You long-time readers will remember my good friend Fr. Charles Johnson, presently chaplain on USS Ford, which is undergoing various tests and trails as they shake her down. We had travel vestments made for Father, when his airplane went into the river at NAS Jacksonville after I had blessed the same aircraft (long story) on my way down to Gitmo. Since I felt responsible for the total loss of his gear, it was the right thing to do.
In any event, USS Ford was in the news.
The #USSGeraldRFord (CVN 78), a first-in-class aircraft carrier designed using advanced modeling, testing, and analysis, successfully completed the first scheduled explosive event as part of Full Ship Shock Trials (FSST), June 18.
Read more: https://t.co/LWoXUsTQmP pic.twitter.com/dLIfM8fHkN
— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) June 19, 2021
Father wrote about it:
Happy Father’s Day (both in the primary and secondary analogate sense)! Yes, we survived the first shock trial. It was definitely a “bomb go boom” moment–much louder than we were led to expect. Some “high dust” came down–making cleaning easier–and a few drawers popped out, but otherwise the chapel spaces were fine. … We have two more of these to go, each one closer and lower than the last. It’s an invigorating way to spend one’s summer….
It’s always good to hear from him. That’s one fortunate crew.
Meanwhile, “Eternal Father, strong to save…”.
Let’s pray for our chaplains and let’s pray for many more.
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How cool! Thanks, Father Johnson, for your vocation and your service.
Explosions do not care about your feelings, your pronouns, your skin color, your natural or medically-butchered genitalia, your bank account, the number of racist or Marxist books on whatever military Professional Reading List you’ve read, your virtue signaling on social media, whether you’re Protestant, Jewish, Catholic or agnostic, or how many of your fellow servicemen you’ve reported to some military or civilian SJW for their reading the U.S. Constitution or having an American flag on their car.
When the shock wave passes, while the dust is settling, while your ears are ringing and your head feels like a punching bag, while blood is flowing from who knows where, while something is burning somewhere and your nostrils and lungs are filling with acrid smoke, your unit best have shared confidence and loyalty, you best be motivated to continue the mission to the last full measure of your devotion, and you best be prepared to meet your Maker.
Dakota Wood of Heritage Foundation:
“As a young Marine Corps first lieutenant assigned to an infantry battalion in the late 1980s, I had charge of the unit transport section of operators, mechanics, and supervisors tasked with taking care of our fleet of combat vehicles.
“This group of Marines, like all with whom I served over a 20-year military career, was a wonderful cross section of America representing all walks of life.
“My maintenance and operations chiefs were American Samoan and an African American, respectively. Our collection of more junior Marines included blacks, whites, and Latinos, young men from Texas, New Jersey, California, and West Virginia, among others.
“They came from the city and the country, from poor and middle-class families. Some were Catholic, others Protestant, and some had no strong affiliation with any organized religion.
“In the maintenance bay, on the equipment lot, or in the field, we would hear a musical mix of country, rock ’n’ roll, heavy metal, and rap.
“Everyone pitched in to accomplish the mission during unit fitness runs, shop clean-up, preparing for inspections, embarking equipment for deployments to Japan and South Korea, and supporting battalion operations during training and exercise events.
“Everything just worked and worked well. Why?”
https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/critical-race-theory-will-destroy-our-military
Our excellent Jewish, Catholic and Protestant military chaplains are likely to face unique challenges this decade. Two items.
– Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson Jr., was a U.S. Army helicopter pilot in 1968 who intervened in the My Lai massacre by 1) ascertaining what was occurring, 2) delivering a verbal warning directly to Lt. Calley (note Calley outranked Thompson), 3) threatening to open fire with his helicopter’s machine guns on any U.S. troops still engaged in commiting the massacre. Thompson was eventually decorated by the U.S. Army and promoted.
– Unlawful orders; the Oaths sworn by military personnel (note there are differences); the Constitution. A good place to begin is with the Preamble:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
From the official U.S. military Medal of Honor citation of Fr. Joseph T. O’Callahan, Lt. Commander USN (on board the aircraft carrier USS Franklin off Okinawa, March 1945):
“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Chaplain…A valiant and forceful leader, calmly braving…he organized and led…he directed…Serving with courage, fortitude and deep spiritual strength, Lt. Comdr. O’Callahan inspired the gallant officers and men of the Franklin to fight heroically and with profound faith…”
Available on the Internet as PDFs are: “Law of War/Introduction to Rules of Engagement B130936 Student Handout” for new Marine Corps second lieutenants at The Basic School, Quantico, VA and “FM 6-27 MCTP 11-10C The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Land Warfare” (also available on Amazon).
From the recent “Open Letter from Retired Generals and Admirals”(over two hundred names on the PDF via link below).
“Democrat leadership’s inquiries about nuclear code procedures sends a dangerous national
security signal to nuclear armed adversaries, raising the question about who is in charge.”
https://flagofficers4america.com/open-statement