DOD Reduces Military's Recognized Religion List

Military.com obtained a copy of an internal memorandum (dated May 20, 2026) that reduces the Department of Defense's (DOD) list of recognized religious affiliations from 211 to 31 — a cut of 180 faith codes — within a 60-day implementation window. The list was previously used by DOD to identify service members' religious preferences for purposes of chaplain support, dog tag inscription, and demographic planning. It had been most recently revised on March 27, 2017, when the Armed Forces Chaplains Board expanded it to standardize religious preferences across the services.