[tarheelswamprat]

The Air Force official was referring to the script-——she did NOT refer to the reason that he was not approved to be read the script.

No, you're just being dishonest now. To repeat, according to the Air Force's own regulations, the wishes of the honoree are take precedence, regardless of script, or a CO who is himself violating those regulations. It doesn't matter how much sophistry you try, the Air Force CO was wrong, and he violated the rights of both men.

[MarvinStinson]

Mears is auditioning to become one of the lawyers defending against Rodriguez’s suit.

But he’s failiing bigtime.

[ETCM]

This whole incident had nothing to do with the script, God, Obama, or any thing else being debated here. This was about a piss poor CO with a personal vendetta against Senior Master Sergeant Rodriguez. This CO had no problem screwing over a Senior Enlisted Airman at a once in a lifetime event that meant a lot to him and his family.

As Alas Babylon! wrote, when you retire you are the only one who decides what happens at the ceremony. The retiree selects the people involved, the events, the Presiding Officer, the script, uniform, location, music, etc. Some follow the basic boilerplate, others go way off script. If the CO doesn't like it, they don't have to come. They might not even be invited. May people don't ask their own CO to preside over the ceremony, but a previous CO or Officer they have great respect for.

Lieutenant Colonel Sovitsky's actions that day brought discredit upon the United States Air Force, and he should be properly disciplined for those actions. He obviously has low regard for his enlisted men, and IMHO, that makes him unfit to lead them.

If you want details on the incident (not the lawsuit) you can find it HERE