Pagan Organizations Respond to Pentagon Removal of Religious Affiliation Codes
As reported last week, the Pentagon revised its list of religious affiliation codes, reducing the number of available designations from more than 200 to just 31. According to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, the change is intended to streamline recordkeeping and is not meant to determine which faiths are legitimate or “approved.” Service members may still identify with religious traditions not specifically listed through broader categories.
The Pentagon has not provided a detailed rationale for the changes beyond administrative considerations. Several Pagan organizations and commentators have linked the decision to what they view as a broader Christian nationalist agenda within the current administration.
The decision has sparked criticism from religious minorities and lawmakers whose faith traditions were removed from the list. Among those no longer listed as distinct affiliations are Pagans, Wiccans, Unitarian Universalists, atheists, and numerous smaller Christian denominations.
The change also initially generated controversy among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after Mormonism was omitted as a separate category, prompting objections from several Republican lawmakers, including Utah Senator Mike Lee, who argued that the government should not be involved in defining religious identities or theological distinctions. Following the backlash, Pentagon officials indicated that adjustments were being made to address concerns.
Advocates for minority faith communities argue that official recognition carries practical significance beyond administrative recordkeeping. They contend that distinct affiliation codes help ensure visibility, representation, and access to appropriate religious accommodations, especially for service members whose beliefs fall outside major religious traditions. Critics fear that consolidating diverse faiths into broader categories could make it more difficult for chaplains and military leaders to understand and respond to the needs of smaller religious groups.
The debate comes amid broader discussions about religion within the military and the role of faith in public institutions. Supporters of the Pentagon’s decision view it as an administrative streamlining effort, while opponents see it as a step that could diminish recognition and support for religious diversity among the nation’s service members.
The reactions from the Pagan community were swift on social media. Several former service members from minority faith traditions have described experiences of discrimination, hostility, and institutional barriers during their military service. While the details vary, many recount being pressured to conceal or alter their religious identity, facing ridicule or exclusion from peers and superiors, and encountering resistance when seeking recognition of their faith traditions.
Some report that during their service several decades ago, official acknowledgment of their religious preference was only achieved after persistent advocacy, intervention from outside authorities, or formal complaints. That changed after advocacy from numerous Pagan rights organizations such as Covenant of the Goddess, Lady Liberty League, and Circle Sanctuary.
Through decades of advocacy by organizations such as the Covenant of the Goddess, Lady Liberty League, The Open Halls Project, and Circle Sanctuary, the military gradually expanded recognition and accommodation for diverse religious beliefs. Many veterans view those changes as an important step toward fulfilling the principles of equality, dignity, and freedom that the armed forces are sworn to defend.
Organizations within the Pagan community that have spent decades advocating for the rights of Pagan service members responded quickly to the announcement, issuing public statements expressing concern about the impact the changes could have on religious visibility, accommodation, chaplain support, and equal treatment within the armed forces.
The Covenant of the Goddess is concerned by reports that the Department of Defense has significantly reduced the number of recognized religious affiliation codes available to service members, resulting in the removal of Pagan, Wiccan, Druid, Heathen, Asatru, and many other minority religious designations. According to public reporting, the number of available codes has been reduced from more than 200 to approximately 31.
For decades, members of Pagan and Earth-centered traditions have served honorably in every branch of the United States military. Their service has contributed to the gradual recognition of religious diversity within the armed forces, including the addition of Pagan, Wiccan, Druid, Heathen, and related religious affiliation codes in recent years.
The Covenant of the Goddess believes that our service members must receive spiritual guidance consistent with their faith, whether belief or non-belief. The accurate recognition of an individual’s sincerely held religious beliefs is not merely an administrative matter. Religious affiliation data helps ensure that military leaders understand the diverse communities they serve and can make informed decisions regarding religious accommodation, pastoral care, end-of-life matters, and the spiritual well-being of service members and their families.
We are particularly concerned that the removal of minority faith designations may have the unintended effect of rendering those communities invisible within official records. Service members should not be forced to choose between misidentifying their faith, selecting a broad category that does not reflect their beliefs, or appearing to have no religious affiliation at all.
The Covenant therefore calls upon the Department of Defense to provide greater transparency regarding the reasons for these changes, how affected service members will be represented within military records, and what measures will be taken to ensure that members of minority faith traditions continue to receive equal consideration and support.
Religious liberty is among the fundamental values that American service members swear to defend. That commitment should extend equally to all faiths, including those whose numbers may be small but whose members serve with the same dedication and sacrifice as any other American.
The Covenant of the Goddess remains committed to supporting Pagan military personnel, veterans, chaplains, and their families, and to working constructively with military and governmental institutions to promote religious freedom and equal treatment for all.
-Manny Tejeda y Moreno1, PhD., CoG National First Officer, Covenant of the Goddess June 4, 2026
To those who serve their country with honor and a warrior’s spirit, we speak to you:
Recently, the United States Department of Defense issued new guidelines removing 180 faith affiliations from their list of recognized religious faiths, including Druidry and several other modern Pagan traditions. This means our Druid service members will now be categorized broadly under “Other” in the US military’s religious affiliation codes.
We know that whether the US DoD recognizes a need to care for you or not, you are worthy of care. The work you do is difficult, and having someone who sees your spiritual needs well enough to call them by name is important. Our priests, though often not standing beside you in uniform, remain prepared to discuss your needs and support your work. Our Groves and our communities, including our Military Outreach SIG & Chaplaincy Support Services, remain open to you.
While this decision does not remove recognized religions at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which provides headstones for many religious needs, this only casts a starker light on an underlying reality: right now, Pagans and Druids currently have more rights in death than in life in the modern American military. Indeed, we must question whether this is an oversight, or a foreshadowing of the removal of that respect for our honored dead, as well.
In ADF, as an endorsing body for the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), we recognize the importance of finding a chaplain who is willing to share your religious experiences and beliefs, and of having that culture of sharing available to hold us and brighten us through life’s toughest trials. We are devastated and angry regarding this announcement and the multitude of ways it will remove support from our service members. As our fight for recognition begins again, we, alongside many of the other removed traditions, declare that “no government action can erase our faith nor lessen the powerful and necessary grounding it provides for those who serve.”
We see you and your work helping others. We see you and your bright ideals of honor. We see you and know that you are still here to defend us and uphold the US Constitution. May you walk in justice, and keep a clear eye toward your duty and honor, as you always have.
-Rev. Jan Avende Archdruid of Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship (ADF) June 6, 2026
This week, media sources revealed that the U.S. Department of Defense has removed around 180 recognized religious faiths and belief systems from its list of faith codes. The excuse given by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was that this would “streamline” the department’s “collection of religious preferences to enhance the delivery of targeted religious support from the Chaplaincy.” Cherry Hill Seminary strenuously objects to this action.
For more than 20 years, Cherry Hill Seminary has served hundreds of individuals exploring their spirituality and training to provide professional and compassionate spiritual support to others. More than a few of these have been individuals wishing to serve as a U.S. military chaplain. The Seminary is grounded in Pagan and earth-based spiritualities but requires courses in world religions and interfaith leadership in order to prepare our graduates for a multicultural world. Chaplaincy requires someone of any or no religion to be able to attend to the needs of all the personnel in their care. But part of that training is to know when to bring in another chaplain who shares the religion of the individual. For example, a Muslim or Pagan chaplain will not serve communion to a Christian soldier but will ensure that every soldier has appropriate access to sacraments.
We are concerned that military personnel who must choose from this narrow approved list will fall through the cracks of service. Spiritual needs are heightened and intensified during the rigors of military training and deployment, and even more so by the trauma of combat. To impose these restrictive definitions sends a clear message that the 180 religious paths eliminated are no longer important enough to serve in the armed forces. It is hard to miss the steady forward movement of the ultra-conservative Project 2025 plan, which claims to “strengthen protections for chaplains to carry out their ministry according to the tenets of their faith,” while at the same time calling to “eliminate . . . newly established diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and staff.” (2)
Such statements strike us as un-American. The new list creates dividing lines between recognized and invisible religions, effectively, if not explicitly, disrupting the unity on which strong military defense relies. We call on the U.S. Department of Defense to discard this recent list in order to provide spiritual care for all of those who serve in the defense of our country.
June 6, 2026
Pete Hegseth’s desire for what he calls an “American Crusade” is impacting those in the military who practice Ásatrú and Heathenry. By removing both terms from the list of recognized religions, the “Secretary of War” has undone progress made over a half-decade.
After the Veterans Administration added Thor’s hammer to its list of religious emblems allowed on government grave markers in 2013, positive change was in the air. When Public Radio International ran an ignorant story on the addition, I led a letter-writing campaign resulting in an apology and second feature. Things were moving in a good direction.
In 2014, the Air Force added Ásatrú and Heathenry to its religious preference list. The Army claimed to follow suit in 2015 but didn’t actually add the codes. I interviewed involved Heathen servicemen, spoke with chaplain leadership, and published a call-to-action asking people to contact military administrators with requests to expedite the addition.
In 2016, I was co-author of Heathen Resource Guide for Chaplains, written at the Department of Defense’s request. Unfortunately, I have been contacted by numerous chaplains in the past decade for advice on Heathen issues but have seen no evidence the guide was ever disseminated or recommended.
Change came in 2017, when the D.O.D. doubled the number of religious preferences across all branches. Including Ásatrú and Heathenry meant practitioners finally had the same religious rights as those in “major faiths.”
Now, Hegseth has undone all the work. His list of thirty-one religious affiliation codes includes over twenty varieties of Christianity but not one of the many unique Pagan traditions.
What can we do about rampant Christian nationalism at the highest levels?
We can support military Heathens of positive intent by listening to and amplifying their voices. We can vote against and vote out any politician associated with the MAGA agenda. We can support media outlets that expose Hegseth’s machinations. We can pressure our representatives to take meaningful action. We can make ourselves heard.
We must fight for what was gained and win back what was lost. Complaining isn’t enough. We are our deeds.
-Dr. Karl E. H. Seigfried Goði, Thor’s Oak Kindred June 6, 2026
We send our unwavering support for Unitarian Universalists (UU) in uniform and our UU military chaplains. We recently learned the Department of Defense (DOD) has removed 180 separate religious affiliations from the US military’s list of religious affiliation codes. This eliminates the code for Unitarian Universalists, as well as Humanists, Atheists and Pagan traditions, and many others. Along with dozens of other religious traditions, UUs will be categorized broadly under “Other” in military’s religious affiliation codes.
Please note this decision does not directly impact the status of our UU military chaplains, who are authorized through a separate faith-based endorsement process with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). What it does mean is that Unitarian Universalist service members will not be able to select their specific religious identity in their personnel records. This may make it more difficult for our uniformed UUs to access the spiritual care that they need.
At this time, we are diligently working with our UUA counsel and partners in a variety of faith traditions to craft a strategic response that faithfully represents our values and demonstrates clear support for our UU service members and their families, as well as all those who are impacted by this DOD policy.
We will share more information when it is available. But today, we declare that no government action can erase our faith nor lessen the powerful and necessary grounding it provides for those who serve.
–Unitarian Universalist Association, June 5th, 2026
The Wild Hunt will continue to update this story as information becomes available.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article credited The Open Halls Project as “Open Halls.” This article has been updated to include the statement from the Unitarian Universalist Association.
1. Disclosure: Tejeda y Moreno is also the editor-in-chief of The Wild Hunt. His comments on behalf of CoG do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of TWH and are reviewed by an independent editor.
In a governement filled with bazillions of codes (take taxes for example)
Ken our military has had a long history of harassing even people of minority Christian beliefs, as well as those of non-Christian beliefs. Even now before this major change back religious persecution is still a problem. If the military did not recognize your religion, you had no legal right to practice nor have guidance from someone of your faith.
To learn more about minority religious persecution check out
For the government in general, I'd agree religious affiliation is none of their business, but I can see how the military might make legitimate use of the info. I think the current folks in power have trouble considering any non-Abrahamic religion to be "real."
