WASHINGTON (Realist English). US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on September 30, 2026, the creation of the Office of Religious Affairs (ORA) at the Pentagon. The new structure will report directly to the secretary. The move is seen as a continuation of Hegseth’s course toward further embedding evangelical Christianity in the Pentagon’s leadership and has already drawn sharp criticism.
Announcement and official position
Hegseth announced the decision during a “state of the forces” speech at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia. According to him, the new office will help provide “first-class religious support” and “report directly to me.”
In his speech, Hegseth used openly Christian language: “Our department is, so to speak, putting on the whole armor of God, because when we wage physical war, we all know that the real battle is spiritual.” He later addressed military chaplains directly: “Live out your calling. Stand firm. Preach the truth. Shepherd the flock.”
According to a Pentagon statement, the Office of Religious Affairs will advocate for military chaplains and religious support “at the highest level of the department,” but will not “coerce religious participation, favor any faith, or undermine the rights of persons of any faith or no faith.”
Criticism and the crux of the dispute
Critics responded immediately, focusing on three main accusations:
— The First Amendment problem. Rachel Laser, head of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, stated: “The Pentagon owes the nation’s service members a promise to defend religious freedom. Hegseth’s latest statement breaks that promise by elevating Christianity to a higher role in shaping US military policy.” Democratic Congressman Jared Huffman of California quoted the text of the First Amendment on social media, calling Hegseth a “Christian nationalist at full throttle.”
— Ignoring non-religious service members. The Secular Coalition called the new office “ignoring the many non-religious service members and spitting on our Constitution.”
— Difference from other federal structures. Religion researcher Shaun Casey noted that he headed the State Department’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs under the Obama administration, and that office “was not about promoting religion or spiritual well-being,” but “understanding what political influence lived religion has in hotspots around the world.”
Broader religious reforms at the Pentagon
The new office is not an isolated measure, but the latest link in a series of Hegseth’s religious reforms:
— Sharp reduction in recognized faiths. The Pentagon reduced the number of officially recognized religious affiliations from more than 200 to 31; atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans, and Wiccans no longer appear on the list.
— Change in chaplains’ insignia. Hegseth ordered that military chaplains no longer wear military rank on their uniforms, but instead be identified by religious emblems.
— Shift in chaplains’ functions. Hegseth stated he wants chaplains to focus more on God and less on therapeutic “self-help and self-care.”
— Support for military families. The memorandum mentions that the director of religious affairs will coordinate “faith-based family education support for military families,” as well as “faith-based initiatives in support of suicide reduction across the department.”
Background
Hegseth is an evangelical Christian belonging to the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. He has previously held Christian services for Pentagon employees and often publicly calls the US a Christian nation. The head of the new office has not yet been appointed.
