I don't think we can count on our military officers to be on the good side

[donsu]

http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/press-releases/christian_embassy.html


DoD Inspector General Finds Misconduct by Pentagon Generals Participating in “Christian Embassy” Promo Video:
Military Religious Freedom Foundation’s Exposé Vindicated


-snip-

In response to the DoD Inspector General’s Report (http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/press-releases/christian_embassy_report.pdf), the Military Religious Freedom Foundation Founder and President Mikey Weinstein released the following statement:

“This U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General’s (DoD/IG) report confirms the intentional dismantling of the Constitutionally mandated wall separating church and state by some of the highest ranking officials in the Bush Administration and the U.S. military. Embarrassingly feeble excuses proffered by senior U.S. Army and Air Force generals and other senior officers reveal long and deep collusion with a fundamentalist, religious missionary organization, the ‘Christian Embassy’. That these senior Pentagon officials control the world’s largest nuclear, chemical and biological arsenal should eviscerate the American public's trust and confidence in their military and civilian leadership. The shocking allowance of unrestricted Pentagon access to fundamentalist Christian missionaries through the official ‘badging’ process is an outrageous national security breach of the highest order. Therefore, MRFF now demands immediate Congressional oversight hearings on this breach. Inexplicably, the DoD/IG failed to fault Secretary of the Army (and former Acting Secretary of the Air Force) Preston M.(‘Pete’) Geren, even though his role in the ‘Christian Embassy’ video clearly led the way for other senior officers’ participation. MRFF intends to file expeditiously a comprehensive Federal lawsuit that will rapaciously pursue legal remedies to the multitude of horrific Constitutional violations this DoD/IG report reveals.”

The 46-page report dated July 20, 2007 found that:

-snip-

Americans have been unaware until now that their tax dollars have been used by the Pentagon for over twenty five years to further religious proselytizing.
-------------------------

[Solly Mack]

1. I never do :)

[villager]

2. so it will be up to us, then....

n/t

[donsu]

3. yes

nt

[patrice]

4. I was really fascinated by my experience at the NCO Leadership Academy

some years ago. Yes, NCOs aren't commissioned officers, but NCOs ARE responsible for a great deal of what the Military is and does and I think this school would be emblematic of the kinds of people you'd see elsewhere in the Military.

The personality differences were very distinct at the Air Force NCO academy that I attended. There were people who were there for other People, accepting NCO status out of responsibility for other Enlisted members - and - there were people there for the career track, job security and advancement in pay grade. Some of the discussion-question exercises the Instructors had us do made it very, very clear that this mix was about 50:50.

[Jackpine Radical]

6. I gather that the AF officers' corps is solidly Fundie,

that the Academy almost requires flat-earth creationism of its cadets. I really think that's scary. The guys that would deliver the bombs all think they're literal crusaders in the air, striking at the Infidel.

[patrice]

7. I wonder how many are actually rationalizing the manner in which

they've chosen to obtain job security and pay the mortgage and what would it take to differentiate these from the truly "Fundy" personality types out there.

I also don't know which I fear more: the Fundies? or the Grassroots' War Profiteers?

As much as I believe that We need a Military for DEFENSE, and that that Military should have Justice for it's Veterans, I am also worried about a climate in this country in which Veterans are given strong automatic preference for our disappearing jobs simply on the fact that they are Veterans. This bothers me, because I just don't see the motivation to join the Military as being "all that". People universally seem to assume that there is something truly Noble about it when, in fact, enlisting is often motivated by things such as: job insecurity, boredom, violent impulsivity, and anger. I think people hide from their real reasons for what they do all of the time, so you'll hear great protestation about what I just said, when it is AT LEAST probable that it applies to something between a third to half of all enlistees.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Your perspective sounds pretty reasonable to me.

I personally was a draftee in Vietnam, as were most of the low-ranking infantry types. In those days lots of people "volunteered" in order to get non-combat status. These days, though, with no draft, I imagine boredom, impulsivity and anger are large-scale motivators. These are also traits strongly associated with antisocial personality disorders. Leads to some interesting speculation about what we are creating, no? Giving weapons training and killing experience to impulsive, angry antisocials?

[Corgigal]

13. Lets just start a draft then

and watch how fast you could care less about Veterans automatic preferences. You only get that normally, when you serve during a time of war.

I personally have no problem with those 2-3 points for preference but I want to do more for them. I think they shouldn't even pay Federal income tax the whole time they are in the military.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[donsu]

8. let's get back to the subject of the thread

nt

[knight_of_the_star]

9. The officers might not

But the grunts on the ground who are doing the real heavy lifting most likely will be, granted they are stuck in the sandbox (lovely term for Iraq I've heard from local Jarheads). The ones I've talked to who have gotten out are happy to be out of there and if Bush pushed it too far and they all had the means of getting home in formation I think a lot of them might stand against him if nothing else because of the abuse he's heaped on them.

[flashl]

11. Is it me?

First, if this is considered OT, my apologies.

As I was reading the article, something occurred to me. I found what seems to be a recurring theme. Invariably, there is an intersection of intense promotion of SOME religious dogma + sex scandals. Here, we have collusion with a fundamentalist, religious missionary organization, the ‘Christian Embassy’ coupled with this sordid history:

US Air Force Academy chiefs removed over rape scandal
The Air Force Academy's Rape Scandal
Academy Cadet Charged With Rape, Indecent Assault

Is it me? Have someone else noticed this?

[rucky]

12. They found it to be misconduct.

so there's still some standards in the Pentagon.

[tabasco]

14. There's a lot more decent and honorable officers than Bush mafia members.

Unfortunately, Bush has corrupted the senior ranks of the military just like every agency of our government. The Bush oil mafia has retired many honorable officers like General Shinseki and promoted their yes-men. Still ,the military is enormous, and the great majority of officers are loyal to the Nation, not the Bush mafia. The task remains to purge the dishonorable, gutless yes-men and promote officers with moral courage.

[BlooInBloo]

15. Me either. But military-lovers will jump on you for saying so.