Academy launches religious respect training program

  • Published
  • By Butch Wehry
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  Air Force Academy officials have launched a religious respect training program called Respecting the Spiritual Values of all People. The training focuses on educating cadets, faculty members and base employees on the importance of respecting the spiritual beliefs of a diverse force.

Officials are receiving comments reflecting the personal nature and broad dynamics of the training discussions, said Chaplain (Capt.) Melinda Morton, an academy chaplain.

“People come to this topic from their own experience and perspective -- they bring to the interaction important questions and concerns from their own background,” she said. “As facilitators, we recognize that this is a difficult topic. We are striving to enable participants to engage in a manner which is personally meaningful and appropriate to the needs of the institution.”

The academy is an academic institution and suggestions on improving the training are coming, Chaplain Morton said. Many participants desire more time to discuss issues raised in the presentation, she said.

Academy officials said nearly one-third of all cadets and nearly all active-duty and civilian employees had received religious respect training as of April 22.

“Our Airmen’s response to the program seems to be overwhelmingly positive,” said Lt. Col. Vicki Rast, the academy’s climate and culture division chief. “Many have expressed openly their views that it’s great to be getting these issues out in the open to begin a dialogue about them. One participant even got back with me to say, ‘I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that the only way we are going to fix this problem is by communicating. So let’s communicate some more.’”

Feedback from the training has helped leaders modify training to maximize its effectiveness.

Cadet 2nd Class Alexander Johns said he felt the training was needed, and it helped him to gain a greater awareness for religious respect issues. He also felt the issues brought up “were things I, and I would like to assume most people, learned growing up.”

Academy officials recognize that this is not always the case, Colonel Rast said.

During one training session a young officer asked, “What’s wrong with calling them the heathen flight?”

“Thankfully,” Colonel Rast said, “before I had to intervene, the other members of the session engaged him to explain the harmful nature of tolerating such marginalizing behaviors,” she said. “We’re definitely on the right path.”

Cadets, faculty and staff alike desire more interaction and discussion, and less lecture, Colonel Rast said.

“They want us to provide ‘tools,’” she said. “We need to connect the theory of religious respect to the practice of living our daily lives. We’re incorporating their desires into future program revisions.”

Academy officials approach the issue of spirituality from two perspectives: personal and professional, Colonel Rast said.

“Future training will begin to address Airmen’s professional responsibilities to ensure the academy sustains a culture of respect for self and others so that all Airmen develop and perform to their highest potential,” she said.