Maj. Brandon Candee, the chaplain of the 1-151st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, conducted services earlier in July, yet a more pressing concern emerged this week. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivered a stark warning about what he views as a crisis within the military chaplaincy. He stated that the role of chaplains has been eroded under the Obama and Biden administrations. This decline has undermined the significant mission of supporting “our men and women in times of hardship and ministering to their souls.” Hegseth conveyed that the degradation of chaplains, whom he likened to warriors facing an enemy, is a disappointing legacy of recent political climates marked by political correctness and secular humanism.
The U.S. military chaplaincy, established by General George Washington in 1775, was meant to provide spiritual support to service members. Washington recognized the need for faith during perilous times, calling for the blessing and protection of a higher power. For nearly two centuries, the Chaplain Corps served as a mainstay in the moral upbringing of soldiers, guiding them through spiritual challenges. Hegseth recalls the commitment of chaplains to their roles, emphasizing that they were once regarded as vital to military life and equipped to care for service members’ spiritual needs.
In recent years, this truth has faded. Presently, about 3,000 to 4,000 military chaplains serve across the armed forces, yet their influence has waned. Hegseth criticized how political and social currents have redefined chaplaincy, transforming once-respected leaders into figures reduced to the role of “quasi-therapists.” He raised concerns that faith has been overshadowed by modern trends toward emotional management, further distancing chaplains from their core mission of fostering virtue and moral formation.
Testimony from a December 10 hearing of the Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty illustrated this decline. Prominent religious leaders and policy experts outlined the hostility toward religious expression that began under Obama and persisted with Biden. Major policy changes have sought to diminish the integration of chaplains within military functions by outsourcing their presence, effectively detaching them from day-to-day military life and dulling their spiritual impact.
Hegseth flagged the April 2023 decision that prohibited Catholic chaplains from fulfilling pastoral duties at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as a specific moment representing the broader trend of sidelining faith within the military. He underscored this action as a stark reminder of religious marginalization that has encroached upon military life.
Historically, chaplains played a critical role in educating service members about Just War theory, a framework that established ethical guidelines for combat decisions. Hegseth asserted that chaplains now face increasing barriers to fulfilling their teaching roles. He referenced the testimony of former Army Chief of Chaplains Maj. Gen. Doug Carver, who recalled a time when chaplains were instrumental in teaching character-guidance classes. Within the evolving military environment, where secular values dominate, there has been a concerning trend of removal from positions where chaplains once taught essential ethical principles.
Citing multiple examples of hostility toward religious expression, Hegseth referred to incidents where religious symbols were forced from military equipment, illustrating a culture that openly rebuffs faith. The case of Trijicon rifle scopes, which bore coded biblical references, exemplified concerns about an unwanted religious presence within the military. General David Petraeus expressed discomfort over the inscriptions, further solidifying the perception that religious expression has become unwelcome within military ranks.
Further illustrating the diminishing influence of chaplains, Hegseth pointed out changes like the 2012 Air Force patch controversy, where religious references were stripped under pressure from secular organizations. These instances reveal a troubling culture where chaplains become hesitant figures who refrain from open displays of faith due to fear of backlash.
As a form of both resistance and reflection, Hegseth and others in leadership see the evolving identity of chaplains as problematic. Carver elaborated, saying that the rebranding has transformed chaplains into “spiritual readiness coaches,” whose roles lack the religious foundation once prevalent. Without this integration of faith into military life, both spiritual growth and morale may falter, leaving service members without the spiritual grounding they historically received.
Hegseth criticized contemporary guidelines, such as the Army’s Spiritual Fitness Guide that speaks of soldiers’ spirits in secular, New Age terms rather than acknowledging the role of God. Pointing to the pitiful representation of religious values, he argued that resources meant for spiritual well-being have become entangled in a jargon-heavy structure divorced from genuine faith practice. “In short, it’s unacceptable and unserious,” he declared, announcing plans to abolish the guide.
Looking ahead, Hegseth envisions reforms designed to revitalize the chaplaincy role. He advocates for an atmosphere where spiritual well-being is treated with the same importance as physical and mental health. Reaffirming that the chaplaincy must return to its religious roots, Hegseth cited once more the 1956 Army Chaplain’s Manual, emphasizing the chaplain’s identity as a “pastor and shepherd” whose mission must be unencumbered by modern secular constraints.
In closing, Hegseth urged a cultural shift within the military framework to allow chaplains to guide service members without restrictions. He holds that without this transformation, the potential for nurturing the souls of America’s warriors becomes intangible, undermining an institution formed on deep faith and moral clarity.
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