Religion in the Military
Religion in the Military.For more than 220 years, religion and religious leaders have provided a source of strength and faith for a total of 55 million Americans who have served in the military forces of the United States. The rigorous demands of military duties—separation from friends and family, training in remote locations, battle, and the possibility of violent death—have mandated support for those who serve and who may potentially lay down their lives for their country.
The initial involvement of chaplains as voluntary, noncombatant religious leaders within the American military was an answer to the pressing needs of commanders and soldiers. Religion provided moral direction and spiritual assurance to those who bore the burden of the nation's wars. When George Washington assumed command of the Continental army on 2 July 1775, he found twenty‐three regiments of soldiers, with...
[The entire page is 1110 words long]
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