General Information
The following are links to resources elsewhere on the site.
- View the MAAF Anthology project and submit your story and help us create a resource.
- About MAAF Resources are located in a number of areas of the website; start by learning about MAAF
- MAAF News and letters to members
- MAAF FAQ
MAAF brochure- Speakers Bureau - Reserve a speaker for a comment or appearance.
- MAAF cards [MS Word doc - use Avery 8371 compatible format]
- Chaplain Outreach - Resources for and about chaplains. Also find here our minimum statement of support to which every chaplain and military commander should agree.
- Non-theists religions and beliefs Powerpoint for EO reps, chaplains, or commanders
- Meeting Instructions - Tips, ideas, and references to conduct a local meeting
- Berga - DVD about Hans Kasten, a WWII atheist hero
Other Documents of Interest
From civil liberties papers to supplemental information of interest to service members and atheists at large.
- Army Lawyer, November 1998
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"Justice, Justice Shall You Pursue. Legal Analysis of Religion Issues in the Army" A must read! Major Michael Benjamin does an outstanding job of highlighting not only free-exercise issues but also tackles establishment clause problems within the military. - The writings of George Washington
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An interesting letter regarding the requirement for the chaplain corps to mirror the beliefs of service members - Airforce 2002 enlisted religious demographics
An interesting enlisted breakdown of who claims what in the Airforce. The large amount of "no preference" is quite interesting. - Airforce 2002 officer religious demographics
Same as above but for Airforce officers -
Population Reference Bureau cites over 20% atheist military population; Excerpt of Full File
Individual Service Regulations, Directives, Manuals and Instructions
These service publications may also help answer questions about atheists and freethought in the military. These documents may be found on the services individual websites. Army Regulations are available via USAPA while field manuals and doctrine are available at the General Reimer Digital Library. Aiforce instructions, directives, and manuals are available from the e-Publishing website. Navy instructions should be accessible from the Navy Logistics Reference Library while Marine Corps publications are available from the Marine Corps Doctrine Library. As with most government sites access and mileage may vary. If you find any broken links or need help finding specific publications please contact the webmaster.
The US Constitution
Obviously we start with the Constitution. Article VI, "no religious test," and the 1st Amendment are the most important.
Department of Defense
The following Department of Defense regulations are the most applicable to MAAF activities and the rights of non-believers in the service. All DoD directives are available from the Washington Headquarters Services
- Department of Defense Directive 1300.15
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Military Funeral Support - Department of Defense Directive 1300.17
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Accommodation of Religious Practices Within the Military Services - Department of Defense Directive 1304.19
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Appointment of Chaplains for the Military Services - Department of Defense Directive 1325.6
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Guidelines for Handling Dissident and Protest Activities Among Members of the Armed Forces - Department of Defense Directive 1334.1
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Wearing of the Uniform - Department of Defense Directive 1344.10
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Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces on Active Duty - Department of Defense Directive 1350.2
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Department of Defense Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) Program - Department of Defense Directive 1354.1
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DoD Policy on Organizations That Seek to Represent or Organize Members of the Armed Forces in Negotiation or Collective Bargaining - Department of Defense Directive 5120.8
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Armed Forces Chaplains Board Charter - Department of Defense Directive 5500.7
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Joint Ethics Regulation Authorization Document - Department of Defense Instruction 1000.15
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Private Organizations on DoD Installations - Department of Defense Instruction 1330.7
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Visits of Civilian Religious Leaders to Military Installations in Overseas Areas - Joint Ethics Regulation
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The Joint Ethics Regulation. This document is only available in Microsoft Word from the Department of Defense Ethics website. It has been converted for this website using OpenOffice and Linux PDF converters. - Joint Publication 1-05
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Religious Ministry Support for Joint Operations - VA Form 40-1330
Application for Military Headstone (with pictures of authorized emblems)
Air Force
- Air Force Instruction 36-2706, Military Equal Opportunity and Treatment Program
- Air Force Instruction 36-2707, Nondiscrimination in Programs and Activities Assisted or Conducted by the Department of the Airforce
- Air Force Manual 52-103, Chaplain Service Readiness Manual
- Air Force Pamphlet 36-2705, Discrimination and Sexual Harassment
- Air Force Policy Directive 36-27, Social Actions
- Air Force Policy Directive 36-29, Military Standards
- Air Force Policy Directive 52-1, Chaplain Service
Army
- Army Field Manual 16-1, Religious Support
- Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-15, Extremist Activities
- Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-26, Department of the Army Affirmative Action Plan
- Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-63-12, Spiritual Fitness
- Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-75, Accommodating Religious Practices
- Department of the Army Regulation 165-1, Chaplain Activities in the United States Army
- Department of the Army Regulation 600-20, Army Command Policy
Marine Corps
- Fleet Marine Force Manual 3-6, Religious Ministries in the Fleet Marine Force
- Fleet Marine Force Manual 3-61, Ministry in Combat
- Marine Corps Manual 2816, Chaplains and Religious Affairs
- Marine Corps Order 1730.6D, Command Religious Programs in the Marine Corps
- Marine Corps Reference Publication 6-12B, Religious Lay Leader's Handbook
- Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 6-12, Religious Ministry Support in the U.S. Marine Corps
Navy
- Secretary of the Navy Instruction 1730.3, Employment of Civilian Clergy
- Secretary of the Navy Instruction 1730.6, Visits of Civilian Religious Leaders to Military Installations in Overseas Areas
- Secretary of the Navy Instruction 1730.8, Accommodation of Religious Practices
- Secretary of the Navy Instruction 4651.8, Attendance at and Participation in Meetings by Military Personnel
- Secretary of the Navy Instruction 1730.7b, Religious Ministries Support Within the Department of the Navy
- Naval Military Personnel Manual 1730-010, Use of Lay Leaders in Religious Services
- Naval Military Personnel Manual 15555C, Navy Military Funerals