Today I saw a chaplain with a long tab and a combat action badge. Is there a scenario where this is possible?

IDK - Army question. I do have a quick story though. While just arriving to Kuwait for a rotation I saw a 2LT with a 9-level maintenance badge (enlisted badge for E-7 and above) on his chest. He looked young. So, I confronted him and asked him about it. He squared up and said he is a former MSgt that went to OTS and got his commission. Oh...crap! Turns out, he became my deployed supervisor! Crazy. On the same rotation, I knew a SF SrA who was once an Army infantry guy. He wore a CIB on his AF uniform. Lastly, on the same tour, the base CC allowed the Red Horse guys to wear their red baseball caps with their DCUs. We were ordered to support these guys no matter what. This was in 1999-2000. I entered in the new millenia in Kuwait. I also had three girlfriends there...morale was good. This was before all the PC bullshit, PT uniform wearing when off-duty, and so on. We were cool to each other and things got done without fear of someone watching your every move.

When I was in bct at bible study we were told about a ranger that was involved in Mogadishu who later became a chaplain, still wears his tan beret and his ranger tab

Way back in the day...when I was stationed at FT Meyer, MDW. The Old Guard a Chaplain who was in Vietnam as a Ranger, earned a CIB, then had a break in service. Came back in as a Chaplain in the 80's to finish his career. I was at Fort Meyer from 1998-2000. He was a Major or LTC as I remember, very humble guy. Who would not hesitate to tell you his story.

I had a Navy Chaplain in Okinawa that was an 0-6, Mustang Navy SEAL, Captain Danner (SEAL), USN, Chaplains Corps.
Skipper had 20" guns and was ripped.... Coolest Chappy I ever had. 2 Purple Hearts, and a Silver Star, Bronze Star with V device.

Oh, and by the way, if anyone is butt hurt enough about my previous comment to want to call *MY* commander, feel free to private message me for his number. His name is MAJ Willie G. Mccallister. I won't post his number publicly, as it's not for public consumption, but if you're active, you can easily look him up in DISA EE and email him.

Why not... Chaplains come from all kinds of backgrounds like every other soldier. In my early infantry days my battalion was blessed to have not one but two of this type of fine men . My first chaplain was STRUCKER of something like that (my apologies if I misspelled the last name) he was a Ranger that survived the Somalia battle of Mogadishu. Not sure but I think he also was in the invasion of Panama. Later on We got chaplain Garayua, he was a special Forces 18C before becoming a chaplain. Those are guys that become chaplains later because they found their calling but they can't be away from the troops.

Yes. I have seen before. Legit

It's called prior enlisted - had a chaplain who with Ranger tab and CIB

Yeah saw a Chaplin who was an Ssg in the infantry and had all kinds of scary badges

Chaplains don't always start as Chaplains. I have met a long tab, CIB wearing chaplain that was SF prior to becoming a Chaplain.