Tag Archives: yokota

Yokota Air Base Sees Jesus Hopped the A Train

A group called Arts in the Armed Forces (which was founded by Kylo Ren Adam Driver) recently brought a production of “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train” to Yokota Air Base:

The play is a drama on moral responsibility and the modern prison system. It takes place in a New York State prison on Rikers Island, where a young man finds himself in prisoned facing murder charges and is befriended by a surprisingly kind ex-serial killer on death row.

Sounds interesting enough.

But in the modern era characterized by divisive ideology, any media production citing Jesus and morality will almost certainly go only one of two directions: It will preach for — or it will preach against.

The ‘A’ Train preaches against. Really against.

Its near-constant stream of expletives would Read more

Air Force Cop Now Serves God and Country

thornleyMajor Andrew Thornley spent four years as an Airman in the Security Forces — a beginning to a career in which he said he had difficulty finding a “spiritual mentor.” That challenge was something he would ultimately seek to help others overcome:

After completing his enlistment, Thornley began his theological studies, eventually becoming a pastor in the civilian world. After 10 years as a pastor, he began to feel that there might be more he could do with his newfound knowledge…

“I left the Air Force, but the Air Force never really left me,” Thornley said. “I’ve always had the blue blood running through my veins.”

Chaplain Thornley re-entered the Air Force in October 2001 and spent the next several years trying to help troops and their families cope with the hardships of war.

In 2003 he was featured on Good Morning America, where he Read more

US Air Force Band, Military Bases Show Christmas Spirit

Around the country and around the world, US military bases are helping troops celebrate the season of Christmas. (Many bases are also simultaneously celebrating Hanukkah, though the Jewish holiday is this week, preceding Christmas by a couple of weeks this year.)  For the most part, it seems many bases aren’t shying away from calling them what they are, though a few are sticking to the more generic “holidays.”

Chaplains, Shinto Priests Bless Air Force Fire Trucks

In an interesting “multicultural blessing,” local Japanese Shinto priests and an Air Force wing chaplain conducted a “dedication and blessing ceremony” for a new fire truck at Yokota Air Base, Japan:

The rituals featured a formal reading of prayer and a food and drink offering to the Shinto gods…

After the Shinto priests’ ritual, Maj. Oscar Fonseca, 374th Airlift Wing chaplain, offered up prayers for the fire engine.

The Mission Support Group commander “offer[ed] prayers” during Read more

Traditional Operation Christmas Drop Continues

The US Air Force conducted its annual Operation Christmas Drop over Micronesia this year:

[Ongoing] since December 1952…Operation Christmas Drop is the longest running humanitarian airlift mission supported by the Department of Defense.

U.S. military service members, their families, and the people of Guam teamed up with the Christmas Drop Organization to ensure a successful mission. The Christmas Drop Organization is a private organization Read more

USAF Gives Micronesia a Merry Christmas

The Stars and Stripes covers the 58th annual Operation Christmas Drop executed by the US Air Force over the Federated States of Micronesia.

The Christmas drop started in 1952 when the aircrew of a WB-29 bomber from Anderson flew over the Micronesian atoll of Kapingamarangi and noticed the islanders waving to them. [In the spirit of the holiday season] the crew quickly gathered some items they had on the plane, placed them in a container with a parachute attached and dropped the cargo as they circled back over, according to the Air Force…  Read more