Tag: War Department

Freedom To Worship?

Not according to Pistol Pete.

I do not normally post on religion for to me it is a personal decision and should stay that way….because I do not care how you choose to worship because it is a personal thing and should stay that way.

We have the freedom to worship as we see fit….well that is not exactly true you must be part of the ‘qualified’ religions…..

The Department of Defense announced on Friday a significant reduction in the number of religious affiliations it officially recognizes. The new list of 31 is down from more than 200 previously recognized traditions that troops could choose from. The list no longer includes atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans, or Wiccans, the AP reports. “This decrease in religious affiliation codes is not designed to make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religious belief, nor is it intended to provide a list of ‘officially approved’ religions,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement. The move is intended to help chaplains quickly assess the religious composition of their units to allocate resources, he added.

The list creates broad categories of some Christian traditions—Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist—without specifying denominations within those traditions, which can span the theological and ideological spectrum. Service members can choose to identify as “no religion,””other religions” or agnostic. Also included are Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, the Baha’i faith, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Unitarian Universalist Association, which was cut from the list, said in a statement, “This may make it more difficult for our uniformed UUs to access the spiritual care that they need.” The denomination said it is working on a strategic response to support its adherents in the service.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the impending changes in December, saying the number of faith codes had become unmanageable. “Secretary Hegseth is not ‘streamlining’ anything. He is elevating one narrow religious worldview from the top of the chain of command,” said the Rev. Paul Raushenbush, a Baptist minister and head of the progressive Interfaith Alliance. “The First Amendment does not allow the government to create a hierarchy of faiths, and it certainly does not allow the Pentagon to decide which beliefs are worthy of recognition.” Nearly 70% of troops identify as Christian, a 2019 congressional report said. Almost a quarter of troops were listed as other, unclassified, or unknown. “As a member of a minority religion, I think it’s really important that we be counted,” said Irene Glasse, a pagan religious professional and Marine veteran. “It erases us, and so many of us have served so proudly, so well, and so honorably.”

This is such BS….just more of Pistol Pete’s religious crap.

Here is a list of what Pete says are not recognized religions….

Complete List off Faiths That Just Got Dropped From the Pentagon’s Recognized Religions List

This should go to SCOTUS….they may side with Pistol Pete but at least make an effort to right this damn wrong.

Any thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“leho ergo scribo”

Looking For A Scapegoat

Donny’s war has helped drop his poll numbers to record levels….

President Donald Trump’s approval rating fell in recent days to its lowest point since he returned to the White House, hit by a surge ​in fuel prices and widespread disapproval of the war he launched on Iran, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
The four-day poll, completed on Monday, showed 36% of Americans approve of Trump’s ‌job performance, down from 40% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week.
(reuters.com)
With crappy polls and a defiant Iran Donny is scrambling to find someone to blame for his failure….he has already whacked Noem so he could he possibly blame for Iran?
And what better person to blame than Pistol Pete Hogsbreath?

President Trump is already trying to throw Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth under the bus for the fruitless war on Iran.

“I called Pete, I called General Caine, I called a lot of our great people … and I said, ‘Let’s talk. We got a problem in the Middle East. We have a country … that for 47 years has been a purveyor of terror. And they’re very close to having a nuclear weapon. We can keep going and get that 50,000 up to 55 and 60, there’s no end. Or we could take a stop and make a little journey into the Middle East, and eliminate a big problem,’” Trump said Monday at an event in Memphis.

“Pete, I think you were the first one to speak up,” Trump continued. “And you said, ‘Let’s do it.’ Because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”

“Hegseth about to give his next briefing from under the bus,” liberal podcaster Jon Favreau wrote on X.

This quick comment is magnified by the chaos of Monday morning, which saw Trump announcing a five-day pause on bombing Iranian energy sites while claiming that he was close to a deal with the Iranian government. The Iranian government then denied speaking to him in any capacity at all, sparking rumors that Trump was engaging in market manipulation. And if the war is going as badly as it appears to be, Hegseth may be in trouble.

(newrepublic.com)

I cannot think of a better person for Donny to blame.

And the sooner we see the back of him the better the military will be.

Whatcha think?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

News Is Out At The Pentagon

And it is replaced with sycophants that will happily pass on bullshit, lies and propaganda in the guise of news….

Have you been following the reports of the ‘new’ criteria that the SecWar has put into place?

Several outlets supportive of the political right said Wednesday they had agreed to a new press policy rejected by virtually all legacy news media organizations and will take their place in the Pentagon, the AP reports. The new Pentagon press corps will include the Gateway Pundit, the National Pulse, Human Events, podcaster Tim Pool, the Just the News website founded by journalist John Solomon, Frontlines by Turning Point USA, and LindellTV, run by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. Many of those outlets were not staffed for the job; Just the News, for example, posted an online ad seeking a Pentagon reporter.

The Pentagon’s announcement came less than a week after dozens of reporters from outlets including the New York Times, the Associated Press, CNN, and the Washington Post turned in their access badges rather than agree to a policy the journalists say will restrict them to covering news approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Sean Parnell, Hegseth’s spokesman, announced the “next generation” of the Pentagon press corps with more than 60 journalists who had agreed to the new policy. He said 26 journalists who had previously been part of the press corps were among the signees. The department wouldn’t say who any of them were, but several outlets reposted his message on X, saying they had signed on.

There isn’t unanimity among organizations that appeal to Republican consumers. Fox News Channel, by far the most popular news source for fans of President Trump, was among the walkouts, as was Newsmax. Some of the outlets moving in pronounce themselves conservative in their mission statements, and the “about” page on the National Pulse features a picture of Trump. The journalists who left the Pentagon haven’t stopped covering the military. With them out of the Pentagon, “reporters will have to work harder,” said Barbara Starr, a longtime Pentagon reporter retired from CNN. “But the real price is paid by the American people and the American military families,” Starr said. “Military families who have their sons and daughters serving, they want to know everything and they want to know it fast.”

LindellTV (seriously), Dead Charlie’s Turning Point, et al…..none of which is any real news gathering experience….but they are butt lickers….that is all you need to be part of the press corps.

This change will guarantee that there will be NO actual factual news coming from the Pentagon.

I will be watching to see which of the MSM will bite and carry the bullshit from Donny’s idiot, Hogsbreath.

+++I return to the infusion chair today so I may not be in any shape for further posting……I will try to catch as quickly as I can+++

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Big Day For Big Brass Summit

Today is the day when Hogsbreath and Donny meet with the top military commanders and lay out whatever plan the War Department has in store for the world.

A lot of speculation on just what this rare meeting of the brass has brewing for our military.

Just one more speculation to add to the long list….

Top military leaders—including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—have registered serious concerns with the Trump administration’s planned change in defense strategy ahead of the meeting involving hundreds of generals and admirals, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and President Trump scheduled for Tuesday in Virginia. Current and former officials described the criticism to the Washington Post of the changes that would make the Pentagon’s priority possible threats at home, reduce the focus on China, and diminish US activities in Europe and Africa.

A Pentagon spokesman would not say whether internal objections have been raised but said Hegseth has ordered up a strategy “that is laser focused on advancing President Trump’s commonsense America First, Peace Through Strength agenda,” adding, “This process is still ongoing.” The objections reflect frustration with a new strategy that officers consider “myopic and potentially irrelevant, given the president’s highly personal and sometimes contradictory approach to foreign policy,” per the Post. After drafts of the plan were circulated, Gen. Dan Caine, the Joint Chiefs chairman who disagrees with deemphasizing the potential threat from China, gave Hegseth what one insider called “very frank feedback.”

If this is true that there will be less importance of China then why is this a story?

The Pentagon has asked defense contractors to double or quadruple production rates, fearing that low U.S. stockpiles would be insufficient for a potential future conflict with China.

People familiar with the matter say the Pentagon has asked the defense contractors to massively scale production, focusing on a dozen critical weapons, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, which led to a bump in U.S. defense stocks. However, experts cited in the report warn that the U.S. government will need to raise more funds and sign more contracts to meet their expectations, which some believe are unrealistic.

https://www.the-express.com/news/world-news/185400/pentagon-double-missile-product-china

And the lies and confusion continues…..

We will not know about this meeting until someone steps up and lets the public know what we are in for with this band of thugs.

Any deep thoughts before the results are presented?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The “Big Brass” Summit

Tomorrow will be the hastily called meeting of all the top generals in our military…..and there has been all kinds of speculation at what the Hell is this all about…..here are some thoughts on that….

In the absence of an explanation for ordering hundreds of generals and admirals to Virginia to hear from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, possible agenda items are being floated. The mystery only deepened in the Oval Office on Thursday when reporters asked about the meeting. “I think it’s great when generals and top people want to come to the United States to be with our now-secretary of war,” President Trump answered—though it wasn’t their idea. “It’s not particularly unusual that generals who report to the secretary of War and then to the president of the United States are coming to speak with the secretary of War,” Vice President JD Vance said, per the Hill. He added, “It’s actually not unusual at all”—though no one can name a similar meeting.

  • Warriors: The nation’s military leaders are in for a talking-to about the “warrior ethos,” per the Washington Post. One person familiar with planning discussions said, “It’s meant to be an eyeball-to-eyeball kind of conversation. He wants to see the generals.” Pentagon officials questioning the whole idea pointed out that many of the officers on their way served in combat. “They don’t need a talk from Secretary Hegseth on the warrior ethos,” one Defense official said.
  • Consequences: Officials told Politico that the event will be something like a pep rally, though maybe one with an edge. Hegseth wants to deliver messages about conduct and expectations, they said, and stress that they need to move in the same direction or face career consequences.
  • Dread: Anxiety is high among the generals and admirals over the meeting, per the New York Times, with some of them suspecting firings are ahead. It’s hard for many to imagine that so many commanders are being pulled from all over the world, including places with ongoing conflicts, just to hear a speech billed as lasting less than an hour. Trump said the generals want to see new equipment. “They’re going to be talking about the newest weapons, etc.,” he said, per Politico. There’s no word about what new weapons there might be.
  • A historical point: Hegseth did respond to one post. Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges wrote that in 1935, Germany’s generals were “called to a surprise assembly in Berlin” and “required to swear a personal oath to the Führer.” Trump was quoted during his first term as saying, “I need the kind of generals that Hitler had.” Hegseth answered Hodges’ post with “Cool story, General.”

If this is solely an attempt to get the generals loyalty tested then this is sick and a bit pathetic.  They have already taken an oath….to the Constitution and the country….do they need to show more?

It will be good to see just how much integrity and guts these people have….

As usual Donny has to turn this meeting into a clusterf**k….

Word has gone out from the White House that President Trump plans to attend the hastily called meeting of hundreds of the nation’s top generals and admirals on Tuesday, a gathering ordered last week by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said he’ll address the brass. Trump’s decision has scrambled the security arrangements. “We have confirmation from the White House that POTUS is now attending the speech on Tuesday,” says a planning document sent Saturday, reports the Washington Post, which has seen it. A notice distributed at the Pentagon said Trump’s presence at the Virginia base will “significantly change the security posture” of the event.

For one, the president’s attendance at Quantico means the Secret Service is now responsible for security, with little notice. Two Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee criticized the meeting on Saturday as an expensive political stunt—estimates put the tab in the millions—that raises security risks, per the New York Times. “For an administration obsessed with rooting out waste, this abrupt, time and resource-intensive meeting of our military’s top commanders is absurd,” said a statement by Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Mazie Hirono.

There’s been little explanation from the Trump administration about why the generals and admirals have been summoned from all over the world, and there was none provided for why Trump decided even later to take the stage from Hegseth. Such a meeting usually would be planned months in advance, per USA Today. Current and past military officials have expressed concerns about the purpose of the meeting, including that it could be overtly political, which Trump’s attendance suggests. In a speech at Fort Bragg in June, Trump called protesters “animals,” repeated his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him, and endorsed conspiracy theories.

If this was a secret meeting (closed doors) will Donny be making one of his rambling babbling speeches?

Do nay of you have a thought on this meeting?

Breaking News:  Donny and BiBi will make a pronouncement on the fate of Gaza as Bibi visits.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

WTF? What Is He Doing?

Word has come out that the leader of the War Department has called a meeting like no other…..

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has ordered hundreds of US military generals and admirals stationed around the world to an urgent meeting, scheduled to take place at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, next week, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.

There are approximately 800 generals and admirals in the US and at US bases worldwide, and sources told the Post that Hegseth’s order applies to every senior officer with the rank of brigadier general or rear admiral and above. The directive has been described as highly unusual and possibly unprecedented.

“None of the people who spoke with the Post could recall a defense secretary ever ordering so many of the military’s generals and admirals to assemble like this,” the Post report said.

The reason for the meeting is unclear, and even the generals and admirals are reportedly unaware of the purpose. The meeting may be related to Hegseth’s recent orders for major changes at the Pentagon, including a directive to reduce the number of four-star officers by 20%.

Another possibility is that Hegseth is ordering the meeting to prepare the senior military officers for a new war of major military escalation. A congressional aide speaking to CNN said that unless Hegseth planned to announce “a major new military campaign or a complete overhaul of the military command structure, I can’t imagine a good reason for this.”

There are several areas around the world where the US could potentially launch a new war, including Venezuela, as the US has deployed a fleet of warships to the Caribbean and has begun bombing boats in the area under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking, though US officials have told The New York Times that the real purpose of the deployment is regime change.

The US and Israel could be preparing to launch another war on Iran, as the US has maintained a hardline policy against the Islamic Republic since the ceasefire that ended the 12-Day War, and tensions are soaring in Eastern Europe between Russia and NATO. President Trump has also recently floated the idea of retaking Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, an idea that would require military force since it has been rejected by the Taliban.

The War Department may also be looking to turn military operations inward, as President Trump recently declared that Antifa is a “domestic terrorist organization.”

Later on Thursday, both President Trump and Vice President JD Vance downplayed the meeting. “It’s not particularly unusual that generals who report to the secretary of War and then to the president of the United States are coming to speak with the secretary of War,” Vance said. “It’s actually not unusual at all and I think it’s odd that you’ve made it into such a big story.”

(antiwar.com)

WTF is going on?

Everyone is speculating on just what does this means….. so I guess I will join in….

With Donny’s newest EO declaring anyone in opposition as the ‘enemy’ I feel that this move by Hogsbreath is a meeting to plan the possible use of US troops to carry out Donny’s ‘dismantling’ of the ‘radical Left’.

If I am wrong then why does he need ALL the top generals and admirals in one place for a secret meeting?

Since the popular meme for this week is the destruction of the radical Left then my assumption makes sense (at least to me)….

Or

Could it be that the War Department is ready to drop the hammer on Greenland?

So much bullshit coming out of DC these days it is hard to pinpoint what the chowder heads are thinking.

Any deep thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Those Conflicting Reports

Now that there is a lull in the Iranian conflict thing there are conflicting reports on whether the damage was as all encompassing as it was first reported……

Little Marco has stated the popular Trump line….

In the back and forth around whether Iran’s nuclear capabilities were “obliterated” as President Trump has said or just damaged, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is making a case for the former fate. The New York Times reports Rubio on Wednesday provided a “more detailed description” of why he believes the US attack set Iran back years, not just months, and it involves a conversion facility in Isfahan—which the BBC reports was twice hit by Israel before the US targeted it. It’s where enriched uranium gas was converted by Iran into solid materials, then metal. Without that conversion, “you can’t do a nuclear bomb,” said Rubio. In his telling, the facility no longer exists:

  • “We can’t even find where it is, where it used to be on the map. The whole thing is blackened out. It’s gone. It’s wiped out.”

The BBC flags new satellite images that show a structure in Isfahan that the Institute for Science and International Security had previously said was the main uranium conversion building does appear to have been “mostly destroyed.”

Then there is contradictory reports by the DIA….

Unhappy with the leak of a preliminary assessment of the damage done to Iran’s nuclear facilities in a US bombing that disagrees with his own, President Trump plans to restrict the classified information his administration shares with Congress. “We are declaring a war on leakers,” a senior White House official told Axios on Wednesday. Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Marco Rubio, national security adviser in addition to being secretary of state, angrily objected to the leaking of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s initial assessment, which they say was meant to counter the president’s claim that the targets had been “obliterated.”

Then there is Donny who got butt hurt because of a leak….but hey leaks are a thing in DC it is an institution….personally I think leaks help keep the public informed otherwise there would be no info doled out to us peons.

But that is just me.

I am still wondering what game is being played with this whole affair.

Does anyone have an idea as to what?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Greenland, Land Of Opportunity

Eastward Ho!

Greenland is back in the news if anyone is watching…..this time DOD Hogsbreath all but confirmed that the US will use military power to get what they want.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth refused Thursday to answer a simple question about the Trump administration’s plans for Greenland, implying that the U.S. military has drawn up plans to take the country by force.

While testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, Republican Representative Mike Turner gave Hegseth the opportunity to clarify the Trump administration’s position on taking military action to acquire Greenland—but the secretary refused to deny rumors of a potential invasion.

“While you’re here, I just want to help you out because people try to twist your words,” said Turner. “You are not confirming in your testimony today that at the Pentagon there are plans for invading or taking by force Greenland, correct? That is not your testimony today?”

“All my testimony is, is that the Pentagon has plans for any number of contingencies,” Hegseth replied simply.

“It is not your testimony today that there are plans at the Pentagon for taking by force or invading Greenland?” Turner asked, sounding incredulous. “Cause I sure as hell hope that it is not your testimony—”

“It is not your testimony today that there are plans at the Pentagon for taking by force or invading Greenland?” Turner asked, sounding incredulous. “Cause I sure as hell hope that it is not your testimony—”

“We look forward to working with Greenland to ensure that it is secured from any potential threat,” Hegseth responded, still giving no clear answer.

Turner yielded his time back to the chair.

Hegseth’s position should only come as a surprise to those who still wish to believe that Trump is kidding about his fantasies of annexing the massive, mineral-rich Arctic island, which the president has claimed the U.S. absolutely needs to wrest from Denmark’s control in order to establish “international peace.”

https://newrepublic.com/post/196738/hegseth-trump-plans-take-greenland-force

In his crazed state is Donny and Hogsbreath really to cause an international incident for a piece of frozen tundra?

What is the real reason that the Island nation of Greenland is so important to the Trump administration?

Lots of speculation but what is the real reason?

Are these amateurs really willing to cause a stir over Greenland?

You tell me.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Greenland Once Again

Here we go again!

It all began with Donny thumping his chest like a sex craved primate about the US need to take Greenland from Denmark…..and since the election the moves have been something to watch….

The newest move is to switch Greenland control from European Command to Northern Command….

The Pentagon is expected to soon shift responsibility for Greenland from US European Command to US Northern Command, according to officials familiar with the plan. Sources tell Politico that the change could happen as soon as this week. While the move is mostly symbolic, Northern Command oversees North American security and could integrate Greenland more closely into US missile defense plans, including the Golden Dome radar network. Politico describes the shift as “the most concrete step yet” in President Trump’s efforts to take control of the autonomous Danish territory.

The transfer has not been formally communicated to the Danish government, according to Politico’s sources, potentially generating friction with Denmark and raising concerns among NATO allies about US intentions in the Arctic. The shift would separate Greenland operationally from Denmark and the Faroe Islands, both of which remain under European Command. It follows a broader review of the Pentagon’s command structure and comes as US leaders cite Greenland’s geographic location as critical for monitoring Russia and China and enhancing missile defense coverage.

The US already maintains a military presence at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, which Vice President JD Vance visited in March. Earlier this year, Danish officials committed $2 billion to Greenland security projects to address US concerns, but skepticism remains in Europe over Trump’s Arctic ambitions. Trump has said he would not rule out military action to secure Greenland. “I don’t rule it out. I don’t say I’m going to do it, but I don’t rule out anything,” he said last month, per the Hill. “We need Greenland very badly.”

What is the intentions of Donny and his little group of idiots?

Why the need?

We have about a gazillion satellites that could be used for many of the ‘needs’ that this administration says it needs….

Denmark should stand up to this flippin’ bully and just say Hell NO!

Is the US expanding its desire for imperial expansion?

This is a pathetic waste of energy in my book.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Congrats! You Now Have A Trillion!

For ages I and others have been bitching about the money that is blindly thrown at the Pentagon all in the name of ‘national defense’…..it has always been high and we have got nothing in return….we have a fighter plane that spends more time grounded than flying, we have a tank that no one wants and we have a fleet of Naval vessels that are already in mothballs waiting to become a fishing reef….wasted money and yet the money just keeps rolling in with little to no oversight.

The money in the budget for the War Department has continually gone higher and higher with every new budget and sometimes it gets billions it did not request because….well just because.

And the new administration is not different only this time around the amount cracks the trillion dollar barrier.

The White House released a budget plan on Friday proposing $1.01 trillion in military spending for 2026, a 13% increase from this year.

The proposal fulfills President Trump’s vow to bring the official US military budget to over $1 trillion for the first time. The increase in US military spending will include funding for President Trump’s plans for a major missile defense system for the US, which he has dubbed the “Iron Dome for America, which will likely kick off a new global arms race.

Despite the massive increase, Trump is facing pushback from some Republican hawks, who are complaining that the White House is relying on a reconciliation bill for some of the funds.

According to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the White House is asking Congress for $892.6 billion in military spending for fiscal year 2026, which is about the same as the 2025 budget. The remaining $119 will be authorized under a budget bill that Congress is currently working on.

The budget bill will include $150 billion in military spending that can be spent over the next four years, but under the White House proposal, it will mostly be spent for the 2026 fiscal year. Sen. Mitch McConnell complained in a statement that the administration wasn’t asking Congress to appropriate the entire $1.01 trillion.

“It is peculiar how much time the President’s advisors spend talking about restoring peace through strength, given how apparently unwilling they’ve been to invest accordingly in the national defense or in other critical instruments of national power,” McConnell said. “Make no mistake: a one-time influx reconciliation spending is not a substitute for full-year appropriations.”

The pushback from leading Senate Republicans suggests that Congress may draft a higher military budget than Trump requested. “Fortunately, Presidential budget requests are just that: requests. Congress will soon have an opportunity to ensure that American power – and the credibility of our commitments – are appropriately resourced,” McConnell said.

The US has never officially had a $1 trillion military budget, but the actual cost of US military spending has exceeded $1 trillion for years. According to veteran defense analyst Winslow Wheeler, based on the $895 billion NDAA, US national security spending for 2025 was expected to reach about $1.77 trillion.

(antiwar.com)

Is there any doubt that the War Department will not get their desire?

Maybe this was the reason for DOGE to help expand the spending by the most wasteful part of the government.

Do not fret over higher prices or education for your children or the poor’s plight we may get a new plane that cannot fly….rejoice….rejoice.

Wait a colossal waste of taxpayer money!

This does NOTHING to make America great again……but rather padding the pockets of the defense industry and the Congress they buy.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”