USAF officials confirmed that the Air Force has withdrawn a document that said chaplains had the right to evangelize to military personnel not affiliated with a faith. The document was a code of ethics circulated at the Air Force Chaplain School until about eight weeks ago. The code in question was written by the National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces, a private association that aids the service in recruiting military chaplains. It was handed out at the service’s chaplain school at Maxwell AFB, Ala.—a move that might have created the impression that it was Air Force policy, according to Arnold Resnicoff, special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force for religious issues. Last week, New Mexico resident Michael Weinstein, a 1977 Air Force Academy graduate, filed suit against the Air Force Academy and Air Force leaders, alleging systematic religious discrimination in the service. (DR, 10/07/05)
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told NATO allies that the U.S. is embarking on a sweeping review of the American military presence in Europe. He also warned that the U.S. would cut American funds to the alliance’s operating budget if allies did not fulfill their commitment to boost military spending.…