In the British Army chaplains are unarmed. They are commissioned officers with a status of CF4 (Chaplain to the Forces grade 4 = Captain), CF3 (=Major) and CF2 (=Lt Col). They undertake a short course at Sandhurst for specialists (after ordaining) known colloquially as the "Vicars and Tarts Course."
They are banned from carrying weapons (indeed there was a fuss when one was photographed with a weapon in Afghanistan but many are interested in shooting (2 Para's chaplain in the early 1980s coached their shooting team).
They do not have assistants.
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