Article May 9, 1959 Issue

Activities for the Armed Services

Today, because the world is sufficiently at peace, the Armed Forces of the United States, England, and other nations permit the families of service personnel to accompany them from installation to installation and to travel to overseas areas. Such movement of families, or "dependents," as they are known by the Armed Forces, is not possible during periods of war. Consequently, during World Wars I and II and during the Korean War, Christian Science Activities for the Armed Services devoted itself primarily to assisting Christian Scientists in uniform and so gave less aid to dependents. Since the end of the Korean War, this department of The Mother Church has given increasing help to dependents.

From the standpoint of the Armed Forces, dependents are those individuals who have been listed by service personnel on their service records as dependents. Usually enlisted men and officers list as their dependents only their immediate families, that is, their wives and children. However, there may be occasional exceptions to this general rule. Dependents who are Christian Scientists do not have to be the relatives of Christian Scientists in the Armed Forces to receive the ministrations of Christian Science Chaplains, Ministers, and Representatives. As long as they state that their religious preference is Christian Science, they may be included in the activities of these field workers.

The Armed Forces of the United States classify service personnel and their dependents as part of the military establishment, and in consequence grant them free medication and hospitalization, post exchange and commissary privileges, and other fringe benefits. Other countries that have Christian Science service personnel follow similar Armed Forces policies. Cognizant of this situation, Christian Science Activities for the Armed Services gives free Christian Science literature and treatment to Christian Scientists and their dependents in the Armed Forces.

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