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LANDSTUHL, Germany, June 26, 2009 – The boxes arrive daily from the United States, 15 to 20 each day, along with $8,000 to $12,000 in cash every week from Americans and U.S. nonprofit groups. Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael D. Dubie, the adjutant general of the Vermont National Guard, stands in the Wounded Warrior Ministry Center -- nicknamed the "Chaplains' Closet" -- at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, June 17, 2009, during a visit to wounded warriors. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The boxes and the money are meant for the...

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2009 – Active and reserve Army chaplains are playing a critical and strategic role in Iraq, a chaplain serving with Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq said this week. “Our troops are working tirelessly and selflessly to create a trusted and viable security force,” Army Chaplain (Maj.) William Steen said during a “DoDLive” bloggers roundtable June 23. “However, the work, family separation and the long hours all take their toll on our troops.” Steen discussed how the military is helping soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines cope with the physical, mental and emotional stress while deployed in Iraq. Chaplains...

Often, for many of our military who died in action, a chaplain was the final person in charge of their soul. In harm’s way, these faithful servants of Christ’s Church don’t just stand beside the men and women in various branches of the service, they wear the uniform. The work of our chaplains extends much farther than the post chapel. They labor on land, at sea and in the air. There are 1.4 million Catholics in the military; wherever they are stationed, the chaplain is there. Their parishes are much different than a local church. Made up of mostly younger...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq, May 19, 2009 – Reinforcements are something every unit loves to have -- more soldiers help to win the fight and save lives at the same time. Army Chaplain (Maj.) Chuck B. Rizer, front right, gets into the action with the brigade staff as he competes in the brigade staff Olympics at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, Feb. 27, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Stephen C. Short  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The duty of being a soldier can be difficult at times, and no matter how many extra soldiers arrive to...

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del., April 24, 2009 – The night sky looked calm and tranquil from a gently soaring aircraft, miles above the Eastern Seaboard towns below. However, there was nothing tranquil or calm in the hearts of one family on board, traveling to Dover Air Force Base to witness the dignified transfer of their son’s remains. Air Force Chaplain (retired Lt. Col.) David Sparks counsels a fellow Port Mortuary team member at Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs at Dover Air Force Base, Del., April 21, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HUNTER, Iraq, March 11, 2009 – Two Army chaplains are building much more than the faith of their soldiers on this remote base near the southeastern border of Iraq. Army Chaplain (Capt.) Colt Randles cuts a wooden block for a new door handle for the Solid Rock Chapel at Forward Operating Base Hunter, Iraq, March 5, 2009. Randles and Army Chaplain (Capt.) Michael Roberts are working together to put the finishing touches on the chapel. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Creighton Holub  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Chaplain (Capt.) Colt Randles and Chaplain (Capt.) Michael Roberts...

Just after midnight on Feb. 3, 1943, an act of extraordinary unselfishness by a group of men became a legend of martyrdom and sacrifice. When the Army ship Dorchester was torpedoed by the Germans just south of Greenland that night, its passengers and crew had 25 minutes to get off the boat. As 902 people went for the life jackets, it quickly was discovered there weren't near enough. Of the 13 lifeboats, only two functioned. In the ship's final minutes, Methodist senior chaplain George Lansing Fox, Rabbi Alexander Goode, Dutch Reformed minister Clark V. Poling and John P. Washington, a...

Jeffrey Imm writes in with an AP report about the January 21 Inaugural prayer service to take place at the National Cathedral in Washington. Among those officiating will be Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). This is an outrage and should be stopped. What's ISNA? As I have written (here, for instance), the US government has identified ISNA as a Muslim Brotherhood front organization. Actually, the Muslim Brotherhood itself has identified ISNA as a Muslim Brotherhood front organization. And the Muslim Brotherhood is all about extending Islamic law globally--even in America. According to its 1991...

Excerpt..... A new policy banning Virginia State Police chaplains from saying Jesus,’ Christ’ during prayer is stirring up a lot of controversy. Six chaplains have already resigned over the issue. “In the bible it says to pray in Jesus name,” said Charlotte Ryan, Johnson City, Tennessee resident. Claude Duncan from Johnson City is also against the prayer policy change. “I think it’s a terrible thing that they would create such a thing that would deny us the privilege of praying in the name of our savor, Jesus Christ,” Duncan said. We found strong opposition on Monday to a decision.........

Army chaplain who had served in Kuwait dies at Walter Reed Chaplain (Col.) Sidney J. Marceaux An Army chaplain who ministered to troops for decades died earlier this month after being medically evacuated from Kuwait to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Pentagon announced late Tuesday. Chaplain (Col.) Sidney J. Marceaux, a Catholic priest, died Sept. 14 at Walter Reed "from a noncombat related illness," according to a news release. He had been serving at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, before being transferred to the Warrior Transition Brigade at Walter Reed, officials said. A memorial service was held Wednesday in Kuwait, a...

Speaker wants to rebuild wall separating church and state in military By Karen Nolan Article Launched: 04/05/2008 07:33:35 AM PDT What do the U.S. military and Christianity have in common? Nothing, if Mikey Weinstein has his way. Weinstein is the founder of Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit organization that seeks to resurrect what he believes is the crumbling wall between church and state in the military. Specifically, Weinstein believes that a minority Christian viewpoint - one that seeks to turn the military into a Christian force - is infiltrating the ranks at all levels. If they succeed, he says,...

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN -- It's the end of lunchtime at the Afghan National Army base of Pol-i-charkhi and, as the mess hall reverberates with the dish-clatter and chair-scraping of soldiers in dark camouflage dispersing, two men linger behind, still digging with spoons into a shared dish of rice and lamb. US Navy Capt. James Fisher is the guest of Afghan Col. Moheb Moheburahman. The American is fair skinned, every inch of his face and scalp clean-shaven, and with ready smile and can-do attitude, he looks downright sunny. The Afghan has an olive complexion and a full black beard flecked with gray....

They dodge bullets and wrestle with the shadier underbelly of society, but the hardest part of a sheriff's deputy's job is telling someone their family member has died. Bishop Robert Green makes that process easier. As a Contra Costa Sheriff's Office volunteer chaplain, Green is one of a few dozen chaplains who make that dreaded knock on the door. Wearing his sheriff's- issued jacket with the word "Chaplain" on the back in large letters, Green is not only charged with helping deputies with the weighty task of delivering the news, he also acts as a counselor for families to ease...

Chaplain sentenced after harassing mistress By Vince Little, Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, Saturday, September 22, 2007 CAMP ZAMA, Japan — A married Army chaplain who was involved in an affair with an Arizona woman pleaded guilty Thursday to adultery, unbecoming conduct and four counts of cyberstalking at his court-martial. Capt. Mike Myers was sentenced to six months in prison after entering his plea in the courtroom of this Army post near Tokyo. The former chaplain for the 441st Military Intelligence Battalion, 500th Military Intelligence Brigade also will be dismissed from the Army and receive a reprimand stemming from his...

JWB Jewish Chaplains Council Support our U.S. men and women serving in the armed forces at home and overseas. Contributions help us send holiday packages, prayer books and other vital support to our troops. A vital component of JCC Association, JWB Jewish Chaplains Council is a U.S. government-accredited agency serving the religious, social and morale needs of Jewish military personnel, their families, and patients in VA hospitals.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Jan. 26, 2007 – U.S. military chaplains serving in Afghanistan want troops who have been extended to know support is there for them. “Hang in there; we’re right with you,� is what chaplains want recently extended soldiers to know, a senior chaplain here said.   About 3,200 soldiers of 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, learned yesterday that they will be extended in Afghanistan until June, about 120 days past their scheduled redeployment date.   “Chaplains are uniquely and sympathetically aware of what these soldiers and their families are going through right now,� said Chaplain (Lt....

By Pfc. Susan Blair2nd BCT, 82nd Airborne Div. PAO Chaplain's assistant, Spc. Spencer Sprinkman, Task Force 1-73, takes a protective stance in front of Chaplain (Capt.) Brian Koyn, while practicing battle drills before their next mission. NORTHERN IRAQ -- Batman and Robin, Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo, Timon and Pumba, and Starsky and Hutch; these are all famous duos, and they all depended on each other to complete their mission. The Task Force 1-73 Chaplain and his assistant also depend on each other. The relationship between Chaplain (Capt.) Brian Koyn and Spc. Spencer Sprinkman is extremely important in a combat...

Chief of Chaplains Brings Encouragement and Support Chaplain tours Iraq and Afghanistan bringing support and leadership to the region. By Army Sgt. Victoria Willoughby345th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment SALERNO, Afghanistan, Dec. 19, 2006 -- Army Maj. Gen. David H. Hicks, the Army chief of chaplains, visited Salerno Nov. 28, as part of a tour through Afghanistan and Iraq designed to bring support and encouragement to chaplains, chaplain’s assistants and leaders at the battalion and brigade levels. “My objective is to visit with and put my arms around -- I mean that figuratively -- as many soldiers, leaders and unit...

11/23/2006 - ELY, United Kingdom (AFPN) -- Chaplains from Royal Air Force Mildenhall set up a night of giving thanks at the historical Cathedral of Ely, which was built in 673 A.D. Although Thanksgiving wasn't celebrated until almost 950 years after the cathedral was built, the end of World War II gave the allies common ground to be thankful. "United States Army Air Force flyers often used Ely Cathedral as a landmark when they were returning from missions." said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Michael Moore from RAF Mildenhall. He said this made the cathedral a logical location for the celebration to...

The head chaplain for New York City jails has been suspended while the city investigates claims he made incendiary statements last year in Tucson, including a comment that the "greatest terrorists in the world occupy the White House." The New York Post reported Thursday that Umar Abdul-Jalil made the remarks at a conference sponsored by the Muslim Students Association in Tucson. It said the Investigative Project, a Washington organization that tracks extremist Islamic groups, recorded the speech, in which he also allegedly said that Muslims jailed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were "tortured" in the Manhattan Correctional Center. Abdul-Jalil,...

CHAPLAINS will be posted in schools across Australia under a federal Government plan to provide students with greater spiritual guidance. Prime Minister John Howard will today unveil details of the $90 million national chaplaincy program, which also aims to give support to students during times of grief. The initiative, which was immediately criticised for discriminating in favour of Christians, was approved by Cabinet earlier this month. Today's announcement follows last weekend's fatal car crash near Byron Bay which killed four teenagers from Kadina High School. It also follows the tragic death of a Sydney high school student who was found...

Two major newspapers are blasting conservatives for holding up passage of a defense appropriations bill by attaching a "mischievous," "pro-evangelical" amendment to it, as the New York Times described it. According to an editorial in Thursday's New York Times, "hard-right Republicans have held up passage of the defense bill in an attempt to license zealot chaplains to violate policies of religious tolerance at secular ceremonies." The amendment -- contained in the House bill but not in the Senate bill -- says military chaplains may "pray according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience" (i.e., pray in the name of...

From one of the essays: Rev. Kevin M. Smith Currently the Pastor at the Church of St. Francis de Sales in Patchogue, NY and a Chaplain with the Nassau County Fire Department. He was ordained in 1988 in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. On September 11, 2001, I was in my rectory at St. Rose of Lima in Massapequa where I was the Associate Pastor when one of my secretaries told me to turn on the television. She told me a plane had just crashed into the Trade Center. I am a Fire Chaplain and I have been to plane...

When Lt. Abuhena Saif-ul-Islam first arrived at the Camp Pendleton military base in California, recruits often asked the Muslim chaplain what the crescent on his lapel meant. Saif-ul-Islam, a Bangladeshi immigrant, jokingly told them he was an astronaut. Nowadays, fewer sailors find the Islamic symbol unfamiliar. But Saif-ul-Islam, a U.S. Navy chaplain since 1999, still is questioned often about his religion during training sessions he conducts at bases across the nation. "They want to know if non-Muslims can go into a mosque," Saif-ul-Islam said. "They ask why people in Iraq are behaving [violently] if Islam is so peaceful. It's a...

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2006 – A new display commemorating the service of military chaplains was dedicated June 23 in a ceremony at the Pentagon. David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, speaks during an exhibit dedication ceremony to military chaplains at the Pentagon, June 23. The display is the first in the Pentagon to specifically honor chaplains. It consists of four backlit panels that highlight the accomplishments and service of military chaplains. It is located on the fifth floor of the building's A ring. Photo by Steven Donald Smith  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "This...

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Mark Arms is a forward-deployed Air Force chaplain’s assistant with the 40th Air Expeditionary Group in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This is his third deployment since Sept. 11, 2001. He said he loves God and country and feels very fortunate to be a chaplain’s assistant. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. John Rohrer U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Mark Arms Chaplain's Assistant Serves Third Deployment By Master Sgt. Scott King 40th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, April 20, 2006 -- He is well known around this forward operating...

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (Mar. 15, 2006) -- Deployment can affect service members in a number of ways, including their emotional and spiritual well-being. When it comes to spiritual matters, service members here have only to turn to Lt. Cmdr. Ray Hunt, chaplain for the deployed element of the 1st Marine Logistics Group, for assistance. Hunt said he is determined to bring every service member home emotionally and spiritually sound. “I just want to take care of every Marine, sailor, soldier and airman (here). I want everyone to go home (safely),” said Hunt, a native of Clinton, Miss. For Hunt and...

An evangelical chaplain serving in Iraq has been forbidden to preach at chapel services after his comments about military intolerance toward certain Christian expressions got him into hot water with the Army. Capt. Jonathan Stertzbach, a field artillery chaplain with the Army's 10th Mountain Division in Iraq, was silenced soon after his comments appeared in a Jan. 23 article in The Washington Times. The chaplain criticized one of his supervisors, Lt. Col. Phillip Wright of Fort Drum in New York, by name and gave details about how chaplains of all faiths were being pressured to offer up only nonsectarian prayers....

WASHINGTON, December 22, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) issued a report today on efforts to protect the constitutional right of U.S. military chaplains to pray according to their faith. 160,000 people from across the United States have signed on to a national petition urging President Bush to enact an Executive Order protecting the constitutional rights of military chaplains to pray according to their faith. The petition campaign is in conjunction with efforts underway in Congress – spearheaded by Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina – urging President Bush to act. ACLJ states that “Military...

To pray -- or not to pray -- in Jesus' name is the question plaguing an increasing number of U.S. military chaplains, one of whom began a multiday hunger strike outside the White House yesterday. "I am a Navy chaplain being fired because I pray in Jesus' name," said Navy Lt. Gordon Klingenschmitt, who will be holding 6 p.m. prayer vigils daily in Lafayette Park. The hunger strike is intended to persuade President Bush to issue an executive order allowing military chaplains to pray according to their individual faith traditions. The American Center for Law and Justice has gathered 173,000...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Dec. 20, 2005) -- With the holiday season right around the corner, the chaplains of 2nd Marine Division took an ordinary training event, hiking, and turned it into a prayer walk to pray for those servicemembers who are away from their families this year. The six-mile hike is a Fleet Marine Force (FMF) qualification for all naval officers to receive the FMF war-fighting device worn on their uniforms. But this year, the 2nd Marine Division Chaplain, Cmdr. Gary Carr, turned the training into a way for the chaplains of the division and all other...

Effort afoot to protect military prayers Petition asks Bush to reject Air Force guidelines that censor chaplains Posted: November 17, 2005 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com An effort to combat interim guidelines for chaplains in the Air Force is growing in Congress and among grass-roots activists who decry the fact that the regulations prevent Christian clergy from praying in Jesus' name. The interim guidelines on religious expression released in August allow only a "brief nonsectarian prayer" during official ceremonies and events. The guidelines were developed in the wake of complaints from non-Christians at the Air Force Academy who believed...

A pattern of hostility to free speech - specifically the rights of Christians to pray - is on the rise in our country. We saw it in our nation’s public schools ... where prayer was officially banned. We have seen it in our workplaces. Now, our United States military seems to have “jumped on the bandwagon” ... with Air Force leadership recently releasing proposed guidelines that will restrict how Air Force chaplains can pray. If approved, these guidelines may well be implemented throughout the entire Armed Forces. This is an outrage that we cannot allow! Already, it is documented that...

The growing influence of evangelical Protestants is roiling the military chaplain corps, where their desire to preach their faith more openly is colliding with long-held military traditions of pluralism and diversity. After accusations this summer that evangelical chaplains, faculty and coaches were pressuring cadets at the Air Force Academy, the Air Force yesterday issued new guidelines on respect for religious minorities. In the Navy, evangelical Protestant chaplains are fighting what they say is a legacy of discrimination in hiring and promotions, and they are bridling at suggestions they not pray publicly "in the name of Jesus."

Prison Cell To Terror Cell National Security: Muslim chaplains employed by U.S. prisons are converting inmates by the cell block, swelling their ranks beyond 250,000. Yet officials are doing next to nothing to defuse this potential powder keg.

<p>October 15, 2003 -- WASHINGTON - Pentagon investigators will question a Muslim chaplain who arranged a trip to Mecca for Islamic U.S. servicemen that was paid for by a Saudi charity linked to al Qaeda, a top Defense Department official said yesterday. In March 2001, Capt. Rasheed Muhammad led a "Haj tour" for about 60 Muslim service people that was paid for by the Muslim World League, which is dedicated to the spread of an extreme form of Islam embraced by Osama bin Laden.</p>

Two held over US fears of radical cell in forces By David Rennie in Washington (Filed: 24/09/2003) The United States military is urgently investigating a potential radical Muslim cell among its own servicemen at the Guantanamo Bay prison as it emerged yesterday that two more members of the garrison are in custody. Senior Airman Ahmad I al-Halabi, an Arabic language translator, was secretly arrested a month ago, Pentagon officials said last night. He is being held at an air base in California and is charged with more than 30 counts of espionage, aiding the enemy, disobeying a lawful order and...

"Blessed Be the Lord...Who Trains My Arms for Battle" —Psalm 144:1 "The safest place for me to be is in the center of God's will, and if that is in the line of fire, that is where I will be." — Fr. Tim Vakoc, Army chaplain

The Army has taken on a new mission: to help mend war-torn marriages. It's an admirable effort, as young service men and women are sent to harm's way for extended periods of time - including some stationed at Fort Huachuca. When they come home, they may have trouble adjusting back to everyday life, especially with children and spouses. As The Associated Press reported this week, 300 couples with the Fort Campbell-based 101st Airborne Division, which has had troops serve in Iraq, have attended "marriage enrichment" seminars. And surely there are others who need the help, too. According to the story,...

"The purpose of the opening prayer for the House is to pray on behalf of, and for, the Members of the Congress as they seek to know and do God's will for America and in the work of the House of Representatives. God is Sovereign Lord of our Nation. The prayer should affirm our heritage as a Nation "Under God" and the calling of the Senate to lead our Nation in His righteousness and justice. We accept the separation of church (sectarianism) and state but affirm the historic American Tradition that there is no separation between God and state The...

Mildenhall Airmen keep the faith, lift spirits in Iraq Released: Aug. 2, 2004By Tech. Sgt. Cindy Dorfner 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs   Airman 1st Class Michael Kusek, left, accepts a popsicle from Master Sgt. Carolyn DeHate and Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Frank Yerkes, both of the 100th Air Refueling Wing Chapel. The Mildenhall Airmen, deployed to Baghdad International Airport since May, visit troops every day. Airman Kusek is with the 447th Air Expeditionary Group security forces deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee) Click here for high-resolution image! ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England...

While the media remain fixated on the plight of Muslim prisoners in Iraq, they have largely ignored the danger that radicalized Muslim prisoners pose here at home. The Justice Department's inspector general this month released a disturbing report that exposed federal prisons as a fertile breeding ground for terrorists. It was a red alert on a bureaucratic failure that jeopardizes not only other inmates and prison employees, but also the country at large. Yet it got next to no notice. Islamic extremists have infiltrated jails worldwide to lure convicts to their murderous cause. The problem is thought to be much...

Report: Screening Lax on Muslim Chaplains Wednesday May 5, 2004 2:01 AM By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal prison officials are failing to adequately screen Muslim chaplains and others who provide Islamic religious services to inmates to determine whether they hold extremist views, Justice Department investigators say. A report by Justice Department inspector general Glenn A. Fine also found Muslim contractors and volunteers have ample opportunity ``to deliver inappropriate and extremist messages,'' which could lead to terrorist recruitment, inside federal prisons because they lack proper supervision. Muslim inmates themselves sometimes lead Islamic services in prisons, another...

U.S. District Judge Henry Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday dismissed a suit brought by atheist activist Michael Newdow against the House and Senate chaplains, stating Newdow’s claim that he was injured by his observations of the Senate chaplain’s prayer was “insufficient.” The decision coincided with Newdow’s appearance before the Supreme Court in an unrelated high-profile case Wednesday. Newdow argued that his 9-year-old daughter’s recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, including the uttering “under God,” violates the constitutional separation of church and state. He is an ordained minister affiliated with the Universal Life Church and founder of the First Amendmist Church of...

Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) - Following the arrests of a Muslim chaplain and an Arabic translator for suspected spying at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility, two senators are calling for a full investigation of terrorists' attempts to recruit members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Muslim-American groups fear the investigation may become a "witch hunt" for followers of Islam. "How, in our most sensitive Army prison [at] Guantanamo, the most sensitive of Army facilities, were there breaches?" asked Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) Thursday. "When you hear that, at Guantanamo, security has been breached, you say to yourself, 'Well, what's happening at...

<p>The Pentagon yesterday ordered a review of how it recruits military chaplains, particularly Muslim clerics endorsed by two groups with ties to radical Islam.</p> <p>Pentagon officials yesterday informed senators of the review as Sens. Jon Kyl, Arizona Republican, and Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, announced upcoming hearings on whether the radical Wahhabi sect has infiltrated the U.S. military chaplain corps.</p>

NEW YORK (AP) -- A Muslim chaplain who counsels inmates in the city's Rikers Island jail has been reassigned because of his ties to a mosque authorities say is linked to al-Qaida fund raising. Amin Awad, who was named president of the board of trustees at Al-Farooq mosque earlier this month, cannot have contact with inmates and has been reassigned to administrative duties, Tom Antenen, a spokesman for the city Department of Correction, said Friday. Awad, who has counseled Rikers inmates since 1998, is one of seven Islamic chaplains in the city's correctional system, Antenen said. The department has 23...

Mar 2, 2003 New York Suspends Muslim Prison Chaplain Accused of Sending Money to Iraq The Associated Press AUBURN, N.Y. (AP) - A state prison chaplain charged with helping to illegally send money to Iraq was suspended from his job indefinitely Sunday. Corrections Department spokesman James Flateau said Osameh Al Wahaidy returned to work Sunday at Auburn Correctional Facility, reported his arrest on the federal charges and was immediately suspended without pay from his $57,140-a-year job. Al Wahaidy, 41, a Jordanian citizen, has been a prison chaplain since 1997. Federal prosecutors charged Al Wahaidy and three other men on Wednesday...

MIAMI - (KRT) - Soldiers who knew Army Capt. James Yee at Fort Lewis, Wash., say they are baffled by the Muslim chaplain's detention on his return from a prison for suspected terrorists in Guantanamo Bay. ``We can't figure it out. He would be compassionate with prisoners - but not a traitor. A lot of us feel we know him well. He cares a lot, but he plays by the rules,'' said a sergeant from the 29th Signal Battalion, where Yee was a Muslim chaplain before going to Guantanamo. The soldier asked to remain anonymous because the Miami-based U.S. Southern...

"When I go into the field,” Captain Yousef Yee once said, “I have a copy of the Qur’an and next to it a copy of the U.S. Constitution.” Well, at least two of the documents he was carrying weren’t classified. But when FBI agents arrested this American Muslim Army chaplain recently, much of what he was carrying was. Al-Qaeda prisoners at Guantanamo may have seen this material. Yee has been charged with espionage, sedition, aiding the enemy, spying, and failure to obey a general order. Officials are contemplating a treason charge. No one would have guessed it would come to...