God and Country

US Navy Sailors and Marines congregated on the USS New Orleans to take advantage of the chaplains’ support for Ash Wednesday.  Navy Chaplain (Lt) Paul Armstrong supported the practice of the sailors’ and Marines’ religious beliefs:

“Freedom of religion is one of our constitutional Read more…

The Jewish Community Centers (JCC) Association has decided to present its Jewish Military Leadership Award to Rear Admiral Herman Shelanski, commander of USS Harry S Truman strike group.  The group said the reasons include RAdm Shelanski’s

consistent concern for the ability of Jews in the Navy to fully express their Jewish identity while they serve their country.

As commander of the carrier USS Harry S Truman, RAdm Shelanski  Read more…

The Washington Post‘s “On Faith” section contains an article entitled “Chaplains hear call to serve God while serving country.”  The article covers the stories of several chaplains in the US military who were first serving as regular sailors or soldiers until they Read more…

The Virginian-Pilot adds information to the story of US Navy Captain Timothy Dorsey, who shot down an Air Force F-4 during a training exercise in 1987.  Turns out the pilot he shot down has issues with Dorsey’s promotion:

Dorsey’s…critics, including the pilot he shot down, say he should have been forced out of the service more than two decades ago. Some said they are contacting their senators to ask that his appointment be stopped.

The pilot Dorsey shot down, Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Ross, Read more…

A Naval flight training class graduation included a ceremony at their base chapel in which the chaplains performed a “blessing of the wings:”

This is a completely voluntary program, but one that is rather popular among many of the new aviators. While it is billed as a non-denominational ceremony, it is clearly a Christian program that culminates in the Catholic priest sprinkling holy water on the wings that these service members are about to pin on later that day.

Normally, this might bring conspiracy-theory advocates out of the woodwork, claiming this was further evidence of a secret coup by Christians to take over the world.  Or something.  Turns out, though, this story is actually about the participation by the US Navy’s newest Jewish Naval Aviators, in a Read more…

The Washington Times notes with thick irony the story of US Navy Captain Timothy Dorsey, an IG for a Navy Reserve detachment who has been nominated for promotion to Admiral — and who has an interesting history.  As also reported at the Military Times:

The incident took place Sept. 22, 1987. Then-Lt. Dorsey, 25, [piloting an F-14] shot down an RF-4C jet over the Mediterranean while operating off the carrier Saratoga, according to a 1988 Associated Press story on the Navy’s report. The two Air Force crewmen ejected safely…

While he knew he was taking part in an exercise, Read more…

In an interesting turnabout, the Air Force is responding to a tightening budget by canceling the much vaunted RQ-4 Global Hawk program and extending the life of the manned U-2 it was intended to replace.  The decision reportedly affects the Block 30 Global Hawk, but not the Block 40 or Navy variants.

The Air Force wants to terminate the Block 30 Northrop Read more…

US Navy Captain Owen Honors, removed from his command of the USS Enterprise over videos he made in prior years, is set to retire in April.  His “XO Movie Nights” from 2006 and 2007 were forwarded to the media last year.  Despite an otherwise remarkable lead up to his command, he was fired.

Previously, a review board found fault with his conduct but did not require that he be removed from the service.

Investigators determined pilot error caused the 6 April 2011 crash of a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet near Lemoore Naval Air Station, California.  Both the pilot and the backseat NFO were killed.

The pilot, Lt. Matthew I. Lowe, 33, of Plantation, Fla., and the plane’s weapons officer, Lt. Nathan H. “Beefcake” Williams, 28, of Oswego, N.Y., were Read more…

Recently, reports seemed to say the US government had made its decision regarding the light attack aircraft it would provide Afghanistan.  A more recent article, however, indicates a “battle” may yet be brewing over the procurement plan.

The feud between Hawker Beechcraft and Sierra Nevada Corporation over the Light Air Support contract has escalated from Read more…

In a move that will likely cause Michael Weinstein, Richard Baker, Leah Burton and other conspiracy theorists to have heart palpitations, author Mark Andrews has released an eBook entitled Sword of the Covenant.

The premise:  The US “lacks the political will” to help prevent the annihilation of Israel by Iran, so two top Pentagon officials try to convince USAF fighter pilots in Turkey and US Navy fighter pilots on a gulf-based aircraft carrier — all evangelical Christians — to launch Read more…

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.

Read more.

The US Air Force recently awarded a contract to provide “at least 20 A-29 Super Tucanos” to Afghanistan.  The light attack aircraft was competing with the Hawker Beechcraft AT-6, a modified version of the T-6 currently used by both the USAF and US Navy.  The Air Force has also been flying an AT-6 in Arizona in a “non-acquisition program.”

The deal was contracted with Sierra Nevada Corp, though the Super Tucano itself is a product of Brazil-based 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.

In an era in which society encourages each to do his own thing, and “right” is a relative term, a recent study seems to indicate many people do inherently have an understanding of morality at their core — and this may sometimes conflict with the actions required by military combat:

The conflicts that troops feel can range from survivor guilt from living through an attack where other troops died, to witnessing or participating in the unintentional killing of women or children, said researchers involved in the study.

The key quote comes near the end of the article:  Combat experienced US Marines were the subject group, and the study showed

Their condition [PTSD] was more closely linked to an inner conflict Read more…