FEATURED INBOX POST – From MRFF Director of Affairs for Joint Base San Antonio

Mikey,

As the MRFF Director of Affairs for Joint Base San Antonio, I am shocked and horrified at the recent news coming out of Great Lakes! I also volunteer for trainees in a military basic training. I work with the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF) and run an Atheist and Humanist group on Lackland Air Force Base for the basic trainees. I am a civilian Humanist Chaplain with the American Humanist Association (AHA) and volunteer every Sunday to lead a discussion and support group for the trainees. Trainees of all backgrounds, non-religious and religious, attend our meeting and learn and grow together. Many religious minorities do not have support in other meetings and some are curious to learn. We started with a request from 1 trainee and have grown up to 167 trainees. We have over a 100 trainees of on average at the meeting EVERY SUNDAY. The trainees have shared story after story of their gratitude that we exist and how our meeting has given them strength, support and recharged them to continue on through the next week of basic training. Several trainees have stated that they don’t know how they would have made it through basic training without us. We even have parents that attend the meeting or email and inform us of the great benefit of support that our meeting provided their Airman. Volunteers are important to the support and morale of the trainees! We provide support and encouragement for all that attend our meeting.

I believe that commanders need to support their troops and provide everything necessary for the troops to be successful when available and not compromising the mission. It is abhorrent that unequal treatment is being provided to certain religious groups while other religious and non-religious are disregarded and demoralized. This is setting a very bad example to the new Navy recruits. It is sending a very clear message that they have to be a certain religion to have support and acceptance from the Navy. It is showing them that the constitution that they agreed to support and defend is not important enough for the Navy.

This atrocious, divisive and clear violation of equal opportunity needs to be rectified immediately.  The troops deserve support to ensure their success.

I speak from my personal perspective and as a Humanist Chaplain. I do not speak for or on behalf of the military.