Brand New Superintendent! …Same Old Constitutionally Ignorant, Relentless & Blatantly Illegal Religious Proselytizing of Christian Supremacy at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA)

September 10, 2024

As the Military Religious Freedom Foundation surges past 90,000 clients since its founding by Mikey & Bonnie Weinstein in 2005, it should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone familiar with the ‘origin story’ behind MRFF, that this new milestone in clients served is AGGRESSIVELY HIGHLIGHTED by just 39 days of un-checked Christian Supremacy under the “senior leadership” provided by ‘new’ USAFA Superintendent Lieutenant General Tony D. Bauernfiend.

Within 39 days of being appointed by the Biden Administration, USAFA Superintendent Bauernfiend’s ‘leadership’ and commitment to religious neutrality has overseen:

-USAFA website article prominently promoting a course about C.S. Lewis (the prominent 20th century Christian apologist) without mentioning any other courses at USAFA focusinf on non-Christian faiths or that might have a more liberal worldview.  This ‘virtue signaling’ by USAFA was specifically pointed out clients seeking MRFF’s assistance and specifically referenced in a demand letter from Mikey to Superintendent Bauernfiend seeking equitable treatment of USAFA courses based on faith traditions other than Christianity.

-Blasting highly sectarian Christian rap and rock songs over the loudspeaker systems at Falcon Stadium directly prior to USAFA’s football loss to visiting San Jose State (September 7, 2024).

-Jewish cadets facing new uncertainty regarding their participation in Jewish Warrior Weekend at West Point (a bi-annual event for Jewish cadets from all service academies) that the new USAFA Superintendent is now requiring his personal approval for organizations to use their gifted funds.

-and then this Sunday, September 8, 2024, during breakfast and lunch at Mitchell Hall, a live sermon from New Life Church was broadcast on the large projector screen in the center of the room.

The last two incidents of sectarian religious proselytizing and favoritism were detailed in the following client email to Mikey on September 10, 2024:

From: (USAF Academy Jewish Cadet/MRFF Client’s e-mail address withheld)
Subject: Jewish Cadet Testimony
Date: September 10, 2024 at 2:21:53 PM MDT
To: “[email protected]“

Good Afternoon Sir,

My name is (USAFA Jewish cadet’s name withheld), and I am a member of the Jewish Community at USAFA. I was informed of your organization by my friend (USAFA cadet’s name withheld). Recently the new Superintendent has completely overhauled the funding system at USAFA, for all organizations that use gift funds, which has caused us to likely be unable to attend Jewish Warrior Weekend. This is a bi-annual event hosted at the various service academies, which allows Jewish Cadets and Midshipmen from around the country to connect with the entire Jewish military community. Never in past years have we faced this problem, as our attendance at this semester’s event is still in the air. All of this comes as this past weekend as I entered the dining facility (Mitchell Hall), I was surprised to see an online church sermon from New Life Church on the Mitchell Hall projector. I find this incredibly offensive, as I call USAFA my home, as I prefer to not be pseudo-proselytized to while I eat my meal. I appreciate your help. I would like to keep my anonymity regarding this issue, and be referred to as “Jewish Cadet.”

Respectfully,

Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx

Veteran journalist and TV news producer Jonathan Larsen (MSNBC, CNN, ABCNews, TYT) discussed these matters along with MRFF involvement and had the following cogent observation regarding ‘New Life Church’ in his Substack on September 10, 2024:

New Life Church is not only located less than a ten-minute drive from the academy, it was founded by Ted Haggard, best known for his scandal involving a male sex worker and methamphetamines, a scandal he recently repeated at another church he founded. 

The Air Force Academy has a long, notorious history of top-down Christian proselytization that’s either illegal, violates military guidelines, or both. The Pentagon has a long history of not rectifying it, and there’s no indication Biden put Bauernfeind in place to end it or help the academy personnel victimized by it.

On behalf of this latest group of 154 MRFF clients made up of academy cadets, faculty, and staff (117 practicing Christians along with members of other faiths and some non-religious), Mikey has demanded an aggressive Air Force investigation be launched from the Air Staff at the Pentagon in D.C. as [MRFF] surely would never trust [the USAFA Superintendent] to conduct such an inquiry into USAFA-directed, malodorous malfeasance, and misfeasance. MRFF further demands punishment! Indeed these public and visible consequences MUST be levied against any and all USAFA personnel, including especially [the USAFA Superintendent] who are found per this official USAF investigation to have either directly or indirectly supported these rancid, First Amendment No Establishment Clause and DoD/USAF regulatory violations!

MRFF queues the music in anticipation of a response:

Meet the new boss, Same as the old boss …
(‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ by Pete Townsend/The Who)