Members of the 90th Air Refueling Squadron deployed to Incirlik, Turkey, took full advantage of their exposure to a foreign culture — even participating in the local Islamic “Feast of Sacrifice:”

The feast’s origins come from the story of Abraham heading up a mountain to sacrifice his son, but his son’s life was spared by God’s provision of a ram. In a spirit of thankfulness during this festival, animals are sacrificed and the meat divided into portions — some being kept by the family, and the rest given away to the poor.

The unit’s commander noted the troops’ desire to participate in the religious festival, despite the fact they weren’t Muslims: 

The more the 90th EARS heard about the Feast of Sacrifice, the more they found it interesting and wanted to participate in some way as non-Muslims, said Lt. Col. Mike Moeding, 90th EARS commander.

Ultimately, some Airmen pooled money to buy a sheep, presumably slaughtered it, and donated the meat to local families.

Many local shop owners said they had never heard of Americans buying a sheep for the Kurban Bayram and giving it away to the poor, and welcomed the Airmen’s gesture.

One of the families that received some of the meat was a young woman and her husband, who had lost his leg and was unable to work and support their three children.

Critics of religious liberty in the military, like Michael Weinstein, fail to acknowledge the value and importance of religion in society and cultures around the world with which members of the US military will interact.

These troops neither established a religion nor violated the Constitution by their actions.  In fact, their kind gesture probably did much for the local population’s perceptions of Americans.

That virtue can come from military interaction with something potentially religious vexes critics like Weinstein.