MRFF Announces Esteemed New Advisory Board Member Irving Halter, U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. (Ret.) and Former USAFA Vice Supt.

Monday Afternoon, June 30, 2025

MRFF ANNOUNCES IRVING HALTER,

U.S. AIR FORCE MAJOR GENERAL (Ret.)

AND USAFA's FORMER VICE SUPT. AS

ESTEEMED NEW ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

Welcoming Statement by

Military Religious Freedom Foundation Founder and President Michael L. "Mikey" Weinstein

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation is overwhelmingly honored and privileged to announce the addition of my U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 1977 classmate, Major General Irving Halter (USAF-Ret.), to our Foundation Advisory Board.

Irv is simply one of the finest military leaders/commanders I have ever encountered in my entire life. His unassailable honor, character, integrity, intelligence, ethics, morality, compassion, empathy and pure leadership skills are beyond stellar in my non-trivial, personal experience.

We have worked together on MRFF cases for many years, until now with Irv always behind the scenes, to further the Foundation's continuing efforts to combat the metastasizing disease of unconstitutional, religious extremism in the ranks.

But as Irv knows all too well, the times have significantly changed.

Thus, Major General Halter has courageously decided to step forward and publicly endorse and honor our Foundation by joining our Advisory Board.

His addition to our Foundation ranks will tremendously buttress MRFF’s ongoing fight to protect the United States Constitution against illicit, immoral and illegal religious extremism, particularly targeting Christian nationalism, in our United States government.

Indeed, and as always, MRFF’s efforts in this civil rights activism regard are focused on the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, all 18 National Security agencies, the Department of Homeland Security (U.S. Coast Guard) and the Department of Transportation (U.S. Maritime Service/United States Merchant Marine Academy).

Thank you and WELCOME GENERAL HALTER!

—Mikey Weinstein

Joining Statement by

New MRFF Advisory Board Member,

U.S. Air Force Major General (Ret.), Irving Halter

I am honored to be publicly joining MRFF's Advisory Board. After two decades of assisting and advising my USAFA classmate, Mikey Weinstein, behind the scenes, while contributing financially to his important work in defense of true religious liberty for our service members and public servants, I've decided I can no longer be just a silent partner.

My direct interaction with Mikey in his current role started when I was Vice Superintendent at the Academy in 2005. MIkey had made a public charge regarding a religious respect issue at the Academy and I contacted him for a "frank exchange of views" on the issue and what I considered a "quick trigger" on the issue before we had the opportunity to address it. Once we both fully vented our frustrations we made a temporary gentlemen's agreement. If Mikey discovered an issue that he felt was in violation of our Constitutional duty to allow no official promotion of religion at our institution (which admittedly had happened many times), he would call me first and give me a day or two to investigate it. Then I could either correct the issue at hand or give him the "rest of the story" so he could decide whether to go public with his concerns. Both of us were operating from a trust deficit--but we were willing to try this new path.

It worked. Over the remaining year of my tenure at the Academy, we were able to work through real issues of concern either by direct intervention to correct and educate both staff and cadets on appropriate behaviors, or to give Mikey information that clarified what had happened. We handled over a half dozen complaints to our mutual satisfaction and made our beloved "school" better in the process. Not a single one of those problems and concerns were ever aired publicly--and we erased our trust deficit. In my next assignment as Commander of the 30,000 members of 19th Air Force we were able to continue that working relationship across a much broader area of responsibility. Since then I have continued to take Mikey's calls to provide advice and/or connections to those who might be able to satisfy his concerns. I should note that my military superiors were well aware and totally supportive of this approach.

We now find ourselves in a perilous time for our Nation where so-called "leaders" are making unwelcome strides in erasing the necessary boundaries between secular government and personal religious practice and views. Our Founders knew this needed to be avoided, and their Constitution provided those guardrails--but I fear they may not hold. As a devout, practicing Christian who also took an Oath before God to support and defend our Constitution, I choose this time to speak out through and with MRFF as we take on those forces who would destroy both our secular and religious freedoms.

If not us, who? If not now, when? Let's get to work!

Biography of New MRFF Advisory Board Member,

U.S. Air Force Major General (Ret.), Irving Halter

Irv Halter is a retired Air Force Major General who originally hails from South Jersey. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1977 and was an operational fighter pilot with over 3000 hours in the F-15 Eagle and RF-4C Phantom II, spending almost half of his 32 year career overseas in peacetime and wartime service. He commanded six Air Force units, including a fighter squadron, fighter group and two fighter wings. Irv served as the Air Force Academy's Vice Superintendent and as Commander, 19th Air Force, directing all basic and advanced USAF flying training. He also served in very senior levels in the Pentagon and U.S. Intelligence Community, culminating his career as the Joint Staff's Vice Director for Operations. After retiring, Irv was a defense industry executive, candidate for Congress, and served four years in the cabinet of Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper.

Irv and his wife Judy now reside in Philadelphia where he is a member of a non-profit flight education Board, an active member of his Lutheran Church and participates in other community service opportunities. He spends his remaining spare time flying his Cessna 182 Skylane. He holds FAA Commercial, Private single/multi-engine and Instrument certificates.