A local Colorado Springs military paper repeats “one (widely-accepted)” and oft-repeated tradition of the military unit coin, or RMO (which has taken hold in many fields outside the military). Though no one knows the precise origin of the story, the article’s version of the story is nearly identical to the one found here several years ago.
“Rock Beyond Belief,” the atheist counter-event to the Billy Graham Evangelical Association’s “Rock the Fort,” has apparently managed to obtain sufficient funding to proceed. Prior statements seemed to indicate RBB would not back down from its “demand” that Fort Bragg give it money (even as the manufactured controversy “increased [their] funding“). This continued even after Fort Bragg pointed out “Rock the Fort” was funded from the Christian collection plate, not by the US military.
Apparently unable to solicit enough general interest from like-minded atheists, Read more
The Stars and Stripes covered the “Navy and Marine Corps’ annual conference on combat and operational stress,” and indicates new “buzzwords” — “moral injury” — are causing some consternation:
One Marine commander roped into a panel discussion at the last minute bluntly took issue with the phrase: “As a Marine, I’m insulted.”
Lt. Col. James “Hall” Bain…said he thought the term implied that Marines were stressed as a result of immorality.
The Corps trains Marines to have “the skill and the will to kill,” he said. “It’s based on an ethical standard.”
In his defense, LtCol Bain seems to take issue with the terminology, not the concept. In other places, the term “moral injury” has been used to describe the dissonance that occurs when one man kills another: Read more
Jews in Green notes the services of Kosher Troops, a non-profit whose purpose in life is to create and ship kosher care packages to deployed servicemembers.
Kosher Troops now sends packages to Jewish soldiers stationed around the world, including kosher meals and staples of kosher products to supplement what they are getting from the military. Kosher Troops also sends at least 300 traditional- themed holiday baskets before each Yom Tov. It’s not just for holidays either. On a weekly basis, Kosher Troops sends Shabbat packages to Jewish troops that include challah, grape juice, bentchers, candles, and more…
As with any other belief system, it can sometimes be challenging to obtain religious support materials when deployed around the world in support of military operations. Sometimes, too, it is simply encouraging to receive support from Read more
US Army LtGen Benjamin Mixon, who was publicly dressed down by the Secretary of Defense when he encouraged members of the military to voice their concerns over the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” has retired. Now he says the Obama administration is in a “rush to repeal” DADT that may actually be damaging to the military.
Perhaps more enlightening is his candor over the public statement he made, and the very public response by the Defense Secretary: Read more
In a case that has fallen from public view, the Thomas More Law Center has continued to defend Poway teacher Brad Johnson’s right to display banners in his classroom that contain patriotic quotes with “God” in them:
In a classic example of discrimination against anything Christian, the School District allowed religious classroom displays by other teachers, including displays included a 35 to 40-foot string of Tibetan prayer flags Read more
Head Navy Chaplain (Rear Adm) Mark Tidd has reportedly issued a “one-line” statement suspending his prior decision allowing US Navy Chaplains to perform homosexual marriages in military chapels.
As previously noted, members of Congress had objected to the announcement, saying it was in conflict with the Defense of Marriage Act.
If nothing else, the controversy stands in contrast to those who have had a dismissive attitude toward repeal, claiming it would be a non-event and transparent in its removal. As demonstrated by the concerns raised during training and the sensitivity of this announcement, it very evidently isn’t.
The US military academies appear to have hammered out their graduation speakers for this year:
The top military leadership speaks at the military academy graduations on a rotating basis. For those keeping count, Obama has already spoken at Annapolis, West Point, and now the Coast Guard academy, so if tradition holds he will address USAFA next year.