Month: August 2009

US Army Chaplain Ministers to Soldiers, Iraqis

As noted in a US Army press article, Chaplain (Maj.) Dawud Agbere is one of six active duty Muslim Chaplains in the US Army.  He is currently a student at the Army’s Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.  In recounting his contributions to the Army, a former commander of a 400-man battalion said the soldiers in his unit “although mostly Christian, trusted Chaplain Dawud Agbere right away.”
 
Besides ensuring soldiers’ right to free exercise, Chaplains also serve spiritual, emotional, and even cultural aspects of internal and external military operations.  For example, despite criticism from activist groups, US military Chaplains have had the opportunity to minister to non-US peoples in Iraq.

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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.

UAV Pilots to Outnumber Fighter/Bomber Pilots

The Washington Post picks up on the news mentioned a few months ago that the Air Force will train more unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilots this year than fighter or bomber pilots.  (The Post gets the headline wrong; the comparison is not to all pilots, as it does not include cargo, transport, or other airframes.)  General Stephen Lorenz, commander of the Air Education and Training Command, repeated the comment last Friday.

In an interesting conclusion to the article, Lt. Gen. David Deptula, Air Force deputy chief of staff for ISR, commented:

Will the unmanned aircraft ever completely replace either bombers or fighters? In delivering weapons on target, Deptula said, “Yes, you bet.” But when it comes to controlling airspace, flying against enemy fighters, the general said, the technology cannot yet achieve 360-degree awareness. A human brain is still superior in the assimilation of information and responding to it.

Military Religion Question of the Day: Mundy

According to Michael Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation, in the following video,

In violation of military regulations, Lt. Col. Mundy appeared in full uniform on the Christian television program Total Victory Today.

So, did now-Colonel Mundy violate a military regulation? If so, which one?

If you don’t think he violated one, what’s your response to those who say he did?

Don’t know the answer? Ask below, and stay tuned for an update.

The full video, which is nearly twice as long as the YouTube version below, was available on the Total Victory Today organizational website.

Commander Relies on Daily Prayer

President Obama recently noted the importance of prayer in his life, saying that he “prays all the time now.”  He made the statement in an interview for Nightline.

President Obama says he starts his day with a devotional that the director of his Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships initiative, Pentecostal pastor Joshua DuBois, sends to his BlackBerry each day.

The Commander in Chief also said “I’ve got a lot of stuff on my plate and I need guidance all the time.”  Like his military subordinates, Obama enjoys the liberties of free exercise guaranteed by the Constitution, as well as the freedom to let his exercise be known.

To date, there have been no significant complaints that Obama’s statements about religion or prayer have unduly influenced or discriminated against his subordinates.  (By contrast, some military officers were the subjects of complaints a few years ago for merely mentioning the biographical fact that they were Christians.)

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

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