Air Force punishes loyal officer over Christian view of marriage, but he won’t go down without a fight
A decorated Air Force veteran and aviator was punished because he believes marriage is the union of one man and one woman. Col. Michael Madrid served in the military for 26 years with a stellar record, receiving the Meritorious Service Medal four times for his “singularly distinctive accomplishments.” As a Lt. Colonel stationed in Wyoming , he also served fellow airmen as a mentor and friend, including one struggling young medical officer. That medical airman was later found to have committed serious crimes, including prescribing narcotics illegally, performing duties while high, and illegally bringing a loaded weapon onto the Air Force base. The airman, who was openly gay, was court-martialed in 2014. During the airman's court-martial, Madrid was a potential witness. In an apparent attempt to discredit Madrid's possible testimony, the airman filed a complaint against Madrid, accusing him of making derogatory comments about homosexuals. "I believe there w