Although chaplains have accompanied American troops into battle since George Washington led the Continental Army, World War I transformed the military chaplaincy into a professional officer corps. The wartime draft had swept up men from divergent backgrounds, and the military turned to the chaplaincy to help bring readiness, cohesion and discipline to raw conscripts. In early 1917, Congress set uniform standards for the corps, requiring that chaplains be ordained ministers of “some religious denomination.” Chaplains were to be trained clergy dedicated to religious inclusivity—hired, paid and supervised by the federal government.