{"id":39040,"date":"2019-05-12T17:27:23","date_gmt":"2019-05-12T17:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/12\/the-us-militarys-curious-use-of-force\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:13:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:13:30","slug":"the-us-militarys-curious-use-of-force","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2019\/05\/12\/the-us-militarys-curious-use-of-force\/","title":{"rendered":"The U.S. military\u2019s curious use of force"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Recently, an incident occurred in Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border during which armed Mexican soldiers \u2014 within the United States \u2014 confronted U.S. service members<\/a>, disarmed the Americans and detained them for questioning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. military officials were quick to state that the American troops \u201cfollowed all established procedures and protocols<\/a>\u201d by de-escalating the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a former Air Force fighter pilot, I understand the concept of necessary de-escalation. I was nevertheless shocked at how quickly some of our soldiers disarmed themselves while defending our border. And as someone who works at a national religious liberty law firm, I was struck by the paradox that our military responded not by de-escalating, but with swift aggression against a decorated Air Force veteran<\/a> who mentioned the word \u201cGod\u201d during a retirement ceremony for a fellow airman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In April 2016, retired Senior Master Sgt. Oscar Rodriguez Jr. agreed to perform a patriotic flag-folding speech for a retiring airman. Despite having performed the speech dozens of times at various patriotic and civic events, the Air Force was determined to prevent him from doing it on a military base because Rodriguez\u2019s flag-folding speech mentions \u201cGod\u201d six times<\/a>. When Rodriguez began his speech, he was stopped by three uniformed airmen, who proceeded to drag him out of the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three years and two lawsuits later, the Air Force has yet to hold a single person accountable<\/a> for violating Rodriguez\u2019s constitutional rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ironically, while our border troops apparently followed all established procedures and protocols by handing over their weapons to foreign troops on American soil, the Air Force has either neglected or refused to follow its procedures and protocols in handling the Rodriguez incident. During my fighter pilot days, I became intimately familiar with just how scrupulously the Air Force follows its procedures and protocols \u2014 I am dismayed it has not done so in Rodriguez\u2019s case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When something bad occurs, the Air Force is supposed to investigate and hold accountable those responsible. Sadly, the Air Force has not fulfilled its duty to Oscar Rodriguez, the American people, or its own heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Force broke its promise to conduct a full investigation into the incident and it dishonored itself by declaring there was no wrong doing. How can it clear itself when it admits it has not yet fully investigated the incident?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worse, the airmen who assaulted Rodriguez blame him for defying their orders to not perform the speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\t