On June 4, 2026, the Defense Department confirmed it had sharply cut the list of religions it formally recognizes for service members, reducing the number of religious-affiliation codes from about 211 to 31 and eliminating roughly 180 faiths. It was the first revision since 2017, directed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a May 20 memorandum signed by Anthony Tata, the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness.
The retained list of 31 keeps Christianity in many denominations, plus Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Baha'i, and “no religion” and “other” categories. Among the faiths dropped from formal recognition are Wiccans, Pagans, Druids, Heathens, Humanists, Deists, Eckankar, Unitarian Universalists, and atheists, along with about 170 others.
Hegseth called the old system “impractical and unusable,” noting that 82% of members who identify as religious use only six of the codes, and said the change would “streamline” how the department collects religious preferences. The Pentagon says service members can still write in a religion that is not on the list. Critics counter that the formal codes drive chaplaincy planning and religious-accommodation decisions, and that de-listing minority faiths signals which beliefs the military treats as legitimate, fitting a documented pattern of Christian-nationalist influence under Hegseth (see Hegseth Carries a 'Deus Vult' Bible, Quotes Pulp Fiction as Scripture at the Pentagon, and 200+ Troops Report Religious Coercion).
The revision drew fresh criticism in early June when it emerged that the new coding gave Christians 21 subcategories but did not count members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as “Christian.” Republican Mormon senators objected: Mike Lee (R-UT) complained about fellow Republicans, and John Curtis (R-UT) posted about Latter-day Saints' patriotism. Hegseth then backpedaled, removing the “Christian” designation entirely rather than extend it to Mormons.