Tag Archives: Military

SecDef Nominee Gen James Mattis Reassures and Worries LGBT Advocates

Retired US Marine General James Mattis sat through hearings with the US Senate yesterday on the path to his confirmation as Secretary of Defense. Gen Mattis is hailed as a no-nonsense, non-political straight-talker, yet his answers to the Senate Armed Services Committee managed to create opposite reactions from allies in the homosexual movement.

Josh Israel at the left-leaning ThinkProgress declared “Defense nominee Mattis won’t say if women and LGBT people should be able to serve,” while the infamous Ashley Read more

Air Force Chief of Chaplains Preaches Resilience

The Air Force Chief of Chaplains, Chaplain (MajGen) Dondi Costin, recently visited Osan Air Base, Korea, and spoke on resilience — via the pillar of spiritual fitness:

“Spiritual fitness is you deciding and determining what your purpose and your meaning is in life; what values you have and then living by those values,” said Costin. “All resilience is, is you having the attitudes and behaviors and beliefs and the community around you to make sure you can take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.”

Though he has been criticized by some activists, Chaplain Read more

Harassed by Mikey Weinstein, Part 6: Mikey as a Spam Bot

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s harassment of his critics isn’t always direct. In fact, some of his “best work” is likely done by indirect harassment — that is, when he can cajole someone else into doing his deeds for him. One of his methods of harassment to achieve this end is to flood military inboxes with unsolicited emails — apparently in the desperate hope that someone will do something just to make him stop hitting “send”.

Such was the case in 2014, when Weinstein emailed US Air Force BGen David Harris with nothing more than an email copy of a recent article from ChristianFighterPilot.com. The only original content in the message (the email is even bereft of ellipses) was Weinstein’s subject line: “Latest From Dominionist “Christian Read more

STRATCOM Revokes Christian Pastor’s Invitation over Religious Beliefs

Retired US Army LtCol Tom Gray, now a contractor at the global nuclear US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, recently issued a press release (PDF) celebrating his “vigilance” over the “separation of church and state.”  Gray announced he’d had Dr. Philip Kayser of the Dominion Covenant Church in nearby Omaha disinvited from speaking at the Offutt Chapel. According to Gray, Kayser had planned on giving “a class on leadership from a Christian perspective.” Gray objected:

Dr. Kayser’s beliefs…can be found online. I brought my concerns to Captain Yi, the USSTRATCOM chaplain, and the invitation was revoked.

The STRATCOM decision to disinvited the local pastor is problematic — and disturbing.

First, it’s worth noting even Gray — despite Read more

US Army to Grant Sikhs, Muslims, Jews Permanent Waivers

The US Army has changed its policies (PDF) to allow Sikhs, Muslims, and Jews to serve while wearing their religious accoutrements in uniform [emphasis added]:

Since 2009, religious accommodation requests requiring a waiver for uniform wear and grooming have largely fallen into one of three faith practices: the wear of a hijab; the wear of a beard; and the wear of a turban or under-turban/patka, with uncut beard and uncut hair. Based on the successful examples of Soldiers currently serving with these accommodations, I have determined that brigade-level commanders may approve requests for these accommodations…

Importantly, the policy specifically says the religious practice should be approved 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

MASH’s Father Mulcahy Dies at 84

William Christopher, who played Catholic Priest and US Army Chaplain (Capt) Francis Mulcahy on “M.A.S.H.,” the Korean War military/medical black comedy TV show in the 1970s and early 1980s, died on New Years Eve. He was 84. While the show’s irreverence, humor, and social commentary made it a bit of a cultural icon well into the 1980s, it is less well known today. Still, “Father Mulcahy” has managed to live on in the American lexicon.

Regrettably, one place Christopher’s character has lived on is Read more

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