Update: The DoD article on the event can be seen here.
The Joint Base Lewis-McChord chapel will host the Buddhist New Year celebrations on 31 March 2012.
The event is being sponsored by Chaplain (Capt) Somya Malasri, one of the few Buddhist chaplains in the US military, and will feature Read more
Though an outcry over a Christian concert event at Fort Bragg inspired a demand for a non-religious equivalent, it turns out the US military has been quietly slipping non-religious events onto military bases for some time.
Mollie Gross, a comedienne and former military wife, recently visited Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC, to bring a little humor home.
“A lot of different comedians and musicians go overseas to Read more
Last week, Pentagon leadership gave testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee on their Annual Threat Assessment. A surprising, if somewhat understated, highlight was the pronouncement of a “growing concern” of terrorist threats from within the US intelligence and military communities:
Senior US military and intelligence officials are warning of their growing concern that rogue “radical” elements are operating – or preparing to operate – “within the ranks” of the intelligence community and armed forces.
Ultimately, this should be of little surprise, Read more
The unofficial motto of “Initial Success or Total Failure” (ISOTF) — intended to convey the life or death consequences of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) profession — has been banned by the US military.
Rear Adm. Michael Tillotson told school leaders this month that the motto could be viewed as disrespectful to the hundreds of Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians who have died in the line of duty.
Adm Tillotson went on to say that to “imply [the fallen have] failed” Read more
Reuters reported last week that Afghanistan wants NATO to put the “Koran burners” on trial — and Afghanistan reportedly claimed NATO had agreed to a trial, though Reuters qualified the statement as not “immediately verified.”
“NATO officials, in response to a request for the trial and punishment of the perpetrators…promised this crime will brought to court as soon as possible,” Karzai’s office said in a statement.
While it is unlikely NATO actually made such a concession — NATO has already said the burning was “inadvertent” and there is no crime against burning Korans in the Western world — the confusion may be understandable. Even President Obama’s Read more
A Department of Defense article highlights the unique story of Daniel J. Houten, an enlistee with the Georgia National Guard. He’s now in basic training — but he hardly took the traditional route to get there:
Houten…wanted to join the U.S. Army — but without a GED and 15 hours of college credit, he was ineligible.
An acquaintance told Houten the Israeli Army recruited new soldiers simply because they were Jewish…
Although his religious faith had diminished somewhat, he still identified himself as a Jew and felt strong connections to Israel, the homeland of his people, culture and religion. He decided this should be his next step in life.
Houten learned Hebrew and was Read more
A group representing “more than half of America’s uniformed chaplains,” the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, decried the decision by the Department of Justice to abstain from defending the Defense of Marriage Act against lawsuits.
Chaplain (Col, Ret) Ron Crews accurately notes the existence of DOMA was often cited by supporters of DADT repeal as a mitigation of critics’ concerns: Read more
Despite ongoing budget issues, the US Air Force intends to develop and field a new bomber colloiqually known as the Long Range Strike Aircraft.
The Air Force has already set aside $292 million in research dollars for the bomber in their fiscal 2013 budget request. The service plans to spend $6.3 billion into the effort over the next five years. Once developed, the new bomber will replace B-1Bs and B-2s. The new plane will be designed to evade advanced aerial defense systems, employ stealth Read more