Not long after noting a US military chapel in Australia had been preserved since WWII, an article from Fort Jackson reveals their WWII era chapel will soon be flattened:
The chapel, built in 1941 and dedicated in 1958 to all the soldiers who trained at Fort Jackson for World War II, is slated for demolition in October…
A Fort Jackson spokesman said via email that the chapel was too expensive to move, repair or operate.
In 2013, Dobbins Read more
A US Air Force article highlights the religious ministry support team at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, where chaplains rotate to geographically separated units to provide continuous religious support:
Thousands of feet above Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, two Airmen, riding in a helicopter, wearing more than 75 pounds of gear, hover around the city before landing. These Airmen are not pararescuemen or tactical air control party—they’re a chaplain and chaplain assistant.
After landing, they travel to the nearby chapel, where Read more
The Stars and Stripes has an interesting write up on Saint Christopher’s Chapel, an open-air church built by the US Army during World War II:
The nondenominational Saint Christophers Chapel, built in 1943 by the Army’s 542nd Engineer Battalion, is the only structure remaining from when Rockhampton served as a springboard and training location for Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s World War II island-hopping campaign. The city hosted the 1st Cavalry Division and the 24th, 32nd and 41st infantry divisions on a half-dozen camps between 1942-44.
Somewhat interesting that journalist Marcus Fichtl makes a Read more
The following account is provided anonymously, and certain details have been intentionally obscured to protect the identities of those involved.
I walked out of a church service last Sunday.
It wasn’t because I had a crying child or a vibrating cellphone. It was because when the singing stopped, the pastor who stood up in front of the congregation to deliver the sermon represented religious beliefs I disagreed with.
Now why, you might ask, was I even at a church whose pastor didn’t hold the same beliefs as me?
Easy: I’m in the US military.
Unfortunately, we don’t always have the luxury of “choosing” our church. Other times, we might choose the chapel on the post, yet watch as the pastor — the chaplain — changes from one year (or even one Sunday) to the next. And every service member will go through the process of moving, which means a new “job,” a new home, and a new church — every couple of years.
The way some people seem to tell the story, the military is being run (or overrun) Read more
One of the roles of a military chaplain is to advise commanders on the religious rules and rights of both the commanders and their subordinates. Retired Air Force Chaplain Norris Burkes recently tried to capitalize (again) on his military career by publishing an awkwardly worded article in which he admitted giving bad advice.
Burkes told the story in prose:
“What’s this about, Chaplain?” asked the USAF squadron commander.
“It’s the fish, sir.”
“The fish?”
“Yes sir,” I said, pointing Read more
Nathan Newman, an Air Force Reserve Officer and George C. Marshall Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, responded to an article in the Colorado Springs Gazette by Tom Roeder discussing the (previously discussed) 4-year closure of the US Air Force Academy Chapel.
In it, Roeder had said:
Religion is a big deal at the academy and other military bases but not for the reasons one might suspect. The services are barred from evangelism, and promotion of faith is restricted, but the academy like the rest of the military must care for the religious needs of troops under federal law.
As somewhat facetiously noted last year, the US Air Force Academy recently reminded everyone its Cadet Chapel will be closed in 2018 for what is being described as a four-year, multi-million dollar restoration:
Johnson said alternate worship locations are being prepared to accommodate the diverse array of faith groups at the Academy.
“The Cadet Chapel is the most-visited Read more
The US Navy posted a fascinating story about Commander Fleet Activities Chinhae, the only US Naval installation on Asia’s mainland, as its chapel program began live-streaming services to help serve Sailors, Marines, and their families posted to Korea:
“I think it is great,” said Johnna Johnson, ombudsman for Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea. “Chinhae is one-hour away from Busan, and it is challenging for families to drive there, so this is a fantastic service. Nothing beats the fellowship of being there in person, but this is an amazing next best thing.”
In an era in which streaming church services is Read more