God and Country

It isn’t the first time homosexual groups have gathered together to celebrate their…sexuality?…on a military base, but the novelty of their fellowship at US military academies seems to make it newsworthy.  CNN begins it article with factual inaccuracies:

For nearly 17 years, gay and lesbian soldiers were expected to deny their sexuality under threat of dismissal as part of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

Actually, for nearly 17 years, homosexuals were expected not to violate the law Read more…

Master Sgt. Corey Wade of Kandahar, Afghanistan, wrote a letter to the editor that was published on Stars and Stripes.  He was objecting to the widely publicized photo of a homosexual male Marine kissing his partner upon his return from deployment.

The photo you posted in the March 4 Mideast and Pacific editions with the article “Gay Marine’s homecoming kiss gets worldwide notice” is both disgusting and outrageous. It’s bad enough Read more…

The Associated Press reported that a local spike in cases of HIV was attributed to military men seeking sex partners on line.

Of the nine people infected in 2011, eight were men who had sex with other men, according to the agency. Seven were either in the Army in Fairbanks or had sexual partners in the military…

The department released the information because health officials think others may have contracted HIV from the infected people but do not know it yet. Jones said that’s why the department took the unusual step of publicizing the outbreak.

In itself, this is not insignificant:  HIV disqualifies members of the military from overseas service, and a soldier was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison for giving a woman HIV. 

One of the military’s responses to this incident:  Read more…

A group representing “more than half of America’s uniformed chaplains,” the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, decried the decision by the Department of Justice to abstain from defending the Defense of Marriage Act against lawsuits.

Chaplain (Col, Ret) Ron Crews accurately notes the existence of DOMA was often cited by supporters of DADT repeal as a mitigation of critics’ concerns:  Read more…

The Thomas More Law Center has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Center for Military Readiness:

The purpose of the lawsuit is to obtain records believed to show intentional deception by the Pentagon to gain congressional support for repeal of the 1993 law regarding open homosexual conduct in the military, usually called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

The TMLC alleges the Pentagon has

engaged in a pattern of deception in its efforts to persuade Congress to allow open homosexuality in our military.

The lawsuit centers around the premise the Pentagon leaked information to the Washington Post in 2010 to sway public opinion and Congress Read more…

The Jewish Community Centers (JCC) Association has decided to present its Jewish Military Leadership Award to Rear Admiral Herman Shelanski, commander of USS Harry S Truman strike group.  The group said the reasons include RAdm Shelanski’s

consistent concern for the ability of Jews in the Navy to fully express their Jewish identity while they serve their country.

As commander of the carrier USS Harry S Truman, RAdm Shelanski  Read more…

Attorney General Eric Holder has informed Congress that the Obama administration will not defend lawsuits against the US military that seek the benefits of marriage for same-sex couples.

Attorney General Eric Holder [wrote that] the 1996 federal law that defines “spouse” as “person of the opposite sex” is a violation of the Fifth Amendment right to equal protection under the law.

This is consistent with the administration’s previous decision not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, which is now being defended by lawyers from Congress.

The Stars and Stripes notes some deployed American troops filmed a short video under the auspices of OutServe, a homosexual advocacy group, for the “It Gets Better” project,

an initiative created to show young gay and transgender individuals the happiness and potential that awaits them if they can make it through their tumultuous teen years.

The Stripes article was written at the end of January, shortly after the video was posted to YouTube.  There has been little public reaction to the publication.  (As a point of clarification, “transgender” individuals are still banned from military service.)

The video begs an interesting question:  What would the reaction be if uniformed, deployed (and armed) servicemembers posted a YouTube video on behalf of their non-Federal entity extolling the religious Read more…

The 2012 National Character and Leadership Symposium at the US Air Force Academy will be held from 22 to 24 February.  Ross Perot will be the keynote speaker.

Other speakers will come from a variety of backgrounds and careers, including a Medal of Honor recipient and

• Retired Brigadier General Dick Abel, former President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and former Executive Director of the Military Ministry of Read more…

Tracey Cooper-Harris, a US Army veteran, has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.  Though the precise cause of MS is unknown, the VA determined her disease was service connected, qualifying her for disability benefits.  However, her request for spousal benefits was denied because she is in a homosexual relationship not recognized by federal law.  She has now filed a lawsuit as a result.

The couple’s lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in Los Angeles, argues that a federal law and military policy that resulted in the denial of benefits are discriminatory and unconstitutional.

If the couple were straight they would receive Read more…

In an article that actually says very little, the US Army notes nothing has really changed since DADT repeal was implemented.  Part of the reason is “many” homosexual servicemembers have continued to keep their sexual preference to themselves.  The only “change” was the absence of their fear they would be discharged if discovered.

Many “out” gay and lesbian Soldiers say they haven’t noticed much change in Army culture since the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” Sept. 20, and many still remain in the closet to those they serve with.
 
For most, it has been a relief that they can no longer be prosecuted or their Army careers jeopardized for being gay.

One “out” Army NCO said the repeal resulted in a changing perception:  Read more…

By now most of the world is probably aware of the accusation that four US Marines urinated on corpses in what is apparently Afghanistan.  One of the group videotaped the event for posterity.

The event brought out a slew of condemnations from all sides:

• Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta: “This conduct is entirely inappropriate for members of the United States military and does not reflect the standards of values our armed forces are sworn to uphold.”
• Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos: “wholly inconsistent with the high standards of conduct and warrior ethos.”
• Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “It is absolutely inconsistent Read more…

In what is likely an unsurprising result, the review authority has recommended PFC Bradley Manning, accused of disseminating hundreds of thousands of classified documents, face a general court-martial.

Lt. Col. Paul Almanza’s recommendation to try Pfc. Bradley Manning on all 22 counts, including aiding the enemy, now goes Read more…

A CNN blog notes the new for 2012 California law that requires public schools to teach about people who have specific sexual (homosexual) lifestyles:

The “California Fair Education Act” requires that schools teach

lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history and social science curricula.

The law also specifically bans topics that “adversely reflect” on Read more…

Republican Rep. Mike Reynolds of the Oklahoma state legislature has introduced legislation to put “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” back in place for the Oklahoma National Guard.  A similar bill in Virginia last year did not make it to a vote.  Reynolds said the reason was the troops’ request:

The bill is being proposed in response to requests from members of the Oklahoma National Guard, Reynolds said.

The National Guard declined comment, and the relationship Read more…