In discussing a military award, a US Army article makes note of what is sometimes believed to be a pejorative view of the Afghan army, or Islamic militaries in general. LtCol James Boozell wrote “a national strategic vision while in Afghanistan,” at the request of the Afghan government: Read more
The old marching tune that “there are no fighter pilots in [any of the services but the Air Force]” isn’t entirely true (though the Navy calls theirs “aviators,” since “pilots” drive the boat). However, in the short term, the Navy is having some issues creating pilots:
With hundreds of newly commissioned officers waiting to start flight training in Pensacola, Fla., the Navy is urging potential aviators to transfer into other communities or take temporary internships in Washington.
Apparently, aircraft issues (maintenance) have reduced the number of available aircraft, thus reducing the size of the Navy’s flight school pipeline. But that’s not the only Read more
According to press reports, the US Army reprimanded four officers and “called on the Air Force to investigate the actions” of Predator operators after their actions resulted in a strike on a civilian convoy in Afghanistan.
The order to attack was based on inaccurate information from the crew at an Air Force base in Nevada Read more
What’s a doofer book? Generally, its a running compilation of the missteps of the members of the squadron. They are most interesting when kept during deployments and often become a unique collection of history (and often humor) for a unit.
There are few rules, either about content or language — the only criterion is that the story must be at least 10% true. Doofer books have largely fallen victim to political sensitivity. More detail can be found in the relevant section of this article on Fighter Pilot Traditions.
This definition is part of ChristianFighterPilot.com’s Fighter Pilot Speak, a veritable Rosetta stone of aviator lingo. Browse the terminology of the zipper suited sun gods, and submit any omissions you may find.
2Lt Ben Garland, a recent Academy graduate, apparently has an assignment to pilot training that he is reconsidering. If he changes his mind and does something else instead, he could avoid the 10 year minimum commitment to the Air Force for pilot training and do something else he loves: play in the NFL.
Garland has received counsel from at least one other person who was in a similar situation many years ago, a man who is famous in both the Air Force and the NFL: Chad Hennings, a Christian fighter pilot Read more
Previous articles have pointed out the tendency of enemies of the US to use American virtues as a weapon against the US military. In Afghanistan recently, insurgents attempted to use sensitivity to religion — specifically, the Koran — as a means to hide drugs.
The heroin was discovered when the narcotics section of the Zabul ANP stopped an overloaded bus at a checkpoint. The inspection uncovered four burlap sacks containing bundles of books. Further inspection revealed the books had been hollowed out and were being used to disguise the heroin. Copies of the Quran were placed on top of the bundles in what is believed to be an effort to deter inspection.
The Afghan National Police said it was the “criminals” who had “defiled” the Koran and were “not true Muslims.”
When Americans have been accused of “defiling” the Koran, even falsely, riots have resulted. When the enemies of America do the same thing…?
Several sites have already documented the decision by the Afghan government to “suspend” the activities of two Christian aid groups after allegations of “proselytizing.”
US-based Church World Service and Norwegian Church Aid will not be allowed to operate while the allegations, aired Sunday on Afghan television, are investigated, said Mohammad Hashim Mayar, the deputy director of the Afghan government office that oversees nongovernment organizations, known as NGOs.
Mayar said officials did not have any evidence of proselytizing beyond the television report…
Proselytizing is illegal in Afghanistan, as it is in many Muslim countries. It is a hot-button issue for many Afghans sensitive to the influence of the scores of foreign aid groups operating in the country to help it recover from decades of war.
CWS and NCA both denied the allegations. For CWS, it was the first time Read more
The Catholic Archbishop for the military diocese, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, released a statement at the request of the military Chief Chaplains on the impact of a repeal of DADT on the Chaplaincy. He had some strong and unequivocal words on the subject: Read more