For the second time in less than a year Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz has laid down the law to Air Force commanders and supervisors about keeping religion out of the Air Force's business.

But in a series of emailed questions and answers with Military.com, Schwartz downplayed the continuing controversy and declined a direct response when asked directly if there would be consequences for future violations.

“As in all matters, I expect all Air Force members to maintain standards of leadership, performance and conduct,” Schwartz said in a Sept. 22 email. Schwartz also addressed whether dealing with the issue is more difficult for him because he is Jewish and the alleged proselytizing and religious favoritism has been by evangelical Christians.

“My personal spiritual beliefs are only germane to this issue insofar as I appreciate the importance of religious programs to many Airmen today,” he said. “My role, properly discharged, is first and foremost as a professional Airman.”

The Q&A with Schwartz followed the chief of staff’s second missive on the continuing problem of Air Force leaders appearing to use their positions to play up Christianity.

The first time was a face-to-face last October with commanders, staff and permanent party at the Air Force Academy, where religion and military standards have clashed publicly for more than six years.

In that address, he reminded the school of its mission of preparing cadets to become officers, and that it needed to separate itself from outside influences that distract from the academy’s mission. The academy has a program by which it brings outside spiritual leaders onto the campus for cadets, but critics – most especially the watchdog group Military Religious Freedom Foundation – say there is a very evangelical Christian bent to the program that has continued.

Schwartz told Military.com that he is satisfied that his guidance on scrutinizing all programs has been followed and that each cadet activity has been properly vetted by academy officials.

This month Schwartz issued a more forceful message via a memo to commanders of all major commands and direct reporting units – including the academy – to cease and desist in any way promoting or appearing to promote any particular religion.

Commanders and supervisors, he wrote in the memo released Sept. 13, “must avoid the actual or apparent use of their position to promote their personal religious beliefs to their subordinates or to extend preferential treatment for any religion.”

Doing so, he said, may cause Airmen to doubt their leaders’ impartiality and objectivity, potentially leading to degraded unit morale and good order and discipline.

Schwartz’ memo came two months after it was revealed that new missile officers were subjected to a Bible-centric training program intended to make them comfortable with the possible use of nuclear weapons.

The training program included a slideshow that used images of Christian saints. It was dubbed the “Jesus Loves Nukes” seminar by some of those who took it.

Schwartz, in his email, seemed to reject the idea that commanders or others were deliberately and knowingly attempting to recruit for their own religion, saying any preference or bias shown toward any one religion was the result of “well-meaning officers and senior non-commissioned officers.”

“However, I expect chaplains, not commanders, to notify Airmen of [religious] programs so there is no appearance that the commanders are endorsing religion generally or any particular religion,” he wrote.

Mikey Weinstein, founder of the MRFF, which has filed lawsuits against the Air Force stemming from episodes of alleged proselytizing at the academy, called Schwartz’ September memo “a watershed moment,” but doubts it will have impact at the school.

He said academy officials have not disseminated the memo down through all levels, as have commanders elsewhere in the Air Force.

Air Force, Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michael Gould, interviewed by Military.com in Washington during the recent Air Force Association conference, said the memo was issued as guidance to commanders, and was not intended to be briefed through the chain. He did meet with other leaders and supervisors on it, he said, and believes the chief’s memo is exactly the school’s view on the issue.

Asked by Military.com if the memo will finally be the fix to the recurring problem of alleged proselytizing and religious favoritism at the school, Gould could not say.

“Respect human dignity is an ongoing challenge. You never say this is the final word,” he said. “[The memo] is consistent with what we all believe as Airmen."

Schwartz, asked about Gould’s reply, said it will be commanders and NCOs, rather than his memorandum, “who will ultimately ensure we balance Constitutional protections for an individual's free exercise of religion or other personal beliefs and the Constitution's prohibition against governmental establishment of religion.”