One of the important responsibilities of a military chaplain is honoring the dead. As the photo above shows, chaplains have a meaningful place in memorializing fallen comrades. Chaplains officiate at memorial ceremonies, memorial services, and funerals. Coverage includes active duty, reserve, and retired personnel. Chaplains may be called on to perform services for civilian employees of the military or for local civilians who had some important association to the military in the past.

Soldiers don’t often have time to grieve in the same ways that civilians do. If a unit is in combat, the soldiers can’t stop to grieve the loss of a friend’s life. Even when not in combat, the military operates at such a high speed and with such demanding responsibilities that some of the normal civilian methods of dealing with loss of loved ones are not possible.

However, any good commander knows that his soldiers will be greatly affected by the death of a co-worker–and the commander will call on his chaplain to help out. The chaplain provides invaluable information to the commander regarding the morale of the unit following a death (or other event). Invariably, commanders will hold memorial ceremonies (required attendance) for the dead. Memorial services or funerals (voluntary attendance for both) are held as opportunity allows. The chaplain hold primary responsibility for these events.

On the battlefield, the chaplain aids the wounded and honors the dead. He will generally be located at the field aid station, checking on the condition of the wounded and ministering comfort to the dying. The chaplain may pray with dying soldiers, take messages from them for their families, read Scripture to them, or minister last rites.

Chaplains are called on to memorialize fallen soldiers when the bodies are transported home from the battlefield. Based on the number of chaplains in this photo, I suspect that this is a memorial for several fallen soldiers.Chaplains comfort the grieving. They counsel those dealing with loss. They travel with the notification officer when informing family members of a loved one’s death; they assist the family indefinitely from the time notice is given.

[These photographs are from the Department of Defense and have been publicly released within the last few months.]

With the popularity of blogging these days, bloggers sometimes forget that their posts can have adverse consequences. Apparently, a U.S. Army National Guard soldier found this out the hard way.

Guardsman in Iraq Punished Over Blog Post
Associated Press | August 02, 2005
PHOENIX – An Arizona National Guardsman serving in Iraq has been demoted for posting classified information on his Internet Web log, an Army official said Monday.

Leonard Clark, 40, was demoted from specialist to private first class and fined $1,640, said Col. Bill Buckner, a spokesman for the Multi-National Corps-Iraq.

Personal responsibility is important for everyone, particularly when our public actions can have a direct impact on the safety and security of soldiers on the battlefield. I don’t know exactly what sort of classified information was released but, based on the Army’s press release (below), it was possibly information that enemy forces could have used to execute assaults on U.S. troops. This is reckless endangerment. The guardsman may not have intended to do this but war requires special diligence–in fact, protecting freedom and the safety of others always requires special diligence.

I can guarantee that you’ll never find me posting sensitive information on this blog or in any other public forum. The lives of my comrades are too valuable.

Here follows the Army press release about the case:

Private First Class Leonard Clark Press Release

On July 19, 2005, Lieutenant Colonel James F. Switzer, Commander, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, notified Specialist Leonard A. Clark, 860th Military Police Company, of his intent to dispose of alleged misconduct under Article 15, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

After consulting with a Trial Defense Counsel, a military defense lawyer, Specialist Clark elected to accept disposition of the alleged offense using Article 15 proceedings. Specifically, Specialist Clark was charged under Article 15 with the following violations of the UCMJ:

Article 92 (Failure to obey order), 11 specifications; by releasing classified information regarding unit soldiers and convoys being attacked or hit by an improvised explosive devices on various dates, discussing troop movements on various dates, releasing Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures and Rules of Engagement used by the unit on various dates, in violation of a lawful general order prohibiting the release of such information.

Article 134 (Reckless endangerment), 2 specifications; by releasing specific information, on various dates regarding Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures and Rules of Engagement used by his unit and encouraging its widespread publication, such that the enemy forces could foreseeably access the information, such that with that information it was likely that the enemy forces could cause death or serious bodily harm to U.S. forces engaged in the same or similar mission.

On July 19, 2005, at a hearing before Lieutenant Colonel Switzer, Specialist Clark was found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of all Specifications. As a result, Specialist Clark received the following punishment:

Reduction to Private First Class (E-3), forfeiture of $820 per month for two months, 45 days restriction, and 45 days of extra duty. Both the restriction and extra duty were suspended for five months.

Private First Class Clark has appeal rights, but he has chosen not to exercise those rights.

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