While the majority of US troops reportedly ascribe to some form of Christianity, Department of Defense press releases on the faiths of US troops might make some people think otherwise.

The vast majority of official US military press releases dealing with religion focus on one of two things: military chaplains or a religious holiday.  It is not unusual for a DoD article to highlight a Chaplain’s support of Christmas or Ramadan, for instance, as the DoD did with US Army Chaplain (Maj) Dawud Agbere, who celebrated the Muslim holy month in Afghanistan with American and allied troops, as well as local nationals.

In general, though, there are very few articles that focus on an individual line soldier — and that individual person’s religious faith.  When those articles do come out, they are almost exclusively about non-traditional minority faiths.

For example, the Army once wrote about SSgt Muna Nur, specifically focusing on her status as a “Muslim medic.”

The military has routinely highlighted Read more