Similar to the military “Biblestick” provided by Faith Comes By Hearing, Charles Stanley’s In Touch ministries has provided a solar powered audio player (called Messengers) for US service men and women since 2007. The players, called Messengers, contain Dr. Stanley’s instructional sermons.
As noted in a US Army press article, Chaplain (Maj.) Dawud Agbere is one of six active duty Muslim Chaplains in the US Army. He is currently a student at the Army’s Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. In recounting his contributions to the Army, a former commander of a 400-man battalion said the soldiers in his unit “although mostly Christian, trusted Chaplain Dawud Agbere right away.”
Besides ensuring soldiers’ right to free exercise, Chaplains also serve spiritual, emotional, and even cultural aspects of internal and external military operations. For example, despite criticism from activist groups, US military Chaplains have had the opportunity to minister to non-US peoples in Iraq.
The homepage of ChristianFighterPilot.com notes that
Being a fighter pilot is like being in a motorcycle gang…except your mother is still proud of you.
A variety of ministries (including the “Hellfighters Christian Ministries“) gave new meaning to the phrase when they took their annual opportunity to evangelize at the 69th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.
The Harris Poll has ranked the relative “prestige” of a variety of occupations for many years. This year, “military officer” climbed from last year’s drop in prestige in the poll, with 51% saying that the profession held “very great prestige.”
The Harris Poll noted the following interesting trend in its analysis: Read more…
Carol Pipes, a female reporter for Christianity Today, went to Iraq to report on the Chaplains at Camp Victory in Baghdad. While most of the article merely recounts her narrative, she does make a few interesting observations. In particular, she reinforces the importance of living the Christian witness, and how it is a tool for Christ even in the face of orders against conversion.
While proselytizing Muslims is strictly prohibited, Christians in the military demonstrate the love of God in their actions. The fruit of the Spirit that exudes from our chaplains and Christian troops is not lost on the Iraqis.
The article is entitled “Finding God in Iraq,” and can be seen at Today’s Christian Woman.
The Washington Post picks up on the news mentioned a few months ago that the Air Force will train more unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilots this year than fighter or bomber pilots. (The Post gets the headline wrong; the comparison is not to all pilots, as it does not include cargo, transport, or other airframes.) General Stephen Lorenz, commander of the Air Education and Training Command, repeated the comment last Friday.
In an interesting conclusion to the article, Lt. Gen. David Deptula, Air Force deputy chief of staff for ISR, commented:
Will the unmanned aircraft ever completely replace either bombers or fighters? In delivering weapons on target, Deptula said, “Yes, you bet.” But when it comes to controlling airspace, flying against enemy fighters, the general said, the technology cannot yet achieve 360-degree awareness. A human brain is still superior in the assimilation of information and responding to it.
According to Michael Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation, in the following video,
In violation of military regulations, Lt. Col. Mundy appeared in full uniform on the Christian television program Total Victory Today.
So, did now-Colonel Mundy violate a military regulation? If so, which one?
If you don’t think he violated one, what’s your response to those who say he did?
Don’t know the answer? Ask below, and stay tuned for an update.
The full video, which is nearly twice as long as the YouTube version below, was available on the Total Victory Today organizational website.
President Obama recently noted the importance of prayer in his life, saying that he “prays all the time now.” He made the statement in an interview for Nightline.
President Obama says he starts his day with a devotional that the director of his Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships initiative, Pentecostal pastor Joshua DuBois, sends to his BlackBerry each day.
The Commander in Chief also said “I’ve got a lot of stuff on my plate and I need guidance all the time.” Like his military subordinates, Obama enjoys the liberties of free exercise guaranteed by the Constitution, as well as the freedom to let his exercise be known.
To date, there have been no significant complaints that Obama’s statements about religion or prayer have unduly influenced or discriminated against his subordinates. (By contrast, some military officers were the subjects of complaints a few years ago for merely mentioning the biographical fact that they were Christians.)
We can [celebrate] Mass on the hood of a jeep if we need to. To me, there is no awkward place to perform Mass.
A forward operating base (FOB) tends to be a smaller, more austere, and tactically significant military base supported by a larger main base located elsewhere. FOBs dot the landscape in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In many cases, helicopters or other means of transportation make “the rounds,” delivering supplies or rotating troops to the FOBs.
As noted in a military report, Air Force Chaplain (LtCol) Mark Rowan is a Catholic Priest who has to “FOB hop” from Read more…
In a rare public interaction of Iraqis, American soldiers, and the Christian faith, the Iraqi Bishop of Basra held a Catholic Mass for American troops stationed in his region. The Mass was held on Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq, on 8 August, by Bishop Imad Al Banna. Approximately 50 people attended the service, which was delivered in historic Aramaic.
Army Chaplain (Lt. Col.) John Morris, a Multinational Division South chaplain, said he commends Banna Read more…
As previously noted, last year a Jewish US Army basic trainee at Fort Benning was assaulted for reasons that he claimed were related to his faith. His assailant was discharged, and the victim, Michael Handman, was allowed to leave the Army.
Several news sources are now crediting that scandal with recent activities occurring at Fort Benning. These actions have included the addition of Kosher MREs at the dining hall and a permanent party Jewish Chaplain. The base has previously had a Jewish Chaplain, though the relatively small number of Jewish Chaplains limits the number of bases to which they can be permanently assigned. (The Associated Press text also says that the drill sergeants were “disciplined,” though there is no public evidence to that effect.)
Last year the incident rose to scandal status, involving the MRFF, ADL, and NAACP. Read more…
The Washington Post writes that a Quaker has sued the Selective Service, with the assistance of the ACLU, because there is no way for him to record his status as a conscientious objector on the Selective Service registration forms. Because of that omission and Tobin D. Jacobrown’s refusal, he will be in violation of the law requiring registration and may be unable to obtain certain federal benefits. (As he is now 21, he has technically already violated the law, which requires him to register within 30 days of his 18th birthday.)
A Selective Service representative accurately pointed out that the system does not currently record objector status; instead, should the draft be instated, the application for such status would Read more…
In a unique display of the lengths to which the US military will go to ensure the free exercise of its troops, a Marine Lance Corporal was baptized by a Navy Chaplain during combat operations in Afghanistan. The Washington Post filmed and reported on the event.
Lance Corporal Zachary Ludwig had to wait for Navy Chaplain (Lt) Terry Roberts to arrive at his outpost. He was baptized in an irrigation ditch fed by the Helmand River Read more…
The Air Force Times reports on a move by the Air Force to look into a new light attack aircraft to be fielded in the 2012 timeframe. The article notes that it is an “early step.” In fact, it is a “capability request for information,” which is barely more than market research on the feasibility of a system.
Still, the interest in an airplane which would presumably be used in counterinsurgency operations is intriguing. For some time, air enthusiasts have lamented the absence of aircraft like the venerable Skyraider that performed such an important, though sometimes niche, mission in Vietnam. The Skyraider and other aircraft similarly situated were eliminated due both to technology and the belief that their roles would no longer be needed in future wars. That logic, incidentally, is similar to that which is ending F-22 production now.
Mission Aviation Fellowship displayed its new Kodiak aircraft at the Airventure airshow in Oshkosh recently.
MAF has always participated in the air show, but the organization’s presence was greater this year due to the event’s “Fly4Life” theme. The theme focused on public benefit aviation, with a whole section devoted to missionary aviation.
John Boyd, President of MAF, said the ministry is still in need of more people to serve in remote areas where isolation and poverty are facts of life. He asked for people to consider partnering with the ministry in some way, whether financially or by giving of their time.
Links to MAF and other mission aviation organizations are listed here.
God and Country is a ministry of ChristianFighterPilot.com.
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of any government, military, or religious organization.
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