Support for “Free Day Away” Approved by IG
In an interesting turn of events, the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF) undermined Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AU) in its recent effort to complain about Fort Leonard Wood’s “Free Day Away” (discussed here).
In July, the AU requested an IG investigation…something the MAAF did two years ago. The MAAF also complained again last January, and received a reply (which noted that the IG had already investigated their complaint) at nearly the same time the AU made their IG request. From the DOD reply:
The [IG] found that the program does not violate Army policy in that participation is voluntary…The IG determined that…soldiers have opportunities to participate in non-religious morale, welfare, and recreation programs. More specifically, during the Free Day Away program,…soldiers can remain in the barracks or go to an on-post facility, such as a Post Exchange Annex.
The Free Day Away event has also featured prominently in the MRFF lawsuit against the Department of Defense.
The truth is that MAAF has worked closely with AU, MRFF, and other organizations on Free Day Away for years. In this particular effort, AU was involved two years ago during our original inquiry. They also consulted with MAAF prior to their most recent FDA inquiry. We continue to push while ethics, regulations, and the Constitution are being violated.
The only things undermining our efforts are the entrenched, anti-patriotic efforts of Christians trying take over the United States and its military for their personal religious crusade.
This pernicious pattern and practice of discrimination in the military is clear. Examples include Free Day Away (http://www.maaf.info/fda.html), organizations like the Officer Christian Fellowship (http://ocf.gospelcom.net/), direct discrimination against service members like Jeremy Hall (http://militaryreligiousfreedom.org/press-releases/jeremy_hall_harassed.html), ubiquitous and sometimes mandatory prayer (http://www.aclu.org/religion/gen/35764prs20080625.html). We can not fight as a team while religion continues to disinitegrate our military into a chaotic mass of competing religious factions. Because we can not agree on faith, the only option is to keep religion in private life and focus on our military misson in the military.
Jason Torpy
President, MAAF
http://www.maaf.info