During a September visit to Texas A&M, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth unveiled the Pentagon’s new “Send Me” tour, a recruitment drive that pairs the secretary with ROTC cadets and university students across Texas. The tour, announced as part of Hegseth’s recent “State of the Force” address, underscores the administration’s belief that spiritual readiness is as vital as physical training for America’s warfighters.
Faith at the Core of Military Readiness
Hegseth told the cadets, “Our department is, you might say, putting on the full armor of God,” citing Ephesians as a guide for moral and spiritual strength. He added, “Lord, here I am. Send me to fight the Redcoats, the Communists, the Islamists.” The secretary framed the initiative as a direct response to what he called a period of secular humanism at the Pentagon, arguing that a clear Christian moral compass will help service members discern right from wrong on the battlefield.
New Office of Religious Affairs
In the same address, Hegseth announced the creation of a Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs, which will report directly to him and oversee chaplaincy policy. The office will replace the previous system that listed more than 200 recognized faith traditions with a streamlined roster of 30, removing groups such as Unitarian Universalism, Wicca and Asatru. Uniforms for chaplains will now display a symbol of their specific faith—crosses for Christians, crescents for Muslims—rather than a generic chaplain insignia.
Chaplain Community Raises Questions
Retired Major General Howard Stendahl, former Air Force Chief Chaplain, warned that emphasizing a single religion could conflict with the Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom. “Temptation to establish religion, it’s a dangerous and precipitous possibility with the rise of Christian nationalism,” he said. Retired Major General William Razz Waff echoed the concern, noting a growing influx of evangelical chaplains and asking, “Will we be fire‑hosed with one flavor of evangelical Christianity?”
Support from Faith‑Based Legal Advocates
Legal group Liberty Counsel praised the changes, with Vice President of Legal Affairs Daniel Schmid stating, “He has the right to his beliefs, and as long as he’s not imposing them on anyone, I think he’s trying to protect everybody from different faiths. Then that’s a step in the right direction.” The organization highlighted the Trump administration’s recent list of “top 250 victories for people of faith,” which includes several military‑related achievements.
Policy Context and Recent Actions
The Trump administration has also rolled back the COVID‑19 vaccine mandate for service members and repealed the influenza‑vaccine requirement, actions that align with the broader push for individual liberty and parental‑rights‑style freedom of choice within the armed forces. While a flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base followed the influenza‑vaccine repeal, the administration maintains that voluntary health decisions respect service members’ conscience.
Political Fallout
Republican Representative Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth, citing his handling of the war in Iran. Speaker Mike Johnson chose to adjourn the House early rather than pursue a vote before the November midterms, signaling the political sensitivity of the issue.
What This Means for Texas Service Members
For Texas cadets and ROTC participants, the “Send Me” tour offers direct access to the secretary and a clear message that faith‑based leadership is a priority for the Department of Defense. The new Office of Religious Affairs promises to streamline chaplain endorsements, with Liberty University’s Baptist fellowship cited as a major pipeline for evangelical chaplains.
As the tour continues, the balance between honoring the religious convictions of a majority of service members—over 70% identify as people of faith, with Christianity as the largest denomination—and protecting the constitutional rights of minority faiths will remain a focal point of debate within the military and among the broader public.
Original reporting: San Antonio Report — read the source article.
