MRFF Demand Leads to Immediate Removal of Reference to Divisively Sectarian New Testament Bible Verse from AETC/JBSA Official FB Page

February 19, 2025

On Sunday, February 16, 2025, MRFF President & Founder Mikey Weinstein was contacted by a client via email regarding the posting of a New Testament Bible verse (Gal 6:14) used as a USAF Crew Chief’s ‘nickname’, to the official Facebook page operated by the Air Education & Training Command (AETC) located at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA).  The highly sectarian biblical verse Galatians 6:14 expresses ‘humility’ via ‘religious superiority’:

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

… a biblical verse that is located between verses pertaining to the ‘boastfulness’ of circumcision (Gal 6:13 & Gal 6:15) and failure to follow the ‘law’.  This biblical context is extremely interesting for a Crew Chief’s nickname posted to any official non-sectarian/secular government’s communication. A nickname that is quite obviously a ‘boast’ about their chosen faith and desire to follow ‘the law’ (?which one?).  The highly divisive nature of this verse includes the clear implication of someone’s interpretation of a particular religious “law” being above our constitutional law. 

This verse expresses a radical transformation in Paul’s relationship with the world. He no longer values the world’s priorities and instead identifies with the crucifixion of Christ. (https://shorturl.at/Ssl0d)

Mikey quickly pointed out the actual existing law via email to AETC Commander Lt. General Brian Robinson:

From: Michael L Weinstein <[email protected]>.
Subject: AETC is at it again!
Date: February 17, 2025 at 3:21:20 PM MST
To: Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson

Cc: Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin, Acting Secretary of the Air Force Gary A. Ashworth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown

…Dear, LGEN Robinson,

….Seriously, sir??!!……especially in light of AFI 1-1, Section 2.16, TAKE THAT UNCONSTITUTIONAL, ILLICIT, CHRISTIAN NATIONALIST, FACEBOOK POST DOWN IMMEDIATELY!!!!

………sincerely,

Michael L. “Mikey” Weinstein, Esq.
Founder and President
Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF; mrff.org)
505-250-7727

2.16. Balance of Free Exercise of Religion and Establishment Clause. Leaders at all levels must balance constitutional protections for free exercise of religion and the constitutional prohibition against governmental establishment of religion. They must ensure their words and actions do not discriminate against any individual or group because of their faith, belief, or absence of belief, or extend preferential treatment for the same. Leaders must ensure that their personal expression is not reasonably associated with their government role, but may engage in such expression per DAFI 52-201, Religious Freedom in the Department of the Air Force.

Mikey followed this email with a phone call to the AETC Command Staff that quickly resolved this unconstitutional intrusion of religious messaging into official government communications.  After confirming the removal of the ‘Gal 6:14’ nickname from the FB post regarding the Crew Chief, Mikey sent the following email on behalf of MRFF’s 17 clients and their families thanking the AETC/JBSA command staff for following the established law regarding religious neutrality:

From: Michael L Weinstein <[email protected]>
Subject: Thank you, Major General Quinn
Date: February 18, 2025 at 8:25:15 AM MST

To: Maj. Gen. Clark Quinn

Cc: Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin, Acting Secretary of the Air Force Gary A. Ashworth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown

…..Dear Major General Clark Quinn, Deputy Commander, Air Education and Training Command (AETC), Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA),

…..Just a quick e-mail to thank you for the nice phone call we both just had where you so kindly confirmed that you and the AETC Commander, Lt. General Brian Robinson, have agreed to expeditiously take down the illicit Facebook post, which is the subject of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation’s (MRFF’s) complaint herewith as described below, and alter it to redact the objectionable New Testament citation…

….indeed, General Quinn, our MRFF Research Dept. has already corroborated that the Facebook post has now been replaced, just as you promised in our phone call, and is now devoid of that unconstitutional New Testament biblical citation….

……..Sir, on behalf of MRFF’s 17 JBSA client complainants and their families under your command (12 of whom are practitioners of the Christian faith themselves with the others following either minority faith traditions such as Islam or Judaism etc., or no faith traditions), the MRFF thanks you and the AETC Commander Lt. General Robinson for so swiftly doing the right thing here in accordance with our nation’s Constitution, its construing Federal caselaw as well as all of the salient and pertinent DoD and USAF Directives, Instructions and Regulations….

……..with respect and gratitude,

……….Mikey Weinstein, Founder and President, MRFF; 505-250-7727

Upon announcement of this clear victory on behalf of our clients and our constitution, MRFF received the following email:

From: (MRFF Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) client’s e-mail address withheld)
Subject: 20 Year Airman Thanks MRFF for JBSA Victory
Date: February 18, 2025 at 10:27:18 AM MST
To: Michael L Weinstein <[email protected]>

I wanted to thank Mikey and the team at MRFF for their rapid response in getting an AETC social media post containing verses from the Bible removed. Thomas Jefferson once wrote “the price of Liberty is eternal vigilance.” As one of seventeen people who brought this to MRFF’s attention, I can attest to their vigilance. Within 15 minutes of sending the team at MRFF a screenshot of the post, they responded and immediately began actioning the issue. That sort of response time is commendable for a quick reaction force and virtually unheard of for a nonprofit over a long weekend. 

After over more than twenty years of service, I still find it baffling that leaders, who have sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, cannot adequately communicate the egregious impropriety of a implied government endorsement of religion. Hopefully, AETC leadership will take this opportunity to train its Public Affairs Airmen on their professional obligation to avoid running afoul of the Establishment Clause. 

Thanks to MRFF for their vigilance in reminding Air Force senior leaders of their obligations to uphold the values they swore to protect. 

Sincerely,

20 year Airman 

In addition to thanking the AETC/JBSA Command Staff for taking the correct and legal action here, MRFF is wryly and anxiously awaiting the congratulatory fruit basket from trans-trampling SECDEF “Petey” Hegseth for getting that gender-bending “Gal” reference removed from a photo of a “Guy” airman in compliance with the January 27, 2025 Executive Order ‘Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness’ (https://shorturl.at/eFV8B). 

Furthermore, when considering actual military readiness/excellence, MRFF staff/clients/supporters have also wondered (quite logically and with just a tinge of sarcasm) if  USAF aircraft would “fall from the skies” with a similar maintenance Crew Chief with a Quran, Book of Mormon, and/or Bhagavad Gita nickname?  Thing’s that make you go Hmmmmmmmm…. (hat tip to C+C Music Factory).

---