Sadly, the news media is making it sound like it is military chaplains, when, in reality, it is the civilian contractors!
I agree with you Chaplain Litekeeper that they are contractors, and that they are civilians, not military. I can see a contract being rescinded or delayed. I’m sure it’s in the fine print. A commander cannot deficit spend if he has his budget reduced or access to it taken away.
However, a volunteer filling in does NOT impact negatively on anything. No funds are expended whatsoever.
(Also, if funds come from offering plates, non-appropriated funds, then I can see new contracts being drawn up with money redirected from offering plates.)
I find it really odd that they “volunteers will be arrested” part of this has been uttered. In short, this amounts to an order to close churches, Catholic Churches in particular. THAT is an obviously illegal order.
To say volunteer help cannot be used is to say that 95% of everything that takes place in chapel programs cannot take place. Just like in our civilian churches, volunteers run almost everything. Assume that an old retired priest or minister is in the congregation. What exactly is wrong with that person leading a service?
Deeper, by what authority is the freedom of exercise forbidden?