History

• Chaplains have been around a very long time. They have always had a connection with the military - not only in the U.S., but in other areas throughout the world. Their connections to hospitals and other health care facilities is almost as lengthy. Over the years, chaplains have also been added to prisons, senior care centers, orphanages, drug rehab centers, battered women shelters, and much more.
  
  

Types

• Military chaplains are assigned to a particular unit. They perform the various rites and rituals associated with their flock's differing faiths, like weddings, baptisms, funerals, memorials, and much more. They act as counselors to help soldiers deal with crisis situations and to help them make moral decisions.
  
  Hospital chaplains are an integral part of a good healthcare system. While doctors and nurses minister to the patient's physical problems, chaplains deal with their spiritual needs. However, they don't just serve patients, they are there for the patients' families and the hospital staff. They listen, counsel, and provide whatever assistance they can until their patient's regular minister can be located.
  
  Nursing home chaplains are the best lifeline that patients have to the outside world. They too deal with people of various faiths and, therefore must have a large cross section of knowledge. They are specially trained to deal with the elderly, the sick, and the dying.
  
  

Misconceptions

• There are several misconceptions about chaplains. One is that they have no affiliation to any church or faith. Most chaplains have a declared faith. However, they have also been trained in other religions. Another misconception is that military chaplains are not actually attached to the military. They, in fact, are. They just have a particular role to perform within the unit they serve.
  
  

Benefits

• Being a chaplain has benefits. They are often better paid than other clergy and they pull better benefits. Military chaplains receive free health and dental care as well as 30 days paid vacation and 10 days of personal leave. They receive free on base housing or an allowance for off base housing. Additionally, they receive educational benefits, life insurance, and a retirement plan. Hospital and nursing home chaplains enjoy some of the same benefits. Few of them actually do the job for the money. They are more interested in the personal reward.
  
  

Potential

• There is potential for chaplains to be added to a lot of other areas. A few have already made connections with organizations like Cancer Treatments of America, the Breast Cancer Foundation, and the Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Many chaplains want to work with special groups like Autism, Down's Syndrome, Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, Anorexia, and more.