<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div>Courtesy of the Army Times.</div><div><br></div><div>--------------------------------------</div><div>
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<p><h1 style="font-size: 30px; padding-bottom: 8px; margin: 0px; ">AF sgt. claims he was fired for religious views on gays</h1><h2 style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-size: 18px; padding-bottom: 23px; margin: 0px; ">Wing says reassignment was due</h2><h6 style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; padding-bottom: 12px; margin: 0px; "><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 12pt; ">A 19-year Air Force veteran says he was relieved of duties at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, in a
dispute with his commanding officer over same-sex marriage.</span><div class="" style="text-align: left; -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); line-height: 11px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; "></div></h6></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">The case of the senior master sergeant is exactly what some lawmakers are trying to prevent by seeking
changes in military policies on diversity, tolerance and religious freedom that would allow service
members with strong religious or moral objections to homosexuality to speak their minds without fear of
reprisal.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">Senior Master Sgt. Phillip Monk, assigned to the 37th Training Wing, said Friday he was relieved July 26
of his duties as first sergeant of a training squadron and forced to take leave because he disagreed with
his commanding officer’s position on gay marriage. He says his company commander is openly lesbian.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">A spokeswoman for the wing, Collen McGee, said Monk was “not removed from duty.”
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">The training squadron commander who Monk claims fired him does not intend to issue a statement,
McGee said.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">Monk, an evangelical Christian, said the issue came up when he was advising his company commander
about a situation involving a staff sergeant who had expressed opposition to homosexuality on religious
grounds — an opinion shared with trainees that might be a violation of an Air Force policy barring the use
of a position of authority to promote personal religious beliefs.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">Monk said he wanted the incident to be treated as a learning experience, but the commander wanted to
do more. Monk said this led to a discussion in which the commander pressed him into saying he also had
a moral objection to gay marriage.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">Monk said it was a “very, very contentious” discussion, with the commander pressing him to agree that
opposition to gay marriage was an act of discrimination. Monk said he told her: “I cannot answer your
question because of my convictions.”
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">In the end, Monk said the staff sergeant received a letter of counseling, an official notice of infraction.
Monk did not identify the staff sergeant.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">Monk said he was subsequently relieved of his duties at the unit, and had to request permission to return
in order to collect personal items. “I was relieved of my position because I do not agree with my
commander’s position on gay marriage,” he said.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">He acknowledged that he was due for a reassignment, but the dispute with the commander led to his
being abruptly removed from a leadership position and leaves open a question about whether he will
receive a Meritorious Service Medal for which his commande had recommended him in late June.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">Not receiving the medal could hurt his career, Monk said, because it would “send a message to whomever
is reviewing” his military records.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'"> </span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 12pt; ">Monk is now assigned to the 59th Medical Wing at Lackland, a position he said is commensurate with his
rank and experience.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">He is receiving legal advice from the Liberty Institute, a nonprofit legal group that concentrates on religious
freedom issues. Attorney Mike Berry, who is advising Monk, said it is not clear if a lawsuit will be filed. “We
are keeping our options open,” Berry said.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">Monk’s treatment was a “drastic departure from the norm,” Berry said, adding it is highly unusual for
someone “to be reassigned in hours.”
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">Air Force spokeswoman McGee said the move was not unusual. “For several months, he’s been
scheduled to rotate out of his unit to another unit at Lackland. Once his replacement began duty, the
individual moved to his new unit.”
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">In a statement, Liberty Institute litigation director Hiram Sasser described Monk as “a guy who wants to
have his religious liberty and serve in the military. He should not have to believe in gay marriage in order
to serve.”
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">Last year, Congress approved so-called “rights of conscience” for military members, allowing them to
express their personal beliefs without fear of punishment. The law, section 533 of Public Law 112-239,
says the military must accommodate “conscience, moral principles or religious beliefs of the member and,
so far as practicable, may not use such beliefs as the basis for any adverse personnel action.”
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">It defines adverse actions as discrimination in or denial of promotion, schooling, training or assignment.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">However, the law does allow disciplinary action for actions or speech that threaten good order and
discipline.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">Air Force policy, similar to that of the other services, holds that the government is neutral on religion. Air
Force Instruction 1-1, a pocket guide to Air Force standards and culture, requires military leaders, officer
and enlisted, to “avoid the actual or apparent use of their position to promote their personal religious
beliefs to their subordinates or to extend preferential treatment for any religion.”
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">The policy warns leaders that to promote their personal religious beliefs “may cause members to doubt
their impartiality and objectivity.”
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">The Air Force policy further states: “All airmen are able to choose to practice their particular religion, or
subscribe to no religious belief at all. You should confidently practice your own beliefs while respecting
others whose viewpoints differ from your own.”
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">And, it cautions, “your right to practice your religious beliefs does not excuse you from complying with
directives, instructions and lawful orders.”
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">The pending House and Senate versions of the 2014 defense authorization bill would expand the
conscience rights. The Senate version would allow service members to express personal opinions unless
the expression has an adverse impact on readiness, unit cohesion or good order and discipline. The
House version allows expression of views unless it creates “actual harm,” not just the possibility of harm.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'"> </span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 12pt; ">The Obama administration opposes the House provision but has not yet commented on the Senate
proposal. In a statement of administration policy, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget
says the House proposal goes too far.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12.000000pt; font-family: 'ArialMT'">“By limiting the discretion of commanders to address potentially problematic speech and actions within
their units, this provision would have a significant adverse effect on good order, discipline, morale, and
mission accomplishment,” the policy statement says. </span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div>--------------------------------------<br><br><div>Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</div><div><br></div><div>"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</div><div><a href="http://www.MoscowCares.com">http://www.MoscowCares.com</a></div><div> </div><div><div>Tom Hansen</div><div>Moscow, Idaho</div><div><br></div><div>"<span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">There's room at the top they are telling you still</span><span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "> </span></div><span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">But first you must learn how to smile as you kill </span><br style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">If you want to be like the folks on the hill."</span></div><div><font size="3"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"><br></span></font></div><div><font size="3"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">- John Lennon<br></span></font><div> </div></div></div></div></body></html>