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A group of chaplains had accused the Navy of promoting nonliturgical Protestant chaplains less frequently than chaplains of other denominations. Last November, the D.C. Circuit revived claims brought by Baptist, Evangelical, Pentecostal and Charismatic Navy chaplains that the U.S. Navy selection boards discriminate against them based on their religion. Their expert introduced statistics purportedly showing that liturgical Protestant and Catholic chaplains are promoted at significantly higher rates than nonliturgical Protestant chaplains, and that chaplains are 10 percent more likely to be recommended for promotion if a chaplain of their same denomination sits on the selection board.
Chaplains are recommended for promotion based on a selection board's secret vote of confidence. A selection board for chaplains includes two chaplains and five other officers. The plaintiffs claimed that the Navy's secret voting system allows chaplains to essentially veto a candidate of a different religion by voting a zero level of confidence, a problem other branches of the Armed Services avoid by using public voting....

...."The statistics proffered by plaintiffs, without more, are not even minimally sufficient to demonstrate the need for the 'extraordinary and drastic remedy' of a preliminary injunction," Kessler wrote....a "mere 10 percent difference" in promotion rates "is certainly not 'stark,'" as defined by caselaw.

For one thing, there are not as many Catholic Chaplain as are needed so of course the lower the number the higher the promotion of them. I would imagine that Protestant mainline types can be placed in many different locations where specific Potestant types are less likely to be placed in certain places. I say do you job. Do it well. And you will be promoted. I can’t imagine that the Navy has any discrimination with regards to the selection process. It is really a very strict type of operation. Basically no funny business. I guess these guys are just crying and jealous.