New York, Jun 4 (PTI) Pratima Dharm, a serving woman captain in the American Army, has been named the first-ever Hindu chaplain in the US Defence Department.
Dharm, 40, is the first Indian-American woman to be appointed as US Military's Hindu chaplain.
Coming from a diverse background, she migrated to America just months before the 9/11 attacks. She was born in New Delhi.
"My neighbours were Muslims, my neighbours were Jews, Buddhists, Jains, Hindus, Christians," she was quoted as saying.
"My close friends in school represented all the different faith groups, and it never occurred to me then that we were different or there was anything strange about it."
She said the US Army, and the United States itself were founded on the idea that people can be united while worshipping differently.