From personal experience there are no atheists when the fecal matter hits the fan
Via CNSN
In a statement put into the congressional record at a Jan. 29, 2014 hearing of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Military Personnel on religious accommodations in the Armed Services, retired Lt. Gen. William “Gerry” Boykin, said religious liberty is a “core value of our nation,” and that religious beliefs “sustain” troops who face harm or death in the course of performing their duties.
“In sum, religious freedom and expression is not something to be given begrudging accommodation,” Boykin, the former commander of the U.S. Special Forces Command, said on behalf of the Family Research Council (FRC) as its executive vice president. “It is a core value of our nation, necessary for strengthening individual troop wellbeing and instilling the values of respect and goodwill.”
“Religious freedom must be celebrated, affirmed, and cherished within our military just as our men and women sacrifice to defend that freedom for those outside the military,” Boykin said in the statement.
Boykin also spoke about the nature of a soldier’s duty and the role religious belief plays in it.
“Given the unique stresses and dangers of military life, a conscious focus on spiritual matters often accompanies military service,” Boykin said. “The ability to live out one’s faith openly with the support of one’s peers and the military chaplaincy can afford the comfort, certainty, and security so necessary to service members otherwise faced with serious injury and death on a regular basis.”