The Islamic holy month of Ramadan will begin on August 1st and continue until about the end of the month this year.
A press release from the wing chapel at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, explains the details and significance of the celebration: Read more
Private First Class Naser Abdo has reportedly been arrested by Texas police near Fort Hood, Texas. Abdo wasn’t assigned to Fort Hood; he was assigned to Fort Campbell in Kentucky. The Army said Abdo was AWOL from Fort Campbell.
Local police indicated they had interrupted a “terror plot” in their arrest of PFC Abdo. He was reportedly found with guns, gunpowder, and the makings of a backpack bomb. The arrest was made possible by a tip from local gundealer Guns Galore. Clerk Greg Ebert said the staff of the store was concerned because Abdo was purchasing large quantities of gunpowder — while asking questions about how to use it. Guns Galore is reportedly the same store where Maj Nidal Malik Hasan purchased his firearm.
According to AP reports, Abdo has admitted to planning an attack at Read more
USAFA has its “Falcon Circle,” and just down the street Fort Carson has its unique religious “chapel” as well.
As previously noted, the Turkey Creek ranch US Army facility of Fort Carson has been used for some years to support the religious freedom of men and women in the US military of all kinds. The kind of worship? A native American sweat lodge.
Michael Hackwith is the local spiritual leader and leads the group in Read more
US Air Force General Stephen R. Lorenz recently retired as the head of Air Education and Training Command. (He is also a former Commandant of the US Air Force Academy.) He frequently wrote commentaries alliteratively entitled “Lorenz on Leadership.” On July 19th, the Air Force published his most recent article, in which he recounted a Chaplain’s run-in over pre-mission prayer:
As the troops were preparing to board the helicopters to an FOB that had recently been under attack, several Soldiers asked the chaplain if he could lead them in a prayer. A lieutenant colonel happened to be with the group and the chaplain, who was a captain, thought as a common courtesy he would ask the senior officer for permission to say a prayer for the troops about to enter combat. The lieutenant colonel replied to the chaplain that, “It would not be necessary” and walked away. The chaplain followed this senior officer’s guidance and did not lead the men in a prayer.
General Lorenz took the Lieutenant Colonel to task: Read more
US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, accused in the Fort Hood massacre in 2009, has been arraigned for military trial. His civilian lawyer, retired Colonel John Galligan, reportedly “took a leave of absence” from the case. FoxNews implied his departure might have been related to his lack of security clearance. Galligan has been vocal about Hasan’s “mistreatment” to date:
“I have consistently argued that Major Hasan has not been treated fairly. I maintain that belief,” Galligan said Wednesday.
Col. Gregory Gross, the military chief circuit judge, scheduled the trial for 5 March 2012 in response to the defense’s request for a delay.
By that date, the baby killed in the rampage would have been about 2 years old.
Below:
The American arm of the ministry known as “Campus Crusade for Christ” will begin phasing out that name and officially become “Cru” over the next year or so.
Amazingly, that’s been big news, even at Fox, CNN, and the Washington Post.
In a classic case of “can’t win,” critics from both sides have blasted the organization. Some supporters are disappointed to see what they feel is bowing to political correctness. Some detractors think it is a weak attempt to mask the ‘true mission’ of evangelizing the world.
“Cru” is already used Read more
The US Navy got a lot of grief for posting a list of “Sexual Assault Prevention Tips” on its Facebook page that was derided at different times as uncouth, offensive, and “dumb.”
Navy spokesman Lt. Alana Garas told Fox News that the Navy post should have included more context from the start.
“The intention of posting this poster was to encourage discussion on a serious issue,” Garas said. “It is a crime that will not be tolerated … and the Navy will continue to explore ways to reach our sailors on this serious issue.”
Eventually people realized the “poster” wasn’t the work of the Navy, but of a feminist blog (which actually only created the poster, not the text, which was the source of another feminist blog…). FoxNews noticed the blog the Navy credited went out of its way to deride Christianity:
Christianity is inherently and undeniably Read more