US military creates office to oversee religious affairs
The United States Department of War has established an Office of Religious Affairs to coordinate religious support and advise senior leadership on spiritual readiness. A memorandum says the office will protect free exercise rights, oversee chaplaincy resources and develop a budget, while explicitly ruling out compulsory religious participation.
The United States Department of War has established an Office of Religious Affairs to strengthen what it describes as the moral, ethical and spiritual readiness of military personnel. The office was created through a memorandum issued on Wednesday to senior Pentagon leaders, combatant-commanders, defence-agency directors and Department of War field activities. The directive took effect immediately and also created the post of Director of the Office of Religious Affairs.
The director will serve as a Principal Staff Assistant with direct access to the Secretary of War. According to the memorandum, the official will advise the Secretary and Deputy Secretary on religious affairs across the department and may align or issue related policies on the Secretary’s behalf. The office will oversee funding for religious ministry, facilities, infrastructure, logistics and chaplain procurement.
Its responsibilities will also include training and education for chaplains and religious support teams, chapel youth programmes and faith-based home-schooling support for military families. The memorandum said the office would sponsor research, technology and analytical tools to assess spiritual fitness, readiness and resilience. It will also support faith-based initiatives intended to reduce suicides, strengthen personnel resilience and provide contracted services from faith-based non-federal organisations.
The document explicitly stated that the initiative would not compel religious participation or diminish the rights of service members, civilian employees or family members “of any faith or no faith”. The Armed Forces Chaplains Board and its executive director will come under the new director’s authority. A baseline budget and fiscal 2027 funding plan must be prepared within 60 days, while the office’s formal organisational structure must be drafted within 90 days.
Military department secretaries must also report unfunded or underfunded religious-affairs requirements within 90 days.
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