Pentagon Creates Direct-Report Office for Religious Affairs
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth established a new Office of Religious Affairs (ORA) that reports directly to him, bypassing traditional bureaucratic layers. The office aims to secure funding and infrastructure for military chaplains and religious support, which Hegseth described as previously neglected by secular administrators. While the Pentagon states the office will not compel religious participation or favor specific faiths, the move follows a broader restructuring of the military’s spiritual and leadership structures.