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NEW YORK — A former Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor bowed out of his quest Tuesday to join the New York City Fire Department after a federal judge denied his request to extend the application deadline for all aspiring firefighters — not just him.The judge had been willing to grant a 24-hour application extension for Sgt. Dakota Meyer, who saved the lives of 36 people during an ambush in Afghanistan two years ago. Meyer missed the FDNY's Sept. 15 application deadline because he was busy with official Medal of Honor commitments and ceremonies, said Keith Sullivan, his attorney.But when the city offered to reopen the application process to the public, Brooklyn Judge Nicholas Garaufis refused, saying a brief extension would create a risk of "adverse impact" on minority groups who are under-represented in the ranks of the FDNY. Instead, the judge agreed to grant Meyer a one-day exception because he is "one exceptional individual."That didn't seem fair to Meyer, who charged five times in a Humvee into heavy gunfire in the darkness of an Afghanistan valley to rescue comrades under attack from Taliban insurgents."Dakota refuses to compromise his values," Sullivan said Tuesday. "He said he would like to thank the city of New York and the people who have shown him so much support, but he couldn't in good conscience take a one-person exception.He will apply for the exam when it's given again in four years."
I want him in my platoon during the revolution.
Dakota Meyer, who became the first living Marine since Vietnam to be awarded a Medal of Honor earlier this month, will soon have another title to add to his post-war resume: a spot on the masthead at Maxim magazine.Maxim has hired Meyer as a military adviser, The Cutline has learned. In the newly created paid position, Meyer will contribute to Maxim's military coverage--in print and online--and represent the magazine at events, including its annual Super Bowl weekend party.President Barack Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to Meyer on Sept. 15. The 23-year-old Kentucky native was credited with saving 36 lives during a six-hour firefight with the Taliban that killed five U.S. soldiers.It might seem at first glance that Maxim has hurriedly brought Meyer on staff in order to capitalize on the publicity from his Medal of Honor. But the brass at Maxim insist that's not the case.Maxim's executives have been talking about bringing Meyer on for more than a year. They initially met with the Afghanistan war hero when he was among the rivals taking part in the magazine's first Maximum Warrior competition for elite veterans. Joe Mangione, CEO of Maxim publisher Alpha Media Group, was in attendance at the Medal of Honor ceremony.And the magazine--which is popular on military bases for, let's say, its titillating, male-centric content--has actually ramped up its coverage of the military over the last few years.Maxim also plans to publish a special issue--"Maxim Salutes the Military"--in November, with a portion of the proceeds going to Meyer's charity for children of Marines.
