A military Chaplain has been issued a “letter of concern” for telling people attending a class on suicide prevention that his Christian faith has been a help to him.

Colonel David G. Fivecoat, the commander of the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade at Fort Benning, issued the punishment against the Christian pastor for his mentioning how faith helped him in hard times.

The Liberty Institute has stepped in to defend Chaplain Joseph Lawhorn and allow him to exercise his Constitutional right to share his faith.

“The Constitution, federal law, and military regulations all make clear that religious expression in the military is not only permitted, but it’s protected,” Mike Berry of the Liberty Institute told The Christian Post.  “Congress recently strengthened religious freedom for service members in the FY13 and FY14 National Defense Authorization Acts (Sections 533 and 532, respectively).”

The letter, which stays for three years in Lawhorn’s personnel file unless Fivecoat leaves command, is a black mark against the pastor who simply did his job.

“You, above all others, must be cognizant of the various beliefs held by diverse soldiers,” the letter of concern reads. “During mandatory training briefings, it is imperative you are careful to avoid any perception you are advocating one system of beliefs over another.”