Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans to streamline the Pentagon's Chaplain Corps by reducing the number of faith designation codes from over 200 to just 31. The changes represent a significant overhaul of how military chaplains are classified and identified within the Department of Defense.

Under the new system, military chaplains will be required to wear religious insignia on their uniforms instead of traditional military rank insignia. This change affects how chaplains are visually identified and distinguished from other service members.

The Pentagon's current faith code system includes designations for hundreds of different religious traditions and denominations. The consolidation to 31 codes suggests a move toward broader religious categories rather than specific denominational distinctions.

The changes come as part of broader shifts in military policy under the new administration. The exact timeline for implementing these changes and which specific faith traditions will be represented among the 31 remaining codes has not been detailed in the announcement.

The Chaplain Corps serves all branches of the military, providing religious services and spiritual counseling to service members regardless of their faith background. The corps currently includes chaplains from numerous religious traditions serving active duty personnel, reserves, and National Guard units.