Tag Archives: Public Expression

Christian Soldier Col Greg Gadson Addresses USAFA Character Symposium

The US Air Force Academy recently hosted its 2017 National Character and Leadership Symposium, and its keynote speaker was a retired US Army Colonel — and outspoken Christian:

Retired Army Col. Greg Gadson said he’s grateful to be alive…Gadson lost his legs after his armored vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad in May 2007…

“I remember rolling to a stop, lying on my back and just asking God not to let me die here. Then I was unconscious.”

At a 2013 prayer breakfast at Fort Lee, Col Gadson has said the IED attack was a “test of faith” — and one that ultimately turned his life around:  Read more

US Soldier: Combining Religious, Military Uniform Inspires Confidence

For Kalsi, wearing his “religious uniform” with his military uniform provides him confidence as a soldier.

“I know that my faith makes me a better soldier,” the lieutenant colonel said. “It makes me stronger, it makes me more resilient and it sustains me in ways that I would have a hard time explaining.”

The Stars and Stripes recently noted a surge in waivers for observant Sikhs to serve in the US military while retaining the outward symbols of their faith:

Eight Sikh Army recruits have received waivers this year allowing them to maintain their religiously mandated beards and turbans in uniform, nearly doubling the number of observant Sikhs in the Army despite a decades-old policy barring visual symbols of faith.

The success of Sikh adherents publicly exercising their religious faith in uniform has befuddled Michael “Mikey” Weinstein — the self-proclaimed Read more

Tom Carpenter, Gay Chaplains Group Takes on Tolerance of Islam

In a fascinating example of his tone deaf prejudice, Tom Carpenter of the Forum on the Military Chaplaincy managed to, yet again, demonstrate his bias when he highlighted Chaplain (LtCol) Khallid Shabazz — the soon-to-be first Muslim Division chaplain in the US Army.  Carpenter said Chaplain Shabazz was

A real world example of how a chaplain of one faith provides support for troops and their family members who do not share his religion.

It is worth noting every military chaplain is tasked to provide support even for those who do not share his religion — and Carpenter has never provided a “real world example” of one who didn’t, though he has certainly made plenty of baseless accusations.

More tellingly, Carpenter made a fascinating assumption in Read more

US Air Force Academy Hosts Annual Prayer Luncheon

Quietly and without controversy, the US Air Force Academy hosted its annual prayer luncheon last week.

The keynote address came from motivational speaker DJ “Eagle Bear” Vanas, a 1993 USAFA graduate and “enrolled member” of the Odawa Nation, a Native American tribe:

“Our spirituality makes us strong from the inside-out,” he said. “It strengthens and sustains us…

When we practice our spiritual faith, we make better decisions.”

The USAFA article references only Read more

Navy Chaplain Returns to his Buddhist Roots

An official DoD article recounts the interesting story of Aroon Seeda, a 13-year-old Buddhist monk in training in 1988 who met a group of US Marines — and then decided he wanted to become one.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2008 with the goal of becoming a chaplain. He received his citizenship several months after completing basic training and attained his goal in two years and seven months.

Chaplain Aroon Seeda is the only Buddhist chaplain in the Department of the Navy…

Now-Chaplain Seeda returned to Thailand recently in Read more

Retired Chaplain Calls for Defense of Military Religious Freedom

Governmental discrimination against people of faith in the armed forces is unacceptable and will impact the morale of any unit…

It has been the norm for these last eight years for service members to be pressured to renounce their religious views on topics like sexuality — or be punished for not doing so — as well as other attacks on religious freedom in the military. This “religious cleansing” has national security implications.

Mr. Trump should quickly change Read more

Air Force Chaplains Dispel Myth of Chaplaincy

US Air Force and Air Force Reserve chaplains recently helped support exercises occurring at Travis Air Force Base, California:

For Chaplain (Maj.) Matthew Ellis, for the 349th Air Mobility Wing, interacting with military members during exercises helps build relationships and a healthy level of comfort for Airmen.

In an interesting note, the article makes a point of saying [emphasis added]:

There is a myth that chaplains are only for people who are spiritual or religious, and that’s very much not the case, Ellis said.

It is a chaplain’s duty to provide protection for Airmen’s First Amendment rights.

It is true that some people think Read more

Mikey Weinstein Strikes Again — against Christians of course!

By Sonny Hernandez

On Feb 3, 2017, the Air Force Times reported a “wing commander’s prayer breakfast invite spark[ed] [an] IG complaint,” which was a result of a third party complaint filed by Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) to the 42nd Air Base Wing (ABW) inspector general (IG).

The complaint was allegedly filed after several people at Maxwell Air Force Base contacted the MRFF after the 42nd ABW commander used his commander’s box to invite everyone in the wing to a National Prayer Breakfast. Weinstein claims the invite constituted a clear violation of Air Force Instruction (AFI) 1-1, paragraph 2.12 (Balance of Free Exercise of Religion and Establishment Clause).

The complaint filed against the 42nd ABW Commander does not Read more

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