Hegseth creates Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs reporting directly to him; church-state group objects

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the Office of Religious Affairs (ORA) in his "State of the Force" address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday, Sept. 30. He said it would provide "first-class religious support" to service members. A memorandum signed the same day says the office reports directly to him, effective immediately, Military Times reported. "The experts, our chaplains, will finally have an advocate at the highest levels," Hegseth said.

According to the memo, as described by Military Times and USA Today, the office's director has not yet been named. The director will be the principal adviser on religious affairs to the secretary and deputy secretary. The office is to secure funding for chaplain-led programs and faith-based initiatives, including suicide-reduction efforts and support for military families who homeschool for religious reasons. It will set religious-affairs policy and take oversight of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board. Within 60 days it is to submit an initial budget baseline for fiscal year 2027. Chaplains remain the department's main providers of religious support. A Pentagon statement says the office will not "compel religious participation, favor one faith, or diminish the rights of personnel of any faith or lack thereof," the Associated Press reported.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which has sued the department over monthly Pentagon prayer services, objected. Americans United's president and CEO, Rachel Laser, said in a Sept. 30 statement that Hegseth's announcement "violates that promise by elevating Christianity to an even higher role in shaping U.S. military policy." The Military Religious Freedom Foundation and Interfaith Alliance also criticized the office, USA Today reported.

The office follows other changes Hegseth has made to the chaplaincy. The department now officially recognizes 31 religious affiliations, down from more than 200, and chaplains have been told to wear symbols of their faith rather than their rank insignia, according to AP and Military Times.