Tag Archives: Religion

Academies Top US News Best Colleges List

After the military academies topped the Princeton University rankings and Forbes magazine’s best colleges, the US Air Force Academy continued the trend by ranking “best in the West” in US News and World Report’s America’s Best Colleges 2010.  The rankings for the western region can be seen here.  The US Coast Guard and Merchant Marine Academies were #2 and #3, respectively, in the northern region.

The US Military Academy (West Point) was ranked #14 under liberal arts colleges, with the US Naval Academy (Annapolis) close behind at #19.  The USMA, USNA, and the USAFA are all also ranked in the list for best engineering programs in the country.

President Sends Ramadan Greetings

President Barack Obama delivered the annual American Ramadan message this past week.

Ramadan is the month in which Muslims believe the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, beginning with a simple word – iqra. It is therefore a time when Muslims reflect upon the wisdom and guidance that comes with faith, and the responsibility that human beings have to one another, and to God.

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Scott O’Grady Potential Texas Senate Candidate

Former Air Force Captain and F-16 fighter pilot Scott O’Grady appears to have begun raising funds to run for the US Senate seat being vacated by Texas Sen Kay Bailey Hutchison.

O’Grady was made famous by his shootdown over Bosnia in 1995.  He subsequently wrote a book, Return with Honor, that described how his faith was integral to his experience.  His book was previously reviewed here.

Besides being a former fighter pilot, O’Grady is also a 2007 graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary.

Soldiers Court-Martialed for Refusing Deployment

There have been two interesting cases of soldiers refusing to deploy.  Both were court-martialed and convicted, both share the same lawyer, and both are from Fort Hood–but the details of how they handled themselves (and the punishments they received) are in stark contrast. 

The first, Sgt. David Travis Bishop, 26, was found guilty by special court martial and sentenced to a year in jail and a bad conduct discharge, as well as a reduction in grade and fine.  Bishop reportedly began studying his Bible after a tour in Iraq and Read more

Jewish Lay Leaders Support Soldiers’ Faith

A shortage of Jewish Chaplains in the US military, as well as the fact that a small number of Jewish military members tend to be spread out among a large number of bases, can make religious association of Jewish troops difficult.  This often leads to reliance on other soldiers or the contributions of “lay leaders”–often retired military members in the local community.

In the Atlanta, Georgia, area, retired US Navy Master Chief Jim Bradford is one such lay leader.  He recently coordinated the visit of Rabbi Menachem Katz, Aleph Institute director of outreach programs, to minister to the local Jewish community at Fort McPherson.  When they met, the group discussed the challenges of living of celebrating their faith within the constraints of the military environment.  Read more

US Army Chaplain Ministers to Soldiers, Iraqis

As noted in a US Army press article, Chaplain (Maj.) Dawud Agbere is one of six active duty Muslim Chaplains in the US Army.  He is currently a student at the Army’s Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.  In recounting his contributions to the Army, a former commander of a 400-man battalion said the soldiers in his unit “although mostly Christian, trusted Chaplain Dawud Agbere right away.”
 
Besides ensuring soldiers’ right to free exercise, Chaplains also serve spiritual, emotional, and even cultural aspects of internal and external military operations.  For example, despite criticism from activist groups, US military Chaplains have had the opportunity to minister to non-US peoples in Iraq.

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