Updated with message from Army Chief of Chaplains.
As previously noted, US Army Chaplain (Capt) Dale Goetz was killed in Afghanistan earlier this week. He evidently died fufilling his pastoral duties as a Chaplain, “fob-hopping” to support his “congregation” of military Soldiers:
Goetz was in a convoy traveling from one forward operating base to another, where he counseled soldiers.
MSNBC reports that he was the first Chaplain killed in combat since Vietnam, not unlike the story of Sgt Chris Stout, the Chaplain assistant killed in Afghanistan in July. Notably, however, US Army Chaplain Tim Vakoc died in 2009, five years after being wounded in a similar set of circumstances: a roadside bomb on a return trip from ministering to troops.
The Army Chief of Chaplains released the following message: Read more…
The Baptist Press notes the recent controversy that erupted when Tony Dungy criticized New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan’s common use of profanity.
On a nationally broadcast radio show in mid-August, Dungy was asked by the host what he thought of Ryan’s use of several curse words in a constant pattern on a nationally televised reality show about the New York Jets.
Dungy told the host he didn’t approve of the bad language and would not have hired Ryan or anybody on his staff when he coached who used those words.
In Dungy’s defense, his statement was a direct response to a question, and Read more…
The government’s use of tax monies from its citizens is frequently an issue for debate, even on non-religious topics. The discussion can become more significant when people question whether the government’s use of their money is “moral,” and if they should therefore not pay taxes.
In an interesting federal district court case, Moore-Backman v. United States, the complaint of Quaker Christopher Moore-Backman that his tax support of the military “burdens his religious exercise in violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act” was dismissed.
As noted by Howard Friedman, the court’s conclusion was somewhat broadly stated:
The court concluded that there was no free exercise or RFRA violation because under relevant case law the Government is not required to conduct its own internal affairs in a way that comports with an individual’s religious beliefs.
According to an Air Force press release, an F-16 was intentionally blown up as part of an ongoing program to convert the F-16s to QF-16 target/drones. The explosion was apparently a part of the test of the “flight termination system,” or the kill switch that allows a controller to destroy a wayward unmanned vehicle. (Perhaps one flying into DC’s airspace?)
The first QF-16 is scheduled to be delivered in 2014. The QF-16 will replace the QF-4, the third generation full-scale aerial target drone.
LeTourneau University, founded by Christian engineer and philanthropist R.G. LeTourneau, recently received a $5 million gift to create an endowment for inbound homeschool graduates.
Recently recognized in U.S. News and World Report’s annual rankings of “America’s Best Colleges” as one of the top 10 universities among private schools in Texas and above all state universities in Texas in the same category, LeTourneau University is an interdenominational Christian university that offers more than 60 graduate and undergraduate programs in a variety of liberal arts with flagship programs in aeronautical science and engineering.
LeTourneau has an engineering and aeronautical bent, including a significant flight program.
HarperCollins, 2009.
Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters is the autobiography of the now-celebrity pilot who landed American Airlines Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on 15 January 2009. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger is both an Air Force Academy graduate and a former Air Force fighter pilot.
From the perspective of a pilot, Highest Duty is a fascinating read. The book is well written, managing to string the 3 minute ordeal through 330 pages of Sullenberger’s life without becoming slow or overly tedious. While his celebrity status was cemented by the ordeal, the book covers not only the emergency landing but also his life story.
One of the more intriguing parts of that “life story” has been the element of faith, but not for the reason most might expect. Read more…
Reports indicate one of the four military members killed in a roadside bomb attack on Monday was Chaplain (Capt) Dale Goetz, US Army. He was apparently deployed to Afghanistan from Fort Carson, near Colorado Springs, CO.
“He had a great burden for the soldiers,” said Jason Parker, pastor of High Country Baptist Church of Colorado Springs. “His specific prayer request was to see 300 soldiers come to Christ. He was also praying for God to call 10 of those soldiers into the ministry. That was one of his specific prayer requests.
“God was using him. He was very actively witnessing. He didn’t want to be just a social worker. He wanted to see soldiers hear the Gospel and trust Christ.”
He is survived by his wife and three children.
When General Robert Magnus retired in 2008 after nearly 40 years of service, he was second in command of the US Marine Corps and the highest ranking Jewish member of the US military.
He was also a Naval aviator, though a transport helicopter pilot, so even he received a “callsign:”
The assignment prompted a friend to bestow on him a “call sign,” a nickname given to a military pilot as a substitute for the officer’s given name. “Fighter pilots and attack helicopter pilots all had call signs, but I was a transport helicopter pilot and we didn’t,” he explains. His friend insisted and Magnus became “Heeb,” short for “Hebrew.”
Think a callsign like that would last long in today’s politically correct environment? Interestingly enough, it did last more than 30 years: Read more…
Recently, the Colorado Springs Gazette highlighted the “leaked” results of the USAFA climate survey, which Academy superintendent Lt Gen Michael Gould had clearly said he was not going to release. As expected (and as the Academy likely expected), much ado was made of numbers indicating cadets had been subject to “unwanted proselytizing” or had been “approached” about their faith.
More disturbing, however, is the internal reaction and external response that seems to be becoming increasingly common: Read more…
NASA has announced that the public has an opportunity to choose the “wake up songs” for the last two Space Shuttle missions. STS-133, which is slated for a November 2010 launch, currently has a list of 40 previously played songs upon which the public can vote. (God of Wonders does not appear to be on the list, nor any of the songs by Newsboys or MercyMe previously played.)
In addition, the public can submit original music for the February 2011 launch of STS-134, which is slated to be the last Space Shuttle launch ever.
The song “contest” can be accessed directly here.
Former President George W. Bush repeatedly said that serving as the Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces was one of his highest honors. His actions demonstrated his devotion to the military, and they continue to do so. Even in the absence of the press or publicity, he continues to treat the troops as special to him.
See pictures and a link to a video of Bush’s visit to DFW on 11 August 2010 to greet returning troops.
Whether or not one agrees with his politics, his sincere, continuing appreciation of and devotion toward the US military is admirable, and appreciated.
According to the Navy Times, a US Navy UAV got “lost” and entered the restricted airspace around Washington, DC.
According to a Navy statement, the incident took place Aug. 2 when, about 75 minutes into a routine test flight, an MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter operating out of the Patuxent River test facilities in southern Maryland lost its control link with ground operators.
The aircraft then flew about 23 miles on a north-by-northwest course and entered the National Capital Region restricted airspace, part of the Air Defense Identification Zone surrounding Washington, D.C.
Most UAVs are programmed with “lost link” procedures that command the UAV into a preplanned flight profile if it loses contact with its ground station. According to the article, an “anomaly” prevented this failsafe.
The LA Times blog on the beach baptism of US Marines at Camp Pendleton generated an unusually high amount of vitriol toward religious exercise in the military. There were also accusations of command influence and coercion.
A recent comment posted at the original blog attempts to rebut those accusations with the first public first-hand account of the event:
As a Marine Officer and the Public Affairs Officer who covered this event I would like to say that this amazing event was completely voluntary. In fact the event started with a hand-full of Marines who approached the chaplain to do it. As others heard about it they all got on board. Read more…
A recently retired Army Reserve Chaplain minced few words in criticizing the proposed repeal of the policy known as “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” Chaplain (Col) Alexander Webster (USA, Ret) said, among other things:
President Barack Obama’s initiative to rescind the “don’t ask, don’t tell” statute of 1993 will, if Congress yields to him later this year, shred the social and moral fabric of our armed forces…Fortunately for the nation and its military defense, many chaplains and their civilian faith group leaders are beginning, at last, to push back on the issue.
Webster cites the ADF letter from the Chaplains and the resolutions from Chaplain endorsers opposing repeal.
In a recent Pentagon briefing, outgoing US Marine Corps Commandant General James Conway repeated his earlier statement that logistic issues like billeting would immediately be a problem should the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” be repealed.
Based on his information from Marines, he said, “I can tell you that an overwhelming majority would like not to be roomed with a person who is openly homosexual.” But because some Marines do not object, he said, perhaps having those Marines share rooms voluntarily with openly gay service members “might be the best way to start, without violating anybody’s sense of moral concern or perception on the part of their mates.”
Asked what he meant by moral concern, General Conway said, “We have some people that are very religious.” He added: “I couldn’t begin to give you a percentage, but I think in some instances we will have people that say that homosexuality is wrong, and they simply do not want to room with a person of that persuasion because it would go against their religious beliefs.”
To date, the General is the only person who has voiced concern or seemed to validate the “moral concerns” of some servicemembers. In fact, some have Read more…
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