NOTE: This action alert is only for U.S. veterans, active military members or employees of the Department of Defense. Everyone else, please disregard — unless you can forward to a nonbelieving vet or military member.
The Department of Defense has requested input on how the U.S. military can improve in terms of “diversity and inclusion in the armed forces.” Please consider taking a moment to share your experience as a nonreligious service member and any thoughts you have on how the military could do better to accommodate nonbelievers and to keep our military secular.
Following national protests against systemic racism, the Department of Defense announced a multistep process to address diversity and inclusion concerns. The first step is an anonymous “crowdsourcing” brainstorm of the problem and possible solutions, conducted by the DoD Board on Inclusion and Diversity. We urge you to participate in this process now, as the deadline for comments is next week. Please tell the board that in addition to addressing racial inequality, it should take the opportunity to address any instances of the military unconstitutionally promoting religion that you may have encountered.There are two ways to submit comments to the Board on Inclusion and Diversity:
First, it has set up a website for this purpose, which you can access here.
NOTE: You must enter your Common Access Card (CAC) number in order to comment. The Defense Department promises that comments will be anonymous, although FFRF cannot independently verify that this promise will be kept.
Second, if you are uncomfortable with the above method but are eligible to submit a comment, send your comment to [email protected]. We will compile comments received and submit them to the Board without any identifying information. All comments must be received by the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 14, to ensure we can forward them to the board.
More information about this effort is available here. Thank you for taking the time to stand up for “atheists in foxholes” and for helping to uphold our secular Constitution.
