Department of War Cuts Recognized Faiths to 31, Removing 180 From Chaplain List

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 4

Anthony Tata’s Thursday memo slashed the military’s recognized faith codes from more than 200 to 31, formalizing a change the Pentagon had previewed earlier this year.
The department said the overhaul will help chaplains deliver more targeted religious support after a system Hegseth called impractical and clogged with many unused codes.
The revised list still includes major groups such as agnostics, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs and several Christian denominations including Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans and Methodists.
Pete Hegseth said in March that most service members already fell under just six faith codes, framing the cut as part of a broader chaplaincy reset that also ordered chaplains to display religious insignia instead of rank.