In a relatively rare occurrence for the big bomber, the US Air Force un-mothballed a 50-year-old B-52 from the storage base in Tucson, AZ, and flew it to Barksdale AFB:
The 53-year-old Stratofortress, tail number 61-1007, nicknamed the “Ghost Rider” had been in storage at the desert in the care of [AMARG] since 2008…Ghost Rider, after upgrades, will become the first B-52 to return to duty from the Boneyard.
The plane was reportedly revived to replace Read more
Last October’s midair collision between two Oklahoma Air National Guard F-16s was blamed on pilot error:
The pilots…were flying in formation, conducting tricky combat maneuvers, with a third F-16 role playing as an attacking enemy. The two pilots lost sight of each other before their right wings collided 16 seconds later in clear skies.
The instructor lost control and ejected; the student returned Read more
Timothy Broglio, Archbishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, speaking at the 90th anniversary installation and awards luncheon of the Joint Veterans’ Council of Cuyahoga County (JVCOCC), Ohio.
The role of chaplains in preserving our constitutionally protected freedom of religion was addressed by the Rev. Timothy Broglio, archbishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA…
In speaking about chaplains, Broglio noted that they “can assure that someone in the military is not forced to renounce his First Amendment rights while he or she puts his or her life on the line to defend those rights for the rest of us.”
Broglio said he wanted to join the JVCOCC in saluting all chaplains, “to thank them for making religious liberty not a slogan, but a reality in the armed forces.”
For a person who practically makes a living calling people “liars,” you’d think Chris Rodda would be more careful not to put herself in the position of being perceived as untruthful. But that’s precisely where she found herself just last week.
In a lackluster article that explained the MRFF’s objection to the “odious” missionary trip of US Air Force SMSgt Larry Gallo (discussed previously), Rodda goes after FoxNews’ Todd Starnes for his statement that George Washington would have been “thrown in the brig” for praying at Valley Forge, were he to do so today. The MRFF wouldn’t have objected to Washington’s prayer, Rodda exclaimed,
just as [the] MRFF would never object to any member of today’s military…privately engaging in any religious activity.
While “never object[ing]” is a bit less enthusiastic than “supporting” or “defending,” it is at least a non-confrontational position that acknowledges the rights of military members.
The problem is, Chris Rodda’s statement isn’t true.
One of the more Read more
US Marine Maj Lonnie Christian wrote a guest article on Tom Ricks’ Foreign Policy blog entitled “Morality and leadership: Balance is required.” It was in response to Ricks’ own piece entitled “Against morality equaling leadership,” in which Ricks argued against the concept “that a good leader must be personally moral.”
Christian’s short response, in Read more
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Brian Kolfage, a triple-amputee due to wounds received in Iraq, writes at The Blaze that he was shocked to see a homosexual ‘rainbow American flag’ adorning a home on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base two weeks ago:
It was an American flag with rainbow stripes instead of the standard red and white stripes flying high on a two story house…on government property…
Everyone is free to express their sexual preferences in the Military in any way they want, but this flag flying on a military base is in violation of Title 4 of the U.S. Code…
The moment the flag took on the union stars is where it becomes a violation, with my understanding of the U.S. Code.
Kolfage says he received the following reply Read more
Karen Parrish of the DoD News wrote a fairly lengthy article summarizing the highlights of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s career. It’s the kind of article one expects to read at someone’s retirement, though Hagel won’t technically leave office until his successor is appointed.
Notably, a nearly 2,000-word summary of Secretary Hagel’s tenure — which spans significant developments in the DoD budget, wars, and more — begins with homosexuality:
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel led the Defense Department through fundamental changes during his tenure of almost two years.
Since being sworn in on Feb. 27, 2013, Hagel shepherded internal reforms and defended against new and rapidly evolving external threats. He welcomed same-sex couples into the ranks Read more