RE: PETITION TO LET CHAPLAINS PRAY AND PREACH FREELY

Dear [TITLE] [FIRST NAME] [LAST NAME]:

This petition requests that you amend the NDAA to let all military chaplains and Veterans Administration chaplains pray and preach freely without punishment according to conscience.

70 Chaplains have sued the Navy, after being denied promotion because of their religious beliefs.

In 2025, Army Chaplain Rusty Trubey was punished/relieved of duty caring for patients at a V.A. Medical Center, because he quoted the Bible in church, which violated a pro-LGBT policy of censorship. V.A. chaplains need stronger laws of protection.

In 2006, Navy Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt was wrongly court-martialed (and later vindicated by Congress), when the military judge wrongly declared "worshipping in public" was not protected by federal law. He lost a 16-year career and pension.

Please amend Title 10 Section 6031 to simply add six words “and pray and preach in public” to the existing law: “An officer in the Chaplain Corps may conduct public worship [and pray and preach in public] according to the manner and forms of the church of which he is a member.”

Also please make this clearly applicable to V.A. chaplains.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY], [STATE] [ZIP]