MRFF Op-Ed on LA Progressive: “Stop Coded Christian Salutations on U.S. Military Bases — They’re driving onto a military base, not visiting a religious retreat!”

The word “blessed,” defined as being “endowed with divine favor and protection,” has no place coming out of the mouths of military base gate guards as they admit service members, civilian employees, and visitors onto their base. But recently at Joint Base Andrews, well-known as the home of Air Force One, several gate guards — armed, uniformed airmen — have adopted “Have a blessed day” as their salutation to personnel passing through the gate — wishing base personnel “divine favor and protection” whether they want it or not. And many absolutely do NOT want it, fifteen of whom, eight of them Christians, have come to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) to get this religious greeting committee to knock it off.
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Unfortunately this is not the only base where this occurs. I have heard such greetings for years at multiple bases. Just tonight the Offutt AFB Gate Guard wished me a “blessed evening.” Maybe this is something that should be addressed to the DOD in-general and not specific to one service or installation.