Open Letter To Soldiers, Marines, Sailors And Airmen
BY Herschel Smith
7 years, 8 months ago
I would like to pose a very simple question, or more correctly a set of questions, and they’re not rhetorical. I would really like to see my military readers weigh in on this, but first, the setup.
In January, Lt. Col. Khallid Shabazz received the call every Army chaplain dreams of, the call that validates years of intense study and hard work toward keeping the U.S. military in good spiritual health.
He was offered the job of chaplain for an entire division, an honor for anyone in his field but a milestone in his case. After a ceremony this summer, Shabazz will become the first Muslim division-level chaplain in the history of the U.S. military – a Muslim spiritual leader for more than 14,000 mostly Christian soldiers.
Shabazz, who’s dedicated his life to working across religious lines, found it hard to keep calm as he received the news at his desk on Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington.
“I’m on the phone saying, ‘Thank you, I appreciate it. I’ll serve honorably,’ and then I hang up the phone and I’m jumping all around like a little kid,” Shabazz, 48, recalled in interviews in February. “I was running around the office saying, al hamdulillah, al hamdulillah, praise be to God!”
From reader Mack there is also this.
Several posters that had been on display for at least six years were removed from a wall at Langley Air Force Base after the National Organization for Women and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation complained that they were sexist, according to the Air Force.
The foundation at first filed a complaint by itself about two of the posters with the Air Force on behalf of 16 clients, including Air Force enlisted personnel, officers and civilians, that initially focused on language from a 1955 Air Force manual that repeatedly referenced “faith.”
“Men cannot live without faith except for brief moments of anarchy or despair,” one poster read. “Faith leads to conviction – and convictions lead to actions. It is only a man of deep convictions, a man of deep faith, who will make the sacrifices needed to save his manhood. … It is obvious that our enemy will attack us at our weakest spot. The hole in our armor is our lack of faith. We need to revive a fighting faith by which we can live, and for which we would be willing even to die.”
The Air Force dismissed that complaint because “the display does not endorse, disapprove of, or extend preferential treatment for any faith, belief, or absence of belief,” Air Combat Command said in a statement.
But soon after the Air Force dismissed the complaint, the National Organization for Women joined the foundation by writing to Air Combat Command on Feb. 9 calling for the posters’ removal.
“What message does that send to young women who currently serve, or want to serve, in the military?” NOW President Terry O’Neill wrote. “What do you say to the women in your command who make the same sacrifices to protect their country as do men? General, there is simply no compromise when it comes to fighting the bigotry of sexism nor the prejudice of religious triumphalism. Women are just as patriotic, just as dedicated and just as worthy of our nation’s trust as their male counterparts.”
Air Combat Command spokeswoman Maj. Malinda Singleton said in an email: “With additional time to review all seven posters outside the narrower, primarily religious context of the original complaint about two of them, we concluded the gendered language used in the display interfered with intended messages about personal integrity.
“We’ve chosen to update the display with something that reflects the diverse and inclusive force we are today,” Singleton wrote.
Now, you know that “FBIAnon,” who answered questions at Reddit, has told us that fully one third of the upper echelons of government are affected by “pedogate.” You also know that former SpecOps boys, in combination with the CIA, the Muslim Brotherhood, the State Department, and The Clinton Global Initiative, have toppled much of North Africa for the oil, human trafficking, human organ market, money and weapons.
So we have complete corruption in the upper echelons of the U.S. government, a Muslim appointed to head the religious health of an entire division, and political correctness causing removal of posters that fifty years ago would have been considered good (because they were). I’m sure you could add to the list yourself with what you know.
So here are the question(s). Why are you fighting? Or if you aren’t actively fighting and only training to right now, why are you training to fight? What is it for? For whom do you risk your lives? For what?
On March 1, 2017 at 8:00 am, Duke Norfolk said:
Yeah I can’t even imagine still being in the Air Force right now. The nonsense is out of control and growing. It was already bad enough 10 years ago, but it’s taken off like a rocket lately, as in the rest of society. This just has to be the blow off top of this insanity, right? Right? Please!
On March 1, 2017 at 12:56 pm, Lina Inverse said:
And perhaps also the question, “Against who?”
On March 1, 2017 at 1:44 pm, Jack Crabb said:
Ol’ Mikey Weinstein is probably jumping with joy at this also. You know, “religious freedom” really means freedom form the Christian religion.
On March 1, 2017 at 3:59 pm, Fred said:
dawah, dhimmi, hijra, jizya, kafir, shaheed, shariah, takfir, taqiyya, ummah, sira, hadith
On March 1, 2017 at 8:19 pm, SFC Steven M Barry USA RET said:
I renounced and retracted my oath to defend the Constitution a long time ago. Now I’m just an observer watching the logical consequences of the Constitution unfold. “For what?” 24 years in the Army was for nothing — it was for a lie. I would again risk my life to defend my country. I wouldn’t lift a finger to defend the Constitution or anything it stands for.
S//
On March 2, 2017 at 12:39 am, Georgiaboy61 said:
SFC Barry, you appear to have experienced – if you do not mind my saying so – something of the same epiphany that General Smedley Butler did at the end of his long-and-distinguished career as a Marine. Do you know his story? It is a fascinating one.
Butler, upon being passed over for the post of Commandant of the Corps, retired in 1931 after 33 years of service as a leatherneck and many campaigns and much time in combat. Butler was one of the handful of men in U.S. history to have received two Medals of Honor. At the age of 48, he was promoted to Major General, the youngest Marine ever to attain that rank. His final overseas posting was as head of Marine Force-China, where he commanded all of the Marines stationed there.
In 1935, Butler penned a short-but-terrific book called “War is a Racket,” an expose of war-profiteering and In the decade before his death in 1940, Butler toured the country giving lectures and speeches and also became involved in the anti-war movement then gaining steam in the U.S.
Butler states in his book that the only two things for which Americans ought to fight are for our homes and communities, and the Bill of Rights.
Your cynicism is perhaps understandable, but it isn’t men like you who failed; it was those who were charged with protecting and defending our institutions and way of life at home. A short-hand way of expressing it, I tell history students, is that while our military men were off defending us from communism overseas in places like Vietnam, cultural Marxism snuck in the unlocked backdoor and took over the place.
The constitution is a flawed document in the sense that it did not prevent what ultimately happened to our government and country. Of course, no written document – no matter how well-conceived and crafted – can restrain the baser instincts of people when they will not observe its guidelines.
“It lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it. While it lies there, it needs no constitution, no law, no court to save it.”
– Judge Learned Hand
On March 2, 2017 at 4:05 am, DAN III said:
Barry,
Seems to me you haven’t renounced anything regarding the United States Army. Witness your proud display of your rank and retirement reference from Army. Odd how you attempt to denounce the same US Army that you always proudly make reference to in your screen name.
Hypocrisy is certainly one of your personal traits. It compromises most anything of value you may have to offer.
On March 2, 2017 at 11:33 am, joefour said:
Dan III, you don’t know the man and you have no right to insult him. I know other ex-military who share the same exact sentiments.
On March 2, 2017 at 2:33 pm, DAN III said:
Joe,
What is insulting of one who besmirches that very same organization he hypocritically uses the title of rank bestowed upon him by that same organization in his retirement, yet now thumbs his nose at ? Oh, and BTW….while Barry renounced his Oath he didn’t renounce his pension. Did he ?
What is Barry’s purpose of bad mouthing the United States Army and then plastering your retired rank at every Internet cafe you frequent, as an apparent badge of honor. Is that some honorable form of hypocrisy I’m not aware of ? And YOU want to defend his remarks ?
If Barry had any serious convictions about renouncing his oath to Support and Defend, he’d drop the “SFC, USA, Retired” from his screen name. Then he could bad mouth the US Army and the US Constitution all he wants and incur some credibility. Until then, he remains the same weasel now as when he was at Bragg.
In closing, I do not refer to Barry as “SFC” (Sergeant First Class). I refuse to give him the respect of one who renounced his Oath. In the meantime Barry himself disrespects the many tens of thousands of military retirees and former military who left with honor and self-respect; and still maintain their pride of service.
I have EVERY right to insult Barry. For he has insulted me and every righteous member of the military, past and present, with his hypocrisy. He has done so more than once.
On March 2, 2017 at 3:07 pm, Herschel Smith said:
There must be some “water over the dam” as the saying goes. This sounds like a throw-down that happened elsewhere and spilling onto my front porch.
But either way, in Mr. Barry’s defense, my own son is still QUITE proud of being a former U.S. Marine, and what that means, and what he accomplished.
He is MUCH less proud of the constitution, which should read far differently than it does given what it has allowed to occur over these past two hundred years, and much less proud still at what this country has asked the USMC to do lately. He has complete disdain for the current gaggle of corruption that occupies the chambers in the world’s most distinguished deliberative body.
As for pension, my son doesn’t get one not having been in the Marines long enough. But he does regularly go to a VA center for medical care. It can be argued that the government shouldn’t have made that contract with members of the service. It would certainly affect recruitment if they didn’t.
But in either case for those who are now out, VA care is a contractual obligation recognized in any court. Whatever his thoughts now on whether he would enter the USMC again – I haven’t asked him lately but given his current station in life I’m sure he wouldn’t – he earned that VA medical care for his fulfillment of the contract.
On March 3, 2017 at 3:36 am, DAN III said:
Mr. Smith,
My “beef” with MISTER Barry is his insistence of exercising his earned right to signature his blog commentaries with his retired rank and branch of former service, while doing all he could while on active duty, to besmirch that very military organization he was a VOLUNTARY member of.
Now, that he was allowed by his former command to reach retirement status, he continues his attack(s) against the very organization he secured his pension from, going so far as to state he has renounced his Oath to defend the Constitution. Fine. I have little problem with that. My issue is the blatant hypocrisy and disrespect shown by Mr. Barry with his former rank and service branch in his “signature block”, while denouncing his military affiliation. For me, but evidently few others, the blatant hypocrisy of Barry’s is indicative of the content of his character. Or, the lack of such.
Regarding your remarks concerning your son, who I am certain you are most proud of, deservedly so….there is little parallel between he and Mr. Barry. I would venture to guess that your former Marine son, does not plaster his former rank and service branch across the blogosphere while bemoaning and blaming the United States Marine Corps for any ills he may have or had (hopefully none). Your son is proud of his military service. Unlike Mr. Barry who is not.
The VA benefits your son has earned and uses I certainly am thankful he has them. He and millions of others have earned them. However, again regarding Barry, I am unaware of your son creating, publishing and distributing a seditious rag while stationed at a major military base and on active duty, as Mr. Barry did in his FORMER life as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the United States Army.
As I responded to Mister Barry above, it is time he cease the usage of his retired, military “signature block” when making political commentary across the blogosphere. Furthermore, it would behoove Mister Barry to show respect, if not for himself but for your son and millions of other U.S. military veterans, the respect THEY deserve and terminate his public disdain for the Oath he took as millions of others did. Millions of former military service members, draftees and volunteers alike, who may be in conflict with the Oath, the Constitution and the scoundrels who comprise our dysfunctional government, but don’t go around publishing their former rank and service branch as though they have pride in their military service when they do not.
Thank you for allowing my remarks on your blog.
On March 3, 2017 at 3:46 am, DAN III said:
Mr. Smith,
I’ll not make any further “spills” on your front porch regarding Mr. Barry. You have been most gracious allowing my several remarks. I will not compromise your courtesy any further.
On March 2, 2017 at 8:34 pm, joefour said:
Dan III, I had no idea from your first post that your beef with Barry was up close and personal. If I had, I would have kept well away and said nothing.
On March 2, 2017 at 11:43 am, joefour said:
SFC Barry, Are you the same Steven Barry who published THE RESISTER: Journal of the Special Forces Underground many years back? I was a subscriber of the Journal all the way through to when you ceased publication and started the Major Edwin Walker Society (if my failing memory serves me correctly). Lost of track of you (if this is indeed you) over the subsequent years. Anyway, all the best …. hope you comment again … and if you have a current blog presence on the net, please let us know…
On March 2, 2017 at 12:26 pm, joefour said:
…make that the Major General Edwin Walker Society…
On March 1, 2017 at 11:42 pm, stephencarter said:
The Left is consumed by a nihilistic wish to see anarchy spread far and wide. It cares for nothing but the power to see its own depravity become the norm, and all will sink under such a spreading malaise. I can’t think of anything more brutally and blatantly evil. The Left worships evil. Our only chance at survival is by first defying the Left, and then destroying it root and branch.
On March 2, 2017 at 3:47 am, DAN III said:
stephen,
Why bemoan anarchy ? It is the absence of government….of others telling one how to live your life. What you can and cannot do.
Pay half your earnings to the IRS.
Flush your toilet 3x to get that turd down the drain because the EPA ruled you can’t use than a pint of water per use.
Lose your well-paying job to foreign manufacturers because fedgov says fUSA must send all good jobs to Red China, Commie Vietnam, Pakistan, Egypt…..courtesy the White House and Congress.
Fight incessant, undeclared wars for 25+ years costing trillions of dollars and tens of thousands in blood for what end ? In the meantime….
Your borders are wide open courtesy your government leaders, BUSH I and 2, Clinton, soetoro-obama, John McCain, Lyndsey Graham, Pelosi, Feinstein, et al. Comprende Espanol puta ?
Wages for the last 12 years have been stagnant, if one is lucky due to .gov policies and attacks on the middle class (read, white Christian males).
So, you loves you some big government, eh ? Wake up and smell the coffee.
On March 2, 2017 at 4:22 am, DAN III said:
Mr. Smith,
“Why are you fighting ?” I am not. Not yet. Maybe never. Tried the court system and it is only there to protect government. Not citizens.
“Why are you training to fight ?” To defend myself from the scum of government who will, in our lifetimes, send agents to our doorsteps….”Comply or else”.
“What is it for (training) ?” Self-preservation against a tyrannical government and it’s inherent, Marxist supporters.
“For whom do you risk your life ?” For my family and myself; for those to my left and those to my right.
“Why ?” Should the time come when one must choose between slavery and .gov obedience, I believe it will be better to die on one’s feet than to live on one’s knees.
There are my answers to your questions. FWIW.
“
On March 2, 2017 at 6:46 am, SJ82 said:
Easy answer, I don’t anymore. This and a host of other reasons kept me from re upping.
On March 2, 2017 at 7:05 am, Mxpctlk said:
I have asked myself the same question and despite being a proud and patriotic vet, do not believe I would join the politicized military today or serve the powers it enables.
On March 2, 2017 at 8:29 am, l2a3 said:
You know when PC has taken over the leadership. When leaders are more interested in their promotions than doing what is right and correct. After served over 22 years in both Non-Commissioned and Commissioned I have seen it from both sides. It is so bad now that I would not recommend anyone to join, because their leaders are not going to look out for them, they will only cover their own “6”.
On March 2, 2017 at 10:03 am, Ned Weatherby said:
great post, Herschel.
On March 2, 2017 at 10:24 am, Douglas Olivo said:
I’ll play Devil’s Advocate for one minute here. Even within the Christian chaplains there are different sects. So yes, sometimes a Methodist or Baptist chaplain will have to provide guidance for a Catholic or even just a sympathetic ear outside their chain of command for an atheist. There are not enough chaplains to go around and so sometimes who you get may not be your exact belief but they are trained to be generally “spiritual” as needed. On a freak out scale of 1-10 I’d rate making a Muslim chaplain a Division level chaplain about a 2.
On March 2, 2017 at 10:35 am, Herschel Smith said:
“… generally “spiritual”. That phrase isn’t nearly clear enough for me. Marina Abramovic is “spiritual.” The Scriptures say that even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19).
On March 2, 2017 at 10:56 am, Douglas Olivo said:
So honest question here, what is your solution? I always ask those that criticize to offer up a better way. It is a fact that not enough people even apply to be chaplains in the military and on top of that many units only have 1 slot (plus a few enlisted chaplain assistants) to serve say 1,600 soldiers. So how do you propose the military meet the specific needs of each soldier? Keep in mind also this is just who the military provides, which when deployed may be your only option (of course this one chaplain again may be at Division or Brigade headquarters and you could be out on a small company sized COP or FOB hundreds of miles from them) but while back in the US you can still go to any church you want.
On March 2, 2017 at 11:09 am, Herschel Smith said:
America is going to have to figure out a way to deal with the Mohammedans already among us without acquiescing to their ways or letting them force their ways on others, while also stopping the migration of this plague into the country. Appointing a Mohammedan to head the division’s religious health is not it.
And if America chooses NOT to do this, then so be it. It should be prepared for the consequences.
https://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/bracken-the-alienork-way/
This is MUST reading. At which time I don’t want to hear one damn word of complaint from anybody over anything. America will clearly have chosen its path.
On March 2, 2017 at 11:20 am, Fred said:
Round them up, all of them, regardless of citizenship and put them on boats to tripoli, the place where we first battled them.
On March 2, 2017 at 12:58 pm, Jim Steele said:
I can’t believe that scumbag Weinstein is still alive. What is everyone else in New Mexico a wetback????
On March 2, 2017 at 8:18 pm, Warthog said:
Any Christian who can’t defend his faith in a debate against a Muslim is a complete idiot.
On March 2, 2017 at 9:48 pm, Herschel Smith said:
Awesome avatar, BTW. My favorite military machine of all time.
On March 2, 2017 at 10:28 pm, Warthog said:
Mine too. Got to see one up close when I was in thE USAF, quite impressive.
On March 23, 2017 at 1:52 am, Daniel Smith said:
Three points I would like to make. Chaplains are the biggest waste of tax paying dollars. The amount of money and logistics it takes to haul this “Man of God” into a combat zone is staggering. All the while, he is not allowed to carry a weapon or engage enemies. He has a team of marines, or army, or whatever the branch is for security detail. In the most crucial moments, that “Man of God” will never have your back in combat. Chaplains do not belong in a combat zone. I am a warrior, like so many of my Marine brothers, and I went to war to annihilate my countries enemies; not become closer with my god. If I were to have a moment of weakness and need counseling, then I should be recalled back to the states for being combat ineffective. My next point… Women DO NOT give the same sacrifices as men do in the military. (I am speaking of infantry, any other MOS or whatever the rest of the branches call them are not war fighters in my eyes…They are support for the infantry). I will not go into that debate, as it would take too long to type out, but I think you all get the idea. Women cant give the same sacrifices if they aren’t allowed in the infantry. As for the Islamic chaplain, I really could care less. He would be verbally berated by the entire company if he ever showed his face around my FOB like all the other chaplains. That is why they quit coming to ours. But that’s just me and my opinion. As the uber tactical amazing sniper Ricky recon guy on his other blog post put it, “Young smith just doesnt know or understand”.