I wish it were that easy. Chartering military Lodges outside of our jurisdiction may create big problems.
Apparently doing so is a big no no with the glotx and many other gl's. I've been told this is one of the issues we'll have to resolve with the phglotx before full relations.
I have been working in Afghanistan, and Iraq for over six years. I am in Kandahar, Afghanistan now. It is a puzzlement to me, why people in the USA, and especially the leadership of Grand Lodges, are scared to death of chartering a lodge in this part of the world. Why do you think it will create "big problems"? The first lodges chartered in the American colonies, were British military lodges. Many of the masons made in these lodges, went on to found the United States. The Grand Lodges of the USA, have been chartering military lodges, since the War between the states (1861-1865), and probably before that. (historical records are incomplete). The Grand Lodge of the state of New York Chartered Land, Sea, and Air Lodge #1, in 1917. This lodge has been active in the WW1, WW2, Korean, and Vietnam, and Iraq. Its most recent meeting was in November 2005, at Speicher Iraq. See
http://www.esmason.com Fall 2005 issue, page 32.
The charter for this lodge was returned to New York( by me), and the charter hangs in a museum in New York City. The Grand Lodge of New York has not yet decided to issue a new working charter for this lodge.
There are Prince Hall lodges operating all over Iraq and Afghanistan. There is not one, repeat not one F&AMGrand Lodge in the entire United States of America, which has seen fit to issue a charter for a lodge in South-West Asia, since November 2005. I have tried, I have written to the leadership of about a dozen Grand Lodges, and not one has shown any interest at all, in chartering a lodge for the soldiers and civilians on military bases here. Most don't even answer my mail. All I see is indifference.
There is no "Grand Lodge of Afghanistan" nor "Grand Lodge of Iraq". I am certain that the MWPHGL of Oklahoma and Texas, which charter the Prince Hall lodges here, would have no objection to the chartering of additional lodges here. At Camp Victory, Iraq, there are four (4) lodges, and two (2) eastern star chapters, all of which are PH affiliated. There is no problem at all with "turf", any Grand Lodge in the USA, could charter any lodge, any time it wanted to, without any permission or consultation with Prince Hall (Grand Lodges).
The Grand Lodge of Nebraska initiated a program, where any 15 Masons, could get a charter from the GL of Neb. The GL of Neb would provide a complete "lodge in a box", and ship it to Afghanistan. This program was called "Swisher kits", named for Lt. Swisher, the first Nebraska freemason, to be killed in Iraq. The word got around quickly, that no Grand Lodge in the USA would accept the degree work, from any of these Nebraska military lodges. The program was dropped, before it even got off the ground. No military lodge was ever chartered by the Grand Lodge of Nebraska.
As a Freemason, I am personally embarrassed, and ashamed, that no Grand Lodge, anywhere in the USA, has shown any interest in providing Freemasonry, to the troops and civilians in south-west Asia. The soil here is red with the blood of patriots, many Freemasons have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the only response we get from the Masonic community in the USA, is indifference.
"The opposite of love, is not hate. The opposite of love is indifference." -Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize winner, and holocaust survivor.