Category Archives: Government and Religion

General Vincent Brooks to Command US Forces Korea

US Army General Vincent Brooks was recently nominated by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to command US Forces-Korea:

U.S. Forces Korea “is part of U.S. Pacific Command, but is a major political military command, a place where we need our very best, and Vince is that, and also an officer with tremendous operational and managerial experience,” Carter said.

Carter said the Asia-Pacific is “the single most consequential region of the world for America’s future.”

More notable to most people was the simultaneous nomination of Gen Lori Robinson to lead NORTHCOM, which would make her the first woman to command a combatant command.

brooksGen Brooks’ nomination is notable mostly because Michael “Mikey” Weinstein previously demanded the General’s court-martial — not just once, but twice.

In 2007, Gen Brooks Read more

“Anti-Religion Hysteria” as VA Removes Bible From POW Table. Again.

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein recently declared “victory” after a second Veterans Administration facility altered the traditional POW/MIA remembrance table in response to his complaints.

An MRFF representative, retired US Army Capt Jordan Ray, had filed the complaint about the facility more than an hour and a half away from him — so far out of his way, in fact, that he asked the VA to take the time to photograph the “new” display so he didn’t have to drive down to do it himself, giving the MRFF a fundraising prop for free.

Writing at FoxNews.com, Mike Berry of First Liberty Institute decried Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s attempts to overturn the tables of POW/MIA remembrance memorials around the country:

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, founder and president of the deceptively-named Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), demanded an Akron, Ohio VA clinic remove the Bible from its POW/MIA remembrance table. This isn’t the first time the MRFF has targeted a symbol of faith for our nation’s POWs and MIAs. In 2014, it attacked remembrance tables in the Air Force and Navy.

It goes without saying that Weinstein has an issue with the Bible. Besides his Read more

US Soldier Climbs Mountain Carrying Cross

mitchellThe local Alaska Dispatch News reported on US Army National Guard Soldier Richard Mitchell, who recently climbed Flattop Mountain carrying a wooden cross:

I just felt called to do it. It made me remember why I’m here on this earth, and I also wanted to do it for people out there suffering from depression and contemplating suicide. For me, religion has always helped…

His climb memorialized the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, he said, but he Read more

Military Grants One Sikh Exemption, Three More File Lawsuit

singhThe US Army extended its religious accommodation of Capt Simratpal Singh, a Soldier who had decided to return to his Sikh practices and had sued after the Army tried to subject him to additional testing not required of other Soldiers.

The response from the Army (PDF) is intended to moot the suit. The accommodation allowing Singh to wear his religious accoutrements is open-ended, but it is heavily qualified with the Army’s caveats that it might remove the accommodation at any time. Perhaps more importantly:  Read more

Critics See Crusaders in New US Military Medal

The Department of Defense announced a new medal to be worn by members of the US military who have participated in Operation Inherent Resolve:

The medal is retroactive to June 15, 2014, and is for service members based in Iraq or Syria, those who flew missions over those countries, and those who served in contiguous waters for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days, officials said.

oirmedalWriting at The Atlantic, Uri Friedman takes issue with the medal as “too crusadery” in a passive-aggressive missive demonstrating a lack of awareness of the US military: Read more

F-16 Crashes in Afghanistan, Pilot Safe

The US military announced that an F-16 had crashed on takeoff at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan:

A U.S. Air Force F-16 jet crashed on takeoff from Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan late Tuesday, the Pentagon said.

The pilot ejected safely and was recovered by coalition forces, said Peter Cook, Pentagon press secretary.

The Air Force wing at Bagram disputed assertions the aircraft had been shot down or that there were casualties.  Read more

Mikey Weinstein Calls for Decapitation, Persecution of Christians

In an appropriately timed interview just prior to Easter, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation was asked what would constitute “success” in his war against Christians in the US military. This was his response:

The Romans had it right. When you cut off somebody’s head and you stick it on a pole and show it to the masses, it changes behavior.

The interview was laced with a repugnant oblivious irony.  It was entitled “Do Christian Fanatics in the Military Endanger National Security?“, ignoring the fact no Christian “fanatic” has ever been identified in the US military, much less one who “endangers national security.”  By contrast, “fanatics” of other religions most certainly have been identified, repeatedly, yet Islamic extremism in the US military never once enters Mikey Weinstein’s lexicon of prejudice against Christians.

Further, Weinstein’s implications about cutting the heads off Read more

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