Tag Archives: Military

Women in the Military: Statistics, and the First Female JFACC

Previous articles have noted the recommendation by a government panel that women be allowed in all military roles, including combat, because their careers suffer when they are compared to males with broader or combat experience.

A recent article highlighting female Army aviators noted the statistic:

According to a study released earlier this month by the Military Leadership Diversity Commission, women account for only 16 percent of leadership positions in the military – a seemingly staggering statistic to release during National Women’s History Month.

The very next sentence, however, puts the statistic in perspective:  Read more

Operation Odyssey Dawn: What’s in a Name?

A variety of people from both sides of the political spectrum have made implications of similarity between President Barack Obama’s decision to use military force in Libya and decisions by prior President George W. Bush.

There’s even the second-guessing of the name.

Few people might remember the original name for what eventually became Operation Enduring Freedom was actually Operation Infinite Justice.  After reported outcry Read more

Fighter Pilot Describes Mission over Libya

As reported in the New York Times, US Air Force Capt. Ryan Thulin, an F-16 pilot stationed in Aviano Air Base, Italy, describes his recent (and first) combat mission, over Libya.

Of note, he flew an 8-hour mission out of Italy, refueling at least twice on the way in and the way out.  He dropped at least two 500-lb precision weapons on targets in Libya.

The Associated Press picture of Thulin accompanying the article shows him sporting a mustache.  He’s not participating in the fighter pilot tradition of growing a mustache while deployed, as he’s flying from his home base.  It’s just coincident timing:  the war in Libya occurred during Mustache March.

As an aside, the New York Times reports A-10s and AC-130s have entered the theatre, which may represent a shift in strategy from the generally high-altitude precision bombardment that has happened to date.

AU, ACLU File FOIA over Rock the Fort, Rock Beyond Belief

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the American Civil Liberties Union have filed a Freedom of Information Act request over recent concerts at Fort Bragg.  (More accurately, they skipped the FOIA office everybody else has to use and sent a letter directly to the Secretary of the Army.)

Interestingly, the letter presents a schizophrenic perspective.  On one hand, they say Fort Bragg’s interaction with Rock the Fort was “unconstitutional.”

we believe that the actions of [Chaplain (Col) David] Hillis and the Department of the Army, in coordinating, planning and supporting last year’s Rock the Fort concert, violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

On the other, they demand to know if Rock Beyond Belief is truly being Read more

SNAPs and the Fighter Pilot Culture Live On

A fighter pilot discussing the state of the Air Force recently lamented the rise of SNAPs in the fighter pilot culture.

POS commanders are out there…who care more about Green Bag Bible Study than they do about having a normal roll call in the squadron every once in a while. Douchebags that stand in the corner and wince when I correct a punk who starts singing by interrupting and asking “how does every good fighter pilot song start?” [Ed: The answer to that question is not for polite company…]

And they take care of their own. The SNAPs who refuse to drink out of principle and scoff when others do, Read more

Air Force Pilots Punished After Flyby

A variety of sources report that six US Air Force pilots were punished over the 20 November 2010 flyby of the Iowa-Ohio State football game.  (Four flew the aircraft, two acted as ground coordinators.)  Soon after the event, it emerged the pilots may have been below required minimum altitudes.

The flight lead of the four-ship of T-38s, Maj Chris Kopacek, reportedly agreed to a deal including a reprimand and a voluntary removal from flight status to avoid a court martial.  He also signed a waiver of his privacy rights, allowing the Air Force to publicize its response to his actions.  From the Associated Press:  Read more

US Navy Chaplain Hull-Hops to Protect Religious Freedom

The practice of “fob-hopping,” or Chaplains bouncing from one forward outpost to another to minister to the needs of the troops, has previously been discussed.

Navy Chaplain (Lt) John Kelly adds another dimension to the extreme means by which the US military protects the religious freedom of its members.  Chaplain Kelly is a Roman Catholic priest, one of the most underrepresented faiths in the Chaplaincy by percentage.

Because not all Navy craft have access to a Catholic Chaplain, Read more

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