Do chaplains become ordained ministers first and then go through basic training or through the military academies? And if that is the case, do they actually get trained in combat, marksmanship as any other soldier, airman, sailor, or marine? Or are many chaplains military officers who become ordained after being in the military for some time. Or does the military recruit civilian clergy to fullfill its requirements. Most chaplains I have seen held a rank similar to army Captain or Major.
Also how does the military ensure that there is a reasonable balance of Protestant clergy (of different denominations), Catholic Priests, Jewish rabbis, and perhaps other clergy (Muslim Imams, Orthodox Christian Priests and so on)? If there are not enough chaplains of one sect, will they invite civilian clergy to become chaplains?
I can answer one part of your question: Chaplains are officers. Oh, and most chaplains seem to be cross-trained with the traditions of other “major” (i.e. commonly represented in the ranks) religions.
A good friend of mine was an Air Force JAG. The lawyers and the chaplains went through Basic Training together (insert joke here) separate from the normal Basic Training. It was physical and they shot guns (the lawyers did for sure, possibly not the chaplains) but it was less rigorous than the standard Officer Basic Training.
Haj
The services recruit already ordained clergy, give them a commission, then send them to chaplain’s schools.
The chaplains are officers, and can serve full-time or in the reserve.
The Marines do not have Chaplains or Doctors, or Corpsmen/Medics. The Navy provides these services to the Marine Corps forces, and they are greatly appreciated for their service in the FMF (Fleet Marine Force). Marine Corps lawyers go through TBS (The Basic School) with every other Marine Corps officer, and are trained as basic infantrymen and basic infantry Platoon Commanders (NOT actual “03’s”), fire every infantry company direct fire weapon, play in the woods for days at a time, dig fighting positions, and do 25 mile marches with full load. I am not POSITIVE if they go to Officers Candidate School or not, but the ones I went through TBS with were already 1stLts (they are 2ndLts in Law School). I THINK they go through PLC-Law, (Platoon Leaders Course, Law).