How to Address a Military Chaplain?
     Robert, Regarding the form on you site: We actually have chaplains with a another title: Chaplain (Colonel) John Smith, USA, PhD.
          -- Chaplain Matt in DC

Dear Chaplain Matt:
     Well, I'd say a chaplain using this form is turning his name into a bit of a resume. So while every person is entitled to create and to present their name anyway they want, one won't find precedence for the formal use of this free-style form. The forms I include on page 246 of my book are well received when I've had them checked by numerous Chaplains.
     Use of a ranks in parentheses OR use of a post-nominal abbreviation for an academic degree with a post-nominal abbreviation for a branch of service -- are both incorrect.
     1) Ranks are never put in parentheses. A rank is a part of an officer's name, It is proudly put in front the name -- without parentheses, quotation marks, brackets or sort of embellishment. If it can't be included correctly, it is not included.  
     2) In DOD guidelines branch-of-service post-nominals abbreviations are correctly combined with Ret. or Retired. Thus USA, Ret. and USA, Retired are both O.K., but that's it.
     3) DOD guidelines (as well as the all the editorial style books -- Chicago, New York Times, AP, etc.) specifically note that academic post-nominal abbreviations are not used with branch-of-service post-nominal abbreviations.
     No Colonel John Smith, USA, MBA 
     No General John Smith, USAF, PhD
     No Admiral John Smith, USN, MD
          -- Robert Hickey

How to Address a Pastor Who is Also a Chaplain?
     Regarding my pastor, who is also a military chaplain:
     I must write a sentence in our summer worship schedule for the church newsletter regarding the pastor's “Godspeed Celebration” we are holding before his deployment to Afghanistan. Which of these would be considered correct? Are any of them simply not correct at all?
    The Rev. (full name), chaplain of the ..., Indiana Army National Guard.
    The Rev. Lieut. Col. (full name), chaplain of the ....
    Lieut. Col. (full name), chaplain of the .... and pastor of ....
Is there another form that would be more preferred?
                -- Lynn Harriman, Indianapolis

Dear Ms. Harriman,
    I think you are saying he is the pastor of your church ... AND he is also a chaplain?
    There is a tradition in American forms of address that we only give a person one title at time.
    ** As a chaplain he'd use the form I have on Chaplain Armed Services
    ** As you pastor he'd use the form I have on Pastor
    I say "American" because the British tradition is to give a person EVERYTHING they would ever get ... so you see names like The Right Honourable Reverend Lieutenant Colonel Lord William Ramsey, MP, VC ....  But in the US we address a person with the one "honorific" or "courtesy title" that's appropriate to the situation .... who they are to us at the moment.
    So I your first option is the most formally correct for you at his church:
           The Reverend (full name), (degrees held)
If it's a sentence you can include more information ..
            The Reverend (full name) is a Chaplain of the Indiana Army National Guard holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
    And when he's on active duty with the National Guard they will use his chaplain form of address and note is also the pastor of your church.
            -- Robert Hickey

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For forms of address for invitations, place cards, name badges, introductions, conversation, and all other formal uses, see Honor & Respect: the Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address.

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Photo: Marc Goodman.