As previously predicted, the case of US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan has been recommended for a general court martial authorized to impose the death penalty.
The convening authority will make the final determination.
Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the Nov. 5, 2009 attack on troops readying to deploy to Afghanistan.
Being a Christian in the military sometimes creates challenges in situations civilians take for granted. For example, how do you find a church? The concept of a “home church” and steady lifelong attendance takes on a whole new meaning when you move every two to four years.
This is the second article in a series of suggestions and guidance on finding a church as you move about in your military career. The first, Part 1: The Military Chapel, discussed the various perspectives and thoughts on attending services at the base/post military chapel. The topic of Part 2 is local/community churches a military Christian might choose to visit at a new or temporary assignment.
Attending a Local Church Read more
Rabbi Heather Borshof was commissioned as a US Army Chaplain in December. She was ordained as a rabbi by the Hebrew Union College, and has worked with a Jewish congregation and worked as a Chaplain in the Air Force since then.
Rear Adm. Harold L. Robinson, who is the first rabbi to reach the rank of admiral in the U.S. Navy, commissioned Borshof during the Dec. 3 ceremony at Temple Rodeph Torah. Her first assignment will be at Fort Belvoir in northern Virginia.
Borshof was described by the JCC as a Reform Rabbi and the “first active-duty woman Chaplain in the US Army in a generation.”
Via the Army Chaplaincy blog.
Normally, Michael Weinstein leans on World War II imagery when he attacks Christianity, saying American Christians are banding together to take over the US (under a new government led by James Dobson and Dick Cheney, apparently) to create “oceans and oceans of blood.”
Adding to his repertoire, Weinstein now appropriates terminology from the civil rights era. In response to the US Army approving a planned atheist event on its grounds — but not on the terms Weinstein wanted — Weinstein had this to say:
This is taking North Carolina back to the Jim Crow Read more
Updated with Weinstein quote.
Just a few days after announcing its planned date, the atheist response to the Billy Graham “Rock the Fort,” “Rock Beyond Belief,” has been cancelled — not by the US Army post at Fort Bragg, which had agreed to host it, nor by critics, who have been silent or nonexistent.
“Rock Beyond Belief” cancelled itself. And as predictably as the sun rising in the East, Michael Weinstein has announced plans to sue the US Army as a result.
It almost seems like choreography.
The reasons for the cancellation include an apparent lack Read more
A Buddhist Zen priest living in Austin conducted an interview with 1LT Stephen Hunnewell, an American Soldier and Buddhist who was serving in Afghanistan at the time. In the interview, Lt Hunnewell said that while he was long interested in the eastern religions, he didn’t really begin to practice a faith until returning from a combat tour:
It was not until I returned from my last deployment in Afghanistan, 2008, did I really begin a practice. During my last tour in Afghanistan I began to search for a spiritual path. The old adage, “There are no atheists in foxholes,” could not be more true.
For those who don’t closely follow Buddhist/military discussions, it is interesting to note the vein of pacifism Read more
Despite opposition from religious freedom critic Michael Weinstein, the US military continues to host prayer events for its willing troops around the world. A small sampling of some interesting articles from military sources:
The National Prayer Breakfast at Fort Bragg — also the location of the upcoming atheist event — was recently addressed by the command chaplain:
The event’s keynote speaker, Chaplain (Col.) Pat Hash, the USASOC command chaplain, spoke and use the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den to illustrate why principles, character and personal courage are essential for soldiers serving in the United States Military.
The National Prayer Luncheon at Fort Meade also featured Read more
Multiple news sources reported on the attack in Frankfurt, Germany, that killed two US Air Force airmen and seriously wounded two more. Said President Obama:
“I’m saddened and I am outraged by this attack that took the lives of two Americans and wounded two others. I think the American people are united in expressing our gratitude for the service of those who were lost. I want everybody to understand that we will spare no effort in learning how this outrageous act took place and in working with German authorities to ensure that all of the perpetrators are brought to justice.”
The Airmen were reportedly USAF Security Forces in transit from Lakenheath Read more