According to Navy releases, a US Navy T-45C Goshawk ran off the end of the runway at Kingsville Naval Air Station, Texas, on June 10th. The report indicated the successful ejection of a single pilot (the T-45C is a two-seat aircraft) with minor injuries. The accident will be investigated by the Navy.
Previous discussions have highlighted research papers from Professional Military Education (PME) courses that have addressed topics of religion in the military. Again, as noted at the time, these papers are the result of an academic course of study and do not reflect official positions or policies. The fact that religion in the military is coming up so frequently as a topic, however, does say something about the current culture.
Yet another example of this trend is the paper “Constructing Religious Empathy in the US Military” (pdf) by USAF Major Jess Drab; the paper was written for the US Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College in 2008.
In the paper, Drab argues that while some believe religion in the military should Read more
Afghan nationals recently enjoyed their exercise of free speech when they burned the Pope in effigy. Apparently, the Pope (whose effigy had green shirt and tie with jean shorts, and who had to be identified to the press) is somehow responsible for the actions of the two aid groups recently accused of proselytizing.
As asinine as their accusations are, they are certainly free to make them, with at least some thanks to US and NATO forces that have helped secure their country. (Arguably, the Taliban may have also permitted, or even required, such an anti-US rally.) The disturbing part is the Afghan’s total lack of comprehension of religious freedom:
“We are demonstrating to express our disgust towards the activities of Christians trying to covert Afghans,” student Abdul Karim told AFP.
“We want the government of Afghanistan to find those people, try them and punish them. We want both the converted and those who have converted them to be brought to justice and punished,” he said. (emphasis added)
And yes, American military forces are supporting a foreign government under which Mr. Karim’s demands are actually actionable.
After some early experiments, the Air Force announced that it is establishing an official, dedicated “undergraduate RPA training (URT)” pipeline. The first class is slated to begin in October 2010.
According to the release, RPA (UAV) pilots will be part of the 18X career field, which is a rated field equivalent to traditional aviators. They will receive aviation incentive pay, and incur a 6 year active duty service commitment.
A running joke in military pilot training is that if it gets too difficult, you can always quit and become a truck driver. In fact, the phone number for truck driving schools is often posted on the flight bulletin boards. While perhaps a little insensitive to those in the truck driving profession, it makes a valid point: no one is making you do this. It’s your choice: do your best, or quit.
If nothing else, should a pilot training student decide to Read more
Former US Marine 2nd Lieutenant Adam Ballard has given his excuse for his lapse in integrity, in which he cheated on a land navigation test: everybody’s doing it, and it was the school’s fault:
Ballard admits his actions were wrong but said they were facilitated by “inordinately lax procedures at [the basic officer school]…”
Over half of the three hundred Marines in our company possessed the same information that I had and that those numbers were comparable, if not more, in all the other training companies past and present…
As noted here often, neither a “culture” that seems to encourage cheating, nor a tangible disadvantage for not cheating are excuses for making the “easier” wrong choice.
A moving memorial was held for US Army Major Ronald “Wayne” Culver, killed by an IED in Iraq on May 24th. The Chaplain, a friend of the Major, spoke of his faith and his salvation:
The service continued with the chaplain speaking of the major’s faith and how he knew he would see his friend in heaven. He choked up at the podium and the squadron command sergeant major walked across the stage to support him. The room was deathly silent, save for the sound of more than 500 battle-tested Soldiers sniffling.
Prayer and the playing of Amazing Grace on bagpipes, another military memorial tradition with spiritual undertones, was Read more
Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has a long commentary on the proposed “repeal” of the policy best known as “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” His position is fairly clear:
Make no mistake: The repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy will present a clear and present threat to the religious liberty of those who wear the American uniform, and especially to those who serve as chaplains.
Unless something alters the political context, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is about to become history, and the U.S. military is about to be changed forever. The summer of 2010 may well turn out to be a watershed season in this nation’s life and history. Is anyone paying attention?
Chuck Colson, a noted Christian leader and author, has also made a similar argument. See the prior commentaries from Archbishop Timothy Broglio and Richard Land.