Report says Pentagon erred in allowing Christian video.High-ranking Army and Air Force personnel violated military regulations when they participated in a promotional video for a private evangelical organization, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a report by the Pentagon's Office of Inspector General Noun 1. Office of Inspector General - the investigative arm of the Federal Trade Commission OIG independent agency - an agency of the United States government that is created by an act of Congress and is independent of the executive departments . A Pentagon spokesman said Aug. 6 it would be up to the Army and Air Force whether to discipline the military brass involved, but said no action is expected against top civilian employees. The 47-page report, which was released on July 27, found that four Air Force officers and three Army officers were wrong to take part in a fund-raising video for the Arlington, Va.-based Christian Embassy The Christian Embassy is an evangelical organization affiliated with Campus Crusade for Christ. Like its parent organization, Christian Embassy describes itself as non-political and interdenominational. . (The Christian Embassy was founded by the late Bill Bright, who also launched Campus Crusade for Christ Campus Crusade for Christ is an interdenominational Christian organization, focusing on evangelism and discipleship in over 190 countries around the world. Its mission is "to win people to Christ, build them in their faith, and send them out to win, build and send others. .) The inspector general's report tagged Air Force Maj. Gens. Peter U. Sutton and Jack J. Catton General Jack J. Catton was a United States Air Force four star general and was commander of the Air Force Logistics Command with headquarters at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and of the Military Airlift Command. General Catton was born in Berkeley, California, in 1920. Jr., and Army Brig. Gens. Vincent K. Brooks Vincent Keith Brooks (born October 24, 1958) is an American brigadier general, who was the United States Army's Deputy Director of Operations during the War in Iraq. This position again made him visible in the media. and Robert L. Caslen Jr. for violating ethical guidelines that forbid officers from using their official capacities to promote private organizations, The Washington Post reported. "The overall circumstances of the interviews emphasized the speakers' military status and affiliation and implied they were acting within the scope of their official positions as [Department of Defense] spokespersons," the report stated. One officer told the inspector general's office that he believed the Christian Embassy, which hosts a weekly prayer breakfast at the Pentagon, had become a "quasi-federal entity." The dispute over the video surfaced last December against a backdrop of complaints that military officials frequently turn a blind eye to improper proselytizing and show preferential treatment toward evangelicals. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation The Military Religious Freedom Foundation is a watchdog group whose stated goals are to ensure that religious freedom is maintained in the United States military.[1] , an Albuquerque, N.M.-based watchdog group founded by retired Air Force attorney Michael Weinstein, asked the Department of Defense to investigate the video last December. Weinstein told The Post that Congress should conduct oversight hearings of the military officers' actions with the Embassy. Weinstein said the report "confirms the intentional dismantling of the constitutionally mandated wall separating church and state by some of the highest ranking officials in the Bush administration and the U.S. military." |
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