THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 11, 1997 TAG: 9701110018
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 28 lines
In response to the Jan. 5 Sunday Break story, ``End of cold war, new ambiguities have complicated chaplains' task'':
While it is true that the contemporary challenges facing our military complicate the tasks of military chaplains, the primary purpose of a military Chaplain Corps is not touched upon in Mark Pinsky's (Orlando Sentinel) article, which seems to imply that the chaplain's task is to monitor the moral and ethical environment.
Although matters concerning morals and ethics are important to the chaplain, the truth is that all members of our armed forces are charged with the responsibility of adhering to long-standing and well-grounded moral and ethical principles. Adhering to high standards of behavior is an ``all-hands evolution'' at every level of the chain of command.
The primary mission of the chaplain is to ensure that, to the best of her/his ability and resources, all military personnel can exercise that precious right to worship in accordance with the traditions and customs of their particular faith group.
CHARLES A. LAYNE
CHC, U.S.N.R. (ret.)
Virginia Beach, Jan. 5, 1997