Kirtland Air Force Base
From: (Name withheld)
Date: September 4, 2026 at 10:50:35 AM MDT
To: [email protected]
Subject: Kirtland Air Force Base
Good morning,
I have been in the Marine Corps for 20 years. I’ve had greetings from probably thousands of gate guards by now. I have never once heard of anyone being offended when those gate guards, who stand in the wind and sun and snow every day, are still courteous and happy and say have a blessed day or God bless you. Based on the below quote, I think you are a bad person and your organization is a rotten one. You’re “protecting religious freedoms” by attacking the freedom of speech of those that protect us every day. I would be curious what you think the purpose the founding fathers had when talking about protecting religious freedom. I hope you have a blessed day.
“The Military Religious Freedom Foundation salutes its 34 Kirtland Air Force Base clients—24 of them practicing Christians—for having the guts to stand up to fight the illicit, immoral and unethical fundamentalist Christian ‘greetings’ being spewed forth by armed, uniformed U.S. Air Force security forces at the various gates of entry to this installation,” Weinstein told Military.com.
God bless,
(Name withheld)
Response from MRFF Board Member John Compere
(Name withheld),
34 members of the United States Air Force, 24 of whom were Christians, complained about the exclusively Christian religious greetings when entering Kirtland Air Force Base. Since such greetings are a violation of United States Air Force Instruction 1-1, Section 2.16, it was stopped when reported.
For your information, the Founding Fathers established a United States Constitution for our secular republic which provides for freedom of and from religion (Article VI & Amendment 1). Therefore, Department of Defense directives and Armed Forces regulations provide for and require military neutrality regarding religion.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation and its Founder and President, Mikey Weinstein, respects, supports and advocates for the right of our military men and women to the religious freedom of and from religion provided them by our Constitution as well as military directives and regulations. That is why this non-profit organization has been nominated 8 times for the Nobel Peace Prize.
We hope you have a more knowledgeable day.
Brigadier General John Compere, US Army (Retired)
Board Member, Military Religious Freedom Foundation
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I agree with the letter writer. Your contention that the Founding Fathers “…established a United States Constitution for our secular republic…” is absurd. The oath enlisted military members swear ends with “so help me God.” It’s OPTIONAL, not OMITTED by the government. “In God We Trust” is emblazoned on every bit of currency put out by the U.S. Government. I can go on.
That gate guard has a Constitutional right to religion and the free expression thereof. It’s you and the 34 complainants who are abridging an American’s rights. They have the right to block their ears (metaphorically speaking) and ignore it. They do not have the right to muzzle another person.
Let me ask you a question. If service members complained about observant Muslims getting a break on PT requirements during Ramadan, or the expense and logistics issues in providing Halal MREs on deployment, what would you do?
Larry, the military oath offers the option to affirm rather than swear, and also the mention of God is optional. “In God We Trust” only appeared on all currency in the 1950’s and was not approved by the writers of the constitution.
Your rights in the military and elsewhere are not unlimited. Your rights end where the rights of others begin. And your rights are also subject to military regulations that apply to gatekeepers guards as well as other service members. Gate guards do not have a right to proselytize to visitors, period.
As a historical matter, the writer of the first amendment explained in his personal correspondence that he intended the first amendment to require government neutrality toward religion, meaning that the establishment clause was intended to completely separate government from religion. This policy was in recognition of the fact that government can’t remain neutral in matters of religion when it is involved in promoting religion. History has proven Madison to be correct on this issue.
The MRFF is a pathetic bunch of publicity grubbing and money grubbing LOSERS who need to get a life. So what if someone says have a blessed day.
“That gate guard has a Constitutional right to religion and the free expression thereof.” NOT when acting as an agent of the US government, promoting religion, in blatant violation of the first words of the First Amendment.
What part of NO ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION do you not understand?
Again, the theocrats play their old game of “opposition to government promotion of religion=opposition to religion.”
You Christian nationalists are a bunch of hypocrites who always try to claim “religious persecution” as YOU are the ones infringing upon others’ rights!
The First Amendment explicitly states “Congress shall make NO LAW in the establishment of a religion.” It does NOT say “Congress shall make no law in the establishment of a religion except for Christian nationalism or Evangelicalism!
The exact words “separation of Church and State” might not appear on the Constitution itself, but they DO appear in the letters of Founding Fathers in particular Thomas Jefferson’s so there can be no mistake over the First Amendment’s intent. In the Treaty of Tripoli of 1797 written by Joel Barlow, commissioned by George Washington, sighed by John Adams and ratified by the 5th U.S. Senate explicitly stated that the “U.S. government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.”
If Christian nationalists want to say “God Bless You” every hour, they can say it at their CHURCHES to their heart’s content, but military bases and other federal and public property which are paid for by ALL of our tax dollars are NOT the time and place and infringe upon OUR rights.
This as well as the outrageous videos of Christian prayers while showcasing war scenes are an affront to the First Amendment and must STOP.
Say your prayers in church and grow up. The Constitution and First Amendment protector us ALL, not just you Christian Nationalists and Evangelicals!
The same people that are bothered by us not wanting “God Bless You” at a military base which are ALL supposed to be non-religiously affiliated, are the same hypocrites who WOULD be bothered if those same people said “Allah Bless You” or “Zeus Bless You” so they can shut up.