Why is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordering military chaplains to remove their rank insignias?

All active-duty chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces are commissioned officers — but they are spiritual leaders first and military officers second.

That’s the distinction made by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, prompting his order last week that all chaplains replace their officer rank insignias on their uniforms with their religious insignia.

Now their military rank will not be shown.

“This speaks to the difficult balance of the duality of a military chaplain,” said Hegseth in a message posted on his X account.

“A chaplain is, first and foremost, a chaplain — and an officer, second.”

The uniform insignia change, he added, is “a visual representation” of that fact. “Specifically — unique to the role of a chaplain — they are first and foremost, called and ordained by God.

“And while they will retain rank as an officer, to those they serve, their rank will not be visible. Instead, they will be seen among the highest ranks because of their divine calling.”

The change is intended “to lift and celebrate” the chaplain’s role as a spiritual caregiver for the troops, explained Hegseth.

“It also removes any unease or anxiety junior officers or enlisted personnel may have in approaching an officer — potentially a senior officer — for guidance on sensitive matters such as addiction, relationships, or struggles with faith.”

A day after issuing his chaplain modifications, Hegseth hosted a Christian worship service at the Pentagon where he repeated a chaplain’s recent prayer pleading for violence “against those who deserve no mercy.”

That prayer cited by Hegseth appeared to have provoked a sharp response from Pope Leo XIV, saying “(Jesus) does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”

Shrinking the military’s faith affiliation codes

Hegseth also announced in his recent X post that his agency is revamping the military’s coding system for categorizing a service member’s religious affiliation such as Catholic, Jewish, Muslim. atheist, Sikh or Latter-day Saints.

Previously, the religious affiliation codes had expanded to over 200 faith codes.

“It was impractical and unusable, and many codes were never used at all,” said Hegseth. “An overwhelming majority of the military population used only six of the codes.”

So moving forward, the armed forces will use only 31 religious affiliation codes.

“This brings the codes in line with its original purpose — giving chaplains clear, usable information so they can minister to service members in a way that aligns with that service member’s faith background and religious practice,” said Hegseth.

The American military’s chaplain corps, he added, serves as the spiritual and moral backbone of the country’s armed forces.

“Chaplains help forge spiritual readiness across the force — and that matters because in combat, in crisis and in loss, a warfighter needs more than a coping mechanism. They need truth — ‘Big T’ truth.

“They need conviction, they need a shepherd. … Spiritual health is equally important to a service member’s physical and emotional health.”

Hegseth: ‘Make the Chaplain Corps Great Again’

Hegseth’s recent actions are not the first time the Defense secretary has focused on the military’s chaplain corps.

In December, he pledged to “Make the chaplain corps great again.”

“We’re going to restore the esteemed position of chaplains as moral anchors for our fighting force,” said Hegseth.

Again in an X post, Hegseth said the “weakening” of the chaplain corps is “a real problem” facing the military.

For two centuries, he said, the chaplain corps performed its role as the spiritual leader for American men and women in uniform.

“But sadly, as part of the ongoing war on warriors, in recent decades its role has been degraded in an atmosphere of political correctness and secular humanism. Chaplains have been minimized — viewed by many as therapists, instead of ministers,” said Hegseth.

“Faith and virtue were traded for self-help and self-care.”

Hegseth announced in December that he was tossing out the “Army Spiritual Fitness Guide” because it signaled the military’s growing disconnect from the divine — while relying on “New Age notions” saying that the soldier’s spirit consists of consciousness, creativity and connection."

Serving as a military chaplain, he added, is a “high and sacred calling.”

“But this only works if our shepherds are actually given the freedom to boldly guide and care for their flock. … We’re going to make the chaplain corps great again.”

Pope Leo: God does not listen to the prayers ‘of those who wage war’

A day after announcing his most recent chaplain adjustments, Hegseth hosted a Christian worship service at the Pentagon, The Associated Press reported.

He read a prayer he said was first given by a military chaplain to the troops who captured then-President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela.

“Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation,” Hegseth prayed during the livestreamed service. “Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”

During the service, Hegseth also read from Psalms 18: “I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed.”

In Sunday’s Palm Sunday Mass in Rome’s St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV did not mention Hegseth. But the leader of the Catholic Church said God doesn’t listen to the prayers of those who make war or cite God to justify violence — insisting that God “is the king of peace,” The Associated Press reported.

“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo said.

The pontiff quoted a passage from Isaiah 1:15, saying: “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.’”

When asked Monday about Pope Leo’s Sunday remarks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the nation was founded 250 years ago on Judeo-Christian values.

“We’ve seen presidents, we’ve seen the leaders of the Department of War, and we’ve seen our troops go to prayer during the most turbulent times in our nation’s history,” said Leavitt.

“I don’t think there is anything wrong with our military leaders or with the president calling on the American people to pray for our service members and those who are serving our country overseas.

“In fact, I think it’s a very noble thing to do — and if you talk to many service members they will tell you they appreciate the prayers and support from the commander-in-chief and from his Cabinet.”

What do U.S. military chaplains do?

Military chaplains are commissioned officers charged with caring for the “spiritual, moral and emotional well-being” of military members and their families.

They are tasked with observing the doctrines of their own faith — while supporting other denominations and ensuring the rights of others to observe their own respective faith.

Chaplains serve alongside fellow military personnel at bases and in combat zones and other deployments, but do not carry firearms. They also conduct worship services, perform religious rites and provide confidential counseling.

Chaplain candidates can be men or women and are required to obtain an ecclesiastical endorsement from their respective faith. They must also hold a graduate degree in theological or religious studies.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints endorses scores of chaplains across all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Meanwhile, Brigham Young University offers a Masters of Arts in Chaplaincy for students interested in becoming a chaplain in the military or in civilian capacities.