Hegseth creates Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs

A direct line to the secretary

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has created an Office of Religious Affairs at the Pentagon and placed it under his direct authority. The reporting arrangement puts Hegseth at the top of the office’s chain rather than routing it through another defense official.

The office gives religious affairs a named place within the Pentagon’s organizational structure. Its direct reporting line also distinguishes it from an occasional event or informal initiative by establishing a continuing unit connected to the secretary’s office.

That structure means the Office of Religious Affairs will communicate upward to Hegseth. The office’s creation adds an institutional element to the role religion has played during his leadership of the Defense Department.

Religion under Hegseth’s leadership

Hegseth has made his evangelical Christian faith a visible part of his time leading the Pentagon. He has hosted Christian worship services for Pentagon employees and has often spoken of the United States as a Christian nation.

The new office extends that emphasis beyond worship services and public remarks. Hosting a service creates an event for employees, while establishing an office creates an organizational unit with a standing relationship to Pentagon leadership.

The reporting line is a central feature of the change because it connects the office directly to Hegseth. Further Pentagon actions can define how the office operates, who leads it and how its work relates to employees and other parts of the Defense Department.