> Mikey and the MRFF team, > > Things have really changed at (USAF installation’s name withheld) AFB very quickly, considering > that it was only 20 days ago that I first asked for your help. When I > contacted you that Saturday morning on behalf of myself and a dozen of > my fellow Airmen (the majority of whom are practicing Christians), the culture at the (USAF unit’s name withheld) Group was not one > of religious neutrality. There was an alarming pattern emerging in the > (USAF unit’s name withheld) group, permitted/encouraged by our Commander that fostered > dogmatic Christian language and messages at three official functions > within a four week period. This was creating an atmosphere that > reeked of sectarian attitudes that implicitly harassed airmen with Christian beliefs that did not conform to these proselytizing messages as well as airmen who held > other religious or non-religious views. Before learning of MRFF, my > choices were stark; suffer silently while our rights to a religious > neutral federal workplace were eroding, or speak up and be identified > as an apostate (not a good move for anyone’s career)! > > Within 2 hours of contacting you, AF general officers at HQ in Washington D.C. at the Pentagon were > mobilized. Within 5 hours the Wing commander had ordered my group > commander to account for his/her actions. At the 24 hour mark all > commanders on base were called to a crisis meeting to discuss > religious neutrality and were required to implement immediate changes > that safeguard religious neutrality. 48 hours later my group commander > was apologizing to the 300+ members of the (USAF unit’s name withheld) group. > > The command inquiry just concluded. I do not know what the final > report looks like. I have my doubts that the right questions were > asked and whether anyone dared to tell the truth (an inquiry requires > that those selected for interview sign a sworn statement that reveals > their identity). Nevertheless, the results that matter have already > occurred: religious messaging is no longer a part of meetings, > functions, or formations on (USAF installation’s name withheld) Air Force Base. I’ve got my > constitutional rights back and so do 6,000 other active duty USAF airmen, > thanks to all of you at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. > > BTW, after these desperately needed changes were implemented, everyone > at (USAF installation’s name withheld) AFB can still go or not go to church, pray or not pray, worship or > not worship. Doesn’t that sound like the America our founding fathers > dreamed of creating? V/R USAF Officer’s name, rank, AFSC, assigned USAF unit and USAF installation all withheld)
Posted on: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 20:40:06 +0000
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