US SecWar: “Our chaplains are chaplains, not emotional support officers”

[The Bread Guy]

I guess they can't be both, right? The (US DoJ) info-machine version ....

Statement on Department of War’s Strengthening of the Chaplain Corps

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has announced bold action to prioritize religious liberty and practice in the military, executing a “top-down cultural shift, putting spiritual well-being on the same footing as physical and mental health.”The Religious Liberty Commission commends the Department on...

www.justice.gov

... with a 4-minute x.com video from SecWar ....

https://twitter.com/x/status/2001113071108882526

... and various takes:

Pentagon chief announces reforms to U.S. military’s Chaplain Corps

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that he has issued a directive aimed at reforming the military’s Chaplain Corps.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Pentagon chief announces reforms to U.S. military’s Chaplain Corps - The Catholic Times

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that he has issued a directive aimed at reforming the military’s Chaplain Corps.

catholictimescolumbus.org

Hegseth voices support for military chaplaincy, aims to bolster religious freedom | Baptist Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of War Pete Hegseth released a video Tuesday evening (Dec. 16) announcing immediate changes to directives given to military chaplains.

www.baptistpress.com

War Department Moves to ‘Make Chaplain Corps Great Again’

Just one week before America celebrates the birth of Christ, War Secretary Pete Hegseth is moving to restore the U.S. Army's Chaplain Corps to its original purp

washingtonstand.com

Pete Hegseth Vows Top-Down Cultural Shift To Rebuild the Military Chaplain Corps

On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth released a video announcing directives to “make the Chaplain Corps great again.”

churchleaders.com

Am I being tooooooo cynical wondering if this means a greater emphasis on only some religious belief being advocated, with maybe fewer religious organizations being represented among the U.S. military chaplaincy? Hope I'm wrong, but the glass-is-half-full part of me wonders.

 

[Blackadder1916]

I read it as the emphasis will be on Chaplains to perform religious ceremony and not provide any 'ethical' guidance. Just as JAGs are being steered toward rubberstamping whatever action the current administration orders, I suspect that they prefer Chaplains only pray for ideal conditions to kill the enemy.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Chaplain vibes intensifies




The only thing missing is Hegseth empowering chaplains to give out punishments under the UCMJ for crimes like Heresy, Blasphemy, and Apostasy. And a directive to refer to Trump as the God-President.

 

[The Bread Guy]

... I suspect that they prefer Chaplains only pray for ideal conditions to kill the enemy.

History rhyming?

Patton's Prayer

Just in time for Christmas, General George S. Patton’s prayer for good weather was answered in the deadliest battle fought by the US in WWII.

www.wwiimemorialfriends.org

 

[Colin Parkinson]

This:

 

[Retired AF Guy]

And I wonder how much push-back he will get from the Chaplin's?

 

[brihard]

I guess they can't be both, right? The (US DoJ) info-machine version ....

Statement on Department of War’s Strengthening of the Chaplain Corps

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has announced bold action to prioritize religious liberty and practice in the military, executing a “top-down cultural shift, putting spiritual well-being on the same footing as physical and mental health.”The Religious Liberty Commission commends the Department on...

www.justice.gov

... with a 4-minute x.com video from SecWar ....

https://twitter.com/x/status/2001113071108882526

... and various takes:

Pentagon chief announces reforms to U.S. military’s Chaplain Corps

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that he has issued a directive aimed at reforming the military’s Chaplain Corps.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Pentagon chief announces reforms to U.S. military’s Chaplain Corps - The Catholic Times

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that he has issued a directive aimed at reforming the military’s Chaplain Corps.

catholictimescolumbus.org

Hegseth voices support for military chaplaincy, aims to bolster religious freedom | Baptist Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of War Pete Hegseth released a video Tuesday evening (Dec. 16) announcing immediate changes to directives given to military chaplains.

www.baptistpress.com

War Department Moves to ‘Make Chaplain Corps Great Again’

Just one week before America celebrates the birth of Christ, War Secretary Pete Hegseth is moving to restore the U.S. Army's Chaplain Corps to its original purp

washingtonstand.com

Pete Hegseth Vows Top-Down Cultural Shift To Rebuild the Military Chaplain Corps

On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth released a video announcing directives to “make the Chaplain Corps great again.”

churchleaders.com

Am I being tooooooo cynical wondering if this means a greater emphasis on only some religious belief being advocated, with maybe fewer religious organizations being represented among the U.S. military chaplaincy? Hope I'm wrong, but the glass-is-half-full part of me wonders.

Oh there’s absolutely no way this risks taking an ugly Christian nationalist turn.

 

[YZT580]

Oh there’s absolutely no way this risks taking an ugly Christian nationalist turn.

or perhaps their chaplains will be allowed to pray and do other chaplain things

 

[ModlrMike]

Oh there’s absolutely no way this risks taking an ugly Christian nationalist turn.

Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
Christ, the royal Master,
leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
see his banner go!

 

[FJAG]

I read it as the emphasis will be on Chaplains to perform religious ceremony and not provide any 'ethical' guidance. Just as JAGs are being steered toward rubberstamping whatever action the current administration orders, I suspect that they prefer Chaplains only pray for ideal conditions to kill the enemy.

Chaplain vibes intensifies

The only thing missing is Hegseth empowering chaplains to give out punishments under the UCMJ for crimes like Heresy, Blasphemy, and Apostasy. And a directive to refer to Trump as the God-President.

I was going to use the emoji on this and then thought better of it because there's really nothing funny about what is going on down there.

Back in 1971, shortly after having joined my regiment after my basic artillery officers' training, I decided to get a jump on the next stage of my career and signed up for the US Army's advanced artillery officers' course. These were distance learning packages available to us Canadian army officers through the Fort Sill extension course programs. One of the packages the I received was titled something like "the Chaplain in Combat." Vietnam was still an ongoing thing then. In short it was an overview of the chaplains primary role which was definitely oriented to getting the dogface out of his trench and killing the Godless commies and/or savages while knowing that his God would love him for doing so.

It was quite different from my experience from the chaplains I had come to know in our own army and how they did business.

In short, it was quite off-putting and I presume its something in this nature that Hegseth wants to see re-established. The problem that I see is that there are herds of bible-thumpers in the US military who would like nothing better than a little opportunity to proselytize amongst their subordinates.

I just keep shaking my head.

 

[Czech_pivo]

I was going to use the emoji on this and then thought better of it because there's really nothing funny about what is going on down there.

Back in 1971, shortly after having joined my regiment after my basic artillery officers' training, I decided to get a jump on the next stage of my career and signed up for the US Army's advanced artillery officers' course. These were distance learning packages available to us Canadian army officers through the Fort Sill extension course programs. One of the packages the I received was titled something like "the Chaplain in Combat." Vietnam was still an ongoing thing then. In short it was an overview of the chaplains primary role which was definitely oriented to getting the dogface out of his trench and killing the Godless commies and/or savages while knowing that his God would love him for doing so.

It was quite different from my experience from the chaplains I had come to know in our own army and how they did business.

In short, it was quite off-putting and I presume its something in this nature that Hegseth wants to see re-established. The problem that I see is that there are herds of bible-thumpers in the US military who would like nothing better than a little opportunity to proselytize amongst their subordinates.

I just keep shaking my head.

Some have said that the US is a Theocracy disguising as a Democracy.

 

[lenaitch]

Some have said that the US is a Christian/Evangelical Theocracy disguising as a Democracy.

Rabbis and Imams will no doubt be sidelined or told 'thanks for coming'.

 

[OldSolduer]

I'm not sure this is the best COA for the US Military

Rabbis and Imams will no doubt be sidelined or told 'thanks for coming'.

And FWIW this may happen as well.

 

[daftandbarmy]

It was quite different from my experience from the chaplains I had come to know in our own army and how they did business.

In short, it was quite off-putting and I presume its something in this nature that Hegseth wants to see re-established. The problem that I see is that there are herds of bible-thumpers in the US military who would like nothing better than a little opportunity to proselytize amongst their subordinates.

I just keep shaking my head.

That has always been the case. The purpose of Chaplains (psychological injuries) and Medical staff (physical injuries) is to fix broken minds and bodies and keep the meat flowing towards the metal.

Backed up by the Military Police (addressing cowardice), of course.

The fact that we have soft pedaled those roles, and wrapped them in soppy sentiments, says alot about how far and how long we've been from a real war as a nation.

As we move inevitably towards a conflict with Russia that's probably another thing we'll have to modernize about the CAF, and by 'modernize' I guess relearn some of the important roles that made us such a ferocious battle winner in WW 1, 2 and Korea.

 

[mariomike]

, and by 'modernize' I guess relearn some of the important roles that made us such a ferocious battle winner in WW 1, 2 and Korea.

Remembering the soundtrack of Sergeant York, "Give me that Old Time Religion."

"Just like a flock of turkeys".

He was an artist with a bolt-action.