There are some basic moral and religious questions of whether religious leaders are doing something wrong when they are bribing people by offering something they really need in exchange for a superficial acceptance of the offered religious dogmas. On a purely ethical level, the chaplain is abusing his position, abusing his resources, and taking advantage of those in need.

If Llano really thought that he was there to help the soldiers, then he wouldn't be so anxious to condition that help on their agreeing with him and joining his religious perspective.

That's not altruism, that's rank selfishness. It may also be judged as 'selfish' to proselytize in this manner to soldiers who are under tremendous psychological and emotional pressure due to the horrors of warfare. Someone there to ostensibly help shouldn't be acting to increase the pressures they are experiencing.

There is also a serious conflict between Llano's actions and the the Christian principles one would normally think he is there to represent and encourage. Supposedly, the Christian message is to help those in need, not to use their needs as a means to enlist them in your particular religious group. One of the reasons why the separation of church and state exists is because religion is so often abused in just this manner - and it wouldn't be nearly such an egregious abuse if it weren't for the existence of a government context.

These soldiers are not receiving baptisms from Llano so much out a deep-felt need for spiritual sustenance as they are out of a need to just get the dust off.

In effect, then, they are false baptisms (except for those who, presumably, do experience a change of heart during the process - perhaps there are a few, but it is doubtful that this includes all) - the soldiers are lying to Llano and Llano is lying to himself about what he is really accomplishing.

That is not the only reason that this is arguably a perversion of the rite of baptism for it to be used in this manner, both by Llano and by those whom he has bribed. Theologically, baptism is meant to symbolize a person's Union with Christ and reception of the Holy Spirit which links the recipient in a sacramental bond with all other believers. That is why baptism must be undertaken by a person who is motivated by strong faith and strong religious desire. These baptisms, however, are nothing more than the reception of a clean bath by a person who has become very tried of the dirt.

I suspect that the chaplain imagines himself a model representative of what it means to be a Christian and a religious leader. He probably even uses all of those faux-conversions in order to bolster that self-image. In reality, however, he is a model representative of what is often wrong with religion and why religion and government are better off the further they are separated.