Tag Archives: Afghanistan

US Marines in Corpse Desecration Video Accused of Atheism

By now most of the world is probably aware of the accusation that four US Marines urinated on corpses in what is apparently Afghanistan.  One of the group videotaped the event for posterity.

The event brought out a slew of condemnations from all sides:

  • Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta: “This conduct is entirely inappropriate for members of the United States military and does not reflect the standards of values our armed forces are sworn to uphold.”
  • Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos: “wholly inconsistent with the high standards of conduct and warrior ethos.”
  • Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “It is absolutely inconsistent Read more

Soldiers, Chaplains Try to Keep Empathy and Humanity in War

An official Department of Defense article notes the importance of empathy in war and its relevance to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan.  In virtually every war in history each side stereotypically demonizes or otherwise dehumanizes its enemy.  Unfortunately, militaries must move past that division after the war is complete — especially when one military is supporting the establishment of their ‘former enemy’s’ government.

In Afghanistan, one soldier had an epiphany that led him to think more deeply about the people he fights:  Read more

Facebook Effect: Corporal May Face Sanction over Ron Paul Rally

Update: US Rep Mike Hoffman (R-CO) has said troops need to be reminded of the rules involving political participation.  As noted below, there were already some official military articles on the subject.

US Army Corporal Jesse Thorsen made a name for himself Tuesday night, for better or worse.  He appeared on CNN and onstage endorsing the political candidacy of Ron Paul while he was wearing his Army fatigues.

Unlike the mystical machinations of Chris Rodda, in which she says military officers violate regulations when they express their faith on the internet, there is actually an explicit Department of Defense Directive on this type of conduct (barring an unknown mitigating factor on the Corporal’s part).  From DoDD 1344.10 (Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces, found here), an active duty military member “shall not”  Read more

Chaplain in Afghanistan Lives a Hollywood Movie Script

The Baptist Press says US Air Force Chaplain (Capt) Kevin Humphrey’s report back to his sending agency

reads like the script of a Hollywood blockbuster.

Chaplain Humphrey is currently deployed to Kandahar and has been nearly constantly busy with rocket attacks, attending to the wounded, and serving the spiritual needs of all on the base, including US, British, Canadian, Pakistani, and others.

With challenges come opportunities:  Read more

Fort Hood Suspect Planned Execution at Fort Campbell

PFC Naser Abdo has a new lawyer after stating he disagreed with the defense strategy of his prior court-appointed counsel.

Attorney Keith Dorsett told U.S. District Judge Walter Smith during a brief hearing in Waco that his client had been uncooperative.

His trial is scheduled to begin at the end of January.

In a recent phone interview, Abdo also reportedly admitted to planning an attack on Fort Campbell, where he was originally stationed before Read more

Study: Top Cause of PTSD is Moral Guilt

In an era in which society encourages each to do his own thing, and “right” is a relative term, a recent study seems to indicate many people do inherently have an understanding of morality at their core — and this may sometimes conflict with the actions required by military combat:

The conflicts that troops feel can range from survivor guilt from living through an attack where other troops died, to witnessing or participating in the unintentional killing of women or children, said researchers involved in the study.

The key quote comes near the end of the article:  Combat experienced US Marines were the subject group, and the study showed

Their condition [PTSD] was more closely linked to an inner conflict Read more

US Army Engages Afghans on Culture, Religion

The US Army has been conducting “religious engagement conferences” to shore up support as the military conducts “turnover of responsibility” actions in Afghanistan.

“In this part of Afghanistan, culture is religion and religion is culture,” said Dauod Parwani, the RCT-5 cultural advisor. “The two concepts are inseparable, and unless you are speaking in the language of religion, no one will listen to you.”

The meetings involve not only US military leaders, but also US military chaplains — once again proving their mettle not only as supporters of the religious freedom of US troops, but also as instrumental to the strategic objectives of the US effort.

In fact, Chaplain (Cmdr) Mark Winward quotes Navy Chaplain (Capt) Paul Wrigley saying US military commanders ignore the importance of religion in military operations at their own peril:

“An operational commander, however Read more

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