ROTC program under review amid religion-based challenges

[mahatmakanejeeves]

ROTC program under review amid religion-based challenges

By Kevin Lilley, Staff writer 4:49 p.m. EST November 14, 2014

The Army's ROTC program is undergoing a "holistic review" after a religious-freedom group blasted the service for advertising a Christian-only officer position at an Illinois college and a 19-year-old Sikh student at a different school filed a lawsuit when he was denied entry over grooming standards.

The review covers "ROTC agreements and policies in effect to ensure compliance with Army regulations and policies," Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Alayne Conway said in a Wednesday email. Officials did not respond to questions on specifics, including what triggered the review and when it would wrap up.

Fox News first reported the review was in process in a Tuesday opinion piece on the first issue: The posting of an assistant professor of military science position at Wheaton College in Illinois that came with the advisory, "Must be of Christian faith." The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a group that claims 39,000 active-duty troops among its members, found out about the posting late last month, founder and president Mikey Weinstein said.
....

That program has been in place since 1952, and the school has "historically required that the lead Professor of Military Science meet the same basic religious standards as the rest of our faculty," Wheaton spokeswoman LaTonya Taylor said Thursday via email. "Other ROTC instructors are not required to meet the same standard, but instead are expected minimally to understand and respect the religious mission of our institution."

[stone space]

1. ROTC has no business operating at Universites and Colleges. (nt)

[gladium et scutum]

2. Why is that? n/t

[Ink Man]

3. I don't want

100% of our military officers coming from West Point and the Navy Academy. We need a mix of college experiences and backgrounds at the table. UC Berkeley has a ROTC Army program and these young men and woman going into the military will see things in a different light.