Virginia is Undermining Chaplaincy George Washington Helped Build

During the French and Indian War, Colonel George Washington repeatedly urged Virginia’s governor and legislature to provide a chaplain for his regiment. He found it unconscionable to ask his troops to prepare to make the ultimate sacrifice while denying them crucial religious support. Then, as commander of the Continental Army, Washington expanded and professionalized the chaplaincy, persuading the Continental Congress to make it a permanent special branch of the military. More than 250 years later, chaplains continue that legacy by meeting the religious needs of troops wherever duty calls, including in harm’s way.