Month: February 2010

Book Review: The Eye of the Viper: The Making of an F-16 Pilot

Peter Aleshire
The Lyons Press, 2004.
Topic: F-16 Pilot Training

Peter Aleshire is an author who shadowed a B-Course class through their 6 months at Luke Air Force Base. His book is an interesting summary of the time at Luke with some additional information on other training that specific pilots required. The decision on whether to recommend this book was not easy; it is somewhat informative for someone who might want insight into the fighter pilot culture, though it is specific to the F-16.

On a moral level, it is written as a fighter pilot might write it: profanity (including the use of God’s name in vain), is casually common. More importantly, there are some factual errors or misleading implications. Unimportant examples include the statement that Kunsan butts up against the Korean Demilitarized Zone (p155; it doesn’t), or the implication that an F-16 pilot can Read more

There are No Atheists in Foxholes

The phrase “there are no atheists in foxholes” is not without controversy.  (In fact, one Soldier even went so far as to file an official complaint because an officer used the “discriminatory” phrase.)  The old saying, whose origin is unknown, isn’t meant as a moral conclusion or a statement of fitness.  It simply characterizes the belief that in extreme situations and faced with mortal danger, many people are open to the concept of some form of higher power.

There are certainly examples of the opposite truth.  A New Hampshire publication Read more

Muslim Military Contractor Investigated, Banned from Bases

Local Texas news reports indicate that the reaction to the Fort Hood massacre may be having some reaching and current consequences.

The Dallas Morning News reportedly asked why Louay Safi was allowed to lecture about Islam on US military bases.  Initially, the Army praised Safi, but it subsequently announced that he had been banned from military bases due to a criminal inquiry initiated by NCIS.  According to The News, Safi  Read more

British Chaplains Face Shortage, High Demand

Not unlike their Yankee counterparts, the British military is reporting difficulty in recruiting military Chaplains, despite an ever increasing demand due to the ongoing conflicts.

The Rev Stephen Sharkey was deployed to Afghanistan and described his support of the troops:

“I let the soldiers know I was there, sometimes they would seek me out. We talked about everything ‑ pastoral, financial, personal, relationship, grief and bereavement issues. I would talk to anyone, whether they were Christian or not.”

He said the majority of those he met were open to faith and spirituality. “Often they ask us to pray for them. They say it can’t do any harm. When they go out they don’t know if they will come back. When their friends go out, they don’t know if they’ll come back.”

The challenges of supporting the religious freedoms of military members–as well as the honorable drive to support those freedoms–are not limited to the American military.

Congress Faults CIA over Missionary Plane Shootdown

While most understand the dangers of remote missionary aviation, recent government reports have brought grim reminders of the factors that cannot be controlled.

In April of 2001, American missionaries Jim and Veronica Bowers, along with their young adopted children Cory and Charity, were flown from Brazil to Peru by pilot Kevin Donaldson in a small float plane.  They were sponsored by the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, and had to leave and re-enter the country in order to obtain a permanent visa for Charity, who was just a few months old.  The family had been missionaries to the Amazon since 1993, following a stint in the US Army in Europe.

In a unique program, the CIA was working with the Peruvian government to intercept, and potentially shoot down, aircraft suspected of participating in drug smuggling operations.  The Bowers’ plane was mistakenly suspected of being Read more

MWR Facilities Removed from Afghanistan

As reported at the Air Force Times, Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) facilities are being removed from Afghanistan, consistent with General McChrystal’s previous guidance that the facilities–from Pizza Hut to new car sales–are detrimental to the warfighting spirit necessary for the expeditionary mindset:

“This is a war zone — not an amusement park,” [US Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Hall, the top U.S. enlisted man in Afghanistan] wrote.

(Yes, military members can purchase cars while deployed in combat areas, for delivery when they arrive home.  There are often special discounts and tax exemptions included in the deal, though that by no means guarantees a “steal.”)

Many facilities are exempt, as are some that are associated with other units.  The facilities affected by McChrystal’s order have 90 days to close.

Support Your Local…Military Chapel

Being a Christian in the military can bring some interesting challenges when making offerings and donations to the Lord’s work.  The Combined Federal Campaign, for example, has both its positives and negatives; in addition, there is simply the challenge of finding a consistent church to attend and support among a variety of moves and temporary assignments.

An additional consideration occurs when Christians in the military attend a military chapel.  While most Christian denominations support the concept of contributing financially to one’s home church, the financial situation of a military chapel is somewhat different.  Unlike a private church that depends on the funds of its members, a congregation will not be evicted from a military chapel for reasons of rent or mortgage, nor will the Chaplain be let go (or move on) because of issues with pay.

Some military Christians still support the chapel financially with Read more

Army Initiates Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program

The US Army’s master resilience training school will open on Fort Jackson in April.

The school is part of the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, the Army’s latest attempt to train Soldiers not only for war, but also for life.  To that end, the CSF program describes “five dimensions of strength:”  Physical, Emotional, Social, Family, and Spiritual.

The Army apparently recognizes one of the most common displays of spiritual strength among its Soldiers: the poster for “spiritual strength” contains a photograph of uniformed and armed Army members praying in a circle.

US Army Graphic

US Army Graphic

Ironically, this public expression of spirituality is occasionally imperiled by critics who feel that the displays inappropriately connect the US military with religion (more specifically, Christianity).  For the time being, the military’s hypersensitivity to religious offense has not yet restricted public displays of Read more

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