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RP2 Chute,
Good evening, I just read the article about you and LT Moran in the Early Bird. It was interesting, and sparked some discussion with a couple coworkers who were also under the false impression that chaplains’ assistants must share the same personal religious beliefs as the chaplains they serve with. Almost every article I see about atheists within the military begins with the old “no atheists in foxholes” quote. You and I know that is not true. It sounds like you are thriving despite being paired with a frustrating chaplain, but I wanted to drop you a note anyways. When I was a Platoon Leader in Iraq, I started to think I was the only atheist in the military. I finally came “out of the closet” and dropped my own A-bomb after reading about an E-4 in my own Battalion who was dealing with the backlash from refusing to pray with his unit. Even as an Officer, it was healthy for me to find out about and talk to other atheists in the military, in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are a lot more of us than people seem to think. Thank you for having the courage to be open about your beliefs and for making it that much easier for those slightly less courageous to stand up for theirs. If you don’t already know about them, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) is an amazing organization and supports religious rights for all Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines of all religions. If you ever come across someone who is having a very difficult time getting the support they need or the respect they deserve from their chain of command/chaplain, I would encourage you to direct them to MRFF. Once again, thank you for your example, and best wishes for a safe deployment.
Respectfully,
(name withheld)
