Retired General Calls America's All-Volunteer Force Into Question

In his provocative new book, “Skin in the Game: Poor Kids and Patriots” (published by iUniverse), Major General (Ret.) Dennis Laich explores the history of the U.S. Army’s all-volunteer force (AVF), identifying its flaws and arguing that it’s time for significant change. Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Larry Korb offers a compelling opening to the book.

“Americans are war weary, and many view our military and the way we man the force through a lens of fear, apathy, ignorance, and guilt. It’s time to address how to provide for the national defense responsibly and affordably. This book seeks to raise the issue of whether our military dominance is truly viable long term so long as we are only depending upon the service of a few,” said Laich.
Focusing primarily on the evolution of the AVF since 2001, “Skin in the Game” asserts that Pentagon bureaucracy, debt and widening class differences are all key factors in the AVF’s shortcomings. Laich poses three fundamental questions to readers:

         - Is the all-volunteer force working?
         - Will it work in the future?
         - What if the U.S. had a war and no one showed up as an ally?

Laich answers these questions through the lens of his vast experience and discusses alternatives that would bring a variety of benefits.

Praise for “Skin in the Game”:

“This book offers a framework to begin the conversation, engage the real issues without prejudice, and serves as a clarion call to avoid potentially disastrous circumstances in the future. Certainly the question we want to avoid is ‘what if we had a war and no one showed up on our side?”
—Lawrence Korb, senior fellow, Center for American Progress

“General Dennis Laich is a rabble-rousing patriot of the first order. His ‘Skin in the Game....Poor Kids and Patriots’ is a gimlet-eyed gaze at the U.S. military's all-volunteer force at 40. He details the risk of subcontracting out the nation's defense to hired guns representing only 1% of the citizenry, so the rest of America can shop.”
—Mark Thompson, Pulitzer Prize-winning national security correspondent at TIME magazine

“This book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of the US military. Retired Major General Dennis Laich asks whether our all-volunteer force is working, whether it is fair, and whether it will serve American national interests in the future. His answers, based on thirty-five years of hands-on experience, will shock even the most seasoned analysts of military affairs. I highly recommend ‘Skin in the Game’ to anyone who is touched by the US armed forces, which is to say, all Americans.”
— Aaron Belkin, author, “Bring Me Men: Military Masculinity and the Benign Facade of American Empire, 1898–2001”

“Skin in the Game”
By Major General Ret. Dennis Laich
Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 192 pages | ISBN 9781491703830
Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 192 pages | ISBN 9781491703823
E-Book | ISBN 9781491703847
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author
Major General (Ret.) Dennis Laich retired from the U.S. Army in 2006 after 35 years of service. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College and Harvard’s National and International Security Program. He lives in Ohio.

iUniverse, an Author Solutions, LLC, self-publishing imprint, is the leading book marketing, editorial services, and supported self-publishing provider. iUniverse has a strategic alliance with Indigo Books & Music, Inc. in Canada, and titles accepted into the iUniverse Rising Star program are featured in a special collection on BarnesandNoble.com. iUniverse recognizes excellence in book publishing through the Star, Reader’s Choice, Rising Star and Editor’s Choice designations—self-publishing’s only such awards program. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, iUniverse also operates offices in Indianapolis. For more information or to publish a book, please visit iuniverse.com or call 1-800-AUTHORS. For the latest, follow @iuniversebooks on Twitter.

Cuts, Cuts, and More Cuts

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel 
(original photo from military.com - linked below)

I just read the article "Hagel Can't Offer Hope in Budget Cuts" from military.com and it's full of the same depressing news that I've been hearing for a long time. Congress can't get their act together and pass a balanced budget. He stated that the furloughs "which have forced a 20 percent pay cut on most of the military's civilian workforce, probably will continue next year and might worsen!"

I am now dealing with this on a weekly basis. There are a lot of areas on post that are just closed or have reduced staff certain days of the week. The job they need to do doesn't go away, so it just gets backed up. Now these civilians have a 20% pay cut and a bigger workload. It doesn't just cause them problems, but it causes problems for the soldiers as well. Now places can be busier than ever because of the shorter hours and soldiers have less time to access these services. My mother-in-law now has to deal with a paycheck that is 20% smaller...and that's not an easy thing to do. In addition to the financial pain and the longer wait times, it's causing pretty low moral from everyone affected.

The whole thing just sucks! You know who it doesn't suck for? Congress...they don't have their pay reduced by 20%, they don't have to deal with any of the issues they are causing. This is some pretty disappointing news. Of course the military budget has to be cut, we are finishing up two wars and we are downsizing...but there has to be a better way.

**Update** It's Friday here on Ft. Lewis and at some places it seems like a ghost town. Waller Hall where everyone processes in and out usually has a full parking lot, today there are open spaces everywhere you look. This isn't the only place like this on post, these furloughs are affecting the ability of the soldiers stationed here...everything has to be put off until later.

Medal of Honor - SFC Petry

 Medal of Honor recipient SFC Petry

I had the opportunity to listen to SFC Petry tell his story yesterday at our battalion town hall meeting. There are many soldiers who have been deployed and paid the ultimate sacrifice. There are also many that have been injured while serving. I'm currently in a WTB (Warrior Transition Battalion) which is full of broken soldiers who have injuries from physical to mental. SFC Petry is a ranger that has been deployed multiple times, seen soldiers die and get injured. He was injured and ended up earning the medal of honor while trying to throw an enemy grenade back after it landed next to his soldiers. He lost his right hand in the attempt and now wears a prosthetic right hand. You can read all about him at http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/petry/.

He shared his story about his life both before and after getting injured. He is a humble guy who really wants to help out others. During his speech, he mentioned something that really stuck with me. He was visiting a couple other wounded warriors at a hospital and said a gentleman came up to him and thanked him for his service. SFC Petry has a prosthetic right hand now, and that same gentleman mentioned something about the sacrifice SFC Petry has made and then went on about his business. SFC Petry said he has come a long way and can get pretty much everything done along with his prosthetic hand. He also got shot in the legs and those wounds still constantly hurt him today unlike his prosthetic hand. The couple of wounded warriors that he was visiting during this process both looked normal on the outside, but they had suffered bullet wounds that tore up their insides. They were both in pain constantly and one had a colostomy. You couldn't see the bag that held his feces because it was under his shirt. SFC Petry said that there are a lot of us that don't have wounds you can see, but just like the constant pain in his legs, these soldier are dealing with pain in some sort or another.

All of us in the WTB can relate to this message. This happens to be my case. I didn't get deployed and I may look normal on the outside, but I'm in quite a bit of constant pain on the inside because of my issues. Hopefully others will remember that even if the wound isn't visible, a lot of us are still dealing with injuries and pain all the time.

SFC Petry elected to stay in the service and is still contributing everyday even with his prosthetic right hand and the constant pain in his legs that nobody sees. It was an honor to meet him and hear his story.

When All Else Fails...Become a War Hero!

I was looking over my last few posts and they have been a little negative. Either about our government or the army. So this one is going to be a little more positive! An old co-worker of mine when I worked in the newspaper business posted an article on facebook that made me curious, so I had to check it out.

The article is titled "The Rock 'n' Roll Casualty Who Became a War Hero". The title itself was interesting enough for me to check out, but there was another reason...the person it was about, is a guy who grew up in the town of Poulsbo...not too far away from where I grew up. The article is about a guy named Jason Everman who not only was kicked out of one band right before they made it big, but two bands right before they exploded! The two bands in question are local bands from Seattle that I also love, but had never heard this story. Jason Everman was kicked out of both Nirvana and then Soundgarden right before they made it in the music business.

Most people would probably give up and live in a depressed state for the rest of their lives I imagine. All the "what ifs" would haunt you forever. This guy instead took a U-turn and decided to join the army. He went to Ft. Benning for basic training (like me). He loved it so much and had the drive to not only become an army ranger, but then special forces. He was in Afghanistan and Iraq and ended up being a decorated war hero. The story is amazing and you should take the time to read it by clicking on the link above!

Now Our Government is Censoring it's own Soldiers

This kind of pissed me off when I read the headline that stated "US Military Blocks Access to The Guardian Website for Troops Around the World". After reading the story I had to check out The Guardian website for myself. It's just your typical news website, but because it published some stories that our government does not like, it gets put on the blacklist. This is something that one would expect to see the Chinese government doing or perhaps the North Korean government...not the U.S. government! I mean we are the land of the free and the home of the brave right? Our soldiers fight for that freedom, but they don't deserve their own freedom on the internet. They only get to see what the government censors decide is OK for viewing. That is not freedom folks! The comments after the story state exactly what I'm thinking.

Communist governments and dictatorships control the flow of information to control their people. Our government is starting to do the same thing. I am seeing this more and more all the time. It starts with something small and just keeps happening more and more. I used to think those who always complain about our mainstream media filtering content were nut jobs with crazy conspiracy theories...but after being overseas and having my eyes opened a bit, I'm not so sure now.

LGBT Military Perspective on DOMA Decision

(Washington, DC) In a 5 to 4 decision, the United States Supreme Court today ruled in the case U.S. v. Windsor that part of the so­ called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which became law in 1996, is unconstitutional because it is a deprivation of the equal protection of the law guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment. Today’s ruling strikes down Section 3 of the law which allowed the federal government to recognize only marriages between a man and a woman.

“Today, we congratulate plaintiff Edie Windsor, her incredible legal team, and all those who have stood up for the freedom to marry in America. This victory is especially sweet for our nation’s lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members, who can now not only serve openly, but can serve knowing that their loving, committed, and legal marriages will be recognized by the military they serve and the nation they protect,” said Army veteran and OutServe­SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson.

Currently twelve states and the District of Columbia permit same­gender marriages. Robinson said today’s victory adds to the rapidly growing momentum for marriage in the U.S.

“This victory energizes our work moving forward and lays a new, strong foundation for ensuring marriage for all loving and committed couples in our country across all fifty states,” said Robinson.

Robinson thanked the plaintiffs in OutServe­SLDN’s landmark litigation, McLaughlin v. Panetta, which was filed in October 2011 on behalf of eight married gay and lesbian military couples seeking equal recognition, support, and benefits, for their part in bringing the stories of gay and lesbian military families to the fore. Despite today’s ruling, the McLaughlin case will move forward because the case challenges the constitutionality of other statutes in addition to DOMA.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to the McLaughlin plaintiffs today, including the late Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan and her family, all of whom courageously stepped forward to do something very difficult: to file suit against their employer, the Department of Defense, as well the Department of Veterans Affairs. In doing so, they stood up not only for their own families, but for countless LGBT military families they will never know. Their stories have been, and will continue to be, a game­changer as the marriage fight marches forward,” said Robinson.

Robinson called on the Pentagon to act immediately and unequivocally to implement today’s ruling.“Secretary Hagel has already demonstrated his commitment to LGBT military families, just as he promised he would during his confirmation. Today the Court cleared the way for him to take the next step. We expect Secretary Hagel to act so that all families affected by today’s ruling gain access to full recognition, benefits, and support no later than sixty days from today. OutServe­SLDN will be working with the Pentagon and the VA to ensure that the greatest number of federal protections, responsibilities and programs are available to all military couples as soon as possible,” said Robinson.

ABOUT OUTSERVE­-SLDN: OutServe­-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6500 members around the world. It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non­partisan, non­profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS­-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination.

Straight Military Allies Featured in New Video

Military Campaign Releases Video Featuring Straight Allies for Equality

(Washington, DC) Today, Freedom to Marry and Outserve-SLDN released the latest video in their “Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry” campaign series, featuring three prominent straight allies – Retired Rear Admiral Jamie Barnett, Army Major Mary Bergner, and former Congressman and Army Captain Patrick Murphy – speaking out in support of married gay and lesbian service members. The so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) prevents legally married same-sex couples from receiving over 1,100 federal protections that opposite-sex couples receive.

“What a tremendous day when ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ was repealed,” says Retired Rear Admiral Barnett in the video. “The challenge now is not letting anybody think that it’s over. There’s still law that embeds discrimination.”

“I always fought for equality and believed in equality,” adds Army Major Bergner.

The video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMxDSXQFW2k.

This is the final pre-DOMA decision video of a year-long series by Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry to highlight the harms of DOMA on service people. Previously released videos feature married same-sex military couples such as the late Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan of the New Hampshire National Guard and her wife Karen; Captain Steve M. Hill and his husband Josh Snyder; and Major Shannon McLaughlin and her wife Casey.

“America’s gay and lesbian service members are just as brave, courageous, and heroic as non-gay soldiers, yet they are still barred from sharing in the critical safety-net of protections that come with being legally married,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry. “No service member should have to worry about their family while they are risking their lives overseas. It’s time for the federal government to give gay and lesbian soldiers, their military spouses, and their families the same respect and support that non-gay soldiers receive, and strike down the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.”

“As we await the Supreme Court’s decision, we are reminded that this is not just a gay or lesbian issue. This goes to the heart of readiness, retention, and cohesion, and America’s service members and veterans - no matter what their sexual orientation - know that this is a discriminatory and harmful law that must be relegated to the dustbins of history,” said Army Veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson.

For more information on Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry, visit www.freedomtomarry.org/serve.

ABOUT FREEDOM TO MARRY: Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We are pursuing our Roadmap to Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings.

ABOUT OUTSERVE-SLDN: OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6500 members around the world. It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.

LGB Service Members to Close NYSE June 28

LGB Service Members Set to Ring New York Stock Exchange Closing Bell June 28

OutServe-SLDN NYC Pride Kickoff Happy Hour will follow historic Wall Street closing ceremony

(New York, NY) OutServe-SLDN announced today that the co-chair of its board of directors, Air Force Officer Josh Seefried, who co-founded the OutServe network in 2010, will join actively serving gay and lesbian service members for an historic Closing Bell ceremony on Friday, June 28. The afternoon will begin with a panel discussion before the group rings the closing bell to end the New York Stock Exchange's trading day. The Wall Street events will be followed by a Happy Hour to kick off New York City Pride Weekend.

“OutServe-SLDN thanks the New York Stock Exchange for recognizing the courage and sacrifice of America’s LGB service members in this way, and we are thrilled to be invited to ring the closing bell as New York City Pride weekend begins,” said Army veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson.

At 2:30 p.m. EDT, the New York Stock Exchange will host a panel discussion in the Exchange’s board room, featuring Seefried and other actively serving LGB members of the armed forces, who will share their perspectives on serving following the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The panel will be introduced by NYSE Euronext COO Lawrence Leibowitz, and moderated by former Interbank Roundtable Committee Co-Chair and Citibank Director Andrew Sendall, who is a former US Air Force officer.

At 4:00 p.m. EDT, the group of actively serving LGB service members will ring The NYSE Closing Bell®.

At 5:30, the service members will move to RockBar, located at 185 Christopher Street, where they will be the honored guests at an OutServe-SLDN Happy Hour to kick off New York City Pride Weekend. The public is invited to the Happy Hour event, which will feature performances by The Broadway Boys. Tickets start at $25 and are available here:http://osnycpride.eventbrite.com/

ABOUT OUTSERVE-SLDN: OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6500 members around the world It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.

ABOUT NYSE EURONEXT: NYSE Euronext (NYX) is a leading global operator of financial markets and provider of innovative trading technologies. The company's exchanges in Europe and the United States trade equities, futures, options, fixed-income and exchange-traded products. With approximately 8,000 listed issues (excluding European Structured Products), NYSE Euronext's equities markets - the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Euronext, NYSE MKT, NYSE Alternext and NYSE Arca - represent one-third of the world’s equities trading, the most liquidity of any global exchange group. NYSE Euronext also operates NYSE Liffe, one of the leading European derivatives businesses and the world's second-largest derivatives business by value of trading. The company offers comprehensive commercial technology, connectivity and market data products and services through NYSE Technologies. NYSE Euronext is in the S&P 500 index. For more information, please visit: http://www.nyx.com.

ABOUT INTERBANK ROUNDTABLE COMMITTEE: The Interbank Roundtable Committee’s (IRC) is a voluntary NY-based ‘network of networks’ with representatives from 28 financial services industry organization’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Employee Resource Groups (ERG). The IRC serves as an open forum where members share best practices on promoting inclusive work environments and policies, engaging senior management and straight allies, building ERG membership and coordinating networking, professional development, and philanthropic activities across the industry. The IRC helps members build their professional network within the financial industry, while also promoting the financial industry as the industry of choice for LGBT individuals. For more information, visit www.interbanknyc.org.

New collaboration to aid LGBT military cybersecurity

LGBT Technology Partnership and OutServe-SLDN Launch Collaboration to Support and Empower LGBT Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families

(WASHINGTON, DC) The LGBT Technology Partnership, a nonpartisan, non-profit organization focused on ensuring that the implementation of public policies address the unique technological needs of LGBT communities, today announced a new collaboration with OutServe-SLDN, America’s LGBT military association, to begin soon with the joint launch of a series of cybersecurity tips to encourage greater awareness about privacy and security issues affecting LGBT service members.

“We are excited about this new collaboration with OutServe-SLDN and disseminating LGBT military-specific tips about staying safe and secure online,” said Christopher Wood, LGBT Technology Partnership co-founder. “Studies show that LGBT communities are often the earliest adopters of new technology. The LGBT Technology Partnership’s mission is to make sure LGBT communities are aware of the significant benefits but also the underlying challenges that come with the early adoption of new technologies. OutServe-SLDN, whose actively serving membership was originally organized via Facebook, is on the cutting edge of utilization of new technologies, and we are thrilled to be working with them.”

LGBT Technology Partnership co-founders Wood and Joseph Kapp became involved with OutServe-SLDN through the group’s first “hackathon,” hosted in Washington, DC last month and aimed at bringing some of the best and brightest minds together around the new mission adopted by the military organization’s board of directors in May. In a piece published at Huffington Post today, Kapp explained why the Partnership was compelled to become more involved following their participation.

“As a result of their hackathon, OutServe-SLDN hit upon some creative new approaches to the significant objectives that remain to be accomplished to create true LGBT equality in our military. It was a truly inspiring moment. Formerly closeted service members and experts in military law and policy sat around the table with developers, communications experts, and other allies to grapple with big existential questions that organizations face and their intersections with technology that can improve value propositions and enhance the mission. The LGBT Technology Partnership team was proud and happy to be able to participate and provide our own input,” Kapp writes today in the piece.

Allyson Robinson, Army Veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director, praised the Partnership’s work and welcomed them to the OutServe-SLDN team.

“What Joe and Chris are organizing is unprecedented in the LGBT community, and OutServe-SLDN is proud to once again be an early adopter. We appreciate their commitment to helping our members protect themselves, their families, and their careers in this post-'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' environment where LGBT service members lack nondiscrimination and equal opportunity protections and transgender service members are still required to serve in silence and fear. The Partnership gets our long-term mission of creating an inclusive and accepting military and they know, as we do, that changing laws and policies is the easy part – real culture change takes much longer,” she said.

The collaboration announced today also will include involvement of the LGBT Technology Partnership in OutServe-SLDN’s upcoming International Leadership Conference, set to take place in San Antonio in October. It will also include contributing regularly to the content of OutServe Magazine, a publication of OutServe-SLDN and the nation’s only periodical dedicated to LGBT military and veteran life.

ABOUT LGBT TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP: The LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender) Technology Partnership encourages the continued early adoption and use of cutting-edge, new and emerging technologies by providing information, education and strategic outreach for LGBT communities. We are a national, nonpartisan group of LGBT organizations and high technology companies whose mission is to engage with critical technology and public policy leaders for strategic discussion at all levels. The Partnership ensures that cable, telecommunications and high technology issues of specific concern to LGBT communities are addressed in public policy conversations. Visit www.LGBTTechPartnership.org for additional information, follow us on Twitter @LGBTTech and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LGBTTechPartnership.

ABOUT OUTSERVE-SLDN: OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6500 members around the world It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.

Air Force Maj. General Becomes Highest Ranking Out Service Member

OutServe-SLDN Congratulates Highest Ranking Out General

Air Force Major General Patricia Rose Pins on Second Star

(WASHINGTON, DC) OutServe-SLDN extends congratulations to Major General Patricia “Trish” Rose, who became the U.S. military’s highest ranking out gay officer, and her wife, retired Naval officer Julie Roth.

“Our congratulations go out to Major General Rose and Lieutenant Roth, both for General Rose’s promotion and for their integrity in being honest and open about who they are,” said Allyson Robinson, Army veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director. “These are our core values, and they set an example for our troops that it is our courage and our diversity that make us strong.”

Rose’s promotion ceremony was held on May 31, led by her direct supervisor, General Janet Wolfenbarger, the first female four-star general in the United States Air Force. With a small crowd in attendance, Rose's wife pinned her second star.

Rose is the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. A logistician, she's served assignments in both aircraft maintenance and transportation in seven different commands. Her reserve assignments include command of the 36th Aerial Port Squadron at McChord AFB, Washington, where her squadron won the dual distinction of being selected for an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and Air Mobility Command's Total Force Air Reserve Component Aerial Port Unit of the Year.

Rose and Roth were legally married in their home state of Washington after marriage equality became legal in the state last year. When Rose earned her first star, she asked her friend and neighbor, Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer, to pin it in a private promotion ceremony. Cammermeyer, a fellow Washingtonian, was ejected from the Washington National Guard for admitting she was gay and became a prominent advocate for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Her story was told in the film "Serving in Silence.”

In her civilian capacity, Rose is the public relations and marketing director for a local hospital.

“I’m particularly proud of the Air Force, and of our Reserve components, for continuing to demonstrate that our diversity is our strength,” said Josh Seefried, Co-Chair of the OutServe-SLDN board of director. "Our best wishes go to Major General Rose and her wife – as well as our gratitude for their integrity in demonstrating the Air Force’s commitment to family as well as to service.”

ABOUT OUTSERVE-SLDN: OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6500 members around the world It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.

Is Our Government Heading in the Wrong Direction?

There have been a lot of articles in the news lately about various acts our government is involved in that paint it in an unflattering light. The latest article I just read is what made me decide to write up a little blog entry about this. When I was growing up back in the '80s and early '90s, the soviet union was the enemy and we were always told how evil the communist governments were. We are told of all the lack of freedoms these people have to live with. We were told of all the evil things the communist governments did to their people. Now I'm no conspiracy theorist, but all the headlines lately have me wondering what the hell is going on with our own country.

The latest article is titled "U.S. Is Secretly Collecting Records of Verizon Calls". It goes on to state how the government is secretly carrying out a domestic surveillance program which collects communication records and data of thousands upon thousands of Americans. Apparently there is no regard to customer privacy as Verizon has just handed over everything asked for to the NSA.

We also saw in the headlines about how the I.R.S. targeting of conservative political groups. If groups included the words "tea party" or "patriot", they were additionally scrutinized. Believe me, I'm not a conservative nut or a left wing liberal. It amazes me that this government organization which should be neutral and focused on collecting taxes, was actually taking aim on conservative groups.

I was also shocked to find out that our government wiretapped the AP (Associated Press) in a witch hunt to find out information on a leaked story. There is much more going on such as indefinite detention and warrant-less searches, but I'm not going to keep going on and on about all this. The fact is that after the 9/11 attacks, everyone was scared and gave up a lot of their freedoms in hopes of better security. Now we are paying the price for it and it scares me a little. America likes to pass judgment on other countries when it comes to freedoms, but I think we need to spend a little more time focusing on ourselves for a while. Soon we will be no better off than those evil communist countries I grew up fearing.

It also reminded me of our old HHD commander's outgoing speech. Most of it was the normal fond memories and thank you to various folks, but at the end he reminded all the soldiers in the audience what we all swore to do "support and defend the constitution of the United States". He warned that we may be asked or commanded to do things that violate this oath by our superiors, but always remember the oath we took. It was a little strange at the time, but now I'm wondering what kind of future he saw coming.

You can check out the following articles I read before writing about this:


U.S. Is Secretly Collecting Records of Verizon Calls
IRS Apologizes for Targeting Tea Party Groups
AP Wiretap Assaults Core Values
10 Reasons The U.S. is No Longer the Land of the Free

House Panel Adopts Anti-gay Amendment to NDAA

Anti-religion, anti-gay measure adopted to NDAA in committee vote

Meanwhile, Robinson praises Ranking Member for Supporting Military Family Equality

(Washington, DC) Tonight, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) adopted an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) put forth by Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) that would compromise religious liberties of service members, erode the ability of military commanders to protect good order and discipline, and undermine the successful implementation of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal.

“Religious liberty is a core American value, and we support the accommodation of all beliefs. What we can never support is legislation that sanctions one belief at the expense of others and places unit cohesion, the safety of our troops, and their ability to accomplish the mission in jeopardy, and that’s exactly what this bill would do,” said Army veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson, an ordained Baptist minister.

If enacted, the Fleming amendment would protect inappropriate, defamatory, and discriminatory speech and actions – a significant expansion of current protections for beliefs – and would leave commanders with no recourse against such prejudicial conduct when it occurs in their units. Robinson said today that the military already has in place adequate protections for religious freedom and that the measure is unwarranted.

“The military already has in place policies that adequately protect a service member’s personal beliefs while also protecting unit cohesion and good order and discipline. This amendment is nothing but a thinly veiled attempt to sabotage the climate of inclusion and respect for all that our Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of Defense have called for in our military, and would create a license to bully, harass, and discriminate against service members based on religion, gender, sexual orientation, or any number of other characteristics,” said Robinson.

Robinson also said the measure would undermine the authority of military commanders.

“This amendment takes an authority this nation has entrusted to commanders in the field since its founding – the authority to exercise appropriate control over their troops’ ‘actions or speech’ to maintain good order and discipline – and puts it in the hands of politicians in Washington. As someone who has led soldiers in the field, I can tell you that is an untenable situation,” said Robinson.

In addition, during tonight’s debate, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), ranking member on HASC, introduced and withdrew key elements of the Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act (MSET) that would ensure equal benefits, recognition, and support for all military spouses.

“This important gesture is a reminder that the families of gay and lesbian service members are still not treated equally and that the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ did not impact that reality. Congressman Smith is a tenacious fighter for equality in our military and for our troops and we are grateful for all his work to that end,” said Robinson.

The Senate will begin debating its own version of the bill later this month.

ABOUT OUTSERVE-SLDN: OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6500 members around the world It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.

Statement on Pentagon LGBT Pride Memorandum

Department of Defense Honors LGBT Pride Month for Second Consecutive Year

Robinson: Changing laws is the easy part; changing culture takes much longer

(WASHINGTON, DC) In a memorandum dated May 31, 2013, and signed by Clarence Johnson, Director of the Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity, the Department of Defense has designated June as LGBT Pride Month for the second year in a row. Today, Army veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson praised Pentagon leadership for the action.

“It is appropriate and gratifying that Secretary Hagel and his leadership team would follow the historic precedent set last year by then-Secretary Leon Panetta by designating June as LGBT Pride Month for the Department of Defense. Acknowledging the accomplishments and contributions of lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members sends an important message all the way down the chain of command: that our military is stronger, and our nation safer, because it includes them,” said Robinson.

While acknowledging transgender civilian DOD employees, the memorandum notably omits any mention of the contributions of transgender people in uniform – presumably because transgender people remain barred from service by outdated and obsolete medical regulations. Robinson called out the omission.

“Transgender people have served this nation with pride, honor, and distinction – and continue to do so in the hundreds, if not thousands. It’s past time to honor them for their service and sacrifice, and past time to end the discredited and obsolete practice of forcing them to serve in silence and fear,” said Robinson.

OutServe-SLDN members and supporters will be participating in more than twenty LGBT Pride events around the world this summer.

About OutServe-SLDN: OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6500 members around the world It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.

What is Wrong with our Military and Sexual Assault?

During my time in the military I've gone through a lot of mandated training. A lot of this is training done just so the command can "check a box" and say that it was all done. Most of this mandated training is a joke. Nobody wants to be there and nobody really cares. I say most, because I have in fact attended a couple training briefs on various subjects where the instructor was energetic, got the people involved and really got their point across. With that said, these are few and far between. Most of the time the training involves a bunch of PowerPoint slides while someone with a monotone voice reads from each slide.

Lately the problem of sexual assault in the military has been in the headlines. When the problem first started to come to light, the military's solution (like their solution to many things) is to mandate more training. They throw a bunch of money at the problem, put up some posters and require even more training. This does absolutely nothing...nothing at all to fix the problem.

The last sexual assault training we had actually involved watching a movie. I was surprised that the army would actually have this movie as training because it really puts the military in a very negative light. The movie called "The Invisible War" is a documentary about various people who have been sexually assaulted in the military and how it has changed their lives. You can check out the trailer below:

 

Making everyone watch this movie and then discuss it afterward was a step in the right direction. A lot more has to be done and most of it has to do with changing the culture of the military. When people do get sexually assaulted, the attacker needs to be prosecuted to the fullest. You know something is still very wrong when you read in the headlines that the "Air Force Officer In Charge of Sexual Assault Prevention Program, Arrested For Alleged Sexual Assault". (Check out the article here)

Hopefully the military will get it's act together and make positive changes to eliminate this kind of behavior. The solution is much more complex than more mandated "check the box" training and more promotional material above the urinals in the latrine.

Like an E6!

So I ran across this video shared by the US Army WTF Moments facebook page (if you haven't "liked" that page...do it, there is always some funny stuff and things that just make you shake your head getting posted there). If you have any experience in the army, you'll probably LOL at this remake. The reason it's funny is because there is a lot of truth to it unfortunately.

You can find another youtube video here that posts the lyrics....pretty funny stuff.

Essential Writing Gear for Outdoors

I know a little about wet conditions living in the pacific northwest. The drizzle seems to never end and the sunny days are few and far between. So you might say that I have a lot of experience when it comes to living in a wet environment. I forgot to keep this in mind when I decided to join the army and wanted to keep a journal of my daily life. (You can check it out by clicking on the "My Army Experience" link to the right). When I set out to do this, I took the usual supplies...lots of notepads and plenty of pens. Everything worked fine until we started doing FTXs (Field Training Exercises). I decided to buy a notepad from the folks at "Rite in the Rain" and it turned out to be freakin' awesome! You can purchase the notepad and just use a pencil, but I went with the whole package and purchased their pen as well.

For my use, their products worked great. I used them in the field for writing my journal every night, and I also used them to make notes when needed for whatever training we happened to be doing. While other folks had a lot of issues when it rained...I had no problems! I also read the reviews on the amazon site and people have found other great uses for these products as well. One of the more interesting was a guy who in a pinch used the paper from a notepad and made a funnel. This would not have worked with just normal paper. If you're planning on going on an FTX, camping, or just enjoy the outdoors, plan on taking some of these products with you!!

Military Widow Details DOMA Harm; National Media Call Wednesday

New Video Details Harm Done By DOMA to Military Widow

National Media Conference Call Scheduled for Wednesday

(Washington, DC) Today Freedom to Marry and OutServe-SLDN released the latest video in their “Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry”series, featuring Karen Morgan, the widow of Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan of the New Hampshire National Guard. The video can be viewed here. Morgan will also be featured in a Respect for Marriage Coalition press call tomorrow of military officials, service members and advocacy group leaders on the financial inequality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA); call details are below.

CW2 Morgan succumbed to breast cancer in February after a five-year battle. Even though the Morgans were legally married in New Hampshire, the so-called Defense of Marriage Act doesn't allow the military to recognize Karen Morgan as her wife. Now, in the wake of her family’s loss, Morgan faces financial uncertainty amid her grief, because she is not eligible for survivorship benefits she needs to care for their 5-year-old daughter, Casey Elena.

"It's hard for me, as a parent, to explain the situation to my daughter, because she has no language for discrimination. She knows and is aware that I am not able to have a military identification card, I can't get onto base," Morgan says in the video. She ends by reiterating her promise to her wife: "I will see this fight against DOMA through to the end."

“Though more and more states do the right thing by ending marriage discrimination, the federal government continues to treat widows like Karen Morgan as second-class citizens because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry. “As gay and lesbian soldiers risk their lives for our country every day, this disrespectful treatment of military families is a stain on our nation’s honor. Karen should be able to work through her grief like any other military spouse – instead of facing the added stress of worrying how to pay the bills. It’s time for Congress to stand up for fairness and dignity for our military families by overturning the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and passing the Respect for Marriage Act.”

"Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan was a courageous fighter for our country, for her family, and for the equality of all who wear the uniform of our nation. Today, her wife Karen carries on that fight, a fight no military spouse should ever have to wage. The time has come to end the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ensure equal recognition, benefits, and support for all loving and committed military couples and their families," said Army veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson.

As the nation awaits the Supreme Court’s ruling on DOMA’s denial of federal benefits to married couples who are gay, Morgan remains a plaintiff in OutServe-SLDN’s federal lawsuit,McLaughlin v. Panetta, challenging it in federal court.

Respect for Marriage Coalition Press Call:

WHAT:

Military officials, service members and advocacy group leaders participate in press conference call on the financial inequality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

WHO:

Patrick Murphy, Former Congressman, Army Captain, Iraq War Veteran and CAP Senior Fellow
Allyson Robinson, Executive Director, Outserve-SLDN
Karen Morgan, Widow of the late Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan
Ashley Broadway, Director of Family Affairs, American Military Partner Association

WHEN:

Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. ET

DIAL IN INFORMATION:
Dial In: (855) 212-9067
Conference ID #: 75417987

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ABOUT FREEDOM TO MARRY: Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We are pursuing our Roadmap to Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings.

ABOUT OUTSERVE-SLDN: OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6000 members around the world. It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.

25 Same-Sex Couples Will Travel to DC June 21 to Be Married

C-Bus of Love Headed to Washington DC in June

OutServe-SLDN DOMA plaintiffs set to lead road trip for equality that will bring same-sex couples to the nation’s capital to be married in front of the U.S. Supreme Court

(Columbus, OH) Army Veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson announced today that the organization has become an official sponsor of a bus trip that will bring same-sex couples from across the country to Washington, DC, in June to be married in a jurisdiction where their marriages are legal and recognized. Twenty-five couples - from the states of Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia - will ride the “C-Bus of Love,” traveling from Columbus, OH to our Nation’s capital, where they be making their lifelong commitments in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. The trip is organized by two plaintiffs in OutServe-SLDN’s landmark court challenge to the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, Army Major Stephen Snyder-Hill and his husband, Joshua Snyder-Hill.

“Stephen and I had the great privilege of being married in Washington, DC two years ago after the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal Act was passed by the Congress, and we wanted to be able to give this unique gift to other committed and loving couples from states where the freedom to marry is not yet recognized. We are especially thrilled that we will be able to do it in front of the Supreme Court during the same month in which the Court may very well strike down DOMA once and for all,” said Joshua Snyder-Hill.

The trip, which will begin on Friday, June 21 in Columbus, is fully funded through private donations and will bring the couples to Washington, DC to be married before returning them to Columbus to celebrate that city’s pride weekend. The couples participating represent a combined 189 years of commitment to one another, including one couple that has been together more than 31 years. They range in age from 18 to 61 years old.

“This is a remarkable act of love and commitment on the part of these couples that illustrates just how ridiculous this cobbled-together, two-tiered system of marriage that has developed in our country really is. No committed and loving couple should have to go to these lengths in order to be married to one another, and OutServe-SLDN is proud to stand with them - and indeed ride alongside them - on this journey to full equality,” said OutServe-SLDN’s Robinson.

For more information on the trip, including bios of the participating couples, click here. The wedding of the couples will be streamed live on June 21, 2013 at this page:http://www.cbusoflove.com/

ABOUT OUTSERVE-SLDN: OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6000 members around the world It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.

New video features lesbian couple harmed by DOMA

Military Campaign Features Married Lesbian Couple Harmed by DOMA

(New York City) Today Freedom to Marry and OutServe-SLDN released the latest in its“Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry” video series featuring Major Shannon McLaughlin and her wife, Casey McLaughlin, spotlighting the harms of federal marriage discrimination to their family. Although they are legally married in the State of Massachusetts, the McLaughlins are not treated the same as other military couples because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denies legally married same-sex couples more than 1,100 federal protections automatically granted to opposite-sex couples.

“Even as we end marriage discrimination in state after state, married gay and lesbian service members risking their lives for our country are still being denied protections for their families because of federal marriage discrimination,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry. “The sacrifices that soldiers like Major Shannon McLaughlin and their families make are not matched by equal respect, and equal treatment, from the government. It’s time to overturn the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and pass the Respect for Marriage Act to end federal marriage discrimination.”

The full video may be viewed here. Major Shannon McLaughlin and her wife Casey were first introduced by Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry in a previous video in the series several months ago, which can be viewed here.

“As we prepare to honor mothers across the country this weekend, let us not forget that many are not being treated equally in the eyes of the law. It’s time to end DOMA and forever relinquish this kind of discrimination to the dustbin of history. We cannot have a strong and effective military and maintain two classes of service members, and as long as DOMA is on the books, that’s exactly what we have,” said Army veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson.

After leaving her job to take care of their twins, Grace and Grant, Casey was excluded from the health care plan that the rest of the family uses.

“DOMA presented itself as a huge problem once I went on maternity leave and, once the children were born, decided to stay at home,” she explains. She is not welcome to military functions or on base as a military spouse. “I am as much a military wife as anybody else … I want to be recognized and I want our kids to understand that they are the same as well,” Casey says in the video

Major Shannon McLaughlin agrees that for her, “a post-DOMA world” would be one where her wife is “respected, and she’s not singled out as not being as good as every other military wife or husband that’s there.”

ABOUT FREEDOM TO MARRY: Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We are pursuing our Roadmap to Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings.

ABOUT OUTSERVE-SLDN: OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6000 members around the world It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.

My preferred alternative to the standard issued army boot...The Nike Special Field Boot

I usually use this blog for guest bloggers, but I figured this is a special post that pertains to the army and yet not quite fit for my daily journal. If you're in the army or have ever been in the army, you probably know that the standard boot issued by the army is not too comfortable. My drill sergeants didn't care too much about hearing complaints about the boots and people's sore feet. We were told we just need to wear them in...and drink water. We weren't even allowed to purchase inserts of any kind at the shoppette during our limited visits. It seemed no matter how much we tried to "wear them in" it didn't matter.

I had a little reprieve when I went to AIT, we were allowed to purchase anything we wanted. So my first stop was the PX where I found a pair of Dr. Scholl's Gel Inserts and immediately inserted them into my boots. The difference was immediate and very awesome! It was like switching from a black and white analog TV to a flat panel HD set...well maybe not that great. Perhaps more like going from sleeping on a concrete floor to at least laying down on a cot. My feet thanked me and I was able to make it through AIT much easier.

After graduating AIT, I wanted to reward myself and actually purchase Nike's Army boots (The Nike SFB - Special Field Boot). I searched around all the stores and was unable to find them anywhere. I ended up buying the Converse boot after trying them on at a local army supply store near Ft. Lewis while on leave. I chose the Converse boot because I was able to try it on and it felt great. It was a very heavy boot, but it was indeed very comfortable. The boots were also huge, but I didn't really care. I was going from my old standard boots with the gel insert, to an actual comfortable pair of boots. I upgraded from sleeping on my cot to an actual bed and daily life for my feet were good.

I used the Converse boots for a year, and still actually use them on occasion depending on the situation. After talking with folks that purchased the Nike SFB, My NCOIC said her pair of Nike SFB were the best boots she's ever had...and she's been in the army quite a while. I decided to give them a try. My biggest worry was ordering via the internet and having them not fit correctly. I ended up just ordering my normal shoe size and waited. The day they finally arrived in the mail I was as excited as a little boy on Christmas morning. I opened the box and was instantly shocked by how light they were. After lacing them up I put them on and my feet were in heaven. It was like I was just wearing a normal pair of shoes. They were light, comfortable and easy to clean as well.

If you're looking for an awesome pair of boots to upgrade to...then I say give them a try. You can shop around online, but I know US Patriot has free shipping.

A photo of the Nike SFB from the Nike Store:

OS-SLDN Calls on Pentagon to Drop Anti-Gay Pastor

OutServe-SLDN Calls on Pentagon to Drop Anti-Gay Pastor from Day of Prayer

Divisive Greg Laurie Set to Headline Department of Defense Event

(WASHINGTON, DC) The Department of Defense is set to welcome Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Ministries, as the headline speaker for its Day of Prayer on May 2, 2013. Today, Army Veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson called on the Pentagon to remove the pastor from the agenda, citing his blatantly anti-LGBT message.

"Mr. Laurie represents the worst our nation's communities of faith have to offer when it comes to fairness, justice, and equality. His hurtful, out-of-the-mainstream rhetoric stands at direct odds with the mission the Commander-in-Chief and the Secretary of Defense have laid out: that this nation's military will be an institution that respects the dignity and honors the service of our gay and lesbian service members, veterans, and their families," said Robinson, an ordained Baptist minister. “On behalf of our 6,000 members and their families, representing over 67,000 LGBT members of the armed forces, we call upon the Department of Defense to rescind their invitation to Pastor Laurie and invite in his place a faith leader who can speak with integrity and respect to the needs and concerns of all of our nation’s courageous service members,” she said.

Among Laurie's past comments are the following, as reported on October 31, 2012 by The Christian Post:

"God has established the order of the family. It's been said a family can survive without a nation, but a nation cannot survive without the family. God set it up – bringing a man and a woman together in marriage and then of course ultimately with children and grandchildren. That's his order. What does he start with? Honor your father and mother. Notice it says honor your father and mother. Not honor your father and father, or honor your mother and mother, or honor your mother and her live-in lover or her partner. We tamper with God's order at our own peril."

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About OutServe-SLDN: OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6500 members around the world It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.

OutServe-SLDN Hackathon Set for May 10 in DC

OutServe-SLDN Set to Host First-of-Its-Kind Hackathon

Daylong event will explore how the organization can better serve its member and supporters; hackers will present ideas to board members and donors at early evening reception

(Washington, DC) OutServe-SLDN, the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel, veterans, families, and their supporters, today announced that it will hold its first hackathon in Washington, DC, on Friday, May 10, 2013. The event is designed to be an opportunity to connect service members, veterans, computer programmers, and public relations professionals to collaborate on ways to grow the LGBT military equality movement and how OutServe-SLDN can better serve its members and supporters.

The ideas developed will be presented at a reception following the hackathon to members of the OutServe-SLDN Board of Directors, Military Advisory Council, and key donors for consideration. The Board of Directors will meet the following day to consider incorporating ideas into the organization's strategic plan for the future.

“Nonprofits, like any other businesses, only survive and thrive on the quality of the ideas they are generating and the problems they are solving. This kind of innovative input and planning represents exactly the approach we should be taking to advance our mission and involve the best and brightest in our strategic vision setting. This kind of activity can speed up innovation by 5000 percent,” said OutServe-SLDN Board of Directors Co-Chair Josh Seefried, who co-founded OutServe via Facebook and was part of a team that recently won the national Startup Bus competition. For more on that competition, click here.

Seefried and board co-chair, April Heinze, will lead the board’s involvement in the hackathon, and the board of directors will meet on Saturday in Washington, DC to incorporate the ideas developed and presented into the organization’s strategic plan for the future.

“We know that the ways we’ve won the battles of the past will not be the ways we win and sustain equality moving forward. I’m excited about this opportunity to hear from a diverse group of individuals with varied backgrounds about new ideas for moving OutServe-SLDN forward, growing our membership and support-base, and strengthening the movement to achieve full LGBT military equality,” said Army veteran and OutServe Executive Director Allyson Robinson. “This represents a unique, innovative, and relevant approach to leading in the LGBT movement.”

The Hackathon will take place from Noon until 5:30 p.m. at the Washington DC office of Blue State Digital, located at 406 7th Street, NW. Reception location to be announced at a later date. For more information or to RSVP for the Hackathon and/or the reception afterwards, click here.

Sponsors include Blue State Digital, Wells Consulting, Social Driver, and Adam Shapiro Public Relations.

The hashtag for the event will be #OutServeHACK.

About OutServe-SLDN: OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6500 members around the world It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.

Military Families Challenging DOMA to be Honored at Logo TV Awards

Military Families Challenging DOMA Set to be Honored at Logo TV’s NewNowNext Awards

OutServe-SLDN Nominated for “Most Innovative Charity” Award at Saturday’s Ceremony in Los Angeles

(Los Angeles, CA) OutServe-SLDN and Logo Television announced today that uniformed service members and veterans will be in the audience to be honored at the cable television network’s NewNowNext Awards ceremony, taking place in Los Angeles, CA, this weekend. The show will air on Logo TV at 10:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, April 15, 2013.

“It’s an honor to receive this nomination for the work we are doing on behalf of our nation’s LGBT service members, veterans, and their families. It’s a testament to the fact that our work to achieve full equality in our military is not over; indeed, it is just beginning, and we are thrilled to be recognized,” said Army Veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson.

Robinson will attend the ceremony along with the following service members and veterans, all of whom are plaintiffs in OutServe-SLDN’s landmark litigation, McLaughlin v. Panetta, challenging the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and other definitions of spouse in federal court

Colonel Stewart Bornhoft, US Army (Retired). COL Stewart Bornhoft served in the U.S. Army from the time of his West Point graduation in 1969 until his retirement in 1995. He completed two tours of duty in Vietnam before serving in Europe for three years and commanding two districts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In his final tour of duty, COL Bornhoft was the Director of Public Works at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, during which time he was called to Oklahoma City by the Commander of the Third Army to be the Secretary of the Army’s Defense Coordinating Officer on-site during the rescue and recovery efforts following the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in April 1995. He is married to Stephen McNabb, a former Navy Lieutenant with eight years of active duty service and his partner of nearly 17 years, and they live in Bonita, CA.

Lieutenant Gary Ross, US Navy & Dan Ross. LT Gary Ross has served in the U.S. Navy since 1995 and is currently assigned as the Combat Systems Officer in U.S.S. Anchorage (LPD 23). As the Combat Systems Officer, Ross is the Department Head responsible for Force Protection, Combat Communications Division, Combat Electronics Division, Combat Guns Division, and Combat Missiles Division. He married his partner of more than 13 years, Dan, in the State of Vermont at 12:01 a.m. on September 20, 2011 as the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” took effect.

Major Steve Snyder-Hill, US Army Reserve & Joshua Snyder-Hill. MAJ Steve Snyder-Hill is an Army reservist with nearly 20 years of service. He is also a veteran of Operation Desert Shield. He is married to Joshua Snyder-Hill, his partner of more than a year, and they reside in Columbus, OH, where CPT Snyder-Hill is the director of the Columbus Public Health WIC Program for Franklin County. MAJ Snyder-Hill drew national interest when he submitted a video via YouTube that was used during the Fox News/Google Republican Presidential Debate in September 2011 to question the candidates about the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

ABOUT OUTSERVE-SLDN: OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6000 members around the world It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.

ABOUT LOGO: Logo celebrates one-of-a-kind personalities, unconventional stories and discovering what’s next—all through a mix of original and acquired entertainment that’s smart, provocative and loaded with attitude. Entertaining a social, savvy audience of gay trendsetters, Logo also attracts a straight audience that wants to be ahead of the curve. Launched in 2005, Logo is in over 52 million homes across the United States, and is complemented by a federation of online properties, including LogoTV.com, NewNowNext.com, AfterEllen.com,TheBacklot.com, and DowneLink.com. Logo is part of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), which features a roster of popular and highly targeted brands that include MTV, Comedy Central, VH1 and Spike TV.

Gay Marine Engaged at White House Details DOMA Harm to Family

Gay Marine Captain, Fiancé Featured in "Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry Campaign" Video

(Washington DC/New York City) Today, Freedom to Marry and OutServe-SLDN released the newest video in their joint “Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry” campaign, featuring gay U.S. Marine Corps Captain Matthew Phelps and his soon-to-be husband Ben Schock. Captain Phelps and Schock previously made news when they became the first-ever same-sex couple to get engaged through a marriage proposal at the White House.

“There seems to be a contradiction between serving my country and my country not fully supporting my relationship with Ben,” says Captain Phelps in the video. “Every day, I’m reminded that my marriage to Ben is different from everybody else’s marriage, and it’s just not right.” The full video can be viewed here.

Captain Phelps will marry Schock in May in Seattle, Washington, and he will subsequently be transferred to Japan this summer for a minimum of two years. But because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), Schock will not be allowed to join him on base. Even though they will be legally married, Schock must leave the country every 90 days at his and his husband’s own expense, just to reenter again. The military does not provide the same housing allowance and assistance for married same-sex couples as it does for opposite-sex married couples, which will make it more difficult for Schock to find a job and for them both to support one another financially.

“As Captain Phelps prepares to put his life on the line every day for his country, his government has yet to ensure that his marriage will be given the same respect and dignity that his colleagues receive,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry. “Captain Phelps has made a commitment in life and will be legally married, but his husband will be treated as a stranger in the eyes of the federal government. It’s time to end the discrimination of military families like theirs and repeal DOMA.”

“As much as military leaders at all levels may wish to treat the troops under their command with equity, they are forced by federal law to discriminate,” said Allyson D. Robinson, Executive Director of OutServe-SLDN. “As a result, gay and lesbian service members are denied access to critical benefits and meaningful support programs the services provides to help families face the unique challenges of military life. This denial weakens the force itself.”

ABOUT FREEDOM TO MARRY: Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We are pursuing our Roadmap to Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings.

ABOUT OUTSERVE-SLDN: OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBT military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6000 members around the world It works to support a professional network of LGBT military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. It is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. OS-SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.