Tag Archives: USAFA

Time Blog Misquotes ChristianFighterPilot.com

Mark Thompson at Time Magazine’s “Swampland” blog has made an occasional habit of bagging on the Air Force or US military.  Yesterday, he recapped the USAFA “so help me God” Cadet Honor Oath issue in a somewhat sarcastically tinged blog noting

the Colorado Springs, Colo., academy has decided to make the “so help me God” coda to its cadet oath optional after a complaint from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (not surprisingly, the Christian Fighter Pilot group denounced what it calls a “dramatic change” on its website).

It would seem Thompson has become the latest “journalist” to fall victim to Read more

USAFA Says “So Help Me God” is Optional

In an anticlimatic but optimistically predicted result, LtGen Michelle Johnson declared that the “so help me God” portion of the USAFA Cadet Honor Oath is optional:

“Here at the Academy, we work to build a culture of dignity and respect, and that respect includes the ability of our cadets, Airmen and civilian Airmen to freely practice and exercise their religious preference – or not.” said Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson, Academy Superintendent. “So, in the spirit of respect, cadets may or may not choose to finish the Honor Oath with ‘So help me God.'”

The current USAFA Athletic Director, Dr. Hans Mueh (BGen, Ret), was part of the faculty that decided on “so help me God” in 1984, when it was created in response to a cheating scandal:

“To add more seriousness to the oath, we decided to mirror the commissioning oath and add the words, ‘so help me, God,'” Dr. Mueh said.

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, the “religious freedom” advocate who Read more

USAFA Pulled Poster of Fallen Ace Robbie Risner’s Plane


General Mark Welsh, US Air Force Chief of Staff, announced that retired BGen James Robinson “Robbie” Risner passed away this week.

In a cruel twist of timing, the poster pulled down by USAFA last week (because it offensively said “so help me God”) was of BGen Risner’s F-100F, the “Spirit of St Louis II” — in which he crossed the Atlantic as Charles Lindbergh did, but in only 6 hours.  (The aircraft remains on static display in front of the USAFA Prep School.)

BGen Risner is probably most famous for his time as a POW in Vietnam’s infamous Hanoi Hilton — where he roomed with other well-known men like Col Bud Day and LtCdr John McCain.  BGen Risner, then a LtCol, was the ranking POW and the leader of the men in the prison — and it turns out he might have had an opinion on that “God and honor” thing going on at USAFA [emphasis added]:

When asked what kept him going throughout his imprisonment, Risner said in a 2004 interview on CNN Larry King Live that his survival was due to exercise and his “faith in God and Read more

Weinstein Retreats, Says USAFA Cadet Oath can be Optional

In a surprising turn, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein has apparently reversed himself — saying the US Air Force Academy cadet Honor Oath is acceptable.

On Wednesday night Weinstein was a 5-minute guest on Fox News’ Kelly File — in which he compared “so help me God” to robbing a bank. The ignoble articulation has whipped around the internet and now appears on a wide variety of websites — accompanied by comments excoriating Weinstein for his ridiculous accusations.

It seems Weinstein feels he’s losing the battle, and he may have actually surrendered.  As reported in the local Colorado Springs Gazette [emphasis added]:  Read more

Michael Weinstein: So Help Me God Violates Constitution

As is his common weakness, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein fails to answer a simple question, instead launching into irrelevant talking points. Megyn Kelly had a simple question: why not let “So Help Me God” be optional, like it already is?

His reply: “It’s like saying why don’t you just opt out of not robbing a bank?”

“Mikey, chill.”

This situation is Read more

Update: USAFA Reacts to So Help Me God

…Who is in charge of the nation’s military[?]  “Is it in fact the military chiefs or is it Mikey Weinstein?”

— Tony Perkins, Family Research Council President

A few news sources have picked up on the story about the US Air Force Academy pulling a poster that had the cadet Honor Oath on it — an oath that ends in “so help me God” (discussed here a few days ago).  Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, president of his self-founded charity, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, has celebrated this as his latest “victory.”

The cadet committee on the subject has met, though not yet made a recommendation to the Superintendent:

Academy spokesman Maj. Brus Vidal said the Honor Review Committee…discussed…making no change to the oath, making the “so help me God” portion optional, or striking the entire oath…

Vidal said. “We value an inclusive environment that promotes dignity and respect for all.”

The Public Affairs director did not explain how “no change to the oath” could follow LtGen Michelle Johnson’s order Read more

“So Help Me God”: Weinstein Gets USAFA Poster Pulled in 68 Minutes

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, outspoken critic of Christians in the US military, once bragged he’d called the Pentagon and had a poster pulled off the wall of an Air Force base chow hall in less than an hour.  Last week, he tried again, and he did it in 68 minutes.

Pam Zubeck, a “journalist” with the Colorado Springs Independent — local to the US Air Force Academy — has long been an ally of Weinstein in his crusade against the Academy.  Last week, she helped his cause when USAFA sent the CSIndy some photos of the USAFA Prep School, one of which was a photo of a poster hanging on a wall.  The picture of the F-100F on static display in front of the Prep School contained the following quote [emphasis added]:

We will not lie, steal [or cheat,]* nor tolerate among us anyone who does.  Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and to live honorably, so help me God.

USAFA Photo

Zubeck was clearly concerned about Read more

USAFA AOCs Conduct Religious Respect Training

An Air Force Academy press release notes that the active duty Air Force officers who lead cadet squadrons — known as Air Officers Commanding, or AOCs — recently conducted religious respect training for their cadets:

Cadets in the Class of 2014 attended the sessions, learning how best to consider both their views and the views of their subordinates and how best to balance the Free Exercise and Establishment clauses of the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Given the somewhat controversial history of religious issues at USAFA (many of which were initiated by external critic Michael “Mikey” Weinstein), the fact the training is occurring is notable.

What is more interesting, however, was the tone of the training conveyed in the article, as heard from the AOC of Might Mach 1, exchange Marine Corps Major Christopher Klempay:

As a commander, I am very sensitive not to force my religion on you, but at the same time, I want to encourage your spirituality, Read more

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