Tag Archives: Iraq

Chaplains Provide Marital Help over Distance

US military Chaplains serve a variety of roles for the military members they serve.  They are spiritual advisors, shoulders to lean on, and counselors for all matters.

To that end, the Army notes that Chaplains in Iraq have helped provide video conferencing, along with Chaplains on either end of the line, for soldiers looking for marriage counseling during their separation.  Family stresses remain one of the top concerns for troops in the field, who are often in combat areas for a year or more.

Baptist Pastor to Buddhist Military Chaplain

Thomas Dyer grew up Presbyterian and enlisted in the Marines.  Feeling threatened by the training he was receiving to kill, he left the Marines and attended Mid-America Baptist Seminary, eventually becoming a Baptist preacher.  His inability to find happiness as a Christian led him to convert to Buddhism.  Having obviously given up his job as a Protestant preacher, he joined the Army National Guard and was commissioned a Chaplain in 2008.  He will deploy to Iraq in January.

The article on Dyer is quite interesting, detailing both his wife’s reaction (she stands by him, though she hopes he’ll return to Christianity) and Dyer’s own lifelong search for fulfillment. Read more

Finding God in Iraq: Living Christianity

Carol Pipes, a female reporter for Christianity Today, went to Iraq to report on the Chaplains at Camp Victory in Baghdad.  While most of the article merely recounts her narrative, she does make a few interesting observations.  In particular, she reinforces the importance of living the Christian witness, and how it is a tool for Christ even in the face of orders against conversion.

While proselytizing Muslims is strictly prohibited, Christians in the military demonstrate the love of God in their actions. The fruit of the Spirit that exudes from our chaplains and Christian troops is not lost on the Iraqis.

The article is entitled “Finding God in Iraq,” and can be seen at Today’s Christian Woman.

FOB-Hopping Chaplain Ministers in Iraq

We can [celebrate] Mass on the hood of a jeep if we need to. To me, there is no awkward place to perform Mass.

A forward operating base (FOB) tends to be a smaller, more austere, and tactically significant military base supported by a larger main base located elsewhere.  FOBs dot the landscape in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  In many cases, helicopters or other means of transportation make “the rounds,” delivering supplies or rotating troops to the FOBs.

As noted in a military report, Air Force Chaplain (LtCol) Mark Rowan is a Catholic Priest who has to “FOB hop” from Read more

US Military Chaplain Distributes “Bibles” to Iraqis

US military Chaplains serve all.  They serve regardless of faith or lack thereof.  They provide counsel and reassurance independent of affiliation.  While staying true to their own religious tenets, they aggressively support all personnel with whatever they require to meet their spiritual and religious needs.

That’s why it is not surprising that a US military Chaplain recently handed out religious texts to local Iraqis. Read more

Military Religious Freedom: The Torah in Iraq

The Air Force news published articles and pictures (see below the fold) of a Torah dedication ceremony in Balad, Iraq, on March 23rd, as well as the accompanying adult Bar Mitzvah of an enlisted Airmen.

Contrary to some assertions, such public displays of faith do not demonstrate an institutional favoritism of a religion (in this case, Judaism) by the military or by the government.  Such expressions–even in a region of the world that has elements hostile to both Judaism and America–are not only permitted but also encouraged, just as the free exercise of other faiths is also supported.

Such displays are also wholly permissible in uniform, as these Airmen were.  The Airmen wore yarmulkes Read more

Religious Support Teams in Iraq

An AF.mil article highlights a round-the-clock team of Chaplains and assistants who minister to the patients at the Air Force Theater Hospital at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

They visit and pray with patients and the medical staff, and “set the tone” for caring for the deceased in accordance with the servicemember’s religion.

The religious support team accommodates everyone’s religious needs, Chaplain Rome said. Outside their office one can find different translations of the Bible, the Quran in — English and Arabic — and a Book of Mormon.

Jewish Chaplain Provides Spiritual Support in Iraq

A local Philadelphia newspaper covers the story of Rabbi Jon Cutler, a Jewish Navy Reserve Chaplain serving a 13-month tour in Iraq.  Cutler is the head Chaplain for 23 others.

Like many Chaplains, Cutler has the benefit of civilian religious counterparts to help fulfill troops’ spiritual needs:

When Cutler came to Iraq this winter, [he] set about creating a synagogue in the base’s chapel complex. Today, that synagogue — supplied with a Torah scroll brought over from the U.S. and the ark that holds it constructed by civilian contractors — has between 10 and 15 military personnel attending Friday night services. There is a steady crowd at Saturday Torah studies and weekly Jewish movie nights. Read more

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