Integrity News

Choices

Here’s a story you might be interested in from the Army Times:

Army Officer Eyes Return to Baseball Diamond

a 2005 Army policy called an alternative service option. It allowed those West Point and ROTC graduates with professional sports contracts to play immediately after graduation instead of after traditional active-duty service, the idea being to score public relations points for the military.

The policy stated that selected officer-athletes were to be assigned to recruiting units in locations near where they played for a shortened commitment of two years — with “a strong expectation they will provide the Army with significant favorable media exposure likely to enhance national recruiting or public affairs efforts.” Essentially, the officers’ military jobs were to be worked around their athletic schedules.

Interesting indeed. My problem with this “alternative service option” is that these young officers, fresh from the Academy, don’t know all that much about military life and what it’s like to lead troops. Being a cadet is not the same as being an NCO and officer in the military. At the Academy they deal with their fellow cadets who are among the best our nation has to offer. When they become officers in the Active Duty Army, one would like to think they are still working with soldiers who are among the best, but reality is that some individuals enter military service who probably shouldn’t be there.

What perspective can a newly graduated officer provide for an average student who has little or no expectation or desire to be an officer?

In June, one week after baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals drafted 2008 Naval Academy graduate Mitch Harris in the 13th round, Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter ruled Harris must first fulfill his five-year active-duty requirement.

Harris, whose fastball reaches 95 miles per hour, was assigned to a ship based in Virginia. He is now preparing for a long deployment beginning in May, according to his agent, Rick Oliver.

The Cardinals are willing to wait, assistant general manager John Abbamondi said. A former Navy officer, Abbamondi likens the process to holding a ticket to a future lottery drawing.

Sounds to me that if you’re good enough, the pros are willing to wait. Like those of us who aren’t blessed with such talents, they should wait. Or make a choice. Few soldiers are afforded such opportunities in the civilian world, and if the soldier had enlisted it is likely that he would be required to serve out his contract before pursuing other goals.

I don’t want to begrudge these young men, but it seems to me that they will be better athletes if they finish their military commitments first and then pursue their careers in professional athletics. Look at the current scandals involving steroids. In professional sports we need athletes who can provide an example that only an EXPERIENCED military officer can provide.

¶ Posted 21 February 2009 † Pepe § Integrity § US Army § Military Leadership ‡ Comments (0)

J. Edgar Hoover Knew Best

I’m a history buff and found this piece from the Washington Post very interesting:

Valenti’s Sexuality Was Topic For FBI

In the 1960s the FBI and the federal government found it necessary to investigate everything include sexual proclivities. I can see where someone’s sexual behavior could become a national security concern, especially if they are prone to talking and having many liaisons. (Both behaviors that gay people have been accused of.) If they have loose lips they might tell something they ought not to, but why does it matter what the sex of the person is? Men and women can both use their sexuality to manipulate others. Buyer beware, so to speak.

In the Washington of the early 1960s, allegations or proof of homosexuality could end a career.

Wait a minute. In the Washington of today, allegations or proof of homosexuality can and still do end careers! Somethings haven’t changed.

DeLoach advised [President] Johnson to have Valenti submit a sworn affidavit regarding his association with “this homosexual.” Johnson demurred, saying Valenti had no need to defend himself.

Good for you, President Johnson.

Seven days later, DeLoach pressed Johnson again and he relented. In the same conversation, a memo shows, they discussed a request from Moyers, then a special assistant to Johnson, that the FBI investigate two other administration figures who were “suspected as having homosexual tendencies.”

Never mind.

Seriously, though, check out the full article. It’s an excellent reminder of how the more things change, the more they stay the same.

¶ Posted 19 February 2009 † Pepe § History ‡ Comments (0)

Afghan Troop Surge

President Obama has authorized an additional 17,000 troops for Afghanistan:

More Troops Headed to Afghanistan

Given the situation in Afghanistan, and that it served as the al-Qaeda base for the attacks of 2001, I think it’s a good thing that we get everything under control there. However, a few questions popped into my head.

What about the increased dwell time - the amount of time troops get to spend at home with their families? When we enlist in the military, we know there will be hardships and separation from loved ones is at the top of the list. It’s gonna happen. That’s all there is to it. What’s troubling is there has been a lot of talk about increasing dwell time, but nothing has been done to reduce the demand for troops, yet. Perhaps the new administration will work out a plan that decreases the number of troops in Iraq and then the overall demand for troops outside of the United States. In the meantime some troops are beginning to suspect that the promises of increased dwell time are empty, hollow rhetoric.

One bit of good news is that President Obama seems to be working well with Secretary of Defense Gates, Chairman of the Join Chiefs Admiral Mullen and General Petraeus - all appointed by the Bush administration. Let’s hope this is true. By keeping these Defense leaders around, the administration can get a more accurate picture of how the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts have developed. If President Obama had sent them packing as soon as he moved into the White House, there is a good chance that new leaders would still be trying to sort things out. It’s true that these gentleman didn’t hold their positions when the wars began, but at least they are being given the opportunity to finish the job.

Finally, here’s a selection from the article that supports the arguments against public polling:

Obama’s deployment decision came without clear majority support from the public. While most Americans consider winning in Afghanistan essential to victory in the broader fight against terrorism, in the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll, barely more than a third, 34 percent, said the number of U.S. military forces in that country should be increased. About as many would opt for a decrease (29 percent) or no change at all (32 percent).

In Afghanistan, public opinion is even more unwelcoming. In a recent ABC-BBC-ARD poll of Afghans, just 18 percent said the United States and NATO should increase their troop levels, and more than twice that number, 44 percent, wanted fewer outside forces.

The public’s desire or lack of desire to enter into conflict or to expand our role in conflict is important, however, how many average citizens have the amount of knowledge to accurately assess needed troop levels, or any other specific aspect of strategy? Even experienced military officers cannot always make an accurate assessment because they don’t have all of the data.

The second paragraph is even sillier. They asked the Afghan public how they felt about increased US troop levels. Gimme a break! How are you supposed to tell a friendly Afghan from a Taliban fighter? Of course there will be few who support increased troop levels. I think it’s pretty surprising that 18% wanted us to increase troop levels. Open-ended follow-up questions would be better indicators:

Why do you want us to leave?

A. So you can fight the Taliban yourself.

B. You are a member of the Taliban.

C. You are a member of al-Qaeda.

I’m simplifying things a bit, but you get my point. Some polls are useful. Well-thought questions with appropriate sample sizes can provide critical information about the position of the general public and certain segments within the public. But poorly designed polls are a waste of time and money. Read the news carefully and think. Don’t let yourself be duped by a poorly designed poll.

¶ Posted 18 February 2009 † Pepe § Politicians & Political Parties § Military Leadership ‡ Comments (0)

West Virginians Against Marriage

Many of you know that I am not the biggest supporter of same-sex marriage. And you also know that I am definitely against constitutional amendments that seek to define marriage as one man and one woman. Why? Well, it’s all about freedom. Some churches and religious communities are NOT opposed to homosexuality and fully support and recognize same-sex couples. If they want to celebrate same-sex marriages, why should we allow the state to dictate their beliefs? These laws and amendments that try to define marriage - a religious concept - are walking all over the First Amendment to our beloved Constitution.

Check out the video below. The Family Policy Council of WV is a group that promotes so-called Christian values, though I find little Christian love and compassion within their beliefs. This video is particularly disgusting because it depicts crosshairs - those lines you use to aim a rifle - targeting a nuclear family. The goal is to insinuate that gay people are evil and violent and will stop at nothing to destroy families. You already know how ridiculous that is.

Why would gay people want to destroy families? Even if a gay person does not have a spouse or children, most gay people have moms and dads, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces, nephews and cousins. We love our families - the people we came from - as much as any straight person. Why would we try to destroy something we love?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vQm0hJ8Dd0

¶ Posted 18 February 2009 † Pepe § Gay Theory § Family Affairs § Faith & Religion ‡ Comments (0)

Further Evidence the Military is Ready to Repeal Don’t ask, Don’t tell

A friend forwarded this interesting link:

West Point Cadet Pick Gay Hero, Harvey Milk

It’s a new project begun last year, but cadets at the US Military Academy at West Point nominate and then vote for their favorite films that demonstrate West Point values: duty, honor, country. This year the cadets nominated the film “Milk” based on the life of the openly gay politician Harvey Milk. To even entertain such a film as a nominee for an award celebrating military values is a striking statement about the way things have changed in the past few years. It would have been impossible to imagine something like this fifteen years ago when Don’t ask, Don’t tell was created. Maybe some of the cadets were aware that Harvey Milk was a former Navy lieutenant even though it wasn’t depicted in the film.