The Department of Defense Inspector General levied harsh criticisms against the Air Force after completing an investigation of the Air Force’s handling of the November 2010 F-22 crash that took the life of pilot Capt Jeff Haney:
An Air Force investigation into a fatal F-22 crash that blamed the pilot “was not supported by the facts” and failed to sufficiently analyze Read more
The US military has created a new combat medal — which includes those who don’t actually go into combat:
Modern technology enables service members with special training and capabilities to more directly and precisely impact military operations at times far from the battlefield. The Distinguished Warfare Medal will be awarded in the name of the secretary of defense to service members whose extraordinary achievements, regardless of their distance to the traditional combat theater, deserve distinct department-wide recognition.
Technically, it seems any member of the military is eligible for the Distinguished Warfare Medal (DWM), including those involved in direct combat — so long as their extraordinary act did not involve “valor.” However, the fact the citation criteria so Read more
Marine Corps Base Hawaii recently named its chapel for US Navy Chaplain (CAPT) Joseph Estabrook, a Catholic chaplain who had championed the creation of a chapel to house the “roving congregation” on the base: Read more
Multiple groups have filed Supreme Court briefs in support of the Defense of Marriage Act:
The Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty filed a brief co-signed by 21 endorsers representing more than 2,500 US military chaplains. The CARL brief accurately notes US troops in general — not just chaplains — will be affected by the “burden on religious liberty” should the military recognize homosexual “marriage.” CARL had a fairly blunt summary:
the military has no tolerance for racists, so service members who are openly racist are not service members for long. And if the traditional religious views on marriage and family become the constitutional equivalent of racism, Read more
In October of last year, an atheist Army Soldier, SSgt Victoria Gettman, lodged complaints after a mandatory suicide prevention briefing ended with a military chaplain taking the stage and offering a candlelit prayer.
The incident seems fairly benign, and merited little attention at the time. Now, though, it seems Michael Weinstein is weighing in with (yet another empty) promise to file a lawsuit:
Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, doesn’t consider Gettman’s case closed, and he and his litigation team intend to pursue an “aggressive” federal lawsuit if the Army fails to rectify Gettman’s complaints.
The article contains an important quote from Gettman [emphasis added]: Read more
Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20 (ESV)
As part of the effort to ensure everyone gets treated “with equal dignity and respect,” outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has announced access to military benefits available only to homosexuals:
It is a matter of fundamental equity that we provide similar benefits to all of those men and women in uniform who serve their country…Today, I am pleased to announce that after a thorough and deliberate review, the department will extend additional benefits to same-sex partners of service members.
According to the SecDef memo (PDF),
These [new] benefits shall be extended to the same-sex domestic partners and, where applicable, children of same-sex domestic partners, once the Service member and their same-sex domestic partner have signed a declaration attesting to the existence of their committed relationship.
The new DoD policy emphasizes these benefits are available only to homosexuals. Heterosexuals cannot sign the same statement and Read more
The Air Force Academy announced that Cadet 4th Class James Walsh died Saturday night in the cadet area.
Academy personnel found Walsh, contacted emergency services and attempted to revive him using life-saving measures without success.
“The Academy is deeply saddened by the tragic loss we suffered Saturday,” said Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, the Academy superintendent. “As we grieve the passing of James, we ask that everyone keep his family and friends in their thoughts and prayers.”
Cadet Walsh was a former enlisted Airmen. His death is under investigation.
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Michael Weinstein, frequent critic of religious freedom in the US military, has “threatened” so many lawsuits that he’s long become the boy who cries wolf. (Besides, the “wolf,” in the case, has yet to survive the first Motion to Dismiss — four times.)
The US Army has once again raised Weinstein’s ire by — shockingly enough — researching the ability to train chaplains the same way it trains other soldiers.
Weinstein finally got around to commenting on a subject noted here a month ago: The US Army is researching the ability to use simulations to train chaplains for battlefield scenarios, much like it does for medical personnel. As noted at the time:
Chaplains [already] go through training on how to survive the bullets and explosions…This simulator…will give chaplains multiple opportunities to experience real-life scenarios and practice their ministry in a controlled environment.
Weinstein would have none of it:
“We are gong [sic] to put the pedal to the metal on something like this. If necessary, we will consider intervening in federal court,” said Mikey Weinstein…
Laughably, even the otherwise-friendly article noted Weinstein’s vendetta Read more