Tag Archives: Military

US Military Downplays Impact of DADT Repeal

While Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey is “worried” about the politicization of the US military, the Department of Defense has published some starkly pointed articles praising the repeal of the politically-charged policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

This largely mirrors the narrative in the mainstream press — everybody is “cool” with homosexuals serving in the US military (and think of the children…).  Amazingly, little attention is given to the voices saying its not as rose-colored as some seem to think.  The Stars and Stripes pointed out one negative finding otherwise unreported in the press.  Elaine Donnelly got a single line.  Only the FRC has noted the Palm Center buried their own data showing 20% of units that had a homosexual “come out” after repeal had a negative impact as a result — data that is hardly a “non-event.”

In “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Never Mattered,” a US Marine Corporal took to the Read more

Military Chaplains Serve, Suffer, Innovate

A few recent articles highlight the service of US military chaplains around the globe, doing far more than the stereotypical Sunday morning chapel service:

As the Army begins to open certain career fields to women, chaplains are affected:  The 101st Airborne just received its first female chaplain in Chaplain (Capt) Delana Small.  In so doing, she became a part of the “legendary Band of Brothers.”  Her assignment was a result of the Department of Defense “Women in the Service Review.”  The DoD article is full of praise for the new chaplain.

In Africa, US chaplains met with their military counterparts from nine East African nations for the “third annual…African Military Chaplain Conference” in Djibouti.

While Africa isn’t in the news too much, save a few isolated mentions, it is noteworthy that US military chaplains are engaging at the rate they have.

Another article covers the touching, yet surprising, story of the service of military chaplains at Arlington National Cemetery:

Led by senior chaplains Read more

Websites Profile Fallen Jewish US Troops

Jews in Green highlights an article by the Jewish Daily Forward that chronicles Jewish members of the US military who were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  JiG maintains its own list of all known Jewish US troops who have died in the recent conflicts.

The linked sites make an interesting comparison of the ‘celebration’ of Americans serving in the Israeli Defense Forces to that of Jewish Americans serving in the US military.

US Military has a Drinking Problem, Army Frat Party Goes Bad

Update: Major Garbarino was convicted at court-martial of being drunk and disorderly and received 30 days and a fine of six months pay.  He was acquitted of other charges.

The Associated Press announced that the National Academy of Sciences has called ‘substance abuse’ within the US military a “public health crisis.”  Among other things:

The study…says about 20 percent of active duty service members reported they drank heavily in 2008, the last year for which data is available. And, binge-drinking rose to 47 percent in 2008 from 35 percent in 1998.

The report also cited abuse of prescription drugs — particularly prescription pain killers and similar drugs, the use of which has skyrocketed to “nearly 5 million prescriptions” over the 1 million issued more than a decade ago.

The issue of drinking, of course, is nothing new.  Just rent Read more

The Religion of Life’s Origin

Any guesses as to who said this?

You can’t even begin to understand biology, you can’t understand life, unless you understand what it’s all there for, how it arose…So I would teach [it] very early in childhood. I don’t think it’s all that difficult to do. It’s a very simple idea. One could do it with the aid of computer games and things like that.

I think it needs serious attention, that children should be taught where they come from, what life is all about, how it started, why Read more

American Humanist Association President to Speak at Fort Bragg

The article below is a guest submission from NoKoolAidZone:

Central North Carolina Atheists and Humanists, a Fayetteville, North Carolina based secular organization that is a chapter of the American Humanist Association, have laid the groundwork for a speaking engagement on Fort Bragg.  David Niose, the president of American Humanist Association will be speaking in support of his current book, Non-Believer Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans.  Mr. Niose will be speaking at the Watters Family Life Center on September 22nd, at 12 PM, or to the military members who will show up 1200 hours.  This speaking engagement, while organized by CNCAH was given life with the approval of the Fort Bragg Chaplaincy since the Watters center is Read more

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