Join UU's in the Military at our new site!

New Blog by Former Naval Officer and Current UU

2009-08-07T23:43:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone who reads this blog. Nearly a year ago, I retired from the Navy. During this time (actually beginning some time before retirement) I have been doing a lot of thinking and studying about what it means to be a UU, what it meant to be a serving officer, and what my beliefs really are. As reflected in a number of writings and addresses I have given to my own Congregation and others, I've come to some surprising (for me) conclusions. I have posted these writings on my own blog. If you are interested, you can find the blog at:

http://mypropheticimperative.blogspot.com/

The title of the blog is "Living the Prophetic Imperative" inspired by Rev. Richard Gilbert's book, "The Prophetic Imperative: Social Gospel in Theory and Practice". This book has been a guide for me. Even if you don't read my stuff, I really recommend you read this book, which is available through the UUA.

Army Guardsman named 'Chaplain of the Year'

2009-07-20T09:05:00.001-04:00

Army Guardsman named 'Chaplain of the Year'

By Staff Sgt. S. Patrick McCollum
National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va. (7/9/09) - Chaplains have a myriad of reasons for
serving their country, but recognition is usually not one of them.
"Chaplains are often in the position where we love to serve so much, it's
always a surprise to be rewarded for it," said Army Capt. Rebekah
Montgomery, who will receive the "Chaplain of the Year" award from the
Military Chaplains'
Association July 17.
A Unitarian Universalist chaplain serving at both the Army National
Guard Readiness Center, Arlington, Va., and Maryland's 58th Troop Command,
Montgomery, she has been a student of religion since high school.
She found that religion fascinated her. "I was always drawn to how people
negotiate their daily lives with the experience of the spiritual," said
Montgomery, who grew up in Bethesda, Md. "I got so much stimulation out of
understanding other faith traditions and I still do."
After an 18-month tour in Afghanistan, Montgomery found herself back
in Maryland with two jobs. One weekend a month, she is the brigade chaplain
in the 58th TC, a job that she says keeps her grounded in the "M-Day" unit
mentality.
"With my state, that's where the real nuts-and-bolts mission is,"
she said.
"I feel like I'm staying in touch and serving at the local level."
During the week at the readiness center, she focuses on a broader
mission, advising high-level officials on spiritual issues.
"My position at NGB is sort of an aide-de-camp for a general,"
she said. "You
go places and see things you would never see in an M-Day unit."
At the readiness center, Montgomery has also participated in the
recent Suicide Prevention Stand-Down, making herself available to Soldiers
who need counseling.
"Suicide has been an issue I have seen deployed, in the field, and
on drill weekends," she said. "It's a fact of life, and is something
chaplains are often involved in."
While Montgomery feels she has made a contribution, she said it is
hard to trace. Morale and the number of infractions can be indicators, but
one can't measure exactly something that didn't happen.
"We don't see the direct results, but we trust God is using us in a
profound and positive way," she said. "You can't quantify how many divorces
didn't happen. You can't quantify how many suicides didn't happen."
Her efforts have been noticed though, and Montgomery said she never
forgets the reason she was nominated.
"Just having the opportunity to serve Soldiers is the greatest
mission on earth."

Announcing the new Church of the Larger Fellowship Military Ministry Website!

2009-02-17T17:29:00.003-05:00

It is my honor and privilege to invite Military Affiliated Unitarian Universalists (and indeed all Unitarian Universalists) to visit the new Military Ministry Website, sponsored by the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF).

http://clfuu.org/military

We hope it will become a place for those of us of liberal faith with a connection to the military to build community with one another, to connect with serving Chaplains and Chaplain Candidates, to post resources, and to share our stories. At times, it is hard to be a military member in Unitarian Universalism, just as it is hard to be a Unitarian Universalist in the military. Our hope is to bring those military members and their families whose service keeps them away from our congregations into community with Military Affiliated UUs who find a home in the congregations of our faith.

A Military Affiliated UU is someone who identifies as a Unitarian Universalist who is a military servicemember, a military spouse, a military veteran, a military family-member, a Department of Defense employee, a military contractor, or the friend of any of these who wishes to build community with other Military Affiliated Unitarian Universalists.

The Church of the Larger Fellowship began during World War II, as a way for Unitarian Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines to stay connected to their faith while they were serving overseas. Though Unitarian Universalists may disagree on issues of war and peace, our faith supports all of those who serve, who have served, and their families.

We would like to thank the Church of the Larger Fellowship for making this ministry a part of their vision, and we look forward to working with them in the years to come in partnership on this important ministry. Specifically, we would like to thank the Rev. Jane Rzepka, Lorraine Dennis, and Andrea Fiore for their help and support in putting this online presence together.

Come, come whoever you are….

Yours in Faith,

David Pyle
1LT, USAR Chaplain Candidate
MOD Minister, Great Lakes Military Ministry

Is this a "dead blog"

2009-02-15T17:01:00.002-05:00

There hasn't been any new posts on here in over six months. Did the military do a purge of all UU's and miss me? Is there a new online forum for military UU's? I've been looking online for a while to see if there is any new activity somewhere but so far nothing.

Retiring from Navy and from Congregation Leadership - At Loose Ends

2008-07-24T15:24:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone,

I haven't looked at this blog in a while and need to catch up. I am going on separation leave from the Navy in about a week and have also just "retired" from two years as President of my Congregation - so as you can imagine I am doing a bit of soul searching.

As a Congregation President, I focused a lot on church business, fundraising, "growth" (all four kinds), building consensus, and on vision / strategy development. As a result, I kind of lost sight of why I joined a UU congregation in the first place. I was looking for two things - a compassionate community to which I could "come in from the cold" of an increasingly harsh world and also a place in which I could explore my growing awareness of social injustice - to include the injustice of war and social and economic inequality.

Instead, as a church leader, I found myself in what I (only half jokingly) refer to as my "third command". Now that I am done with that, I am reflecting on what I am doing in the UU community. I am wondering where we as a faith community are going with regard to issues of war and peace, and social injustice. I know that the UUA has a peacemaking focus for the next few years but I am wondering what issues we are embracing and how deep is our commitment to them. My contact with our district and with the UUA has been mostly concerning issues of church management, growth, and money. All of the efforts in these areas are important but only if those efforts support accomplishing something greater in the world.

I have been inspired recently by President John F. Kennedy's 1963 American University speech (http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkamericanuniversityaddress.html) as well as by President Jimmy Carter's statement about war: "War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children." My hope is that UU's can be at the forefront of realizing the vision these two men have.

So, not so much as "military UU's" but as UU's who happen to be in the military, what are your aspirations for our faith community? What would you like us to achieve and be known for in the next 20 years. I'd really be interested in your thoughts.

Thanks.

Tom Beall

The ACLU, Prayer, and Annapolis

2008-07-19T14:12:00.002-04:00

The American Civil Liberties Union has requested that the US Naval Academy stop it's moment of silence prior to the brigade's noon meal. ACLU considers this a form of mandatory religious practice in violation of midshipman civil rights according to the July 29, 2008 issue of Christian Century weekly newspaper (page 17). To me, the Civil Liberties Union is going too far. Perhaps a moment of silence does make some midshipmen uncomfortable, but an important part of the curriculum at the US service academies is to take students out of their zones of comfort. Standing in respectful silence is a duty an officer of our armed forces must perform at times, and what with the rigor, by design, of academy life standing for a moment of silence might seem to be a vacation.

Who's the guy with the beard?

2008-06-21T18:02:00.012-04:00

As you might have heard, I recently retired after 20 years in the Marine Corps. I had a unique and very enjoyable retirement ceremony, and would like to share the story with you here.

The typical Marine retirement consists mainly of the retiring officer telling the story of the retiree's military career, saying what a great guy he is, and pinning on a medal. Then the retiree gets to talk, thanking his family, boss, coworkers, etc. Then everyone eats BBQ or chicken wings, and talks about work until it's time to leave.

Being anything but a typical Marine, of course I wanted my ceremony to be different. First of all, no BBQ. I've been to so many retirements where I ate a coleslaw sandwich (or the like), I decided to have my reception catered from a vegetarian restaurant. Second, rather than talk, I wanted to play my guitar and sing. Finally, I wanted my Marine friends to hear about the rest of my life outside the Corps.

So I invited four close friends from my "other lives" - Bull Run UUs, The Shambhala Center of Washington D.C, the Capitol NVC Organizing Team, and the Men's Council of Washington D.C. - to talk after the Colonel had his say. And there was a twist - I asked them to relate how they experience their relationships with me, rather than talk about my activities and accomplishments. My desire here was to paint a picture of a human being as well as a human doing.

It was everything I wished for - Reverend Nancy, Larry, Jeanne, and Duane all spoke from the heart, and I experienced great joy in bringing together so many diverse people in one place. This was really an opportunity to practice integrity - no chance to play any role but "I am" with people from every corner of my life in the room.

Once everyone had spoken, I had little to say. I gave flowers and gifts to my loved ones, spoke my gratitude and appreciation for all who had spoken, and performed an original song in honor of my contractor buddies (now fellow contractors). Then we ate vegetarian food, drank organic juice, and talked about UUism, buddhism, NVC, and men's work until it was time to go home.

Funny thing, all the Marines seemed to leave right away - I guess they missed the BBQ and beer.

Unitarian Universalist Military social network?

2008-05-30T23:02:00.002-04:00

While listening to NPR a few weeks ago I heard about Ning.com where people can create their own social network (think Myspace or Facebook but on a smaller scale). I thought how cool it would be to start a UU Military network. I would start it myself but I'm about to rotate back to sea duty and it's a new construction ship so I really won't have the time to manage a site. Is anyone interested? I was thinking that a "social network" might get some more hits especially among the younger members.

A Friendly Footprint...

2008-05-24T10:41:00.001-04:00

A proposal for action to aid Iraqi school children, sent to UU's in the Military by Richard Anderson of the Boone NC UU Fellowship:

On May 13th at 6:33 am, my son called me via satellite phone from a small village in Iraq. He was exasperated with the conditions he found on the ground. He described the village his unit was based in as total squalor but his greatest disappointment was the condition of the school. The students had neither pencils nor paper, few books and no games or sports equipment. Our Church, the Boone Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship has taken on the mission to provide school supplies for distribution by the Marines on the ground. As a church, we can buy at a discount and avoid the added expense of sales tax. We can also get uniformity in the supplies, which makes shipping and distribution easier. This is a volunteer run effort with no administrative costs and will not be used to promote or publicize the church. We are merely the vehicle for this assistance. Your contribution is tax-deductible and you will get a statement at the end of the year. Make checks payable to the church. Please help out our bookkeeper by writing “Will’s Kids” or “Friendly Footprint” on the memo line of your check. Send donations to:

Boone Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship
381 E. King St.
Boone, NC 28607

Problems with UU's in the Military

2008-05-14T10:46:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone,

Well, our hosting service did something odd this morning, and completely trashed the customized template that UU's in the Military has had for years. Because of upgrades and changes, I was not able to restore the old template, and had to upgrade the site...

So, we have lost a few elements, such as our blog listing (which we can restore) and our listing of Congregations with UU Military members in them (about which I have questions whether we want to restore).

I think all UU Congregations have Military Affiliated UU's in them, but some dont know it. By keeping such a list, we are implying that only these congregations have military UU's... and that is just not the case.

So, over the next several days I will be changing the template and restoring some of the lost items.

All of our posts are fine, so dont worry about that.

Thanks all!

Yours in Faith,

David

Fill out the Survey!

2008-05-14T09:27:00.004-04:00

Hello All,

Lou Portella (Ret. Navy ET1), the founder of the UUniforms military support group at the UU Church in Norfolk Virginia has put together a survey on military attitudes within our congregations.

Check out this article at UUMM to learn more, and to fill out the survey!

http://uumm.blogspot.com/2008/05/online-survey-on-uu-and-military.html

Yours in Faith,

David

Welcome Chief Smith

2008-05-03T23:57:00.002-04:00

UU's in the Military would like to welcome a new member, CW2 Edward Smith... here is his introductory email!

Hi! I'm CW2 Edward Smith. I found your website searching for potential congregations to join when I get out of the army in the coming months. I was raised Unitarian between the Eastside congregation of Pittsburgh, PA and the Orlando, FL congregation.There have been two main benefits of the military on my spiritual life. The first (and most obvious) is that in the military, especially with current circumstances, I have faced very difficult decisions and stressful situations. During those times, I felt that life was pulling me around by the nose. I was barely keeping up with things as they happened, with little time for forethought, there was no time for reflection. After these short, intense events though, I was able to reflect and learn some life lessons. I can't say that I have them organized enough to put down in a few short sentences though. The second (and more interesting) is that in the military I have been forced to work, live and socialize with people to whom I would not normally gravitate. I took the opportunity to learn a lot about the Mormon faith. I have engaged in lengthy conversations with a southern baptist who was running around camp informing everyone else that they were condemned. Normally, the evangelical nature of these faiths have caused me to avoid forming relationships with the people of that faith. But, through military service I was able to (forced to?) learn about the people, their faiths, and still get a lot of work done together. I'm leaving the Army shortly and hope to move to an area with an active UU fellowship. Unitarianism hasn't made its presence felt yet here in southeast Alabama. I look forward to reading some more of the older and upcoming posts on this site.

Edward

Religious Discrimination in the Military Article

2008-04-26T19:13:00.002-04:00

Hi,

I came across this article in the NY Times Today:

Article Here

Is anyone familiar with this situation?

I haven't personally encountered what I would call serious religious discrimination in my 18 years in the Army & Army Guard. I have seen a couple of cases of soldiers who identified as being Wiccan or Pagan getting some "crap" from people, but it mostly seemed to be the kind of sophomoric hassling a soldier would get for being "different" in any way - not any sort of serious discrimination or inappropriate behavior from their chain of command.

Has anyone here ever run into anything like this before?

Thanks,

Adrian

Unitarian Universalist Military Ministry News!

2008-04-22T13:47:00.000-04:00

Spring 2008

In this Spring issue:

1) General Assembly Workshop
2) Presence at the Ministry and Professional Leadership Booth at GA
3) Salute to Maj. Greg Rouillard
4) Update on the Great Lakes Project
5) Request for UU’s in the Military participation in the Peacemaking Congregational Study / Action Issue discussion

1) General Assembly Workshop

The Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations General Assembly is coming up, from June 25th to 29th, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. UUniforms, a program at the UU Church in Norfolk, VA, will be presenting a workshop entitled “Founding and Sustaining a UU Military Support Group. Here is their blurb:

"FOUNDING AND SUSTAINING A UU MILITARY SUPPORT GROUP" --- Unitarian Universalists always have been integral to our nation's military and Department of Defense. Many congregations want to be more welcoming to its military/DoD members and their families but don't know how. This presentation offers practical advice about successfully founding and sustaining a group for fellowship and support. The program is scheduled for Thu 26 June, 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM, Convention Center, Grand Floridian G. The program will be presented by Lou Portella and CH Cynthia Kane… though other UU Military Ministry members will be in attendance.

Click here to see a flyer on the workshop. Join us!

Click here to learn more about General Assembly.

2) Presence at the Ministry and Professional Leadership Booth at GA

At the invitation of Rev. Beth Miller, UU Military Ministries will be maintaining a “Uniformed Ministry of Presence” at the Ministry and Professional Leadership Booth at General Assembly in Ft. Lauderdale. Our goal is to have a Chaplain, Chaplain Candidate, or UUMM Project Associate at the booth to answer questions about the military, military chaplaincy, and UU’s who serve in the military, as well as to provide a contact point. Literature will be available for clergy, as well as for families and spouses of servicemembers. There will also be literature available on the UUA’s Committee on Military Ministry. Please come by and say hello!

There is also a planned meeting of the Committee on Military Ministry at General Assembly, as well as an opportunity for those who are interested in Military Chaplaincy and Military Ministry to ask questions of the Committee, serving Chaplains, and Rev. Beth Miller, the UUA’s official Military Chaplain Endorser. When those plans are finalized, the dates and times will be announced through the UUMM website.

3) Salute to Maj. Greg Rouillard

UU Military Ministries wants to salute and congratulate Maj. Greg Rouillard on his upcoming retirement from the U.S. Marine Corps. Many of you may know Maj. Rouillard from his online name of “Slidestorm” and also from his blogs “(r)evolutions” and “A Virginia UU in King George’s War”, as well as being one of the panelists at the UU Military workshop at General Assembly in 2005.

Maj. Rouillard also began the “UU’s in the Military” Blog, when he sensed there was a need for UU’s to build greater community. His faithful service to our nation, as well as to our liberal religious tradition, reflect great credit upon himself, his family, his friends, and his congregation. Greg has been instrumental in being one of the first voices calling for UU’s in or affiliated with the military to build community. Here is the email he sent out…

Friends,

This e-mail is to announce my upcoming retirement from the Marine Corps.
I wish that all of you could join me for my ceremony on May 9 in Virginia, and I realize that it's pretty unlikely given where you live.

If for some reason you think you might be able to come, please let me know and I'll send you more details.

At any rate, my retirement is official on June 1, and on June 2 I begin a new job with Organizational Strategies, Inc. (OSI), doing much the same work I've been doing the past two years, in the same office, with the same people. We have decided to stay in Virginia for the time being to see what happens with the housing market and some other things. Our eventual goal is to live in an intentional community in Boulder, CO.

I hope to hear from you - with some it's been years since we've been in touch.
If you know of anyone else who might be interested in knowing about my retirement, please forward this message.

Best Regards,
Greg Rouillard

We salute you sir! Thank you for your service. And on a personal note, I (David Pyle) would like to thank you for the trust and confidence you have shown in trusting me to steward the UU’s in the military group. Semper Fi! (or, in my language, AIRBORNE!)

4) Update on the Great Lakes Project

The UU Military Ministries sponsored project that provides Sunday Morning UU worship services for the basic training recruits at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center is growing, and seeking to find ways to build deeper connections with local UU organizations. The program, which has been a partnership of UUMM with the Meadville Lombard Theological School and the Unitarian Church of Evanston, is seeking to broaden its base of support.

Currently, the program is averaging between 25 and 40 recruits for worship each Sunday morning, and has involved over 12 worship associates from Meadville and UCE. This years project director is LTC Seanan Holland, a Marine Corps Reserve officer and a 3rd year Meadville student working towards Naval Chaplaincy. The program has been reaching a broad range of recruits, many of whom have never encountered Unitarian Universalism before.

Next month, the Great Lakes Project will be meeting with representatives of the Central Midwest District of the UUA, the Meadville Lombard Theological School, the Chicago Area UU Council, the Unitarian Church of Evanston, and the Chicago Liberal Association of Ministers to discuss ways to deepen the connection of the Chicago area to the Great Lakes Project. Our goal of that meeting is to develop ways to insure that the UU worship services for Naval recruits continues for years to come.

If you would like to support the project, please contact David Pyle at david@celestiallands.com.

5) Request for UU’s in the Military participation in the Peacemaking Congregational Study / Action Issue discussion

Glenn E. King, a member of the Peacemaking Resources Working Group, and the Ministerial Intern at the First Church UU, in Leominster MA, has requested that those military and military affiliated Unitarian Universalists who wish to have their voices heard in the continuing discussion around the current Congregational Study / Action Issue contact him. Here is the email he sent to UUMM.

Greetings, I have a request which I hope you can help with. I am not in the military, however I am hoping your blog members can help out. I am currently working with a core team on the Peacemaking Congregational Study Action Issue and one thing we have determined is that voices from the military are not being heard on this issue. If any members would like to be involved in a "Military Voices" working group, that would examine this issue, please have them get in touch with me.

More information on the CSAI can be found at

http://www.uua.org/peacemaking
Thanks much,
Glenn E. King
Peacemaking Resources Working Group
Ministerial Intern, First Church UU, Leominster, MA
gking@ants.edu

Our voices are important in this discussion, so lets be heard! Anyone who is interested can contact Glenn directly.

6) “Deployment Resources for America’s Clergy” is now online!

Over the years, UUMM has regularly received requests from Unitarian Universalists Ministers for resources on how to better minister with servicemembers and their families. The U.S. Army Office of the Chief of Chaplains has produced a resource document for civilian clergy on this issue. Here is a link.
http://www.ncmaf.org/resources/Civilian_Clergy_Info.pdf

We are currently using this document as the basis for a workshop for civilian clergy being presented by UUMM in the Evanston, Illinois area, and hope to expand that work. It contains information on the role of civilian clergy in providing information and support to military families, and also provides some basic pamphlets that can be handed out. It also contains an excellent article written by military psychologists on the emotional cycle a military family goes through during a deployment. It is a great resource for ministers to have on their shelf.
If the brochures in this version do not print well for you, let UUMM know and we will send you a version in Microsoft Word.

Thank you all for your service, as servicemembers, as military family members, as veterans, and as allies. If UUMM can be of service to you, just contact us at uumil@uublog.org .

Yours in Faith,
David Pyle
2LT, USAR Chaplain Candidate
Student, Meadville Lombard Theological School
Ministerial Intern, Unitarian Church of Evanston
Coordinator, UU Military Ministries

PBS Series: Carrier

2008-03-29T21:58:00.002-04:00

Carrier is a ten hour series following the crew of the USS Nimitz at sea. For the majority of us who haven't "been there," this is an opportunity for an inside view. For those of you who've had the experience this is an opportunity to discuss the mission of the United States Armed Forces in the oft confusing context of UU values. I certainly want to know if the film's makers were fair.

Another new member!

2008-03-11T13:38:00.002-04:00

Everyone welcome a new member to UU's in the Military, Adam Ochs! Here is Adam's information...

Adam Ochs, US Navy, Petty Officer First Class, I'm stationed at Submarine Base New London, in Groton, CT. I'll be transferring soon to Norfolk, VA then up to Bath, ME while my ship is being built.

Welcome Adam... and Lou, notice it says Norfolk there... hint hint.

Yours in faith,

David

Zebras

2008-02-08T12:10:00.000-05:00

Then SSgt. Michael Fay at Camp Babylon in 2003
Then GySgt Michael Fay in New Ubaydi, Iraq during Op Steel Curtain, November 2005

Greetings one and all. My name is CWO-2 Michael D. Fay and I'm one of two official combat artists serving the Marines through the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Like the rest of you the word UNITARIAN is pressed into my dogtags. I'm going to assume that we also share something else in common, we are all zebras.

There's a joke floating around out there in the politically incorrect ether where a zebra, upon entering heaven, asks Saint Peter whether he's a white zebra with black stripes, or a black zebra with white stripes. I've been faced with questions, especially in light of the current GWOT, by fellow UUs in particular about whether I'm a Marine or a UU first, and by folks in general whether I am an artist or a warrior first. Being an "either, or" person doesn't sit well with me. My hope is to aspire to being of the "and both" variety. We live in very polarized times and being both a warrior and a UU seems to many a contradiction in terms......sort of like military intelligence and male intuition.

I look forward to posting here and connecting with the UU Military Community. I believe, despite our stripes(and bars)we represent a unique bridging voice during these troubled times.

Another new member!

2008-02-04T15:36:00.000-05:00

Please join us in welcoming LeAnn Weih! Here is her information:

Hi I'm LeAnn Weih. I'm a member of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Lubbock, TX. I'm a potter, partner, dog lover, and mother. My daughter is a nurse and my son is an army medic, serving in Mosul, Iraq at FOB Marez. It is not quiet there at the moment but my community and my church, especially, help to keep my partner and I sane.

Welcome, and may safety and peace come to your children...

Yours in Faith,

David

Welcome new UU's in the Military Member

2008-02-04T13:46:00.002-05:00

I would like to Welcome Chief Michael Fay to UU's in the Military!

Here is his information:

CWO-2 Michael D Fay USMC, Fredericksburg, VA. I'm currently not affiliated with a church or fellowship. I have a milblog at http://www.mdfay1.blogspot.com/ (Fire and Ice)

I hope he will share with us his expeirence with the UU Church in his area.... it is something we military UU's need to give some thought to.

Yours in Faith,

David

New Blogger

2008-01-18T10:34:00.000-05:00

Welcome Holly Leach!

We have a new blogger, Holly Leach... Here is little about her...

Holly (holly’s zoo)
31, married, 3 kids
Redstone Arsenal, AL
UU all my life, just didn’t know it.
Husband is in the Army, 3 kids, more animals than I can count on my fingers and toes
Working on my bachelor’s in Psychology with minors in Sociology and Criminal Justice. I want to be an advocate for the mentally ill in the CJ system.

Welcome!

Yours in Faith,

David

UUMM News

2008-01-04T12:13:00.000-05:00

Hello all!

With the new year, Unitarian Universalist Military Ministries has seen some wonderful movement in bringing Military Ministry and the issues of military life to light within our liberal religious faith.

Article in UU World!

UU World, our denominational magazine, has published an online article on CH (CPT) George Tyger, our only active duty U.S. Army Chaplain. George is preparing for a deployemnt sometime later this year. See this wonderful article at: http://www.uuworld.org/news/articles/61395.shtml

Congratulations George!

New Chaplain Candidates!

Recently several UU Seminarians have been accepted to the U.S. Army Chaplain Candidate Program. 2LT James White is a student at the Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, and is a former NCO with service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. 2LT Luke Leonard is a student at the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in New Brighton, MN, and is also a former NCO with service in Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as service in Seoul, South Korea. Learn more about them at http://uumm.blogspot.com/2008/01/uumm-welcomes-two-new-chaplain.html. Congratulations to both of them, and welcome to the largest young adult ministry in the UUA!

We also know that there are several other students who are at different phases in the process of becoming Chaplain Candidates, and we look forward to their commissioning! (Kelly, if you've been selected, please let us know!)

New UUA Policies on Military Chaplaincy

Last year, a working group put together a new set of policies for how the UUA will endorse and support Military Chaplains and Chaplain Candidates. The policies were approved at the most recent General Assembly, and they can be found online at: http://www.uua.org/aboutus/professionalstaff/staff-appointedcommittees/militaryministry/index.shtml

The UUMM article on the new policies is at: http://uumm.blogspot.com/2007/12/uua-announces-policy-on-military.html

Thanks to Rev. Beth Miller, Rev. Lisa Presley, Rev. David Pettee, CH Cynthia Kane, CH Vernon Chandler, and all of the others who particpated in the development of these policies.

Workshop at General Assembly 2008

CH Cynthia Kane and ET1 Lou Portella (Ret) will be leading a workshop at the UUA General Assembly in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on how congregations can better minister to the servicemembers and veterans in their congregations and communities. The program will highlight the UUniforms program at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Norfolk, Virginia. There will also be a breakfast meeting for Chaplains, Chaplain Candidates, and those interested or pursuing military chaplaincy. Dates and times are still fluid, but will be announced before GA. Stay tuned to http://www.uumm.blogspot.com/ for more information.

Remember UUMM Gear!

You can show your support for UU Military Ministry by sporting some of the gear that is avalilable. Coffee cups, shirts, hats, and even a UUMM clock are available at cost (UUMM does not make any profit on these items... they are offered only to raise awareness.) See all the UUMM Gear at http://www.cafepress.com/uumm .

Thank you all for your support, and for your service and connections both to Unitarian Universalism and to our nation's military.

Yours in Faith,

David Pyle
2LT, USAR Chaplain Candidate

Holiday Mail

2007-11-17T11:58:00.000-05:00

For anyone who is planning to send mail to someone who is serving overseas, Marylin asked us to post this link with the shipping deadlines for the holidays...

http://www.usps.com/holiday/mailing-holiday-deadlines.htm?from=holidayhome&page=mailingdeadlines#H2

Yes, the holidays really are upon us!

If there is anyone out there who is serving, and would like to be on my Holiday Card list, please send me your APO address to david@celestiallands.com.

Yours in Faith,

David Pyle

Veteran's Day Worship Services

2007-11-11T08:48:00.000-05:00

Hello my fellow Military UU's.

Veteran's day this year is on a Sunday, and this is one of those days in which many congregations ask military and veteran UU's to participate in the worship service. I invite any of you who are participating in a service this Sunday to post here how you are participating. Perhaps it is a reading, a poem, a reflection on your own service. Perhaps some of you are preaching full sermons. (In the case of a sermon or long reading, it would be better if you could provide a link.)

Here is a link to the sermon and service that I am presenting this morning at the Unitarian Church of Evanston. http://celestiallands.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=150

Whether you are participating in a service or not, know you are in my thoughts, and I say, quietly and with reverence... thank you.

Yours in Faith,

David

For Veteran's Day

2007-11-08T19:10:00.001-05:00

For all who serve or have served,
We remember.
And we thank you.

Update from Iraq

2007-10-24T10:10:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!

I'm just finishing up my 2nd month here in Iraq. I'm down in the southern portion of the country, Basra Province, which fortunately has been (comparatively) quiet. As a result, I've got a lot of down time, so I've been trying to do as much reading as possible. I've just recently finished Buddhism: A Concise Introduction by Huston Smith & Phillip Novak which I found to be an excellent primer on Buddhism. I'm a member of my congregation's book club, and I'm currently reading on of the club's selections - 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann which is absolutely fascinating. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in American history. I've also picked up a translation of the Qu'ran which I'm going to start reading as well (a bit at a time I expect, it seems a little daunting).

I'm finding that being a UU on active duty was a bit more challenging than I had expected. I wasn't a UU during the 8 years I spent on active duty, and I think I had forgotten how much the attitudes of most soldiers is at odds with the UU outlook on most social issues. There have been more than a few times that I've found myself biting my tongue on hearing a particularly unpleasant comment on homosexuals or women. On one hand I know I should say something - but on the other hand I have to work and live in close proximity with some of the individuals making the remarks, and I'm reluctant to jeopardize good relations with people whom my life very well may depend on. It's a very awkward position, and I'm honestly not sure how best to deal with it. I love the Army and I am proud of my service and the service of my comrades, but at the same time I am reminded on almost a daily basis on why there are so few UUs (or just "progressives" in general) in the military. (I am perfectly open on my positions regarding the environment however, and I was quickly dubbed the unit "tree-hugger" which I consider to be something of a badge of honor.)

I'm curious on how UU Chaplains address the issues of homophobia and sexism in the military - or if they even do address them. Both in many ways are endemic in military culture (especially the former) and while officially they are not tolerated, everyone knows how most people feel about the subjects. I think sexism is much less of a problem than in the past, and has become more "underground", but few people even attempt to hide their homophobia - and given the fact that homosexuals are not allowed to serve openly, there really is no-one to complain and file charges of harassment or discrimination. Are social justice issues things that can be addressed in a UU Chaplains sermon? Or are they too "political" for a Chaplain?

Does anyone know if there are any UU Chaplains deployed over here currently?

Yours truly,

SGT Adrian Gunn
Camp Bucca, Iraq

P.S. I've attached a photo of my team and I - I'm the short bald guy in the middle!

The Chalice is now at the Army Chaplain's School!

2007-07-21T20:44:00.000-04:00

Hey fellow Military UU's!

There is a formal article about this over at the uumm.blogspot.com website, but I thought I would share a few pictures with you of the recent endorser visit to the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School by Beth Miller and Lisa Presley, the UUA Director of Ministry and Professional Leadership and the Chair of the Committee on Military Ministry. George Tyger and I are here at Ft. Jackson as students at the Chaplain Basic Officer Leader Course, and Vernon Chandler was here for a few weeks earlier this month.

Here are a few pictures!

Lisa Presley, Vernon Chandler, Beth Miller, CH (Col) David Kenehan are along the top from left to right, and George Tyger (left) and me (David Pyle) (right) are kneeling on the bottom.

Vernon, George and I helped hang the banner, and then we got this picture taken together. Dont know for certain, but this may be the largest number of Military Chaplains from the Unitarian Universalist faith ever photographed together.

This picture was taken at the Prayer Breakfast that George was in charge of organizing, and I prepared the briefings on as a class project. There are currently over 130 students at the Chaplains Basic Course, but only two of us are Unitarian Universalists... and as near as we can figure having two is a record... So it was a great time for Beth and Lisa to visit, especially with Vernon being here for his retirement ceremony after 32 years in the Army... Thanks Vernon, for paving the way, and George and I are proud to relieve you...

Though he's not a UU, I just wanted to share this moment. During the prayer breakfast there was a Buddhist prayer in Pali by the first ever Buddhist U.S. Army Chaplaincy Candidate, 2LT Somya Malasri. He and I sat Buddhist meditation together in the mornings.

To show its not all classroom and prayer breakfasts here, here I am giving a briefing for an obstacle course we are about to go run. Chaplains dont do any weapons training, but we do do alot of the other kinds of tactical training.

Like this (I'm on the back side of the wall)

And this (yep, that's me. the later is about 100ft tall or so).

And this (that's me too.... I couldnt find any that had been taken of George on the confidence course, but he did everything that I did... we all did.

It is a wonderful experience being one of the few Chaplains and Chaplain Candidates here of liberal faith. Our voice is desperately needed in the Chaplain's corps, so that we can continue to support the freedom of religous expression in the Army.

So, from the Chaplain's School at Ft. Jackson, George and I send a loud "HOOAH" out to all of you, as well as a loud Amen and Namaste!

Yours in Faith,

David Pyle

2LT, USAR Chaplaincy Candidate

General Assembly

2007-06-24T10:29:00.000-04:00

OK, for those of you who attended the workshop on UU's in the military, how did it go? Thanks.

Marilyn

New UU emblem approved by the VA

2007-06-02T12:39:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

I want to thank and congratulate Chaplain Rev. Cynthia Kane for all her work in getting the UUA Chalice inside two rings approved for VA gravemarkers. This is not the first time there has been a UU symbol, but an update to the most commonly used symbol in our congregations.

If you would like to see it, please visit http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp . The UUA symbol is number 8 on the list.

Congrats Cynthia!

Yours in Faith,

David Pyle

2LT, USAR Chaplaincy Candidate

My Turn

2007-05-25T16:39:00.000-04:00

Greetings all!

Well my turn has finally arrived - I've been notified that I am being activated and will be deploying to Iraq this summer with my unit's sister battalion as a "filler" (along with several other soldiers from my company). The timing is a bit lousy, as I was notified of the deployment just after starting the police academy, but I suppose the call of duty waits for no-one. I would love to be able to keep you all updated here on my deployment, but with the new blogging restrictions in place I'm not sure that will be possible (hopefully I'm not violating the policy as we speak).

Adrian

Laid To Rest, In Honor

2007-05-24T19:57:00.000-04:00

Private Kooiman is one of the frist five American service members to have the newly permitted Pentegram on his grave stone.

I am so honored to share this with you, and pray to my God that She hold all Veterans in Her hands this day. Those in harms way today, those wounded inside and out, and those who never did make it home.

Blessed Be, Blessed Be, and Blessed Be Again

Hat tip to Joel Monka

UU's in the Military Workshop at General Assembly 2007

2007-05-23T11:45:00.000-04:00

If you are going, or considering going to the UUA General Assembly in Portland Oregon from June 20th to the 24th, please join us at the following workshop entitled "Military and UUism: Respecting Inherent Worth?"

Workshop time: Saturday 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Workshop title: #4023 Military and UUism: Respecting Inherent Worth?

Sponsored by: UUA Staff

Description: Congregations struggle to understand how to support military members and their families. Often times, our attitudes and/or behaviors inadvertently say to them, "You are not welcome." Why so? What can we do differently? We explore this reality, recent survey data on UU attitudes and real-lived experiences of UU military families.

Workshop leaders: Rev. Cynthia Kane, Dr. Vince Patton, Rev. Lisa Presley, and Rev. Beth Miller

For more information on General Assembly, Please visit the following link
http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/index.shtml

Memorial Day

2007-05-21T22:22:00.000-04:00

This week Krista Tippet will replay a 2006 interview with a military chaplain. This program is titled "The Soul of War" and airs on NPR. Check your listings for Speaking of Faith.

Army Censors Bloggers

2007-05-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

From Wired News:

The U.S. Army has ordered soldiers to stop posting to blogs or sending personal e-mail messages, without first clearing the content with a superior officer, Wired News has learned. The directive, issued April 19, is the sharpest restriction on troops' online activities since the start of the Iraq war. And it could mean the end of military blogs, observers say. Military officials have been wrestling for years with how to handle troops who publish blogs. Officers have weighed the need for wartime discretion against the opportunities for the public to personally connect with some of the most effective advocates for the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq -- the troops themselves. The secret-keepers have generally won the argument, and the once-permissive atmosphere has slowly grown more tightly regulated. Soldier-bloggers have dropped offline as a result.
The new rules (.pdf) obtained by Wired News require a commander be consulted before every blog update. "This is the final nail in the coffin for combat blogging," said retired paratrooper Matthew Burden, editor of The Blog of War anthology. "No more military bloggers writing about their experiences in the combat zone. This is the best PR the military has -- it's most honest voice out of the war zone. And it's being silenced."

Sure glad this wasn't the case when I was in Iraq - I spent hours each day writing for my blog and it was one thing that helped me stay connected with the outside world.

UUMM News

2007-04-07T09:47:00.000-04:00

Hello Fellow UU's in the Military!

I have a few news items to share with you from Unitarian Universalist Military Ministries, about different developing events among our growing and burgeoning group of Military UU's.

First, I would like to offer welcome and congratulations to Rev. George Tyger, who has been selected to become a U.S. Army Chaplain with the rank of Captain. Rev. Tyger is currently the senior minister of the First Universalist Church of Rochester, NY. He will be attending the Chaplains training course at Ft. Jackson this summer, and will be going on Active Duty with the Army. Rev. Tyger is a prior service enlisted army soldier.

Second, I would like to update you all on the progress of the new policy initiative for how the UUA both endorses and supports our military chaplains and chaplaincy candidates. The draft policy has been approved by the Ministry and Professional Leadership Staff Group of the UUA, and will be officially unveiled at General Assembly. It involves a more structured application and approval process for endorsement as military chaplains, and approval for seminary students to participate in the Chaplain Candidate programs. It also calls for the creation of a new Committee on Military Ministry (CMM) within the UUA. The commitee will initially be chaired by Rev. Lisa Presley, and will coordinate the endorsement process, as well as provide regular contact and support to our serving military and federal chaplains and chaplaincy candidates. The membership of the Committee is being recruited by the UUA as we speak.

Third, I would like to point you all towards an article about myself and Maj. Seanan Holland that has appeared in yesterday's online edition of UU World, on the subject of military chaplain candidacy. http://www.uuworld.org/news/articles/22319.shtml

I'm sure that there are alot of other wonderful things going on out there, but I am going to try to post a quick article from UUMM every couple of months on developments at the UUA level in relation to the military and military ministry. If anyone has any news they would like to share with me, please do so at david@celestiallands.com .

Yours in Faith,

2LT David Pyle

USAR Chaplaincy Candidate

Student, Meadville Lombard Theological School

Tales of the Tartan Shirt

2007-03-12T10:14:00.000-04:00

In an earlier post I mentioned developing religious education materials for use in our societies. These tales, something of a departure from the usual UU military Blog entries, is offered in this spirit. The material is not copyright so you're free to develop it as suits the need.

"Pretty! She called me pretty! I am the official tartan of the United States Marine Corps," declared my plaid shirt.

"I'm sure my mother-in-law meant it as a compliment," I said as soothingly as possible. "

"All of the other shirts in the closet will laugh at me after this," he bellowed.

"They will not. Why that chiffon scarf will forever be in your debt for jumping off your hanger and pulling her back up from behind the cedar chest. And that chambray shirt with the embroidered flowers--I think she'd like to hang next to you. That is, after your bath. I mean wash."

"OK, but hang me out on the line to dry."

"It's below freezing, I said.

"All to the good. I can take it."

This is just a rough sketch of the possibilities that can be used in discussing differences in social roles with children.

Any Soldier

2007-02-19T15:10:00.000-05:00

Hi,

I'm going to try to set up a collection within my congregation to send care packages to a reserve unit from our state (the 399th Combat Support Hospital). I found the unit on www.anysoldier.com, which is a great website to check out, if you haven't seen it. Has anyone else done something similar with their congregations?

Adrian

Washington Office for Advocacy

2007-02-19T14:09:00.000-05:00

Hi,

I was poking around the UUA website, and came across the section on the UUA Washington Office for Advocacy. Curious, I looked around for any military related issues. I was pleased to find a section entitled " Welcoming Veterans and Military Families in Our Congregations and Community", though I was a bit non-plussed at it's location - at the very bottom of the "Occupation of Iraq" Issues page. Obviously not as important as say "America Says NO!" or "Iraq for Sale" or a link to a website for the short film "The Ground Truth" an anti-war documentary that focuses on a small group of soldiers who after serving in Iraq became anti-war activists.

What I found a bit more disturbing was in the Links section.

Under the section "Military Spending and Disarmament" (Sets the tone) there were links for various anti-war/anti-military organizations such as the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (www.nwtrcc.org) which entourages activists to evade paying portions of thier income tax as a means of protesting war. Oh, and it also refers to the military as a "bigoted" institution and goes on to say "The military is, bar none, the most homophobic institution in our culture. Yet for all its sexism, heterosexism, racism and persecution of sexual minorities at home AND overseas, the military continues to be funded at enormous levels while programs everybody needs - health care, housing, food, environmental protection and education - continue to be gutted. More continues to be spent on the military each month than has been spent by the U.S. in the entire history of AIDS research. Killing, it seems, is far more important than saving lives." Oh and it also says "Over 50% of federal tax dollars go to fund one of the most misogynist and destructive forces in our society: the military."

Now, I realize that simply because this organization is in the links section of the UUA website does not necessarily imply that the UUA in anyway endorses or agrees with any of the positions taken by this organization, but it does seem to indicate that somebody within the UUA thinks highly enough of it to put the link up.

Several other websites listed that are also anti-military (as opposed to simply being anti-Iraq war) and focus on opposing military recruitment, selective service, and ROTC.

While I certainly respect the opinions of those Unitarian-Universalists who are pacifists, I am bit chagrined that it seems to be the position of the UUA (perhaps unofficially) to only support one, rather extreme, viewpoint on the subject.

Adrian

P.S. Oh and when you google "UUA military" the first thing that comes up is a section on the UUA website about conscientious objection. This blog is third.

Did You See That?

2007-02-18T20:13:00.000-05:00

Have you ordered your UU Military Ministries Gear yet? Mine came in a few days ago.

I got a large coffee mug and a button. I wanted to get more but funds are short as of right now. The coffee mug now proudly rests on my desk at work. Several people have asked about it and expressed delight in finding out its meaning.

The button I wore on my lapel today at church. Proudly displayed above my name tag. I didn't get any questions of comments about it. That may be because my name tag itself holds various items. Blue background representing the fact that I am a board member, a lapel pin in red and gold from The Church of the Larger Fellowship, and an orange ribbon and golden safety pin that represents a promise I keeping for myself this year.

Still, next Sunday, if people do not ask about it I think I might start pointing out. "See my new UUMM button?"

Also check this post out from Cee Jay. She is a fellow congregant of mine, and a good friend. Great advise on how to really, actually, support our troops.

Welcome to a new Blogger!

2007-02-11T23:27:00.000-05:00

Please welcome someone I have been in communication with on several projects over the past several months... Here is the info he sent us...

ET1(SW/AW) Lou Portella, USN Active
On shore duty at Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic / Surface Nuclear Propulsion Administration code N92V /
Unitarian Church of Norfolk (UCN), Thomas Jefferson District
Founder and co-chairperson of UUniforms, UCN's military support group

Welcome Lou to UU's in the Military!

UU Military Ministries Gear!

2007-02-06T15:01:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!

I have been intending to do this for awhile, and this morning I had a choice...either read William Ellery Channing's "Unitarian Christianity" for class tomorrow (I'll do it tonight) or actually do a project that is kinda fun for me...

So, I opted for the "fun" project this morning. Now, fun is a relative term... But you will see what I mean.

Eric David Carlson, a fellow student here at the Meadville Lombard Theological School, created a logo for the UU Military Ministries awhile back, on the promise that one day I would send him a coffee cup with that logo on it. Lou Portella sent me the wondeful logo that the UUniforms project in Norfolk VA had created... and I decided the time was right to make some UU Military Ministries Gear available!

Here is the link: http://www.cafepress.com/uumm

Now, it is done through CafePress, and so I could have added a markup on the gear... but no... not yet, anway. We may in the future do so to help fund some UUMM projects and the like, but for right now, all of this is as low in price as I can make it.

So, check it out and show up on Sunday morning for Coffee Hour with a UU Military coffee cup, or wear a UU Miliary baseball cap at General Assembly!

Oh, and Eric... I will get the coffee cup sent to you soon, I promise! As soon as mine gets here!

Yours in Faith,

David Pyle
2LT, USAR Chaplaincy Candidate
Student, Meadville Lombard Theological School
www.uumm.blogspot.com

2007-02-05T17:28:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone!

I was very excited to discover this blog - as far as I can tell I'm the only serviceman in my congregation so I really don't have anyone to discuss my experiences with. My wife and I have been members of our congregation for 14 months now and we are both very happy there. I've been sort of lost spiritually for several years after realizing that my agnosticism was not particularly fulfilling, and I've really found a home in UU. I was a bit apprehensive about how well I would fit in the congregation, knowing in advance that most UUs tend to be very liberal and have a strong anti-war stance. I don't consider myself a liberal in the modern understanding, but more of a classical liberal. I'm definitely a social libertarian, so many of the social justice activities of the UU dovetail nicely with my beliefs, but as a lifelong soldier (and infantryman too boot) I can hardly describe myself as a pacifist or anti-war. For the most part my congregation has been very welcoming, and usually the only response I get when I say I'm in the military is an expression of concern for my safety if I was deployed. What troubles me a bit is that I hear frequent denunciations of "militarism" and "warmongering" from both the pulpit and members of the congregation. Nothing seemingly directed towards me (and I get along quite famously with our minister) - but it still makes me a touch uncomfortable. Both the words militarism and warmongering are obviously pejorative, and I'm not 100% exactly what is meant by them - are they denunciations of an extreme, unnecessary use of military force - or the military and the use of force in general? I suppose I could simply ask my minister but frankly I feel a bit uncomfortable raising the issue directly - I certainly don't want to hurt anyones feelings of insult anyone by seeming to make accusations. Has anyone else felt this sort of tension? Am I overreacting (which I suspect I might be)?

Thanks,

Adrian

Welcome to another New Blogger

2007-02-05T08:45:00.000-05:00

We would like to welcome Adrian Gunn to the UU's in the Military forum... Here is Adrian's information:

I'm an Army veteran and member of the Massachusetts Army NationalGuard, and a Unitarian-Universalist. My wife and I have been membersof the First United Parish Church in Quincy, Massachusetts for thepast 14 months, and I'm interested in joining your blog.

Thanks,

SGT Adrian Gunn
A TRP 1-182 CAV SQD

Welcome to a new blogger

2007-02-02T07:40:00.000-05:00

Please everyone welcome a new blogger, James White. Here is the information that James sent us:

My name is James White and I am a UU stations at Ft. Hood, TX. My wife and I got to the UU Church in Waco. I am in the process of becoming a chaplain and would like to join your blog.

James
www.jamespaulwhite.com

Welcome to the Blog!

David

The Marines on PBS

2007-01-29T19:16:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, February 21st, PBS will air a documentary titled The Marines. Regardless of the editorial tone of the program, this is a good teaching opportunity. Our station lists the showing as 8:00 PM CST.

Unitarian Universalist Military Ministries

2007-01-20T10:38:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

I am happy to announce a sister-blog to this one, one that can hopefully become a public face for our efforts to conduct ministry both within the military, and to military affiliated members of our congregations.

The new website can be found at http://uumm.blogspot.com/

Our goal with this site is to create a space where our UU Military Chaplains can have a place to make announcements, to share information, and to connect with the UUA at large on military issues. It also can serve as a space for information sharing for the nacent "UUA Committee on Military Ministry" that is being contemplated by an ongoing review of UU Military Chaplaincy endorsement and support. This site can also be a centralized webpresence for connection to UU Military Ministry projects such as the UUniforms project at the Unitarian Church of Norfolk, and the Great Lakes Ministry Project here in Chicago.

I have invited as contributors to the site all currrent and former serving UU Military Chaplains (that I know of), Chaplaincy Candidates (that's easy, its just me as far as I know right now) and representatives of all of the current UU projects of military outreach and ministry.

I decided to base this site in a blog so that multiple people could post articles and information to it without the need for an intermediary. This will help prevent the kind of problems that have occurred in the past with the last time a UU Military Ministry website was set up (Eric Johnson, if you read this, please contact me, I've been trying to reach you for about 18 months). This way there is no need to go through a difficult transfer of the site on a regular basis, and all any contributor needs to put information on the site is an internet connection.

So, if you are involved in a Military Ministry or outreach effort, and you have not received an invite from me, then please send an email to uumil@uublog.org . I would love to hear about your efforts, and possibly get an article about them on the site. And if you are a UU Military Chaplain or Chaplaincy Candidate and have not recieved an invite, then by all means please contact us. We are still in the process of making those connections.

Yours in Faith,

David Pyle
2LT, USAR Chaplaincy Candidate
Student, Meadville Lombard Theological School
http://uumm.blogspot.com/

Welcome our Newest Blog members, and our technical problem has been fixed.

2007-01-15T20:01:00.000-05:00

Greetings all!

Recently, Blogger moved all their membership accounts to Google, and that left us with a password problem that would not allow us to add any new members to the UU's in the Military Blog. We now have that fixed, and I would like to welcome the following new Bloggers. Here is their information...

Commander Randy Carol Balano, USNR
I started my military service in 1977, joining the Marine Corps Reserve right after high school. I transferred to the Navy Reserve in 1983, and earned a commission as an intelligence officer in 1987. I have served on active duty in Europe and did a two year tour as an instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy. In addition to my reserve career, I am also a civilian employee of the Department of the Navy. My husband John is also a Navy veteran. We are both active members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, MD. Many members of our congregation have a connection with the military, either
having served themselves or having relatives who have served. I have had discussions with other members of our congregation about organizing some kind of a support program for military UUs and their
families, and perhaps extending it beyond the local congregation to the wider community. We started talking about this more than a year ago, but the timing was always problematic for one reason or another.
We hope to start planning and organizing in earnest after the holidays. I would welcome any ideas from other people who have or are trying to develop a program within their congregations.

Private Ethan Osborne, USMC
Hello my name is Ethan Osborne. I am a member of St. Johns Unitarian Universalist Church and consider myself a gnostic pantheist and am a member of CUUPs. I am leaving for Paris Island in feburary and wanted to be connected to unitarians in the Military.

And someone I know when he came to visit Meadville, Andrew Mertz

Andrew Mertz, Army National Guard vet, son of Vietnam vet, grandson of WWII vet, all UUs. I work for the UU Church of Arlington, Virginia. I am applying to Meadville-Lombard Theological School this winter.

My Question:
I met David Pyle at Meadville in October. He turned me onto this blog spot, and the "Founding the UU Military Fellowship" document. I have finally been able to sit down and read all of it. I was curious about where "we" are in the process it describes? I was not able to attend the 2005 GA discussion, but was wondering if the working group has taken any action beyond what I see on this blog and in the document?

Our Story:
I am keenly aware that our church has an undercurrent of "Defense" personnel. The National Guard Headquarters and Foreign Service Institute are literally across the street. Ft Myer 1.6 miles away, Pentagon 2.7 miles. Several of our members work for the DoD. I don't hesitate to say the majority of our congregation works for or is retired from the federal government or related contractors [DoD, State, EPA, CIA, Justice, Social Security Admin, Labor, Health and Human Services, etc]. The same is true for many of the congregations in the greater Washington area.
I often get the feeling that we just don't talk about that stuff. Obviously some of them can't like CIA and NSA employees, but that's not why. There is no out right contempt, but there is no support either.

My Story:
As I said the National Guard Headquarters is literally across the street and we have a sign posted "no national guard parking." I chuckled when I first visited the church 2.5 years ago for the job interview. See, being in the Virginia Army National Guard at the time my car had NG license plates, and still does. I knew it was only a matter of time before someone left a note under my wiper, or told the office there was "another Guardsman parking in our lot."
A few days ago it happened. A church member gave a note to the church office that the same car with guard plates has been parking in our lot for the entire week "in blatant disregard of our policy." Obviously this member thought I was working for the NG across the street and was parking here because of a lack of spaces, which is somewhat common. Apparently not noticing the fact that I have been parking in the church parking lot 6 days a week for the past 2 years. I even have our famous blue "Uncommon Denomination" bumper sticker, and UUSC decal. Anyway, I chuckled again when I heard the news. Our facility manager told the member it was an employee and was OK. But I just can't stop thinking about the motivations behind this member who was blind to the obvious.

Wade
USAF Civil Engineer
Member of Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists (although I will start a 10 month stint at Ft. Leavenworth KS (no, not like that) for Command and General Staff College, on 16 Jan 07)). Hoping to attend and volunteer with the All Souls Church in Kansas City, KS.

We welcome you all, finally, to the UU"s in the Military Blog!

David Pyle
2LT, USAR Chaplancy Candidate
Student, Meadville Lombard Theological School

America's Holy Warriors

2007-01-05T09:10:00.000-05:00

From UU seminary grad, journalist, and author Chris Hedges:

The drive by the Christian right to take control of military chaplaincies, which now sees radical Christians holding roughly 50 percent of chaplaincy appointments in the armed services and service academies, is part of a much larger effort to politicize the military and law enforcement. This effort signals the final and perhaps most deadly stage in the long campaign by the radical Christian right to dismantle America’s open society and build a theocratic state. A successful politicization of the military would signal the end of our democracy.

Read the rest of the article here.

War Widow Wins Fight To Put Pentacle On Headstone

2006-12-13T13:56:00.000-05:00

(AP) WASHINGTON The widow of a soldier killed in Afghanistan saw a Wiccan symbol placed on a memorial plaque for her husband Saturday, after fighting the federal government for more than a year over the emblem.

Roberta Stewart, widow of Sgt. Patrick Stewart, and Wiccan leaders said it was the first government-issued memorial plaque with a Wiccan pentacle — a five-pointed star enclosed in a circle. More than 50 friends and family dedicated the plaque at Northern Nevada Veterans Cemetery, about 30 miles east of Reno.

They praised Gov. Kenny Guinn for his role in getting the Nevada Office of Veterans Services to issue the plaque in September. The agency cited its jurisdiction over maintenance of the state cemetery.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes more than 30 symbols, including more than a dozen variations of the Christian cross and the atomic whirl used by atheists, but not the pentacle.

VA officials have said they are rewriting rules for approving emblems, but the process requires a public comment period.

Last month, Americans United for Separation of Church and State sued the VA on behalf of Stewart and others for its refusal to include the Wiccan emblem.

"Our people are on the front line in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it's not right they're not getting equal treatment," said the Rev. Selena Fox, one of the Wiccan organizers of the event.

About 1,800 active-duty service members identify themselves as Wiccans, according to 2005 Defense Department statistics. Wiccans worship the Earth and believe they must give to the community. Some consider themselves "white" or good witches, pagans or neo-pagans.

Stewart and four other soldiers died Sept. 25, 2005, when their Chinook helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan.

(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The available VA "emblems of belief" include Unitarian, Humanist, Atheist, and a lot of others I've never heard of.

Show Them You Care!

2006-11-18T21:48:00.000-05:00

You've hear it right? Maybe even said it "We support the troops, even if we disagree with the war."

Thanksgiving comes next week with Yule, Hanukkah, and Christmas right around the corner.

When I think about our Service Members so far away from home and family it makes me want to do something for them.

I have decided to adopt a service member from eCarePackage. If I can send one of them a CD or book, or something else to make their lives a little better, let them know there is someone back here that they do not know but who loves, prays, and cares for them all the same.

Really it is the least I can do. This is a brand new web site, and it looks like there is not a ton of people signed up yet... Hopefully that will change soon.

Here is some info from the eCarePackage website

eCarePackage was established as a program of the nonprofit organization, Operation Homefront, in response to requests from service members, military families, and our outstanding and loyal donors.

Due to heightened security, Operation Homefront staff came up with this program as a way to allow patriotic citizens to continue to support our service members and their families without violating their safety and security.

For security purposes, the contact information of service members and families who sign up are never released to anyone, including donors who wish to adopt them. Instead, Operation Homefront ships the packages directly and permits communication only by email. We trust our donors will understand.

All items available in the eCarePackage store are listed based on a minimum requested donation amount to cover administering the program and shipping of the package.

Because many of these items are donated, our staff may substitute like items of different brands and package sizes in some cases on your orders.

Any funds remaining after covering costs will be used by Operation Homefront to help military families in need.

We appreciate your generosity and thank you for your support!

You can also adopt a military family and choose between with or without children. I hope to choose some husband or wife without children, they deserve our support too.

Until Then, and Always
~ Jamie

If you are a same-sex partner of a deployed military member and need someone to speak to, or would just like something small but heartfelt for the holidays... and you are comfortable sharing your shipping address, please email me.

In case you missed it.. http://www.ecarepackage.org/

Worshipfulness

2006-11-14T08:16:00.000-05:00

Sunday 1136. I am listening to a broadcasted service from First Church UU in Boston. I was called into our work holiday meting and could not attend church. The service’s focus today was worship, and how appropriate. There I was seating in my pickup truck after being dismissed from (perched up doing lighting) listening, in my worship time. I did not want to get out of the truck as the sanctity of the moment would have been ruined. The silence, the solitude… I could have gone inside to listen to it in my stereo; but no, somehow the rain drizzling in my windshield, the noise of silence, my own warmth created a cocoon of worshipfulness. It was peaceful; I was whole in the driveway of my base housing’s home.

Honoring our UU Veterans

2006-11-10T15:31:00.000-05:00

Honoring our Unitarian Universalist Veterans
By F. Vernon Chandler

Veterans Day, originally established as Armistice Day in 1926, is the official holiday when the United States honors our men and women who are veterans. The holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all US veterans.

Recognizing and honoring the military service of members in our Unitarian Universalist congregations are not high priorities for many of our churches and fellowships. But there are literally hundreds of Unitarian Universalists in our nation's armed forces today, and chances are that someone sitting near you on Sunday morning was once in uniform.

I suspect that many Unitarian Universalist veterans feel some awkwardness in sharing this distinction with other UUs on Veterans Day. Given the number of veterans who are members of our religious faith, I can't help wishing our Veterans Day observances were different.

Our veterans' military experiences are varied. Some enjoyed peacetime service. Others were touched by the horrors of combat. A few continue to carry physical and emotional scars from their wartime service. For some veterans, it was their military experience that initiated the religious search that eventually brought them to Unitarian Universalism. I know a few current and former military personnel who actually discovered Unitarian Universalism while in uniform. After all, we have UU chaplains in all branches of military service and a few of our larger military installations have UU congregations that meet in military chapels.

Political opinions vary among those in uniform as it does among civilians. One big difference for our men and women in uniform is that they do not have the same freedom to express their opinions publicly as do other citizens. The tempo of military deployments today places a great strain on our military personnel and their families. I have friends and colleagues who are on their second one year deployment in less than 4 years.

On this Veterans Day weekend, I encourage Unitarian Universalists to honor the veterans and military personnel in their congregations. Regardless of your political views regarding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our members of the armed forces do not start wars nor do they dictate foreign policy.

Our Unitarian Universalist military personnel need your support... and your love.

Expressing that support could be as simple as lighting a candle for your veterans on Sunday morning. Or you might consider offering time in your worship service for individual veterans to stand and share a special memory or lesson in life that was gained from military service. Hearing what our Unitarian Universalist veterans have to say and share just might be more powerful than any sermon preached from your congregation's pulpit!

This year, when you see Veterans Day flags flying in your towns, no matter what your feelings are about this or any war, my fondest hope is that you will remember our UU veterans and UU military personnel. Remember them and reach out to them in love, extending the olive branch of acceptance and respect that our UU faith calls us to embrace each day.

The Rev. Dr. F. Vernon Chandler is a Unitarian Universalist minister and has served for over 32 years as a UU military chaplain. His overseas active duty assignments include tours of duty in Bosnia, Germany, Hungary, Korea, and Kosovo. He holds the rank of Colonel in the US Army Reserve. Vernon and his wife Nataliya reside in Eberstadt, Germany.

Another new Blogger...

2006-11-01T23:36:00.000-05:00

Wow, interest really seems to be picking up!

I would like to welcome our newest Blogger, Frank Coon...

Here is his information

I'm Frank Coon and I am a twenty-year Navy Lieutenant (LDO) stationed at the Naval Reactors Representative's Office in Bremerton, WA. My family and I are active members of Cedars Unitarian Universalist Church in Bainbridge Island, WA. I would love to join this blog.

Thanks,
Frank

Separation of Church and Men?

2006-10-31T21:22:00.000-05:00

In the last three months my life has changed greatly. Our family recently moved, our home sits stagnant waiting to be bought, I've experienced a very cold fall for once, and I finally internalized that being a Christian was not for me.

You see, it is not that I woke up and suddenly the air was dryer or my mind clearer. I have just recognized that after many years of wanting to believe in something (for whatever reason) I allowed myself to follow my instincts and willingly chose to honor my yearning to be free from dogmatic yokes (no pun intended, well maybe a little :-)

I remember as a child reading the Apocalypse and being told that if I wasn't saved I would reek of sulfur and be impaled upon confessing to love Jesus. Fast forward and I became an average Christian with a true yearning to follow the latest pastoral prescription to salvation, living, giving and more importantly thinking. I just could never get the right recipe though, because nothing ever clicked I had many pieces to put together and their edges just did not "fit".

-0-

For many years my husband (bless his soul) was a nervous Jimmy at SS, waiting for the moment that I, Yoed Cameron Santos the purveyor of clarity and doubt would attack the most unprepared Sunday school teacher.

Me -"...So whatdaya think about women in ministry?", "what about Christmas. Do you realize that your celebration is nothing but a manipulation of an ancient "pagan" tradition that some Monk used to gain the trust of people who were blissfully happy cutting a Yule log?"

The teacher-" Well in such and such it says that men...." "About Christmas, well it is a tradition that we use to honor our loving father and redeemer..."

Me- "So, what you mean is that you pick and choose and that as long as it is your tradition is OK. What about the traditions of men that the bible instruct us against?"

The teacher (very PO'd might I add). "That is too theologically complicated to resolve in a Sunday school class and is a point of conflict between many theologians"

Me (internally)- Yoed -1- the man -0-

So there it was. I had become a pastor's worst nightmare. I was a "Bible lawyer", the person that does not have a degree in Popcorn Popping yet can have a half-baked argument about theology deep enough to make a church staff break out Barclay's and concordances and become a hot mess. I just couldn't help it. In the military things are or they aren't, if there is a gray area it does not apply at my pay level. With the exception of the Air Force which has Instructions and not regulations (unless they want to stick you with) if you open a book (written in eight-grade level) you will more than likely find an answer to whatever topic your question pertains to (it almost has pauses for breathing).

Fast forward again, had a lively discussion about Christmas and became very interested in the official position of the church and its leaders (I am talking at the Assembly level). I posted, spoke, e-mailed about a myriad of other topics and what I found out was something that left me speechless. All of the people I asked questions to had a different perspective, opinion, and operation point than I had!!

I could not believe it. All these years I, Yoed, sat on a pew and received prescriptions that applied to all souls sitting there for 94 minutes and I believed it. NO, I wanted to believe it because I trusted the judgment of somebody that "had a clue". I thought we were an "army" that we were one. You know; I am the eye you are the....and we are one body!

After growing depressed and frustrated I asked my church's secretary what she thought about two hot button issues. She said "I can't speak for the denomination, I can't speak for the church but I think everybody has the possibility of being right". She continued to say that everybody has the liberty and leaning to choose their path to "God" she just had chosen to be a "Christian" but with her reservations.

-WHAT??- NO! My world just about collapsed. I thought we had an insurgent! That is treason and a reason for a hearing where I worked at!

A month later and after much thinking it hit me. I can choose, I have the privilege. I don't have to push against my grain anymore. I can use all the knowledge I have amassed through the years about different religions and philosophies that I gained knowledge about so I could counter their points (and that by the way made sense) that I dared not acknowledge.

Finally I was free.

Oh, about Church and Men? I'll get to that later. Tomorrow is my first day of civilian work and I got to hit the sack.

Live life Empirically!!

Yours in knowledge and peace,

-Yoed

Welcome to another new blogger

2006-10-31T15:40:00.000-05:00

I would like to welcome anohter new Blogger, Yoed Cameron Santos. Here was the information she sent us, and we are happy to have her involved.

My name is Yoed Cameron Santos; I am currently a USCG reservist (though I have 9 years of AD service in the Air Force and Coast Guard). I just PCSd to the Bedford, MA and am attending Follen Community Church and First Parish UU in Lexington, MA. I am new to UUism but am absorbing all that I can like a sponge takes in water! I can’t wait to get active and do what I can to help fellow UUs in the military community.
Live life empirically!
Mrs. Yoed Cameron Santos
Hanscom AFB, MA

Welcome Captain Beall!

2006-10-30T14:00:00.000-05:00

I would like to welcome Captain Thomas Beall as our newest Blogger...

Here is the information he sent to us!

Name: Captain Thomas R. Beall, USN
I am a member of Channing Memorial Church in Newport, RI (in fact I am the Congregation President this year). I am currently on the faculty of the U. S. Naval War College in Newport. I have been in the Navy 23 1/2 years, having served at sea in the Pacific and Middle East. I was Captain of USS RENTZ (FFG 46) and most recently the Commander of the Navy Element of Joint Task Force Guantanamo.

We look forward to your sharing with us! This Blog is for us, so post as you see fit.

Yours in Faith,

David Pyle

First Military President?

2006-10-29T14:17:00.000-05:00

Due to the resignation of our President, I have become the Acting President of my congregation. I wonder if there are any other active duty UU board presidents, or if there ever have been before? Is this worthy of attention from other UU's - say an article in the UU World?

Along those lines, Rob Keithan of the UUA Washington Advocacy Office has asked me to write a brief reflection on Veterans' Day for their website. Maybe it will actually be used this time! He might be interested in input from others - give him a shout here.

Survey on UU Attitudes to Military and Police issues

2006-10-01T21:45:00.000-04:00

I would like to ask my fellow Military Affiliated UU's to please pass this email along within your UU contacts and congregations. Rev. Presley and I have been in contact over the summer on this, and I have already participated. I would ask you to take some time and do the same. The information collected will not only be helpful to her in her doctoral work, but also could be very valuable to us in understanding our own place in Unitarian Universalism as Military affiliated UU's.

Here is Rev. Presley's email.

Dear Friends,

I am working toward my Doctor of Ministry degree at
Meadville/Lombard Theological School, and I’d like your help. As part of my
final project, I am attempting to understand UU attitudes toward military and
police chaplaincy, as well as toward the military and police in general. Toward
that end, I have created an on-line survey that I would both love you to
complete, and then to forward the link on to others in your congregation(s). I
want to get broad participation, so feel free to forward this email to other UUs
you know. And please, personally answer the survey only once—I want this to be
as accurate as possible.

The link for the survey is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=709832521237. If you do
not immediately get sent to the survey, you may need to copy the address and
paste it into your Internet browser.

Thanks so much, and please
feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Lisa
Presley
Doctor of Ministry Candidate
Meadville/Lombard Theological
School
presleylisa@earthlink.net

Welcome new blogger!

2006-09-29T20:20:00.000-04:00

I would like to welcome our newest Blogger, Scott Wendorf. Scott is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served as a Lieutenant and an Intelligence officer.

Welcome to the Blog, Scott! I hope you will tell us a little more about yourself, and begin sharing your thoughts about the Military and Unitarian Universalism.

Muslim Prayer Center in Quantico

2006-09-28T08:51:00.000-04:00

While reading the base paper recently, I saw that the regular "Chaplain's Corner" was about fasting as a form of worship, written by a Muslim chaplain. I did a little research on the base website, and learned that we have a Muslim prayer center. Here's what the paper had to say about its opening:

The prayer center is the first of its kind to be established aboard a Marine Corps base. The center serves to express the Marine Corps’ recognition of diversity among service members and the commitment to provide continued support to all Marines regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender.

The ceremony for the center, located in building 3043 on Catlin Avenue, attracted local as well as international interest, to include media from foreign agencies like Al Jazeera and the Egyptian Press Agency.

Special guest speakers were Rear Adm. Louis Iasiello, the Chief of Navy Chaplains; Gen. Michael Hagee, the Commandant of the Marine Corps; and Gordon England, the Deputy Secretary of Defense.

The ceremony began with a recitation from the Qur’an by Navy Lt. Abuhena Saifulislam, Quantico’s Muslim chaplain, first in Arabic and then translated into English. Navy Capt. David Kloak, deputy chaplain of the Marine Corps, gave the invocation which was followed by the colors presentation and playing of the national anthem.

After an introduction from Brig. Gen. Thomas Conant, director of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command Capabilities Development Directorate, the guest speakers were each given a chance to talk about the prayer center.

“Prayer is an icon of religious respect,” Iasiello said. “Today, at Quantico, religious respect takes the form of a center.”

When it was England’s turn to speak, he told the audience that Muslim Americans have been serving in the armed forced since World War I. He then pointed out several Muslim veterans still alive today and present at the ceremony representing World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and other operations.

“People come to America for freedom and liberty,” England said. “And religion is just one of those freedoms.”

After the speakers’ remarks, Hagee and England unveiled the dedication plaque on the building. The plaque has Arabic writing which is translated below as, “In the name of God, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,” a statement from the Qur’an.

The center was created to provide Muslim military personnel, family members and international military officers with a suitable place to conduct religious services.

According to Quantico’s plans, this interim facility will serve as the prayer center until an extension is built on the Marine Memorial Chapel. The new extension will be named the Religious Activities and Family Support Center and will contain a Muslim prayer room.

I haven't seen any evidence of evangelical activity around here, other than my conversations with a former co-worker.

Action Alert from MRFF

2006-09-20T22:19:00.000-04:00

Hello all,

From time to time, I feel that a piece of information comes to my attention that we should pass along to many UU's who are associated with the military... and this notice from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation seemed to me to be one of those items.

And so, I present it for your perusal...

ACTION ALERT
Help Protect the Constitutional Rights of Military Personnel
The Defense Authorization Act is stalled in Congress over a provision that
states "chaplains in each of the military services would have the prerogative to
pray according to the dictates of their own conscience."
This means that chaplains would be allowed to pray in Jesus' name at mandatory military formations, directly violating the United States Constitution and gravely
compromising the rights of military personnel.
Mikey Weinstein, the Military
Religious Freedom Foundation's (MRFF) president and founder, has already sent a
letter to key congressional officials asking for their support. Now we need your
help.
Write or Call Your Elected Officials
Send a letter or make a quick
phone call to your elected officials. Let them know that you believe this
provision would be detrimental to the men and women serving in our armed forces.
Here are some key ideas to touch on:
United States military is the preeminent
defender of our Constitutional rights and at this very moment is fighting a
global war on terror to preserve those Constitutional liberties that make
America so unique;
Military personnel deserve to know their government
officials are working to prevent fundamentalist values from infiltrating our
nation's armed forces;
The passage of this provision would undermine our
Constitution and dissolve the rights of the brave people who serve in our
nation's armed forces;
Passing this provision would further the erosion of
tolerance and respect at our nation's military academies and military
installations throughout the world;
This provision should not be about
political parties - it should about what is best for the men and women who serve
our country.
Contact Your Representative
Contact Your Senator
Mikey's
Letter to Key Congressional Officials
Dear Senator,
As you move forward
in the critical debate over whether or not to include language in the Defense
Authorization Act that would allow sectarian prayers at nondenominational and
mandatory military events, I urge you to keep in mind both the precious rights
of the military personnel that are at stake and the Constitutional guarantees of
the separation of church and state that you are required to uphold.
The
United States military is the preeminent defender of our Constitutional rights
and at this very moment is fighting a global war on terror to preserve those
Constitutional liberties that make America so unique.
If we lose sight of
these treasured freedoms, and allow fundamentalist values to infiltrate our
nation’s armed forces, how can we in good conscience send our men and women into
the line of fire to fight against religious fundamentalists throughout the
world?
There is a pandemic of intolerance spreading throughout our military,
creating a deep and dangerous divide between military personnel. In the past
several years, there have been countless reports of egregious Constitutional
violations within the various branches of our armed forces – chaplains invoking
Jesus’ name at mandatory formations, the use of anti-Semitic and other
inflammatory slurs, the misuse of official email accounts by military leadership
to promote religious events and illegal proselytizing and evangelizing.
My
family has a long and proud history of service in our nation’s armed forces – I
am a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and the son of a Naval
Academy graduate. My sons and daughter-in- law have matriculated at the Air
Force Academy. I have seen the climate of tolerance and respect at the USAFA
deteriorate before my eyes – my own sons have been the targets of anti-Semitic
rhetoric and coercive evangelizing. My daughter-in-law, a practicing
non-evangelical Christian, has also been made to feel as though her faith is not
enough. She has received blatantly illegal emails, via official military
communication channels, promoting fundamentalist Christian theology and has
experienced illegal proselytizing from her superiors and peers.
I am gravely
concerned that the passage of this provision would undermine our Constitution
and further erode the already tenuous situation at our nation’s military
academies and at the 702 U.S. military installations located in 132 countries
throughout the world.
This debate should not be an issue of who is on the
left or right of the political spectrum; rather, it should be an issue of what
is best for our noble and honorable armed forces. Please make the right decision
for our country by helping to ensure this detrimental provision does not pass in
the Defense Authorization Act.
Sincerely,
Mikey Weinstein
President and Founder,
Military Religious Freedom Foundation

Welcome to a New UUMil Blogger!

2006-08-21T22:19:00.000-04:00

Hello All!

I want to extend a warm welcome to our newest UU Mil blogger, Chaplain Rebekah Montgomery. As someone who aspires to UU Military Chaplaincy, I am excited to have her here with us, all the way from Afganistan!

Here is a little info about herself that she sent me...

Name: Rev. Rebekah A. Montgomery, nee Savage Military affiliation: US Army
Congregation: Deployed!

I am a born and raised UU from River Road Unitarian Church in Bethesda, MD. I graduated from Union Theological Seminary in 1999 and was ordained a UU minister is 2002. I came into the military in 2003. Now I am deployed in Kabul, Afghanistan - and have been here for 15 months, only a few more to go. I am aware of only one, maybe two, other UU chaplains in the Army... but it remains the best calling in the world. I am honored to serve soldiers.

Perhaps she will introduce herself soon, although we understand that, being deployed in Afganistan, her time is best spent with her soldiers. And for that, I for one thank her.

Yours in Faith,

David

Learning From The Military

2006-07-27T14:10:00.000-04:00

I have in hand Dr. Shannon E. French's paper "The Warriors Code," brought to public attention by AP reporter Robert Tanner's story "US troops taught 'warrior ethics' to fight in Iraq" and run in newspapers all over the nation. Professor French of the Naval Academy discusses ethics and the nature of armed force. These are the kinds of discussions we UU's pride ourselves on relishing. "The Warrior's Code" is online at www.usafa.af.mil/jscope along with other stimulating articles.

We can also learn from the best examples of how military families take care of one another. As a blog group, we're well on the way to establishing a network: there is the list of churches. The next step is to find contact people in the churches, fellowships, and societies. Let's find out what people need that we can give.

Checking in!

2006-07-07T16:30:00.000-04:00

Well, this is not really a checking in, although I have been a little absent as of late, due to serving as a student hospital Chaplain for the summer in Knoxville, TN.

I have introduced myself here before, as I have been a contributor for awhile now, but let me do so again. My name is David Pyle, and I am a UU Seminary Student at the Meadville Lombard Theological School. I am also a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served with the 7th Special Forces Group out of Ft. Bragg, and the U.S. National Intelligence Cell in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Plans and calls can change, but it is now my intention, upon completion of seminary and the UU fellowship process, to return to the U.S. Army as a Chaplain.

I believe there is a great need in our faith to move towards a more organized outreach and support system for those of us of liberal faith who are also connected with military organizations, be it as a service member, as a spouse or family member, as a veteran, or as a defense employee. But there is also a need, almost as great, to begin the process of educating our faith tradition about what it means to be a UU in the military. I love our liberal faith movement, and even the association of congregations that has grown to support it, but we have not always related well to the military. We are also in need of a liberal social activist organization that addresses problems within our military from the perspective of those who know it most intimately... servicemembers, spouses, and veterans.

How this can happen, I don't know. Perhaps it will be a UU Independent Affiliate Organization dedicated to these goals. Perhaps it will be an office of the UUA. Perhaps there is a church out there who would like to sponsor this kind of work, or an association of churches who are located near military bases. There are many different options and probably more ideas out there.

But we are losing UU's of faith because we do not know how to accept and support them in their positions in the military. And how can we expect the military to come any closer to our UU principles and ideals if we are not there?

Greg, thank you for your service, both as a UU and as a Marine. You have been an inspiration and I hope you will always consider me a friend.

Yours in Faith,

David Pyle

Checking Out

2006-07-07T11:47:00.000-04:00

As of today, David Pyle is the new administrator for the UUMilBlog. My focus and energy are moving in other directions, and David has graciously agreed to take over with the blog. I will continue to be a contributor.

Thanks to everyone who's shown interest in the blog, and all of the members for their posts. Keep up the good work, and I'll see you around!

Blessings,
Greg Rouillard
A Black Sheep in Wolves Clothing

The War Tapes

2006-06-30T11:33:00.000-04:00

UUMil Blogger and retired MCPOCG Vince writes to UUA President Bill Sinkford:

...the reason for my email is to bring your attention to a very interesting documentary that has just been released about our U.S. troops serving in Iraq. The documentary film, "The War Tapes" is the first film about the war in Iraq filmed by the soldiers themselves. It recently won Best International Documentary at the Tribes Film Festival. The soldiers who filmed the documentary are from a New Hampshire Army National Guard unit that was deployed to Iraq in 2004.

The film has received rave reviews from The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, and Mark Bowden, author of 'Black Hawk Down.' I had seen the movie last Thursday when it was screened here in Washington, DC. I think this is a very important and powerful movie that you and as many of your colleagues that are available should see, as it depicts a complete unabashed realistic view of what our troops are dealing with in Iraq. An interesting note here, it doesn't matter what side of the issue on the war you're on - it's presented completely nonpartisaned, with the views, thoughts and opinions from the soldiers themselves who are serving. It also tells a story of how the war has a traumatic and emotional effect on the soldiers, their families and how they deal with their experiences when they return.

I personally invite you to please see this movie which is showing in Boston at the Kendall Square Cinema. On this Friday night (6/30), which is opening night in Boston -Soldier/Camerman Mike Moriarty and his wife Randy, along with Soldier/Camerman Steve Pink and his girlfriend Lindsay Coletti who were all featured in the documentary will be available for an open discussion after the 7pm showing. The 'War Tapes' website provides some additional information on where the discussion will be held.

Check out the movie's website for more information.

A Fallen Hero

2006-06-20T18:37:00.000-04:00

You may, or may not have heard. On Thursday June 8th a childhood friend of mine was killed in Iraq. Daniel Crabtree was a year younger, and in a grade below mine, however before High School we where in scouts together. I still cannot reconcile the 31 year old hero I see in the news to the 14 year old smiling, up-to-something boy I knew.

My prayers continue to go out to the Crabtree Family, most especially his wife and young daughter.

Until Then, and Always

Unitarian Universalists in the Military

2006-06-18T21:14:00.000-04:00

Unitarian Universalists in the Military
I keep thinking or three things: curriculum, PTSD, and candles. The easiest one tonight; that is candles. Some UU societies light them and in others people would duck under benches at the thought. For those that do light candles in honor or remembrance of, are there any candle makers among us? Would we like to offer a ceremonial model?

Military UU Congregation

2006-06-13T08:11:00.000-04:00

Bonnie writes us about the Neighborhood UU Church of Pasadena, CA, spiritual home to a California National Guard private, a recent West Point graduate, "and maybe other active duty and of course lots of vets of various wars...."

Thanks, Bonnie.

New Blogger from Unitarian Country

2006-06-07T12:23:00.000-04:00

Wow, another new blogger. Dwight Gertz is a retired Captain in the Navy Reserve (that's equivalent to an Army or Marine Colonel, for those not in the Naval Service). Dwight is a member of the First Parish in Lincoln, Mass, where he is "currently a deacon—we use old time New England titles."

Welcome, Dwight, we look forward to seeing your posts.

Welcome to New Blogger

2006-06-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Randy in Ramstein, our new blogger from Germany. We look forward to seeing his posts.

Another Memorial Day Homily

2006-05-30T17:57:00.000-04:00

I wanted to jump on the band wagon here and link to the Homily I gave this past Sunday. It was received really well.

Some of you already know the story, if you scroll down you can read it in detail, but in one of those weird ways of the universe, it has actually allowed me to connect with people on a level I did not have before.

You can read the sermon here

Until Then, and Always

Chaplain Kane Essay at UU World Online

2006-05-29T15:24:00.000-04:00

UU World Editor Chris Walton writes:

Dear friends at Unitarian Universalists in the Military,

UU Navy chaplain Cynthia Kane has written a brief essay for Memorial Day for uuworld.org. A link to your group blog is one of the essay's "Related Resources," so I hope at least a few readers will connect with your community after reading Cynthia's essay.

Warm regards and many thanks for all you do,
Chris Walton

Thanks, Chris, for your awareness of our forum and our work.

Memorial Day Sermon

2006-05-28T20:23:00.000-04:00

Today, I had the honor of presenting the sermon during a moving Memorial Day ceremony at the Emerson Unitarian Church in Houston.

It was a very moving service, involving a reading of several poems by soldiers, the playing of "Silver Taps" after a silent meditation, and many other elements.

I was honored to be asked to present the sermon, and as always I have placed it online.

It is entitled "Silent Tears: The Faith of a Solider".

I was proud of Emerson Unitarian Church, and proud to be a part of a service presented and lead by UU Veterans. I was also proud of how well the sermon was received by the congregation.

http://dynamicdeism.org/tpst/viewtopic.php?t=251

Yours in Faith,

David Pyle

Amateur Radio Help

2006-05-24T19:01:00.000-04:00

Is everyone aware that there are ham radio operators specially licensed to pass messages between US armed services personnel, their families, and friends? The information is available online and there are separate systems for Army, Air Force, and Navy-Marines. One helpful starting point is: www.navymars.org. Message traffic through the MARS networks isn't as swift as email or telephone but the operators are dedicated volunteers. As with other activities at which amateur radio operators work, there is no charge for the service.

Marilyn, KC0PMD

Welcome to new Blogger

2006-05-22T10:26:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Marilyn from Minnesota. We look forward to seeing your posts.

UU Military Congregation in Maryland

2006-05-18T09:19:00.000-04:00

Linda from the UU Fellowship of Southern Maryland writes:

I am writing you from the UU Fellowship of Southern Maryland, a little over an hour south of DC and adjacent to the Patuxent Naval Air Station in Lexington Park, MD. Our congregation has many members who are retired from various branches of the military as well as many contractors that support the work of the base here. On May 28, we will be conducting a lay-led sharing service with the title "Honoring Those Who Protect Our Freedom" and is described in our newsletter as follows:

"On this Memorial Day weekend, it seems appropriate to ask how we can honor members of the Armed Forces who put themselves in harm's way to protect our freedoms and our way of life, while at the same time honoring our UU values to promote peace. And what about the many civilians who work for the Armed Forces as employees and contractors? This morning's sharing service will be an opportunity to explore these important - and sometimes difficult questions."

I have listened to the tape from last year's GA on "Unitarian Universalists in the Military" and that's how I got your address and blog address. I have wonderful material from that tape, but would also appreciate any readings that you recommend. When reading your blog, I got the feeling that you were reaching out to congregations to help them understand this issue better and to talk about being more welcoming and inclusive. I will plan to use Gini Courter and Bill Sinkford's comments.

Our congregation is sensitive to the issues I heard on the tape. About 18 months ago, we had a service for Peace Day when our retired military members talked about their time in the service and the "peace missions" and work they did with communities that they were stationed at. It was an eye-opening event for our hard line peace folks, something that the quieter military folks were so relieved to
experience. It has meant all the world to our military folks to no longer hide who they are and to be acknowledged as true UUs too.

I have not served in the military myself, but have a younger brother who is an active member, an officer, in the Navy, stationed in Norfolk.

I am glad that we are learning to me more inclusive - it's about time!

Thanks for the work you are doing and if you can provide any assistance for our worship service on the 28th, I would appreciate it.

Linda, thanks for YOUR work. If anybody can help her out with readings for her service on Memorial Day weekend, please e-mail us and we'll pass it along.

UU Military Congregation in Minnesota

2006-05-18T09:13:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Marilyn from the Nora UU Church in Hanska, MN for telling us about her congregation, which has at least one military member, an Army guardsman now on his second deployment to Iraq.

Of Course, There is Still Work to Do

2006-05-13T23:12:00.000-04:00

FUUSE had this article posted on their site today.. of course there is no mention of Youth and Young Adults who may actually want to join the military.

A tolerant community, we all hope, would be one that is tolerant of all people not just those with which we agree. Of course there are lines we cannot accept being crossed, and for some people the military is over that line.

Can I just say to any Youth or Young Adults who are considering the military and come across this entry that I would honor and respect your choice, and continue to welcome you into the UU faith with open arms.

Until Then, and Always

Chipping Away

2006-05-13T22:58:00.000-04:00

As Gregs last post pointed out, people are beginning to listen.

I wanted to share something that happened in my home congregation. The Monday night SGM (small group ministry) group decided that they wanted to do a project together. They chose to support an organization known as "Books for Soldiers".

They enrolled the entire church and where able to gather together over 200 lbs of books, all paperbacks, and the money to have them shipped over seas.

Since my point of view of supporting the military is so well known I kind of stayed out of it unless people would think I was running the program.

I am so proud of my congregation, so proud of the anti-war people who came to me and said "What would you have liked to read while you where away from home?"

The really amazing thing though is how many people right now are talking about how they can support and show our soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines love and respect while continuing to be against the war.

This week.. is a good week for military UUs. I was also asked to share the story about the UU World article during our memorial days service.

Greg is right.. people are listening.. so please keep speaking
Until Then, and Always

Somebody's Listening, But Keep Talking!

2006-04-17T11:18:00.000-04:00

Our very own Navy UU Chaplain Cynthia Kane recently e-mailed the higher echelons of the UUA (President Bill Sinkford and Moderator Gini Courter) about our recent challenges, as well as some of hers. In part, she wrote:

Transitioning back [from deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba] has been quite a challenge, mostly from fellow UUs who've taken issue with the fact that I was there & also that I am not joining the UUSC "Stop the Torture" campaign. I was the guest speaker at the Pacific Northwest District annual meeting, which proved to be quite controversial...and regrettably my message was overshadowed by presence in uniform & in GTMO... Another example of our continued need to educate our comrades in faith and help them make our congregations more welcoming.

Sound familiar? Anyway, she got this reply from Gini Courter...

I've been thinking on this for a long time. I'm frustrated, too. I keep remembering when the images of two uniformed military folks (I think one was you!) were shown on the "big screen" during the GA closing last year. The applause was loud and sustained. I believe that the "center" of Unitarian Universalism is proud and supportive of our UU members of the military, but they don't get (create?) the same air time that the anti-military (usually presented as pro-peace or anti-war) folks get. I'll continue to be mindful and be more vocal.

... and this from Bill Sinkford:

This breaks my heart. I know how how hard it is to feel that you are not welcome in the religious place that you know is your home. You are living in that space which people of color know so well.

I promise to continue to raise this issue with our congregations as I have been doing in my preaching. It is a central spiritual issue for our religious community. Whether it be people in the military, Republicans, working class folks...anyone who doesn't fit the predominant demographic...we need to take to heart the words of the hymn, "Come, come, whoever you are." Its not just a nice tune.

Rev Sinkford's comment about inclusion really hits the nail on the head. It mirrors what I have noticed about the "selective acceptance" among UUs of those who are "not like us" - especially political conservatives and military members.

His reference to "that space which people of color know so well" is particularly compelling. It certainly puts things in a different perspective if you think about how most UUs (warning: huge generalization coming) would rather die than express any kind of anti-minority sentiment. But how many people of color are in our pews on Sunday morning? How many military?

Maybe we UUs need to learn to see ALL colors as "us," including khaki and camouflage.

Military Religious Freedom Foundation

2006-04-06T22:18:00.000-04:00

Hello all!

Yesterday, I was asked by a friend to comment on a thread in another forum regarding the current status of former Air Force Chaplain Melinda Morton, and the status of the U.S. Chaplaincy Corps, from the perspective of a religious liberal ministerial aspirant who hopes to serve as a chaplain.

As I was researching for my commentary, I came across two articles I would like to share with you all. They are a bit long, but I guarantee they are well worth the read.

If you would like to see some commentary on the Chaplain Melinda Morton case, I have a thread on my website that has some news articles and commentary.

http://dynamicdeism.org/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=664

Now, the two articles that I would like for you to read are here... they are a two part series...

Article 1 http://www.csindy.com/csindy/2006-03-02/cover.html

Article 2 http://www.csindy.com/csindy/2006-03-09/cover.html

They were written by Cara DeGette, and they detail the mission of a former Air Force officer named Mikey Weinstein. Part of that mission is to form an organization known as the Military Religious Freedom Founation.

http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/

I have sent a letter to Mikey Weinstein, to let him know about my past and my call to UU Military Chaplaincy, and to ask how I can form a more concrete relationship with the Foundation and how I can help. But that is a personal choice for me, in my path to ministry.

I would ask my fellow Military UU's, especially those who are veterans or are currently serving, to look over these links, and begin seeing how we can aid in their mission and cause.

Yours in Faith,
David

Anyone want to go to Maryland?

2006-04-05T16:18:00.000-04:00

Chalice Chick joins the fray by telling us the following story:

As I recently wrote about on my blog the YRUU group at my church got a rather one-sided presentation on the military from a lady who came to speak out against Army Recruiting in the schools. I was wondering if any of y'all would be willing to come give them another perspective on military service and particularly on how what you have done aligns with your UU values.

The head youth person hasn't said yes, but it would probably be toward the end of June. I will pay airfare from whereever you are to Washington DC and you can stay in our guest room. (The house is under renovation and sort of messy, but the bed is comfy!)

Anyone interested can email me back at chalicechick@gmail.com

Her blog post is an interesting read - seems to fit into last week's conversation about UU's in the military. Hopefully some military UU will be willing to visit her congregation.

Welcome to New Blogger!

2006-03-29T16:23:00.000-05:00

Welcome aboard to Bridget Wilson, who is a major Judge Advocate in the CA State Military Reserve, and a veteran of USAR.

Bridget is also a member of Dignity - a group of LGBT Catholics - who celebrate Mass at First UU in San Diego, so she feels like an honorary UU. She also writes,

I am an attorney who in addition to my civil practice handles military law matters. I am always in the hunt for a Unitarian minister or lay minister who would be willing to do military jail visits. There are two major military confinement facilities in the area. I have some clients who could greatly benefit from UU contact. Some of those are gay, and I periodically hear from Wiccans or other“pagans”. It is difficult to get military authorities to acknowledge clergy from gay or pagan groups, but UU, that is something officially recognized by the armed forces. [Sigh, I once had a brig commander tell me he had no intention of allowing “Satanism’ in his brig. You get the drift.] I am happy to exchange info.

Thanks for joining us, Bridget, and we look forward to seeing your posts!

Church of the Larger Fellowship

2006-03-29T08:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Erika Nonken, of the UUA Public Affairs Office, wrote:

I couldn’t help but notice that the Church of the Larger Fellowship (file://www.uua.org/clf) wasn't included in your list of UU congregations with military members. It has the largest percentage of military members of any congregation, so far as we know, and almost certainly serves the largest number of active UU military service people. If you haven't yet advertised your forum through the Church of the Larger Fellowship, I would encourage you to do so.

Thanks, Erika, for the great suggestion.

UU World Article Ignores Military UUs (Updated 3/29)

2006-03-27T08:21:00.000-05:00

How's that for an inflammatory title? I just couldn't resist. :-)

A couple of weeks ago UUMilBlogger Jamie Goodwin let us know about an upcoming UU World article about the third anniversary of the Iraq war. I dutifully contacted the author, and he interviewed me by phone for about 30 minutes. I told him my opinion about how military UUs are viewed by the "average" UU - either with ignorance or antipathy - and some of my experiences. I also told him how in every case when I've encountered someone with a negative attitude about military members, once that person got to know me as an individual, the reaction was always the same: "wow, I had no idea there were people like you in the military!" Sound familiar to anyone else?

The author seemed very interested in what I had to say, so I was really looking forward to an article that would acknowledge and honor military UUs. The end result, however, was a compilation of UU war protests and other events marking the third anniversary of the Iraq invasion, with one brief mention of military UUs. I was pretty disappointed.

I don't blame the author - doubtless there are valid reasons why no UU military voices were included in the article. ** But as I told him in an e-mail this morning,

... I think that we UUs in general are actually pretty intolerant when it comes to people who aren't "like" us. This seems to include military members, Christians, political conservatives, and doubtless others. We talk the talk of inclusion and acceptance, but we don't always walk the walk. I wonder if this has influenced the editorial policy of UU World?

This e-mail was in response to his very gracious note to me. He offered his apologies for not being able to include my information in the article, and indicated that they (presumably UU World) will be revisiting the topic of UUs in the military. We can hope.

The upside of this whole episode is that it's reenergized me to continue working toward a military UUA affiliate, as David Pyle introduces here. David, sorry I've dropped out of the picture on this for so long.

We can't rely on others to do our work, so if you value being heard and raising the awareness of the "average" UU about the unique circumstances and challenges of military UUs, please join us.

** UPDATE 3/29 **

After my original post, I got another e-mail from the author, explaining that my one voice was not enough to "bend the story" in the direction of military UUs. So next time UU World solicits input from us, let's give them more voices!

Make Your Voices Heard!

2006-03-15T20:27:00.000-05:00

Are you a Unitarian Universalist who is serving or has served in Iraq?

Do you feel that your voice has been muted by your congregation or religious home?

Would you like to contribute to an upcoming article in the UU World magazine?

Please email me at jgoodwin103@aol.com (or link through my profile) so I can put you in touch with someone to make it happen.

This is a unique opportunity for we UUs who are veterans or military members.. as always the more voices that can be heard the better.

2006-03-03T09:53:00.000-05:00

Fallen Guardsman's Wiccan faith unrecognized

By SEAN WHALEY © 2006 REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU

FERNLEY -- Nevada National Guard Sgt. Patrick Stewart gave his life for his country when the Chinook helicopter he was in was shot down in Afghanistan in September.
But those wishing to honor Stewart, who should have his name on the memorial wall at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley, 34 miles east of Reno, would have a difficult time doing so.

The space reserved for Stewart, right next to Chief Warrant Officer John Flynn, his comrade from Sparks who also died in the attack as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, is vacant.
Stewart was a follower of the Wiccan religion, which is not recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs for use in its cemeteries.

Stewart's widow, Roberta, said she will wait until her family's religion -- and its five-pointed star enclosed in a circle, with one point facing skyward -- is recognized for use on memorials before Stewart's plaque is installed.

"It's completely blank," Roberta Stewart said, pointing to her husband's place on the memorial.
She said she had no idea the pentacle could not be used on her husband's memorial plaque until she had to deal with the agency after the death of her husband.

"It's discrimination," she said. "They are discriminating against our religion.

"I had no idea that they would decline our veterans this right that they go to fight for," she said. "What religion we are doesn't matter. It's like denying who my husband is."

Patrick Stewart's dog tags, which Roberta Stewart wears around her neck, carry the word Wiccan on them to identify his religious beliefs. But she said he was never told the Wiccan religion was not officially recognized during his 13 years of military service in different capacities.

"By they way, if you die for your country, your religion won't be recognized, that would be nice to know," Roberta Stewart said.

For full story, click here
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Mar-02-Thu-2006/news/6149634.html

Gay & Lesbian Servicemembers for Equality

2006-02-25T00:17:00.000-05:00

The Following message came to me through one of my friends, and thought I could help get the word out to GLBT Service Members, as an ally... David

Forwarded on behalf of Gay & Lesbian Servicemembers for Equality: GLSME
A Resource for those who Serve
www.glsmeforum.org

I am proud to announce the re-launch of the Gay and LesbianServicemembers for Equality (GLSME) website. The GLSME website,www.glsmeforum.org, is a resource for active duty LGBT servicemembers, their partners, straight allies, and families. We offer a safe networkof support, a forum in which to discuss and share ideas, news andinformation on LGBT military issues, and people to contact ifindividuals have specific concerns or need assistance.

Of note is the GLSME Forum, where the LGBT military community canjoin a discussion about current issues, chat with others who are goingthrough similar experiences, and find some friends. Visitors can stayinformed on LGBT military community topics on our News and Statisticspage, where we provide current press releases and graphic representations on the effects of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

We are also featuring a Links and References page, highlighting otherorganizations and the resources they can offer to the LGBT military community. From legal advice to personal counseling, these organizations are here to help. Many these organizations' staffmembers were active duty servicemembers at one point, so they understand the challenges inherent in serving and the need for confidentiality.

On the GLSME blog you can follow projects like the Call to Duty Tour, a unique effort by young gay veterans to educate the public and more conservative audiences about Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and debate the merits of the policy through a seven weekcollege speaking tour at over 20 universities. Please inform your friends and coworkers about this site, and also forward it on to anyone in the LGBT military community that would benefit from it. Working together to make life better for active duty LGBT servicemembers is what we're all about.

Sincerely,

Patrick English
President, Gay and Lesbian Servicemembers for Equality
patrick@glsmeforum.org
www.glsmeforum.org

Note: The GLSME is in no way politically affiliated nor does it lobby or advocate for repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell law. Discussion on this matter, however, is highly encouraged. The GLSME fully supports any effort to make life better for LGBT servicemembers.This is also not a dating or personals site. Vulgarity, crude language, and sexual propositioning will not be tolerated.

War vets ready for new battle: Politics

2006-01-25T03:31:00.000-05:00

Full Story

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. — The lunchtime crowd is thinning at Portillo's Hot Dogs near O'Hare Airport when the candidate arrives. Leaning on a cane, she moves slowly on her $120,000 bionic legs with a stooped and halting stride. Tammy Duckworth lost both legs while serving in Iraq. After more than a year in rehab, she's campaigning for Congress.

By Tim Dillon, USA TODAY

"Hi! I'm Tammy Duckworth, the Iraq war veteran running for Congress. You might have heard of me?" she says, extending her mangled right arm to shake hands.

Indeed, many here in Chicago's western suburbs have already heard of the Illinois National Guard helicopter pilot who lost both legs and full use of her right arm when a rocket-propelled grenade hit her Blackhawk in a 2004 attack in Iraq.
Maj. Ladda "Tammy" Duckworth, 37, spent nearly a year at Washington's Walter Reed Army Hospital, and her rehabilitation has been chronicled in national media, including USA TODAY.

Military UUs in Germany

2006-01-03T09:03:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Kay Meyer for telling us about the Kaiserslautern UU Fellowship on Ramstein AB, Germany, which she says "may be the only UU fellowship to meet on a military base!" She also tells us of two other stateside UU congregations with military members, First UU of San Antonio and First UU of Wichita.

Kay has also requested to join our rolls as a blogger, so we look forward to seeing her posts soon.

2005-12-31T20:56:00.000-05:00

31 December 2005

Hello fellow military UU’s,

And Happy New Year!

At the General Assembly in Ft. Worth, Texas this year, there was a program for UU’s in the Military. Those who organized the program did not have any idea how many would attend, but hoped for at least thirty. Around 200 people attended.

During the program, story after story was told by Military UU’s about their experiences, both as people of liberal faith in the military, and as military members, veterans, and families in a liberal faith.

One thing was clear from the meeting… the UUA is in need of an affiliate organization to help support UU Military members, veterans, families, and defense employees. We also need an organization to be a voice for our liberal faith within the military, to support our UU military chaplains, to aid in the formation of new UU military chaplains, and to work towards social action programs that will benefit our military.

Since General Assembly, a small working group has come together to work for the formation of such an independent affiliate organization, but we need your help. We are in need of dedicated individuals who share this vision to help form a “Charter Board” to draft the “By-laws” and other basic infrastructure to make this organization a reality.

Please visit http://uumilitary.dynamicdeism.org/ and join the discussion forum if you wish to serve on the Board, or even if you just wish to provide your support and brainstorm with us.

Also, we invite you to check out the draft of our plan to found this UU Military Independent Affiliate organization. http://uumilitary.dynamicdeism.org/FoundingUUMPlan.doc

The official public face of our efforts is the UU's in the Military Blog at http://uumilitaryblog.blogspot.com/ (That's here, this was also posted in a few other places)

Our denomination is in need of an organization to outreach to the military, support military UU’s, and to help our congregations better understand and support Military members, families, veterans, and defense employees. Please come join us!

Yours in faith,

David Pyle
Former SGT, U.S. Army
On Behalf of the UU Military Affiliate Organization Working Group

2005-12-29T20:48:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

A friend of mine, a UU currently serving in the Air Force, brought a resource from the UU Washington Office for Advocacy to my attention, and I wanted to share it with you.

It is an article discussing the UUA's relationship with the military, and beginning the discussion about the support that we as a denomination need to be prepared to provide to soldiers, sailors, and airmen, especially those returning from war and their families while they are deployed.

All in all, it is an excellent document. I would have prefered to see more of a mention about supporting military members who are already UU's as well, we have to begin somewhere.

Many of the issues that are discussed in the article are the reasons why we are working to found a UU Affiliate Organizaiton for Military Members, Families, Veterans, and Defense employees.

I am going to provide the link, but also provide a link to a place where this document can be discussed...

Here is the article

http://www.uua.org/uuawo/new/article.php?id=589

If you would like to discuss ways we can implement ideas from this article in founding a UU Affiliate organization for the Military, follow the below link...

http://uumilitary.dynamicdeism.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=49#49

It found it heartwarming that a group in our denomination with no overt connection to the military was clear enough about the needs of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines that the document shows. It also brings forth the problem of how some have been treated in our denomination.

For that article, I think the UU Washington Office for Advocacy should get a Bravo Zulu!

Yours in Faith,

David

Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith

2005-12-17T15:41:00.000-05:00

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.

Courtesy of Bill Baar , get the full story here

Why We Do This

2005-12-12T02:00:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

It has been sometime sense anyone updated, so I thought i would share some thoughts I had. I was recently asked by a fellow congregate of mine, and a good friend I might add, "What is your goal in [creating a UU Military Affiliate Ogranization]". She was curious and not confrontational. I explained to her that what we think of as the military, the aggression and the never surrender attitude, is only part of the story. In fact I think it is simply the surface of the story.

The amazing part of the stories that many Veterans tell isn't the battles or trials. It is the life long friendships that many of them had made. You never forget that person who lends you a helping hand and shares some of the most profound life experiences with you. I have personally seen Vets who have not seen each other in over 10 years fall into each others arms crying. It is a dignified, honorable, precise occupation to be in the military, it is also likely one of the most deep, emotionally bonding. and sharing experiences many of us have ever had.

I recently saw a television show, a documentary called In the Shadow of the Blade. It follows a restored Huey copter as it travels around the country connecting veterans and family members of those who lost their lives in the Vietnam conflict. The amazing part of this story is just what they where celebrating. It wasn't war - many didn't even understand why they where at war, it wasn't death. It was the celebration of a machine and people who where the healers and hero's. It was the people who faced danger and death to touch down and carry away the injured and pinned down. It was the Angel in OD Green descending from the heavens... To Take You Home.

It is for them, and for the similar hero's of every conflict and in the military today that makes me want to do this. They deserve a group of people who care about them, and can offer them a religious home that suits their needs.

A heart-felt Thank You to the crews and maintenance personnel of the Huey flying machines, to all Vietnam Veterans, and to all Veterans and Military members everywhere.

Until Then, and Always

New Submission in Logo Contest

2005-11-21T10:59:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

I have received a new submission in the logo contest... This one is actually not in graphic design, but it words....

I put it forth for your perusal!

Basically it'd be a chalice on the left, bottom, with the flame being like an american flag, not the colors only but the top left being blue with white stars and the res being alternating red and white, but still in the shape of a flame, not rectangular, more like the flame is reflecting an american flag. Then an arc of pink hearts would come up to the right from the flame and at the top of the arc would be a camoflage colored dove. So that it would look like the dove flew out of the chalice and it leaves a line of hearts that represent love behind it as it flies. The dove of course represents freedom, the chalice: UU, and the hearts: love.

This came to us from Gretchen McCready. I like the idea of the flame being the flag!

Yours in Faith,

David

Military Readiness Act

2005-11-17T02:27:00.000-05:00

According to The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network now a full one hundred US Senators and Representatives support the repeal of Don't Ask - Don't Tell and favor the Military Readiness Act which would end discrimination in our military forces based on a individuals sexual orientation.

What is amazing to me is the growing amount of traditionally conservative Congress Persons who are supporting this act. To be honest i was worried that this bill was ill timed. I was worried that presenting it would cause a back-lash against homosexual issues nationwide. It has yet not garnered the type of national exposure many of us expected to see. When it finally does hit the mainstream it will be interesting to see how America reacts.

More from Fort Drum...

2005-11-15T16:07:00.000-05:00

Connie Holberg writes:

All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Watertown, New York is the closest UU congregation to Fort Drum, home of the 10th Mountain Division. Our Web site is http://www.allsoulsuu.org/ We have military members too. Unfortunately they tend to move on to other bases, and are also often deployed for long periods of time.

Thanks, Connie! All Souls Watertown is now on the list. That's three "All Souls" with military members.

2005-11-14T10:03:00.000-05:00

This next submission in the UU Military Affiliate Organization logo contest that I am sponsoring is coming to us from David Concepcion.

This is exactly why I am glad I put out the call. I would never have thought of turning dogtags into a chalice! How cool is that?

One thing that came to mind in doing this is that, having multiple submissions is a great thing, because just having the logo will not be enough. We will need other graphics as well, for websites and brochures. I am fairly certain that all of these will be used, when I think about it!

Yours in Faith,

David

2005-11-13T23:41:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!

I have received our first official submission in our process of developing and then selecting a logo for the UU Military Affiliate Organization that we are working to found.

This entry comes from Erik David Carlson, one of the founding members of the Church of the Younger Fellowship, and www.fuuse.com . Erik is also in my class at Meadville Lombard, and will make an incredible minister some day...

Now, these entries are concept drawings... even when we choose one, we are going to want to have a professional graphics artist to create the final version... Luckily, one has offered her services! Thank you Cynthia!

But, when she asked me what I thought such a logo could look like, I simply had no clue. So, I put out the call for logo designs, and thanks to Erik David we have our first entry! As we get more, I will post them here!

Yours in Faith,

David Pyle
Galveston Island, TX

Another Military UU Congregation

2005-11-12T09:57:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Caroline from the All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, OK for pointing out that her congregation has military members, including her son Avery who is in the Army in Iraq. Surely there are more out there - e-mail us and we'll add them to the links section.