Mormon Military Missionaries

In Honolulu, Lloyd and Ann will be working on military bases as Military Relations Specialists Missionaries. Here is some information I found in a Desert News article by Joe Walker about the program.

"The most recent numbers from the Defense Manpower Data Center indicate there are nearly 20,000 Latter-day Saints on active military duty — 7,174 in the Army, 2,694 in the Navy, 2,486 in the Marines and 5,787 in the Air Force — among the top 10 most common religious preferences in the U.S. armed forces. For those who choose to enlist, local LDS leaders provide a pre-military orientation meeting so they can know what to expect regarding church services and activities for those in the military, Purdy said. The orientation 'offers suggestions on how service men and women can remain faithful and practice their religion in the armed forces,' he explained.

There are also 64 retired military couples serving as senior missionaries at U.S. military bases around the world. Purdy said these couples assist local church leaders in serving and encouraging LDS service men and women.

'Stake presidents and bishops around the world are responsible for making the blessings of church participation available to service men and women,' Purdy said. 'Members in the military normally participate in wards or branches located near their military installations. In some instances, a new branch or service member group may be formed for deployed members of the church.'"

 http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765608238/God-and-Country-Mormons-mix-missions-military-service.html?pg=all