1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing to you as a concerned constituent to express my deep alarm regarding recent reports of pervasive religious coercion within the Department of Defense. As reported by various outlets this week, more than 200 service members have filed complaints with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) alleging that military commanders are framing the current conflict with Iran as a "holy war." Specifically, reports indicate that NCOs are being pressured to tell troops that military actions are part of a "divine plan" to trigger "Armageddon." This rhetoric is a direct violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and DoD Directive 1300.17. Forcing non-commissioned officers to use religious narratives to explain secular military programs or combat operations is illegal "compelled speech." Furthermore, I urge you to stand firm against the historically inaccurate claim that the United States is a "Christian Nation." Our Founders were deliberate in creating a secular Republic rooted in religious pluralism, as evidenced by the lack of religious requirements in the Constitution and the explicit language of the Treaty of Tripoli (1797), which stated that the U.S. government is "not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." To allow military leaders to mandate Christian Nationalist rhetoric is not "tradition"—it is a radical departure from the very American values our service members take an oath to defend. This extremism is a direct threat to our national security. Our military is a multi-faith, multi-ethnic force. Injecting fringe "End Times" beliefs into official briefings destroys unit cohesion, alienates minority faith and non-religious service members, and undermines the professional, secular standards that make the U.S. military the most effective force in the world. As my representative, I urge you to: -- Call for a formal inquiry by the House/Senate Armed Services Committee into the use of religious rhetoric in official combat briefings. -- Request a formal response from Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding the Pentagon’s failure to enforce neutrality and its apparent promotion of "Christian Nationalist" ideology. -- Ensure protections for whistleblowers like the NCOs who have come forward, who currently fear career-ending retribution for defending the Constitution. Our nation is built on religious pluralism, and the military must remain the shield for all Americans, regardless of their faith or lack thereof. I look forward to hearing how you plan to address this critical issue.