An announcement recently circulated for Fort Lewis about the upcoming Vesak day, which
encompasses the birth, the Enlightenment, and the passing away of Gautama Buddha.
The announcement notes the invitation by US Army Chaplain Somya Read more
An article at FoxNews notes the military’s continued effort to fight the “stigma” associated with mental health issues, to encourage troops to seek help when they need it:
“Leadership is letting folks know that it is not a sign of weakness if you ask for help,” says Navy Lt. Commander Andrew Martin, the psychologist in charge of the program…
All branches of the military are working hard to remove the stigma associated with reporting psychological issues. The old way of thinking was to “suck it up” if a soldier or Marine was having problems coping. Now, the Marines are deploying psychologists to forward operating bases in Iraq and Afghanistan so troops have a ready ear without facing the stigma of being sent back to headquarters for counseling.
The interesting thing about the military’s fight against the “stigma” is the stigma is a perception. The military has worked so hard to remove any actual Read more
A youth ministry group was responsible for the design and creation of a 1,200 pound bronze statue that will soon grace the US Army Chaplain’s School in Fort Jackson, SC:
The statue was designed and created by a group of Fort Hood kids and teens under the direction of Steve Carter, who runs [Fort Hood’s Chapel Ministry] Bob’s Diner, a middle and high school youth ministry group. Weekly Arts Nights are held at the “diner,” where youth explore and create music, drama and art in a faith-based environment.
Carter noted one of the purposes of the design was to highlight the “immediacy” of the Chaplaincy. The statue captures a moment immediately after a battle, in which a Chaplain is able to comfort a grieving Soldier. As has been noted before, Chaplains are literally on the front lines of US military conflicts, serving those who serve.
Read more about Bob’s Diner. Photo credit: Rachel Parks, Fort Hood Public Affairs.
Chaplains in Afghanistan have routinely had to “FOB-hop,” or move from one forward operating base to another, to minister to the needs of servicemembers spread throughout the country. For example, US Army Catholic Chaplain (LtCol) Joseph Hannon travels five days a week, visiting 24 installations spread over 5,000 square miles in Afghanistan. Chaplains in another region have “launched a new version of an old program: Holy Helos.”
Navy LtCmdr Stephen M. Coates, a chaplain with Read more
It seems everybody wants to be a fighter pilot, or at least pretend to be one. Many people seem to quote fighter pilot movies without knowing what they’re actually saying. Some quotes are accurate (pilots do say “Fox 3” when firing AMRAAMs and “Fox 2” when firing Sidewinders, a la Will Smith in Independence Day); others, not so much (pretty much everything in Top Gun). While most fighter pilot-sounding quotes may just sound cool, quite a bit of real fighter pilot lingo is laced with sexual innuendo through the use of “clever” linguistic games.
Are you sure you want to play? Read more
The previously noted “controversy” over female American Soldiers wearing a headscarf resembling the Islamic hijab has resurfaced with gusto.
A Chicago Tribune opinion piece written by Kyndra Miller Rotunda, a former JAG, displayed a bit of ignorance when the author said Read more
A seemingly benign local article highlighted the roles of various National Guardsmen in their units and communities. Speaking of Chaplain (Maj) Steven Veinotte, it said
Major Steven Veinotte of Campton has seen the truth of that old adage that there are no atheists in foxholes.
“I think that’s natural,” he said. “It’s part of human nature, when the pressure gets ratcheted up, you tend to ask God for more things.”
However, Jason Torpy’s Military Association of Atheists Read more
US military Chaplains are deployed in the Horn of Africa
to establish lines of communication with local religious leaders.
Chaplain (CAPT) Jon Cutler and Chaplain (LtCol) David Terrinoni met with religious leaders and visited a Catholic orphanage. While their main goal was to interact with the locals, the Chaplains also ministered to the needs of their own team:
“There is religious diversity here, but no synagogues, which make me glad Chaplain Cutler could visit,” said Chief Petty Officer Richard Anthonissen…
Cutler was able to serve Anthonissen in a way that only a rabbi can.
“During my last [CTFJ-HOA] tour, there were only Jewish lay-leaders available,” said Anthonissen. “While they meet your faith needs, a rabbi is much more – a rabbi is a teacher who makes you think and challenge your assumptions in a good way.”
Elsewhere, Chaplain (MajGen) Cecil Richardson, Read more