It’s been 60 days. Do you know where your investigation is?
May 22nd, 2012 | Air Force Flightlines | Posted by Markeshia Ricks
Sixty days ago, the Air Force said it would give “appropriate consideration” to allegations that the Air Force Academy’s dean of faculty ordered a campaign against a religious freedom watchdog group and then lied about it during a deposition.
And low and behold the organization in question — the Military Religious Freedom Foundation — wants to know what the Air Force has found since it began it’s considering.
The foundation has pressed the Air Force to investigate allegations that Brig. Gen. Dana Born directed a subordinate, in writing, to launch a campaign against the watchdog group and then denied it during a deposition taken in December.
The deposition was taken as part of an ongoing Equal Employment Opportunity case filed by former Air Force Academy economics professor David Mullin, who is a client of the watchdog group. Mullin, who now works at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, alleges that his contract with the academy was not renewed because of disability discrimination by Born and Vice Dean of Faculty Col. Robert Fullerton.
Mullin also is the complainant in an inspector general investigation launched last year that accused Born and Fullerton of “inaccurately portraying” and making a “false statement” about faculty credentials.
In February, the IG found Born and Fullerton negligent for incorrectly telling the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association and a Colorado Springs newspaper that all academy instructors had degrees in the fields in which they were teaching.
Whether Born or Fullerton were punished because of the findings is unknown.
An attorney for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, Robert Eye, requested an investigation Feb. 1 into statements made by Born during the December deposition and demanded a response in a follow-up letter Feb. 29. He’s still waiting on that response.
Born is being accused by the MRFF of writing a note about conducting a “COIN” against clients of the religious freedom watchdog group.
MRFF founder Mikey Weinstein participated in Born’s deposition and said he believes that she did not tell the truth when directly asked if she had ever used the term “counterinsurgency” to describe any conduct of students or faculty at the Academy.
In a follow up letter to the Air Force dated May 21, Eye demanded on behalf of MRFF that the service declare whether it was actually investigating the allegations and pony up a progress report on the status of that investigation.
But the service — famous for its tight lips — says it is still considering.
“While it would not be appropriate to comment specifically, the Air Force takes every allegation seriously and these are being given appropriate
consideration,” said Air Force spokesman Todd Spitler.
Tags: air force, air force academy, COIN, counterinsurgency, Mikey Weinstein, Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Schriever Airmen Take Aim at Dodgeball World Record
March 15th, 2012 | Flightlines | Posted by Markeshia Ricks
You probably couldn’t imagine playing dodgeball for more than a few hours, let alone more than 31 hours — the longest dodgeball marathon, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
But that’s what airmen at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado plan to do March 22-23. They’ll attempt to break the Hometown Dodgeball and Albany Dodgeball teams of Albany, N.Y. — current record holders of almost two years for a game that lasted 31 hours 11 minutes and 13 seconds — by playing dodgeball for 40 hours.
Breaking the record is no small feat. To do it, playing members must stay in the same area for the entire 40 hours, including sleeping and eating there, according to a press release from Schriever Air Force Base. To pull the whole thing off not only is there a need for about 20 players, volunteers are needed to referee, man food stations, record the whole thing and provide emergency assistance in case someone gets hurt or sick. The whole thing will go down at the Schriever fitness center.
If they succeed they’ll, join the Air Force Academy in Guinness Book of World Record and dodgeball history. The academy briefly held the record for world’s largest dodgeball game and you can read about how that went here.
The idea to go after the record apparently came from three airmen in the 50th Space Communications Squadron, according to a press release.
“We originally thought about breaking the record ourselves,” Senior Airman Michael Bruno, said in the press release. “Once we looked at it more we realized the potential it had to be something more.”
That something more will be raising money for the Air Force Assistance Fund.
Tags: 50th Space Communications Squadron, air force academy, dodgeball, Guiness Book of World Records, Schriever Air Force Base
AFA cadets grab world record … briefly
January 10th, 2012 | Flightlines | Posted by Markeshia Ricks
Air Force Academy cadets managed to bounce their way to a Guinness World Record on May 18 by holding the world’s largest dodgeball game ever played, featuring 3,612 participants.
But blink and you might have missed their place in history. By the time the cadets received confirmation that they had successfully broken the record set at the Rochester Institute of Technology (the 2,136-player game at RIT is still listed as the record-holder here), another school had already set a new mark.
In September, 4,488 students at the University of California-Irvine participated in a dodgeball game, breaking the cadets’ record.
Air Force Lt. Col. is a White House Fellow
December 28th, 2011 | Flightlines | Posted by Markeshia Ricks
Lt. Col. Rodney Lewis is one of four military members in the 15-member 2011-2012 class of White House Fellows.
Lewis, who previously commanded the 4th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., is a C-17A pilot who was directly responsible for the Defense Department’s only Prime Nuclear Airlift Force, which handles sensitive cargo and provides tactical C-17A crews that airdrop combat troops and supplies anywhere in the world. Prior to his command position, he was assigned to the office of Legislative Liaison, Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C., where he served as the executive to the senior general officer, according to his White House Fellows biography.
In 2004, Lewis received the bronze star for his service in Iraq, and in 2010, he was awarded the Air Force Association National Medal of Merit for his work with medically challenged children in the Pilot-for-a-Day program. Lewis holds a B.S. in human factors engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and an M.S. in systems management with honors from the University of Southern California. He will spend the next year working in the Office of the First Lady.
The White House Fellows program, founded in 1964, is one of America’s most prestigious programs for leadership and public service. White House Fellowships provide first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government. Fellows also participate in an education program consisting of roundtable discussions with renowned leaders from the private and public sectors, and trips to study U.S. policy in action both domestically and internationally. Fellowships are awarded on a strictly nonpartisan basis, according to the White House.
Tags: 4th Airlift Squadron, air force academy, c-17, joint base lewis-mcchord, White House Fellows
Academy Superintendent to Join Order of the Sword
December 13th, 2011 | Flightlines | Posted by Markeshia Ricks
Air Force Academy Superintendent Mike Gould will become the 234th person inducted into the Order of the Sword.
The enlisted corps of the academy invited Gould, who has served as superintendent since June 2009, to join the order during a Dec. 13 ceremony, according to academy public affairs.
The award was established by Military Airlift Command’s enlisted corps in 1967 and is presented to individuals whom the noncommissioned corps chooses to honor. It also is the highest recognition enlisted airmen can bestow upon a senior leader, according to the academy.
Gould is scheduled to be inducted March 19.
Tags: air force academy, Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, NCOs, Order of the Sword
In the Stairwell performs in the White House
December 9th, 2011 | Flightlines | Posted by Markeshia Ricks
The Air Force Academy’s A cappella group In the Stairwell went all ‘Sing Off’ at a White House holiday reception Dec. 8, 2011. Didn’t get your invitation? Check out In the Stairwell in action. Don’t miss the cadet that gets his human beat box on in the beginning. Doug E. Fresh would be proud.
Tags: air force academy, Doug E. Fresh, In the Stairwell, Sing Off
Wings of Blue Jump for Gold and Pigskin
December 7th, 2011 | Flightlines | Posted by Markeshia Ricks
There’s an Air Force Academy team that will be stealing the spotlight at three college football bowl games, but the team won’t be showing off its skills on the gridiron. These cadets will be stealing the show from the sky.
The gold-medal-winning Air Force Academy’s Wings of Blue parachuting team will be jumping into the Military Bowl on Dec. 28, the Insight Bowl on Dec. 30 and the Orange Bowl on Jan. 4, according to information provided by Air Force Academy Public Affairs.
A team of cadets recently won a gold medal for their freefall acrobatic skills at the U.S. Parachute Association’s National Skydiving Championship. Members of Wings of Blue will compete at the National Collegiate Parachuting Championships Dec. 28-Jan. 2.
If you’re not lucky enough to have a ticket to any of the upcoming bowls, check out a couple of the cadets in action in this video.
Tags: air force academy, Insight Bowl, Military Bowl, Orange Bowl, U.S. Parachute Association, Wings of Blue
Chad Hall chips in for the Eagles’ W
November 21st, 2011 | Air Force Sports | Posted by David Larter
Chad Hall, shown here after catching a touchdown pass in a game against the Cowboys last season, played last night against the Giants. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)
Former Air Force Falcons standout Chad Hall put together 20 of the Philadelphia Eagles 391 yards in last night’s 17-10 win over the New York Giants.
The Eagles activated Hall from the practice squad last Wednesday after star receiver Jeremy Maclin was injured.
Hall told the Eagles’ website that the game helped him get his feet back.
“It felt great. We got the W and there is no better feeling than that. I got back in the groove and it felt good to help,” said Hall. “They gave me pretty much the same package as last year — a little bit of running back, some receiver and a couple of punt returns.
“Anything they want me to do, I’m going to do.”
Hall went on to say he was committed to digging the Eagles out of the hole they find themselves in. Philadelphia will have to run the table over the next 6 games to be reasonably assured of a playoff berth. If the Eagles continue to loose wide receivers to injury, Hall will only become more important.
READ THIS! MRFF Plants Billboard in Academy Back Yard
September 28th, 2011 | Flightlines | Posted by Markeshia Ricks
When Military Religious Freedom Foundation found out Air Force Academy higher-ups had not distributed a memo on religious neutrality to everyone on campus, the watchdog group took matters into its own hands.
It posted the memo of Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, dated Sept.1, on a billboard for all of Colorado Springs to see.
In the memo Schwartz cautions Air Force leaders not to proselytize or show favoritism toward a particular faith. The memo came about a month after the Air Force suspended an ethics course for new nuclear missile officers that contained biblical references, and announced a review of all ethics and character development training.
MRFF applauded Schwartz for his stance, but it is giving a resounding thumbs-down to what it sees as the academy’s less than enthusiastic response to the memo.
Foundation president Mikey Weinstein told airforcetimes.com that his organization has twice demanded that Air Force Academy Superintendent Michael Gould distribute the memo to cadets and military and civilian personnel. But the academy said it had done enough.
Academy spokesman Lt. Col. John Bryan told Colorado Springs’ The Gazette that Schwartz’s memo was issued to commanders, so Gould discussed the memo with commanders at a meeting.
Bryan told The Gazette that the memo wasn’t sent to the entire academy because it wasn’t mandated. Weinstein cried foul, especially since the memo issues a caution to leaders at all levels.
“Since Gould will not spread this critically important message of religious neutrality generated by his boss…MRFF is compelled, yet once again, to do Gould’s duty for him,” Weinstein said in a statement to Air Force Times. “With this billboard displaying Gen. Schwartz’s desperately needed demand for religious equanimity, MRFF will give voice to the voiceless who suffer from horrendous religious oppression and tyranny everyday under Gould’s control at the constitutionally-challenged U.S. Air Force Academy. ”
Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. Richard Clark apparently gave copies of Schwartz’s letter to his air officer commandings (AOCs) and squadron leaders to disseminate to cadets earlier this week, according to Colorado Springs Independent.
Bryan told the Independent that he didn’t see what the big deal was since, as he understood it, the memo was aimed at those providing Air Force missile training, not the academy.
Weinstein, who has butted heads with the academy before, said anyone who doesn’t think such a memo from Schwartz was meant for everyone should look for another job. Weinstein has specifically called for Gould’s resignation.
“The minds that got us in this mess are not the minds that can get us out of this,” he said.
Tags: air force academy, Brig. Gen. Richard Clark, Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Academy Cadets, staff sickened by stomach bug
July 26th, 2011 | Flightlines | Posted by Markeshia Ricks
The Air Force Academy is treating more than 200 cadets and some active duty personnel for an apparent outbreak of the stomach flu, according to a press release from the academy in Colorado.
As of today, approximately 240 basic cadets have shown stomach flu symptoms, which include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, 10th Medical Group officials said in a press release. Active-duty personnel exhibiting symptoms have been sent home to recover. Those affected are being treated with oral and intravenous fluids and anti-nausea medication.
“The health and safety of our cadets and all those who live and work at the Air Force Academy is our top priority,” said Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Mike Gould in the press release. “We understand this is a serious matter, and we’re taking steps to inform Academy personnel and the community of the precautions necessary to ensure their safety.”
Officials with the Academy’s 10th Medical Group are advising those exhibiting symptoms to stay hydrated and seek a local health care provider if needed. They’re also cautioning people to prevent the spread of the disease by thoroughly washing hands and cleaning potentially infected surfaces with a 10-percent bleach solution.
Tags: air force academy, cadets, stomach flu