US Marine Corps orders all personnel to update religious affiliation as faith codes slashed from over 200 to 30

Published Aug 11, 07:07 PM UTC

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The U.S. Marine Corps has announced that all Marines must update their religious affiliation in personnel records by September 30, 2026, following a Pentagon-wide reduction of faith designation codes from over 200 to just 30. The new list consolidates many individual identities into broader categories, and Marines are instructed to select the 'most appropriate' option. The change is part of a broader overhaul of military religious programs and chaplaincy under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who previously removed rank insignia from chaplains and scrapped the Army Spiritual Fitness Guide. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the shift aims to help chaplains understand unit composition, not to delegitimize beliefs. The Marine Corps acknowledged that some previously authorized designations are no longer individually represented.

Source

Military TimesWestern

Original headline: Marines must update religious affiliation as service slashes list to 30 options

Original language: EN

Part of this Story

Pentagon Slashes Military Religious Affiliation Codes from 200 to 30 Options

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People and interests

Pentagon Pete Hegseth