Justice Dept will Not Fight Lawsuit for Same-Sex Benefits

Attorney General Eric Holder has informed Congress that the Obama administration will not defend lawsuits against the US military that seek the benefits of marriage for same-sex couples.

Attorney General Eric Holder [wrote that] the 1996 federal law that defines “spouse” as “person of the opposite sex” is a violation of the Fifth Amendment right to equal protection under the law.

This is consistent with the administration’s previous decision not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, which is now being defended by lawyers from Congress.

NATO Investigates Disposal of Korans, but not Bibles

Update: A State Department spokesman has said the burn pit disposal “does not represent our values or our view of how the Quran ought to be treated.”  While it is understandable the US government would support a respectful treatment of religious articles, it is unclear why it holds unequal views of respect depending on the religion, as described below.  Protests continue.

NATO commander in Afghanistan Gen John Allen has reportedly called for a probe of the treatment of Korans and other religious items used by detainees at the American run Bagram Air Base:

Local Afghan leader, Ahmad Zaki Zahed, says U.S. military officials have given him about 30 Korans and other religious books that were used by detainees once incarcerated at the base.

He says some were burned, but others were retrieved from the trash before they were burned.

The response of the Afghans was typically reported:  Read more

Mikey Weinstein’s Friends and Allies in Military High Places, Part 1

Despite his claims the US military is overrun by Christians trying to take over the world, Michael Weinstein seems to have more public allies in military leadership positions than he has public enemies.  In addition, Michael Weinstein seems to have some very well-placed friends in the US military, despite his claims he is a David fighting an institutional Goliath.

In just one example among several, Weinstein claims a “close personal…relationship” with one Air Force base’s commanding general.

In a recent spat Read more

Graduating Navy Pilot Training: Blessing of the Wings

A Naval flight training class graduation included a ceremony at their base chapel in which the chaplains performed a “blessing of the wings:”

This is a completely voluntary program, but one that is rather popular among many of the new aviators. While it is billed as a non-denominational ceremony, it is clearly a Christian program that culminates in the Catholic priest sprinkling holy water on the wings that these service members are about to pin on later that day.

Normally, this might bring conspiracy-theory advocates out of the woodwork, claiming this was further evidence of a secret coup by Christians to take over the world.  Or something.  Turns out, though, this story is actually about the participation by the US Navy’s newest Jewish Naval Aviators, in a Read more

Fighter Pilot Shoots down Friendly. Promoted to Admiral.

The Washington Times notes with thick irony the story of US Navy Captain Timothy Dorsey, an IG for a Navy Reserve detachment who has been nominated for promotion to Admiral — and who has an interesting history.  As also reported at the Military Times:

The incident took place Sept. 22, 1987. Then-Lt. Dorsey, 25, [piloting an F-14] shot down an RF-4C jet over the Mediterranean while operating off the carrier Saratoga, according to a 1988 Associated Press story on the Navy’s report. The two Air Force crewmen ejected safely…

While he knew he was taking part in an exercise, Read more

OTS, ROTC, USAFA Grads, Airman Killed in African U-28 Crash

Update: The military has said enemy action was not involved in the U-28 crash.

A U-28A — an AFSOC version of the Pilatus PC-12 — went down over the weekend during a mission from Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti (in the horn of Africa, for those unfamiliar).  All four aircrew were killed.  The least amount of deployments among the crew was 3 (in 5 years).

Of the three officers, one was from ROTC, one from OTS, and one was a 2009 USAFA graduate.  That represents all 3 possible commissioning sources in the Air Force in one loss.  While there are often good-natured rivalries among OTS, ROTC, and USAFA, risk and sacrifice know no bias.

Captain Ryan Hall…was a U-28A pilot on his seventh deployment. Read more

LtGen Ronnie Hawkins Berated for God in Commander’s Call

US Air Force LtGen Ronnie Hawkins is the new head of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).  He is reportedly getting grief over a commander’s call in which he listed the personal “rules” he has lived by since he was a Captain — and they included references to God:

Hawkins, who just took over the directorship of DISA in January, said his presentation has been taken out of context… Read more

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