Mitchell Flint, a World War II US fighter pilot who was one of the founding members of the Israeli Air Force, recently passed away. Flint was 94.
Flint was one of the founding members of “Machal,” a group of non-Israelis who fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. He was one of the original members of the Israeli Air Force’s first fighter squadron and Read more
Chaplain Hernandez’s previously discussed column on military Christians and religious freedom continues to receive critiques — more accurately, criticism — from a wide variety of sources.
One of the more interesting responses came from Don Byrd of the Baptist Joint Committee, a left leaning advocacy group that tends to take a more atheistic view of religious liberty than most Baptists.
In a blog entitled “Air Force Chaplain is Wrong to Oppose Religious Liberty Rights for All,” Byrd began with a principled observation ignored by most [emphasis added]:
Capt. Hernandez is of course free to believe according to his conscience and faith…The controversial issue of salvation for non-Christians is a question of Christian theology, not public policy…
Personal theological beliefs do not disqualify an individual from public service.
Byrd then added a significant “however” [emphasis added]: Read more
Last week US Air Force Chaplain (Capt) Sonny Hernandez published a column at Barbwire.com entitled “Christian Service Members: Avoid Supporting or Accommodating Evil!” The article has been widely criticized — from the much-expected Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, to Chelsea Clinton, to multiple other sites — by those who have taken issue with Hernandez’s views on Christianity and military religious freedom.
Some of the criticisms are laced with the vitriol of those who despise Christianity in any form but milquetoast — so it wouldn’t matter what Hernandez said. Some of the criticisms are more academic. But almost all call for Hernandez’s head — or at least a pro forma “investigation” followed by a foregone dismissal. While Hernandez may have said — and did say — things that seemed illogical, theologically questionable, or wrong, nothing he said was illegal or otherwise a violation of any rule, regulation, or law. Those who are attacking his ability to serve in the US military — that so-called bastion of tolerance and diversity — have no leg upon which Read more
After the Wednesday crash of two A-10s made news last Thursday, the military revealed on Friday that another aircraft had crashed on Tuesday. US Air Force LtCol Eric Schultz died in the crash of an “unspecified” aircraft:
Lt. Col. Eric Schultz was flying an unspecified aircraft at about 6 p.m. over the Nevada Test and Training Range, approximately 100 miles northwest of Nellis Air Force Base, a spokeswoman at the air base said Friday…
“Information about the type of aircraft involved is classified and not releasable,” Maj. Christina Sukach, chief of public affairs…
The tragic death of Doc and the impact on his family — his wife and five kids — has been overshadowed by the secrecy of the news report. The Aviationist speculated on the existence Read more
The Associated Press tried to update the story from February in which Brigham Young University’s Air Force ROTC program was reportedly in peril because the new commander declined to accept BYU’s restrictions on his caffeine intake at his house.
Col. Timothy Hogan balked and BYU wouldn’t waive the requirements.
Apparently, there’s no story: Read more
A US Air Force article highlights three AF pilots-in-training who were also part of In the Stairwell as cadets — which began as an unofficial and impromptu singing group at the US Air Force Academy.
This would normally be fair fodder for criticism and jokes to follow them throughout their pilot careers (see, for example, the “crushworthy” KC-135 pilot).
But, in all fairness, they’re actually pretty good: Read more
The local Colorado Springs Gazette (repeated at the Stars and Stripes) profiled new US Air Force Academy Superintendent LtGen Jay Silveria last week [emphasis added]:
Silveria has flown combat missions over Iraq and the Balkans at the controls of the F-15E Strike Eagle, arguably the Air Force’s most effective bomber.
Zing!
While the F-15E is classified as a Read more
Mikey Weinstein May Demand Colored Crosses on Air Force Uniforms
It would seem Michael “Mikey” Weinstein wants to the US military to segregate US troops by their religion.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has yet again become the target of a complaint by Weinstein. (The frequency isn’t due to Wright-Patt’s behavior, but the presence of Mikey Weinstein’s friends and family.) This time, Wright-Patt did precisely what Mikey Weinstein wanted — and he still demanded “punishment” for people’s “dangerous violations of Air Force regulations.”
The offense? The Wing Chaplain’s office sent out an email to the Wing.
The core of the email was simple, as forwarded to Weinstein by a sympathizer: Read more