Pete Hegseth creates Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has established the Pentagon's Office of Religious Affairs (ORA), marking his latest faith-related reform at the department. Speaking at a Wednesday event, Hegseth emphasized the office's role in providing "first-class religious support," with the ORA reporting directly to him. The Pentagon described the office as bolstering the "full armour of God," drawing a parallel between physical warfare and the "spiritual battle."

Prior to the ORA's creation, Hegseth had hosted Christian worship services for employees and frequently emphasized the United States as a Christian nation. The ORA will advocate for military chaplains and religious support at the highest level, asserting it will not compel religious participation, favor one faith, or diminish personnel's rights based on faith or lack thereof.

Critics immediately raised concerns over the initiative, with Rachel Laser, head of Americans United for Separation of Church, alleging that Hegseth's announcement elevates Christianity's role in shaping military policy, thus violating the promise to defend religious freedom. Other federal agencies have had religious or faith-based offices, established by Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.

The new office's leader has not been named yet, but a Pentagon memo mentioned the director will coordinate spiritual resources, including faith-based homeschool support for military families and initiatives supporting department-wide suicide reduction. Hegseth has also pushed for more conservative and Christian influences in the military school system and reduced the number of officially recognized religious affiliations from over 200 to 31, excluding atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans, and Wiccans.

The Pentagon is also set to implement mandatory testosterone testing for most male troops. During his address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Hegseth addressed chaplains, using Christian-inflected language to encourage them to "live your calling, stand firm, preach truth, minister to the flock."