Tag Archives: Military

Weinstein Conspiracy Theories Get More “Creative”

Michael Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation may have finally proven his reliance on conspiracy theories to advance his cause.  He recently gave an interview to American Muslims Today, broadcasting in Nebraska, which headlined the interview thusly:

Who would Jesus bust a cap on?
In this part of the series we discuss The New Crusade. We explore how the fundamentalist Christians have fully infiltrated and some say taken over the US military.

(Apparently the impending repeal of DADT is actually an elaborate diversion by fundamentalist Christians in the military…)

In the interview, Weinstein says he can “basically trace the start Read more

Air Force Looking for Motto, not Slogan

Contrary to the prior assertions of the Air Force Times, the US Air Force says it is not looking for a recruiting slogan; instead, it is in search of a “motto” that is “meant to endure.”

Colonel Groves made the distinction between temporary recruiting slogans and an official motto, which will be the service’s first.

“People may recall slogans such as ‘Aim High,’ ‘No One Comes Close,’ and ‘Cross Into the Blue’ seen in ad campaigns supporting recruiting efforts,” Colonel Groves said. “The Air Force motto, in contrast, is focused on building esprit-de-corps, and is meant to endure to future generations of Airmen.”

The goal is reportedly to have an Air Force motto within the year.

Senior Indian AF Leaders Visit US Bases

The Air Force announced the visit of senior Indian Air Force leaders to Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, in late July.  The officers were reportedly in Kirtland to observe the USAF use of simulators for flight training.

A picture of an officer accepting a gift from the visiting leaders was interesting for its demonstration of the integration of religion not only with the Indian culture, but also its military:

Air Commodore J.S. Walia is evidently a Sikh, as he wears the religious articles of a member of that faith.  Currently, the US military has granted only a few exceptions to uniform wear to allow Sikhs to serve.

Also interesting is the gift chosen.  The gift is a replica of the Read more

Gene Robinson Criticizes ADF for Opposing DADT Repeal

Gene Robinson, famous as the first homosexual bishop in the Anglican church, wrote an opinion piece in USA Today demonstrating the lack of understanding some opponents of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” have about the military, regulations, and the law.  In his piece, he criticizes the reply by ADF attorney Daniel Blomberg that said “religious liberty is in real jeopardy” should DADT be repealed.

First, Robinson says:  Read more

NATO Denies Desecrating Koran…Yet Again

An article on the military in Afghanistan notes the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has had to defend itself, again, against charges of desecrating the Koran (Quran).  The military conducted a three-day investigation, and noted the accusations didn’t even make sense:

The allegations in the media also state that the Quran was bayoneted. Soldiers performing patrols in that area do not carry bayonets according to the task force.

The military was quick to reassure the local populace nonetheless:

ISAF understands the significance and importance of the Quran to the Muslim religion and the people of Afghanistan and takes allegations of the desecration and disrespect of the Quran or any other religious or cultural items very seriously.

Airman: How I Learned to Live

An Air Force Senior Airman, Emerald Ralston, writes a moving commentary that begins with her deployment to Afghanistan.

After a couple of weeks, I was preparing to convoy to an even more remote area for the next five months.

Before we left, I made the usual call home. I’d ask my parents to pray for me before I went on convoys so they knew what I was up to and, God forbid, in case anything happened, they would be prepared.

This particular time, I didn’t get the “Okay, Honey, be safe,” I was used to.

She learns that her brother, US Army Sgt Ian Ralston, had been wounded in Iraq.

Her story is worth the read.

The Next UCAV: The A-10 Warthog

According to a report at the Air Force Times, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is working on a project that will enable ground forces to control the weapons systems on an A-10 — or even control the A-10 itself as an “unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV).”

The A-10 could be manned or unmanned; an unmanned plane would loiter autonomously but would be under the control of an A-10 pilot at a ground control station when responding to an attack and for all takeoffs and landings.

The pilot would give “coordinated consent” for the launch of weapons; the JTAC would fire the weapons using a portable computer. With the computer, the JTAC would access the A-10’s sensors, punch in coordinates for its targeting pods and determine the predicted blast radius and effectiveness of the weapons.

While the concept is intriguing, it masks the true improvement to air support Read more

USAF “Above All” to be Retired

The Air Force Times notes that the US Air Force is looking for a new slogan to replace the “Above All” it came up with in 2008 (which was not without controversy, apparently).

All of the services spend a fair amount of time on marketing and recruiting (though the Marines are unique, saying you ask to join them).  Just last fall the Navy created its new “A Global Force for Good” tagline.  Each iteration from each service gets both praise and scorn, and a few years later it, too, gets replaced…

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