Tag Archives: army

Court Rules in Favor of Sikh Hoftstra ROTC Student

Update: Frank Wolf, a former Congressman and current Wilson Chair in Religious Freedom at Baylor University, says Singh’s victory (which relied upon the Religious Freedom Restoration Act being applied to the US military) could potentially open a “new chapter for religious freedom in the military,” a sentiment echoed by A. Barton Hinkle at Reason.com.

Iknoor Singh, a Sikh student at Hofstra University, will be allowed to wear the articles of his faith in a military uniform after a Federal court ruled (PDF) the Army must accommodate his beliefs. In short,

The Court finds that defendants have failed to show that the application of the Army’s regulations to this plaintiff and the denial of the particular religious accommodation he seeks further a compelling government interest by the least restrictive means.

The finding was under the auspices of the Religious Freedom Read more

NPR Questions Military Policy on Sikhs

In the face of a Supreme Court decision requiring an employer to accommodate a job seeker’s head scarf, NPR’s Tom Gjelten asks “Why Are Only Three Observant Sikh Men Serving In The U.S. Military?”

“What I’m anticipating with this decision is that we will have a move in this country to recognize the right of individuals from different religious backgrounds to live in an America that does not discriminate against them on the basis of how they appear,” says Simran Jeet Singh, the senior religion fellow for the Sikh Coalition.

The article largely rehashes the story and one recent Read more

Army: Chaplain Violated Rules in Promoting Book

Update:  The US Army has responded by explicitly stating that Chaplain McDougall’s infraction was an “oversight” that was easily corrected.  This appears to be (yet another) a direct rebuttal to Mikey Weinstein’s call for court-martial.  Via TheBlaze:

Amy spokesman LTC Ben Garrett sent TheBlaze the following response on Monday afternoon:

“U.S. Army Chaplain Capt. John McDougall has been made aware of military regulations that prohibit him from wearing a military uniform while promoting his book.  His publishing company promptly removed the video from their website last week when the U.S. Army brought the oversight to their attention.  A simple ‘on the spot correction’ and an explanation of the regulations was all that was need[ed] to resolve the issue and keep it from happening in the future. We are pleased with their compliance and understanding of Army regulations and requirements.”

Original story follows:

The US Army says Chaplain John McDougall violated regulations when he appeared in a video, in uniform, promoting his recently published book, Jesus was an Airborne Ranger.  From the appropriately named Army spokeswoman, Tatjana Christian:

McDougall’s appearance in uniform endorsing a commercial or political venture violates military rules, said Tatjana Christian, an Army spokeswoman.

After they were contacted about the video by USA TODAY, the Army reached out to McDougall’s commanders to inform them about the rule, Christian said.

His comments were not part of his official duty, she said.

“Chaplains are authorized Read more

US Army Bans Honor Guard from July 4th Church Event

After providing a flag-bearing honor guard to Abilene Baptist Church, Georgia, for the past 20 years, the US Army canceled its participation this year, claiming the ceremony violated US Army regulations:

Officials at Fort Gordon say they will not be able to send an honor guard to a July 5th service at Abilene Baptist Church because it violates a military policy banning any involvement in a religious service.

“While there are conditions under which the Army can participate in events conducted at a house of worship, we cannot participate in the context of a religious service,” Public Affairs Officer J.C. Mathews told me.

The church describes the “Faith, Family, Freedom” event thusly on their website:  Read more

US Army Changes Rule on Sikh Accommodation

The US Army has reportedly changed a policy that will make it easier for Sikhs to obtain religious accommodation. An Army message entitled USAREC Message 15-032 Update, Religious Accommodation Exceptions to Policy, was released last month but does not appear to be publicly available. It reportedly allows applying US Soldiers to adhere to their faith tenets while their request for accommodation is being granted. The previous policy — and the policy that still exists in the other services — is that troops requesting accommodation were required to first adhere to general policies, only deviating from them after they were granted accommodation.

The change has been reported Read more

Senate Confirms Army Chief of Chaplains

In March the Senate confirmed Chaplain (COL) Paul Hurley for the position of Army Chief of Chaplains.

Hurley was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1995. He will replace Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Donald Rutherford, who plans to retire.

Chaplain Hurley will skip BG and be promoted to Major General.  He recently spoke at the Fort Hood prayer breakfast, in which he quoted General George C. Marshall:

Hurley continued with a quote from former General of the Army George C. Marshall, commenting on the importance of the spirit.

“The Soldier’s heart, the Soldier’s spirit, the Soldier’s soul, are everything. Unless the Soldier’s soul sustains him, he cannot be relied on and will fail himself and his commander and his country in the end,” quoted Hurley.

Also at BostonCatholic.org.  Read more

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