Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
August 8, 2007 By Louis Hansen, The Virginian-Pilot
HAMPTON -- A general at Langley Air Force Base could face discipline for violating regulations by wearing his uniform in a fundraising video for an evangelical Christian group, according to a government report.
Maj. Gen. Jack Catton, a director at Air Combat Command headquarters , improperly promoted Christian Embassy while serving at the Pentagon in 2004, the inspector general of the Department of Defense concluded after a seven-month investigation.
Seven Air Force and Army officers appeared in video segments filmed in the Pentagon, according to the 45-page report.
Air Force spokesman Dewey Mitchell said Tuesday that any potential punishment would be decided by Catton’s superiors and could range from nothing to administrative action.
Catton remains at his job, which includes long-range planning for planes and facilities, said Maj. Thomas Crosson, a spokesman for the command. He said Catton announced July 5 that he will retire on New Year’s Day after 31 years of service.
According to the report, released late last month , the Pentagon chaplain’s office sponsored a visit by a group from Christian Embassy in 2004.
The non profit group is dedicated to evangelical Christian teachings and relies on donations, according to its Web site. It hosts a weekly prayer meeting at the Pentagon and is affiliated with Campus Crusade for Christ International.
Officials from Christian Embassy did not return two phone calls seeking comment Tuesday.
The group filmed at the Pentagon over several months, despite receiving permission for only a single day of shooting, inspectors found. The video showed various military scenes, emblems and symbols, spliced with interviews of uniformed officers in Pentagon offices.
Appearing in the video, the report said, were Air Force Maj. Gen. Peter Sutton, Catton, Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, Army Brig. Gen. Robert Caslen Jr. and retired Army Chaplain Ralph Benson.
Two other officers – an Air Force colonel in the Air National Guard and an Army lieutenant colonel – were filmed, but their names were redact ed from the report.
Appearing in an executive conference room, Catton praised the fellowship he found at Christian Embassy.
“I’m an old fashioned American, and my first priority is my faith in God, then my family, and then country,” Catton said, according to the report. “I think it’s a huge impact because you have many men and women who are seeking God’s counsel and wisdom as we advise the Chairman (of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and the Secretary of Defense.”
The inspector general concluded that the officers violated the Joint Ethics Regulations by appearing to give the military’s endorsement to a nongovernmental organization.
Catton did not respond to a request for an interview made through Air Force public affairs.
In statements to investigators, Catton and his lawyers said he never intended to violate ethics rules. They argued that Christian Embassy, which has held breakfast prayer meetings and fellowship with the military for more than 25 years, had become a “quasi-Federal entity.”
Catton added that the video was not for his private gain, and he considered it support for the Pentagon chaplain.
Another branch of Campus Crusade for Christ, Military Ministry, is based in Newport News. The ministry’s programs include supplying troops with Bibles, supporting families of deployed military personnel and “introducing the enlisted forces to Jesus Christ,” said Joe Rodriguez, the group’s chief operating officer.
The organization has 320 employees and hundreds of volunteers around the world, he said.
Rodriguez, a retired Army colonel, said his ministry collaborated with the armed forces and was aware that military leaders had to be impartial toward religious groups.
“In our ministry, we generally stay in the safe lane by working through the chaplains of the various installations, and the chaplains understand the rules,” he said.
Staff writer Stephen Vegh contributed to this report.
August 8, 2007 By Louis Hansen, The Virginian-Pilot
HAMPTON -- A general at Langley Air Force Base could face discipline for violating regulations by wearing his uniform in a fundraising video for an evangelical Christian group, according to a government report.
Maj. Gen. Jack Catton, a director at Air Combat Command headquarters , improperly promoted Christian Embassy while serving at the Pentagon in 2004, the inspector general of the Department of Defense concluded after a seven-month investigation.
Seven Air Force and Army officers appeared in video segments filmed in the Pentagon, according to the 45-page report.
Air Force spokesman Dewey Mitchell said Tuesday that any potential punishment would be decided by Catton’s superiors and could range from nothing to administrative action.
Catton remains at his job, which includes long-range planning for planes and facilities, said Maj. Thomas Crosson, a spokesman for the command. He said Catton announced July 5 that he will retire on New Year’s Day after 31 years of service.
According to the report, released late last month , the Pentagon chaplain’s office sponsored a visit by a group from Christian Embassy in 2004.
The non profit group is dedicated to evangelical Christian teachings and relies on donations, according to its Web site. It hosts a weekly prayer meeting at the Pentagon and is affiliated with Campus Crusade for Christ International.
Officials from Christian Embassy did not return two phone calls seeking comment Tuesday.
The group filmed at the Pentagon over several months, despite receiving permission for only a single day of shooting, inspectors found. The video showed various military scenes, emblems and symbols, spliced with interviews of uniformed officers in Pentagon offices.
Appearing in the video, the report said, were Air Force Maj. Gen. Peter Sutton, Catton, Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, Army Brig. Gen. Robert Caslen Jr. and retired Army Chaplain Ralph Benson.
Two other officers – an Air Force colonel in the Air National Guard and an Army lieutenant colonel – were filmed, but their names were redact ed from the report.
Appearing in an executive conference room, Catton praised the fellowship he found at Christian Embassy.
“I’m an old fashioned American, and my first priority is my faith in God, then my family, and then country,” Catton said, according to the report. “I think it’s a huge impact because you have many men and women who are seeking God’s counsel and wisdom as we advise the Chairman (of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and the Secretary of Defense.”
The inspector general concluded that the officers violated the Joint Ethics Regulations by appearing to give the military’s endorsement to a nongovernmental organization.
Catton did not respond to a request for an interview made through Air Force public affairs.
In statements to investigators, Catton and his lawyers said he never intended to violate ethics rules. They argued that Christian Embassy, which has held breakfast prayer meetings and fellowship with the military for more than 25 years, had become a “quasi-Federal entity.”
Catton added that the video was not for his private gain, and he considered it support for the Pentagon chaplain.
Another branch of Campus Crusade for Christ, Military Ministry, is based in Newport News. The ministry’s programs include supplying troops with Bibles, supporting families of deployed military personnel and “introducing the enlisted forces to Jesus Christ,” said Joe Rodriguez, the group’s chief operating officer.
The organization has 320 employees and hundreds of volunteers around the world, he said.
Rodriguez, a retired Army colonel, said his ministry collaborated with the armed forces and was aware that military leaders had to be impartial toward religious groups.
“In our ministry, we generally stay in the safe lane by working through the chaplains of the various installations, and the chaplains understand the rules,” he said.
Staff writer Stephen Vegh contributed to this report.