One Dead, One Injured after T-38 Crash

UPDATE: The pilots have now been identified by the Air Force. Capt. Paul J. Barbour, 32, was killed in the crash.  Capt. Joshua Hammervold was injured.  Both were instructors with the 87th Flying Training Squadron.

A US Air Force T-38 flying out of Laughlin AFB, Texas, crashed on Monday. One of those onboard survived; the other did not.  The Air Force withheld the names.

Witnesses cited by the Del Rio News-Herald said they saw a parachute and a lone pilot descend to the ground near the crash.

The aircraft should have been a T-38C, which should have Read more

Fort Gordon Investigation Disproves Mikey Weinstein. Again.

An investigation at Fort Gordon disproved Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s claims that unsuspecting and unwilling Soldiers were force-marched to a Christian event, noting

The findings [of the investigation] determined the intent and guidance of the Senior Leaders and Chaplains was to make this a voluntary event.

However, Fort Gordon officials concluded that “miscommunication” may have led some Soldiers to think it was a mandatory event. Thus, they’ll clear this up in the future — by putting “THIS IS VOLUNTARY!!!” on future announcements:  Read more

US Opposes Ban on pro-Nazi Speech

The Associated Press has an interesting article on the (routine) decision by the United States to vote against a UN resolution calling on nations to ban pro-Nazi language and organizations.  (Efforts have been made to remind people this isn’t new under President Trump; the US has voted against this annual resolution for years.)

In what seems like a rare moment of clarity, the government is defending exactly what Americans claim they value: free speech, even if it is offensive speech. The government is not acting to silence Read more

Case of Fired Christian Col Bohannon Shows Limits of Military Diversity, Tolerance

UPDATE: A group of Republican Senators has sent a letter (PDF) to Secretary Wilson asking her to ‘restore justice’ for Col Bohannon — and, given his mistreatment due to his faith, has asked her to “clarify the [Air Force’s] position on religious liberty.”  The signatories are Senators Ted Cruz, Roy Blunt, James Inhofe, John Kennedy, James Lankford, Mike Lee, Marco Rubio, and Roger Wicker.

Henry Ford is said to have offered all of his customers a car in any color they wanted — so long as it was black.

As described by the First Liberty Institute, it seems the US Air Force supports all of its Airmen’s rights to exercise any religious belief they want — so long as it supports homosexuality.

As noted last month, Col Leland Bohannon was fired from his command and had his potential for promotion ended when he declined to personally sign an optional letter praising a same-sex marriage.

Mike Berry, a First Liberty lawyer representing Col Bohannon, said this runs against the very diversity the military claims it values:

This sends a clear message—if you do not have the politically correct viewpoint, you are not welcome in the military. The military is no longer a place of diversity and inclusion if you are a person who holds to a traditional belief on marriage.

Many people would assume Read more

LtGen Silveria Receives Award for Response to Hoax Racism

On Monday US Air Force Academy Superintendent LtGen Jay Silveria appeared at the Anti-Defamation League’s “Never is Now” Summit on Anti-Semitism, where he spoke on diversity. According to a USAFA press release, he accepted an award for his response to the racial slurs written at the USAFA Prep School — which are now known to have been a hoax.

Oddly, the press release doesn’t Read more

Army Lifts Ban on Drug Abusers, Mental Health, Self-Mutilation

UPDATE: Army Chief of Staff Gen Mark Milley says the Army “has not and will not” approve waivers for these conditions, saying the USA Today article “mischaracterized” the source documents.

In an effort to boost recruiting, the US Army has eliminated its ban on waivers for potential Soldiers who may have a history of some mental illnesses and drug use:

The Army’s decision to rescind the ban for a history of mental health problems is in part a reaction to its difficulties in recruiting, Ritchie said.

“You’re widening your pool of applicants,” she said.

Awkwardly, that’s precisely the same reason given for eliminating the ban on another potential mental health issue: the confusion between one’s perceived and actual gender, or, more commonly, transgenderism.

Lifting such bans naturally Read more

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