Tag Archives: diversity

Navy Commander’s Awkward Comments on LGBT Pride

CAPT Mark Melson, commanding officer, USS Makin Island, speaking at his ship’s LGBT pride event:

“Pride Month shows the importance of diversity in our Navy, and how that diversity makes us stronger.”

How, precisely, does diversity in sexual behavior make the Navy stronger?  “Pride month” doesn’t make that explicit (no pun intended), and the Department of Defense has not said homosexuality has improved the ability of the military to accomplish its mission.

If diversity in itself is what “makes [the military] stronger,” the US military is doing it wrong with Read more

Air Force NCO Models Intolerance at Official Women-Only Event

A women-only mandatory briefing held by the 82nd Training Wing at Sheppard AFB a couple of weeks ago has already gained some notoriety on social media both for its content and the manner in which it was held. It apparently had good intentions:

Five NCO’s [sic] and the base’s director of Military Equal Opportunity stood at the head of the auditorium ready to lead an honest conversation about being a female in a male dominated career.

But you know which road they say is paved with good intentions.

Some joined the online conversation to call the very concept of the meeting unwise, if not discriminatory. (Consider, for example, if the Air Force had officially called a mandatory meeting of only white Read more

US Navy Gets Out in Front of President Trump

Update: After outcries of persecution due to President Trump’s silence, the acting Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel Anthony M. Kurta issued a DoD gay pride month celebration announcement.  Ironically, this contradicts information posted on the DEOMI website, which indicates the observance is “established by Presidential Proclamation” — which means the DoD is “celebrating” something that does not (yet) exist this year.

The US Navy got out in front of its own commander Wednesday when it issued a press release celebrating homosexuality for the month of June — something the Commander in Chief, President Donald Trump, has yet to do:

The Navy joins the nation in recognizing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month throughout June…

“The Navy needs men and women who are the right fit for the right job regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, creed or gender identity,” said Capt. Candace Eckert, Special Assistant for Inclusion and Diversity.

Notice Capt Eckert didn’t include “religion” — but she did include three different variations of sex. That’s “diversity” in the Navy, it seems.

President Trump has yet to have his nominee for Secretary of the Navy, Read more

New Air Force Leaders Announced, Take Command

On Monday, US Air Force BGen Kristin Goodwin assumed command of the 4,000-member Cadet Wing at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado. Gen Goodwin’s selection has had an interesting backstory, with her sexual preference making headlines as well as her seemingly friendly relationship with Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s MRFF “charity” — which has normally had hostile relations with USAFA leadership over the years.

Secretary of Defense James Mattis swore in new Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson on Tuesday.

For those keeping track, the Commandant Read more

Davis Monthan Does Diversity Differently

Apparently attempting to avoid the sometimes common stigma of “dial a special interest” month, Davis Monthan Air Force Base opted to have a “cultural awareness festival” that combined the celebrations of a variety of “diversities” normally held in different months:

The festival, titled Strengthening Resiliency through Diversity, was held as an alternative to the Department of Defense supported-observances by combining all monthly observances into a family-friendly, annual event…

The article listed some of the represented “diversities” as Read more

Air National Guard Ignores FFRF Atheist Complaint

Not long after receiving a letter (PDF) from the First Liberty Institute, the New Hampshire Air National Guard at the Pease ANG Base has said they have chosen to ignore the previously reported complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation:

“We don’t plan on responding to the FFRF,” [Greg Heilshorn, spokesman for the New Hampshire National Guard] said. “We haven’t had any formal complaints from our airmen internally regarding any concerns with prayers being said at various ceremonies. We will continue as we’ve done before. It’s our tradition. We believe our chaplains…[are a] vital part of our organization.”

Well done. The US military is not obligated to respond to the FFRF — or any other third party complaint — at all. By declining to do so, they avoid the perception they are legitimizing the FFRF or its generalized accusations about religious expression in the US military.  Meanwhile, if there are any actual complainants who have an actionable grievance, they still have access to every grievance system within the military.

Part of the issue with Read more

“Majority” of Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Crew Voted for Donald Trump

The Associated Press covered the recent return of the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) to Norfolk, VA. The article opened by recounting a short quote from a lesbian Sailor:

Sailing on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lara Runge placed a rare phone call to her wife Jessica…on Election Day.

The women prayed together “for the safety of our country and that equality would remain consistent.” Both supported Hillary Clinton, while the majority of the ship’s crew voted for President-elect Donald Trump, said Runge…

Statistically, Runge may be correct, as the US military stereotypically leans Republican, but Read more

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