In an interesting turnabout, the Air Force is responding to a tightening budget by canceling the much vaunted RQ-4 Global Hawk program and extending the life of the manned U-2 it was intended to replace. The decision reportedly affects the Block 30 Global Hawk, but not the Block 40 or Navy variants.
The Air Force wants to terminate the Block 30 Northrop Read more…
US Navy Captain Owen Honors, removed from his command of the USS Enterprise over videos he made in prior years, is set to retire in April. His “XO Movie Nights” from 2006 and 2007 were forwarded to the media last year. Despite an otherwise remarkable lead up to his command, he was fired.
Previously, a review board found fault with his conduct but did not require that he be removed from the service.
Investigators determined pilot error caused the 6 April 2011 crash of a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet near Lemoore Naval Air Station, California. Both the pilot and the backseat NFO were killed.
The pilot, Lt. Matthew I. Lowe, 33, of Plantation, Fla., and the plane’s weapons officer, Lt. Nathan H. “Beefcake” Williams, 28, of Oswego, N.Y., were Read more…
Recently, reports seemed to say the US government had made its decision regarding the light attack aircraft it would provide Afghanistan. A more recent article, however, indicates a “battle” may yet be brewing over the procurement plan.
The feud between Hawker Beechcraft and Sierra Nevada Corporation over the Light Air Support contract has escalated from Read more…
In a move that will likely cause Michael Weinstein, Richard Baker, Leah Burton and other conspiracy theorists to have heart palpitations, author Mark Andrews has released an eBook entitled Sword of the Covenant.
The premise: The US “lacks the political will” to help prevent the annihilation of Israel by Iran, so two top Pentagon officials try to convince USAF fighter pilots in Turkey and US Navy fighter pilots on a gulf-based aircraft carrier — all evangelical Christians — to launch Read more…
Navy Chaplain (Lt) Eric Hammen has been FOB-hopping from outpost to outpost in Afghanistan, as many chaplains have — serving US servicemembers even in their very foxholes.
To have the opportunity to go out and minister, that’s really special to me.
The US Air Force recently awarded a contract to provide “at least 20 A-29 Super Tucanos” to Afghanistan. The light attack aircraft was competing with the Hawker Beechcraft AT-6, a modified version of the T-6 currently used by both the USAF and US Navy. The Air Force has also been flying an AT-6 in Arizona in a “non-acquisition program.”
The deal was contracted with Sierra Nevada Corp, though the Super Tucano itself is a product of Brazil-based Read more…
US Navy sailors with the religious ministry teams of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group were instructed in Marine Corps leadership traits and principles in a recent professional education course. (The Marine Corps uses the Navy chaplaincy program.)
One class was taught by Sgt. Maj. Herbert W. Wrench, the 2nd Marine Logistics Group sergeant major, one of the senior leaders within the group.
The training was primarily an overview of how the Marines work in comparison to the Navy, something the SgtMaj says few sailors take the time to understand. By taking the time, the members of the religious support teams increased their ability to minister to the Marines they will serve.
In an era in which society encourages each to do his own thing, and “right” is a relative term, a recent study seems to indicate many people do inherently have an understanding of morality at their core — and this may sometimes conflict with the actions required by military combat:
The conflicts that troops feel can range from survivor guilt from living through an attack where other troops died, to witnessing or participating in the unintentional killing of women or children, said researchers involved in the study.
The key quote comes near the end of the article: Combat experienced US Marines were the subject group, and the study showed
Their condition [PTSD] was more closely linked to an inner conflict Read more…
The unmanned K-MAX helicopter, an experimental UAV deployed to Afghanistan, has reportedly made its first successful resupply mission.
A detachment of Marines from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 moved about 3,500 pounds of food and supplies to troops at Combat Outpost Payne using an unmanned K-MAX helicopter on Dec. 17…
The concept is intended to reduce risk to both ground and helicopter-based resupply missions.
Updated: Also the top story at FoxNews.
A few examples of the US military’s commitment to supporting its servicemembers through their religious celebrations:
At Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, a Christmas Eve candlelight service was the “culminating event over the month of celebration.”
US Army Chief of Chaplains MajGen Donald Rutherford presided over a Christmas Eve Catholic Mass at Camp Buehring, Kuwait.
Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Norton Schwartz Read more…
An experimental F-35C recently launched from the US Navy’s experimental Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). Though it was not the first fighter to do so, it may very well be the first single-engine aircraft major weapons system launched by a US Navy catapult of any kind in some time. By the time the F-35 is operational, the EMALS will likely be established on the Gerald R. Ford class of carriers, assuming no major issues in each program.
The DoD published the video on YouTube.
The Buddhist Military Sangha announced the entrance of Lt Niphon Suk into the US Army Chaplain Candidate program. It appears he may be the third US Army Buddhist chaplain; the Navy also has two or three.
Chaplain (Maj.) Paul G. Passamonti, a US military chaplain stationed in Japan, and Chaplain (Maj.) James O’Neal, stationed in Korea, have received the Catholic “Order of the Holy Sepulchre,” bestowed upon less than 1,000 priests around the world.
The Order is the successor of a military force that was Read more…
US Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) wrote a letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus questioning why no US Marine has been awarded for their actions in Libya — despite the very public search and rescue of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle crew.
“It has come to my attention that no awards or recognition have been approved for Marine aviators who flew combat missions over Libya,” Hunter wrote in a recent letter to Mabus. Read more…
God and Country is a ministry of ChristianFighterPilot.com.
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of any government, military, or religious organization.
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