For most military couples a deployment usually involves a significant amount of time apart. A fortunate Army Reserve same-sex couple from Plantation, Fla., has taken advantage of the opportunity to serve together in Bagram, Afghanistan. Read more
The Stars and Stripes recently covered a few chaplains who were busy during the recent holy day celebrations for US troops in Afghanistan:
US Army Chaplain (Col) Mike Charles serves in Kabul, Afghanistan, has deployed four times, and notes the week celebrating Christ’s resurrection is one of the busiest of the year:
Charles must ensure that religious leaders are available for the week’s numerous religious events – from Passover to Easter Sunday – and that troops across all corners of Afghanistan are able to worship appropriately.
That protection of religious exercise involves both going Read more
An Air Force article highlighted the services of the chaplains who serve in the Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan:
Chaplain (Capt.) Gary Willeford, a member of the hospital RSTs. “Issues of faith may come up with the traumas that they have experienced. We come alongside of our patients and remind them that God has not forgotten Read more
The Air Force Times reports on the Air Force investigation that determined Capt James Steel was flying visually when he impacted a mountain during his recovery to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in April of this year:
The report released by Air Combat Command officials at Langley Air Force Base, Va., says 29-year-old Capt. James Michael Steel crashed April 3 about 12 miles outside Bagram Air Field…
The report says Steel flew into a mountainous area obscured by poor weather conditions and that he did not attempt to eject before slamming into the mountain. The report says Steel was flying below the minimum safe altitude at the time of the crash.
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A Bagram Air Base press release highlights the derring-do of two A-10 pilots who “save[d] 60 Soldiers during [a] convoy ambush.”
The pilots continued to fire 30 mm rounds, but the enemy force refused to fall back. …The convoy’s commander approved the pilots to engage “danger-close.” The term is meant to clearly communicate to the ground and air forces that the need for support is so grave the ground commander is willing to accept the potential risk to the friendly unit Read more
A Bagram-based Chaplain “travels the base” — including working alternating day/night weeks — to make sure every Airman is “spiritually fit.” Chaplain (Capt) Myung Cho and his Chaplain Assistant, Staff Sgt. Frank Rivas, constantly work the base and even provide nearly a dozen opportunities for worship: Read more
The US Air Force identified the F-16 pilot killed in Afghanistan last week as Capt James Steel, a 2006 US Air Force Academy graduate and Shaw Air Force Base pilot.
The F-16 reportedly crashed while on a night final approach to Bagram Air Base after his fragged sortie. News reports do not indicate a family, other than his father, retired MajGen Robert Steel.
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The investigation into the burning of Islamic religious material confiscated from an Afghan prison was reportedly completed, with no one criminally charged or court-martialed. (Recall that “religious freedom” advocate Michael Weinstein had demanded the court-martial of these Christians — without explaining how he knew what, if any, faith they held.) Administrative “non-judicial punishments” were meted out for the error, which was determined not to be malicious: Read more