US military chaplains aren’t just sitting in offices or behind lecterns. And when their units train for combat, they go with them, because they, too, need to exercise how they will operate in the combat environment:
Allied Spirit is a series of combat exercises centered on battlefield realism and international cooperation. But the authentic nature of the U.S. Army Europe training isn’t confined to combat arms personnel…
Too often, the role of chaplains Read more
From the US Marine Corps [emphasis added]:
Fitness is a vital part of being a United States Marine. Although we all understand the importance of being physically fit, it is also important to remember the other three aspects of overall fitness: spiritual, mental, and social. All of these aspects are essential to the well-being of each individual Marine and Sailor, and our Corps as a whole…
Research indicates that spiritual fitness plays a key role in resiliency, in our Read more
Hemant Mehta of the “Friendly Atheist” blog was recently aghast that Ayaan Hirsi Ali — a Somali born woman who grew up Muslim but is now an atheist and outspoken critic of Islam — was added to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s list of “anti-Muslim extremists.”
The SPLC, of course, is famous for its list of “hate groups.” They’ve affixed that label to certain conservative Christian organizations that say homosexuality is an evil that can and should be cured — but not churches that merely believe it’s a sin…
But now, a couple critics of Islam have joined the club, which makes me wonder why anyone should take the SPLC seriously at this point.
Mehta is blind to his own irony: He says it’s fine for the SPLC to designate “hate groups” who speak out about homosexuality, but he’s suddenly offended when those who speak out about Read more
Recently, a brief article addressed a fairly simple question: Did Mikey Weinstein Serve in Combat? The basic answer was “who cares?” — except in those cases in which Weinstein himself tries to play the military/combat card.
That was going to be the end of it. But Mikey didn’t like it.
Weinstein’s lawyer, Randal “Randy” Mathis, sent a letter the next day expressing Weinstein’s displeasure with one of the closing paragraphs of that article:
You wrote that Mr. Weinstein was not an “Honor Graduate” of the United States Air Force Academy.
If there’s one thing that will raise Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s ire, it’s an affront to his ego — but that’s not exactly what the article said [emphasis added]: Read more
Chaplain (Capt.) Owen Vazquez, chaplain for Read more
Casey Weinstein, son of Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, is running for the state legislature in Ohio. He’s apparently a Democrat — which fits the family profile of the elder Weinstein, who makes a point of saying he’s a “registered Republican” but has only publicly supported Democrats for years. Casey has previously been a local councilman for Hudson City and now seems to be aiming a little higher.
Casey’s specific political aspirations aren’t particularly relevant — except that the Republican party, supporting incumbent Kristina Roegner, recently sent out a mailer highlighting the Weinsteins’ 2005 lawsuit against the US Air Force Academy. It seems Casey Weinstein has been campaigning on his military credentials (even wearing an Air Force shirt going door-to-door), so he’s engendered interest in his somewhat tense relationship with the military.
In a short article clearly promoted by Weinstein (he even provided the mailer), the “reporter” essentially debunks the political mailer and lauds Casey’s credentials: Read more
Major Andrew Thornley spent four years as an Airman in the Security Forces — a beginning to a career in which he said he had difficulty finding a “spiritual mentor.” That challenge was something he would ultimately seek to help others overcome:
After completing his enlistment, Thornley began his theological studies, eventually becoming a pastor in the civilian world. After 10 years as a pastor, he began to feel that there might be more he could do with his newfound knowledge…
“I left the Air Force, but the Air Force never really left me,” Thornley said. “I’ve always had the blue blood running through my veins.”
Chaplain Thornley re-entered the Air Force in October 2001 and spent the next several years trying to help troops and their families cope with the hardships of war.
In 2003 he was featured on Good Morning America, where he Read more
Military religious freedom