Tag Archives: army

DADT and Women in Combat: The Logical Outcome

It was bound to happen.  While some have claimed the US military should not discriminate on the basis of sexual preference, they’ve been unable to explain why the US military still discriminates on the basis of gender.  A new report from a Congressional panel now recommends removing those very policies.

The Defense Department should eliminate restrictions on women serving in combat units and end all “gender restrictive policies,” according to a blue-ribbon panel created by Congress.

The logic of the report is astounding:  Read more

Overweight Soldiers a National Security Issue like DADT?

The Army Times covers (and CNN repeats) the lengths to which Army troops are now going in order to avoid discharge for being overweight:

They’re increasingly turning to starvation diets,  weight-loss pills, laxatives and even liposuction…

Soldiers write about wrapping themselves in Icy-Hot, Preparation H treatments, popping stool softeners, going to saunas to meet the Army’s requirements.  Many of the comments say the military should reassess its weight standards.

Keep in mind this has nothing to do with the military’s rigorous Read more

Chaplain Goetz Remembered by Colleagues

An article at the LA Times documents an interview with Christy Goetz, wife of Chaplain (Capt) Dale Goetz — the first Chaplain killed in combat since Vietnam.

Salient quotes:

His soldiers say the chaplain died doing what he loved — talking to them, praying with them, helping counsel them through long days and nights of fear and dread. He had been carrying CDs for them to record personal messages to their families.

“Chaplains don’t sit around the big bases waiting for Read more

Sub Skipper Fired Over Cheating Scandal

According to the Navy Times, Capt Charles Maher of the attack submarine Memphis was relieved of his command over allegations of a 10-person cheating ring under his watch.  There was no evidence Maher was directly involved in the cheating.

Unlike several prior instances of cheating in all of the military services (Navy, Marines, Army), this appears to be the first time the commanding officer has been relieved over ethical failures in testing by subordinates.

US Military Better than Disney

As reported at the Christian Science Monitor last week, the US Armed Services ranked in the top 10 “blissful places to work,” beating out many stereotypical happy-employee organizations — even Disney.

CareerBliss used independent reviews to evaluate companies based on opportunities for growth, compensation, benefits, work-life balance, career advancement, senior management, job security and whether the employee would recommend the company to others.

The military rankings:  Read more

Chaplain Speaks Out on God and Suicide

The US Army has faced a growing tragedy in the number of suicides in its ranks.  It has amassed a veritable plethora of programs in an attempt to stem the rising tide that kills Soldiers at an alarming rate.

Chaplain (Col) Chester Egert writes an astute piece at Army.mil, noting there are “common threads” in “acts of self-destruction.”

Chaplain Egert notes that while the Army has a variety of programs to fight suicide — he counts more than 600 — there may be an omission in the emphasis on the internal issue of self-worth and intrinsic human value.  Read more

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