Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a new Office of Religious Affairs, committing to an effort that gives chaplains access to Department leadership and providing more support for a contingent of soldiers that, according to Hegseth, are nearly 95% religious with a belief in Almighty God.
For context, Hegseth was speaking at his second State Of The Force Address in Quantico, Virginia. Quantico is home to over 50,000 acres of various federal agencies, including a large Marine Corps base as well as FBI and DEA training ground, among others. It is approximately 36 miles south of Washington, D.C.. It was the second ever of its kind, having originated by the Trump War Secretary in 2025 at the inaugural speech.
“When an American warrior raises their right hand to defend our nation, you sign away a lot more than just time. You miss births, you miss first steps, you miss final goodbyes, you miss other civilian careers. But one of the costs that is rarely thought about or talked about is the loss of your religious community,” Hegseth said.
“Every time we issue orders to move a warrior to a new location, they leave behind the faith community, the church that grounds them. For people of faith, that community isn’t just a nice to have. In many ways, it’s an extension of their family. It’s their moral foundation or their personal and spiritual accountability, the very bedrock of their warrior ethos. When you actually look at the numbers, and this will be good for the press, less than 5% of our force identifies as non-religious,” he went on.
“Less than 5% meaning 95% of our force recognizes an Almighty God. Accordingly, our department therefore has a sacred duty: first-class religious support wherever we send our warriors. Now, for far too long, you know, we didn’t prioritize that duty at all. It was an afterthought. Political correctness and secular humanism got a vote; chaplains did not. Budgets were cut, resourcing and manpower needs were ignored, base chapels fell apart, decisions about faith and religion were made by secular careerists in cubicles, and lawyers running around with red tape,” he noted.
“Now we don’t put non-lawyers in charge of the JAG Corps or non-doctors in charge of military surgeons, yet for decades we let people with no expertise in faith or religion dictate the spiritual life of our warriors. The people who actually practice faith and religion, our chaplains, were buried echelons deep, waiting for permission. We asked chaplains to serve and sacrifice, and then sideline them with paperwork and process, and that ends now,” he said.
“Today, at my direction, I’m establishing the Office of Religious Affairs. Starting today, and for Secretaries of War after me, the Office of Religious Affairs will report straight to the top. No staff filters, no bureaucratic dilution, a direct line to the secretary. This is not going to be a paper pushing shot. It’s going to have real teeth. It’ll protect budgets, demand infrastructure, and strengthen religious support. The experts, our chaplains, will finally have an advocate at the highest levels. Policy and resources will serve the mission, not smother the mission,” he added.
Watch Hegseth explain the new Office below:
Featured image: Screen shot from embedded video