Coverage dated September 30, 2026 to October 3, 2026
DOD launches office of religious affairs
Headline from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, on the newest of 2 developments
WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is launching an office of religious affairs, the latest of his faith-related reforms at the Pentagon.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.
Developments in this update
2 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.
Pete Hegseth creates a Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs reporting directly to him
War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday a new Office of Religious Affairs during a speech to troops at Marine Corps Base Quantico, providing a channel for chaplains to directly communicate with top officials at the Department of War.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth plans to create an Office of Religious Affairs within the Pentagon that will “strengthen the moral, ethical and spiritual readiness of our warfighters.” Hegseth announced the new office Sept. 30 in a speech laden...
On Wednesday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the creation of a new entity within the Pentagon: the Office of Religious Affairs. The office, Hegseth promised the assembled troops in Quantico, Virginia, would “report straight to the top.
Faith is getting a direct line to the Pentagon. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a major change for religious affairs in the U.S. military, establishing a new office that he says will give military chaplains something they have been missing: an advocate at the highest levels of leadership.
Pete Hegseth, U.S. secretary of defense, during a “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth heralded the creation of the Pentagon's new Office of Religious Affairs by quoting from the Psalms, an announcement that drew criticism from secularist advocates and support from a Catholic archdiocese.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has unveiled a new Office of Religious Affairs, aiming to elevate spiritual health to the same level as physical well-being within the military and provide direct religious support to service members.
Ninety-five percent of American service members identify as religious, and War Secretary Pete Hegseth just gave them a direct line to the Pentagon’s top leadership. Hegseth announced Wednesday the establishment of the Office of Religious Affairs, a move designed to support troops and the chaplains w…
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has infused his evangelical Christianity into his leadership of the Pentagon, hosting Christian worship services for employees and often speaking of the United States as a Christian nation.
“Our department is, you might say, putting on the full armor of God, because while we wage physical war, we all know the real battle is spiritual,” Hegseth says
