Outrageous Christian Proselytizing at USAF Academy Officer Commissioning Ceremony

Published On: May 30, 2013|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|4 Comments|

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Dear Mikey,

I am a USAFA faculty member with over 20 years of service. During that time, I have attended countless commissioning ceremonies at both service academies and ROTC detachments across the country. During that time, I have never witnessed such an outrageous and disgusting display of the breach of the wall of separation between church and state as I did on Tuesday evening at an official USAFA commissioning ceremony for Cadet Squadron 13. At the conclusion of an otherwise beautiful ceremony honoring the accomplishments of over 20 outstanding cadets, including one of my advisees, the Academy trotted out a crusty old dinosaur, Lt. Gen. (USAF-Ret., thankfully) Fain, USAFA Class of 1963, ostensibly to provide the cadets with a gift from the Association of Graduates but in reality to infect the new Second Lieutenants with some toxic advice that, if followed, will no doubt contribute further to the erosion of good order and discipline within our Air Force. After advising the cadets to “kiss your wives every night,” a shocking insensitivity considering that three of the twenty-three graduates were women, (unless he was expressing his advocacy of same-sex marriage, but only for them and not the males,) he further reminded the cadets that the oath they had just taken obligated them to defend the Constitution against all enemies, “foreign and domestic,” and followed that with an editorial comment that, in the future, those enemies will be far more likely to be domestic. If he is referring to the Christian dominionists whose daily assaults on the Constitution are allowed to continue unchecked by our senior leadership, then I would have to agree. But, by far, the most egregious, disgusting and offensive statement was the suggestion that the graduates should “help return this country to the Christian values it was founded on,” a perverted interpretation of both our nation’s history and current events and, in reality, an appeal to lend support to the ongoing assault on our democratic values and the attempt to replace them with a Christian theocracy. That a retired officer with a distinguished career in both the military and the private sector holds these views is disturbing enough, but the fact that he felt an official commissioning ceremony was an appropriate venue to air those views, and that the Academy leadership permitted him to do so without comment or correction is a demoralizing statement on just how far our Academy, our service and our nation have fallen under the sway of those who would destroy the democratic values our founding fathers established and that we have ALL sworn an oath to protect and defend. Such repeated and egregious insults further convince me that we have “lost the bubble” on both religious diversity and simple respect for human dignity and, honestly, make me wonder why I continue to work so hard to produce educated and responsible officers for our Air Force when my efforts being undermined by careless at best and malicious at worst actions by others across our Academy.

(USAF Academy Professor’s name, title, rank, Academy Faculty Department and all related academic credentials withheld)

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4 Comments

  1. Marietta May 30, 2013 at 1:40 pm

    It would be much more impressive if he/she would have left their name. So, someone that is so brave and eloquent about their opinions is not inclined to stand and defend their stand. Not sure I’m impressed that they are tasked with the education of our warriors and leaders.
    The remarks that the Retired General made, he made them from the heart, a man that would lead them into battle.

  2. Nancy May 30, 2013 at 2:32 pm

    It’s perfectly understandable to me Marietta. If I worked at the Academt, I’d of withheld my name also. His remarks were outlandish and dated at best. His opinion regarding religion should never have been expressed during such a ceremony. You can’t pile individuals into one group and expect them to have thee same much less similar beliefs.

  3. Red Sox June 3, 2013 at 10:41 am

    So,he’s a civilian. He should keep his nose out of the affairs of the military. The candidates for commissioning didn’t complain ! Why should he. He call a General a crusty old dinosaur ? He has No business being at the academy calling a man that has worked for that rank any names. He is just an unhappy individual seeking attention. He ridiculed the Bible,the General,insulted the Academy and thinks what he has to say is more important. What a sorry individual.

  4. Gunther June 5, 2013 at 6:55 pm

    As far as I am concerned, you can called an ex-military person anything you wanted since that person is no longer part of the military so you don’t have to worry about being up on charges of being disrespectful and insubordinate. I don’t understand why military people are still being address by their rank once they are retired. They were civilians before they join the military and now they should need to think and act like civilians again. Where does it say in military regulations that you have to be address by your rank once you retired?

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