US Declines to Sell New F-16s to Taiwan, Will Upgrade

According to the New York Times, the Obama administration has decided against allowing Taiwan to purchase new F-16C/Ds, but it will allow them to purchase the material to upgrade their existing fleet of F-16A/Bs.  Some have called this “buckling to pressure from China,” which generally criticizes military support for what it considers a breakaway state.

“If the reports are true,” Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, said in a written statement on Friday, “today’s capitulation to Communist Read more

General: UAV Pilots will Outnumber All Others

General Edward Rice, commander of the Air Force Air Education and Training Command, has made (the foreseeable) statement that UAV pilots will someday outnumber all other pilots in the Air Force.

Of course, the birth of the nuclear age foretold the end of the fighter pilot era, and the demise of the dedicated close air support aircraft has been predicted (and proven false) repeatedly.  The future is anything but entirely certain.

Arlington Jewish Chaplains’ Monument Moves Forward

Jews in Green has a picture of the groundbreaking in Arlington for the upcoming installation of the Jewish memorial on Chaplain’s hill.

As previously noted, the 14 Jewish Chaplains who died in the service of their country were the only faith not represented on Arlington’s Chaplains’ Hill.

The bronze plaque that will eventually be mounted on the monument is apparently on a nationwide tour, stopping last week at Pensacola Naval Air Station.  In Pensacola, local Jewish leader, Vietnam Vet, and retired Navy Captain Fred Levin noted the value of Chaplains, and the risk they assumed:  Read more

Patriotic “God Banners” Ruled Unconstitutional

In a case that has been going on for a couple of years, the Thomas More Law Center has been advocating for Poway teacher Brad Johnson’s right to display banners that quote founding documents with the word “God” in them.

The district court ruled in his favor in 2010, saying the school district displayed unConstitutional viewpoint discrimination when it required him to drop his banners, but did not do the same for other religious viewpoints that Read more

Man Jailed for Trying to Sell Jet to Iran

Marc Knapp was sentenced to 46 months in prison for trying to sell an F-5 and various F-14 parts to Iran.

Prosecutors said Knapp…was motivated by both greed and a hatred of the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hall said Knapp told an undercover agent that he was starting to hate America and wanted to “level the playing field” with Iran.

Defense attorney Christopher Koyste said the statements Knapp made were “puffery.”  Read more

US Military Helps Afghans Build “True Muslim” Army

The US military’s support of the Afghan’s practice of Islam has been reported, though not necessarily widely so.

The Washington Post recently noted the Afghan military is working to be viewed as “true Muslims,” or more Islamic than the Taliban.

The [Afghan] campaign represents a bold effort to counter Taliban propaganda and establish the Islamic credentials of the armed forces.

Fighting the battle over religion — often the key to public support in this conservative Islamic nation — is perhaps the Taliban’s strongest suit. If Afghans doubt the spiritual bona fides of their army, the institution stands little chance of gaining popular support.

The Post article notes US officials have been “eager” to bolster the credentials of the Afghan military, and supporting this effort is one way they can do that:  Read more

US Soldier Worked “as for the Lord”

The Killeen Daily Herald, local to Fort Hood, notes the July death of US Army CPL Frank Gross, who was killed in Afghanistan one month into his deployment. CPL Gross had a consistent motivation:

Cpl. Frank Gross wrote the same Bible verse, Colossians 3:23, inside his baseball caps throughout his high school and college pitching career: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

“Basically, whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability,” his mother, Toni Gross, said…”That was his life verse.”

Notably, Gross had not only a Bachelors degree but also Read more

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