God and Country

An Army article entitled “For God and country, chaplains provide soldiers peace-of-mind, place to worship,” details the service of Chaplain (1Lt) Julio Vargas and his assistant Spc. Justinet Oquendo as they serve the soldiers training in exercises in California:  Read more…

The US Army has been celebrating the 237th Anniversary of the Army Chaplaincy, as defined by July 29, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized (or authorized pay for, to be more accurate) chaplains in the Continental Army, whose Commander in Chief was General George Washington.

The celebrations have taken many forms, including a mass parachute jump of chaplains and senior leaders at Fort Bragg to a cake-cutting at Redstone Arsenal.

Some military atheist will probably stamp his feet in “me, too” fashion and threaten to sue over the fact his religion wasn’t included on the cake.  Icing demands “equality” and is a “limited public forum,” you know.

An official Air Force article cautioned military servicemembers from reading too much into the “one time exception to DOD policy” that let uniformed troops arch in a homosexual parade:

Recently, media interest has focused on the one-time exception to Department of Defense policy which allowed service members to march in a pride parade in uniform.

All military members must keep in mind that Read more…

The Associated Press (reprinted in the Air Force Times) finally caught up to the story from last week over Chaplain (Col) Timothy Wagoner’s decision to leave the Southern Baptist Convention.  He had been portrayed in a news article as supportive of a homosexual ceremony he attended at a military chapel.

There is a bit of new information, though, and it appears commenter DrewCollins+ was prescient:

The chaplain, Col. Timothy Wagoner, is remaining on active duty and has affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, which holds more moderate views on homosexuality and some other issues than the Southern Baptists.

As an organization, the CBF holds almost no views, except to say Read more…

The Stars and Stripes provided a quick but unfiltered summary of the second phase of basic training at the US Air Force Academy, including the measurable impact of its difficulty for would-be cadets:

Academy officials counted 1,035 recruits when basic cadet training began on June 28. When the flight marched into Jacks Valley nearly two weeks ago, 997 remained.

The assault course occasionally weeds out a few more. The academy counted 992 “basics” remaining when Charlie Flight readied for their turn through the course…

Read more.

A former US Marine accused of wringing a kitten’s neck received 30 days in jail from a civil circuit judge:

Circuit Judge Thomas Forehand…found Angelo Michael Stango, 27, guilty Friday of misdemeanor animal cruelty and sentenced him to a year with 11 months suspended.

Violence against the cute and cuddly is punishable (though, oddly enough, there was apparently no body to prove the cat was actually dead).  There will certainly be some who claim the former Marine Sergeant should have received a harsher punishment.

As an interesting comparison, the US military has apparently chosen not to charge US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan with killing the unborn child of one of his (alleged) victims, US Army Pvt Francheska Velez.  Stango’s kitten killing was tried in civil court – notably, there is no UCMJ article specifically addressing animal cruelty.

There is a UCMJ article specifically addressing killing an unborn child:  Read more…

The Washington Post writes that drone pilots may soon get a medal tailor-made for their uniforms:

[Charles V. Mugno, head of the Army Institute of Heraldry] said most combat decorations require “boots on the ground” in a combat zone, but he noted that “emerging technologies” such as drones and cyber combat missions are now handled by troops far removed from combat.
 
The Pentagon has not formally Read more…

Anyone care to guess who said this?

As Commander-in-Chief, I take pleasure in commending the reading of the Bible to all who serve in the armed forces of the United States. Throughout the centuries, men of many faiths and diverse origins have found in the Sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel, and inspiration. It is a fountain of strength, and now, as always, an aid in attaining the highest aspirations of the human soul.

An internet search will give it away, but it could make for an interesting exercise.  If you need a clue, he wasn’t a Republican, and he wasn’t Read more…

The demand by Jason Torpy, speaking for the one-man Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, that the US Marine Corps remove its “Christian privilege” (the crosses on Camp Pendleton‘s ridge on Camp Horno) has spurred a “wider review” of similar memorials around the world:

Capt. Greg Wolf at the Pentagon headquarters of the Marine Corps said Thursday that an “operational planning team” is conducting Read more…

Cadet 2nd Class Yung Chin died while on leave in June; he had completed two years at the US Air Force Academy.  Every year the wing performs a homecoming memorial formation in which the names of deceased graduates are called (to the reply of “Absent, sir!”).  Regrettably, there are often cadet names included in those rolls; Cadet Chin’s name will be there this year.

What is somewhat unique about Cadet Chin’s memorial was the faith under which it was conducted:

Sensei Sarah Bender, the Academy’s Cadet Chapel Buddhist Program Leader, held a service that included remarks from friends and family, a memorial meditation, military honors and Celtic blessing as Chin’s ashes were interred at the cemetery…

Sensei Bender prayed for Chin to be healed and find peace. A committal ceremony followed.

While Buddhism is a very small minority within the US military, USAFA has had a Buddhist program for many years (even before the religious scandals of recent years).  The Academy, and the US military, generally do an admirable job of providing the spiritual resources that any military member, or their family, might need — even if they are a minority faith.

May God give comfort to the Chin family.

PFC Naser Abdo, the US Army Soldier convicted of plotting and preparing to kill his fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, will represent himself during his sentencing on August 10th.

Army Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo told U.S. District Judge Walter Smith during a Thursday hearing in Waco, Texas, that he and his attorneys weren’t communicating effectively. Smith granted Abdo’s request to represent himself at his Aug. 10 sentencing.

Abdo was an approved conscientious objector under investigation for child pornography when he went AWOL, planned a high profile execution at Fort Campbell, and then traveled to Fort Hood to emulate his apparent hero, US Army Major Nidal Hasan.

At a time when some critics accuse the US military of being too cozy with religion, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta hosted an iftar at the Pentagon to “celebrate a great religion.”

We’re grateful to be able to host this Iftar Dinner at the Pentagon and share in one of the great traditions of the Muslim faith…

During the decade of war that has followed [the 9/11] attacks, I am grateful that Muslim Americans have been fighting for Read more…

Rezwan Ferdaus, planner of one of 12 terrorist plots against the US military by people apparently motivated by their Islamic faith, pleaded guilty to plotting to blow up the Pentagon by flying a remote controlled airplane into it laden with explosives.

Under a plea agreement, federal prosecutors agreed to drop four other charges. Prosecutors and Ferdaus’ lawyers also agreed to jointly recommend a 17-year prison term…

Siegmann said there were two main parts of his plan: to blow up the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol using remote-controlled planes and to kill American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan using improvised explosive devices detonated Read more…

A US Marine Corps Harrier AV-8B jump jet crashed in the desert southwest; the pilot ejected:

A Marine Corps Harrier attack jet crashed while on a training mission Wednesday in southwestern Arizona and base officials said the pilot ejected safely.

The AV-8B Harrier went down about 3:30 p.m. some 15 miles northwest of the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma…

The spokesperson speculated that the pilot must have been ok since he called back to the base on his cell phone after the incident.

A group of Congressmen has become the latest part of the government to take the US military to task for its apparent capitulation to external critics.  In this case, 23 members of the House signed a letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta concerning the removal of the DoD insignia from Holman Bibles, a “scandal” previously discussed.  The Congressmen said the issue was not that the seals were removed, but the fact the action was taken only because Michael Weinstein was bothered by it:

“The problem here is that it appears the decision made by DoD was in response to a manufactured, frivolous complaint,” [Congressman Alan] Nunnelee said.  “The military should not be succumbing to pressure from outside groups to alter longstanding policy.” 

The letter does not demand that permission to use the seals be returned; it is three paragraphs of concern over why it appears the US military keeps “bowing” to Michael Weinstein:  Read more…