Religion in the Air Force: Caught in the crossfire Published Sept. 2, 2009 By 2nd Lt. Emily Chilson 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Look around you. See all those men and women in uniform? A lot more of them than just the chaplains are interested in spiritual matters. In fact, about 85 percent of Air Force officers and 75 percent of enlisted members claim any of 166 different religions and denominations. In our nation's Constitution -- which every Airman and civil servant swears to protect and defend -- the First Amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the exercise thereof . . ." So by the law of the land, "The government is required to be neutral," said Maj. Jeff Palomino, Air Force Legal Operations Agency at the Air Force Judge Advocate General's School. "But there is tension between the two. [Religion], frankly, is one of the most controversial issues facing commanders." When servicemembers go out, people see them as the government, he said. They represent the Air Force, and commanders, in particular, really become the voice of the Air Force. "You cannot make assumptions about the people in your command," said Major Palomino. "Chaplains have to play a dual role that embodies both sides of the tension, said Chaplain (Maj.) John Tillery, head chaplain at the Ira C. Eaker College for Professional Development. Most chaplains try to get out of this tension, but "the only way we can accomplish the mission is by living in the tension," Chaplain Tillery noted. People who oppose discussion of religion in government service, including the military, usually bring up the phrase, "Separation of church and state," as if it was in the Constitution. It is not. "Today there is heightened sensitivity to religion and some misunderstanding about the Constitution and its guarantees of the free exercise of religions," said Chaplain (Maj.) Glenn Gresham, 20th Fighter Wing chaplain. Complicating the matter is the fact that since the American Revolutionary War, the United States Armed Forces have had chaplains: clergymen and women in officers' uniforms. Their official responsibility was, and continues to be, to provide for the spiritual needs of the members of their service. For Airmen, two of the most commonly asked questions regarding religion are: "When can't I talk about religion?" and "When can I share my faith?" "You need to ask yourself, 'Would a reasonable person see this as (officially) endorsing or disapproving religion?," Major Palomino said. The three most important things to look at are the status of the speaker, the status of the listener and the context or characteristics of the speech, Chaplain Tillery said. "Individuals really have to take a moment to pause and be sensitive." Special religious considerations like clothing, food and Sabbath days off have to be considered on a case-by-case basis, he said. Even immunizations are problematic for some religious preferences. "Commanders should support accommodation (of religious practices) to the fullest extent possible," he said. An accommodation must be made unless it would have a real, not hypothetical, adverse impact on military readiness, Major Palomino said. "Accommodating someone else's religious beliefs and practices is not the same thing as endorsing those beliefs," Chaplain Gresham said. "Dialogue between people of differing faiths or no faith is freedom of speech; however, it cannot be forced on the other person, must be voluntary in nature and should not interfere with the mission. "Can I have prayer at official functions?" is yet another frequently asked question. "Prayer should not usually be part of official, routine business," Major Palomino said. The key word is "usually," and exceptions come into play if the prayer is non-denominational or a moment of silence at military ceremonies, events of special importance or under extraordinary circumstances, he said. "We want our chaplains to be respectful of their traditions," Chaplain Tillery said. "And we must do what's possible to accommodate." When asked about his perspective on invocations given at military events, one Airman with no religious preference said, "I can understand why some people would be offended . . . weighing the benefits of the people (who) would feel good, versus the people (who) would be offended, (and if) it's for the better." "Invocations are a part of our military tradition, reaching all the way back to the days of the founding of our country," said Chaplain Gresham. "In fact, on Sept. 6, 1774, the Continental Congress, as their first official act, called for prayer in response to the news that British troops had attacked Boston. On July 9, 1776, which was the day after the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence and the sounding of the Liberty Bell, Congress voted to establish prayer, and to appoint the first chaplain to Congress to pray at its daily opening," he said. Another side of the situation was the topic at the Sumter Mayor's "National Day of Prayer" breakfast May 7. Retired Army Lt. Gen. William Boykin shared his experiences from 2003, when he got on the wrong side of the issue by publicly sharing his faith and appearing in uniform in a video promoting a non-denominational ministry in Washington, D.C. The general noted that in spite of an exhaustive Inspector General investigation of his activities, in the end he was faulted only for not seeking Army public affairs guidance before granting the interview. A recent flurry of articles in military-oriented media such as "Stars & Stripes," and "Air Force Times," flung spears at an Air Force colonel, a group commander, who suggested her Airmen might benefit from viewing a faith-related video on the Internet. A non-commissioned officer claiming to be an atheist went to the media to criticize his commander's recommendation. Again, a thorough investigation of the circumstances cleared the commander of wrong-doing. Still, a small, but vocal minority of anti-religious people inside and outside the military have made it their campaign to remove all traces of religion from public view within the military. "Discussions about religion, spirituality and/or faith are as guaranteed as other topics of discussion, but always with good order and discipline within the workplace," Chaplain Gresham said. "It's hard to avoid bringing up my faith in conversations, and most of the time I don't even realize I'm doing it because it's such a major part of my life," said an Airman of faith. "But whenever I do make a comment about my faith, I know to be extremely careful about the way it's perceived by those around me. I never intend to make them feel like I'm trying to force my beliefs on them." "I think they've essentially accepted me for what I believe regardless of whether or not it's what they believe," said an Airman with no religious preference, regarding conversations he's had about religion in the workplace. "I've had a couple conversations with people, but nobody has ever said, 'you're stupid for thinking that way' or 'you should really think this way.' " For Airmen of faith, chaplains advise, don't use your place of duty, official position, rank, service affiliation, or duty hours to advance your religious beliefs. Especially for supervisors, don't do anything which could look like the above in the eyes of your subordinates. "Our Constitution guarantees each American the right to the free exercise of religion," Chaplain Gresham added. "Hold strongly to your faith, but also recognize that your fellow Airmen have the right to hold strongly to their faith. "This is one of the basic rights that all of us who wear the uniform have sworn to uphold and defend," he said, and concluded, "There is no place in our Air Force for making fun of or belittling someone else's religious faith and practices."