In February 1990, the United States European Command (USEUCOM) convened and hosted a NATO Chiefs of Chaplains Conference, in Stuttgart, Germany.
[1] The following year, in February 1992, the conference was held for the first time in a location outside of Germany, taking place in Rome, Italy.
[2] Because not all nations were represented, the Chaplain General of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Brigadier General M. Cornelissen—on behalf of the Chief of SANDF—proposed to co-host the first International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
Other nations, including the United States, have one chief of chaplains for each branch of the military armed forces.
[3] In many other nations, one chief of chaplains is designated for each major religion or faith group represented by a significant number of their military personnel.