Tag Archives: Military

Military Guidance on Politics, Facebook Muddied by Commentary

Update: Based on new information, some conclusions in this article have been updated here.

Every now and then members of the military post official articles that might best be understood as “public service announcements” for their fellow troops.  They often cover high interest issues (like politics, social media, and religion, see below) or regulations that are the topic du jour.  Unfortunately, because these articles carry no weight (unless they are written by a senior Air Force leader issuing official guidance), they can often add confusion to the issue they mean to clarify — especially if they’re wrong. 

For example, a Public Affairs troop recently wrote “Rock the vote, but beware of guidelines,” which was a combination of encouraging voting while cautioning on the restrictions on political activity:  Read more

General Welsh Confirmed as next USAF Chief of Staff

On August 10th, General Mark Welsh will become the next US Air Force Chief of Staff.  His Senate confirmation had previously been on hold.  Welsh, who is popular for his well-delivered inspirational messages and straight-shooting, will replace retiring General Norton Schwartz.  The Air Force Times said one of General Welsh’s first jobs will be to “repair” the damage done to the Air Force’s relationship with Congress — under Schwartz, who has Read more

US Marine Base Hosts Secular Summer Camp

When members of the US military have organized events and celebrations of their faith, a few atheists in the military have complained that religion is being favored and have demanded the military give them a platform to mock their fellow troops’ faith.  As has previously been noted, more than once, they fail to honestly admit that secular events are actually the norm.

In another of the many examples, the US Marine base at Camp Lejeune, NC, recently hosted the YMCA’s Summer Kids Club:

Children gathered around a table and busily Read more

US Soldiers Get Coined by General

A recent Army article noted that the commander of forces in Afhganistan “coined” members of the US military for their exceptional performance:

Marine Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan…presented ISAF commander coins to six soldiers surrounded by their friends and fellow service members during a mid-day ceremony here.

After listing the accomplishments of the soldiers, the article included this summary of the tradition:  Read more

Poor Spiritual Foundation May be Key to Military Suicides

An article at the Christian Post notes broken relationships are a strong trend in the list of contributing factors in those who commit suicide in the US military.  In addition, as has been noted here before, the concepts of moral injury and moral responsibility are significant in the US military — and young people today may not be equipped with the necessary moral foundation to deal with these issues.

A retired US Army chaplain said one of the contributing factors to suicide in today’s Army may be that men and women are entering the military with a substantially weaker spiritual foundation than prior generations — meaning they are often ill-equipped to handle the moral and life challenges they rapidly see in combat in today’s military:  Read more

1 … 288 289 290 291 292 … 552