Department of War establishes “Office of Religious Affairs”: What will it do?
By Easton Martin
The Department of War established a new Office of Religious Affairs to oversee military chaplaincy and spiritual programs across the armed forces.
Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the initiative through a departmental memorandum, ordering the office to report directly to leadership. The directive removes staff filters to give military chaplains direct access to senior command.
The office will secure dedicated funding for chapels, military religious logistics, and chaplain training programs. It will also direct resources toward chapel youth initiatives and faith-based homeschooling assistance for military families.
Under the order, service branch secretaries and their respective chiefs of chaplains must compile a full assessment within 90 days detailing all underfunded religious programs. That review includes contracted services from non-federal faith organizations and analytical tools that track spiritual readiness.
The newly created office will develop departmental policies regarding the constitutional free exercise of religion. It will coordinate faith-based efforts intended to curb military suicides and build mental resilience for personnel facing combat deployments.
