Tag Archives: Military

General Mark Welsh Inspires USAFA Cadets

General Mark Welsh is currently the commanding General of US Air Forces in Europe.  (He previously sent out a message on the problem of retaining fighter pilots.)  General Welsh is also a former Commandant of Cadets at USAFA, as well as an A-10 and F-16 fighter pilot.

On November 1st he visited USAFA and delivered an inspirational message to the cadets:  You’ll make a difference.  Be ready.  One particularly salient quote:

Leadership is a gift.  Its given by those who follow.

But you have to be worthy of it.  The men and women Read more

Atheists Object to Camp Pendleton Cross

Update:  FoxNews reports on the “investigation” of the cross.  The ACLJ has written a letter to Camp Pendleton explaining the appropriateness — and Constitutionality — of allowing the cross to remain.  They, too, highlight the Argonne cross in Arlington mentioned below.  In reference to the Utah trooper crosses mentioned below, the Highway Patrol logo has been stripped from the crosses and a disclaimer has been added in a bid to avoid their court-ordered removal.

It didn’t take long:  When Jason Torpy of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers saw the LA Times report on the Camp Pendleton cross, he was quick to call it

a “wonderful gesture” in remembrance of the fallen Marines, but said its location on public land “makes us feel like the federal government privileges Christianity over non-Christians like us, makes us feel like second-class citizens…”

[T]heir desire to erect a large cross to honor their memory is perfectly acceptable, so long as it is on church land or their own property, not on federal land.

Further, Torpy claims the Marines’ cross is an intentional effort to by the government to afford preference to Christianity:

Military service is being exploited Read more

Tennessee State Rep Calls for Removing Muslims from Military

A few websites have noted Tennessee State Representative Rick Womick’s statement to ThinkProgress interviewers that Muslims should be removed from the US military.  The video is available on YouTube.

It’s worth noting Womick’s political position has been somewhat inflated in a few reports.  For example, ThinkProgress suffixed his name with (R-TN), as did some others, which is inaccurate.  The “party-state” designation is used for members of the US House; it is redundant to say “Tennessee state rep (R-TN).”  The more accurate description is (R-34) or R-Rockvale, as Womick represents District 34 in the Tennessee State House.  As a state representative, Womick has no influence over the US military.  (As an aside, Rep Womick was an F-15 fighter pilot during Operation Desert Storm.)

That said, his comments were widely reported and not well received (with one exception).  He’s been described as un-American and said to be “defaming all members of the military.”

Womick uses US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan and PFC Naser Abdo (though he forgets his name) as support for his position, saying they are examples of the Islamic inconsistency with military service.

Ironically, it seems Rep Womick agrees with religious freedom critic Michael Read more

Soldier’s Sacrifice Inspires Chaplain’s Service

US Army Chaplain (Capt) Todd Cheney tells the inspiring story of how a young member of his civilian congregation joined the Army, got married, and was killed soon after in combat in Afghanistan — and how Adam Kinser’s sacrifice led him to the chaplaincy.

“I was so touched by this young man’s service,” Cheney said…
 
This was when Cheney first Read more

USAFA Relationship with Atheists “Bears Fruit”

Despite Michael Weinstein’s continuous ridicule of the US Air Force Academy, Jason Torpy and his Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers paint quite a different picture — and Torpy looks like a calm foil to Weinstein’s blustering grandstanding:

Continuing what is now nearly a year of collaboration, the Air Force Academy has made significant changes to training as a result of reviews by the Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers…  Read more

Michael Weinstein Goes Fishing for Military Bibles and Your Emails

The last “scandal” at the US Air Force Academy, regarding Operation Christmas Child, was reportedly initiated by a USAFA cadet forwarding an email to Michael Weinstein.  Prior to that, the scandal-circuit had been pretty quiet — but not for lack of trying on Weinstein’s part.  When there isn’t something to complain about, Weinstein has gone looking.

The law firm of Jones Day — which has assisted Weinstein in other cases — has been looking for information on “The Airman’s Bible and the Airman’s New Testament.”  The Airman’s Bible was previously discussed; the “Airman’s New Testament” is similar.  It seems the target is some indication, somewhere, that the Air Force was directly or indirectly involved in the production of the Air Force-themed Bibles.

The acknowledgements in the Bible do mention military members, and the Bible carries Air Force symbols, so the target is probably something, somewhere, that will incriminate someone…about something.  Naturally, this hunt for an as-yet unknown smoking gun about an unknown problem will prove the obvious fact Christianity is preferred in the US military.  Somehow.

In another case, Pam Zubeck of the CSIndy recently publicized a portion of a Weinstein fishing expedition:  Weinstein is asking for names and processes surrounding the “Falcon Clips” published last year.  Previously, the ominous observation was made that Weinstein seemed to be headhunting for people corresponding with this site.

That has now been confirmed by Read more

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