Number Of Blacks In Military Down

[Neil D]

For racial tongue in cheek commentary, we now turn to the man on the street with the following DOD question-

A Defense Department report states that the percentage of blacks among active-duty recruits fell from 20 percent to 13 percent since the Afghanistan and Iraq wars began. What do you think?

Angela Fisher,

Pastry Chef

"Of course. Iraq has deteriorated to the point where blacks are practically safer in D.C."

Louis Haberman,

Systems Analyst

"I think it's a cultural thing. Blacks just seem to not like fighting in mismanaged quagmires as much as whites do."

Eric Gill,

Ticket Broker

"[censored]. Soon we won't have any troops left 'cause all the white soldiers will try to be cool by imitating the black soldiers."

shamelessly stolen from THE ONION.COM

[Kountzer]

Last I checked, in DC they haven't gotten to the point where suicide bombers are blowing up scores of people at a time. Neither do they have ambush IUD bombs going off in the streets. And if and when it comes to that, look around, cause it will soon start happening in a neighborhood near you.

Then we have Romney, who has 4 or 5 sons, none of which have served in the military. Yet he wants to be the commander and chief. That's nothing new though. Bush got out of direct military service. Bill Clinton managed to also.

But what can I say? When I was 19 or 20, I had a decent job, but I wanted to travel. I didn't want to go to the army or the marines, so I volunteered for the US Coast Guard. Semper Paratus. They didn't have the draft then, btw.

DB

[lazarus]

In the process of checking out Navy Chaplaincy! I may be too old though.

[Dr. Shane]

Serving in the military is admirable but tough on one's walk with the Lord. Being a chaplain is quite admirable. If my son or daughter decide to join I will encourage them to go in as a chaplain's assistant.

Maybe a foolish question... does the Coast Guard have chaplains or do they use chaplains from another branch of the service?

[Amelia]

IMHO age should not matter when one wishes to become a military chaplain. I think there are plenty of positions in the military that could be open to the older inlister.

[Kountzer]

The Coast Guard uses chaplains from the Navy and Marines.

[lazarus]

Hey Neil,

Why the black guy's quote gotta be censored!......why is he the only one using a contraction and why is he a ticket broker?

Oh yea...Amelia...."older inlister" sounds so.......old :(

[Dr. Shane]

Could it be the reason the number of blacks in the military is down is because most blacks are Democrats and most Democrats are anti-war? Just a thought, I haven't read anything on it.

[Neil D]

Hey Neil,

Why the black guy's quote gotta be censored!......why is he the only one using a contraction and why is he a ticket broker?

Oh yea...Amelia...."older inlister" sounds so.......old

Regarding the censored comment...The word that was used was " [censored] "...and I think censoring was done by the Word Inspectors of ClubAdventist. Perhaps they are friendly gremlins who gasp when that certain words are used and edit them such that our virgin ears can remain pure as the driven snow...

As for the "contraction" comment, you might have to talk to the authors of the article...

And as for the "why is he a ticket broker?", my purely racial tongue-firmly-planted-in-the-cheek comment is...aren't all ticket brokers black? [ running and ducking for cover!]

[lazarus]

Quote:

...aren't all ticket brokers black? [ running and ducking for cover!]

lol

[Gregory Matthews]

The posiiton of the military is that all active uniformed people should be able to serve in combat, and that they should be able to complete a 20 year term of service (and thus be able to retire) prior to reaching a mandatory retirement age. It is for this reason that there is an age limit for initial entry. It should be noted that prior miitary service will typically increase the age allowed to return to uniformed service.

NOTE: In the present combat situation, mandatory age limits are being waieved, to include chaplains.

[Gregory Matthews]

O.K. The military does need chaplain assistants. However, it should be noted that such are not assistant chaplains.

By the way, Chaplains, under the Geneva Convention are unarmed noncombatants. As such, a major duty of the chaplain assistant (in combat) is to defend the life of the chaplain to the point of death.

[Dr. Shane]

I guess some not having served in the military may not have understood the role of a chaplain assistant. I had a good friend that was a chaplain assistant when I was in. While their principle duty is to defend the the chaplain, if I understand correctly, they also help the chaplain out a lot with the chaplain's duties.

Outside of a combat situation, how would one describe the typical work day of a chaplain's assistant? Given the worldly environment of the military such as excessive drinking and promiscuous sexual activity, would the influence of a chaplain on a chaplain's assistant make it any easier to remain loyal to one's faith in the military? The friend I had was quite a dedicated Christian but he was only one person and may in no way be representative of what is typical.

[Gregory Matthews]

Do I detect an assumption on your part that no millitary chaplains (clergy) drink alcohol or engange in sexual activity outside of marriage?

Do you assume that they do?

Do you assume that chaplai assistants are religious?

Do you assume that they are not?

I think that I detect some assumptions in your comment.

[Gregory Matthews]

Typical day:

Air Force: They practice a model of chaplaincy that is unique and differs from all of the other services.

Army: Depend upon the unit to which the chaplain is assigned. In brief the chaplain (and assistant) participates in the training and the mission of the unit. e.g. They practice going to war, in in a combat unit, and get dirty in field exercises.

Yes, I am trained to go into combat.

Navy: Depends upon whether at sea (on a ship) on in home port. The Chaplain Assistant role may be most different from all of the services, and I am not qualified to speak on this one.

Maraines: These are Navy Chaplains assigned to the Maraine Corps. I can not speak to the Assistant's role here.

[Dr. Shane]

I tried not to make assumptions.

Quote:

The friend I had was quite a dedicated Christian but he was only one person and may in no way be representative of what is typical.

Which is why I was asking questions. A career Army chaplain should be in a better position to know if the habits of chaplain assistants tend to be better than the habits of an average soldier. I know many Adventists are encouraged to become medics and from my experience the medics have are just as worldly as the rest of the soldiers - which I would think would be expected.

[Gregory Matthews]

Shane, Army chaploain assistants are average soldiers.

There is no religous test to enlist as a chaplain assistant.

[Dr. Shane]

Yes, I understand that but that doesn't answer my question.

I was an engineer in the Army. I got out of the Army and went into construction. Just a coincidence? Maybe... but I had a lot of friends in the Corps of Engineers that had been in construction before joining the Army.

Similarly, I had many friends in the motor pool that were mechanics before joining the Army.

I always thought that a chaplain's assistant helped the chaplain out with clerical, not clergical, work. Is there correct? Does the assistant help out clerically? What is a chaplain's assistant taught in his or her AIT?

[Gregory Matthews]

A typical Army Chaplain's Assistant does the following, and not in any speicific order:

1) Clerical work.

2) Sets up the chapel for religious services--Roman Catholic, Protestant, whatever.

3) Is assigned to any chaplain, without regard to denominational affiliation--Protestant, Catholic, Buddist, Jewish, Whatever. This assignement is also made irrespective of gender. e.g. A female chaplain may be assigned a male chaplain's assistant.

4) Acts as the Chaplain's driver.

NOTE: I maintained a driver's license, and often drove myself. That is an extreme exception to typical policy, as Commissioned Officers generally do not drive a vchicle.

5) Defends the life of the chaplain (who is unarmed) in combat.

NOTE: From this perspective, a person who has obtained the right to refuse to carry and use a weapon cannot be a chaplain's assistant. Therefore, a chapalin's assistiant who obtains such a status cannot remain as a chaplaian's assistant. This will likely mean discharge.

6) Goes with the chaplain, wherever the chaplain goes. I went into combat with a unit supervised by the unit to which I was assigned. I took my chaplain's assistant with me.

7) Performs unit duties, to the same extent that any other soldier of that rank would perform such duties.

8) Yes, some chaplain's assistants have gotten out, gone to school and come back in as chaplains. A recently retired SDA chaplain went that route. But, chaplain assistants do not perfor, as chaplains, and are NOT assistant chaplains.

[Gregory Matthews]

Quote:

I had a lot of friends in the Corps of Engineers that had been in construction before joining the Army.

The above statement is confusing to me.

There is a difference between being a member of the Army Corps of Engineers and being an Engineer in the Army.

One can enlist in that Army for training in an Engineer MOS (job classification) and after schooling will be assigned to an Engineer unit.

The Army Corps of Engineers is a civil unit, and not a military unit. While there are administrative and clerical people who are in the Corps of Engineers, the typical person in the Corps of Engineers has some kind of construction or civil engineering training and experience. When my son graduates from the Engineering course that he is taking, he can apply for a job with the Corps of Engineers, work there for years and never go into combat. It is not a military unit.

NOTE: I am well aware that the Army Corps of Engineers serves in overseas countries, and is currently serving in Iraq. When I said it is not a military unit, I did not mean that it only serves in the United States. Contrary to what some people understand, US military units do work overseas, and in combat areas with non-military units, people and agencies. In such situations, such people may wear a uniform that looks like an Army uniform, and they may be armed for personal defense.

[Dr. Shane]

Thank you. The information about the chaplain assistant is very helpful.

The Army Engineer Regiment is the military side with the Corps of Engineers, although there are a handful of military personal actually in the civilian corps. The engineer insignia worn by both the civilian and military side is the same and they work very closely together. What I said, "I had a lot of friends in the Corps of Engineers..." while is not technically correct, certainly shouldn't have caused any confusion.

[Gregory Matthews]

The United States Army does not have Regiments, as part of its organizational structure today. They have not had such for many years.

Just a technical correction.

[Dr. Shane]

Well, I have a Certificate of Affiliation hanging on my office wall signed by a Lieutenant General, Chief of Engineers, which is official recognition of my affiliation of with the Army Engineer Regiment which, it says, is one of the original branches of the United States Army. It doesn't have a date on it but it does have my rank at the time. If memory serves me well, I was a PFC in 1989. So I guess the Army Engineer Regiment still existed in 1989 but that was some 18 years ago.

[Gregory Matthews]

Shane, here is what I said:

Quote:

The United States Army does not have Regiments, as part of its organizational structure today. They have not had such for many years.

Read it carfully. What I said is accurate. Regiments have not existed in the U.S. Army for many years, as part of the organizational structure.

Quote:

Well, I have a Certificate of Affiliation hanging on my office wall signed by a Lieutenant General, Chief of Engineers, which is official recognition of my affiliation of with the Army Engineer Regiment which, it says, is one of the original branches of the United States Army. It doesn't have a date on it but it does have my rank at the time. If memory serves me well, I was a PFC in 1989. So I guess the Army Engineer Regiment still existed in 1989 but that was some 18 years ago.

The above is what you said. The fact is that in 1989 the U. S. Army did not have Regiments as part of their organizational structure. The fact that you have a piece of paper hanging on your wall does not make it a fact that they did have Regiments as part of their organizational structure. If your piece of paper states that the Regiment was one of the first organized units of the U.S. Army, that would be an accurate statement.

You might check to see if it actually states that the Regimente was a "branch" of the Army. That would be an unusual useage of the word "branch."

Shane, the fact is that Regimental Certificates of Affiliation, such as you have referenced, are still being issued today in 2007, just as they were in 1989. But that does not mean that Regiments exist as part of the U.S. Army's organizational structure.

Those Certificates of Affiliation are simply a piece of paper that some people like to hang on their wall. That is fine. To each their own. Let everyone hang on their walls whatever they wish. Some members of the U. S. Army like to hang on their walls pictures of attractive, healthy, young women, who are holding a rifle and wearing an incomplete U.S Army uniform. I can assure you that such a photo does not mean that those women are truely members of the U.S. Army. In fact, they typically are not.

The Certificate of Affiliation that hangs on your wall exists purely for ceremonial reasons. It grants you the prevlige of attending a ceremonial party where you and other members of the ceremonial Regiment can share a few drinks, and stories (probably embellished) of the days when you wore the U.S. Army uniform.

I will acknowledge that the above prevlige is a distinction. Only a limited number of people are granted a Certificate of Affiliation to the Engineer Regiment. Others will have such to a Calvary Regiment, or some other such. Some may (?) be signed by a Sgt. Major rather than a Lt. General.

As I said, the U. S. Army does not have Regiments as part of their organizational structure, notwithstanding your piece of paper.

[Planey]

Those Certificates of Affiliation are simply a piece of paper that some people like to hang on their wall. That is fine. To each their own. Let everyone hang on their walls whatever they wish. Some members of the U. S. Army like to hang on their walls pictures of attractive, healthy, young women, who are holding a rifle and wearing an incomplete U.S Army uniform. I can assure you that such a photo does not mean that those women are truely members of the U.S. Army. In fact, they typically are not.

Thank you for this paragraph, Gregory. I sat here and giggled for some time after reading it.

Wonderfully expressed!

Graeme