Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

May 2015 – In mid-March, an airman at Georgia’s Robins Air Force Base was offended when military personnel at the base gate greeted him with “Have a blessed day.” The airman went to the anti-Christian group Military Religious Freedom Foundation and filed a complaint. MRFF promptly called a Robins Security Force major and demanded that the greeting be abandoned.

Immediately, the major surrendered and ordered personnel to stop saying “Have a blessed day” to people passing through the gate. However, after an email campaign by AFA and complaints from others, the Air Force quickly corrected the ill-conceived order.

The official statement included these words: “Upon further review and consultation, the Air Force determined use of the phrase ‘Have a blessed day’ as a greeting is consistent with Air Force standards and is not in violation of Air Force instructions.”

“It’s encouraging to see this quick turn around by the Air Force,” said AFA president Tim Wildmon. “And it proves that individual citizens can have an impact when they join their voices together.”