Walter B. Jones: “I have read reports, received letters, and seen documentation which verifies that suppression of religious freedom…”

“I have read reports, received letters, and seen documentation which verifies that suppression of religious freedom throughout our Armed Forces is a pervasive problem, affecting military chaplains from all denominations and religions. Of particular concern is an incident involving Army Captain Chaplain Jonathan Stertzbach. This chaplain who is serving our troops in harm's way in Iraq was asked by another unit, whose chaplain had to return home to start chemotherapy after cancer was discovered, to serve the spiritual needs of the unit's soldiers in weekly movement to an undisclosed FOB (Forward Operating Base). During a mission, tragically, one of the soldiers was killed in action. The unit's Commanding Officer asked this chaplain to perform the memorial ceremony because he had bravely served the soldiers and risked his own life. Before the memorial ceremony, the chaplain submitted two prayers for review. The Brigade Chaplain attempted to remove the chaplain from praying at the memorial ceremony because he concluded his prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. The chaplain, adhering to his conscience and faith tradition, said he would not strike the words Jesus Christ. The unit's Commanding Officer intervened, explaining that Chaplain Stertzbach volunteered to serve a different unit outside of his assigned unit and placed his life in harm's way to provide for the needs of the unit's soldiers.…”