A religion watchdog group is asking the Defense Department to investigate whether the Air Force Academy has given a Christian group improper access to the campus to proselytize cadets.

This would not be the first time the AFA has had an issue with support to or enforced support of a specific religion.

In June 2005; An Air Force panel sent to investigate the religious climate at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs found evidence that officers and faculty members periodically used their positions to promote their Christian beliefs and failed to accommodate the religious needs of non-Christian cadets, its leader said Wednesday.

In May 2005; The U.S. Air Force said Tuesday it will appoint a task force to investigate allegations of religious intolerance at the Air Force Academy. Among the items to be reviewed will be Air Force policy and guidance concerning religious respect and tolerance at the academy, said acting Secretary of the Air Force Michael Dominguez.

In December 2005;

Four Air Force officers — all graduates of the Air Force Academy class of 2004 — have recently joined a lawsuit that accuses leaders at the academy of overtly pressuring cadets to undertake evangelical religious instruction.

See here for concerns about a recent event at Fort Bragg, and here for Soldiers punished for not attending a religious event at Fort Eustis.

Here is an article from the Air Force Law Review: ARTICLE: RELIGION IN THE MILITARY: NAVIGATING THE CHANNEL BETWEEN THE RELIGION CLAUSES.

Organizations have complained that a Christian rock concert should not be hosted by a government agency. Their stance is that it is a violation of separation of Church and State and displays a preferential treatment of a religion. However Army officials counter that it is a well settled Constitutional law for Chaplains in the Military to offer religious events.

Here is a WITN news link.

How about this from Jewish Light.

Given the recent uproar over the proposed Islamic community center and mosque near Ground Zero, how do you believe its detractors would react to this: A United States military officer tells his subordinates they have a “choice” in their spare time of attending an Islamic hip hop concert or performing a detailed cleaning of their barracks.

I believe this is the same concept as that recently held at Fort Eustis. In the Fort Eustis case there is a question about whether non-attenders were punished for not attending.