Category Archives: Chaplain

Deployed Chapels and Chaplains a Beacon of Light

An article from the Iowa Army National Guard described the value of the US military providing religious support for its troops:

A single, unassuming shelter stands out. On the surface, it looks just like the rest, except for one small detail – a small, navy blue flag, with a single white cross in the center.

Many Soldiers walk by this tent without a second thought. However, to a Soldier of faith, it’s a beacon of light in an otherwise dreary environment.

This flag is a cue to Soldiers of Task Force Ironman, Iowa Army National Guard that they have a place to practice their religion. Even in this unforgiving terrain, far from home, they’re offered a reminder they’re not alone.

Chapels and chaplains have occasionally been criticized by some for bringing religion to troops downrange — even in combat. What those critics frequently Read more

US Troops Pose with Cross. Mikey Weinstein Conniption to Follow.

A group of US Army Soldiers (and one Sailor) recently posed for a photo during training:

soldierscross3With a group of US troops posing in front of a flag with a Christian cross, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein will no doubt pontificate on the propaganda value such a photo provides for al Qaeda and ISIS, and how these troops are endangering the lives of their fellow troops, violating their oaths and the US Constitution, etc., etc., etc.  Standard bigoted fare.

He’s wrong, of course, but such tripe is common from Weinstein, and he Read more

Las Vegas Chaplain Serves Drone Pilots, Preschoolers

The local Las Vegas Review-Journal covers US Air Force Chaplain (Capt) Michael Engfer, a Reserve Chaplain who does double duty as a local Episcopal Reverend:

The Rev. Michael Engfer occupies two distinct ministries.

In November, he was named deacon in charge of All Saints Episcopal Church, a growing multicultural congregation…

He also is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base as deputy wing chaplain for the 926th Wing Air Force Reserve unit. Among the people he serves are drone pilots, a new type of service with unique challenges.

Chaplain Engfer also makes a point of explaining his view on marriage:  Read more

The 2016 AFRC Chaplain Corps Conference Disaster

conferencev2by Sonny Hernandez

On April 18-21, 2016, the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) Chaplain Corps Conference commenced in Chicago, IL. The theme of this aforementioned conference was “soul care” and “moral injury.” The keynote civilian speakers for this event were: Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock and Dr. Jonathan Shay, who were publicized as being world renowned experts in the field of moral injury. Unfortunately, there were Air Force chaplains that left the conference who experienced “moral injury” after being forced to listen to Read more

There are No Atheists In (or Out of) Foxholes: A Military Chaplain’s Perspective

I. Introduction

In 2013, United States Air Force Chaplain (LtCol) Kenneth Reyes published an article that cogently chronicled the historical and aphoristic phrase ‘No atheists in foxholes.’.[1] Immediately, the article was lambasted with an incendiary campaign that demanded the extraction of Chaplain Reyes’s post. Michael (Mikey) Weinstein from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) was expeditious in reviling the article by demanding its removal which subsequently led to the Air Force removing its publication. Weinstein called the article a “bigoted and religious supremacist phrase” and lauded himself with victory once the Air Force removed the article.[2]

Weinstein’s vitriol was not surprising since he does not win in litigation; he is forced to rely on coercion. However, the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) interposed by persuading the Air Force to consider the transparent constitutionality and recurrent legal threats from the MRFF,[3] which eventually caused the Air Force to reinstate the article.[4] Victory for religious freedom and a loss for Weinstein!

Chaplain Scott Reyes’s article is a wonderful military depiction of perseverance that every member of the Armed Forces can relate to, especially if they have served during times of conventional, asymmetric or globalizing warfare. If a member of the Armed Forces is held captive during wartime operations as a prisoner of war (POW), apart from strategic interdictions and a battalion of ground forces, what else is a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine left with? Faith! According to George MacDonald:  Read more

Army Chaplain Reaches Troops with Cigars, PT

An interesting intro in to an article about a military chaplain from the Fayetteville Observer:

When Father Luke pulls out his Bible, soldiers scatter.

So Chaplain (Capt) Lukasz J. Willenberg, also known as Father Luke, set out to reach his troops regardless — and it worked:

He started Holy Smokes – a lounge time after Sunday night mass…[at] Bagram Airfield…A division band played jazz in the background as Willenberg led casual conversations about anything the soldiers could entertain.

“We’d have over 100 people,” Willenberg said. “Here we are, in a deployed setting. We can build a camaraderie session. We’re building each other up so we can keep going with the mission.”

While Holy Smokes provided something for the troops, it also gave Chaplain Read more

Gospel Competency: An Imperative For Military Chaplains

by Sonny Hernandez

As a military chaplain, I have been privileged and blessed to serve the nation’s finest men and women who have endured laboriously for the defense of freedom. There is an exponential amount of men and women from around the world who have coalesced to serve selflessly and honorably against all enemies foreign and domestic. The sacrifice of family separation, elongated deployments, and all of the cataclysmic experiences of spiritual warfare can lead to many adversarial effects. Some of those aggravated effects are: depression, anger, sadness, hopelessness, family troubles, divorce, drunkenness, sexual immorality (bestiality, adultery, fornication, and homosexuality), attempted suicide and even death. This is why competent, Bible-believing military chaplains are imperative to provide Gospel-centered preaching and counseling to those who serve in the Armed Forces.

There are always going to be incursions on military chaplains who believe Read more

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