Tag Archives: army

Chaplains Serve and Struggle in Face of War

CNN recently featured a frontpage story about US Army Chaplain Darren Turner, who served in Iraq.  Upon his return, he suffered from the very things about which he counseled his Soldiers.  His family fell apart.

When his 15-month tour was over, Turner returned home to face all the problems he had counseled his soldiers about: anger, depression, stress and – most important for him – preserving relationships with loved ones.

With God’s help, Chaplain Turner saw what was going on, and he Read more

Buddhists Celebrate Vesak at Fort Lewis

As has become a local tradition, military Buddhists at Fort Lewis recently came together to celebrate Vesak, which coincides with Buddha’s birthday.  They were led by US Army Chaplain (Capt) Somya Malasri.

[Chaplain Malasri] said that Buddhist should try to reach harmony with society by abstaining from killing or harming, abstaining from stealing, abstaining from sexual misconduct, abstaining from telling lies and abstaining from toxins such as alcohol or drugs.

“Buddha will show us the path, but we have to walk it ourself,” Malasri said.

While it is somewhat easier for these troops because their local chaplain Read more

Military Uniform can Defend Homosexuality, but not Breastfeeding

Two members of the Washington state National Guard were recently photographed while breastfeeding their children.  Just as the Time cover recently did, Senior Airman Terran Echegoyen-McCabe and Staff Sgt. Christina Luna also caused controversy, but not for the same reason.  Other moms were also photographed, but it was their presence in uniform that caused the consternation.

While there were some variations of criticism (they didn’t have their hats on outside!), the response from the Washington Air National Guard, which oversees their unit based at Fairchild AFB, WA, was the one that mattered:  Read more

The Wisdom of Atheist Midshipmen

Kate Donovan posted text from interviews she conducted with atheists at the US Naval Academy as part of a series on atheists in the US military academies.  The text is interesting as an overview of the midshipmen’s group, but what is fascinating is the mature perspective from some of the mids:

…the paperwork process is slow for all groups, regardless of whether people like our group or not…

…Although our group has not been “official” for this past year — it was due to the fact that all prospective ECA’s must submit paperwork for official review every year in April — no other opportunities are afforded, our group included.

We can host events, but just have to go through the same bureaucracy as everyone else on that…

The theme is consistent:  The mids recognize they are subject to Read more

Here I am, Lord: The Bible as Literature and the US Air Force

A US Army article previously described an effort to help the Afghans by “turning swords into plowshares,” a potentially inadvertent reference to Isaiah 2:4.  While the text of the Bible is not as well-known as it may have once been, it is interesting to see where the American culture makes (even unknowing) Biblical references.

The US Air Force leadership did it recently, too, in their annual Memorial Day message.  Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Norton Schwartz wrote:  Read more

Muslim US Soldier Convicted in Terrorist Bomb Plot

PFC Naser Abdo, the Islamic US Soldier turned conscientious objector turned bomb plotter, has been convicted of attempting to bomb a local Fort Hood restaurant and kill his fellow soldiers.

A federal jury Thursday convicted Abdo, a Muslim soldier, on six charges in connection with his failed plot to blow up a Texas restaurant full of Fort Hood troops, his religious mission to get “justice” for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

His confessed motivation?  Religion.  Read more

Military Atheists Target Support for Wounded Warriors

In his zeal to attack all things Christian in the military, Justin Griffith — the Army Sergeant made famous by his organization of Rock Beyond Belief at Fort Bragg — once harassed the wives of deployed Fort Bragg soldiers.  Even when he realized he’d made an error — he’d thought he was criticizing the soldiers themselves, as if that’s better — he never publicly apologized.

Now, it seems he’s after the support provided to wounded warriors.  Read more

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