The Air Force Academy is reconsidering the religious portion of an oath all cadets take to pledge allegiance to the honor code of the school, after an organization challenged its undertones.
Founder of The Military Religious Freedom Foundation Mikey Weinstein told The Gazette that including the phrase "so help me God" in a mandatory oath did a disservice to people of other faiths, or of no faith at all.
"To tie the honor code to a religious test violates the no-establishment clause of the Constitution," Weinstein told The Gazette.
The Air Force Academy is now weighing whether to scrap the pledge altogether, or to simply augment the word choice. Most academy officials are leaning toward making the religious bit an optional one.
"We need to be respectful of all people of faith and all people of no faith," spokesperson from the academy David Cannon said. "Our goal is to do the right thing for the Air Force Academy."
According to Cannon, the academy began using the oath of honor in 1984, after 19 seniors were caught cheating on a physics exam.
"The cadets who owned the code thought developing an honor oath would help to reinforce the importance of the honor code," Cannon reported to The Gazette.
The code, which was put in place in 1956, just one year after the first group of cadets began studying at the academy, is expected to be followed strictly. Those who violate the code must face a cadet honor board-usually, offending cadets are expelled, but some violators are also put on probation and under strict monitoring.
Weinstein said he would prefer if the word "God" was removed from the oath entirely, but wouldn't fuss if the phrase was merely optional for cadets.
Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson has been tasked with making the final decision on the ecclesiastical reference, and is expected to announce her verdict in the next few days.
