Chaplain is a member of the clergy attached to a unit in the armed forces. The title of chaplain is also given to the religious officer of a club, an institution, or a prison. The word chaplain has an interesting history. Saint Martin of Tours was the patron saint of the French kings in the Middle Ages. The French carried his cloak into battle as a banner. The cloak, called a cappella, was kept by men called cappellani, or chaplains, who also tended the kings’ religious needs. They worshiped in a chapel.
Chaplains are commissioned officers. But they are called chaplain, or the title they hold in civilian life, such as father, regardless of their rank. The armed forces try to choose enough chaplains to represent the various religious denominations fairly.
