In a recent address, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth voiced his concerns over what he perceives as the erosion and undermining of the U.
S. military chaplain's mission under the Obama and Biden administrations.
Hegseth highlighted a crisis that he believes has been largely overlooked: the gradual weakening of the Army Chaplain Corps, whose role is to serve the spiritual and moral needs of military personnel during times of hardship.
According to Gateway Pundit, Hegseth expressed his dismay over the diminishing role of chaplains in recent years, attributing this to a climate of political correctness and secular humanism. He argued that these forces have minimized the chaplain's role, transforming them into quasi-therapists rather than spiritual guides.
The U.S. military chaplaincy, established in 1775 by General George Washington during the American Revolution, has historically served as the spiritual and moral backbone of American forces. However, Hegseth argues that this role has been diluted over the past few decades, undermining an institution that was once central to the moral and spiritual life of the armed forces.
Testimony presented at the December 10 hearing of the Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty, which included commissioners such as Rev. Franklin Graham and Bishop Robert Barron, revealed that hostility toward religious freedom in the U.S. military began in earnest in 2009 under the Obama administration and has continued under the Biden administration.
Witnesses cited multiple policy shifts that weakened the role of faith in military life, including efforts by both Democratic administrations to outsource chaplains, fundamentally altering their role from integrated spiritual support to detached contracted services.
Further concerns were raised over the Department of Defenses April 2023 decision to end its longstanding relationship with the Holy Name College Friary and order Catholic chaplains to cease performing pastoral duties at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Critics view this move as indicative of the broader marginalization of faith in the military.
Historically, military chaplains played a central role in teaching Just War theory, a doctrine of military ethics developed by Christian theologians such as St. Augustine of Hippo and later refined by St. Thomas Aquinas. However, testimony revealed that chaplains have been increasingly removed from teaching roles, marking a decisive shift away from religiously grounded moral instruction within the military.
Former Army Chief of Chaplains Maj. Gen. Doug Carver told the commission that chaplains are now often referred to as spiritual readiness coaches, values facilitators, or morale officers rather than religious leaders. He recalled that when he entered the Army in 1973, chaplains taught character-guidance classes and soldiers were given a monthly day for spiritual reflection, practices that have since disappeared.
Hegseth pointed to the Army Spiritual Fitness Guide as further evidence of the systematic removal of faith from chaplaincy. He criticized the guide for its lack of discussion on virtue and its reliance on New Age concepts, arguing that it alienates warfighters of faith by promoting secular humanism.
Hegseth announced that he would sign a directive eliminating the guide effective immediately, stating, These types of training materials have no place in the War Department. Our chaplains are chaplains, not emotional support officers, and were going to treat them as such.
Hegseth also revealed plans for additional reforms intended to restore chaplains to their historic role as moral anchors within the fighting force. He emphasized the need for a cultural shift that places spiritual well-being on equal footing with mental and physical health. The goal, he explained, is to support not only the bodies and minds of service members, but their souls.
Drawing from the 1956 Army Chaplains Manual, Hegseth reiterated that the chaplain is the pastor and shepherd of the souls entrusted to his care and described the role as a high and sacred calling. He stressed that this mission can only succeed if chaplains are given the freedom to boldly guide and care for their flocks without institutional restraint.
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