GOP Rep. Randy Forbes: Put ‘God’ Back Onto Air Force Patch

A reference to God has been removed from the patch logo for the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO), and a group of GOP congressmen is working to have it restored, The Hill reports.

Indeed, 35 Republican lawmakers, led by Virginia Rep. Randy Forbes, wrote a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz asking them to restore the reference to God in the logo.

The patch logo included a Latin phrase, which is customary for military patches, that said: “Doing God’s Work with Other People’s Money.” The wording was changed last month to “Doing Miracles with Other People’s Money,” after protests from a military atheist group, the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers.

Forbes warned that the RCO move could set a “dangerous precedent” when it comes to religious issues in the military. “The action taken by the RCO suggests that all references to God, regardless of their context, must be removed from the military,” Forbes wrote. “As we are confident that your legal advisors would not suggest that censorship is required for compliance with the First Amendment, we ask that you reverse this perplexing decision.”