News headlines this week are that President Donald Trump is joining with others to offer Bibles for sale, with his brand. Go for it. You didn’t see that from the Obama and Biden administrations running the military. Here is my column from 2019.

The United States military handles about 30,000 rooms in hotels and inns at about 300 or so locations in the free world. The Navy Exchange  operates its Navy lodge, and the Navy Morale Welfare and Recreation operates the Navy Inns. The Air Force has Inns, the Army has Hotels, the Marines have billets .  Since 1966, these military hotel rooms are in Germany, Japan, California, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico,  Utah, Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, Missouri, Ohio, Alabama, Florida,  South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, District of Columbia and Massachusetts. And more. These rooms are for traveling service men and women. For decades, the military rooms had Gideon Bibles, all donated.  So why aren’t we  surprised to learn the Obama Pentagon had them removed?

In January 2017, the Navy Lodge (Navy Exchange) and Navy Gateway Inns (Morale Welfare and Recreation) at Naval Aviation Facility Atsugi, and Camp Zama Lodging, Japan, and New Sano in Tokyo, were offered free copies of the Book of Mormon for their bedroom dressers in their guest suites, like the Marriott hotels.  Although, it was reasonable to assume they had copies of the Bible in their rooms, Bibles could have been provided as well. As it happened, at the same time, the inauguration used a Bible for swearing in the new President Trump.

It turned out, none even had Bibles. Between 2012 and 2014, all scriptures were removed at direction of the ‘Pentagon,’ a euphemism for higher authority. First with the Air Force, then other services. Press reports  confirmed this time line, 11 August 2014 Bibles removed, 12 August 2014 atheists celebrate, August 14 Navy tells lodges to put removed Bibles back, January 2015 Bibles removed again. So, in February 2017, the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty in Washington D.C. was asked for help in restoring the Bibles to the military hotels. Who knew but that their Executive Director advised, that as of February 16, 2017, he thought the Bibles had been restored, and the Alliance was surprised to learn they were removed again?   Similar removals occurred with the Air Force, Army. and Veterans Affairs Clinic, with press reports of threats of Courts-Martial because Bible verses were ‘contrary to good order and discipline.’

If Atheists want recognition in the guest lodging, an empty dresser drawer could be reserved for them.

As religion was a Chaplains’ issue, inquiry was made of the Chaplains about the Bibles. One Chaplain reported a threat that the Chaplains were to obey orders, and the Navy could get along without chaplains, sort of like the Marines who rely on Navy Doctors, Lawyers and Chaplains.

Approximate Time line.

Apr 9, 2012 – In early February, a cockpit atheist in Kadena Airbase in Japan contacted MAAF to ask why there was a Bible posted in Air Force lodging. Source Militaryatheists.org.

Jan 24, 2014 – Bibles removed from University of Wisconsin lodging.  Source. Foxnews.com

Aug 8, 2014 –  The U.S. Navy has reversed its decision to remove the Gideon-placed Bibles from hotel rooms on its military bases. Source AFA.net.

Aug. 11, 2014. FFRF Victory! Bibles to be removed from Navy Lodges. Ffrf.org.

Aug 11, 2014 – If you visit a hotel in the United State, odds are you’ll find a Bible in … for Religious Liberty, blasted the Navy for removing the Bibles. “This is just one more assault by military leaders against anything Christian,” Crews told me.” Source patheos.com.

Aug 12, 2014 – Gideon Bible The U.S. Navy has instructed housekeepers to remove Gideon- placed Bibles from every hotel room on its military bases. Source charismanews.com

Aug 12, 2014 – Military chaplains are calling for donated Bibles to be allowed in Navy lodges after an atheist group successfully lobbied to have them removed.  Source Dailycaller.com

[The missing Bibles gave rise to questions about  what happened? so the Navy had to come up with a response. Navy orders are as follows. ]

Dec. 11, 2014. FYI -On 11 Dec 14, the Executive Committee met at the Pentagon to discuss COA’s developed by the Working Group to determine the disposition of religious materials in Marine and Navy Lodges as well as Navy Gateway Inns & Suites. The Exec Committee is chaired by N46. Five COA’s were presented.

OPNAV has received some additional information regarding Senior Leadership’s potential response. We are on hold to provide a draft report.

APPROVED REPLY:

Good Day ____

Thank you for the opportunity to reply to your Navy Gateway Inns & Suites comment card.  Department of Defense (DoD) has made no provision for the placement of Bibles in these temporary lodging facilities. NGIS complies with DoD temporary quarters/lodging facility guidance relating to the furnishing of rooms. The reason you did not find a Bible in an NGIS room is because they were not placed in the rooms in the first place.

All NGIS facilities feature free WiFi service, which enables patrons to access online versions of the Bible; as well as, most other sacred texts and religious resources. Any guest of NGIS who wishes to obtain a Bible may  contact the front desk. NGIS will assist the guest in contacting the local Command Religious Program which provides a wide range of religious materials, including the Holy Bible.

Some news outlets confused the Navy Lodge Program (operated by the Navy Exchange Command) with Navy Gateway Inns & Suites (Official Temporary Duty Lodging operated by Commander, Navy Installations Command). Navy Gateway Inns & Suites (NGIS) is an entirely separate lodging program from Navy Lodge, and did not participate or engage in the reported removal of Bibles from Navy Lodge guest rooms.

CLOSE RESPONSE APPROPRIATELY TO MEET NGIS PROGRAM STANDARDS.

Please let me know if you have questions.   []ara *, CHA 2

Jan 7, 2015. From: *, Pa* CIV USN CNRJ

Sent: Wednesday, January 07,20158:17 AM

To:   *, Se* CIV USN CFAY; *, []hito FORNATL JA USN CFAY; *, Rhon* CIV USN NAF; *, []yoshi FORNATL JA USN NAF; *, Jo[] CIV USN CFAO; *, Mich* CIV USN NGIS; *, Air* CIV USN MWR; *, []nori FORNATL JA USN MWR; *, Will* CIV USN NAF-MI; *, *shie FORNATLJA USN NAFM; *, *en LTJG USN NSF DG; *, Kat[] FORNATL RP USN NSF DG; *, *chie CIV RP NAVSUPFAC DG

Subject: FW: NGIS Religious Materials 

Importance:  High 

Team, Please see []my’s comments below in regards to religious materials. We no longer need to send EVERY comment card to CNIC for response. Let me know if you have any questions.

v/r, Pam*

Jan. 7, 2015. —Original Message—-

•From: *, Tamara CIV CNIC HQ, N924