The Air Force announced Tuesday that Capt William DuBois was killed when his F-16 crashed “in the Middle East” in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Officially, the crash was declared not combat related and was said not to have occurred in Iraq or Syria. CNN reported it occurred in Jordan.
As with all such incidents, the Air Force will investigate the cause. The crash follows another recent fatal crash out of Tyndall AFB just last month.
As previously noted, the Air Force has published a revision to its AFI 1-1, “Air Force Standards,” which alters the wording and tone on how the service views religious liberty and expression. The new AFI can be found here (PDF).
The greatest sources of consternation were paragraphs 2.11 and 2.12, and that’s where the Air Force made its revisions. In one notable change, the topics of 2.11 and 2.12 have been reversed: The Air Force now talks about religious freedom and expression before it talks about restrictions and the Establishment clause. While that may seem insignificant to some, it is noteworthy for the tone of the regulation.
The most significant change to the AFI — in direct response to laws passed by Congress — also marks its most dramatic explicit statement. The new regulation now says [emphasis added]:
Every Airman also has the right to individual expressions of sincerely held beliefs, to include conscience, moral principles or religious beliefs, unless those expressions would have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, good order, discipline, health and safety, or mission accomplishment.
Every Airman has the right to express their religious beliefs. Further, Read more
As previously noted, the House Armed Services subcommittee on personnel invited five civilian witnesses to provide testimony on the state of religious freedom in the US military last Wednesday.
Attending were:
Contrary to some predictions, it wasn’t really a contentious meeting. What the hearing did reveal was the committee members were Read more
Updates on the elevation at Stars and Stripes and AF.mil.
Air Force Chaplain (Maj) Chad Zielinski, currently the deputy wing chaplain at Eielson AFB, was recently selected by Pope Francis to be the new bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska. According to the Air Force announcement, it is the first time an active duty chaplain has been elevated to bishop.
“I was very shocked and humbled to be chosen by the Holy Father,” Zielinski said. “I’m looking forward to the new venture and challenges, but by the grace of God and the talents of the people around me the transition should be smooth.”
Chaplain Zielinski previously served at the US Air Force Academy, and received accolades there, as well.
The article indicates the chaplain will continue to serve in the Air Force Reserve while he is the bishop.
The Air Force announced it has updated AFI 1-1 — because of issues regarding religious liberty [emphasis added]:
Air Force officials approved Air Force Instruction 1-1, Air Force Standards, Nov. 7, to clarify guidance on Airmen’s religious rights and commanders’ authority and responsibility to protect those rights.
The announcement contained a summary of the changes. The changes [emphasis added]
clarify guidance for how commanders should handle religious accommodation requests or when Airmen’s rights to free exercise are questioned. Chaplain corps officials also clarified policy language to assist commanders in balancing the constitutional protections for their own free exercise of religion or other personal beliefs with the constitutional prohibition against governmental establishment of religion.
Importantly, General Welsh is quoted as specifically Read more
An F-16 pilot from Tyndall AFB was killed last Thursday morning when his jet crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.
The pilot was civilian Matthew LaCourse, a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and 1978 US Air Force Academy graduate. LaCourse was a part of the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron, which is the unit fielding the pilotless QF-16s as full-scale drones. He had previously topped 2,000 hours in the F-4/QF-4, which preceded the QF-16.
As with all mishaps, Read more
The following video captures the audio of a (genuine) 1966 spoof public affairs interview, in which a fighter pilot gives “real” answers to a reporter’s questions, and a Public Affairs officer then “translates,” with the repetitive lead-in, “what the Captain means…”
Some might say the “filter” from front line reality to the media portrayed in the piece is as true today as it was then.
Warning: The audio contains multiple profanities — in answer to every single question.
The video was reportedly created by two US Air Force PA officers.
180th Fighter Wing Commander Col Craig Bluto Baker declared that an Air Force officer was prohibited from explaining the impact of Jesus Christ on his life, while a Navy Commander in San Diego lauded the performance of comedian Jeff Dunham, who voices, among others, Achmed the Dead Terrorist. From a prior performance:
Achmed the Dead Terrorist is a bundle of bones and bulging eyes and bushy eyebrows who delights with the crowd-pleasing line “I’ll keel you!”
“I’m a terrible father,” he said. “I took my son to take your kid to work day. Now he’s there, over there and over there. [Bomb noises] It’s not funny, kids blow up so fast.”
Achmed went on a rant about loving Ellen DeGeneres Read more