Chaplain (Capt) Jonathan Harrop, endorsed by the LDS, recently helped 14 members of the Arizona National Guard chaplain staff visit a Mormon Temple — relatively rarely seen, since they are not often open to the public:
While LDS church buildings are always open Read more
Actually, this time, Weinstein didn’t threaten a lawsuit or demand a court-martial when a senior military leader seemed to endorse a non-Federal entity — because this time the non-Federal entity was his own MRFF.
In a letter thanking Michael “Mikey” Weinstein for providing a briefing to the “senior leadership of the New Mexico National Guard,” New Mexico Adjutant General BGen Andrew Salas gave what could be interpreted as an endorsement of Weinstein’s MRFF [emphasis added]:
When it comes to the special and deeply personal freedom of religious faith, leaders should consider the MRFF as a key resource in helping them guarantee the religious freedom all service-members [sic] are entitled to [sic]…
This [religious freedom] right is worth carefully considering, treasuring, safeguarding, and the MRFF is a tool that should be counted upon to help along the way.
Weinstein proudly publicized the letter, saying the BGen “prais[ed] the MRFF.”
Would that make Mikey Weinstein a hypocrite?
In 2007, Weinstein railed against several General officers who appeared Read more
Following the recent kerfuffle over the National Guard and state laws regarding homosexual benefits, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel released a statement seeming to declare the matter closed:
On Oct. 31, I called on the chief of the National Guard Bureau to work with several states to fully implement Department of Defense policy by providing DoD identification cards to all eligible military spouses, regardless of sexual orientation. Following consultations between Read more
The Air Force has released a report indicating the August midair collision of two F-16s off the coast of Virginia was caused by one of the pilot’s poor sleep habits:
The accident investigation report by Air Combat Command says the pilot had trouble balancing his Air National Guard and civilian careers and only had about four hours of sleep each night in the 48 hours prior to the August collision. The pilot needed Read more
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel “blasted” nine states whose National Guard bureaus have refused to process requests for homosexual benefits at their state facilities. In his Oct 31 speech to the Anti-Defamation League, Hagel said
several states today are refusing to issue these IDs to same-sex spouses at National Guard facilities. Not only does this violate the states’ obligations under federal law, but their actions have created hardship and inequality by forcing couples to travel long distances to federal military bases to obtain the ID cards they’re entitled to.
This is wrong. It causes division among our ranks, and it furthers prejudice, which DoD has fought to extinguish, as has the ADL.
The situation is intriguing, because by calling these states “wrong,” Secretary Hagel appears to be calling the citizens who voted state laws into place “wrong.” If a state has a constitutional amendment that refuses to recognize a homosexual relationship — an amendment passed by the citizens of the state — it naturally follows that the offices of the state, including its National Guard, would adhere to those laws.
Secretary Hagel continued: Read more
Since the Supreme Court overturned a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act, many outlets have run news stories about homosexuals obtaining military benefits, some published by the military itself.
The US Army made a point of publishing a press release highlighting that “Same-sex spouses of Soldiers now receiving benefits.” It also reiterated the controversial “gay leave” policy:
Soldiers assigned to duty stations within Read more
Senator Carl Levin (D-Ma) and US Rep Adam Smith (D-Wa) have written a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel telling him to “issue further guidance” to state National Guard units who have been declining to process benefit applications for homosexuals.
As has been noted elsewhere, until such units are federalized, they operate under the power of the states — their commander in chief is Read more
Two US Air National Guard F-16s collided over the ocean near the coast of Virginia. One pilot ejected, the other recovered his aircraft:
Two Air National Guard fighter jets collided midair, forcing one of the pilots to eject into the sea and be rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter a few hours later off the Virginia coast, officials said Friday.
The other pilot involved in the collision was able to fly back to Joint Base Andrews, Md. Both jets were from the 113th Wing D.C. Air National Guard and were on a routine training mission
The Coast Guard took the unusual step of posting a video of the at-sea rescue on the internet:
Also at the Stars and Stripes.
ADVERTISEMENT