Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered an overhaul of Pentagon spiritual fitness programs in December 2025, directing the Army to discard current guidance and restore chaplains to their traditional role as religious leaders rather than emotional support officers. Archbishop Timothy Broglio praised the initiative for returning the chaplain corps to spiritual ministry after critics argued recent materials promoted secular approaches while mentioning God only once and containing zero references to virtue. The reforms position spiritual well-being equal to mental and physical health, with supporters noting 82 percent of military personnel identify as religious.
In a move to reclaim what supporters call the original mission of military chaplains, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered an overhaul of the Pentagon’s spiritual fitness programs, directing the Army to discard its current guidance document and restore chaplains to their traditional role as religious leaders rather than emotional support officers.
The reforms, announced in December 2025, position spiritual well-being as equal to mental and physical health in military readiness.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who leads the Archdiocese for Military Services, USA, praised the initiative for restoring the chaplain mission to spiritual ministry.
He discussed the restoration of chapel contracts alongside the renewed spiritual focus and spoke positively about chaplains serving troops of all faiths.
Broglio also addressed just war doctrine in the context of military chaplaincy, highlighting the theological grounding chaplains bring to their service.
For two centuries, the Chaplain Corps served as spiritual leaders ministering to souls in hardship.
A 1956 Army chaplain manual described the chaplain as a pastor and shepherd, emphasizing moral anchors for the fighting force.
That traditional framework maintained religious ministry without secular dilution, a contrast to recent guidance that critics say weakened the corps’ mission.
The Army Spiritual Fitness Guide mentioned God only once and contained zero references to virtue, instead promoting what critics called New Age notions of consciousness, creativity, and connection.
Though 82 percent of military personnel identify as religious, the guide pushed secular humanism, degrading chaplains to therapists amid political correctness and self-help trends, according to reform advocates.
The guide referenced “feelings” 11 times and “playfulness” nine times while never mentioning virtue.
Hegseth’s video message described the shift from therapeutic to spiritual ministry focus.
“Chaplains are chaplains, not emotional support officers,” he stated, adding that the initiative would “make the Chaplain Corps great again.”
Key reforms include removing training materials deemed unsuitable, streamlining religious affiliation coding last updated in 2017, and reviewing the Defense Department’s categorization system for religious beliefs.
The changes aim to empower chaplains to guide their flocks boldly and minister across faiths without secular constraints, though questions remain about access to confidential support services under the renewed framework.
Communications with chaplains are protected under the Military Rules of Evidence and generally cannot be compelled for disclosure, a safeguard that has made chaplains a trusted resource for service members facing sensitive personal or moral concerns.
Historical practice and scriptural considerations also inform debates over pastoral roles in military settings, and some proponents cite biblical burial practices as part of broader theological discussions.
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