Tag Archives: Afghanistan

Military Aviation, God Willing

Stars and Stripes penchant for finding religion in a story continues with its headline “Wing and a prayer.”  The title is evidently a reference to the Islamic “cultural view” cited in the article:

The members of the air corps are “the cream of the cream of the crop” when it comes to the Afghan army, Rennell said. Still, an “inshallah” (God willing) mind-set dominates the ranks, a cultural view that clashes with the strict protocols required for operating highly technical aircraft.

While insha’allah is traditionally compared with the Southern Baptist “Lord willin’,” others have considered it more a statement of realism or fatalism.  In what may be an urban legend based on stereotype, stories have been told about Islamic pilots Read more

Chaplain Foley, Motivational Speaker

US Army Chaplain (Capt) Matt Foley has an odd claim to fame.  Yes, he is that “Matt Foley:” the Saturday Night Live motivational speaker played by Chris Farley.  He and Farley played rugby together in college, and Farley would ultimately promise to use Foley’s name when he acted out the character.

A local news article relates Foley’s motivation and history in becoming a Catholic priest and military Chaplain. As has been noted before, there is a shortage of Catholic Chaplains in the US military, a problem that has Foley “FOB-hopping” around Afghanistan serving the needs of Catholic (and other) soldiers.

Foley’s reputation at Bagram is Read more

US Air Force Flies “Beast of Kandahar”

Military.com and FoxNews are two of several sites repeating articles that say the US Air Force has acknowledged a new UAV “shrouded in secrecy.”

Grainy photos show what appears to be a flying-wing aircraft, which was reportedly initially photographed flying over Afghanistan in 2007.

If nothing else, it is worth remembering that the US military is in a constant effort to field the best systems and weaponry.  Because such systems are often developed and employed in secrecy, sometimes that’s an easy thing to forget.

Crew Mistake Led to F-15E Crash in Afghanistan

The Air Force and the Air Force Times have published articles releasing information on the crash of an F-15E Strike Eagle in Afghanistan in July.  The crash claimed the lives of the both the fighter pilot, Capt Mark McDowell, and the WSO, Capt Thomas Granith.

The investigation determined that the two-man crew was executing a simulated attack for training on their way back to base.  The planned attack was a high-angle night strafe against a ground target.  After their flight lead aborted a simulated attack Read more

MRFF: Chaplain’s Sermons Permissible, Sort of

A recent Military Religion Question of the Day involved a sermon delivered in Afghanistan by Chaplain (LtCol) Gary Hensley.  The question and subsequent answer have already been discussed.  The discussion noted that groups used Hensley’s sermon as proof of religious impropriety in the military, though their accusations were demonstrably false.

The relationship of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation to this incident, however, requires further illumination.  Read more

Military Religion Question of the Day: Hensley

In May 2009, al Jazeera broadcast a show that included film from a military chapel in Afghanistan.  In the sermon, US Army Chaplain (LtCol) Gary Hensley told his congregation they had a responsibility to be a ‘witness for Jesus.’  He said:

The special forces guys—they hunt men basically. We do the same things as Christians, we hunt people for Jesus. We do, we hunt them down.… Get the hound of heaven after them, so we get them into the kingdom. That’s what we do, that’s our business.

As a result, some organizations have accused the Chaplain of violating Read more

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