The military said distribution of the e-mail about the Democratic candidate for president violates Army regulations and constitutes unlawful political activity, and could be punished under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, The Boston Globe reported Jan. 20.

"Currently there is a chain e-mail floating around with the subject line: 'Who is Barack Obama,'" states the official warning, which was sent Jan. 17 to all personnel who work for Army Medical Command, based in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. "Like virtually all chain e-mails, this one is false."

Army regulations state uniformed or civilian Defense Department employees cannot "knowingly solicit or discourage the political activity of any person who has business with DoD; engage in political activity while on duty; and engage in political activity while in any federal workplace."

Obama's biological father was raised a Muslim in Kenya, but Obama met him only once and there is no evidence he was a radical, the newspaper reported. Obama later had a stepfather who was a practicing Muslim in Indonesia, but he divorced his mother after three years.

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