Pentagon slashes military religious affiliation codes from over 200 to 30; Marines must update records by Sept 30, 2026

Published Aug 11, 07:07 PM UTC

The Pentagon has released an updated list of religious affiliations for service members, reducing the number of self-identification codes from over 200 to just 30. The Marine Corps announced that Marines have until September 30, 2026, to update their personnel records to reflect the new, condensed options. The change is part of a broader overhaul of military religious programs and chaplaincy under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who previously ordered chaplains to remove rank insignia and scrapped the Army Spiritual Fitness Guide. A Pentagon spokesman stated the reduction is intended to help chaplains better understand unit composition, not to delegitimize beliefs. The Marine Corps acknowledged that some previously authorized faith designations are no longer individually represented and are now consolidated into broader categories, with Marines instructed to choose the most appropriate identity.