CHAPLAIN ALLIANCE FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY September 15, 2011 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact CHAPLAIN ENDORSERS at info@chaplainalliance.org or call (571) 293-2427

House Armed Services Committee Chairman calls for delay in repeal of so-called ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy

WASHINGTON — Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty commends the action of House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) and Personnel Subcommittee Chairman Joe Wilson (R-SC) for their September 12 letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. The letter’s call for the delay of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal until after clear policies are established to take DADT’s place--thus advised to avoid uncertainty and harm to our troops. Further, the letter wisely demands the immediate release of the service chiefs’ final reports about the repeal and the numerous proposed policies to effectuate the repeal--all of which are absolutely necessary and have largely and unjustifiably been kept secret.

Military chaplains and service members are facing substantial uncertainty as to how the repeal will be implemented and what exactly it will look like. The Administrations’ lack of transparency makes that uncertainty substantially worse. Uncertainty in the military is detrimental to good order and discipline, and it is dangerous to the free exercise of religion.

We remain concerned that the repeal of this policy will harm the religious liberty guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. No American--especially ones who serve in our Armed Forces--should be forced to abandon their religious beliefs. To this end, we repeat the call on Congress made last month by chaplaincy experts to ensure that a Right of Conscience clause be added to the military code.

Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty is an organization of chaplain endorsers, the faith groups that provide chaplains for the U.S. military and other agencies needing chaplains. The endorsers in Chaplain Alliance speak for more than 2,600 chaplains serving the Armed Forces.

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