"The cadets with whom we talked trusted the various mechanisms internal to USAFA (including the cadet chain of command, the Interfaith Council, PEERS, AOCs/AMTs, and chaplains). These reporting mechanisms were deemed responsive and effective. In view of certain media reports of claims to the contrary we looked hard, but found no direct or supportable widespread evidence of cadets resorting to the use of outside agencies or organizations."
"We found no evidence in our interviews at any level that anyone fears for their physical safety based upon their religious beliefs or non-belief."
How could Gen. Gamble's findings, described as an "assessment of the current religious climate at the US Air Force Academy," be so drastically different than what was just reported by cadets and faculty last fall in the Academy's biannual "Climate Survey," in which 353 cadets (almost 1 out of every 5 survey participants) reported having been subjected to unwanted religious proselytizing, and 23 cadets (13 of them Christians) reported living "in fear of their physical safety" because of their religious beliefs?
The answer is simple: 40 percent of the Academy's cadets and 53 percent of the faculty staff members participated in the Climate Survey, confident that this anonymous survey really was anonymous, while only a few dozen faculty and staff members and only about a hundred cadets (barely more than 2 percent) were willing to participate in Gamble's investigation, due primarily to fears that the interviews with Gamble's team would not be kept confidential. In other words, the cadets who have actually experienced problems did not participate, allowing Gamble to base his findings on a sampling consisting of cadets who at best just haven't personally experienced the problems reported in the Climate Survey, and at worst included those who are among the perpetrators of these problems.
As one Academy faculty member wrote to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) after reading Gamble's report, which includes a section on the investigation's methodology: "You don't do proper research with a self-selected sample -- unless, of course, you are fishing for the answers you already want. ... Frankly, General Gamble, I expected better. This Gamble Report would be laughed out of committee as even as a master's degree proposal. It doesn't even make a good term paper."
Another faculty member, referring to a faculty meeting at which the Gamble report was addressed, wrote: "What struck me as odd was that the Dean told everyone that the study used a random sample of cadets and faculty. A random sample? I think not. The cadets and faculty self-selected to provide interviews." This faculty member went on to tell MRFF that, at this same meeting, the dean proceeded to quote the Bible while addressing another item on the agenda, writing: "Are we to trust our leadership with improving the religious atmosphere if they are the ones quoting scripture? She made no attempt to apologize for the remark. I'm not even sure if it registered that she just quoted the Bible during a staff meeting."
MRFF also heard from numerous cadets after the Gamble report was released. Not surprisingly, with the report pointing out that Gamble's team had "read media releases from both inside and outside USAFA concerning charges made by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation," there was some talk about MRFF upon the report's release. As one cadet reported in the following email excerpt, the Gamble report was touted as "a defeat for Mikey Weinstein [the founder and president of MRFF] and his Forces of Satan."
"I am USAFA cadet about to finish my third year here (cadet second class) and have not been a MRFF client before today. I am of the Christian faith (Lutheran). I do not have very much time to express my views as we're at the end of a very demanding semester (my major is xxxxx) and I still have final projects due shortly and then finals week. The report which came out yesterday by the retired general (Gamble) on the USAFA religious climate has been making its way around the Cadet Wing. I was in an informal but serious meeting in my cadet squadron yesterday when the topic of this report came up. There was an Air Force Officer and an Air Force NCO there talking with us as well. A very senior cadet leader (that's how I will describe him or her) said, 'This is a clear victory for the Gospel of our Lord and Savior and just as certain a defeat for Mikey Weinstein and his Forces of Satan.' I was really surprised twice with that mean statement. First, that it was even said like that at all in response to the Gen. Gamble report findings. Second, that nobody, not even the USAF Officer or USAF NCO, said or did anything to oppose that terrible statement. I didn't either. I didn't want to get onto the wrong radar screen here at USAFA with regards to religion. I've seen what happens if you do."
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
1
