Veteran who faced aggressive proselytizing at a time when “There was no MRFF. We were on our own” urges all military members and veterans facing religious pressure to contact MRFF

From: (Veteran’s name withheld)
Subject: Military Veteran Thanks MRFF
Date: February 21, 2025 at 3:41:58 PM MST
To: “[email protected]” <[email protected]>

To my fellow veterans, active and inactive,

I want to share with you, as a veteran who still carries his oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States…”, my respect and gratitude toward the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) and it’s founder, Mikey Weinstein, along with their amazing staff, volunteers, and supporters, for the incredible and necessary work they do for the men and women serving our great nation in uniform.

I want to thank MRFF for their tireless support provided to every person serving our nation in military uniform who has felt the unwanted pressures of proselytism from higher ranking NCO’s and officers. Pressures, that if left unchecked, might otherwise drive them away from reenlistment. Without doubt, over the past 20 years, the supportive efforts of MRFF has facilitated successful careers, preserved cohesive families, and provided those in personal distress, a reason and reassurance to persevere when faced with unconstitutional threats to their first amendment protections from unwelcome proselytism. Such illegal pressures from uniformed religious zealots are not only clearly barred as illegal, but threaten to erode retention levels, undercut morale, and cause harm to the unit cohesiveness necessary to any fighting force.

Likewise, MRFF has provided support to veterans after their active service has ended by ensuring that their care in Veteran Hospital facilities is free from encroachment of unwelcome religious symbols, whether they represent a faith other than that held by the individual or none at all.

I joined the U.S. Army as an M.P. soon after graduating high school, shortly after the end of the Vietnam War.

Most young recruits like me, trained by experienced combat soldiers, were mission oriented, caring, and dedicated to serving not only our national interests (including the security of our families, friends and neighbors back home) but also our brothers and sisters who served by my side. We found ourselves on our own when subjected to the aggressive proselytism of chaplains, and higher ranking NCO’s and officers. There was no MRFF. We were on our own.

I didn’t give it too much thought while in basic and AIT at Ft. McClellan, but I found straightaway during my first assignment, a Hawk missile base in the (then) Federal Republic of Germany, that my chances of a successful Army career was at risk of being undermined because I (always respectfully) rebuffed invitations to attend chapel services or mid-week prayer sessions convened by the Executive Officer. The rest of my military career was reduced to “fake it till you make it”… religiously. Never once did I ever feel like a complete soldier or true to myself, nor true to my oath. And only rarely did I ever trust my chain of command to respect me as a dedicated soldier. I found myself always waiting until the last minute to reenlist.

Years later, after being honorably discharged, I learned about the Mikey and MRFF. As I discovered more about their mission to support our service members and their families, regardless of their faith, regardless of their race, gender, nationality or orientation, I’ve found over these past 20 years that Mikey and MRFF, like me, continue to uphold their oath to our Constitution and do so to make the lives of every person serving in our U.S. military forces, safe, secure, and respected as provided by every explicit and implicit right afforded by our Constitution of the United States.

I offer MRFF my sincerest appreciation, and I encourage everyone serving, or having served, in military uniform who feels either threatened, intimidated, or uncomfortable because of religious pressures from anyone in your chain of command, or likewise providing you services and care you earned while in uniform, to contact MRFF. They are here to help – and they will.

Sincerely,

(Veteran’s name withheld)