As noted at the Huffington Post, US Marine Anthony Vance deployed to Iraq and soon became Ibrahim Mohamed, a new convert to Islam.
Mohamed felt the pull toward the faith strengthen in Iraq — “the heart of the Islamic world,” as he says — and he reached out to the Muslim contractors on his base and started learning about the precepts of the Quran.
Convinced that he was being called to Islam, he officially became a Muslim while Read more
While many people may think the US military has no business being involved with religion, religious beliefs are an inherent part of the cultural landscape in Afghanistan. Thus, they are integral to the execution of the war effort — whether one treats them that way or not.
Capt Daniel Petronzio is one Marine among several who has been meeting with local mullahs — religious and social leaders in the local area — to help accomplish the US military mission in the region.
“We’re engaging mullahs to bridge to the local communities in a different way,” said Capt. Daniel Petronzio…”It shows our openness to religion…”
Apparently, some mullahs have been “suspicious” about Read more
A US Army article contains an interesting story of the support US military Chaplains provide for the religious freedom of all those who support the US military mission in the region.
There are about 50-60 Pakistani Christians on [Bagram Air Field]. The group was unable to conduct their worship services in a military chapel due to a military regulation that requires Read more
While many understand that Christian US military chapel services occur in locations throughout the world, some may not realize that a variety of minority faiths are represented as well.
This announcement from Balad highlights the Buddhist services beginning this month. In other locations, “earth based,” Hindu, and even atheist services are held to support the needs of local servicemembers.
The US military is made up of those of many faiths, and those faiths are practiced even within the military around the world.
Via the Buddhist Military Sangha and ArmyChaplaincy.com.
The US military generally does an admirable job of supporting the religious exercise of its members. That’s not to say it doesn’t use (or need) a little help sometimes.
Like external groups of other faiths, the Aleph Institute is organizing shipments of faith-based supplies to Jewish members of the US military around the world. As announced at Jews in Green,
They are offering to ship Prayer Books & Ritual Materials for the High Holidays and Sukkot FREE OF CHARGE to active duty military Read more
US Navy Lt Haji “Omar” Shareef, a helicopter pilot, was interviewed recently on his ability to adhere to the religious tenets of Ramadan while being a military pilot. (Video below the fold.)
While he says Muslims can largely do their duties, he notes they do ask for accommodations such as not doing physical training during the day, since they cannot drink water between sunrise and sunset.
On his part, as a pilot, he “puts himself on Read more
Dr. Michael Milton is President of the Reformed Theological Seminary. He is also US Army Chaplain (Maj) Michael Milton, an instructor at the US Army Chaplain Center & School at Fort Jackson, SC.
Chaplain Milton recently responded to the criticism of the Air Force’s “ICBM training course” that was allegedly “pulled” over Christian content, including in its reference to Just War. (More recent information indicates the course wasn’t actually part of ICBM training.)
The Chaplain focuses, as others have, on the Just War inclusion in the brief, which was not the point of the course. The course was not designed to teach Just War; it simply mentioned it as one response to criticisms of war and ultimately the use of nuclear weapons. Still, the Chaplain had some interesting things to say.
Attorney Mikey Weinstein, Read more
Frequent articles have noted the unique experiences to which US military members have access as they travel the world at their nation’s call. They may be able to visit the home lands of Abraham; they may be able to travel to Mecca at the government’s expense. In Japan, they may be able to join a military-based tour group on a “spiritual journey” to a local Buddhist monastery.
As noted in an official Marine article, Marines based at Iwakuni went on a “spiritual journey” to a local temple hosted by Tadahisa Teshima: Read more