Month: September 2009

Letters Reveal Perceptions of Religion in Military

As noted previously, a letter to the editor of the Stars and Stripes touched a nerve, with another contributor scolding a Chaplain about relying on the Bible.

The publication sparked a surprisingly blunt tit-for-tat, demonstrating that feelings about culture and religion present in American society are, indeed, also prevalent in the military.

A Captain stationed in Iraq decried the letter writer’s suggestion that modern Americans should rely on the Bible and its “Bronze Age morality.”  Another  Read more

Air Force Graduates First non-Pilot Pilots

The Air Force has graduated its first class of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) pilots that included officers who had never attended Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT).  That is, they are the first UAV pilots who were not formerly a pilot of some other military aircraft.  The class was composed of 10 pilots and 9 sensor operators.  Eight of the pilots were non-aviators; there is a second similar class in training behind them.

The increasing demand for UAVs in Iraq and Afghanistan–as well as the desire to keep military pilots in cockpits–led to the “experiment”  Read more

Navy ROTC Adds Year to Commitment

The Navy has added a year of active duty service to the previous 4-year requirement for those who use NROTC scholarships.  This makes the service commitment from ROTC equal to that of those who attend the US Naval Academy at Annapolis.  The new commitment applies to those who begin their freshman year under the NROTC scholarship in the fall of 2010.

Interestingly, those who attend college on an NROTC scholarship but are commissioned in the Marines will still have a 4-year commitment, as will Read more

Grant for Military Non-theist Leadership

While those who encourage the “mixing” of faith and the military profession are sometimes criticized, it appears there are specific efforts to promote the “mixing” of non-faith and the military.  In an interesting twist on encouraging leadership development, the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers is offering a $500 “educational grant for military and nontheist leadership and activism.”  The award is “particularly” aimed at military cadets.  Read more

Military Religion Question of the Day: Email

This week’s question is a summary of a frequent critique that takes many forms.  In varying degrees, the US military has been accused of illegal activity for allowing personnel to use their official government email system for the distribution of email with religious content.

To narrow the controversy, one specific example occurred at Creech Air Force Base, as noted by Jason Leopold, a journalist with a colored history who often advocates for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.  In the incident, Read more

Moralism is Not the Gospel

R. Albert Mohler, Jr., is president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  He recently wrote an article entitled “Why Moralism Is Not the Gospel – And Why So Many Christians Think It Is.”  The article describes how many Christians have lost touch with the heart of the Gospel by replacing it with pragmatic words to live by.  While Dr. Mohler intended his words for a broad audience, it has some specific applicability here. Read more

Non-Profits, Fundraising, and ‘Support Our Troops’

If you received a flyer that said “send money to support the troops,” for what would you expect the money to be used?

A quick web search reveals that the phrase is generally used by those who have a history of material military support (like the USO).  When other groups use the phrase “support our troops” for fundraising, they generally give specifics as to how the funds will be used.  For example, they may send care packages, provide services for wounded warriors, buy phone cards, or provide material support for deployed servicemembers’ families.

In one such example, Jolt makes a “caffeine-energy gum”–it is admittedly not a “normal” “support the troops”-type group.  But it advertised with exactly that phrase, and Jolt was explicit about how the funds would be used, even listing the specific organizations that would receive their donations:  Read more

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