Department of Defense Reduces Recognized Religious Faiths from 211 to 31
By
Nick Mordowanec
Pure flour-power. Hearty enough to carry you through lunch.
Summary
The Department of Defense has dramatically reduced its list of recognized religious faiths from 211 to 31, dropping approximately 180 faiths from the military's official recognition list for the first time in nearly a decade. The changes were formalized in a May 20, 2026 memorandum issued by the Under Secretary of War and signed by Anthony Tata. Defense Secretary Hegseth previously announced the change, citing the previous system as "impractical." This marks the first official revision since a March 2017 memo.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe reforms mark the first time the list has been officially revised since a memo was issued March 27, 2017, decreasing the total number of faiths from 211 to its new number of 31.
The changes were iterated in a May 20, 2026, memorandum issued by the Under Secretary of War and signed by Anthony Tata, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness of the United States.
Defense Secretary Hegseth previously announced the change due to an 'impractical' system.
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