REUTERS/MARK DYE

Recently on NPR, I listened to this horror story of an Iraq vet who came back to Fort Carson and literally deteriorated right in front of his wife's eyes. He had no help. The Army in the form of his immediate commander, a Captain, claimed malingering-said he was drinking and faking his symptoms. The guy became so sick that he had to be wheeled to daily formation by his wife.

All military types, who mostly have a love and hate relationship with the media know that there is probably more to the story than what some NPR (National Public Radio) reporter reveals. The news media is looking for a story, not the truth-a story and the hell with the facts. This report, however, was a horror story even if only a small portion is true.

My thoughts immediately, as in so many of such things, is: Where was the Chaplain? The Chaplain is the "poor man's psychiatrist". The Chaplain should have been the first stop for his wife.

The well done documentary SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) was sickening in its content but well done. SOP was about the Abu Ghraib infamous prison debacle. The pictures of humiliation by any standard were scandalous. The scandal, was awful and made me ashamed. The immediate question: Where was the chaplain?

Is it that Chaplains have such poor PR (public relations) that they are not even mentioned in dealing with problems of soldiers, especially returning Iraqi vets. Occasionally, we get some story of the good that chaplains are doing and it is a lot.

Too often in horror stories like this soldier with PTSD and his wife, nobody mentions the Chaplain. The wife went to everyone, getting no help. What if she had said, "Well, at least the chaplain encouraged me."

Are Chaplains too tied to the command structure to "kick against the pricks" as the Apostle Paul said and I am fond of saying.

We have a Chief of Chaplains. I'm thinking typical politics--his mission: to run the chaplaincy, meaning messing in personnel and trying to keep a low profile Is the chaplaincy like Ensign Pulver in the movie, Mister Roberts with a mission of staying constantly below the radar? I hope not. Please! The chaplains should be making a difference.

This is the best chance Chaplains have had in ages to really shine in terms of what they do best. I'm not hearing it! On this NPR story, the Chief of Chaplain's office ought to be all over it: finding out how to help, what to do--anything but nothing which what we are hearing.

We at least ought to have a few chaplains kicking ass and taking names. Amen!