Tag Archives: army

Judge Halts Fort Hood Massacre Trial

The trial of Fort Hood shooter US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan — the term “alleged” is apparently no longer necessary, since he stated in open court he did it — was halted by the military judge.

By Wednesday, the lawyers ordered to help him said they had had enough — they couldn’t watch him fulfill a death wish.

“It becomes clear his goal is to remove impediments or obstacles to the death penalty and is working toward a death penalty,” his lead standby attorney, Lt. Col. Kris Poppe, told the judge. That strategy, he argued, “is repugnant to defense counsel and contrary to our professional obligations.”

Poppe said he and the other standby lawyers want to take over the case, or if Hasan is allowed to continue on his own, they want their roles minimized so that Hasan couldn’t ask them for help with a strategy they oppose.

In short, the lawyers who are tasked to be in pseudo-standby to help him want to either take over — or they want out.

That Hasan may be actively seeking to be put to death is Read more

Air Force Updates Social Media Policy

An Air Force press release highlighted some specific aspects of military social media policy from the Air Force’s “top social media expert.”

Tanya Schusler is the chief of social media for the Air Force Public Affairs Agency, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas…

The article, as well as the updated cliff notes on the social media policy, continue to spend substantial time on official use of Facebook and other websites, though it does touch on personal use of social media as well — something that is not only permitted, but encouraged [emphasis added]: Read more

US Soldier Files Conscientious Objector Application

US Army Private Chris Munoz has reportedly filed an application to be a conscientious objector — just days before his unit ships out to Afghanistan.  His lawyer, James Branum, said he’s actually been trying to do it since about halfway through basic training last year:

At weapons training, he really began to think about what he was being asked to do. He was told there could come a situation where he might be forced to fire on a child. He realized then he could not Read more

US Army Chaplain Ministers to Afghan Soldiers

A chaplain deployed to Afghanistan has taken it upon himself to go above and beyond: he not only ministers to US and NATO troops, but also local Afghan troops:

[US Army Chaplain (Maj)] Dawud Agbere is the only active-duty Muslim U.S. Army chaplain in Afghanistan and one of just four in the Army. As such, he’s in high demand for holding services, counseling U.S. and NATO soldiers – Muslim and others – and overseeing chaplains in smaller units. But in the last few weeks, Agbere has created a new role for himself: a Muslim ambassador from NATO forces to the enlisted soldiers of the Afghan National Army.

The impact the chaplain can have on the local troops may be significant; Agbere’s commander even went so far as to call him their “secret weapon.”

The article is an interesting read.  It also makes you wonder what the reaction would be if a Christian or Jewish chaplain similarly spoke with Afghan soldiers about his faith.

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Army Chaplain Assumes Spiritual Leadership of Division

In another “changing of the stole,” Chaplain (LtCol) Darryl Hollowell recently passed the “spiritual leadership” of the 7th Infantry Division to Chaplain (LtCol) Paul Jaedicke.  The ceremony was overseen by the division’s commanding general, MajGen Stephen Lanza, who said:

a chaplain’s duties go far beyond that of providing spiritual leadership to soldiers and their families. They are involved in the readiness Read more

Hasan: The Challenges of Finding a Clueless Jury

As jury selection continues in the Fort Hood massacre case, a potential juror seemed to express disbelief when the prosecutor asked him if he “had formed an opinion on whether Hasan is guilty.”

“He sits here in a wheelchair because of wounds he sustained on that particular day,” the colonel said. “In terms of 13 victims and who the shooter was, I have an opinion that Maj. Hasan was the individual who pulled the trigger.”

Given that the Judge keeps having to remind US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan not to refer to himself as “the shooter,” that might be a hard opinion to avoid.

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Marine Grog, Sailor Wogs, Soldier Spurs… Hazing?

While elements of things some call “hazing” are supposed to be removed from the military, some traditions seem to survive in the Marine Corps Mess Night, among other places:

During the multiple course dinner, Marines can call out each other for infractions, whether comical or serious. Marines guilty of infractions are “fined” and must then pay and small fee, usually about three dollars, and drink from the “grog”, a mixture of liquids, the elements of which are a mystery. The evening continues with amusing skits enacted by predetermined groups.

The Navy Times frames the Navy’s anti-hazing efforts as awkward to the point of being ineffectual, noting that being sprayed with a fire hose is only hazing if the water pressure is too high, for example. The Navy even officially released Read more

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