Tag Archives: Military

TSA: No Grenades on Commercial Flights

In case you were wondering, the Transportation Security Administration has issued a reminder to US military members that explosives are not allowed on commercial flights.

TSA spokesman Lauren Gaches said agency workers occasionally encounter servicemembers who have packed inert grenades or other prohibited items in their luggage, often as a keepsake from the battlefield.

While this may seem intuitive on some level, the situation is understandably complex for military members.  Unlike past conflicts with mass, dedicated-military transportation, many servicmembers travel to and from the combat zone on commercial aircraft (or they transfer from a military theatre flight to a commercial flight), and they bring their weapons, combat gear, etc, with them.

It is not unheard of for a representative of a chartered commercial flight to brief a planeload of Soldiers about what’s not allowed onboard — only to have all of them start asking what they’re supposed to do with the Gerbers on their belts and the knives in their boots.

At least the TSA is confiscating the contraband, rather than arresting the military member as might happen if a civilian tried to board a flight with a similar item.

The Army Air Force, 2010

A common “gotcha” question among the American military services is Which branch has the most aircraft?

The answer:  The US Army.

While most people think the Army Air Forces ceased to exist just after World War II (at the birth of the Air Force), the US Army retains a large air force of its own.  Granted, most of its aircraft are rotary (helicopter) rather than fixed wing, but its total number of aviation assets exceeds that of the Air Force, which is generally the assumed answer.

Still, the US Army does retain some fixed wing assets.  The Mississippi National Guard — not the Air National Guard — recently flew out to document some of the Gulf oil spill incident.  The aircraft was a C-23 Sherpa, and it was flown by the typical Army aviator: a Warrant Officer.

The Army had been planning to acquire the C-27 to replace the C-23, though funding for the Army’s allocation of C-27s was previously in doubt.

Christian Perspectives: Journal of Faith and War

The “Journal of Faith and War” is a relatively new resource of the Association for Christian Conferences, Teaching and Service (ACCTS) (see links).  The site

aims to influence for good the faith basis of morally responsible leadership in regard to preparing for war, going to war, fighting wars, concluding wars, evaluating wars, and maintaining discipline and accountability among parties involved in planning, projecting or applying military force. It will examine national defense decisions, policies, and strategies as well as the leadership of military and security forces.

Col Don Snider’s article on the authentic Christian witness in the military is at that site, as are a variety of articles on Biblical service, “calling” and the military, and others.  As the site collects content, it may prove to be a valuable resource for mature Christian and professional military insight.

See links to this and other valuable sites at the Links page.

Buddhist Chaplain Leads Holy Day in Iraq

US Army Chaplain (1LT) Thomas Dyer — the Baptist-Pastor-turned-Buddhist-Priest who became the US Army’s first Buddhist Chaplain — led 200 people in a celebration of the holiest day of the Buddhist calendar while deployed to Iraq in May.

US military members from across Iraq were invited to the celebration and were allowed to travel to the base specifically for the observance.

The official effort the US military puts into allowing — even encouraging — its members to participate in the religious services of their choosing is significant.  Military members can take comfort in knowing that their leadership has their spiritual resiliency in mind and will, to the extent the mission allows, protect their free exercise.

Still, all is not without controversy. Read more

New Ejection Seat Improves T-38

The Air Force has announced that the 50 year old fleet of T-38 Talons, the AF’s primary jet trainer, is being upgraded with a new ejection seat.  The Martin Baker seat will reportedly be a vast improvement over the prior version, integrating the parachute with the seat (so it no longer has to be carried to the jet by the pilot) as well as giving the T-38 a zero-zero ejection capability.

The modification includes sequenced ejection; in the original version of the T-38, each cockpit ejected independently of the other.  Now, either cockpit can command ejection, both seats will go, and the rear seat will always go first.

This is not an insignificant change.  In 2009, a rear seat crew member ejected while the front seat pilot did not.  Since the seats were independent, the front seater remained in the aircraft to impact.

Combat from a Computer Console

The Houston Chronicle, via Military.com, has an article on Major Jon Stiles, a US Air Force Predator operator who flies out of Houston for the Texas Air National Guard.  The aircraft he controls are flying over Afghanistan and Iraq.

As similar articles have noted in the past, UAV/RPA operators certainly do not experience the same “combat” conditions as troops on the ground or even the aviators directly overhead.  That said, their actions can still have life and death impacts — immediately visible on the screen — as well as strategic implications.  There is certainly pressure and stress, though perhaps in a way not yet fully comprehended by the military.

“If Gays Serve Openly, will Chaplains Suffer?”

USA Today has duelling articles on the potential impact of the repeal of the policies commonly known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

“No, the mission is to serve all soldiers.”
Arnold Resnicoff, a former Navy Chaplain, responds in the negative. Resnicoff was also a special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force from 2005 to 2006, when the Air Force Academy “Christian scandal” made news.  (Michael Weinstein called Resnicoff an “unmitigated disaster.”)

Resnicoff’s primary argument is that

good chaplains can preach and teach, true to their beliefs — respecting rights while challenging what they believe is wrong. (emphasis original)

He maintains there would be zero impact to Chaplains.

“Yes, religious liberty is in real jeopardy.”
Daniel Blomberg of the Alliance Defense Fund answers in the affirmative.  In contrast to Resnicoff, Blomberg says the change would “likely harm” Chaplains:  Read more

US Chaplains, Jordanian Imams Discuss Religious Military Support

As is often the case, US military Chaplains in San Antonio again demonstrated they can have strategic impact on military relationships.  US Third Army Chaplains met with imams from the Jordanian Armed Forces to discuss their roles in supporting their respective forces.

“The intent of the exchange was to enhance the capabilities of religious support in contingency operations of both the Jordanian Armed Forces Chaplaincy and the U.S. Chaplaincy through face-to-face discussions of both religious support doctrine and operational experience,” said Col. Richard Pace, command chaplain, Third Army.

Chaplains have many roles and responsibilities, and their professions are far more complex than just preaching on Sunday morning.  Just ask the Chaplains who recently made an official visit to Namibia.

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