‘Warriors Who Wanted To Answer God’s Call’: Pete Hegseth Launches Chaplain In-Service Program

Chaplains are the moral backbone of this military, and some of our warfighters watching this are feeling a divine calling to the chaplaincy. To you, I encourage you with the words of Isaiah, as we've repeated, here I am, send me. You see, for years, a warfighter who felt called to the chaplaincy had only one option. Take off the uniform, pay for seminary yourself, And then hope you can find and fight your way back in. We lost a lot of those great Americans. Good warriors who wanted to answer God's call. But not anymore. Recently, I established the Office of Religious Affairs to champion the spiritual readiness of our force. And this is their first win. And we're just getting started. President Trump's Department of War will not make you choose between the uniform and your calling. Today, we launch the Chaplain in Service Procurement Program. And here's how it works. You're on active duty and you've got your bachelor's. You get to stay in uniform and earn your graduate theological degree. You keep your pay, your allowances, your benefits. Your service branch covers the tuition and then we get you back as a chaplain. Republicans and Democrats in Congress saw the importance of this and made it law. To those who feel called to be a chaplain, the Department of War has your back. Be strong and very courageous. Your flock awaits.