Tag Archives: Pentagon

Congress Calls for Delay in Tomorrow’s DADT Repeal

The Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Representative Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA), and committee member Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) have called on the Department of Defense to delay the planned repeal of the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

The Committee and others have complained the DoD has failed to provide any of the documentation required for the certification to the President that occurred two months ago.  The documentation was supposed to cover policies and regulations implementing repeal.

Since it is evident that the department does not have final, approved policies in place, we believe it is essential that you take immediate action to Read more

Trust is a Casualty: Abdo Makes Eighth Attack/Attempt on Military

Update:  This post has been corrected here; the actual number of attacks/attempted attacks is nine, not eight.

Following the arrest of PFC Naser Abdo on charges he planned to kill Soldiers at Fort Hood in what has been described as a “terror attack,” a local paper says “trust is a casualty” for the military and Islamic communities, describing a tension between non-Islamic Soldiers and their Muslim comrades.

Some may not realize Abdo’s arrest marks eight recent attacks or attempted attacks on the US military by assailants who have apparently been motivated by their Islamic faith. Half of those attacks or attempted attacks have been by members of the US military:  Read more

Update: US Army Hindu Chaplain

As previously noted, US Army Chaplain (Capt) Pratima Dharm has reportedly become the US military’s first Hindu Chaplain.  One point of curiosity was the Chaplain’s badge; she had reportedly worn the Christian cross “until this year.”

In an article at the Huffington Post, US Air Force LtCol Ravi Chaudhary explains his role in helping Dharm represent Hinduism as opposed to Christianity (which, incidentally, she doesn’t reject under the “inclusive” Hindu spirituality).  (Chaudhary, a Hindu US Air Force C-17 pilot, was highlighted here just a few months ago; he currently serves in the Pentagon.)  He notes the discussion of the “religious identifier” Dharm was to wear — a particularly interesting endeavor, since Hinduism doesn’t really have exclusive religious symbology:  Read more

DADT: Gay dating at USAFA, Amos on Marine Moral Compass, More

Below is an update on ongoing issues with respect to the planned repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Included below:

  • Polis says USAFA should hire gay Chaplain, welcome same-sex dating
  • Virginia’s proposal to institute its own DADT for its National Guard
  • Transgender appeals for equal treatment following repeal
  • Hunter’s Restore Military Readiness Act of 2011
  • King’s combat unit DADT repeal exemption
  • Repeal training to begin shortly
  • Video message from General Amos on repeal

Read more

Military Should Keep Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Religious Beliefs

The Associated Press reported that a conference on the role of spirituality in the armed forces occurred at the University of California in Berkeley.

Dr. Pauletta Otis, a professor of security studies at the Marine Command and Staff College, reportedly said there was good reason for “secrecy” regarding individual religious beliefs within the military, and the military should maintain a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on religion:  Read more

DoD’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Report to be Publicized

The Department of Defense’s report on how to implement the proposed repeal of the law banning homosexuals from military service will reportedly be “released in full” next week, on November 30th — one day prior to the original date for which the report was supposed to be delivered to the Secretary of Defense.

The fact that the military’s entire emphasis has been how to react Read more

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