The Buddhist Military Sangha recently published an interview with a Buddhist Navy spouse on being “married to the military.” While much of the interview is, understandably, on the topic of roles and relationships, there were some interesting statements on faith and the military.
The interviewee is Mrs. Barbara Zaragoza, a practicing convert to Zen Buddhism and a “Navy wife.”
On being stationed overseas, away from her usual religious support: Read more
Syndicated columnist Sarah Smiley tries to explain the military tradition of ‘constant change,’ noting the prevalence of “farewells” (sometimes called “Hails and Farewells,” since newcomers are often welcomed as others leave). She also recounts the story of her husband, a Navy helicopter pilot, finding Jesus:
One Cinco de Mayo, we hosted a party, complete with a Mariachi band from Guadalajara, in our backyard. The band’s leader’s name was Jésus. That’s “HEY-soos,” with an accent mark over the e. Every-one loved Jésus and hoped he could return for our second annual party the next year. By the time spring came around, however, there had been a rash of deportations in Pensacola, and Jésus was not answering my many phone calls. We feared Read more
US Army SPC Stephen Hirt helped “bridge[] the gap between US and Afghanistan Muslims” during his recent combat tour.
After his deployment to Afghanistan in 2008 and 2009, Hirt decided to unite his mosque, the Islamic Institute of Orange County – al Farouk, in Anaheim, Calif., with the Muslim people of Afghanistan during his deployment…
Hirt’s unit was not only supportive, they joined in the effort with funding Read more
Previous articles have noted the recommendation by a government panel that women be allowed in all military roles, including combat, because their careers suffer when they are compared to males with broader or combat experience.
A recent article highlighting female Army aviators noted the statistic:
According to a study released earlier this month by the Military Leadership Diversity Commission, women account for only 16 percent of leadership positions in the military – a seemingly staggering statistic to release during National Women’s History Month.
The very next sentence, however, puts the statistic in perspective: Read more
A variety of people from both sides of the political spectrum have made implications of similarity between President Barack Obama’s decision to use military force in Libya and decisions by prior President George W. Bush.
There’s even the second-guessing of the name.
Few people might remember the original name for what eventually became Operation Enduring Freedom was actually Operation Infinite Justice. After reported outcry Read more
As reported in the New York Times, US Air Force Capt. Ryan Thulin, an F-16 pilot stationed in Aviano Air Base, Italy, describes his recent (and first) combat mission, over Libya.
Of note, he flew an 8-hour mission out of Italy, refueling at least twice on the way in and the way out. He dropped at least two 500-lb precision weapons on targets in Libya.
The Associated Press picture of Thulin accompanying the article shows him sporting a mustache. He’s not participating in the fighter pilot tradition of growing a mustache while deployed, as he’s flying from his home base. It’s just coincident timing: the war in Libya occurred during Mustache March.
As an aside, the New York Times reports A-10s and AC-130s have entered the theatre, which may represent a shift in strategy from the generally high-altitude precision bombardment that has happened to date.
Points below:
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the American Civil Liberties Union have filed a Freedom of Information Act request over recent concerts at Fort Bragg. (More accurately, they skipped the FOIA office everybody else has to use and sent a letter directly to the Secretary of the Army.)
Interestingly, the letter presents a schizophrenic perspective. On one hand, they say Fort Bragg’s interaction with Rock the Fort was “unconstitutional.”
we believe that the actions of [Chaplain (Col) David] Hillis and the Department of the Army, in coordinating, planning and supporting last year’s Rock the Fort concert, violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
On the other, they demand to know if Rock Beyond Belief is truly being Read more