He announced in a speech Wednesday that the office will help offer “first-class religious support” and will report directly to him.
“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,” he said.
The Office of Religious Affairs, or ORA, will advocate for military chaplains and religious support “at the highest level of the Department,” according to a Pentagon statement. It will not “compel religious participation, favor one faith, or diminish the rights of personnel of any faith or lack thereof.”
The Defense Department also slashed the number of religious affiliations it officially recognizes, down to 31 from more than 200 previously recognized traditions. The list no longer includes atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans.
Hegseth spoke directly to chaplains in his address Wednesday at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. He said: “Live your calling. Stand firm. Preach truth. Minister to the flock.”
He then quoted from the Bible: “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do unto me?”
