A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations.
As one former military chaplain told me, pastors have to establish a personal relationship to the people that they care for.
FORBES: Religious Computer Game Brings Wrath Down on Pentagon
The job of a military chaplain serving in a war zone goes well beyond conducting religious rituals and offering spiritual counseling.
Is it really such a radical departure to have military chaplain practice their pastoral skills on virtual soldiers instead of real ones?
FORBES: Religious Computer Game Brings Wrath Down on Pentagon