U.S. Senator Ken Salazar Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs Committees 2300 15^th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
For Immediate Release May 23, 2005		CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Press Secretary 202-228-3630 Jen Clanahan – Deputy Press Secretary 303-455-7600
SEN. SALAZAR ASKS AFA FOR UPDATE ON RELIGIOUS BIAS INVESTIGATION WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senator Ken Salazar asked Air Force Academy officials, in a letter last week, to keep him updated on their internal investigation into an alleged climate of religious bias targeting cadets who do not subscribe to a particular religious view. The purpose of Senator Salazar’s request is to ensure steps are taken to rid the academy of a climate of religious bias that is inconsistent with its mission and tradition. “We should not be teaching our military service men and women a practice that contradicts the definition of the freedom they are asked to fight to protect,” said Salazar. “This practice must not only be stopped but rooted out all together to ensure current and future classes do not have to deal with this intolerance.” Below is a copy of Senator Salazar’s letter to Air Force Academy Officials: May 18, 2005 Honorable Michael L. Dominguez Acting Secretary of the Air Force The Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20330-1670 Dear Mr. Secretary: I write to express my interest in and support for your decision to appoint a military task force to investigate allegations made by cadets and professional staff members of religious bias at the United States Air Force Academy. I am aware that task force members visited the Academy last week and will begin preparing a preliminary report to you to be submitted by the May 23 deadline established for the report. The Air Force Academy is one of our most prestigious and influential military institutions. As such, the Academy should rightfully reflect, honor and uphold our nation’s highest ideals and traditions. Those ideals include respect for America’s civil liberties enshrined in the Constitution, including the freedom to worship one’s religion of their own choosing--or to not worship--free of government coercion or sanction. It is this freedom, among others, that our military service men and women fight for—and even die for—as they advance the cause of democracy in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. I am encouraged the AFA recognizes that, in the words of Academy officials, it has “a problem” and that the problem is “serious,” with respect to an alleged climate or practice of religious bias targeting cadets who do not subscribe to a particular religious faith, and a perception that Academy staff is actively promoting certain religious views. These practices and perceptions are indeed inconsistent not only with the Academy’s mission and tradition, but with the very precepts of the First Amendment. All of these concerns underscore the need for the Air Force and its task force to treat this investigation with the utmost seriousness and prove that this is indeed a good faith effort to address the acknowledged problem of religious bias at the Academy. I would appreciate at the appropriate time an update or briefing on the findings, recommendations, and action plan, if any, arising from the report of the task force. My office will follow-up this request by telephone. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me on this or any other matter involving the Academy. My office number is 202-224-5852. The name of my executive assistant is Joan Padilla. Sincerely, KEN SALAZAR United States Senator cc: Lt. General John W. Rosa Jr. Superintendent, United States Air Force Academy # # #