Posted on 10/17/2017 4:45:36 AM PDT by Kaslin
The Air Force has punished a highly-decorated and respected colonel after he refused to publicly affirm the same-sex spouse of a retiring subordinate.
Col. Leland Bohannon, who was on the verge of being promoted to a one-star general, was suspended from command and orders were handed down recommending he not be promoted.
“His career is likely over and he will likely have to retire as a colonel instead of as a general,” First Liberty Institute attorney Michael Berry told the Todd Starnes Show.
First Liberty Institute, one of the nation’s most prominent religious liberty law firms, is representing the distinguished military officer.
“This sends a clear message - if you do not have the politically correct viewpoint, you are not welcome in the military,” Berry said. “The military is no longer a place of diversity and inclusion if you are a person who holds to a traditional belief on marriage.”
Col. Bohannon has flown combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and he is the recipient of the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Medal.
Last May the colonel declined to sign a certificate of spouse appreciation for a retiring master sergeant’s same-sex spouse.
He was unable to do so because it would have caused him to affirm a definition of marriage contrary to his sincerely held religious beliefs.
Col. Bohannon sought the advice of his Command Chaplain as well as the Staff Judge Advocate. He was advised to request a religious accommodation. However, that request was returned six weeks later “without action.”
So, the colonel asked the Air Force Deputy IG to sign the certificate in his place.
“He went out of his way to make sure his Airman was accommodated,” Berry told the Todd Starnes Show.
But when the master sergeant learned Col. Bohannon did not personally sign the spouse certificate, the Airman filed an Equal Opportunity complaint.
The Airman alleged the devout Christian colonel had “unlawfully discriminated against him on the basis of his sexual orientation.”
The EO investigator determined the colonel had discriminated against the gay Airman – and went on to say that “even had the accommodation been granted, Col. Bohannon would nonetheless be guilty of unlawful discrimination.”
“You have a case where a decorated officer like Col. Bohannon demonstrates integrity and character to go out of his way to accommodate one of his Airmen and the Air Force will not do the same for him,” Berry told the Todd Starnes Show.
First Liberty Institute is urging the Air Force to reverse its decision – charging the military violated their client’s Constitutional rights.
This is insane! If the Colonel refused to sign that paper,it should have no bearing on whether or not he is eligible for promotion. It’s been awhile,but if I remember correctly homosexuality in the Armed Forces was considered a court martial offense. Does anyone know just exactly when this change of direction occurred?
This is insane! If the Colonel refused to sign that paper,it should have no bearing on whether or not he is eligible for promotion. It’s been awhile,but if I remember correctly homosexuality in the Armed Forces was considered a court martial offense. Does anyone know just exactly when this change of direction occurred?
Despicable.
William Jefferson Clinton
Don’t ask, don’t tell.
Obviously, there is no place for devout Christians in the contemporary Air Force. I’m glad I retired before this travesty.
1. If this continues we will fail to fight wars to win.
2. Religious accommodation rights are a fable sold by the gaystapo to gain our acceptance of their agenda. They will fully persecute Christians who have religious issues with the gay agenda
I think their hate was evident in their opposition to the travel bans. They didn’t want to allow exceptions for the Christians in Syria.
Nope. Not a chance.
If this continues we will fail to fight wars to win......Umm, we already have since Korea. Thank you UN.
Yes, my mom watched something on Netflix that claimed the US could never have won Vietnam, as the Cong was fighting for the survival of the country. Any truth to that? Forgive me because as a Canadian the only education I got on Vietnam was from a draft dodger who came to our grade 12 class.
We had actually won in VN. The Dems cut off funding for the war, would not allow the bombing of NVN and completely abandoned the SVA and other allies (hmong, Montagnard, etc.) As usual the Dems were against victory and blamed Nixon (really the only Republican president involved). The VC were decimated, the BVA were down to 13 yr. old kids and the Dems got scared of victory.
NVA. not BVA.
Where is Trump’s wonder kid, James Mattis? Where is Trump after all that talk to the Family Values group the other day?
NOTHING has changed in this area or in cleaning out the rot in the Military.
Homosexuals went from demanding accommodation to demanding acceptance and approval, or else. So long as Trump and Mattis do nothing, Obama might as well still be President.
??? I thought it was a Dem, LBJ, that started the war? So they were for the war before they were against it?
Anyways, thanks for the summary. It was lost politically then....they must REALLY hate their country.
When this guy signed on, homosexual activity was banned. At this rate, he’d better get out before they make it mandatory.
Actually, down deep, it was JFK who got us involved with SF (Green Berets and CIA ADVISORS).
Trump told Mattis to get rid of drag queens. What did he do. He’s letting them re-enlist and Trump has not said a word about it. Where’s Tony Perkins, Pastor Jeffresses and the rest of the religious leaders to demand Trump do what he said he would do. Crickets. As far as the sex perverts taking over the military Obama might as well be president.
Viet Cong were destroyed utterly by 1969 or so. After the 1968 Tet (Vietnamese holiday) offensive, the VC ceased to exist as a meaningful fighting force. It was all NVA after that. South Vietnam fell in 1975 to a massive, mechanized, regular army invasion by PAVN, aided and abetted by demonicRATs in the US Congress, who refused to authorize any aid to South Vietnam.
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