The Army has 2900 chaplains, and most have served at least one tour in a combat zone - some have served in combat up to 8 times. Since 9/11, the Army estimates that its chaplains have spent more than 20,000 months deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and many remained haunted by their experiences. A recent study revealed that 20% of Army chaplains suffer from "compassion fatigue" and/or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 
One chaplain reported that in a single month, he had conducted memorial services for 17 of his soldiers and an interpreter killed in battle, along with innumerable traumatic amputations and other catastrophic combat injuries. By the end of the month, he was "pretty well worn out." Fortunately, fellow chaplains recognized his symptoms and helped him get started on the road to recovery.
Paradoxically, according to those who have studied compassion fatigue, the more empathetic chaplains are, the more susceptible they are to the condition. As chaplains weep with hurting soldiers and their families in the midst of pain and suffering, some even begin to question their own faith, as they seek to understand how God could allow such carnage.
Recognizing the growing toll on their chaplains, in 2008 the Army implemented the Center for Spiritual Leadership at the Chaplain School in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The center provides training, counseling, discussion groups, and other tools to help build the spiritual resiliency needed to cope with the mounting stresses of chaplaincy.
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