It looks like the Air Force is getting sued over the evangelical chaplains and I for one smile over the prospect. The civilians, of course, are pissed off and screaming, but I doubt they have a clear understanding on how the military works and how the God Brigade, especially the enlisted members, take advantage of it.
I spent eight years in the service and had more than a few run ins with the God Brigade. The most memorable of these run-ins was with a sergeant at my last post. While talking with a third person about dealing with a sisters mental problems related to abuse the sergeant in question decided that what we needed was a church. During the pursuing discussion where she was attempting to convert me she decided to pull rank and declare she could write me up over it. Soon afterwards she started volunteering me for every detail that came up, would show up at my quarters to do health and welfare inspections and nitpicking over a zillion little things.
It didn’t stop there. She also preceeded to thrash my reputation by painting me as a problem soldier who needed special attention despite a service record that showed the opposite. I’m not one to toot my own horn, but I was damned good at being a solider and my official duties recieving several awards that were uncommon for my rank when I recieved them.
All this and more went on for two years. By the time I seperated, I was a problem soldier who looked at the prospect of being kicked out as a good thing, not the horrible “oh-shit!” thing I would have considered at the beginning of my service. I wasn’t a belligerent brat or anything. I just didn’t give a damn about a thing and it showed. My attitude was “what are they going to do? Kick me out? Big f’ing whoop!”.
Looking back it was quite obvious I was severely depressed and that carried over into my civilian life. I must have spent at least a year or so doing absolutely nothing of note. My health never really recovered as I’m still underweight and have a less severe form of the insomnia I developed under her and her cohorts. I don’t despise everyone anymore, but I can’t say I like many people. I’m rather jaded these days.
And it all started because I rejected a superior officer’s god. You’ll have to excuse me for not getting upset at the idea of putting a leash and a muzzle on a dog that is well known for not only its bark, but its bite too. The last thing the military needs is the Chaplains to start leading the charge.
