USAF Lt Ben Garland has reportedly changed his mind and asked for an assignment as a Public Affairs officer rather than pilot training. He will be assigned to the USAFA athletic department rather than his original assignment to pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base. The decision process has been ongoing for some time.
While its good he made that decision now, as opposed to halfway through Read more
The US Department of Defense issued a release in which General David Petraeus and his NATO civilian counterpart, Mark Sedwill, condemned the burning of a Koran (alternately, Quran) by Florida Pastor Wayne Sapp (with Pastor Terry Jones, who previously planned to do so, and whose proposal General Petraeus previously condemned):
“We condemn the action of the individual in the United States who burned a copy of the holy Quran. That action was hateful; it was intolerant, and it was extremely disrespectful,” said Petraeus.
As others will likely point out, no one found it “hateful, intolerant, or disrespectful” when the US military tossed Bibles in the trash and burned them not more Read more
An A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) crashed near Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, on Friday, according to the US Air Force. The pilot ejected and was airlifted to a hospital; locals said he complained of a back injury. As is the usual procedure, the incident will be investigated and a report issued in a month or more.
The A-10 has recently been used in Libya, most publicly attacking boats along the coast.
The Marine Times reports an AV-8B Read more
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 third 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 second, Part 2: Worshipping at Local Churches, addressed the topic of local/community churches a military Christian might choose to visit. This final article discusses the sometimes controversial topic of “leaving” a church.
There used to be an old military Academy gripe that cadets were judged unfairly: Read more
An Army release notes efforts by the US Army training leadership to support the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness campaign through its Battle Command Training Program, an “exportable” training center.
The Army’s Comprehensive Fitness Program is designed to bring together several agencies, key organizational members and initiatives to address the “Five Dimensions of Strength” which sustain the U.S. Army Soldier: Physical, Emotional, Social, Family and Spiritual.
The BCTP is a team that travels to Army bases to bring specialized training to them. CSF is a whole-person fitness concept designed to alleviate the Army’s prior Read more
A local paper notes the training of SPC Simram Lamba, the first observant Sikh to serve as an enlisted line Soldier in decades. For his part, Lamba seems to find it a non-event:
Lamba…said the most frequently asked question by his fellow soldiers is about his unshorn hair and beard.
Lamba said both are considered Sikh articles of faith. He called them a “natural gift from God, and we’re not going to destroy it.”
Lamba added the soldiers at his side treat him like any 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