A coalition of Christian leaders met with Air Force leadership and received assurances that they would investigate issues of religious liberty which do not “reflect Air Force policy:”

We appreciate [the Pentagon’s] offer to review decisions that do not reflect Air Force policy made by commanders at various bases.  At their request, we will report future events and concerns directly to Air Force leadership.

Retired LtGen Jerry Boykin, retired Chaplain (Col) Ron Crews, Kellie Fiedorek of the ADF, and talk radio host Sandy Rios met with LtGen Richard Harding, The JAG of the Air Force, and MajGen Howard Stendahl, the Air Force Chief of Chaplains. Rios reportedly said the “key question” remains unanswered:

Rios relayed the question posed to the Air Force: “Why is it that in the 2013 Defense Authorization Bill, there was definite language protecting Christian soldiers from the types of things we’re bringing to your attention? Why has this not been implemented in the Air Force or the Department of Defense? And they had no answer for that.”

This meeting, as well as the “open door policy” to Christian leaders announced by the Air Force, appears to be a result of calls for “equal time” with Air Force leadership following Michael Weinstein’s much ballyhooed conclave in April.

The group also delivered two petitions:  one had 170,000 signatures calling for military leadership to protect religious liberty in the military, the other had 50,000 signatures in support of US Air Force SMSgt Philip Monk, currently under investigation after lodging a complaint of religious discrimination.

Despite starting the whole chain of events with his own meeting, Michael Weinstein blasted the conference in a blog at the Daily Kos (he has apparently lost his mainstream media access), stooping to ad hominem, character assassination, name-calling, sweeping generalizations, buzzwords, moral superiority, and doomsday thinking — extremist character traits that are the hallmark of his cause.

In other words, Weinstein’s usual tripe.

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