Tag Archives: Afghanistan

Chaplain Recalls Impact of Suicide Attack, Impact of His Ministry

US Army Chaplain (Capt) Vincent Hardy was stationed at Bagram, Afghanistan, when a suicide bomber struck a FOB of his unit in mid-April, killing 6 Soldiers.  In the Army Times reprint of The Leaf-Chronicle article, Hardy remembers the fallen he knew so well:

Five of the six soldiers killed were from Hardy’s battalion, the 101st Special Troops Battalion. He knew them all and interacted with them regularly…

Two of the Soldiers obviously depended strongly on the Chaplain for their spiritual support:

Sgt. 1st Class Charles Adkins, described by Hardy as a “man of God,” stayed right next to him in the barracks at Gamberi.

He recalled Sgt. Linda Pierre as an especially devout Read more

Georgian Military, US Marines Blessed before Afghan Deployment

The Republic of Georgia recently prepared to deploy a Light Infantry Battalion to Afghanistan in support of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The fairly standard article on the deployment ceremony was accompanied by two interesting photos:

A chaplain from the Republic of Georgia’s 33rd Light Infantry Battalion anointed more than 800 Georgian soldiers at the conclusion Read more

USAF F-16 Fighter Pilot Killed in Afganistan

Along with the USAF Academy press release confirming the death of Maj Phil Ambard, an assistant professor, the Air Force also released the names of the others killed during a gunman’s attack.

Among them was Maj David Brodeur, a 1999 USAF Academy graduate and F-16 pilot.  Brodeur wasn’t in Afghanistan flying the F-16, however.  He was apparently part of a unit training Afghan pilots.

Maj Ambard leaves behind a wife and five children, four of whom have followed him into military service (his daughter just returned from deployment).  Maj Brodeur is survived by a wife and two children.

Update: Official military release on those killed in the attack, indicating LtCol Frank Bryant was also an F-16 pilot killed in the attack.  Maj. Jeffrey Ausborn was also killed; he was a T-6 pilot, though his primary weapons system is unknown.  The military released an additional report intended to dispel inaccurate press reporting on the incident.

USAFA Professor Killed in Afghanistan

The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that a US Air Force Academy professor was killed in Afghanistan this week.

Maj. Phil Ambard, a foreign-language professor at the academy, was killed in Kabul, according to his daughter, Air Force 1st Lt. Emily Short.

Some people may not realize that a wide variety of people deploy to the combat zones from non-traditional fields.  The Academy likely has several instructors downrange.

Major Ambard reportedly had more than two decades of service in the Air Force.  Remember his family in your prayers.

Happy Easter from ChristianFighterPilot.com

This Easter, celebrate the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ, and take a moment to remember those who defend our freedoms while deployed around the world.  They, too, will celebrate His resurrection — even in small outposts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere.  And then they’ll stand up, adjust their gear, and step out on their next mission, always at their Nation’s call.

The early morning sun drifts above the horizon during Easter sunrise services at Camp Liberty, Iraq. (Photo by Sgt. Mark Matthews)

Chaplain Prays for Soldiers’ Target Acquisition

An Army news video (below) describes the “humble chapel” of Chaplain (Capt) Bill Robinson in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.  Like many Chaplains, Robinson is a former Soldier (combat engineer), allowing him a unique connection to the men and women he serves.

The video shows Robinson offering the troops “prayer coins” which “aren’t magic charms, but they remind you that God is with you wherever you go.” The coins reference Isaiah 41:10:

So do not fear, for I am with you;
   do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
   I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Robinson prayed with the group before they departed:  Read more

Dismissed General McChrystal Cleared

According to the Associated Press, retired General Stanley McChrystal — former head of operations in Afghanistan, fired by President Obama over disparaging remarks reported in the Rolling Stone — has been “cleared of wrongdoing.”

The probe’s results…called into question the accuracy of the magazine’s report last June, which quoted anonymously people around McChrystal making disparaging remarks about members of President Obama’s national security team, including Vice President Joe Biden…

The Pentagon inquiry also concluded that not all of the events at issue happened as reported in the article.   Read more

Holy Helos Help Chaplains FOB-Hop in Afghanistan

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

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