Secretary of War Pete Hegseth says his latest reforms will allow the Chaplain Corps to fulfill its mission of being the spiritual backbone of America’s military.
The number of faith codes used in the service has been winnowed down to 31, according to a War Department news release.
In 2017, the Pentagon issued a list of 221 groups that qualify as a religious group. The list included Wiccans and atheists, according to Stars and Stripes.
“The previous system had ballooned to well over 200 faith codes,” Hegseth said Tuesday.
“It was impractical and unusable, and many codes were never used at all,” Hegseth said, adding that most of the 82 percent of service members who identify as being religious used six of the codes.
The reduction “brings the codes in line with its original purpose, giving chaplains clear, usable information so they can minister to service members in a way that aligns with that service member’s faith background and religious practice,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth added that the chaplains will display their religious insignia on their uniforms instead of their ranks.
“A chaplain is first and foremost a chaplain, and an officer second. This change is a visual representation of that fact,” he said.
“While they will retain rank as an officer to those they serve, their rank will not be visible.”
Hegseth said his Chaplain Corps reforms are not over.
“These two reforms are big progress, but we’re not even close to being done. These are the first steps toward restoring the esteemed position of chaplain as moral anchors of our fighting force,” Hegseth said.
“Theirs is a high and sacred calling, but they can only be successful if they are given the freedom to boldly guide and care for their flock.”
We are (still) making the Chaplain Corps Great Again. pic.twitter.com/nlv9KLAVpo
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) March 24, 2026
“As I reported to you in December, in previous administrations, our Chaplain Corps was infected by political correctness and secular humanism,” Hegseth said in a video posted to X.
“The core functions of the Chaplain Corps were changed and watered down until many viewed them as nothing more than therapists. Faith and virtue were traded for self-help and self-care. We started correcting that drift then, and today, we’re going further,” Hegseth said.
“The crucible of combat tests more than the body. It tests conviction, character, and spirit. The military’s Chaplain Corps serves as the spiritual and moral backbone of our nation’s armed forces,” he continued.
“Chaplains help forge spiritual readiness across the force. And that matters because in combat, in crisis, and in loss, a war fighter needs more than a coping mechanism,” he said.
“They need truth, big T truth. They need conviction. They need a shepherd.”
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