After getting feedback and taking a longer look at the law and “military necessity,” USAF officials have produced a revised set of religious guidelines. The original guidelines, issued in August 2005, had come under attack both for going too far and not far enough. Based on that earlier experience, Lt. Gen. Roger Brady, USAF deputy chief of staff for personnel, said, “This is an open and honest debate, so another interim period is appropriate prior to this set being made the final version.” According to Brady, the new version is much shorter (one page instead of four), offering “leaner, broader verbiage.” He said the guidelines will “in no way restrict private prayer or chaplain’s activities in religious settings” or require a chaplain to participate in religious activities “inconsistent with their faiths.”
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…