Kirtland Air Force Base Will Allow Religious Greetings at Gate

Overview

• The Military Religious Freedom Foundation reported dozens of complaints that gate guards at Kirtland Air Force Base used faith‑based greetings such as “God bless you” and “have a blessed day.”
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly defended Christian service members for using such greetings and criticized the MRFF for challenging the practice.
• Kirtland officials said they reviewed feedback and will not change procedures that allow commonly used greetings, while Air Force leadership said policies on greetings remain unchanged.
• MRFF founder Mikey Weinstein said the group will seek a writ of mandamus in federal court if faith‑based greetings continue, a move that would ask a judge to enforce existing Defense Department rules on religious discrimination.
• The dispute turns on how to apply Air Force rules that bar religious preference to short informal interactions, and it raises questions about morale and inclusivity for personnel who say they feel alienated by such greetings.