Secretary of War Pete Hegseth says he is planning a significant overhaul of the military’s Chaplain Corps by refocusing it on religious ministry and eliminating what he called secular influences.
Pledging to “make the Chaplain Corps great again,” Hegseth announced the initiative in a video message posted Tuesday, highlighting the historical role of chaplains in the military, citing President George Washington, who established the Chaplain Corps in 1775 as one of his first actions as general of the Continental Army.
Quoting Washington’s general orders, Hegseth said, “The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary, but especially so in times of public distress and danger.”
For nearly 250 years, Hegseth argued, chaplains served as the “spiritual and moral backbone” of the forces, ministering to service members’ souls in times of hardship. However, he contended that in recent decades, “as part of the ongoing war on warriors,” the corps has been degraded.
The 45-year-old Hegseth referenced the “Army Spiritual Fitness Guide,” a 112-page document released in August 2025 that frames spiritual fitness as key to force readiness. “In well over a hundred pages, it mentions God one time. That’s it,” said Hegseth. “It mentions feelings 11 times. It even mentions playfulness, whatever that is, nine times. There’s zero mention of virtue.”
The guide, described on the Army’s website as a “groundbreaking resource” equipping soldiers to build inner strength regardless of religious beliefs, emphasizes diverse sources of purpose, including God, family, patriotism or personal growth for religious and non-religious troops alike.
A CP review of the document confirmed that it contains a single reference to “God” and makes zero references to Christianity.
New Age terms like “consciousness” (43 times) and “mindfulness” (15 times) appear more frequently than religious references in the document. The word “Jewish,” for example, is used once, while “Islam” also appears once under the document’s reference list.
Hegseth described the guide as relying on “New Age notions,” defining a soldier’s spirit as consisting of “consciousness, creativity, and connection,” and accused it of alienating religious troops — which, according to the document, make up around 82% of active military members — by “pushing secular humanism.”
“In an atmosphere of political correctness and secular humanism, chaplains have been minimized, viewed by many as therapists instead of ministers,” Hegseth said. “Faith and virtue were traded for self-help and self-care.”
Calling the document “unacceptable and unserious,” Hegseth said he signed a directive to “eliminate the use of the “Army Spiritual Fitness Guide” effective immediately,” adding, “These types of training materials have no place in the War Department.”
Since his nomination by President Donald Trump last November, Hegseth, who identifies as a Christian, has been a target for controversy over his faith and politics.
In October, Hegseth addressed military leaders in Quantico, Virginia. He began his speech by noting the recent name change of the agency he oversees, declaring, “The era of the Department of Defense is over.” He also pledged to eliminate DEI initiatives and other “woke garbage” from the Pentagon.
During a voluntary event at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, in May, Hegseth led a prayer acknowledging Jesus as King and invoking His wisdom for guidance, prompting critics to accuse him of violating the U.S. Constitution.
“King Jesus, we come humbly before you, seeking your face, seeking your grace, in humble obedience to your law and to your Word,” Hegseth prayed. “We come as sinners saved only by that grace, seeking your providence in our lives and in our nation.”
Tracing its origins to the Revolutionary War, the Chaplain Corps was founded by George Washington in July 1775 during his time as general of the Continental Army, when the Continental Congress authorized one chaplain for each regiment of the Continental Army.
The Chaplain Corps has approximately 1,300 active duty Army chaplains representing five major faith groups and over 120 denominations.
