Navy Chaplain Is Discharged

[Team Infidel]

New York Times
March 2, 2007
Pg. 13

By Laurie Goodstein
Lt. Gordon J. Klingenschmitt, a Navy chaplain, has lost a three-year battle to stay in the chaplain corps after superiors warned him about delivering sectarian Christian prayers and sermons at a sailor’s memorial service and other events attended by religiously diverse audiences. Lieutenant Klingenschmitt, who spent 16 years in the military, became a hero to religious conservatives, but was court-martialed last year for wearing his uniform at a political protest in front of the White House. He received an honorable discharge.

 

[AJChenMPH]

How the :cens: do you get an honorable discharge after being court-martialed?

 

[bulldogg]

Good question.

 

[Gator]

How the :cens: do you get an honorable discharge after being court-martialed?

O-3 after 16 years is not is not exactly setting any speed records for promotion either.
I believe the Army had at one time a RIF or a Bar to Reenlistment for any Officer (not prior enlisted) who could not make O-4 after a few tries.

As far as the Discharge, I could seen a General, perhaps, but Honorable? Sort of takes a bit of the luster off of getting an Honorable Discharge in the first place, if you ask me.

 

[AJChenMPH]

O-3 after 16 years is not is not exactly setting any speed records for promotion either.

He could have been prior enlisted, one of our guys here is an O-3/over 16 because he had spent 11 years as an enlisted Marine. At any rate, that's still pretty :cens:'ed up.

 

[bulldogg]

It is LT and as proof I offer this is the first post I think I have ever seen of yours with the :cen:... LOL, welcome to Junior High.

 

[Padre]

It is hard to find articles on this case that are neutral.

From what I can find, the chaplain certainly breached US Navy regulations by conducting a public protest in uniform and deserves punishment for that aspect of the matter, however it is less clear if his original act of insubordination was indeed insubordination. The case is being appealled according to some sources.

Wikipedia offers a conscise and up-to-date account (but how reliable?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_James_Klingenschmitt

Interestingly The US House of Representatives backed the chaplain H.R. 5122 (section 590), but not the Senate, yet Senator Warner got the Navy to withdraw its prohibition on chaplains using the name Jesus in prayers at religious functions where non-Christians were in attendence - which seems to be what caused the chaplain's act of insubordination. I suspect the chaplain's personality and service-performance did not help his cause.