Topeka ? A national group alleged Wednesday that Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., is forcing soldiers to participate in a weekly religious event, a program that has been mentioned in a federal lawsuit in Kansas.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State sent a letter to the Department of Defense’s inspector general, asking for an investigation into the Sunday evening event, whose name was recently changed from “Free Day Away” to “Tabernacle Baptist Church Retreat Program.” The Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lebanon, Mo., has conducted the event for soldiers from the Missouri post since 1971.

A Fort Leonard Wood spokesman said the program is voluntary, and the church’s pastor said it has taken steps to ensure that soldiers know they will hear a religious message if they attend.

But Americans United’s executive director, the Rev. Barry Lynn, said soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood must either attend the program or stay on post.

“That’s not the kind of choice that ought be to be given to soldiers,” said Lynn, who described the practice as “coercive evangelism.”

In the letter to the Defense Department, Lynn’s group said its request was prompted by complaints from an unnamed soldier assigned to Fort Leonard Wood.

A spokesman for the Department of Defense, Cmdr. Darryn James, said he didn’t know whether the inspector general had received the letter and declined to comment further.

The Rev. Don Ball said the church recently started having soldiers review and sign a release before attending.

“We make no qualms about it. Our intent isn’t to make a Baptist out of them, but we are going to preach a Baptist message to them,” Ball said.

He said he has gone so far as to drive soldiers back to post when they feel uncomfortable about hearing the Christian message.