Tag Archives: USAFA

SecAF: “Do What is Right for Our Air Force”

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Outgoing Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, addressing the US Air Force Academy graduating class of 2013, “implored the cadets” to defend the character of the Air Force:

“Each of you is responsible for the character of this Air Force, and its reputation,” Donley said. “And I therefore charge you to serve with integrity, and by example — to lead, to say and to do what is right for our Air Force.”

Serve with integrity and character.  Do the right thing.  It seems like the Air Force is encouraging a high moral standard.

Living morally is consistent with Christian officership, but doing the right thing is also consistent with professional officership.  Unfortunately, a few forget that the right choice is not always the easy choice.  Fortunately, “right” normally prevails, even if at some cost.

US Air Force Cockpit Atheist Speaks on Christian Troops

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A 2011 graduate of the US Air Force Academy is apparently making his mark as a “cockpit atheist” US Air Force officer (and, presumably, an eventual Air Force pilot).

The cockpit atheist is a “militant” atheist, in his own words, and apparently has a famous umbrella.

As noted previously, some people seem to think the Air Force, or the US military, is overrun by Christians.  A few think military officers aren’t allowed to speak out about their religious beliefs.

It seems the cockpit atheist undermines the former point and disagrees with the latter.  The Lieutenant has taken not only to the internet with his religious beliefs and his status as an Air Force officer, but also to a small variety of atheist events from Rock Continue reading →

Atheist Supports Restricting Military Religious Freedom

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Jason Torpy, the one-man band that is the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, recently posted a point-by-point refutation of recent accusations of the US military being hostile to Christianity.

Much of his disagreement was nuance or the way in which something was phrased, which isn’t worth discussing here.  The interesting ones, though, were the cases in which he agreed with the US military’s “anti-Christian” actions:

January 2010 — Department of Defense orders removal of tiny Bible references on military scopes and gunsights.
Torpy: True and appropriate.

This issue has been discussed before.  While there is no religious requirement the references remain, the fact they were targeted because of their (obscure) religious reference — only after Michael Weinstein complained, notably – is troubling.  That he would seek this Continue reading →

Sally Quinn Jumps Shark, Blames Sexual Assault on Religion

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As previously noted, Sally Quinn of the Washington Post has become the latest version of Pam Zubeck, the CSIndy “journalist” who is actually an advocate of Michael Weinstein’s cause.  While it has become obvious Quinn is in the tank with Weinstein, it wasn’t clear until this weekend just how far she was willing to go.

In an article on sexual assault in the military — carefully crafted to get visibility because its on a topic of great interest right now — Quinn lays the responsibility for sexual assault in the military at the feet of…religion.

And guess who her source is?

Take the Cadets for Christ, a religious group at the Air Force Academy. According to Mikey Weinstein, Continue reading →

USAFA Thunderbirds Replaced with Volunteers

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The traditional Thunderbird flyby of the US Air Force Academy graduation was canceled, reportedly due to budget concerns.  A group of private aerial demonstration teams has volunteered to fill in the awkward silence that would otherwise mark the hat-toss.

Academy officials said Thursday that more than a dozen pilots have volunteered to fly historical U.S. military aircraft over graduation week events, including the commencement ceremony May 29.

ACLJ Slams Weinstein as a “Nut,” Legal Hack

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Jay Sekulow of The American Center for Law and Justice recently sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel calling on them to “repudiate” any relationship the US military had with Michael Weinstein.  Sekulow, who once debated Weinstein at the US Air Force Academy, previously called Weinstein a bigot.  In a new article, he’s called Weinstein a “nut” and legal hack who’s all bluster and no substance [emphasis added]:

“The rhetoric and language [Weinstein] uses is hateful; it is violent. He threatens physical violence on people. He’ll beat them up and he’ll fight to the death,” he tells American Family News. “[Weinstein] is a nut - and I don’t use that word lightly…”

“Look at [Weinstein's] casework – oh wait, it’s very tough to find. You know why? He never won a case in court,” notes Continue reading →

Weinstein Media Coddling Gets Noticed, Disavow Demands Increase

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For years Michael “Mikey” Weinstein has had the friendly ear of the media.  His comments have often gone unchallenged and his credibility — including his motivations and background — have been ignored.  The recent dust-up over his meeting at the Pentagon has undone that, thanks in part to Weinstein’s consistent “over the top” behavior.  The Get Religion blog, which frequently covers issues of the media and religion, notes that Weinstein is

a player in this story….and some greater journalistic scrutiny of [his] rhetoric…is in order.

That scrutiny seems to be happening.  Last week the focus was on military policies; this week, Michael Weinstein himself has been hammered from all corners for his history of vitriol and hate — and virtually every article uses his own words to drive home the point, with little need to elaborate.  The  question remaining is, again, why he merited a meeting with senior military leaders.

The Colorado Springs Gazette – hometown paper to the US Air Force Academy — reprinted an editorial from the Washington Examiner questioning the “strange alliance” the Air Force has with Weinstein: Continue reading →

Tony Perkins’ Banned of Brothers, ACLJ calls Weinstein “Bigot”

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According to Sally Quinn, Defense officials had not only met with Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, but published an entire Air Force manual on religious protocol at his request. Now, either Mikey is lying or the Pentagon is backpedaling, because [the DoD] released another statement claiming to have made “reasonable accommodations” for religious practice and that “service members can share their faith (evangelize), but must not force unwanted, intrusive attempts to convert others of any faith or no faith to one’s beliefs (proselytization).”

Of course, no one should be coerced, but it all hinges on how the DOD defines “unwanted” and “intrusive.” Judging by Weinstein, who views us as “fundamentalist Christian monsters of human degradation,” any mention of religious testimony would be intolerable. Meanwhile, where were those “religious accommodations” when the Air Force disinvited me from a prayer breakfast at Andrews Air Force Base? Or when officers stripped “God” from the Rapid Capabilities motto and purged Bibles from Air Force Inn checklists? Where was the Air Force’s encouragement to “confidently practice your own beliefs” when cadets were ordered to stop promoting charities for needy kids or when it suspended a 20-year-old class on “Just War Theory” because it included a few Bible verses?

Links added to Tony Perkins’ commentary.

ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow — who debated Michael Weinstein at USAFA in 2007 — said Weinstein is a “bigot” in the vein of the Westboro Baptist Church.

[T]he Air Force has been meeting with a bigot every bit as obscene, Continue reading →

AF Secretary to Speak at USAFA Graduation, President Obama at Annapolis

Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley will be the graduation speaker at the 29 May graduation of the USAFA Class of 2013.  President Obama is scheduled to speak at the US Naval Academy graduation on 24 May 2013.  (Neither event will have the traditional fly-over or airshow.)  It does not appear the West Point speaker has been announced, though the Secretary of Defense is frequently one of the speakers.

Air Force Identifies Pilot Killed in Afghanistan

The US Air Force identified the F-16 pilot killed in Afghanistan last week as Capt James Steel, a 2006 US Air Force Academy graduate and Shaw Air Force Base pilot.

The F-16 reportedly crashed while on a night final approach to Bagram Air Base after his fragged sortie.  News reports do not indicate a family, other than his father, retired MajGen Robert Steel.

Reality Show Features USAFA Water Haze

ABC apparently has a new reality show that involves teaching celebrity contestants how to dive into a pool:

The contestants are trained by diving legend Greg Louganis in regulation platform and springboard diving, and will compete to have the best dive in front of a poolside audience.

It seems prior to the competition, the contestants were dared to jump off the highest platform — at 10 meters above the pool:  Continue reading →

Disney Copies USAFA Cadet Chapel

We already knew Disney animators relied on Air Force aircraft for inspiration.  It seems they liked the USAFA Cadet Chapel, as well.

Though it was in theaters some months ago, Wreck-It Ralph recently came out on DVD, causing some Academy grads to notice (and the official USAFA Facebook page to highlight) that a “backstory scene” looks awfully familiar:

The USAFA Cadet Chapel:

A scene from Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph:

It seems the beauty of the nearly 60-year-old USAFA Cadet Chapel continues to be recognized — even in “modern” art.

The “backstory” scene can be seen here; the ending, with the “happy” wedding scene at the end, here.

Weinstein USAFA Protest Attracts Dozens, Multiple Bodyguards

Last Friday Michael Weinstein sponsored a protest/picketing a few miles from one of the US Air Force Academy entrance gates.  Ostensibly, the objective was to make USAFA pull down a link to a website Weinstein had called “homophobic” and “misogynistic.”  This protest and the accompanying billboard (now a trend) were apparently the “action” he had ominously threatened.

The protest misfired on several counts, though the most entertaining by far was Continue reading →

Christian Fighter Pilot Speaks at US Air Force Academy

Retired Col Lee Ellis, whose outstanding book Leading with Honor made the Recommended list here as well as General Mark Welsh’s professional reading list, recently addressed cadets at the US Air Force Academy as part of the 2013 National Character and Leadership Symposium.

A prisoner of war held in the “Hanoi Hilton” for five and a half years shared his compelling story of imprisonment and success with cadets…
 
Retired Col. Lee Ellis was held captive along with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and others after his plane was shot down Nov. 7, 1967.

Col Ellis shared his perspective on purpose, passion, Continue reading →

New Superintendent Named for US Air Force Academy

MajGen Michelle Johnson has been nominated for a third star and for the position of Superintendent, US Air Force Academy.  As every press release so far has noted, when she is confirmed by the Senate she will be the first female to occupy that position.

Johnson is a 1981 distinguished graduate from the Academy where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in operations research. She was the first female cadet wing commander and the first female Rhodes Scholar from the Academy.

The USAFA Class of 1981 was the second to include women, after President Ford’s 1976 integration order.

Like LtGen Mike Gould, whom she will replace, MajGen Johnson is a career cargo/transport pilot.