Pete Hegseth creates a Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs reporting
directly to him
[October 02, 2026]
By TIFFANY STANLEY
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is launching an office
of religious affairs, the latest of his faith-related reforms at the
Pentagon.
He announced in a speech Wednesday that the office will help offer
“first-class religious support” and will report directly to him.
“Our department is, you might say, putting on the full armor of God,
because while we wage physical war, we all know the real battle is
spiritual,” he said.
Hegseth has infused his evangelical Christianity into his leadership of
the Pentagon, hosting Christian worship services for employees and often
speaking of the United States as a Christian nation.
The Office of Religious Affairs, or ORA, will advocate for military
chaplains and religious support “at the highest level of the
Department,” according to a Pentagon statement. It will not “compel
religious participation, favor one faith, or diminish the rights of
personnel of any faith or lack thereof.”
Some criticism of the initiative surfaced quickly.
The Pentagon “owes it to the nation’s service members to defend
religious freedom,” said Rachel Laser, head of Americans United for
Separation of Church, which has sued the Pentagon over its worship
services. “Hegseth’s latest announcement violates that promise by
elevating Christianity to an even higher role in shaping U.S. military
policy.”
Other federal agencies have had religious or faith-based offices, which
were established under President George W. Bush and were continued in
different forms under the Obama and Biden administrations. President
Donald Trump established a White House Faith Office and had a similar
effort during his first term.
Shaun Casey, a religion scholar, led the State Department’s Office of
Religion and Global Affairs during the Obama administration. The office
did not promote religion or spiritual well-being, he said. “It was there
to understand what were the political implications of lived religion in
the various hot spots around the world.”
[to top of second column]
|
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gives a State of the Force address
at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026 in
Quantico, Va. (Alex Wong/Pool Photo via AP)
The leader of the new office has not been named. A Pentagon memo
said the religious affairs director will coordinate spiritual
resources, including “faith-based homeschool support for military
families.” Hegseth has also pushed the military school system to
introduce more coursework that draws from conservative and Christian
influences.
The memo mentions “faith-based initiatives supporting
Department-wide suicide reduction.” In recent years, the military
has become increasingly dependent on chaplains to help address the
growing numbers of troops in mental health distress. Hegseth has
said he wants chaplains to focus more on God and less on therapeutic
“self-help and self-care.”
The secretary has pushed other changes within the military’s
chaplain corps, which provides spiritual care to troops. He ordered
chaplains, who are commissioned officers, to no longer wear their
rank on their uniform but instead be identified by religious
insignia.
The Defense Department also slashed the number of religious
affiliations it officially recognizes, down to 31 from more than 200
previously recognized traditions. The list no longer includes
atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans.
Hegseth spoke directly to chaplains in his address Wednesday at
Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. Using Christian-inflected
language, he said: “Live your calling. Stand firm. Preach truth.
Minister to the flock.”
He then quoted from the Bible: “The Lord is on my side; I will not
fear. What can man do unto me?”
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
