The US Senate is on record now as saying US military academies may “allow voluntary, non denominational prayer,” according to an amendment attached to the 2006 defense authorization bill by chief sponsor Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.). The action comes in response to a new Air Force guideline that discourages public prayer at official Air Force Academy functions, like football games. Senators were unanimous in their approval.
The Air Force wants to pump more than $12 billion over the next five years into its new affordable long-range missiles program and recently asked industry to push the flights of some of those munitions beyond 1,200 miles.