INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The leader of the Indiana National Guard said he asked an evangelical Christian organization to remove from its website a video he made praising its marriage counseling work that drew a complaint from a military watchdog group.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation argues that Maj. Gen. Martin Umbarger violated military rules and the First Amendment by promoting a religious group in the 33-second video while in uniform, The Indianapolis Star reported Tuesday (http://indy.st/RcE2WP ).
Former Air Force attorney Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Albuquerque, N.M.-based group, said Umbarger's message promotes one religious group over others and that such a show of support from a two-star general is intimidating within the military.
"He should be removed immediately and, from our perspective, court-martialed," Weinstein said.
Umbarger made the video in September 2011 on behalf of Centurion's Watch, a Christian group based in Indianapolis that offers marriage counseling to military families. It was posted on the nonprofit's website.
In the video, he says in part: "Any donation or resource that you can give this organization — it's faith-based, it's wanting to keep families together with the stresses and strains of being apart, being in harm's way, risking their lives for this, for this country. I can't think of a better organization that you can support."
Umbarger was appointed Indiana's adjutant general in 2004 by then-Gov. Joe Kernan, a Democrat, and has remained in the position under Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels as leader of more than 15,800 Guard personnel.
Umbarger told the Star that after speaking with military lawyers Friday he asked Centurion's Watch to take down the video. Umbarger said he reported his involvement in the video to the Department of the Army.
"I was thanking an organization that was trying to help my soldiers and their families," he said. "I do, kind of looking back on this, know I'm Marty Umbarger, but I'm also General Umbarger. But it was pure heart in my actions."
Umbarger said he made no personal gain from the organization and isn't involved with the group.
Much of Umbarger's problem isn't so much with the message but rather that he was giving it while in uniform, military law experts said.
"Even if he had been wearing his birthday suit, I'd have a problem because he has a very limited function," said Eugene Fidell, who teaches military law at Yale Law School. "Everybody knows he's an adjutant general. He's not a clergyman, he's not a chaplain, he's not the head chaplain for the National Guard."
Weinstein said he made the complaint on behalf of 31 clients who are either in the Indiana National Guard or Indiana Air National Guard and would file a lawsuit in federal court if the military or Daniels doesn't take action against Umbarger.
___
Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com
