Defense Secretary Hegseth creates Office of Religious Affairs — The Hindu

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the creation of an Office of Religious Affairs at the Pentagon. The new structure is intended to provide “first-class religious support” and report directly to the head of the defense department.

Announcement at the Pentagon

Hegseth announced the launch of the office during a speech on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. That day, he delivered an address on the state of the forces at the Marine Corps Base Quantico. As The Hindu reports, the office will report directly to the US secretary of defense. The AP report was published on October 2, 2026.

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Faith-related initiatives

The creation of the office was Hegseth’s latest initiative at the Pentagon related to matters of faith. According to the publication, he has brought his evangelical Christianity into the department’s leadership, organized Christian worship services for employees, and often spoken of the United States as a Christian nation. The publication describes these actions as part of faith-related reforms at the Pentagon.