A History of Marginalized Religious Liberty in the US Air Force

ICC Note: The recent forced erasure of a scripture from the whiteboard of a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy drew nationwide attention to the state of religious liberty within the U.S. military. This article, published by Town Hall, provides an overview of multiple incidents of religious liberty violations over the past six years. 
4/1/2014 United States (TownHall) – I agree with retired Army Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, now executive vice president of the Family Research Council, who explained to Starnes: “Once the academy allowed cadets to use these whiteboards for their personal use, censorship of religious commentary is unacceptable. Either the Air Force Academy is very confused about the Constitution of the United States or they don’t really believe in the liberties that are provided by that document. In essence, what they are doing is preparing young men and women to defend the Constitution while at the same time depriving these cadets of their own constitutional liberties.”
Unfortunately, the Air Force’s whiteboard whitewashing isn’t the first prohibition of religious expression in U.S. military circles. There have been many others since our current president took office. Here’s a sample:
–The Air Force Academy apologized for merely announcing Operation Christmas Child, a Christian-based charity and relief program designed to send Christmas gifts to impoverished children around the world.
–Air Force officials stripped religious aspects from a 20-year-old course on “just war theory.”
–Yet, as reported in the Los Angeles Times in November 2011, the Air Force is building an $80,000 Stonehenge-like worship site for those who practice “Earth-based” religions, including “pagans, Wiccans, druids, witches and followers of Native American faiths.”
–Walter Reed National Military Medical Center drafted policy that prohibited individuals from using or distributing religious items during visits to the hospital.
–Boykin, though he is a war hero, couldn’t speak at the United States Military Academy because of his Christian faith.
–The Marine Corps considered tearing down a Camp Pendleton cross meant to honor fallen heroes.
–The Navy relocated a live Nativity scene at a base in Bahrain to the chapel area.
–The Department of Veterans Affairs censored references to God and Jesus during prayers at Houston National Cemetery.
–The Pentagon released regulations forcing chaplains to perform same-sex weddings, despite many chaplains’ religious objections and the fact that members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus had worked tirelessly to ensure that the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2013, which was signed into law in January, included key religious freedom protections for service members generally and chaplains specifically (Section 533).
–The Pentagon revoked approval to use the logo of each service branch on the covers of Bibles sold in military exchange stores.
What is going on in the U.S. military? Apparently, the military’s urge for neutrality is officially and fundamentally transforming into hostility against faith and religious expression.
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