Tag Archives: Military

Fort Hood Shooter Forcibly Shaved

The Associated Press reports that US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan* was forcibly shaved upon his inprocessing at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he has joined the US military death row after being convicted for the Fort Hood massacre:

Lt. Col. S. Justin Platt, an Army spokesman, said in a statement Tuesday that Hasan had been shaved. Officials at Fort Leavenworth previously had said Hasan would be subject to Army regulations.

His decision to flaunt those regulations — claiming his Islamic faith suddenly required him to grow a beard — led to the first trial judge being dismissed.

*Though convicted, Hasan is technically still in the Army while his dismissal and sentence are being processed.

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Air Force Highlights Family’s Religion

A Davis-Monthan official article highlighted US Air Force SSgt Asad Abdul Muhammad, apparently for no other reason than he is a Muslim and his wife is not:

Abdul Muhammad, being the only Muslim in his household, was the only one who participated in Ramadan.

“The kids didn’t notice it much,” Abdul Muhammad said…

Abdul Muhammad’s wife is a Catholic, who is very interested in other religions, and teaches their children about the different options they have.

The article notes the family teaches all religions at home:  Read more

Grant Lets Soldiers Become Truck Drivers

As was noted here years ago, Air Force student pilots are often “tempted” to quit their training (or encouraged to continue, depending how you think about it) with the placement of truck driving school ads in conspicuous places.  The ads hanging on pilot training walls are only half-joking.

Now it seems a federal grant has enabled Soldiers from Fort Bragg — many of whom were transpo drivers in the Army — to get a commercial drivers license as they transition to civilian life:  Read more

Air Force UPT Packages Due November 29th

Active duty officers who are eligible and interested in becoming aicrew have until November 29th to submit applications for the “UFT Selection Board:”

The board will review candidates for fiscal year 2014/2015 training requirements in the pilot, remotely piloted aircraft, combat systems officer and air battle manager categories.

Applicants must meet age and commission date criteria – born April 1, 1984 or later and total federal service commissioned date after April 1, 2009 – and must have squadron commander or equivalent endorsement, said Maj. Andrew Larson, AFPC assignments officer.

One of the age-old questions is whether someone who wants to be a pilot can increase his chances of selection by saying he’ll also volunteer for RPAs Read more

Report: F-16 Pilot Flew into Afghan Mountain

The Air Force Times reports on the Air Force investigation that determined Capt James Steel was flying visually when he impacted a mountain during his recovery to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in April of this year:

The report released by Air Combat Command officials at Langley Air Force Base, Va., says 29-year-old Capt. James Michael Steel crashed April 3 about 12 miles outside Bagram Air Field…

The report says Steel flew into a mountainous area obscured by poor weather conditions and that he did not attempt to eject before slamming into the mountain. The report says Steel was flying below the minimum safe altitude at the time of the crash.

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Air Force Unable to Fill Unmanned Cockpits

US Air force Col Bradley Hoaglan wrote a report from the Brookings Institution saying the Air Force can’t fill its annual requirements for unmanned remotely piloted aircraft (UAV/RPA) operators. As reported at the Stars and Stripes,

In 2012, the Air Force filled only 82 percent of its remotely piloted aircraft, or RPA, training slots, while virtually all manned aircraft slots were filled. And as of early this year…the Air Force Academy had only 12 volunteers for its 40 RPA training slots.

The Air Force apparently attributes the problem to a lower Read more

Atheist Army Officer Wants Recruits to Avoid Liberty U

US Army Capt Sara Sharick publicly identifies as an Army officer and recruiter — and she’s an atheist. When a potential Army recruit walked into her office one day, she was “disappointed” to learn he wanted to attend Liberty University.

So my Center Commander asks him where he plans on going to college. I’m thinking K State or KU, some place local. He says “Liberty University.” I just about choked…I pull out my phone and look up if Liberty even has an ROTC program. Sure as [redacted], both Army and Air Force. So disappointed.

Why is she “disappointed?”  She says Liberty University is home to “the crazies,” apparently referring to Christians, given that Liberty is a mainstream Christian university.  (Sharick joins Michael Weinstein’s loathing for the school, when he called it “horrifying” that Liberty would teach the same material other universities do.)

At first, Sharick seemed willing to grit her teeth and help the kid out:  Read more

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