Navy Chaplain (Lt) Eric Hammen has been FOB-hopping from outpost to outpost in Afghanistan, as many chaplains have — serving US servicemembers even in their very foxholes.
To have the opportunity to go out and minister, that’s really special to me.
The Associated Press noted three of a group of 8 men were recently sentenced for conspiring to attack Marine Corps Base Quantico as well as other targets. Known in some places as the Raleigh jihadists, the men were arrested in July of 2009.
Hysen Sherifi, [the only non-US citizen] will serve 45 years in prison; Ziyad Yaghi…got nearly 32 years; and Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan…was sentenced to 15 years.
Lawyers for the men have claimed they were
discussing terrorism rather than committing terrorist acts…But US District Judge Louise Flanagan said the men went beyond talk to planning violence.
The father of one defendant accused the judge of attacking Islam: Read more…
By now most of the world is probably aware of the accusation that four US Marines urinated on corpses in what is apparently Afghanistan. One of the group videotaped the event for posterity.
The event brought out a slew of condemnations from all sides:
Craig Baxam reportedly converted to Islam just prior to leaving the US Army in July. By December, he had been arrested in Kenya:
Baxam…told investigators he wanted to live in an area governed by the strict edicts of Islamic Sharia law, such as those imposed by Al Shabaab, and defend them to the death if necessary.
He is apparently claiming the “bumbling” defense, sort of:
[He] told FBI agents that he had no contacts with al-Shabab and only a haphazard plan to connect with the group
This is only the latest development undermining Michael Weinstein’s conspiracy theories.
At this point, at least, it seems Baxam was content to wage his holy war Read more…
US Navy sailors with the religious ministry teams of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group were instructed in Marine Corps leadership traits and principles in a recent professional education course. (The Marine Corps uses the Navy chaplaincy program.)
One class was taught by Sgt. Maj. Herbert W. Wrench, the 2nd Marine Logistics Group sergeant major, one of the senior leaders within the group.
The training was primarily an overview of how the Marines work in comparison to the Navy, something the SgtMaj says few sailors take the time to understand. By taking the time, the members of the religious support teams increased their ability to minister to the Marines they will serve.
An official Department of Defense article notes the importance of empathy in war and its relevance to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. In virtually every war in history each side stereotypically demonizes or otherwise dehumanizes its enemy. Unfortunately, militaries must move past that division after the war is complete — especially when one military is supporting the establishment of their ‘former enemy’s’ government.
In Afghanistan, one soldier had an epiphany that led him to think more deeply about the people he fights: Read more…
Update: Another California paper accuses the LA Times of being “too close” to Camp Pendleton in their failure to get an “obligatory” comment from the ACLU when they first reported on the Camp Horno cross.
An Associated Press article updates the protest by atheist Jason Torpy over the memorials located on Camp Horno, on the Camp Pendleton Marine post in California. It repeats much of the recent local article, noting a decision isn’t coming until next year, though its title is telling:
Atheists, Marines debate Camp Pendleton crosses
Even if inadvertently, the AP accurately notes it is a ‘battle’ between Torpy and the US Marines, not any other group.
The article also says Torpy is happy for the rest of the memorial to remain, just not the cross. Ironically, this seems to counter not only the concept of Read more…
The unmanned K-MAX helicopter, an experimental UAV deployed to Afghanistan, has reportedly made its first successful resupply mission.
A detachment of Marines from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 moved about 3,500 pounds of food and supplies to troops at Combat Outpost Payne using an unmanned K-MAX helicopter on Dec. 17…
The concept is intended to reduce risk to both ground and helicopter-based resupply missions.
Updated: Also the top story at FoxNews.
The issue of the legality of the Camp Pendleton cross was elevated to higher headquarters, according to a local article.
A group of reporters was allowed to make the trek to see the memorial upon which the controversy was based. To his credit, Mark Walker of the North County Times accurately gave some depth to the content of the memorial:
The site is home to numerous mementos, as well as the crosses, neither of which is visible from nearby Interstate 5.
Each is surrounded by thousands of rocks carried up by Marines from sea level at Camp Horno as a homage to troops killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Many of those rocks have hand-scrawled messages of love and remembrance.
There are dozens of bottles of booze, Read more…
An interesting article by the US Marines asks troops what faith means to them, and to the mission:
For service members deployed to a combat zone, faith takes on a whole new meaning. For many Marines and sailors, the tragedies of war are apparent on a daily basis and often require a reserve of mental, moral, and physical strength that can only be found in a person’s faith.
This understanding of the importance of faith is one reason the US military takes such great steps to promote resilience within its ranks. Whatever it is the Soldier, Marine, Airmen, or Sailor holds faith in, that faith will sustain Read more…
Marines spread joy of Christmas, Soldiers donate to Catholic Charity, Toys for Tots teams with Christian non-profit…
Members of the US military continue to participate in traditional acts of charity and community service, even when such efforts are connected (however remotely) with religious organizations — despite Michael Weinstein’s efforts to quash such efforts last month.
The reason, of course, is that despite a somewhat unusual reaction from the US Air Force Academy last month, the US military has had no problem associating itself with religious organizations in their efforts to conduct humanitarian or charitable work. In fact, it seems the majority of such work is conducted in concert with organizations that are in some way connected to a faith group, probably because so many humanitarian and charitable organizations are faith-based to begin with.
And that’s OK — because there is no military policy, regulation, or Read more…
US Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) wrote a letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus questioning why no US Marine has been awarded for their actions in Libya — despite the very public search and rescue of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle crew.
“It has come to my attention that no awards or recognition have been approved for Marine aviators who flew combat missions over Libya,” Hunter wrote in a recent letter to Mabus. Read more…
Military leaders from all branches have begun distributing their traditional Christmas (or holiday) greetings:
Jason Torpy of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers picked up last month’s post on Tebowing, even plagiarizing text from ChristianFighterPilot.com in the process. He reached a different conclusion, however:
Tebowing with Afghan kids is clearly an evangelical activity that must be pulled from the site with reprimands for the troop involved. The NFL game is misappropriation of government resources — and any Marine will tell you his body is a government resource.
First of all, Tebowing.com a private website, so there is no governmental Read more…
US Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) sent a letter to Camp Pendleton’s commanding officer Colonel Nicholas Marano indicating his support for allowing the now-controversial memorial cross to remain standing in order to honor four US Marines who fell in Iraq:
Majs. Douglas Zembiec and Ramon Mendoza, and Lance Cpls. Robert Zurheide and Aaron Austin..
What makes Hunter’s call unique, besides his status as a member of Congress?
He was there. Read more…
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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