Today’s blog focuses on amazing changes taking place in both

technology and human relationships.

The Navy has successfully flown an MV-22 Osprey with a three-D printed, metal link and fitting assembly for its engine housing.   Three-D printed parts have been used in the Navy for several years, according to published reports, but this was an innovation involving safety – trusting the three-D  part when it could spell the difference between flying and crashing.

The Air Force will continue to use the term airman despite some protests that it is sexist. Regardless of the service member’s gender, the term airman will remain.  Reportedly, the majority of Air Force members see it as a description of the career, not a gender-specific word.

In contrast, the Marines are dropping ‘man’ from 19 job titles.  This follows a study by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus regarding gender-based titles.

Speaking of gender – Defense officials estimate that there are between  2,500 and 7, 000 transgender troops in today’s active-duty force of 1.3 million.   Gender treatment is included in proposed mental health services, according to a recent article in the Military Times.

A neat issue of freedom of religion recently occurred in the Washington DC area. A local woman was found guilty of cruelty by the ritual killing of roosters.   She defended on the ground that she was a Santeria priestess, engaged in a religious ritual protected by First Amendment freedom of religion.  The constitutional issue was sidestepped – she’s was found guilty of cruelty to the chickens prior to the ritual killing.  Any Santerias in the US military Mark

Air Force drone pilots – flying remotely-piloted aircraft —  will soon be eligible for up to  $35K in retention bonuses,  according to the Air Force Times.

Pentagon officials are claiming that a contractor’s artificial intelligence program can “defeat” a human pilot in simulations at the Air Force Research Lab.

Meanwhile, following up on earlier speculation, the Navy has indeed named a ship after  gay-rights icon Lieut. Harvey Milk.