. The Army Reserve only has filled 220 out of its 650 allotted slots, Dolinger said.

Active-duty units without their own chaplain often request a Guard chaplain to fill the post when deployed overseas. Guard chaplains not only accept such assignments, they’re “double-volunteering” and deploying more frequently to make up for the shortage, Dolinger said, and he fears that clergy may burn out with more frequent tours.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/ap_guardchaplains_080121/