Pentagon launches Office of Religious Affairs, will report directly to Hegseth

Cutting edge technology, which we've talked about, new basing and bases, which we've talked about, and a better educational pipeline are still incomplete without the most essential component of our republic

Faith. Faith in something greater than us. 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

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 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 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. 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. 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 shop

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. As Psalm 3312 extols us

blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. 250 years ago, we rejected an earthly king in Ocean Away

appealing instead to a heavenly king above George Washington made sure that the Continental Army had chaplains back at the beginning back in 1775

That force appealed to heaven, and we still do today. Our national motto is, after all

in God we trust. Today, we reaffirm that trust. We're placing spiritual health at the same level

as physical health. 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

God is good. Evil is not. And America's military must understand the difference

To our incredible chaplains and religious support teams, live your calling, stand firm, preach truth

Minister to the flock. Fear no man. Or as the psalmist put it

the Lord is on my side. I will not fear. What can man do unto me

Amen to that