According to a press release, 10 US Air Force Academy cadets attended a Hindu service in the cadet chapel to celebrate the Hindu pantheon.
The Academy chaplain’s office provided support for the event, which was led by Hindu priests with the Sri Venkateswara Temple of Colorado.
Cadet 3rd Class Anish Bachu of Cadet Squadron 09 called the event historic and thanked the chaplains, particularly Chaplain (Col.) Robert Bruno Read more
The US Air Force Academy reported that one of its T-53 Kadet 2s was involved in an incident on Monday:
A T-53 Kadet 2 (Cirrus SR 20) aircraft was damaged when it crashed Read more
The US Air Force Academy recently hosted its annual Falcon Heritage Forum, focusing on “moral courage in the midst of difficult decisions in the active-duty Air Force.”
“It is was a great opportunity for cadets to interact with young company grade officers who aren’t much further ahead of them and where cadets could get a perspective on what these officers deal with on a day to day basis,” said Cadet 1st Class Nicholas Espinoza, Cadet Wing character officer.
“Having the courage to make hard decisions is Read more
The Stars and Stripes repeated a Las Vegas Sun article highlighting Nellis AFB Airmen who feed the homeless through a local ministry on a regular basis:
The airmen and ministry’s tables are crowded with hardboiled eggs, pizza, hot dogs, salad, chili mac, bread, turkey-and-cheese sandwiches and water. McShane blesses the food, and Read more
The US Air Force Academy Board is “happy” with the results of the USAFA climate survey (PDF), despite a lackluster 15% response rate from the cadet wing
As noted last year when the survey was being conducted, a new agency performed a new survey, which essentially eliminates any ability to track trends from prior years. There were some interesting questions and responses, however: Read more
Michael Weinstein, of his self-founded Military Religious Freedom Foundation, has threatened to “file a federal lawsuit” if the US Military Academy at West Point doesn’t stop using a survey that “violates…constitutional protections.”
West Point is currently in direct violation of Clause 3, Article 6 of the United States Constitution’s absolute prohibition against the utilization of any “religious test”…
West Point has grievously transgressed against and is in clear violation of the Constitution of the United States of America, period.
You know its serious when he spells out “period.” Further, Weinstein asserted that his “clients” were anonymous because they “gravely” feared reprisal:
Our 42 MRFF clients at West Point gravely fear the distinct possibility that they could be the target of nontrivial direct or indirect reprisals and/or retribution if they were to voice their concerns and demands to their superiors at the Academy…
Weinstein’s main points — West Point violated the Constitution and its cadets and faculty are cowering in fear — are fairly easy to debunk:
“West Point Violated the Constitution”
Most honest Constitutional historians would likely admit Weinstein is misusing the “no religious test” clause. (Even Weinstein’s own research assistant, Chris Rodda, Read more
Ramadan occurred during basic training at the US Air Force Academy this year — a strenuous time of physical exertion during which the religiously-mandated fast would likely be detrimental to both health and performance.
Islamic USAFA basic trainees were able to abstain from their fast due to a fatwa issued by Imam Mohamed Jodeh, a civilian described as “the liaison between the Academy’s Muslim community and the chaplains:” Read more
In December of last year a group called on Congress to investigate the relationship of the US Air Force with Michael Weinstein, the President of his self-founded Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Weinstein has shown an ability to access private military records, apparently through his “high ranking” contacts, and his public statements seemed to indicate he was given unusually unfettered access to senior leadership.
A portion of Weinstein’s relationship with the USAF was revealed as recently as the blurb on Weinstein’s newest book, when the newly retired Air Force Judge Advocate General, three-star LtGen Jack Rives, “came out” as a strong cheerleader for Weinstein’s cause. Gen Rives had been charged with advising the Air Force in its dealings with Weinstein’s continuous complaints — while he simultaneously supported Weinstein’s “tireless civil rights fight against fundamentalist religious predators in our nation’s armed forces.”
Weinstein has now published a 2,000-word diatribe admitting to Read more