Month: August 2009

Iraqi Christian Evangelizes American Soldiers

In a rare public interaction of Iraqis, American soldiers, and the Christian faith, the Iraqi Bishop of Basra held a Catholic Mass for American troops stationed in his region.  The Mass was held on Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq, on 8 August, by Bishop Imad Al Banna.  Approximately 50 people attended the service, which was delivered in historic Aramaic.

Army Chaplain (Lt. Col.) John Morris, a Multinational Division South chaplain, said he commends Banna Read more

Praise for Jewish Chaplain, MREs at Army Base

As previously noted, last year a Jewish US Army basic trainee at Fort Benning was assaulted for reasons that he claimed were related to his faith.  His assailant was discharged, and the victim, Michael Handman, was allowed to leave the Army.

Several news sources are now crediting that scandal with recent activities occurring at Fort Benning.  These actions have included the addition of Kosher MREs at the dining hall and a permanent party Jewish Chaplain.  The base has previously had a Jewish Chaplain, though the relatively small number of Jewish Chaplains limits the number of bases to which they can be permanently assigned.  (The Associated Press text also says that the drill sergeants were “disciplined,” though there is no public evidence to that effect.)

Last year the incident rose to scandal status, involving the MRFF, ADL, and NAACP. Read more

Religious Objection and the Selective Service

The Washington Post writes that a Quaker has sued the Selective Service, with the assistance of the ACLU, because there is no way for him to record his status as a conscientious objector on the Selective Service registration forms.  Because of that omission and Tobin D. Jacobrown’s refusal, he will be in violation of the law requiring registration and may be unable to obtain certain federal benefits.  (As he is now 21, he has technically already violated the law, which requires him to register within 30 days of his 18th birthday.)

A Selective Service representative accurately pointed out that the system does not currently record objector status; instead, should the draft be instated, the application for such status would Read more

US Marine Baptized in Afghanistan

In a unique display of the lengths to which the US military will go to ensure the free exercise of its troops, a Marine Lance Corporal was baptized by a Navy Chaplain during combat operations in Afghanistan.  The Washington Post filmed and reported on the event.

Lance Corporal Zachary Ludwig had to wait for Navy Chaplain (Lt) Terry Roberts to arrive at his outpost.  He was baptized in an irrigation ditch fed by the Helmand River Read more

New Fighter in Air Force’s Future?

The Air Force Times reports on a move by the Air Force to look into a new light attack aircraft to be fielded in the 2012 timeframe.  The article notes that it is an “early step.”  In fact, it is a “capability request for information,” which is barely more than market research on the feasibility of a system.

Still, the interest in an airplane which would presumably be used in counterinsurgency operations is intriguing.  For some time, air enthusiasts have lamented the absence of aircraft like the venerable Skyraider that performed such an important, though sometimes niche, mission in Vietnam.  The Skyraider and other aircraft similarly situated were eliminated due both to technology and the belief that their roles would no longer be needed in future wars.  That logic, incidentally, is similar to that which is ending F-22 production now.

Mission Aviation Featured at Oshkosh

Mission Aviation Fellowship displayed its new Kodiak aircraft at the Airventure airshow in Oshkosh recently.

MAF has always participated in the air show, but the organization’s presence was greater this year due to the event’s “Fly4Life” theme. The theme focused on public benefit aviation, with a whole section devoted to missionary aviation.

John Boyd, President of MAF, said the ministry is still in need of more people to serve in remote areas where isolation and poverty are facts of life. He asked for people to consider partnering with the ministry in some way, whether financially or by giving of their time.

Links to MAF and other mission aviation organizations are listed here.

Military Academies Top Best Colleges List

Barely a week after topping the Princeton rankings for the best American universities, the US military academies again excelled when Forbes magazine and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity ranked the nation’s 600 best colleges.  The US Military Academy at West Point topped the list at #1.  The US Air Force Academy came in at #7, and the US Naval Academy at Annapolis ranked #30.  The complete list can be seen here.  (Both the Army and Air Force also highlighted the news.)

Forbes said they used a somewhat different criteria than some ranking systems:

Will my courses be interesting and rewarding?
Will I get a good job after I graduate?
Is it likely I will graduate in four years?
Will I incur a ton of debt getting my degree?

Given the fact that graduates have secure jobs with reasonable pay and no debt, it make sense that military academies would rise near the top of the list.

Forbes also has an interesting article on “How West Point beats the Ivy League.”

Military Officers’ Clubs “Nearing Extinction”

The decline of military officers’ clubs has been ongoing for several years.  As noted in Christian Fighter Pilot is not an Oxymoron,

Over the past few years, the popularity of [officers’ clubs] has waned, probably because the military culture has changed.  One commander attempted to correlate membership at the O’Club with membership at a country club, which only seemed to emphasize the generational gap between his peer group and ours.  Being part of a country club was prestigious to him and his colleagues; to the younger group, it was the equivalent of a retirement community.

Now, USA Today notes that military officers’ clubs are “nearing extinction;”  Read more

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