Pentagon Reduces Recognized Military Religious Codes After Lawmaker Criticism

1-Minute Brief

The Pentagon's revision of religious codes follows concerns about the classification of Latter-day Saints and aims to streamline chaplain services.

Key Facts

• The Pentagon reduced the number of religious affiliation codes from over 200 to 31.
• Utah lawmakers and LDS groups objected to the previous classification of the Latter-day Saints Church.
• The Defense Department's changes followed pushback from lawmakers and faith groups.
• The original list did not include Latter-day Saints among Christian traditions, according to the New York Times.
• The update was announced on Friday, according to CBS News.

What Happened

The Pentagon revised its list of recognized religious affiliations for military personnel, reducing the number of codes and responding to objections from lawmakers and faith groups regarding the classification of the Latter-day Saints Church.

Why It Matters

The change affects how military chaplains provide religious support and addresses concerns over the representation of specific faiths, particularly the Latter-day Saints, within the military's official records.

What's Next

Further reactions from affected religious groups and lawmakers may prompt additional adjustments or clarifications to the military's religious classification system.