Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the creation of an Office of Religious Affairs (ORA) “to strengthen the moral, ethical, and spiritual readiness of our warfighters.” The director will report directly to Hegseth.
A Department of War memo explained the agency “will ensure resources are adequately provided and, where necessary, policy is properly aligned to prioritize the free exercise of religion and the spiritual readiness across the Total Force.”
Hegseth made the announcement during his “State of the Force” speech on Sept. 30.
“We are placing spiritual health at the same level as physical health,” Hegseth said. “Our department is, you might say, is putting on the full Armor of God. Because while we wage physical war, we all know the real battle is spiritual. God is good. Evil is not. America’s military must understand the difference.”
According to Hegseth, one of the main objectives is to provide military chaplains proper support to carry out their duty.
“This won’t be a paper-pushing shop,” he explained. “It will have real teeth. It will 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.”
The ORA is the latest in a long list of positive steps by the administration that will protect religious liberty for our service members, chaplains and veterans.
In January, the President’s Religious Liberty Commission heard testimony about the attacks on religious freedom in the military. The Commission heard from First Liberty clients and attorneys who experienced religious discrimination.
“Religious liberty is a very foundation stone of American security,” explains First Liberty Senior Counsel and Director of Military Affairs, Chris Motz. “Throughout its history, faith has been the sinew binding America’s might. In recent memory, this pillar vanished. Outright religious discrimination in the armed forces has been well-documented.”
Religious liberty is in the DNA of America’s military. Faith has played a central role throughout our nation’s history, back to the Founding Era when George Washington requested chaplains to support the Continental Army in the fight for independence.
A congressional report found approximately 73% of service members identify as people of faith, and they attend religious services weekly or more at twice the rate as their civilian counterparts. The men and women in uniform continue to draw strength, courage and inspiration from their faith as they fight for the rights and freedoms that we cherish so dearly.
First Liberty Institute is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans.
