US Department of War Creates Office of Religious Affairs to Boost Military ‘Spiritual Readiness’

The United States Department of War has established an Office of Religious Affairs to strengthen what it calls the “moral, ethical and spiritual readiness” of American military personnel. The new office will report directly to the Secretary of War and oversee religious-affairs policy and resources across the department.

The office was announced on Wednesday, September 30, as part of six initiatives unveiled by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during a State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico. The department said the initiative is intended to give military chaplaincies a stronger advocate at senior leadership level.

A memorandum establishing the office created the position of Director of Religious Affairs as a Principal Staff Assistant with direct access to the Secretary of War. The director will advise the secretary and deputy secretary on religious affairs and will have authority to align policies in the area.

The department said the office will focus on funding for religious ministry, chaplain facilities and infrastructure, logistics, chaplain procurement programmes, and training and education for chaplains and religious support teams. It will also oversee chaplain-led programmes, chapel youth activities and faith-based home-schooling support for military families.

The new office will also sponsor research and technology aimed at assessing “spiritual fitness, spiritual readiness, and spiritual resilience” across the armed forces. It will support faith-based initiatives focused on suicide reduction and resilience, as well as contracted services provided by faith-based non-governmental organisations.

The department has stressed that the policy does not require service members to participate in religious activities. Its official description says the office will protect the free exercise of religion and will not favour one faith or diminish the rights of personnel who have no religious affiliation.

The Director of Religious Affairs will also represent the Secretary of War on religious-affairs matters before Congress, other government agencies and civilian religious organisations. The Armed Forces Chaplains Board and its executive director will fall under the authority and direction of the new office.

The memorandum sets deadlines for building the office. A baseline budget and fiscal year 2027 funding plan are to be developed within 60 days, while the Department of War’s organisational structure is to be formalised within 90 days. Military department secretaries have also been instructed to submit reports identifying unfunded or underfunded religious-affairs needs.