US Military Chaplains on al Jazeera

As noted at the Huffington Post, al Jazeera has posted a news article and segment (video on YouTube) showing military Chaplains in the Middle East with Bibles in the local language and preaching “conversion.”

While seemingly inflammatory on its face (as evidenced by the outrage in subsequent comments on the websites), the newsreel is actually an “exercise in context.”  For example, it highlights this quote, also re-posted in both the al Jazeera and Huffington Post articles:

[T]he chaplains appear to have found a way around the regulation known as General Order Number One.

“Do we know what it means to proselytise?” Captain Emmit Furner, a military chaplain, says to the gathering.

“It is General Order Number One,” an unidentified soldier replies.

But [another soldier] says “you can’t proselytise but you can give gifts.”

The voiceover then continues, and the Huffington article goes on to emphasize the crime of conversion in Afghanistan.

Both ignore the significance of the very next statement by the Chaplain, which is almost obscured by the al Jazeera narrator. Read more

Military Traditions in Civilian Aviation

United Airlines has reportedly settled a lawsuit with a female aircrew member who complained of repeatedly finding pornographic material on the flight deck of her aircraft.

Court documents show that Stout, a United 737 captain based out of Seattle, found pornographic photos of women on more than 20 flights in 2004 and 2005…The photos were mostly found in hidden spots, such as under a cap on [the] “stick shaker,” or taped to the lid of the unused ashtray.

The reason this is of even remote interest to military Christians (particularly aviators) is that the allegation appears to duplicate a long military tradition Read more

Post-Commissioning: Leaving the Fishbowl

As noted in this short article, many military cadets, strapped for time, cash, and energy, dream of the day when they will finally graduate and enter the “real” Air Force, Navy, etc.  They hope for that day when they can finally have the time and resources to do the things they know they should, like give money to their church, read their Bible, or attend a fellowship.  What some don’t realize is that life may be just as busy “on the outside.”

Thus, the time to integrate those Christian characteristics into their life–to turn choices into habits, which are the basis for a lifestyle–is now, because there will never be a “better” time. Read more

AF Offers Chaplaincy Scholarships

According to an AF news release, the Air Force is offering scholarships to Chaplain candidates from “underrepresented” faiths:

The program will help fill manning shortfalls in faiths underrepresented in the Air Force. For example, 14 percent of the 534 active duty chaplains in the Air Force are Roman Catholic, yet they provide services for 25 percent of Airmen, as well as their families, said Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Cecil Richardson, the Air Force chief of chaplains.

Military National Prayer Breakfasts

According to a variety of sources, the National Prayer Breakfast is an annual Washington, DC, event for Congressional and Executive leaders that has been ongoing for decades.  President Obama spoke at this year’s event in February.

The tradition has spread across the country, with a variety of other locations holding similar breakfasts, luncheons, or other gatherings.  Members of the Chaplain corps often sponsor Prayer Breakfasts at military installations.  Prayers and speeches are often presented by Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Chaplains, as well as notable personalities.  Though they are non-denominational and inclusive, they are not without controversy.

The 10th Mountain Division held theirs in early March, with noted speaker Bobby Welch invited to address the group.  Welch is a Vietnam Veteran Read more

Biden to Deliver AF Academy Commencement

Amid the controversy over Presidential addresses at university graduations, the White House announced with far less fanfare the commencement schedule of the Vice President.  Biden will deliver the graduation address at civilian colleges, as well as the US Air Force Academy on May 27th.

Though Notre Dame has captured the media attention, the White House previously announced President Obama will also speak at the US Naval Academy on May 22nd.  Traditionally, the President rotates among the military academies for a graduation address each year.

Sikh Coalition Campaigns for Military Service

Updated: CNN now carries the story. 

The Sikh Coalition has announced a “campaign” to convince the US Army to allow members of the Sikh faith to serve in uniform.  Two medical students, one a dentist, one a doctor, were reportedly recruited by the Army only to be told later that they would not be able to wear their religious apparel while in uniform.

According to the site, the Sikh faith requires that they carry their “articles of faith,” which include “unshorn” hair, a turban, a metal bracelet, a kind of shorts, and a kirpan (or “Sikh sword”).  In general, these accoutrements have been found to be inconsistent with military uniform regulations; therefore, Sikhs would have to give up these articles of faith while in uniform Read more

DoJ Moves to Dismiss Chalker/MRFF Lawsuit

The Obama Administration’s Department of Justice has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Specialist Dustin Chalker and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.  The lawsuit (discussed previously and available here) alleged that Chalker was forced to attend formations that had Christian prayers.  It asked that the Courts direct that the DoD not require Chalker to attend formations at which a prayer was given.

The motion to dismiss contains a variety of strong points (some of which have been mentioned on this site previously).  In particular Read more

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