The CNN.com blog that covered the atheist Soldier refusing to lower his head during a training graduation prayer updated their post with input from Fort Jackson:
Fort Jackson officials said Friday that an atheist soldier was asked to lower their head during a prayer portion of a graduation ceremony rehearsal, but then decided it was ok for the soldier to stand at Attention. [sic]
As originally thought, the desire for a Read more
According to a CNN blog, an atheist US Army Private First Class graduating from Advanced Individual Training at Fort Jackson, SC, was expected to “bow his head and clasp his hands” during the prayer portion of his unit’s graduation.
After almost being pulled from a graduation ceremony for refusal to lower the head during a benediction, a soldier is now allowed to attend but must instead stand at attention.
The rehearsal occurred yesterday, the graduation itself is today. Notably, the CNN article was written only on the basis of information from the Soldier and Michael Weinstein; Read more
For the second time, US Marine Corps recruiters have been the sole respondents to an invitation by a homosexual group to set up a recruiting booth, though they had to get a little funding help from the organizers to attend:
Alan Chan, San Gabriel Valley Pride’s secretary, invited military personnel in the Pasadena recruitment office across from the college to set up booths at the event. The Navy, he said, did not have adequate staffing. The Army had previously committed to another event. The Air Force Read more
A variety of previous articles have covered the celebration and recognition of Ramadan by the US military in Afghanistan. A recent article noted the same, with an interesting comment from one of the participating Afghans.
“I am very happy to have shared tonight with [American soldiers],” said Haji Tor Jan, local leader and organizer of villages surrounding [US Camp Nathan Smith.] “I know it is not your celebration but we are grateful to share it with you…”
“We have a bond together and if it’s your Christmas we will do the same celebration for you guys; we will bring you food, music and everything,” Tor Jan said.
Now that would be kind of interesting.
The Killeen Daily Herald, local to Fort Hood, notes the July death of US Army CPL Frank Gross, who was killed in Afghanistan one month into his deployment. CPL Gross had a consistent motivation:
Cpl. Frank Gross wrote the same Bible verse, Colossians 3:23, inside his baseball caps throughout his high school and college pitching career: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
“Basically, whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability,” his mother, Toni Gross, said…”That was his life verse.”
Notably, Gross had not only a Bachelors degree but also Read more
The Army has been continuing to brief its basic trainees on the upcoming permissible service by open homosexuals.
At Fort Jackson…Capt. Guy Allsup…recently walked 231 nervous basic training recruits through scenarios…
“Does anybody think that this is going to be a drastic change for deployed soldiers?” Allsup called out to the group.
Ignore the paradox of an officer asking new recruits if things will “change.” The trainees’ answer: Read more
US Army Chaplain (LtCol) Steven Michalke has been sentenced by a civilian court to life in prison for molesting his daughter over a period of 10 years.
He has reportedly been turned over to the military where he may be tried under military law as well.
“This is without a doubt one of the worst cases Read more
ABC News recently did a short segment on the US Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, or, more accurately, the spiritual fitness portion of it.
They interviewed Brigadier General Rhonda Cornum, a PhD, MD, Desert Storm POW, and current Director of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness in the Army.
They also interviewed US Army Sgt Dustin Chalker, an atheist Soldier whom Michael Weinstein used to sue the US Army. (The lawsuit was dismissed.)
While military atheists have generally taken issue with the entire concept of “spiritual fitness,” the following portion of the interview was highlighted by Justin Griffith on his atheist “Rock Beyond Belief” website:
Sciutto (ABC News): Why is it that spiritual people make better soldiers?
Cornum: The ethos that we adhere to. Always place the mission first. Never accept defeat. Never leave a fallen comrade. Those kinds of things require you to have belief in something higher than yourself.
To be accurate, the US Army did not say Read more