USS John C. Stennis CVN-74

Presently I am serving the US Navy onboard the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), I am the Ships Pagan/Wiccan Lay Leader leading a group of 50 attendants in weekly meetings and informal services. I have 14 years in the Navy, and I am a senior second-class petty officer. This ship is currently deployed at sea performing operations in and around the Persian Gulf.

Currently I facilitate 2 study groups a week and have ship's company and squadron personnel in attendance. I report my attendance numbers to the chaplains, and I believe our faith group has the largest numbers of attendance on the ship. I think this is an example of how much this religious path is growing, and needs religious representation in the chaplain's corps and all branches of the military, in my opinion. With the recent approval of the Department of Veterans Affairs recognition of the Pentacle as the observed symbol for headstones (http://www.cem.va.gov/), maybe its time for the Department of Defense and Congress to introduce a process where we can have Pagan or Wiccan Chaplain's.

There are a few people in the group like my self who have been in the Navy for some time, and who have been practicing pagans and wiccans for a few years. However, there is an increase in Navy personnel interested in finding out more about Paganism/Wicca and we are making great strides to accommodate the new interest but the ranks of experienced leadership are few. We do our best to explain basic religious concepts and ethics to better inform our members. However from time to time, we have to put out more complex information, and our resources are limited on board so we outsource to more experienced pagans and wiccans, like Trudy Herring, of Summerland Grove (www.summerland.org/), or Amy M. Weiss, of Chalice Hart - Aquarian Tabernacle Church (http://www.chalicehart.org/).

Without Pagan or Wiccan informative leadership such as this, our study group would not exist. Both Mrs. Herring and Weiss have written letters that were used to help my certification as a Lay Leader. I also have to state that the process I had to go through recently for Re-certification was one of the hardest I have ever had to do, and I have to thank a female Unitarian chaplain who is no longer here for helping me see the reasoning behind continuing to be a Lay Leader, and motivating me to continue forward.

Currently we do not hold ritual services onboard the JCS. All religious services on the ship have to be open to any one who is interested, and the climate of the Navy is still such, that in my opinion, open practice of Pagan and Wiccan rituals could bring about unneeded attention.

Sadly, as much as views and opinions in the civilian sector change, the same cannot always be stated about the military. There are individuals practicing traditional religions who are very passionate about their views and how things should be handled, and one of my goals is to achieve our success without leading to un-needed confrontation.

The Military is one of the few places where discrimination of any type is not allowed. The navy is no exception to that rule. However, the religious climate of the navy is a very judo-christen one, where acceptance of pagan's in the enlisted mess is mildly tolerated, however in the ward rooms (Officers Mess), and chief's messes it still not really allowed, or accepted. I have heard that there are several officers and chief's that would come to the meetings, however they won't because of the affect it could have on their overall naval career.

As I close this article let me say that my four years onboard this ship are coming to an end in July, this brings both great joy and sorrow for the following reasons. Joy because, I am going home to be with my family, and I will have the opportunity to attend a 7-month long school in Pensacola, Florida. Sorrow, because I have to step down as a ship's Lay Leader, a duty I have held every time the ship has been out to sea since January 2004. I think the person who is taking over the group will to a great job but I also concern myself for the challenges ahead for all Pagans on board. I will miss my shipmates greatly, and hope for their future success, both in leadership and attendance in the promoting of Pagan and Wiccan faiths.