A former U.S. Air Force officer has branded the ritual of military football players kneeling in prayer a ‘putrid’ example of ‘Christian supremacy’ and demanded it must stop.

Michael Weinstein, president and founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), insisted the public prayers so often seen on the football pitch before games are ‘a scandalous outrage’.

He said Air Force Academy football players had approached the MRFF claiming they were forced into joining the prayers, for fear of punishment.

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Public: Members of the Air Force Academy's Falcons team are alleged to be forced into praying before games

Showcase: Members of the Falcons join together for a pre-game prayer session, which a former Air Force officer-turned-lawyer claims could be used by ISIS for anti-American propaganda

He even claimed that such a public showcase of Christianity could be used in anti-American propaganda produced by ISIS and al-Qaeda.

‘It’s a disgrace,’ said Mr Weinstein, who graduated from the Academy in 1977.

‘It’s a putrid example of fundamentalist Christian supremacy, triumphalism and exceptionalism and it has to stop.

‘Those individuals that are dressed in the Air Force uniform; that’s their uniform of the day. They’re members of the military and they are under different rules that the civilian counterparts they’re playing on the field.’

United: Michael Weinstein claimed the public prayers are a 'putrid example of fundamentalist Christian supremacy', insisting that he has spoken to players who say they are forced into praying

Pressure: Players have reportedly told Mr Weinstein that they are scared to refuse to pray, or complain, because of fear of punishment

The Military Religious Foundation has allegedly been approached by a growing number of players and their families insisting that the team prayers aren’t optional.

Players join in, it is alleged, even if they aren’t comfortable doing so because they fear potential punishment if they refuse.

Mr Weinstein claims that because they are wearing their military uniforms, they are being coerced by the government to perform a religious activity – whether they want to or not.

‘We have families of players, we have players, we have girlfriends of players, we have staff and faculty 144 strong at the Academy,’ he said.

Force: As the Air Force Academy players are wearing what is technically a military uniform, Mr Weinstein claims the government is coercing them to take part in religious worship

Probe: The Air Force announced this week that it will be launching an official investigation into the claims

‘They’re terrified to go forward and go up the chain of command or to file an official complaint for fear of facing reprisal or retribution.

‘They should not be coerced in any way, shape or form to publicly sit there and engage in a massive team prayer for one particular version of Christianity.’

The Air Force announced this week that it will formally investigate the situation.

It said in a statement: ‘The United States Air Force Academy is attentive to all religious freedom concerns, and we are conducting an inquiry into the complaint.