WASHINGTON, June 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, First Liberty Institute’s General Counsel Mike Berry, a former active duty U.S. Marine Corps officer, participated in the Department of Defense’s Countering Extremism Working Group (CEWG). Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin established the CEWG earlier this year as part of the Department of Defense’s effort to address extremism in the military.
“Our brave service members give up many freedoms to serve. But not religious freedom,“ Berry said after the meeting. “We owe it to every American in uniform to ensure that efforts to eliminate extremism from the military never come at the expense of our fundamental rights as Americans. We cannot allow countering extremism to fall victim to partisan politics.”
During testimony in March before the House Armed Services Committee hearing on “Extremism in the Armed Forces,” Mr. Berry presented evidence that the Department of Defense has inappropriately labeled Americans who believe in “individual liberties, states’ rights, and how to make the world a better place” as potential extremists. Mr. Berry urged Congress to “hold the Department of Defense accountable to the Constitutional guarantees of free speech and religious freedom for all Americans—including our service members.”
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First Liberty Institute is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact Lacey McNiel at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.
Contact: Lacey McNiel, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4453