It's "Heroes Week" on Wheel of Fortune, a week honoring the military by having military personnel participate as contestants on the show. On Thursday's episode, it seems that one of those contestants decided to seize the opportunity to share his religious devotion with millions of TV viewers when he introduced himself as an "undersea nuclear Christian warrior."
Almost immediately after the episode aired, the president of Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), Mikey Weinstein, received the following email from the mother of a cadet at one of the U.S. military academies:
I happened to be 'channel surfing' and landed on Wheel of Fortune as they are doing a tribute to military 'heroes.' As the host was interviewing the contestants he came to one and asked the gentleman what he did. The officer answered, 'I am an undersea nuclear CHRISTIAN WARRIOR' and a submarine commander. I was so astonished and outraged I had to rewind the program to make sure I had heard it correctly; unfortunately I had. The quote is a direct quote. I even wrote down his name I was so angry; Steve Sincata (I don't know if the spelling of his last name is correct but that is how it sounds.) My first thought was, my terrible sadness for the poor crew that is under this Christian supremacist's complete command. My second thought was to immediately contact you and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation to ask for help.
Mikey, this man was in FULL U.S. Navy uniform and on national television in front of untold millions of viewers! I support you and your organization 100% and it is my strongest hope something can be done about this insensitive, imperious and wholly unconstitutional military commander who just disgraced his oath to the Constitution. It makes me feel better knowing there is someone like you and an organization like MRFF out there that will carefully listen and respond swiftly. ...
Posts on message boards and Twitter confirm that the writer of this email heard the contestant's introduction correctly.
As unbelievable as it sounds, Cmdr. Steve Cincotta, a submarine commander stationed at Navy Mine Anti-Submarine Warfare Command in San Diego, did, in fact, embarrass himself and the entire U.S. Navy by identifying himself on national TV as an "undersea nuclear Christian warrior," and MRFF certainly will be responding swiftly!