I had to do a bit of a double take when I first read the headline. Surely this had to be some satirical piece disguised as actual news.

Nope. It's real."Pentagon deploys 'May I kiss you?' training."I read it again and shook my head in disbelief.It would seem that last week, the United States Air Force awarded a $10,000 contract to a company known as The Date Safe Project to provide three training sessions to servicemen and women to instruct them on consent and the prevention of sexual assault including bystander intervention. Each session lasts 60-90 minutes.Additionally, it was noted that the Air Force is only the most recent branch of our military to utilize this training.The company's owner, Mike Domitirz, earns around $325,000 a year from the military for conducting these sessions.Right off the bat, I am concerned because if our soldiers do not possess the ability to make rational, intelligent decisions regarding matters that should be considered "no-brainers," should they be trusted with weapons and matters of national security?I mean, if they haven't been able to learn these things in their 18-plus years of life on this earth, 60-90 minutes of a "unique combination of humor and dramatic storytelling" are supposed to dramatically enlighten them to the point of effecting change?Another interesting thing I read online was the Air Force's sole source justification for The Date Safe Project "May I kiss you?" program indicating that this one company, The Date Safe Project, was the only supplier and contractor "able to meet the agency's need."I'm not kidding you; the only one.Since I can think of many other things that our government and we the taxpayers can spend our hard-earned dollars on, I am going to offer my insight for those who just can't seem to figure it out absolutely free of charge.Grab your pen and paper and take some notes as this will save money on textbooks or handouts.As the name of the training implies, servicemen and women are instructed to first gain consent before making any sort of move, even a kiss. I can't speak for all women, but I am pretty sure it is much more romantic if there is no speaking involved when a gentleman would like to offer up a buss.We ladies do enjoy that romantic element of surprise.It makes our hearts flutter and we feel a sense of giddiness mixed in with tingles and butterflies.But there is a way that the initiator of said kiss can determine whether or not it is OK to lay one on her.When the time comes that a gentleman is ready to make his move, he should:a) Look her in the eyes and give her a gentle smile. If she smiles back, that is a good thing.b) Close your eyes, slightly pucker your lips and lean in HALFWAY between you and the lady.c) With eyes closed, count (to yourself), one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi.IF within those three Mississippis you feel her lips on yours, then all is well.If not, you should not continue in your pursuit; she is telling you "No" and no means no.If she is checking her cellphone, it is still a "No."If she has taken a step or two away from you, it really means "No." I don't care if you hear the voice of Sebastian from "The Little Mermaid" singing "Kiss the Girl" egging you on to complete your mission, if she doesn't lean in to complete the lip lock then you need to lean back, open your eyes, put your pucker back into neutral, smile and change the subject!Now, just because a woman speaks to you, laughs at your jokes or otherwise acts friendly, it does not automatically mean that she wants to know you in the biblical sense.Additionally, taking a woman out to dinner, a movie or any sort of datelike activity does not mean that she has to thank you by sleeping with you.Alcohol and drug use can significantly alter the decision-making process, causing people to act in a manner that they otherwise would not.It may be a good idea to refrain from such practices to avoid misreading "signals" or behavior that may be harmful and regrettable later on.A few words about "consent" and being under the influence:If an intoxicated woman can barely talk, walk or is acting differently from how she would under normal circumstances, she most likely is incapable of giving proper consent for any sexual advances, so don't.If she is unconscious, you should do the honorable thing and protect her from anyone (including yourself) who may otherwise take advantage of her and find someone sober to get her safely home.Now, I am not a big fan of the "one night stand"; however, if the girl has all of her faculties and you have passed the kiss test and you want to know whether or not you can go beyond a kiss, then by all means, this is the time you should ASK but always remember NO means NO!It doesn't mean keep trying, it doesn't mean that you should paw at her, grind up on her on the dance floor or engage in sexual innuendo, it means STOP, and if you don't know how to handle NO or STOP, then you should NOT be out on the market until you do.Another part of the program is the importance of "bystander intervention" when someone is incapable of understanding how things are supposed to work.Enter the "wingman."No, this is not the guy who occupies the girlfriend of the lady with whom his buddy is trying to "hook up."The "wingman" should be the guy who stops his "friend" from making any improper advances on someone who either does not or cannot give proper consent. The "wingman" should be strong and honorable and not afraid to step up and step in. He should also be the type of friend who stops his buddy from doing anything that is hurtful, illegal, dangerous or otherwise stupid.Forget about any type of nonsensical "code" that you may believe exists and dispense with the "I don't want to get involved" mindset and act in the same manner you would want someone else to if it was you or someone you care about who was at risk or in trouble.Now, I would be remiss if I didn't address the responsibilities of the ladies in these situations. First of all, do not allow yourselves to be in situations that leave you vulnerable and do not allow yourself to overindulge. If you lose control, you can be sure that there are those who are all too eager to take it for themselves.Ladies, if you dress, dance or act like a $10 hooker, you are going to be noticed and most likely treated as such.Respect for yourself will help you to protect yourself.Finally, if you really want to know that it is OK to kiss or engage in other various romantic activities with a woman, marry her.