At a May 2011 prayer breakfast, reported by TRCB News:

"[Keynote speaker and Naval Station Great Lakes Commander Robert Sullivan] shared an army saying which said that there are no atheists in foxholes. This moment made the audience chuckle."

This kind of unquestioned, joking derision by a senior official shows just how difficult it is to be atheist in the US military. This is not surprising considering the priority given to religious activities and the widespread misunderstanding of nontheistic perspectives.

The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (MAAF), which I presently serve as president, represents atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers and other nontheists within the military. MAAF is based in the US, but includes members in Canada, Australia, and even Israel and Egypt. The UK Armed Forces Humanist Association similarly represents UK service members. The US Military Leadership Diversity Commission recently consolidated four studies of religious demographics showing that there are more secular humanists than Jews, Muslims and even many Protestant denominations. Yet, we find no humanist chaplains, and little, if any, outreach or training on the humanist perspective; rather, we find discriminatory comments from senior officers.

In the US military, the chaplaincy is afforded great responsibility, access to service members, funding and senior positions within the chain of command. During America's revolutionary war, chaplains were established to provide Protestant Christian worship services for the troops. Fast forward to today, one finds chaplains representing over 100 different faith groups and performing a wide range of counselling and staff duties well outside the realm of religious worship services. Similar non-chaplain services are available for counselling, mental health and recreation, but they are not as accessible, not integrated within the command, not confidential and simply not equivalent. With the expanded counselling, training and advisory roles of the modern chaplaincy, chaplains must represent all service members.

Atheists and humanists within the military deserve equal treatment. They undergo the same training, have the same stresses and put their lives on the line in the same combat situations. In the face of ignorance and sometimes hostility toward nontheistic philosophies, personnel look to their chain of command. What we see is prayer every evening on Navy ships, major Christian concerts on Army installations, time away from training for religious services, tests of "spiritual fitness" and exclusively religious chaplains on command staff.

The military and the chaplaincy can build credibility by showing increased commitment to diversity. Humanists wish to put forth chaplains, have access to chaplain facilities, have their materials stocked alongside Bibles and Qur'ans and Jewish prayer books, and have weekly meetings listed along with worship services and other religious meetings.

Some suggest that chaplain services should be restricted only to those who worship supernatural powers or divine beings. Nontheists should also have full and equal access to services, facilities and valuable marketing that are available to religious groups through chaplain services. Anything less is discrimination based on religious beliefs.

There are more humanists in the military than Muslims, Buddhists, Jews and even many Christian denominations. Why no humanist chaplains? Why no humanist materials in chaplain offices? Why no education about nontheistic perspectives?

The responsibilities of the chaplaincy have grown from Protestant worship services to ethical advice, morale and welfare, and, of course, faith-based services. That support is valuable. Atheists and humanists stand up to serve and deploy to war along with others. The question is whether certain beliefs are afforded special privileges or whether everyone who serves has equal access to support.