Lakewood, NJ – Shortly before Thanksgiving, Deputy Mayor Menashe Miller, a Captain in the Air Force reserve was deployed to Iraq to provide military mission support there, which includes counseling; giving ministry to people of all faiths, even those not religiously affiliated; and accompanying convoys to provide moral support.
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Captain Miller has made it a point to devote himself to others both nationally and locally. Besides his military service and contributions to the troops, Captain Miller has also been devoted to giving back to his community on a local level by serving on the Lakewood Township Committee, to which he was elected in 2003.
Raymond Coles, former Lakewood mayor and a member of the Township Committee, says, During his eight years on the Township Committee, it is obvious that Menashe is someone who is sincerely devoted to helping others, and not someone who is serving to enrich himself or advance some hidden agenda.
Captain Miller was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 2002. After attending officer training school at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 2003, he graduated as a First Lieutenant. In 2004, Captain Miller was promoted to Captain, and has been selected to be promoted to Major later this year. Captain Miller is a part of the 87th Air Base Wing, formerly a part of the 305th Air Mobility Wing.
Captain Miller says, As a Jew, and especially an Orthodox Jew, I feel a strong responsibility to give back to our country. My familymy great grandparents and their grandparentshave been persecuted in many countries for generations just for being Jewish. This is the first country in hundreds of years to actually allow people religious freedom and an expression of individuality. Joining the U.S. military is my way of giving back to this wonderful country.
Reserve training usually consists of two weeks of training in the summer and one day a month. This past summer, however, Captain Miller spent an additional six weeks in training.
The men and women in the military always enjoyed having me on Base, says Captain Miller, because while I dont work on Shabbos (the Sabbath), they always appreciated having an extra pair of hands to take the calls on holidays like Christmas and New Years. I was able to pinch hit on those holidays to give someone else time with their family.
Even when he is not on duty, Captain Miller is always available for calls from any base personnel who have questions about faith, family, or any other area. Unfortunately, the military has had a high suicide rate in recent years, and the chaplaincy is working very hard to reach those who need help, says Captain Miller.
Before being deployed, Captain Miller went through a rigorous training and out-processing, which included inoculations against anthrax, small pox vaccine, and typhoid. He also received additional training, specialized for a combat zone.
Going to a hostile environment always makes a person apprehensive about what he or she may encounter; but I have full faith in God and that he gives strength to the United States military.
Captain Miller, the father of six children, expects to return to Lakewood at the beginning of 2011.
Why aren’t more people like him?? Instead they hang around the coffee rooms of various yeshivas and waste time surfing the internet. This is a real kiddush hashem.
Why do I smell that he is planning on running for either Congressman or some other post and this is his first salvo? [It happens to be that he is a wonderful individual, bain odom l’chavairo]
He is strongly being considered to be Mayor of Lakewood starting in Jan.
Mayor Major Menashe Miller. (-:
I give Captain Miller credit; he is a credit to the American Jewish community. In many cases, when gentiles in the U.S. military meet Captain Miller, it is the first time that they have ever met a Jew, let alone a religious Jew. We need more frum Jews as him, serving in the U.S. military.
H”. yishmor tzeischoh uvoechoh. Ki besimchoh seitzeiuh ubesholom tovouh
Wish him much Haztlacha! A true mentch.
As a veteran myself, I appreciate what he’s doing—his love of country and hakores hatov to America, and attitude of service to others. A real kiddush Hashem.
We orthodox jews are proud with such a yid, u can see on his face that’s he’s a great and kind person!
May Hashem protect this wonderful individual while he is in a dangerous land. He should “gey gezunet, zie gezunt and kum gezunt.”
As a Jewish American and a Veteran of the Viet Nam War era I am very pround of Captain Miller.
#4 I like your comments…#9 how do you know that #4 hasn’t served?
Debates aside…I wish him well and may he and all the others serving return safe and well. G-D Bless America!
A true Kiddush Hashem—This reminds me of my father’s z”l and uncle’s z”l stories of their WW-2 service as combat chaplains for our US Army in Italy and CBI–especially filling in to allow the non-jews time off to celebrate their Holy Days— Sincere Thanksgiving Day thanks to Hashem for allowing us to live in and serve our beloved USA!! May Hashem watch over him in all his ways, guard his going out and his coming in, and bring him safely home to his family and Klal Yisroel!!!!