According to a recent CBN article, the Department of War is looking to increase the number of chaplains in the armed forces, recognizing the value these chaplains provide in counseling and serving our troops.

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CBN shares helpful testimony from Chaplain Genesis Guerrero, a Navy chaplain currently serving with the Coast Guard:

“When they can let go of that weight, like, ‘Chap, I’ve been holding this in for months. I have not been able to talk to anyone, not even my spouse,’ my hope is that, when they can unburden, so to speak, that way, it’ll free them to do their job better, to be a better spouse, to be a better teammate, to be a better shipmate, to be a better friend. Whatever it might be,” Guerrero explained.

Military chaplains wear many hats. They can provide grief counseling, marriage support, suicide prevention, or even just a quiet moment away from command. They constantly bear witness to the hidden cost of service, offering connection as a lifeline.

“Honestly, that’s one of the reasons why I love this job, is because it’s special, it’s sacred. I know I’m getting emotional, but people invite you into their lives, and usually when I meet with them in that context, it’s the hardest part of their life, the hardest season, and the fact that they would invite me into that, it’s sacred…I honor and I treasure, cherish, that they would trust me with that information,” Guerrero said.

It’s because of this invaluable service that the Department of War is looking to increase the number of chaplains in every branch of the military, with the Navy specifically looking to have one chaplain aboard each Destroyer by 2026. CBN notes they’re on track, as the Chaplain Corps has already surpassed its recruiting goals for 2025, bringing in 73 active-duty chaplains and 43 chaplain students.

Even still, the Corps went into 2025 with a deficit, and appetite is only going up. According to Rear Adm. Gregory Todd, Chief of Navy Chaplains, “That’s kind of, I think, God’s working in this whole thing is that the more chaplains we get, the more we expose service members and their families to what we bring, the more we expose leaders to what chaplains are bringing, the more the appetite goes up, and it increases and increases.”

The world is looking more and more dangerous. With conflicts brewing on multiple continents, it’s possible our military may see an increase in action. And, if they do, it’s important that chaplains are there to support them as they serve our nation well.

Let’s thank God for all our chaplains, and let’s pray that God brings more!

Share your prayers for the military and the Chaplain Corps below.

(Excerpt from CBN. Photo Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Rulon Rose)