Taxpayers are footing the bill for Air, Space Force service members to travel to 'Pride' events
By jdheyes // 2023-06-09
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Once again, American taxpayers are being abused by the 'woke' deep state. According to a report by The Federalist this week, "The U.S. Air Force has authorized Air and Space Force commanders to use taxpayer money to cover the travel costs for service members seeking to attend the branch’s upcoming 'pride' events." In a memo issued on June 1, Marianne Malizia, the director of the Air Force's Office of Diversity and Inclusion, informed branch commanders about a series of upcoming LGBT-related events in Washington, D.C., organized by the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The memo stated that Air and Space Force commanders have the authorization to utilize "unit funds" to cover the travel expenses of service members under their command to “travel to, and participate in, this year’s DAF Pride events if approved by their individual supervisory authority.” Mind you, there shouldn't even be offices of "Diversity and Inclusion" in the military in the first place since all members of all branches are already equally treated and offered the very same rank and training opportunities -- based on the needs of their respective service. So the existence of those offices alone constitution an abuse of taxpayer funds. “Service members or civilian employees may attend conferences at the unit expense to maintain and improve professional competency or to improve management of the Department’s functions and activities,” the memo says, according to the outlet. The Department of the Air Force (DAF) justifies the utilization of taxpayer funds for travel expenses related to such events by referring to Section 030201 of the Defense Department's Joint Travel Regulation. This particular section outlines the provision of "travel and transportation allowances" for military service members. The report notes further: A rainbow-colored flyer accompanying the memo lists the three upcoming events the DAF is slated to participate in, including a “Pride at the Pentagon” celebration scheduled to be held at the Pentagon Air Force Art Gallery on June 8 and an “LGBTQ+ Initiatives Team (LIT) Symposium” to be held at the Pentagon Library & Conference Center on June 9. The Air Force will also have a recruiting booth at the D.C. Pride Festival on June 11. The Air Force has additionally issued a pre-constructed memo that service members can fill out and submit to their commanders to request permission to leave their unit and travel to D.C. for the aforementioned events. Meanwhile the  Air Force is celebrating LGBT “pride month” with a serviceman ‘saluting’ the activist homosexual-bisexual-transgender-“queer” “rainbow” flag. The Air Force published a tweet Wednesday reading: “June is #PrideMonth! The Department of the Air Force proudly recognizes and celebrates generations of LGBTQI+ service members and their contributions to our #AirForce & #SpaceForce.” Tweeted Mike Garcia: “As an AF veteran, this is pathetic & embarrassing. You should focus on winning wars & not social or political issues. Disgusting.” As WND reported Tuesday, the Pentagon has chosen to honor a radical homosexual activist, Harvey Milk, as the symbol of this year’s “pride” activities. Milk, who was molested by homosexual predators when he was a young teenage boy, went on to enter into a live-in sexual relationship with a 16- or 17-year-old boy when he was in his thirties. And the Navy has named a ship after him, the USNS Harvey Milk, part of another politically correct class of ships, the John Lewis class of oilers, which replenish fuel-burning warships at sea. Lewis, a long-serving Democratic lawmaker from Georgia, was a 'civil rights icon.' Sources include: TheFederalist.com WND.com
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