Hegseth’s Christian nationalist crusade at the Pentagon riles troops

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's push to bring more Christianity into the armed forces is drawing objections from troops, chaplains and a watchdog group. MS NOW reports that a May Defense Department memo cut the list of recognized faiths from 211 to 31, and only nine of those remaining are non-Christian. Air Force personnel have until Oct. 16 to pick from the shortened list. Hegseth is also setting up an Office of Religious Affairs and promoting a recruiting campaign called "Send Me," built on a verse from Isaiah.

Mikey Weinstein, an Air Force veteran who founded the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, says hundreds of service members have complained to his group, and that the divisions are hurting morale and unit cohesion. A former chaplain who vets future chaplains for the Pentagon told MS NOW the aim is a national Christian identity. Air Force official Richard Anderson has said the new categories will give chaplains better demographic data.

Separately, Hegseth said Nidal Hasan, convicted over the 2009 Fort Hood attack, would face a public firing squad of soldiers. Weinstein says 72 soldiers have since sought religious exemptions from serving on it, and Archbishop Timothy Broglio urged Catholic soldiers to refuse.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →