U.S. Air Force base in Wyoming replaces the Bible with "Book of Faith" on POW/MIA table

Francis E. Warren Air Force Base is located several miles west of Cheyenne, Wyoming. As reported by Kristine Galloway of the Cheyenne Wyoming Tribune Eagle, August 1, 2018:

CHEYENNE – A new effort at inclusion recently came to F.E. Warren Air Force Base, but not everyone is happy about it.

Col. Stacy Huser, commander of the 90th Missile Wing, recently replaced the Bible on the POW/MIA memorial tables with the “POW/MIA Book of Faith.”

Nikita Thorpe, public affairs officer at F.E. Warren, said in an email that, “The prisoner of war/missing in action table is a reserved table setting to honor the missing loved ones in each service, including civilians, no matter the event or war,” Thorpe said.

She added that the table, also known as the “Missing Man Table,” is displayed at several locations on base, including the Chadwell dining facility, and that F.E. Warren airmen use the table in many official ceremonies.

“We are focused on ensuring all our airmen, religious or non-religious, feel included and cared for as they protect and defend the Constitution,” Thorpe said.

But some local residents are upset about the change.

Mike Archer, a local U.S. Navy veteran, said the Bible stands for all religions, making a generic book of faith unnecessary.

“The Bible designates all things in there for all people. It doesn’t make any difference if you’re Muslim or whatever. The Bible is part of what should be there,” he said.

“They’re taking away what the POW/MIA ceremony stands for.”

He said the ceremony, which began with the Vietnam War, honors military members who are missing in action and includes references to the Bible.

“It’s a traditional ceremony. All services use it, and the Bible is specifically mentioned in there,” Archer said.

Thorpe said U.S. Air Force regulations allow base commanders to decide whether to place a book of faith on the POW/MIA memorial tables.

She added that Air Force Pamphlet 34-1202 contains information the public can access about the POW/MIA table.

According to the pamphlet, published Jan. 10, 2013, the required items for the ceremony are: “A round table, a white tablecloth, six chairs, book of faith (optional), red rose displayed in vase, red ribbon, slice of lemon on a bread plate with a pinch of salt, place setting at an open table and (6) wine glasses.”

The pamphlet also contains the script for the POW/MIA ceremony. It contains an optional line that states, “The bound text is a book of faith to represent the strength gained through devotion to sustain those lost from our country.”

Archer said he believes the Air Force and F.E. Warren buckled under pressure from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

That organization states its mission is “dedicated to ensuring that all members of the United States Armed Forces fully receive the constitutional guarantees of religious freedom to which they and all Americans are entitled by virtue of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.”

But Archer said tradition is important in the military, and changes like these are detrimental.

“They’ve changed it so much now that the military is weak as it is. We don’t need any more stuff taken out of it,” he said. “When you start selling out the traditions of the service, then you’re degrading the service.”

Local resident Kenneth Wells made similar statements in a letter to the editor sent to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

“How can we expect our military to protect us from real threats when they take action like this after a marginalized group claims the presence of a Bible is oppressive?” he asked.

Archer said many retired military members are upset about the change.

“It does nothing but degrade what we did and what our fathers did before. I served my country in battle and in peace time, and so did my dad,” Archer said.

“That Bible represents that this is for God and country. I think the military needs to get back to that.”

Perceptive readers will notice yet another Orwellian use of language, as the word "inclusion" is used to describe what is actually an act of censorship in removing the Bible. It's also an act of historical revisionism in trying to convey the impression that various faiths have been equally influential in the United States and the armed forces, which is simply not true. Go here to cast your vote on whether or not you approve of the change; as of the time of this post, the tally is 87.5% opposed to the replacement of the Bible.