The Department of Defense has sharply reduced the number of religious affiliation categories available in its personnel system, cutting the list from 211 faith and belief codes to 31 as part of a broader effort to streamline religious support inside the U.S. military.
The change was outlined in a May 20 memorandum signed by Anthony Tata, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. The memo directs the military services and defense personnel systems to update their religious affiliation codes within 60 days.
Pentagon officials say the revised list is intended to make it easier for chaplains and commanders to understand the broad religious composition of military units and plan support for service members. Critics, however, warn that removing dozens of smaller or minority faith categories could make some troops feel less visible inside the force.
The previous system was created in 2017 after the Armed Forces Chaplains Board helped expand and standardize faith and belief codes across the services. That earlier system included more than 200 categories, ranging from major world religions and Christian denominations to smaller traditions and belief systems such as Wicca, Paganism, Druidism, Humanism and Unitarian Universalism.
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Defense leaders now argue that the old system had become too large to be practical. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously criticized the more than 200-code framework as “impractical and unusable,” saying many of the codes were rarely or never used. Pentagon officials have also said that most religiously identifying service members fell into a small number of categories.
Under the revised structure, the remaining categories include several Christian denominations, along with Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Baha’i, agnostic, no religion and other religion. The new list no longer separately includes several smaller religious and philosophical categories that were previously available, including atheism, Unitarian Universalism, Paganism and Wicca.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the reduction is not intended to determine which faiths are legitimate or officially approved by the government. Instead, he said the goal is to allow chaplains to quickly review the religious makeup of their units and organize resources for service members of all faith groups.
Parnell also said the department continues to value the free exercise of religion, including the right of service members to practice a religion of their choice or no religion at all.
The distinction is important because the military’s religious affiliation codes are used for internal records and planning. They are not supposed to decide what a service member personally believes, whether that belief is protected, or what can be placed on dog tags. According to reporting on the memo, the revised codes do not affect what religious inscription service members may choose for identification tags.
Still, the change has raised concern among religious liberty advocates and minority faith communities. The Unitarian Universalist Association criticized the decision, warning that service members from smaller traditions could face more difficulty obtaining appropriate spiritual support if their specific affiliation is no longer visible in personnel records.
Others have argued that the consolidation could make chaplain planning less precise, not more. A broad “other religion” category may help simplify databases, but it can also obscure the needs of smaller communities whose practices may require specific accommodations, holidays, services or pastoral support.
Supporters of the change argue that the old list was too complex and that a streamlined system will help chaplains focus on practical support rather than maintaining hundreds of separate administrative labels. They also point out that service members can still request religious accommodation and chaplain support even if their exact tradition is not listed as a separate code.
The debate comes during a broader review of military chaplaincy under Hegseth. The Pentagon has also moved to emphasize the chaplain’s religious role more clearly, including changes involving chaplain insignia. Hegseth has said chaplains should be understood first as religious leaders and then as officers.
For service members, the immediate impact may depend on how the new system is implemented. Troops who previously selected one of the removed codes may need to choose a broader category, such as “other religion,” “no religion” or a larger tradition that best fits their identity. Chaplains, commanders and personnel officials will then need to ensure that the simplified system does not prevent service members from receiving religious support or accommodation.
The Pentagon’s message is that the change is administrative. The concern from critics is that administrative categories can still shape visibility, resources and institutional recognition.
As the military services update their systems, the central question will be whether the smaller list actually improves chaplain support — or whether it makes it harder for less common religious groups to be counted and served.
Why It Matters
The change matters because the military is one of the most religiously diverse institutions in the federal government, and service members depend on chaplains for worship support, counseling, crisis care and religious accommodation.
It also matters because religious freedom in the military requires balance. The Pentagon must manage practical systems across a large force, but it also has to ensure that smaller faith groups and nonreligious service members are not overlooked.
What Comes Next
The military services have 60 days from the May 20 memo to update their personnel systems and bring the new religious affiliation codes into use.
Religious liberty groups, chaplain organizations and minority faith communities are likely to watch closely for how the change affects service members in practice. If troops report problems receiving support or accommodations, the policy could face additional scrutiny from Congress, advocacy groups or the courts.
