Thanks for the responses.  Please note that I have also made changes to messages_en.properties, ensured that the changes were in my deployed .war directory within /jboss/server, and still I receive the entire JSF stack and no noticeable change to the validation message.  The only thing I can think of at this point is that at one point we added an <f:load-bundle> in our Seam template for a properties file other then messages_en.properties.

Below is my entire /resources/messages_en.properties file.

up=\u2191
down=\u2193
left=\u2039
right=\u203A

validator.assertFalse=validation failed
validator.assertTrue=validation failed
validator.future=must be a future date
validator.length=length must be between {min} and {max}
validator.max=must be less than or equal to {value}
validator.min=must be greater than or equal to {value}
validator.notNull=may not be null
validator.past=must be a past date
validator.pattern=must match "{regex}"
validator.range=must be between {min} and {max}
validator.size=size must be between {min} and {max}
validator.email=must be a well-formed email address

org.jboss.seam.loginFailed=Login failed
#org.jboss.seam.loginSuccessful=Welcome, #0
org.jboss.seam.loginSuccessful=

org.jboss.seam.TransactionFailed=Transaction failed
org.jboss.seam.NoConversation=The conversation ended, timed out or was processing another request
org.jboss.seam.IllegalNavigation=Illegal navigation
org.jboss.seam.ProcessEnded=Process #0 already ended
org.jboss.seam.ProcessNotFound=Process #0 not found
org.jboss.seam.TaskEnded=Task #0 already ended
org.jboss.seam.TaskNotFound=Task #0 not found
org.jboss.seam.NotLoggedIn=Please log in first

javax.faces.component.UIInput.CONVERSION=value could not be converted to the expected type
javax.faces.component.UIInput.REQUIRED=value TEST is required
javax.faces.component.UIInput.UPDATE=an error occurred when processing your submitted information
javax.faces.component.UISelectOne.INVALID=value is not valid
javax.faces.component.UISelectMany.INVALID=value is not valid

javax.faces.converter.BigDecimalConverter.DECIMAL=value must be a number
javax.faces.converter.BigDecimalConverter.DECIMAL_detail=value must be a signed decimal number consisting of zero or more digits, optionally followed by a decimal point and fraction, eg. {1}
javax.faces.converter.BigIntegerConverter.BIGINTEGER=value must be an integer
javax.faces.converter.BigIntegerConverter.BIGINTEGER_detail=value must be a signed integer number consisting of zero or more digits
javax.faces.converter.BooleanConverter.BOOLEAN=value must be true or false
javax.faces.converter.BooleanConverter.BOOLEAN_detail=value must be true or false (any value other than true will evaluate to false)
javax.faces.converter.ByteConverter.BYTE=value must be a number between 0 and 255
javax.faces.converter.ByteConverter.BYTE_detail=value must be a number between 0 and 255
javax.faces.converter.CharacterConverter.CHARACTER=value must be a character
javax.faces.converter.CharacterConverter.CHARACTER_detail=value must be a valid ASCII character
javax.faces.converter.DateTimeConverter.DATE=value must be a date
javax.faces.converter.DateTimeConverter.DATE_detail=value must be a date,  eg. {1}
javax.faces.converter.DateTimeConverter.TIME=value must be a time
javax.faces.converter.DateTimeConverter.TIME_detail=value must be a time,  eg. {1}
javax.faces.converter.DateTimeConverter.DATETIME=value must be a date and time
javax.faces.converter.DateTimeConverter.DATETIME_detail=value must be a date and time,  eg. {1}
javax.faces.converter.DateTimeConverter.PATTERN_TYPE=a pattern or type attribute must be specified to convert the value
javax.faces.converter.DoubleConverter.DOUBLE=value must be a number
javax.faces.converter.DoubleConverter.DOUBLE_detail=value must be a number between 4.9E-324 and 1.7976931348623157E308
javax.faces.converter.EnumConverter.ENUM=value must be convertible to an enum
javax.faces.converter.EnumConverter.ENUM_detail=value must be convertible to an enum or from the enum that contains the constant {1}
javax.faces.converter.EnumConverter.ENUM_NO_CLASS=value must be convertible to an enum or from the enum, but no enum class provided
javax.faces.converter.EnumConverter.ENUM_NO_CLASS_detail=value must be convertible to an enum or from the enum, but no enum class provided
javax.faces.converter.FloatConverter.FLOAT=value must be a number
javax.faces.converter.FloatConverter.FLOAT_detail=value must be a number between 1.4E-45 and 3.4028235E38
javax.faces.converter.IntegerConverter.INTEGER=value must be an integer
javax.faces.converter.IntegerConverter.INTEGER_detail=value must be an integer number between -2147483648 and 2147483647
javax.faces.converter.LongConverter.LONG=value must be an integer
javax.faces.converter.LongConverter.LONG_detail=must be an integer number between -9223372036854775808 and 9223372036854775807
javax.faces.converter.NumberConverter.CURRENCY=value must be a currency amount
javax.faces.converter.NumberConverter.CURRENCY_detail=value must be a currency amount, eg. {1}
javax.faces.converter.NumberConverter.PERCENT=value must be a percentage amount
javax.faces.converter.NumberConverter.PERCENT_detail=value must be a percentage amount, eg. {1}
javax.faces.converter.NumberConverter.NUMBER=value must be a number
javax.faces.converter.NumberConverter.NUMBER_detail=value must be a number
javax.faces.converter.NumberConverter.PATTERN=value must be a number
javax.faces.converter.NumberConverter.PATTERN_detail=value must be a number
javax.faces.converter.ShortConverter.SHORT=value must be an integer
javax.faces.converter.ShortConverter.SHORT_detail=value must be an integer number between -32768 and 32767

javax.faces.validator.DoubleRangeValidator.MAXIMUM=value must be less than or equal to {0}
javax.faces.validator.DoubleRangeValidator.MINIMUM=value must be greater than or equal to {0}
javax.faces.validator.DoubleRangeValidator.NOT_IN_RANGE=value must be between {0} and {1}
javax.faces.validator.DoubleRangeValidator.TYPE=value is not of the correct type
javax.faces.validator.LengthValidator.MAXIMUM=value is must be shorter than or equal to {0} characters
javax.faces.validator.LengthValidator.MINIMUM=value is must be longer than or equal to {0} characters
javax.faces.validator.LongRangeValidator.MAXIMUM=value must be less than or equal to {0}
javax.faces.validator.LongRangeValidator.MINIMUM=value must be greater than or equal to {0}
javax.faces.validator.LongRangeValidator.NOT_IN_RANGE=value must be between {0} and {1}
javax.faces.validator.LongRangeValidator.TYPE=value is not of the correct type

javax.faces.validator.NOT_IN_RANGE=value must be between {0} and {1}
javax.faces.converter.STRING=value could not be converted to a string'

Pete,

Here is our faces-config.  I've tried different combinations, including removing the messages message bundle all together.  Do you think that calling ...

<f:loadBundle basename="global_messages" var="globalMsg"/>

... in our default template may have something to do with this problem?  Perhaps the f:loadBundle is causing a conflict?  Keep in mind that "global_messages" is just another properties file with some custom (non-validation) messages.  Thanks.

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<!DOCTYPE faces-config PUBLIC
          "-//Sun Microsystems, Inc.//DTD JavaServer Faces Config 1.1//EN"
          "http://java.sun.com/dtd/web-facesconfig_1_1.dtd">

<faces-config>
    <application>
         <message-bundle>messages</message-bundle>
         <message-bundle>da_messages</message-bundle>
         <message-bundle>form_descriptors</message-bundle>
         <message-bundle>global_messages</message-bundle>
         <message-bundle>pm_messages</message-bundle>
          <locale-config>
               <default-locale>en</default-locale>
          </locale-config>
    </application>
<!-- 
    <lifecycle>
        <phase-listener>org.jboss.seam.jsf.TransactionalSeamPhaseListener</phase-listener>
    </lifecycle>
 -->
 
      <navigation-rule> 
        <from-view-id>/pm/pds/retirement/retirementDetailsStep1.xhtml</from-view-id> 
         <navigation-case> 
           <from-outcome>next</from-outcome> 
           <to-view-id>/pm/pds/retirement/retirementDetailsStep2.xhtml</to-view-id> 
         </navigation-case> 
     </navigation-rule>
     <navigation-rule> 
        <from-view-id>/pm/pds/retirement/retirementDetailsStep2.xhtml</from-view-id> 
         <navigation-case> 
           <from-outcome>previous</from-outcome> 
           <to-view-id>/pm/pds/retirement/retirementDetailsStep1.xhtml</to-view-id> 
         </navigation-case> 
         <navigation-case> 
           <from-outcome>next</from-outcome> 
           <to-view-id>/pm/pds/retirement/retirementDetailsStep3.xhtml</to-view-id> 
         </navigation-case> 
      </navigation-rule>
      <navigation-rule> 
        <from-view-id>/pm/pds/retirement/retirementDetailsStep3.xhtml</from-view-id> 
         <navigation-case> 
           <from-outcome>previous</from-outcome> 
           <to-view-id>/pm/pds/retirement/retirementDetailsStep2.xhtml</to-view-id> 
         </navigation-case>
         <navigation-case> 
           <from-outcome>next</from-outcome> 
           <to-view-id>/pm/pds/retirement/confirmRetirement.xhtml</to-view-id> 
         </navigation-case>  
      </navigation-rule>
      <navigation-rule> 
        <from-view-id>/pm/pds/retirement/confirmRetirement.xhtml</from-view-id> 
         <navigation-case> 
           <from-outcome>previous</from-outcome> 
           <to-view-id>/pm/pds/retirement/retirementDetailsStep3.xhtml</to-view-id> 
         </navigation-case>  
      </navigation-rule>   

</faces-config>

Thanks, Pete.  I will remove the message bundle and let you know the results.  I suppose our f-load bundle won't work after I do this, though...we'll have to see.

Thanks for the quick replies.

Pete,

That worked.  And it's looking for the file under /resources/WEB-INF/classes, is that right? 

Now I need to research using Seam messages the proper way.

Thanks!