Overview
- The Army said it is aggressively moving forward to discontinue the 112-page Spiritual Fitness Guide following Hegseth's directive.
- Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to streamline the Faith and Belief Coding System and to create a new list of religious affiliation codes, without specifying which beliefs will be recognized.
- In a video message, Hegseth criticized the guide’s secular framing and promised a top-down cultural shift that places spiritual well-being alongside mental and physical health, with more changes to come.
- The Pentagon has not issued formal policy language redefining chaplains’ duties or the updated code list, leaving implementation details and recognition criteria unresolved.
- Reaction was sharply divided, with figures such as Franklin Graham and First Liberty praising the changes, while critics and watchdogs raised legal concerns and warned of potential pressure on service members.