“Hail Satan!” … and welcome to the United States Air Force Academy | MRFF Advisory Board Member USAF Brig. Gen. Marty France (ret.) gets “God bless you” greeting at USAFA gate, rebukes gate guard on the spot

Last Thursday, 10 September 2026, I arrived at the south security gate/entrance of the United States Air Force Academy intending to enter the base to attend an athletic event. As usual, I presented my military retiree’s ID card and my wife’s dependent ID to the active-duty airman security police officer at the gate for the usual scan, greeting, and salute.

Instead of a simple “Welcome to the Air Force Academy, sir,” the airman added: “As-salamu alaykum.”

I’m just kidding. They didn’t say that. Instead, they added “God bless you.”

It was the first time I’ve ever been greeted this way in this situation. I notice these things and have done so for almost 50 years in part because I’m not only an atheist but someone that believes deeply in the US Constitution and the establishment clause contained in the First Amendment. I’m also keenly aware of government and military regulations—and, more importantly, decades of culture and behavior—that prohibit the invocation of religious belief into the normal duty day, professional interactions, and the military workplace, in general. For the US Air Force, that is best expressed in (still in force, if not enforced) Air Force Instruction AFI1-1, paragraphs 2.15-16.Specifically, from 2.15:

Every Airman also has the right to individual expressions of sincerely held beliefs, to include conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs, unless those expressions would have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, good order, discipline, health and safety, or mission accomplishment.

Paragraph 2.16 adds:

“Leaders at all levels must balance constitutional protections for free exercise of religion and the constitutional prohibition against governmental establishment of religion.

Anyway, instead of simply responding with a “Thanks. Have a good day,” I pushed the break harder with my left foot and said …

Click to go to Marty’s Substack to see his response to gate guard