Spiritual Wounds of War Conference

There will be a special workshop on ministering to wounded warriors and their families, entitled "Spiritual Wounds of War: Healing Ministry in the Face of Persistent Combat." The guest speaker will be Dr. Jonathan Shay, author of "Achilles in Vietnam" and "Odysseus in America." There will be additional speakers including military personnel willing to share how their experiences have shaped their spirituality. The workshop will be on MAY 15, 2008, 8:30AM to 1:30 PM, at the Miramar Officers Club, Marine Corps Air Station, Building 4472 Anderson Avenue (this is San Diego area). Registration is $25.00, deadline is MAY 5. Make checks out to "Military Chaplains Association" and send to: Wayne Hoffman, 662 Margarita Avenue, Coronado, CA, 92118. Attendees can be clergy, community leaders, health care providers, counselors, social workers, and anyone with a professional interest in spiritual healing and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

PBS Series: Carrier

PBS will air a new 10-part documentary series about life aboard the USS Nimitz from April 27 - May 10. The official link to the Web site is: http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/ and the description about the series from the site is:

"CARRIER, a 10-part series filmed aboard the USS Nimitz, is a character-driven immersion in the high-stakes world of a nuclear aircraft carrier. The programs follow a core group of film participants, from the admiral of the strike group to the fighter pilots to the youngest sailors, as they navigate personal conflicts around their jobs, families, faith, patriotism, love, the rites of passage and the war on terror."

I won't be able to view this, but would like to know how the filmmakers will treat the topic of "faith" and if they will show any religious diversity among the crew.

Marines and Yoga!

Here is a very interesting article on yoga (looks like they are also doing a little meditation!) offered for Marines and their spouses at Camp Pendleton, California:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,344991,00.html

To give some background, these types of programs are offered through the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps' Spiritual Fitness Division (also formerly known as CREDO). These are available also to Navy and Coast Guard personnel. They do not cost anything to the participants. It's a positive note to see how these beneficial practices are helping our warriors and their families!