Just as in the past couple of years, issues of military religious freedom have generally been incorporated in larger societal issues in most groups’ “top ten” civil/religious liberty issues for the year.

For example, Howard Friedman at the Religion Clause noted the “transgender rights” stories at #3 without specifically mentioning the (substantial) military side to that story.  That said, at #6 he included the “battle over religious displays” and specifically included “Latin crosses as part of veterans’ memorials”.

The Baptist Joint Committee, a politically left-leaning group, included the controversy over the Russell Amendment to the 2017 NDAA at #6.  (The BJC opposed the proposed legislation.)

Some other notable but unmentioned events from the year include lawsuits filed and exemptions granted for Sikhs in the military, the national discussion over Bible verses posted by court-martialed Marine LCpl Monifa Sterling, or the Air Force reconsidering its policies after retired Air Force SMSgt Oscar Rodriguez was thrown out of a ceremony while reciting a religiously-tinged flag-folding script.

With that in mind, the most read articles from 2016 on ChristianFighterPilot.com were, in order:

1. Retired Airman Thrown Out of Ceremony Because of Religion
2. Army Major General David Haight Fired for Who He Loves
3. The Transgender (Homosexual) Lifestyle: A Military Chaplain’s Perspective
4. The Top 3 Military Chaplain Fallacies
5. The Design for Human Sexuality
6. Mikey Weinstein’s Charitable Salary Total Reaches $1.95 Million
7. Secretary of the Army Nominee Eric Fanning to Headline Gay Gala
8. US Air Force Academy Fights Masculinity in the Military
9. The 2016 AFRC Chaplain Corps Conference Disaster
10. Dear Military Religious Freedom Foundation: Remove one Bible, thousands will take its place

That gives you an idea of the issues some people — including the Pentagon and both defenders and critics of military religious freedom — are interested in.

Notably, a few articles were very popular this year but weren’t from 2016.  For example, the book review for Sullenberger’s autobiography was high on the list, likely due to the release of the movie this year:

1. A Day in the Life of a Fighter Pilot (2007)
2. Fighter Pilot Traditions (2006)
3. Book Review: Highest Duty – My Search for What Really Matters (2010)
4. Does the Bible Support Christian Military Service? (2011)

That’s a reminder that not everyone who visits here is doing so for reasons of religious liberty.  In fact, “fighter pilot speak“, one of the first features created on this site in 2006, remains one of the most popular pages ever.

Four of the Air Force’s top ten articles were also covered on God and Country.

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