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A sign posted in a Marine barracks
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Recent Review of Gun-Totin Chaplain
Hi Jerry, since becoming a fire chaplain 3 years ago, I have been reading every chaplain book I can get my hands on. Your book Gun-totin' chaplain just became my favorite.
I could so relate to your "what the hell do I do now" approach to being a chaplain. I so often find myself on the "battlefield" with no answers and a ton of needy eyeballs looking to me for some kind of answer.
Do you ever travel and tell your story? I would love for the other fellow chaplains to hear your heart. Being a chaplain is the best ministry I have ever had.... but most times: I dont know what the hell to do.
your fellow Chaplain.
--
J. Hetschel
Gun-Totin Chaplain**Now at discount
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NEW!!! GAYS AND THE MILITARY
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(AFP/Ali Yussef)
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Wow, will this topic of conversation ever go away? I don't think so.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Peter Pace, recently got in trouble by saying that homosexuality was immoral and gays should not serve openly in the military.
The next day, Pace said he should have stayed away from the issue of morality and should have only discussed current military policy(don't ask, dont' tell policy with which Pace agrees.)
I agree with Pace. He should have stayed away from the topic of morality. Had Pace said being gay is not compatible with some aspects of military life, he might have escaped a lot of the criticism, or he might have at least sounded better.
Many Marines, hardcore infantry, macho type soldiers are homophobic, let's face it. The idea that at least philosophically they are not male chauvinists, beer guzzling, gung ho, "kill, kill, kill" is an anathema to them. "Being gay" with all the stereotypical views of "who a gay is" will not hack it in today's military environment. Regardless of one's view, it is simply the way it is.
Who are these soldiers with all these homophobic views? They are the guys who are out there dying in Iraq. They are the "front line" troops. They are macho to the max. These are the ones probably that the good General Pace, Marine extraordinaire, is talking about.
Is this right or good that today's military is considered homophobic? Not the most appropriate question to ask? The better question: "Is being gay in the military compatible with military life?" Yes, in many instances it is.
From what I read, we are discharging scores of qualified soldiers even though we have the "don't ask, don't tell" policy [Discharging the equivalent of at least half a division (division is usually with support troops, twenty thousand men and women)] This is ridiculous. Many of these soldiers are skilled technicians, many we've spent a great deal of money training in languages and medicine. Discharging qualified soldiers who happen to be gay will continue to be an issue.
General Pace is right and wrong. "Outed" gay Marines are not going to fare well. It is reality. What I equate it to, in some degree, is women in the military. Introducing one woman into a classroom of Marines and the dynamics change. It is not the woman's fault. It is nobody's fault- simply the human element of men and women. Is this going to change? No. The reason we can't force it or push it is that the homophobic Marines are at war and they're dying which places social issues like homosexuality in the military on the back burner. In a perfect world, not a problem. But guess what? Duh! This is not a perfect world.
Related Articles:
GAY WARRIORS
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Thought Gay Meant Happy
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(AFP/File/Patrick Baz)
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On a trip back to my hometown, recently, I talked to lots of folks about Iraq. Most gave the "nobody is home" look. Not because they're not interested, but mainly because they don't know what to say.
Those who have been ardent supporters of the present administration, simply are nonplussed(bewildered).
I don't know what to say myself. Honestly, I get so incredibly frustrated. We live in a country of such enormous inequities. On the one hand, Iraq has not really forced changes in anybody's life. The only ones affected are the soldiers serving and their families.
In our country, narcissism runs rampant. It is nothing to watch a newscast with some scant news about Iraq and then go to commercials which show such blatant narcissism that it is sickening. For instance, there are advertisements for Botox treatments, luxury homes, and Ferrari automobiles that have people "lining up at the door" to pay the exorbitant prices. This doesn't even smack at the realization of the actual money that a Wall street scion gets, i. e., Mario Gabelli(CEO of Gabelli Asset Management Company Investors (GAMCO Investors) a $30 billion dollar global investment firm-got something like 55 million one year in compensation).
This in a land where Martin Luther King said, "If America is to remain a first class nation, it cannot have second class citizens."
Well, guess what? Third and fourth class citizens. The inequities in our culture are staggering and the greatest example are our brave and sacrificing soldiers and families. God bless them.
Related Articles:
INSPIRING STORY
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planet.nl
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Book Review:Infidel
Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Her Book are a Gift. Infidel describes Ali's life growing up: her moves to various countries as a child, etc. She describes life for her as refugee in Ethiopia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia...
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http://www.ranger.org/
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I read the Weddings and Celebrations announcements in the Style section of the New York Times every week. I think it is probably some of the best stuff in the NYT. I always wonder how they choose the couples they highlight who are getting married.
When I opened the page last week, I was blown away. There was a guy in uniform. I had seen military men and women depicted before in the section, but usually they were West Point graduates. This was different. [A Specialist 4 (Corporal)Ranger (Rangers are the most elite single unit in the military. Their training is extreme. At the end of training, they are awarded a Ranger Tab, the most highly prized designation in the Army). ]
I almost fell over when I began to read. If not a marriage made in heaven, close. Marriages always start out with such promise and military marriages are very special. Sacrifices of unusual nature will be the order of the day for this young couple- Robin Gonzalez and Alec Decker.
What impressed me, however, among many things, is, the young ranger's(Alec Decker) approach to life and equally as much as how he decided to join the military and how it brought him to the day of his wedding. He was 37, older than most soldiers of his rank and a Princeton graduate, who, after 9-11, with "lots of soul searching" joined up. "I'd always wanted to do national service of some kind." said Alec.
Alec Decker is an example of what we are missing out on by not instituting some sort of universal service( community service or AllServe). If we gave youngsters a chance, a slight nudge, they would do it. Granted, this fine young Ranger is a stand out by anybody's standards, but still, there are more like him out there I know. If we had the political and moral will as a nation, we would be providing a chance for all young people to serve.
Related Articles:
Charlie Rangel and The Draft
The IPOD Generation
Why We Need The Draft
How About a Tour In The Marines
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New Book: VietVet Memoir 
Commentary
