Marine Corps Base Hawaii recently named its chapel for US Navy Chaplain (CAPT) Joseph Estabrook, a Catholic chaplain who had championed the creation of a chapel to house the “roving congregation” on the base: Read more
NBC reports the US military chapel at Forward Operating Base Orgun-E was improperly displaying Christian crosses, and the Army has ordered them removed and covered over:
U.S. military commanders in Afghanistan on Thursday ordered the removal of a steeple and crucifix erected over a remote American base in the Muslim country after a soldier deployed there noted that the symbols violated Army regulations…
Doors with cross-shaped windows were reportedly boarded up until they can be replaced.
This has happened before, and, as noted previously, it is not really a significant event. The article accurately notes Army regulations (not DoD regulations) dictate Read more
The Mustard Seed preschool operated at an Army base in South Korea will be closed after military leaders received a complaint it was operating illegally. After commanders reviewed the program’s status, they determined there were no regulations governing the operation — thus, it had to be closed.
A long-running Christian preschool at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan will close at the end of the school year due to Read more
A Stars and Stripes article describes a fairly unusual situation at the US Army Garrison Yongsan in Seoul, South Korea, in which a Christian preschool is run by an Army chapel:
Garrison officials say a recent anonymous complaint prompted them to look at whether the Mustard Seed Preschool has been operating illegally Read more
A quick article local to Fort Campbell notes the vast religious support structure provided to Army Soldiers at the sprawling base, as well as the troops’ demand for it:
There are over 50 chaplains and 50 chaplain assistants at Fort Campbell…There are seven chapels on post…
In addition to Catholic services, there are Protestant services for those who are Baptist, Presbyterian, United Methodist, Episcopal, Church of Christ, Assembly of God and other Protestant traditions, as well as Read more
The New York Times covers the military’s struggle with classifying and treating Traumatic Brain Injuries, using an experience by a military chaplain as the lede:
It was [Chaplain] Lt. Col. Richard Brunk’s second Sunday in Baghdad, and so, of course, there was church. Only 16 soldiers showed up, but that was good for that busy day, election day across Iraq. The presiding chaplain asked everyone to take seats up front. It was a providential move.
A 122-millimeter rocket exploded outside, virtually collapsing Read more
Update: A letter to the editor of the Stars and Stripes questions Torpy’s “odd idea of religious freedom.”
Former Army Captain and current atheist Jason Torpy was working overtime doing damage control over the past week, as various outlets picked up the story of his complaint over the “live nativity” occurring during NSA Bahrain’s annual “Holiday Tree Lighting.” His comments appeared on a variety of sites covering the controversy; in each case, he basically said he didn’t demand NSA Bahrain cancel it — he just called it “unconstitutional” and a danger to US troops — that’s all. Of course, he did say that cancelling it was “preferable to” letting it happen:
If the scene had to be cancelled, that is unfortunate but it is also preferable to the government-sponsored proselytism [*See note, below] the Live Nativity would have added to an otherwise positive celebration.
FoxNews accurately reported that Torpy’s complaint to the Inspector General led to the cancellation of the event to occur during Read more
In a continuation of the annual tradition, US military bases are beginning to erect “holiday displays” around the world. Often, though not always, they consist of a Christmas tree (recognizing Christmas, for those who might not get the connection) and possibly a Menorah (for Hanukkah). In some cases, the tree is a “holiday tree,” though the Menorah has yet to be dubbed a “holiday candelabra.”
Iwakuni performed its “holiday tree lighting” just prior to Thanksgiving, though the article acknowledges it is, in fact, a Christmas tree. Many military bases are performing the ceremonies this weekend, including the Dyess AFB Christmas tree and Menorah, and what a local paper called the Fort Bragg “holiday tree and Menorah” lighting, though Fort Bragg announced its annual Christmas tree lighting.