Tag Archives: army

US Army Orders Halt to Christian Extremist Briefings

The Liberty Institute, the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, and the Family Research Council — all members of the Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition — successfully waged a campaign to have the US Army order an end to briefings which labeled mainstream Christian groups “extremist.”

As reported by Todd Starnes at FoxNews:

“On several occasions over the past few months, media accounts have highlighted instances of Army instructors supplementing programs of instruction and including information or material that is inaccurate, objectionable and otherwise inconsistent with current Army policy,” Army Sec. John McHugh wrote to military leaders in a memorandum I obtained.

McHugh “directed that Army leaders cease all briefings, command presentations or training on the subject of extremist organizations or activities until that program of instruction and training has been created and disseminated,” Army spokesman Col. David Patterson, Jr., tells me.

Multiple briefings were presented as evidence of a widespread Read more

Most Read: The Religious Rights of Those in Uniform

Over at the Journal of Faith and War, one of the most read articles is “The Religious Rights of Those in Uniform,” written by Robert “Skip” Ash, a 22-year Army veteran and Jay Sekulow of the ACLJ.

The lengthy but thorough essay gives an excellent discussion on the issues of religious liberty, the law, the Constitution, and military policy.

There are growing numbers of persons and advocacy groups in the United States actively seeking to remove from public life — including in the armed services — virtually all symbols and expression of religion and America’s religious heritage by advocating strict separation of church and state. Many of these groups are already actively engaged in filing lawsuits against DOD and its leaders over various concerns about religious expression in the armed services…  Read more

US Military using SPLC to Designate Christian “Hate” Groups?

For the second time in just a few months, a military Equal Opportunity briefing has denigrated Christian beliefs as incompatible with the military.  This time, the EO brief declared a Christian group to be a “hate” group — which means military members are forbidden from participating in it.  Which group was it?

The American Family Association.

Several dozen U.S. Army active duty and reserve troops were told last week that the American Family Association, a well-respected Christian ministry, should be classified as a domestic hate group because the group advocates for traditional family values.

The briefing was held at Read more

Military Atheists Target Fellow Religious Troops. Again.

In what appears to be a trend, a few atheist members of the US military seem to have taken on a “militant” practice of their faith — by aggressively going after their fellow religious troops.

In May 2012, Army Sgt Justin Griffith led his “internet atheists” against a prayer event hosted by the families of his fellow Fort Bragg Soldiers — while those families’ Soldiers were deployed to Afghanistan.

In March 2013, an Air Force Chief Master Sergeant proudly announced that he’d purged his squadron of posters for “Christian” events — even official events sponsored by MWR.

In August 2013, Captain Sara Sharick — an Army recruiter — indicated she might use her Army position to try to steer a potential recruit away from his school of choice, Christian-founded Liberty University, because it was home to “the crazies.”

Later in August, Daniel Smith — a civilian commissary store director — claimed the presence of Gideon Bibles in Air Force Inns was unconstitutional.  He lodged complaints with the intent of removing those Bibles, so traveling active duty Airmen wouldn’t have access to them.

Now, another incident from earlier this year has recently come to light.

It seems another Army atheist took issue with his fellow Soldiers and their families  Read more

Army Commander: 9/11 Committed in the Name of God

US Army Col Sheila Bryant, commander of the 10th Regional Support Group at Torii Station, Japan, during a September 11th remembrance ceremony [emphasis added]:

This day marks the 12th anniversary of a time which will live in infamy when we caught a glimpse of the darkest side of humanity, a time when people made in the image of God and in the name of God committed atrocities against his children.

The sentiment is not all that unusual, though it is an interesting characterization for an Army Colonel to publicly make.

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Army Enlisted Leader Promotes Character over Competence

The Stars and Stripes reports on comments by SgtMaj of the Army Raymond Chandler, who took the time in Afghanistan to tell troops that being a Soldier of character was more important than being a Soldier of competence:

Too often in the past the Army has emphasized competency over character and commitment, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond Chandler told troops during town hall meetings at bases in eastern Afghanistan.   “The most dangerous person in our Army today is someone who is highly competent but has little or no character,” Chandler said. “Too often we tolerate mediocrity.”

Chandler noted that it is a lack of character, not Read more

White House Answers Two Year Old Military Atheist Petition

In 2011 Dustin Chalker, a former Army Sergeant and now-discarded plaintiff of Michael Weinstein’s MRFF, created a petition on WhiteHouse.gov calling for an “End [to] the Military’s Discrimination against Non-Religious Service Members.”

The petition was two years old and was the second oldest unanswered petition on the site.  The White House responded last Friday:

Thank you for your petition regarding the importance of ensuring non-religious members of our armed forces are not discriminated against…

The Obama Administration strongly supports every American’s right to religious freedom. This support extends equally both to the many members of our armed forces who hold religious beliefs and to those members of the military who do not hold such beliefs.

The response then addresses the Army’s Global Assessment Tool, which changed last year.  In essence, the response to the petition says it is moot.

The White House response ignored Read more

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