Preach the Gospel (But Don't Evangelize)

The ongoing dispute over practices at the Air Force Academy offers a valuable lesson on how not to engage the surrounding culture with the Gospel.  But it's not all that simple.  One thing the Air Force is taking heat for is a (now withdrawn) chaplains' code of ethics that included the statement "I will not proselytize from other religious bodies, but I retain the right to evangelize those who are not affiliated."  I'm not entirely comfortable with government employees evangelizing military personnel, but I'm not sure how a chaplain can refrain from evangelizing without rendering her professional calling unrecognizable.  It's one thing to ask chaplains not to preach the gospel through a megaphone in the campus cafeteria, but what happens when an "unaffiliated" individual asks to talk to the chaplain about spiritual matters?  Or what if an individual attends chapel services, then doesn't show up for a few weeks -- can the chaplain visit the person to inquire why, or has the person then become "unaffiliated?"  And does an individual's affiliation remain fixed?  Indeed, should the Air Force ban ecumenical gatherings given the likelihood that otherwise affiliated individuals wil be exposed to the messages of other chaplains?  Maybe this shows the inherent difficulty with the position of military chaplain, but I'm troubled by the implicit assumption that "evangelism" is an activity readily segregated from other dimensions of Christian ministry.

Rob