Month: April 2010

Selective Service Expands CO Status

In the first substantive act in 25 years related to the draft, the Selective Service has signed an Alternative Service Employer Network agreement with the Mennonite Voluntary Service.  The agreement entitles the MVS to be an officially recognized employer for persons making a claim for conscientious objector status; those applicants would be offered “alternative service” in a civilian support role, as opposed to a non-combat military role other COs receive.

The Army article has an interesting history of the CO status in the Read more

Weinstein Reveals Vendetta in Demanding Removal of “Cross”

Michael Weinstein is truly the gift that keeps on giving.  His latest attempt at infamy is to say that a red cross appearing on a military hospital’s emblem

violate[s] the constitutional requirement for separation of church and state and should be removed.

DoD Image

DoD Image

Apparently Weinstein has missed the long, international history of the cross in military medical use, as well as the US military’s equivalent treatment of Islam and Judaism that would allegedly “violate…separation of church and state,” pictured below.

Weinstein also objects to the emblem’s motto “pro deo et humanitate” or “for God and humanity,” despite the military’s description of the phrase as pre-dating Christianity.

The emblem in question is that of Evans Army Community Hospital at Fort Carson, near Colorado Springs.

The official Army description of the emblem Read more

Thunderbirds Fly Super Bowl Winners

Much to the chagrin of the general public, you pretty much have to be famous or have a friend in the right place to score a ride in an Air Force fighter.  Recently, Super Bowl XLIV champions Drew Brees and Jabari Greer had that experience, even flying with the US Air Force demonstration team, the Thunderbirds, during the Defenders of Liberty airshow at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana.

Generally, the flights serve as an act of goodwill between organizations with Read more

Supreme Court Reverses Injunction Against Mojave Cross

The decision in Salazar v Buono directly relates to faith in the military profession, as its very basic premise has far reaching implications:

Is a cross on government land an unConstitutional endorsement of the Christian faith?

A variety of organizations reported on the Supreme Court ruling Wednesday essentially allowing the World War I memorial Mojave cross to remain standing.  The ruling reversed the appeals court decision initially declaring the cross on federal land unConstitutional, and then declaring the US Congress transfer of land to the VFW invalid due to its attempt to “avoid” the injunction.

The Supreme Court issued six separate opinions, with no single majority opinion.  The decision itself (pdf) is largely procedural, though the net effect Read more

Hasan May Face Death Penalty

Maj Nidal Malik Hasan’s attorney, John Galligan, has told the press he has received notice the military plans to present evidence of “aggravating factors” to the Article 32 hearing which will determine the judicial course of the case.  According to Galligan and others, the only reason to include such factors would be to support a capital sentence.

Hasan faces 13 counts of premeditated murder, among other charges.

Retired Chaplains Oppose DADT Repeal

The Alliance Defense Fund has previously stated its position that the “repeal” of DADT would ultimately result in untenable conflicts between the moral, religious positions of military Chaplains and the new policy.  The ADF is now publicizing a 6-page letter signed by 41 “distinguished” Chaplains opposing the policy change.

The letter says, in essence, that if homosexuals were allowed to serve openly by direct military policy, the Chaplains would be forced to choose “to obey God or to obey men.”  Chaplains would be forced to avoid preaching on certain topics, or would face Read more

House Rep Calls for Hearings on Graham, Perkins

Updated with statement from Tony Perkins.

US Senator Roger Wicker expressed concern, and a US House member is now calling for hearings on the US military’s treatment of “prominent conservative Christian leaders.”

Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) said

“I am concerned about it,” Kingston said. “It shows that the Pentagon is using a systematic practice of weeding out preachers and leaders of the clergy who are willing to give biblically-based messages and sermons Read more

1 2 3 … 6