The Air Force recently announced that it was beginning to accept voluntary separations (and might ultimately begin involuntary ones) in order to reduce its manning to meets its authorized end strength.
Among the career fields being downsized: AFSC 52R, Chaplains. Catholic Chaplains are not included. Read more
Many military members who deploy have “kits” of items that they take with them, some for personal reasons, other for professional. Some military branches and specialties also issue kits with required items for the servicemembers in those fields.
Chaplains are no exception. Over at the Army Chaplaincy Blog, Chaplain Daniel Sparks has a picture and list of the things he packs in his “Chaplain’s Kit” when he deploys. While size and weight are certainly important, Sparks also mentions another important factor: Read more
The ministry team of Chaplain (Capt) Steve Fisher and his assistant SSgt Dewey Landers made a special point in Iraq to minister to the Air Force Security Forces on base. They are one of the few units that is called upon to perform missions “outside the wire.”
The response of the members of the unit to the Chaplain’s visit was an important indicator of the significance of Chaplains in the military. From their Chief, Michael Fluck: Read more
A Fort Leavenworth chapel program is using a Biblical approach to helping returning Soldiers and their families “reunite” for the long term. The program is called “Faith-Based Solutions to the Combat Experience” and uses two Military Ministry (links) products: When War Comes Home and The Combat Trauma Healing Manual.
The program is open to all and is purely a military Chapel function. The goal isn’t psychological healing, but an intimate and faith-based effort to strengthen family relationships:
Facilitators are looking at reintegration into society after combat from a personal, faith-based perspective.
Chaplain (LtCol) Mike Thompson lauded the value of faith in the approach, Read more
The Sacramento Bee has a collection of high-quality photos of Chaplains at work in Afghanistan. Included are
and an interesting picture of Chaplain’s assistant Sgt. Oscar Santiago, shown carrying a rifle in one hand and a guitar in the other.
Via the Army Chaplaincy blog.
A DoD news release notes the practice of Chaplains travelling throughout Afghanistan to serve even at the smallest forward-deployed units in combat. The lengths to which these Chaplains go, FOB-hopping throughout the combat area, are another indicator of the importance of religious exercise within the US military.
A US Army National Guard Chaplain is under investigation for violating “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” by allegedly “telling” a superior Chaplain that he was gay.
Aris Fokas is a United Church of Christ minister who joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in 2003 at the age of 39. Fokas has reportedly denied the disclosure, though he reportedly
declined to say anything about his sexual orientation other than to acknowledge he is single and has never been married.
He noted, too, that the United Church of Christ ordains openly gay and lesbian ministers, a denomination-wide policy since 1980.
In an apparent attempt to defend himself, Fokas says Read more
US Army Chaplain (Capt) Carl Subler is profiled by the San Francisco Examiner in a revealing article that describes the comradery the Catholic priest shares with the Army troops he serves in Afghanistan.
His perspective on faith and suffering, while somewhat unique to hear someone say, is actually fairly commonly held:
I find the more creature comforts are taken away from us, in many ways, we look to God with even more hope.
Read more of the interesting article at the Examiner. Chaplain Subler was previously profiled here.