Airmen and Guardians Ordered to Update Religious Affiliations Under Pentagon Policy

Airmen and guardians must update their Religious Affiliation Codes as the Department of the Air Force revises personnel data systems to match the Pentagon’s standardized list of faith designations. The requirement applies across the Air Force and Space Force.

On Friday, the Military Personnel Data System and its related accession systems moved away from the legacy Faith and Belief Codes. The department said standardizing the codes is intended to provide a clearer picture of the force’s religious makeup.

That demographic information is meant to help chaplains refine resource planning, according to a recent department release. Officials say the updated classifications will give the Chaplain Corps more accurate information while supporting religious freedom and spiritual readiness.

Every airman and guardian must update the applicable Religious Affiliation Code. They also must confirm that their Record of Emergency Data is current as part of the department’s effort to improve demographic awareness.

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“Our commitment to the spiritual readiness and religious freedom of every Airman and Guardian remains steadfast,” Richard Anderson, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said in the release.

“Transitioning to these standardized codes ensures our Chaplain Corps has the accurate demographic data they need to provide tailored resources and support to our Service members, while continuing to respect their individual convictions,” he continued.

Service members on active duty have until Oct. 16 to update their information. Members of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard face a later deadline of Nov. 9.

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Personnel who do not update their Religious Affiliation Code before the applicable deadline will not simply retain their existing entry. Their records will be automatically changed to what the department’s statement called an “approved transition construct.”

The standardized list in the virtual Military Personnel Flight system does not set the only available options for identification tags. Airmen and guardians may select a preference outside that list and specify what they want displayed, according to the release.

The department also said the data change is not designed to reduce or alter chaplain services or religious support. Its stated purpose is to revise personnel records and improve the demographic information available for planning those resources.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation criticized the change in a video. The religious freedom advocacy group for the armed forces said it received 38 new clients following the order.

Image Credit: DoW

The update comes as the Department of War has substantially reduced the number of officially recognized faith affiliations. The total dropped from more than 200 to 31, and a large portion of the remaining affiliations consisted of Christian denominations.

Criticism followed that reduction, prompting another adjustment by the Pentagon. Officials updated the classifications by removing the subheading that had grouped the Christian denominations together, though the source did not describe any additional changes to the list.

The classification change followed a December 2025 order from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directing an overhaul of the Chaplain Corps. Hegseth described the effort as a “top-down cultural shift.”

Before the number of listed faith affiliations dwindled, Hegseth also directed military chaplains to stop wearing rank insignia. Under that direction, chaplains were instead to wear symbols representing their faith.

Image Credit: DoW

The Air Force followed with updated uniform guidance three months after Hegseth’s direction concerning insignia and faith symbols. The latest personnel data requirement now places responsibility on individual airmen and guardians to review their religious affiliation entries before their respective deadlines.

The department’s transition combines standardized personnel codes with separate flexibility for identification tags. Airmen and guardians therefore must select from the revised system for their records, while retaining the ability to specify another preference for their tags.

For the Chaplain Corps, officials say the revised data will support more tailored planning and resources. For service members, the immediate task is straightforward: update the Religious Affiliation Code and verify the Record of Emergency Data before automatic changes take effect.

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