As Muslims around the world mark the month of Ramadan, some cadets at the Air Force Academy may need to push through rigorous physical training without food or water or forgo a few days of the holy fast.
In recent years, Muslim cadets have been excused from physical training to allow them to participate in Ramadan, said a cadet, who spoke to The Gazette on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
The cadet said he planned to fast, forgoing food and water from sun-up to sundown, during the physical training event following the academy’s decision.
“I would rather pass out than not participate,” he said of the importance of Ramadan. The holy month started Friday evening and lasts through March 29. It follows the lunar calendar and does not have set dates.
The academy did not respond to a Gazette request for comment on this issue.
The academy’s decision marks the first denial of a Ramadan accommodation in the last few years, the cadet said, while at the same time the school changed a major spring training event.
Previously, the academy held a three-day training exercise for freshmen that culminated in the school and older cadets recognizing them as full members of the cadet wing. The training is now required for all cadets.
The academy declined to excuse Muslim cadets from participating in the physical portion of the training, the cadet said. Muslim cadets had planned to participate in all the other aspects of the training event, such as land navigation, demonstrating their knowledge in casualty care and the laws of war, he said.
The Muslim chaplain at the academy requested an exemption from the physical portion for the Muslim cadets right before winter break and it was denied in early February, the cadet said.
The Muslim chaplain recommended cadets forgo fasting during the four days of training, upsetting cadets during the service, the cadet said. The Friday morning services consistently draw between 25 and 30 cadets. The cadet believes there are about 50 Muslims at the academy, including those attending the prep school.
The academy said the request was denied because such a waiver likely couldn’t be accommodated in a deployed environment, the cadet said.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation raised concerns about the academy’s decision, with Colorado Springs advisory board member Marty France, a former Air Force brigadier general, publishing an open letter to the vice superintendent.
France pointed out in his letter that service members can request religious accommodations under military policy and a reasonable compromise is possible in this case, but it was not pursued.
“There was no negotiation, no discussion of other alternatives — just a directive to forgo your religious commitment and get over it. I don’t think anyone in Colorado Springs thinks that a similarly stark, black-and-white choice would be the only option if the conflict involved Christian cadets. I don’t,” he said.
In the past, the academy has changed some of its positions after hearing from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
The cadet pointed out in the past academy allowed Christian cadets to extend their spring break to celebrate Easter with their families.
“Why can’t we get an accommodation to miss out on this portion of the training?” he said.
Former Air Force Judge Advocate Davis Younts said the requests for religious accommodation should receive an individualized review, and a blanket denial can be a violation of federal law and the U.S. Constitution.
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act prohibits the government from “substantially burdening a person’s exercise of religion” without a compelling government reason.
So the military could have a justifiable reason to deny accommodation during Ramadan, Younts said. If the service member is attending basic training and won’t receive the training at any other time, that could be valid reason, he said.
In another example, Younts pointed out that service members can apply for a religious exemption to wear a beard, but could be asked to shave if it, if they had to deploy to an area where they could potentially have to wear a gas mask and the beard would interfere.
He emphasized decisions should be specific to the situation and the government has a responsibility to try to accommodate religious beliefs, under the law.
“We should be trying to find a ‘Yes,’” said Younts, who is now a military defense attorney. He is not affiliated with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
He said he believes the military’s religious accommodation process broke during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the government issued blanket denials for religious exemptions, instead of looking at an individuals’ working conditions.
Col. Khallid M. Shabazz, command chaplain at U.S. Army Pacific, advised those participating in Ramadan in a social media post that, if they are participating in mandatory intense field training, to make up the days when they cannot fast.
“There are some allowances the Muslim soldier can take,” he said.
Service members could also ask commanders for alternate physical training times, to train after dark, when they can properly hydrate, he said.
Shabazz also emphasized the importance of participating in the holy month and practicing self restraint.
“It is about understanding the hardships that others go through,” he said.
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