TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Finding enough chaplains to minister to troops has become a difficult task.
The Kansas Air National Guard has two of its six chaplain positions unfilled, while the Kansas Army National Guard is faring worse with nine of 15 slots vacant.
Officials with the Kansas Army National Guard describe the high vacancy rate as typical of other Guard units across the country.
The Kansas Army National Guard says incentives like a ,000 sign-on bonus, ,500 in tuition assistance and extending the age limit for new enlistees have done little to reduce the shortage.
And the approaching retirement of many chaplains promises to compound the problem in the future.
The Rev. Don Davidson, who heads the Kansas National Guard’s chaplain program, says the shortage has resulted in chaplains facing repeated deployments to war zones.