Military Cuts Religion List to 31 Codes

Pentagon Narrows Religious Code List to 31

The Pentagon has trimmed its religious code list from 211 down to 31.
A new memo says the change will help chaplains give better support.

The original list was too long and many codes were unused.
A review found most soldiers used only six different codes.

Updated List Includes:

• Major Religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism
• Christian Groups: Catholic, Baptist, Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, Seventh‑Day Adventist
• Other Options: Agnostic, no religion, and other categories

The goal is not to rank or approve any faith. It simply gives chaplains clear data about their units’ beliefs.

The department says it still protects soldiers’ First Amendment rights.
Chaplains will use the new list to plan services that match each person’s faith—or lack of it.

The change was announced by Secretary Pete Hegseth in March.
He said the old system was “impractical.”

The updated codes should make it easier for chaplains to serve all warfighters.
They can now focus on the most common needs instead of sorting through hundreds of options.