Tag Archives: Iraq

Soldiers Work to Repair Ancient Church

According to the New York Times, St. Elijah’s Monastery was damaged during the initial fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom.  It was subsequently occupied by a US Army unit as a garrison:

The division then made the site a garrison and painted its emblem on the stucco above the low door to the monastery’s chapel. The insignia remained there until a chaplain contemplated the righteousness of having “Screaming Eagles” adorn a house of God.

“That’s not right,” the chaplain said, as the story goes.

The US Army unit now occupying St. Elijah’s now aims Read more

“Secret Bible Codes” on Military Weapons

The latest “breaking scandal” on religion and the military is nearly laughable.  In short:

  • Trijicon has a well-known reputation for building high quality weapons sights.
  • The US military contracted with them to buy their commercial rifle sights.
  • The company includes an abbreviated Bible reference in the model name on the sight.
  • ABC News reported that Michael Weinstein has called these “Jesus rifles.”

This “controversy” is so contrived as to be ridiculous.  However, if you’d like to read more, what follows is a cross-section of the comments made and the reasoning (or lack thereof) behind them.    Read more

Soldier’s Faith Inspires Him to Help

An Army Lieutenant spearheaded an effort to provide an Iraqi child with the surgery she needed to give her sight.  US Army 1st Lieutenant Jason Hickman’s efforts were in no small part a result of his faith, as he acknowledged that there are no such things as chance occurrences:

“I don’t believe in the traditional sense of the word ‘destiny,’ but I do believe that God puts people in certain places at certain times,” Hickman said. “Things don’t happen solely by coincidence. All you have to do is look for the road signs…”

“The Lord may not push you around the board like a pawn, but every now and again he puts you where he wants you,” Hickman said. “We were supposed to end up in Zwaynat that night. It was just up to us what we were going to do when we got there.”

Read the full story.

Soldiers See Once in a Lifetime Sights

The US Navy used to have a slogan that said, “Join the Navy, see the world.”  While the catch phrase has long since been abandoned, “seeing the world” remains a significant reason that some people join the US military.  Within just a few months of starting their military service, they may be sent to places as widely varied as Europe, Asia, and Africa.  It is true, too, that in this present time many will likely soon see Iraq, Afghanistan, and the surrounding regions.

An Army press release notes the experiences of a group of soldiers who were given the opportunity to see the ruins of Ur in Iraq.  Ur is the historical birthplace of Abraham, Read more

Reports: UAV Video Feeds Compromised

While UAVs have the politically palatable aspect of not endangering a pilot, they are not the panacea that some seem to have come to believe they are.  They break, they crash, and sometimes they even have to be shot down by the good guys.

Now the Wall Street Journal reports that UAV video feeds that provide intel to American forces are also available to the targets of those feeds.  US forces reportedly captured laptops with hours of supposedly classified UAV video.

In an era in which people are derided for not securing their passwords or loading anti-virus software on their computer, it seems unconscionable that the US military didn’t take the “simple” step of encrypting the feeds.  This has led to some interesting comments, including “are we really that stupid?” as well as speculation that Read more

General Asks Americans to Thank a Soldier

An editorial submission to USA Today by US Army General Martin E. Dempsey, commander of the Army Training and Doctrine Command, encouraged Americans to “say thanks” to servicemembers when they seem them in the airports this Christmas season.  The Army ceases formal training courses over the holidays, allowing more than 40,000 soldiers to be home for the holidays.

During the next two weeks, more than 40,000 soldiers will depart our posts, camps and stations to travel across America. They will be joined by thousands of other troops traveling to and from Afghanistan, Read more

Chaplain Brings Faith with Prayer

An Army Chaplain has made his mark by praying with soldiers before every convoy departs Al Asad, Iraq.  Chaplain (Capt.) Michael Lanigan is the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team Chaplain.

“I come out here every night, this is exactly what I feel like God has designed me to do–to bring faith to the fight in a place where men and women just need encouragement.”  Lanigan said that he does not inspire with just his words, but with God’s words, and that he believes that is a powerful thing.

The Chaplain also notes that faith, not his position as Chaplain, is what the Soldiers Read more

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