DADT: Chaplain Endorsers, Training Begins, and Troop Inputs
The Alliance Defense Fund has filed an amicus brief in the Log Cabin Republicans lawsuit which had temporarily resulted in an injunction against the enforcement of the ban on homosexuality in the military. The brief was on behalf of a fairly long list of Chaplain endorsing agencies — the organizations required to provide endorsements of potential Chaplains before the military will accept them. The list of Chaplain groups included:
The Church of God of Prophecy Chaplaincy Ministries, the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, Grace Churches International, the International Association of Evangelical Chaplains, the International Conference of Evangelical Chaplain Endorsers, Ministry to the Armed Forces of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, the National Association of Evangelicals Chaplains Commission, and the Presbyterian and Reformed Joint Commission on Chaplains and Military Personnel.
From the brief:
They endorse more than one hundred active-duty military chaplains and are representatives of faith groups which have more than tens of thousands of churches and millions of members.
Military training on the policy changes regarding homosexual service has reportedly begun in earnest.
Meanwhile, an advocacy group is soliciting input from members of the military who may feel stifled in their opposition to the repeal of DADT. Elaine Donnelly of the Center for Military Readiness specifically encourages military members to contact their congressmen, as they are entitled to do, but she also provides a confidential contact location for those who do not feel they can speak publicly on the subject.