Tag Archives: marines

Former Marine Pilot Opposes Religious Freedom Bill

Pentagon spokesman Nate Christensen stressed that the Defense Department celebrates religious diversity and that military personnel have the full right to exercise their religious beliefs, as long as doing so does not negatively affect the military’s mission or other individuals’ rights.

Tom Carpenter is a co-chair of the Forum on the Military Chaplaincy — a group that advocated for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell — a 1970 US Naval Academy graduate, and a former US Marine A-4 pilot.  He recently came out against religious freedom legislation now supported by the endorsing bodies of the vast majority of US military chaplains.  (Carpenter recently repeated near-verbatim atheist talking points rebutting some of the most recent claims of hostility toward religious freedom in the military.)

In apparent shock, Carpenter said, for example:  Read more

Marines Allow Uniforms in “Pride” Parade, DoD Quantifies Homosexuals

The US Marine Corps permitted its members to wear their uniforms in the San Diego homosexual “pride” parade.

As noted at the Air Force Times,

According to the Pentagon, an estimated 5,600 active-duty troops and 3,400 National Guard and Reserve members are in same-sex marriages and relationships.

Notably, in the run-up to DADT repeal, the Department of Defense had repeatedly said it would not attempt to quantify the sexuality of US troops.  From the Support Plan for Implementation

The Department of Defense and the Services should continue their policy against requesting, collecting, or maintaining information about the sexual orientation of Service members.

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MRFF Threatens Lawsuit over Military Religious Liberty Bill

Michael Weinstein has threatened to file a lawsuit if Congress passes the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act with the religious liberty amendment intact.

Weinstein said that he would immediately sue if the amendment passes, calling it “completely unconstitutional.”

No one need worry.  It seems every time you turn around Weinstein is threatening to sue someone.  (For a short list, web search “Mikey Weinstein tell it to the judge.”)  Weinstein followed through on his threats against the US military only four times (and lost every time).  He then promised to appeal (“Technicality!” he cried)… and he then did nothing.  He appears to know that saying “I’ll sue” will get him quoted in the press, which is all he really wants.

As an aside, it is somewhat entertaining to see how the Religion News Service described Weinstein: Read more

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

Military Officer Accuses Marine Corps of “Legal Charade”

A recent article published by the ACLU was by-lined “Colleen Farrell, Captain, U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.”  Captain Farrell slammed the US military for its “charade” in following the now-rescinded policies prohibiting women from certain combat roles.  As Captain Farrell describes it, the policies were not that females couldn’t serve in combat roles; as executed, the policies prevented females from serving greater than 45 days in a combat role:

Because of the combat exclusion policy, women Marines Read more

DoD Articles Highlight Military Oath, Sort of

A half-dozen US Marine Corps press releases (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) recently highlighted a group promotion ceremony in which these Marines “reaffirm[ed]” their oaths before they deployed.  All of the articles were identical except for the person, which is common for “hometown news releases,” or articles written primarily for use by local newspapers in a servicemember’s hometown.

What made the framing text interesting was its repetition of the oath of office…or, at least, most of it [ellipsis original]:  Read more

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