The Air Force has banned its airmen from participating in a pushup challenge for a charity called 22Kill dedicated to preventing veteran suicides.
Participating in the challenge while in uniform may violate Department of Defense regulations, according to Air Force officials, as it may give off the impression of a fundraising endorsement, Air Force Times reports.
The September 30 statement did not mention the charity by name, but described activities similar to that of the charity. Pushups to raise funds is spreading like wildfire among airmen, prompting officials to comment on the activity.
“While [airmen] are allowed to participate in activities to honor fallen airmen or bring awareness to issues like suicide, if these activities are associated with any type of nonprofit, non-federal entity, or fundraising or membership campaign, it cannot be done in an official capacity,” the Air Force said in a statement.
The non-profit charity 22Kill has adopted a pushup challenge to raise funds for veterans at risk of suicide. The group spends the funds to support veterans through programs that teach them to heal from issues like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, two conditions linked with an increased suicide risk.
Suicide is an issue of much importance in the veteran community, as recently released data from the Department of Veterans Affairs has shown that about 20 veterans commit suicide every single day.
22Kill executive director Jacob Schick was outraged at the Air Force’s announcement.
“I think it’s stupid,” Schick, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq, said. “When you have an entire brigade in the U.K. doing the same thing, and the Air Force says you can’t do it on government time even though it’s for the cause of veterans, I’m not sure how that makes any sense whatsoever.”
“I guess we’re just going to let the U.K. show us up continually,” Schick added. “We want you to join the military and fight for freedom, but you can’t have your own? I’m dumbfounded right now.”
The Army similarly disallows its troops from doing the challenge. The Navy is not explicitly forbidding the challenge, preferring instead to remind sailors to make sure they abide by DOD regulations, namely that sailors not appear to endorse a non-federal entity while in their official capacities.
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