What do you want to tell our Chaplain Assistants?

[Phoenix Blue]

I'm going to stick this for a while, because I want as wide exposure to the question as I can get. :p

As you all know, I work at Maxwell AFB. ;) What you may not know is that Maxwell AFB is the home of the Chaplain Services Institute, which among other things trains Air Force officers to become Chaplains and trains our enlisted personnel to become Chaplain Assistants (previously known as CSSPs, or Chaplain Support Service Personnel).

This gives us a great opportunity to provide vital, and thus far lacking, information as far as what Wicca and other minority faiths are about and, more importantly, how Chaplains' Assistants can help reach out to minority faiths. Writing the first part will be relatively easy, but the problem is in dispelling the myth that the Chaplains are only available for members of one or two particular faiths.

This is an open question. I want to know - if you've declined to speak with a military Chaplain in the past, what was your reason for doing so? And what might a Chaplain do to encourage Pagans and other religious minorities to get their voices heard?

If you have any suggestions you'd like to make in confidence rather than in public, feel free to e-mail me (phoenix_blue@knology.net). :)

Thanks, everyone!
- PB

[Illuminatus]

You know, it's never come up.

But if it did, a good start would be the various pagan outlooks on the afterlife, since so many many soldiers either go there or send others there.

[Nighthawk]

You know, it's never come up.

But if it did, a good start would be the various pagan outlooks on the afterlife, since so many many soldiers either go there or send others there.
OUCH!!!! Too true

[banondraig]

for me, it just feels weird to ask a guy with a cross on his collar why there aren't any pagan services. also, i would probably have to design such things myself, which i don't feel up for. perhaps they could organize a religious study group for pagans, just to break out of the usual somewhat depressing sight of pretty much every major branch of christianity, plus judaism and islam, having pre-organized services, but no pagan services. of course, i'm in the army, i don't know if the air force is different.

[Sequoia]

Well, I'm not in the military. . . but I was watching a program on TV once, one of the big ships did have a pagan/wiccan service. . . they gathered for a circle on a regular basis, a circle, meditation, and study. I dont' remember if it was daily, weekly, monthly, or what have you. But it was in the little religious room on the ship, and it was fully "public" to the rest of the ship. They'd had great success with it, the program said.

So. . . that's about the extent of my input at the momet ^^;

[FroggieThePunk]

I think that Meetings would be a good idea, Like, maybe not weekly meetings, but biweekly, or monthly might be a good idea. Set them more around the end of the week or so, that way you are not interupting plans during the beging. Also, do you know where the Chaplains asst and Chaplain traing place for the Army is? I would like to find out if they are setting things up for us in the Army yet.

[banondraig]

I think that Meetings would be a good idea, Like, maybe not weekly meetings, but biweekly, or monthly might be a good idea. Set them more around the end of the week or so, that way you are not interupting plans during the beging. Also, do you know where the Chaplains asst and Chaplain traing place for the Army is? I would like to find out if they are setting things up for us in the Army yet.

as far as i know they are not. army chaplains must be endorsed/recognized (i'm not sure of the exact language) by a national religious organization. so that narrows the field of eligible candidates a lot right there. they must also have a degree in a theology-related field (theology, divinity, etc.), at least a bachelor's. they must also meet other standards of fitness and be under a certain age. i think they may also need to be able to get a secret security clearance, but this part i am fuzzy on. i know it's required for basic branch officers. i don't know if the requirement also applies to chaplains. does that help? anyone meet all these requirements and want to be the first pagan us chaplain?

[Kalika]

I'm not in the military... but think this is an interesting topic. :)

Did you ever have any success in discussing this with the current Chaplains, PB?

I think that it would be nice for paganism to be more widely recognized in the military, and more open to having rituals and such. I have several friends who are in, and feel that they have to hide their beliefs in order to get along with their peers. Is it that way everywhere, or is it just these few friends of mine?

Just curious. :)

[Maric]

It have always felt that the military isn't very excepting of the Pagan way of life. I have been in the USAF for about 4.5 years now and have always been "in the broom closet". One time I shared my way of life with others, I was shuned away from other people, they acted like I was the same old me, but you could tell that they didn't approve of my Pagan ways. I was also laughed at in Basic Training for going to a Pagan's group. It was on a Saturday (instead of Sunday) so my instructor would always make some crack at me about me trying to get out of my normal training. People would always call me names like "Wicca" and "Witchboy" were some of the Nicknames they came up with me. I'm not looking for any sympathy, what I would like to see is more education and shared knowledge on diffrent religions. Not only in the military but world wide.

I have always dreamed of being a Pagan Chaplin. I love to help people and I love my Pagan ways of life. With out Paganism, I feel I would be a sort of lost soul. I also respect all religions as long as they don't hurt anyone or anything. I'm still on my first enlistment and hope to cross train into somthing other than what I'm doing now (Aircraft Mechanic). One of the two things I am concidering is Chaplin's Assistant. The other is somthing with computers. The unfortinute problem is that once I leave the military my experience as a Pagan Chaplin's assistant is not going to help me accomplish my dreams and goals in life. Basicly it doesn't pay. This eats me up inside. I truely belive that money is evil in some sort of way. I wish I could enjoy my life without having to touch the stuff. Unfortunaltly, we have to. Money make the world turn as they say. It should be Love makes the world turn. Yet after thinking all of this, I still want to be able to have the chance to help Pagan's in and out of the Military.

Back to main subject, from the job description and talking to a Pagan Chaplin's Assistaint here at Kadena AB, the job doesn't really involve anything to do with that persons religious prefrence. I would love for Chaplin Assistants to be more involved with the community and more involved with the people. I remember in Tech School, I was a Chapel rope, and didn't even do anything religious. We had group meetings every week, and they were great, we all shared new things and experiences.

Thats the other thing I remember. We were not allowed to hold any kind of Pagan activities in or around any of the Chapels on base. We would have to hold it at a park or the community center. That really erks my chain. I know it's maybe not what they are thinking but thats like saying we don't want Pagan's in our church.

I would love to see way more involvement with Chaplin's Assistaints, and would love to see a Pagan Chaplin in the military. If there is anything I can do to help those things along, I will do it.

Blessed Be to all!

[redring]

I have been thinking....... sorry I know thats bad. I want to post it somewhear else though. but ill give you the general. What if we at MW sent care packages to our pagans in service. Whatever poeple would send. ritual items(simple ones of course), herbs, salts, cards ect. I think it would show suport to them as well as to the idea of pagans in service. What do you think? I think you would be the best person to tell us if it is posable and the how too Blue.

[SilverMaiden]

If there was any way for the chaplains to be heard both, within the military and outside the military, on all the faiths they support that would be a great comfort to those both in the military and those of us outside the military.

The Lord and Lady knows no soldier should ever feel alone and isolated.

Maybe a site or newspaper where the chaplains could post articles, the good things that the soldiers do and things that are needed that would help all the soldiers of different faiths/non faiths that both other soldiers stationed in different areas and those of us not military could help out with.

[Dave the Druid]

What a golden opportunity :D

I was in the AD AF for almost 10 years and stationed in the heart of the bible belt amongst other places.

The first thing I think is needed is tolerance of 'pagan' trads by the military in general. I feel we are "allowed" but not respected. This shows up most prominently to on the deployment lines where you can pick up religious tracts for comfort. You guessed it, nothing pagan to be had.

Don't forget, we are still viewed as 'devil worshiping' others by <u>most</u> other religious institutions and the military is all about institutions.

Second, Come out of the broom closet We are what we are and should be proud of it. It's easier with support, but they don't have an official policy on us yet either.

This is just the begining but I would have loved to have had an Asatruars giving blessings before a jump.

Peace and Harmony
Dave the Druid /|\

[RelicRavenEye]

Hey there.
My Chaplain has been great. i called called into his office when he first got to our batalion. He asked me for info about my religion. He had heard through the grapevine that i was a Wiccan(how the grapevine got that to him through a whole battalion I dont know). Anyhow, I pointed him toward the Chaplains Handbook for the Practices of Certain Selected Religions. Hah. It is some odd title like that. Anyhow, he didn't even know it exsisted, he had never been told about it. I read through that section of the handbook. It gives a decent explanation of the path, better than I would have expected from the Army.
We are also one of seven or so army posts that have a Wicca study group on post sponsered by Sacred Wells Congregation in Texas. They were the ones who helped the Fort Hood Pagans fight bob Barr and Congress. We have a ritual site on post, behind the CID building so that know one wants to bother us. The original founder of our group was a Chief Warrant Officer for CID. Anyhow, my unit has been very supportive of me. They allow me time to myself for worship when we are in the field, they make sure I am not working nights on the Sabbats when we have our rituals, and they try their best to make sure I can get Full Moons off as well. Thats more than i will get in the civilian world.


Sidenote: The original founder and teacher of our group organized a pagan group in Iraq for deployed soldiers that she had success with. She wrote back to us and we made care packages for them with food and ritual materials. I thought that was pretty cool.

[CaitrionaMorgaine]

I would like to jump in and say that I have had few if any problems with the Chaplain at Sheppard AFB. I am the Pagan Designated Faith Group Leader there, and my group has been in existance for 5 years. We have permission to burn candles, a locked cabinet for our supplies as well as full support for Handfastings, Wiccaning and public rituals.

If you are in the military, I encourage you to talk to your Chaplain if your spiritual needs are not being met. In many cases they are more than willing to help you. Several of my circle members have started groups at their permanent bases. If you meet someone within the chapel who refuses to honor your rights, contact your Military Equal Opportunity organization. They have helped me when I had any problems.

If you would like any information about starting a group, or would like some information to present to your Chaplain, please feel free to PM me.

Blessings, ~Rhiannon

[Dave the Druid]

RhiannonSolana,

You are at my last base and it's good that they are being more open now than when I was there 4 years ago.

Thank you for your efforts. :woot:

Peace and Harmony to You
Dave the Druid /|\

[banondraig]

they must not have caught up with us in germany then. one of my Wiccan friends was telling me the other day about how our battalion chaplain tried to get him to convert to Christianity. he wasn't fire and brimstone about it, but it's still not cool.

[gizolas]

I have been thinking....... sorry I know thats bad. I want to post it somewhear else though. but ill give you the general. What if we at MW sent care packages to our pagans in service. Whatever poeple would send. ritual items(simple ones of course), herbs, salts, cards ect. I think it would show suport to them as well as to the idea of pagans in service. What do you think? I think you would be the best person to tell us if it is posable and the how too Blue.


great idea redring , but would they get there. remember what happened with the tysunami care packages most never got there but great idea anyway :)

[Sequoia]

great idea redring , but would they get there. remember what happened with the tysunami care packages most never got there but great idea anyway :)
Care packages to the military get very high priority. Of course they get there.

The tsunami ones were taken by greedy and dishonest people, theives really, who were stealing them before they got to the kids. I'm fairly certain the security of the USPS is a bit better than that of, say, Indonesia. Sadly.

The troops will get what you send to them, sooner or later, it gets there.

[gizolas]

Care packages to the military get very high priority. Of course they get there.

The tsunami ones were taken by greedy and dishonest people, theives really, who were stealing them before they got to the kids. I'm fairly certain the security of the USPS is a bit better than that of, say, Indonesia. Sadly.

The troops will get what you send to them, sooner or later, it gets there.

its the sooner or later that sounds ominous to me , who is to say that the poor guys won't be killed in one of the pointless wars
1. afghanistan 2 iraq 3 iran?!?!!?

[Sequoia]

its the sooner or later that sounds ominous to me , who is to say that the poor guys won't be killed in one of the pointless wars
1. afghanistan 2 iraq 3 iran?!?!!?
Paranoia is a fun game to play, isn't it?

The packages will very likely get there well before the troop moves or dies. The majority of our guys aren't dying - yes, many troops are being injured, but the proportion isn't like "80% of troops die before homemade cookies arrive!"

Are you actually interested in supporting troops?

[gizolas]

Paranoia is a fun game to play, isn't it?

The packages will very likely get there well before the troop moves or dies. The majority of our guys aren't dying - yes, many troops are being injured, but the proportion isn't like "80% of troops die before homemade cookies arrive!"

Are you actually interested in supporting troops?


are u implying i'm unpatrioticistism erm i run out of things to add .
yep i support the troops , not the wars but the troops. i'd be happy to send teh package s , i'm just making a comment so get off my back you mea mean person _inabox_ _inabox_ lol

[Sequoia]

are u implying i'm unpatrioticistism erm i run out of things to add .
yep i support the troops , not the wars but the troops. i'd be happy to send teh package s , i'm just making a comment so get off my back you mea mean person _inabox_ _inabox_ lol
o_O;

No, I'm not implying you're unpatriotic. I don't imply those kind of stupid things - people would imply them about me, probably. It's a petty attack.

I support the troops, but I'm not happy about the war.

Your comments are really pessimistic, and suggesting that people steal the troops' care packages, or they're otherwise intercepted and not given to the troops. Short of the occasional lost package, and the LARGE amount of time it takes to ship things overseas, especially in war zones, most packages arrive safe and sound (if perhaps a tad stale).

o_O; I'm not on your back. And if you think I've been mean... :p Well, check out some of my other threads. If you think this is mean, you should see me when I'm all riled up about something. Though I still must admit I am not inentionally mean or insulting to people.