SAN DIEGO — A television documentary recently broadcast on the Military Channel explores the role of an Army chaplain in helping soldiers through the danger and dreariness of a 15-month deployment in one of the more dangerous parts of Iraq.

"God's Soldier" covers three months in the life of Capt. Charles Popov, chaplain for the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, the Wolfhounds. Popov, 49, a Baptist, tries to keep the troops' morale from sagging as the unit suffers 18 killed and 300 wounded.

One topic is ever-present: How can a chaplain justify war in the face of a biblical admonition against killing? Popov tries to distinguish between killing and murder, noting that the Bible, in several places, condones violence against the wicked.

"There is a justice that has to be served," Popov tells his flock. "God is a god of mercy, and God is also a god of justice."

It is an intimate look. The camera is present during moments of confession and trauma. Five soldiers in the unit are killed by a roadside bomb; an interpreter is killed by a sniper; soldiers are frustrated when the brass orders them to stop daylight patrols, lest they draw sniper fire.

A soldier admits to Popov that he doesn't know if he can kill. Another says he does nothing but argue with his wife during calls home. When news comes that the unit's stay will be extended, morale plummets.

Through it all, Popov is patient and cheerful, at least publicly. Privately, the stress takes a toll. He admits that he does not have all the answers, particularly to the eternal question: Why does God permit evil?

"That is a struggle that I think people of faith contend with," Popov says.

"God's Soldier" covers late 2006 and early 2007 at an outpost near Tikrit, a world away from the comforts of large U.S. bases. The soldiers are suspicious of the Iraqi security forces living with them. A Christmas pageant arranged by Popov is marred when the Iraqis set to play wise men and shepherds are arrested on suspicion of various crimes.

Popov tells his video camera he has trouble sleeping. The faces of the dead soldiers keep appearing in his dreams. Still, he wouldn't want to be anywhere else. His respect for the young soldiers never wavers.

"I'd rather be here than in the best church in the U.S.," he says. "It makes me feel very humble to be their chaplain, almost unworthy."