U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe Visits USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor
WASHINGTON _ U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, conducted a wreath-laying ceremony on Saturday at the USS Oklahoma Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
The USS Oklahoma battleship was among those sunk by the Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941. The memorial, built in 2000, is dedicated to the 429 men who lost their lives on the ship.
“It was an honor to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in service to their country while on board the USS Oklahoma and to meet more of our veterans and their family members,” said Inhofe.…
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Sen. Jim Inhofe Comments on Nominations of Hagel, Brennan
Sen. Jim Inhofe, the new ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, declined on Monday to express approval or disapproval of Chuck Hagel to be secretary of defense. The committee will hold confirmation hearings on Hagel.
Regarding Hagel’s nomination Inhofe, R-Tulsa, said:
“I have worked with Secretary (Leon) Panetta for many years, and during his tenure as Secretary of Defense, he has done an excellent job outlining the devastating impact defense budget cuts will have on our nation’s military. In the months and years ahead, the Defense Department will be confronted with significant challenges from budget issues to Afghanistan policy.…
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Republican Jim Bridenstine Gets on House Armed Services Committee
Newly elected Jim Bridenstine, of Tulsa, who defeated incumbent Rep. John Sullivan in the Republican Primary in June, has secured a seat on the House Armed Services Committee. The Navy Reserve pilot was one of six new Republicans announced by the committee chairman on Wednesday.
Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, a California Republican who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said:
“The Armed Services Committee has long benefited from a bi-partisan roster of insightful, dedicated and energetic members. The 113th Congress will be no exception.…
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Behenna Given Extension to File Appeal with U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court has given 1st Lt. Michael Behenna an extension to file an appeal of his conviction of unpremeditated murder in a combat zone. He will now have until Jan. 3, an extension from the Nov. 4 deadline.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the military’s highest appeals court, upheld the Edmond native’s conviction in July. A U.S. Army appeals court has also upheld the conviction. In 2008, Behenna shot and killed an Iraqi man he suspected of being a terrorist.…
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The Behenna Case
There have been strong feelings expressed to The Oklahoman _ through letters, emails and story comments on NewsOK _ in regard to the case of 1st Lt. Michael Behenna, who is serving a 15-year sentence for unpremeditated murder in a combat zone for killing an Iraqi civilian in 2008.
The Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces upheld his conviction and sentence earlier this month. The opinion is below. It provides a chronology of the events in the Iraqi desert that night and the legal arguments flowing from Behenna’s court martial.…
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Oklahoma WWII Vets Express Thunder Support in Washington
Oklahoma veterans of World War II were in Washington on Wednesday as part of the Oklahoma Honor Flights program, wearing Thunder blue and urging the team on a few hours before it won the NBA’s western conference in a thriller over the San Antonio Spurs.
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Honor Flight Comes to Washington
World War II veterans from Oklahoma made their first Honor Flight trip to Washington on Wednesday to see the World War II Memorial and other sites. This trip, out of Tulsa, was one of five the program will sponsor this year. Bryan Painter is writing a story for The Oklahoman on Sunday about three generations of a family, all of whom have served in the military, who made Wednesday’s trip. An accompanying video is also planned.
Below, Rep. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, right, greets some Oklahomans who accompanied the WWII veterans on the trip.…
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Oral Arguments Set in Appeals Court for 1st Lt. Michael Behenna’s Case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces _ the military’s highest appeals court _ has set oral arguments for April 23 in the case of 1st Lt. Michael Behenna, who was convicted in 2009 of unpremeditated murder in a combat zone.
The arguments will be held at the court’s headquarters in Washington, DC.
Behenna, an Edmond native now serving a 15-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, was convicted of killing an Iraqi man that Behenna suspected of terrorism. Behenna was questioning the man when he shot him and claimed self-defense at his trial.…
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