Tag Archives: Iraq

Combat from a Computer Console

The Houston Chronicle, via Military.com, has an article on Major Jon Stiles, a US Air Force Predator operator who flies out of Houston for the Texas Air National Guard.  The aircraft he controls are flying over Afghanistan and Iraq.

As similar articles have noted in the past, UAV/RPA operators certainly do not experience the same “combat” conditions as troops on the ground or even the aviators directly overhead.  That said, their actions can still have life and death impacts — immediately visible on the screen — as well as strategic implications.  There is certainly pressure and stress, though perhaps in a way not yet fully comprehended by the military.

Alleged Wikileaks Source was Lonely, Angry…Humanist

The Defense Department has announced that 22 year old US Army Private First Class Bradley Manning has had “charges preferred” alleging multiple counts of improperly handling classified information.  According to prior reports, Manning admitted in internet chat rooms that he distributed the helicopter gunship video dubbed “collateral murder” as well as thousands of other secret files.

In an apparent attempt to humanize Manning, the Associated Press noted his “outcast” status among his peers:

With his custom-made “humanist” dog tags and distrust of authority, Bradley Manning was no conventional soldier.  Read more

Marine Fighter Pilot Charged with Stealing $440K

In the initial stages of both the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the US used (and often still uses today) large quantities of cash for a variety of purposes, from paying for reconstruction to compensating local nationals.

A Marine F-5 fighter pilot now stands accused of stealing $440,000 of reconstruction funds while he was a project purchasing officer with a civil affairs group in Iraq.  For a point of reference, a Major in the US military makes approximately $70,000 per year in base pay before taxes.

Regardless of the outcome of this particular case, it stands as a stark Read more

Troops Say Public Prayers on Baghdad Hilltop

The US military Chaplaincy staff at Camp Liberty, Baghdad, Iraq, started a “Mountaintop Experience” to help local Americans “strengthen their resiliency.”  A significant group of servicemembers and civilians meets atop Signal Hill at 0500, overlooking the base, and prays together.

Col. Mike Lembke, the Chaplain, and Sgt Michael Lee, the Chaplain’s assistant, said:

“Spiritual resiliency is the individual ability to exercise your faith on a daily basis so you are able to understand, or you are able integrate the joys and sorrows of each day into your life,” Lembke said…

When a person has a solid, spiritual foundation, they understand that someone has everything under control and they can lean on that during the tough times instead of relying on themselves to make through, Lee said.

The group is made up of many from the base, including, as shown in the picture Read more

The Need for Chaplains in Combat

A local paper documents the upcoming return to combat of a Catholic Priest and US Army Chaplain.  The article focuses on details from Chaplain (Maj) Brian Kane’s prior tour in 2005, and several of the anecdotes highlight the strong need for Chaplains in the US military.

The men went to the Al Anbar province at Al Asad airbase in western Iraq. Due to the shortage of priests, Kane spent the year traveling more than 5,500 miles by helicopter or convoy. He visited small bases that didn’t have a Catholic priest and small field hospitals, hearing confessions, saying Mass and counseling anyone who wanted to talk…

In one of the more interesting stories, he would ultimately Read more

Chaplain’s “Changing of the Stole” in Iraq

A “change of command” is a process in which a military unit publicly sees its leadership change from one person to another.  The 1st Infantry Division, or “Big Red One,” recently saw a “time honored tradition” in a similar ceremony when a new division Chaplain assumed his duties.

Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Timothy Mallard, division chaplain for the 1st Inf. Div., donned the stole, which bears the names of the head chaplains for the division since the Balkans.

The changing of the stole ceremony is based on the Old Testament Read more

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