The Army has been continuing to brief its basic trainees on the upcoming permissible service by open homosexuals.
At Fort Jackson…Capt. Guy Allsup…recently walked 231 nervous basic training recruits through scenarios…
“Does anybody think that this is going to be a drastic change for deployed soldiers?” Allsup called out to the group.
Ignore the paradox of an officer asking new recruits if things will “change.” The trainees’ answer: Read more
Many people are familiar with the “Dear Boss” letter from a fighter pilot in the Air Force to his “leaders,” decrying the loss of focus (or downfall) of the traditional Air Force. It was a response to a survey on fighter pilot retention in the late 1970s. The letter has circulated so long because it resounded with so many people. (It was also published in the October 1978 Armed Forces Journal.)
Apparently the letter was “updated” in 2009. Though some of the terminology changed, the concepts behind it remain essentially the same. The letter is at times cynical and negative, at others pensive and truthful. It is certainly a perspective on life in the Air Force (as a fighter pilot). One worth joining? That’s another debate.
This letter was actually revived by the Air Force itself. It was sent out in an email from the USAFE Commander in a plea for feedback as to why fighter pilots aren’t staying in the Air Force (even in a down economy, including turning down the bonus).
The full text of “the letter” is below. Read more
US Army Chaplain (LtCol) Steven Michalke has been sentenced by a civilian court to life in prison for molesting his daughter over a period of 10 years.
He has reportedly been turned over to the military where he may be tried under military law as well.
“This is without a doubt one of the worst cases Read more
ABC News recently did a short segment on the US Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, or, more accurately, the spiritual fitness portion of it.
They interviewed Brigadier General Rhonda Cornum, a PhD, MD, Desert Storm POW, and current Director of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness in the Army.
They also interviewed US Army Sgt Dustin Chalker, an atheist Soldier whom Michael Weinstein used to sue the US Army. (The lawsuit was dismissed.)
While military atheists have generally taken issue with the entire concept of “spiritual fitness,” the following portion of the interview was highlighted by Justin Griffith on his atheist “Rock Beyond Belief” website:
Sciutto (ABC News): Why is it that spiritual people make better soldiers?
Cornum: The ethos that we adhere to. Always place the mission first. Never accept defeat. Never leave a fallen comrade. Those kinds of things require you to have belief in something higher than yourself.
To be accurate, the US Army did not say Read more
As predicted, it wasn’t long before Chris Rodda came out in defense of Michael Weinstein’s “big victory” for his self-founded Military Religious Freedom Foundation that Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) recently seemed to undermine. From the Huffington Post:
This summer, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) scored a big victory…
Senator John Cornyn…doesn’t like the Air Force’s decision…
Rodda’s article is essentially a rehash of the prior writeups, with the addition of Cornyn’s letter. One “new” piece of information is Rodda’s claim that Read more
Though it seems they’re most often the object of Michael Weinstein’s criticism, cadets who organize into faith groups recently made the news for the positive event of coming together to support a local food bank.
Council members and chaplains spent two hours at Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado packing and palletizing boxes for distribution to families in need of assistance.
Chaplain (Capt) Shawn Menchion received permission from Read more
The past month has seen a wide variety of articles from the US military showcasing its support of religious freedom — specifically, the accommodation of US military members celebrating Ramadan. Other articles have highlighted the US military’s “respect” for the Islamic holy month.
In Iraq, for example, an article describes the tenets of the Islamic faith and notes US General officers have been hosting nightly iftars, including General Lloyd Austin, commanding General of US Forces in Iraq:
To celebrate this very special religious month, various U.S. general officers have been hosting a post-dusk meal called an iftar…Iftar dinners are being hosted around the country as a way of showing support and appreciation to their Iraqi counterparts.
Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III [said] Read more
A few other media sources are catching up to Senator John Cornyn’s (R-TX) letter to the Secretary of the Air Force released on Monday.
Suspending a course like this because of references to religious texts misinterprets the First Amendment. [The Constitution] does not, as some have argued, protect them from exposure to religious references.
(Some continue to use the word “misrepresents,” though the published letter says “misinterprets.”)
Michael Weinstein’s MRFF — which claims a Constitutional Read more