Academy Air officers commanding conduct religious respect training

  • Published
  • By Don Branum
  • Academy Spirit staff writer
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  Air officers commanding conducted religious respect training in classrooms around Fairchild Hall here Oct. 9, marking a milestone in the Air Force Academy's continued strengthening of religious liberty.

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.

"It is absolutely critical that we faithfully uphold the Constitution in regards to religious accommodation and that we ensure we do not create any undue command influence with regards to our personal beliefs," said Maj. Rhett Hierlmeier, the AOC for Cadet Squadron 21. "Creating a climate of trust, respect and tolerance is essential to leading people in the Air Force."

Thirty-six simultaneous training classes were taught that Wednesday afternoon, each by their own AOC.

"Be in the mindset of a commander next year when you have Airmen working for you," said Marine Corps Maj. Christopher Klempay, the AOC for Cadet Squadron 01.

"Religious respect is about, 'How can I be an effective commander for all of you?' That's what I want you to think about."

Klempay instructed the cadets on the course material, which includes Air Force guidance on when to approve or deny individuals' requests for religious accommodation and when conversations about spirituality cross a line into proselytizing.

"The Air Force remains officially neutral with regard to religious beliefs," Klempay said. "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, whether it's going to church or synagogue or a mosque. It's not my determination where you should worship or if you should worship if you don't believe in a higher power."

However, commanders still have the freedom to exercise their own religious practices, Klempay said.

"Picture me as a commander in my office, and I go to an Ash Wednesday service. So there I am sitting in my commander's chair with an ash cross on my forehead. For starters, the commander's responsibility to remain impartial does not prohibit me from exercising my faith, so I can do that as a commander.

"But let's say an Airman of a different faith walks into my office," Klempay continued. "As a commander, I've got to be sensitive to this. I need to be proactive."

A commander in that position could defuse a potential misunderstanding by telling subordinates that the mark is his personal expression of faith and is not intended to proselytize to others. However, discussion of religion is OK in the course of a regular conversation, Klempay said.

"Personal 'water-cooler' discussions of religion are fine," he said. "So if I'm getting a drink of water and I meet my fellow AOC and ask him, 'How was mass on Sunday?' and an Airman walks by, that's fine. We can have these regular conversations. ... Furthermore, if he joins in, that's fine, too."

Attempting to recruit subordinates into one's own faith, however, is not, the major said. Many cadets are already familiar with this prohibition, and the cadets in Klempay's classroom agreed unanimously that a commander should not ask a subordinate to attend services.

"Even if he already is of the same faith, and he does want to go to a service, if you go with him, it looks like you're establishing a religion," one cadet said.

With regard to religious accommodation, commanders should treat every request with equal urgency, Klempay said. Commanders should only deny requests for religious accommodations when a real--not hypothetical--adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion or standards and discipline, Klempay said.

"The Academy has now incorporated the Religious Respect Training Program into the formal requirements for commissioning education," said Chaplain (Col.) Robert Bruno, the Academy's senior staff chaplain. "Today's training modules are the first effort to engage our AOCs and AMTs into that training.

"This not only benefits our cadets as tomorrow's officers, but it reinforces the training for today's officers and NCOs as well," he said. "Familiarization with the U.S. Constitution and relevant Department of Defense Instructions and Air Force Instructions where matters of religion are concerned enable our Airmen to get past tolerance and toward a genuine respect. This is a work in progress aided by a solid partnership with our SJA and DFL staffs."

Commanders should also try to avoid scheduling exercises or activities that would conflict with religious observances, but they may also consider alternative means of accommodation. Because Ramadan, a Muslim holy month that involves fasting, conflicted with Basic Cadet Training in 2012 and 2013, Imam Mohamed Jodeh procured a fatwa identifying Muslim basic cadets as musafir, or travelers, who could observe Ramadan at a later date.

Chaplains should be a key part of commanders' decision-making process, Bruno said.

"A smart commander who's going to set a date for exercise or training might want to have his chaplain in there so he can ask if there are any potential high holy days that could create a conflict," he said. "If you know that ahead of time, then you can deconflict that ahead of time."

Bruno encouraged the cadets to remain humble when they assume command.

"Remember, when you are in command, it's not about you," he said. "Leadership's not about you, it's about those whom you are entrusted to command. It doesn't make any difference what your perspective is, whether you are a person of faith or of no particular faith or no faith at all. That is irrelevant because in all likelihood there will be a large number of people under your command who will be of faith."

Klempay encouraged cadets to look to their commanders for examples of how to shape the religious environment in their units.

"Look at this guy and say, 'I saw what he did, and that was awesome, and I'm going to take that good apple off his tree.'"