Article

The U.S. Army will resume hiring religious support workers for the chaplain corps after previously canceling contracts due to a financial review. This decision follows significant pushback from Catholic leaders and military families, particularly in Kaiserslautern, where the lack of personnel has strained existing resources.

The Army's Installation Management Command had previously halted contracts for roles like music services and religious education, citing funding restrictions. Catholic ministry leaders, including Archbishop Timothy Broglio, expressed concerns that the cancellation overburdened Catholic chaplains, who represent only 5.5% of the Army's chaplains but serve 26% of soldiers identified as Catholic. The Army confirmed the reinstatement of these contracts as investigations continue.