The United States military has established an Office of Religious Affairs to strengthen what it describes as the “moral, ethical, and spiritual readiness” of service members.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the new office on Wednesday, September 30, during his “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. The office will report directly to the Secretary of War and serve as the department’s central authority on religious affairs policy and resources.
Under a memorandum issued to senior military leadership, the office will oversee funding and support for military religious ministries, chaplain services, religious facilities, training programs, and chapel youth programs.
It will also support faith-based homeschooling assistance for military families, suicide-reduction initiatives, and research and technology aimed at assessing spiritual fitness, readiness, and resilience.
The memorandum states that the office will not compel religious participation or limit the rights of service members, civilian employees, or their families who follow any faith or no faith.
The new director will serve as the principal adviser to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of War on religious affairs and will represent the department on such matters before Congress, government agencies, and civilian religious organizations.
The office will also have authority to align and, where necessary, issue policies on religious affairs on behalf of the Secretary.
As part of the implementation process, the department’s military branches have been given 90 days to identify unfunded or underfunded religious-affairs needs. A preliminary budget and funding plan for the office for fiscal year 2027 is also expected within 60 days.
The Department of War said the Service chaplaincies will remain the military’s primary providers of religious support, while the new office will provide them with direct representation at the highest level of the department.
