Tag Archives: Afghanistan

Combat, Orders, and Pizza Hut

Though it is engaged in conflict across two regions, the US military makes an admirable effort to provide troops with the comforts of home.  Many bases across the region have banking facilities, military exchanges, and recognizable fast food restaurants; even Subway and Baskin Robbins grace US bases in the Middle Eastern desert.  Notably, these facilities are normally confined to the larger bases.  Forward operating bases and similar smaller locations often lack even basic facilities.

Apparently, General Stanley McChrystal, the American commander in Afghanistan, has decided that these facilities are detrimental to the warfighting spirit necessary for combat.  Read more

US Fighter Shoots Down Friendly

Over at War is Boring, David Axe, a civilian war correspondent, notes the unique history of a particular F-15E Strike Eagle.  The fighter has a star and a Sidewinder stamped on its side, indicating two very unique air-to-air kills.

The star is from a kill in Operation Desert Storm.  Nearly 20 years ago, that aircraft dropped a bomb on an airborne helicopter in Iraq.

The Sidewinder is from an unofficially reported shootdown of a friendly Reaper UAV just last month.  According to Aviation Week (sometimes called “Aviation Leak” Read more

US, NATO Deny Burning Koran

Afghans recently protested an alleged incident in which ‘foreign soldiers’ burned a Quran during a raid.  NATO and US force representatives denied that any such incident occurred, instead calling it a Taliban rumor.

Perhaps more interesting were the actions the protestors took.  While a few Americans claim that US actions are convincing the Muslim world that Americans are on a Christian ‘crusade,’ the protestors repeated the more common accusation:  Read more

Uniforms and Weapons in Religious Ceremonies

The sensitivities of religion, military uniforms, and weapons have frequently made for controversial accusations.  A few months ago, al Jazeera used creative cuts in a video of a Chaplain to imply that he was wearing a sidearm. (Though he wasn’t, others in the congregation may very well have been.)  When Christian basic trainees were photographed with their weapons during religious services, they were decried as morally equivalent to Islamic suicide bombers.

The apparent accusation is that American servicemembers should not be permitted to intermingle their uniforms, weapons, and religion.  Notably, that accusation has been applied only to Christians.  Other ideological adherents have been photographed in uniform with their weapons without complaint.

The military requirements, however,  Read more

Afghan Opposition not Religiously Based

As reported in the Boston Globe, recent US intelligence reports now say that most of those fighting against NATO in Afghanistan are not fighting for religious or ideological goals.  Instead, their objectives are more familiar: power, money, and even a local form of nationalism.

Ninety percent is a tribal, localized insurgency…Ten percent are hardcore ideologues fighting for the Taliban.

Some of the fighters even oppose the Taliban.   Read more

Chaplain Gives Trooper Strength with Psalms

As frequently noted, US military Chaplains serve as far more than mere spiritual advisors.  They are counselors, marriage consultants, morale officers, and representatives to their command on issues of culture and religion that affect the mission.  They’re also sometimes just a voice of reassurance.

A Chaplain currently stationed in Iraq recounts a story of how his faith helped a soldier at Fort Benning, where paratroopers at the Airborne School learn to jump out of airplanes:  Read more

Chaplain Honored for Serving All

Chaplain (Maj.) Bradley West, a US Army Chaplain, was presented with the Gen. Methodej Kuban Medal by Chaplain Mirek Jordanek, Chaplain for the Czech unit stationed at Forward Operating Base Shank in Afghanistan.

The award was named for a Czechoslovakian Catholic chaplain killed in Auschwitz in World War II, who encouraged believers of all denominations to worship together.

As has been noted many times before, there is a shortage of Catholic Chaplains in the Armed Forces.  Chaplain West, a Protestant, was fulfilling his duties to see to the spiritual needs of all of his troops when he Read more

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