by Eric Lendrum
A company that specializes in creating military dog tags has sued the Department of Defense over a ban on its products, the Daily Caller reports.
Shields of Strength, a company that has produced dog tags for over twenty years, was first issued a cease-and-desist order back in 2019. That order was filed by the left-wing Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which accused Shields of Strength of producing “sectarian proselytizing merchandise” whenever its merchandise included religious themes.
Shields of Strength’s lawsuit against the Defense Department was filed on December 14th by the group First Liberty, which states that “despite the company’s obtaining trademark licenses for its products as requested by the federal government, the Department of Defense sent the company cease-and-desist notices demanding that Shields stop selling military-themed items containing religious content.”
In the lawsuit, Shields of Strength noted that they had produced numerous dog tags upon request from various unit commanders, chaplains, and other military officials; among their past customers is current Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who purchased from the company back when he was still commander of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division.
“It’s a cruel insult to our service members to deny them a source of inspiration, hope, and encouragement simply because it contains a religious message,” said Mike Berry, general counsel for the First Liberty Institute. “DOD officials caved to the empty threats of those who make their living by being offended.”
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Eric Lendrum reports for American Greatness.
