1 00:00:00,068 --> 00:00:02,763 - Cutting edge technology, which we've talked about, 2 00:00:03,690 --> 00:00:06,840 new basing and bases, which we've talked about, 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:10,350 and a better educational pipeline are still incomplete 4 00:00:10,350 --> 00:00:13,833 without the most essential component of our republic. 5 00:00:14,670 --> 00:00:19,533 Faith. Faith in something greater than us. 6 00:00:20,910 --> 00:00:23,550 When an American warrior raises their right hand 7 00:00:23,550 --> 00:00:24,600 to defend our nation, 8 00:00:25,500 --> 00:00:27,900 you sign away a lot more than just time. 9 00:00:27,900 --> 00:00:31,470 You miss births, you miss first steps, 10 00:00:31,470 --> 00:00:35,853 you miss final goodbyes, you miss other civilian careers. 11 00:00:36,870 --> 00:00:38,610 But one of the costs that is rarely thought about, 12 00:00:38,610 --> 00:00:41,673 or talked about is the loss of your religious community. 13 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,060 Every time we issue orders to move a warrior 14 00:00:45,060 --> 00:00:48,630 to a new location, they leave behind the faith community, 15 00:00:48,630 --> 00:00:50,080 the church that grounds them. 16 00:00:51,180 --> 00:00:52,020 For people of faith, 17 00:00:52,020 --> 00:00:55,620 that community isn't just a nice to have. 18 00:00:55,620 --> 00:00:57,720 In many ways, it's an extension of their family. 19 00:00:57,720 --> 00:00:59,280 It's their moral foundation 20 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,160 or their personal and spiritual accountability, 21 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,293 the very bedrock of their warrior ethos. 22 00:01:05,460 --> 00:01:06,570 When you actually look at the numbers, 23 00:01:06,570 --> 00:01:09,180 and this will be good for the press, 24 00:01:09,180 --> 00:01:13,350 less than 5% of our force identifies as non-religious, 25 00:01:13,350 --> 00:01:14,760 less than 5%, 26 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:19,203 meaning 95% of our force recognizes an almighty God. 27 00:01:20,490 --> 00:01:24,003 Accordingly, our department therefore has a sacred duty, 28 00:01:24,870 --> 00:01:29,070 first class religious support wherever we send our warriors. 29 00:01:29,070 --> 00:01:30,453 Now, for far too long, 30 00:01:31,890 --> 00:01:33,790 we didn't prioritize that duty at all. 31 00:01:34,649 --> 00:01:35,482 It was an afterthought. 32 00:01:35,482 --> 00:01:38,370 Political correctness and secular humanism got a vote. 33 00:01:38,370 --> 00:01:40,050 Chaplains did not. 34 00:01:40,050 --> 00:01:41,310 Budgets were cut, 35 00:01:41,310 --> 00:01:44,302 resourcing and manpower needs were ignored. 36 00:01:44,302 --> 00:01:46,230 Base chapels fell apart. 37 00:01:46,230 --> 00:01:48,090 Decisions about faith and religion 38 00:01:48,090 --> 00:01:53,090 were made by secular careerists in cubicles and lawyers 39 00:01:53,220 --> 00:01:54,670 running around with red tape. 40 00:01:55,530 --> 00:01:58,680 Now, we don't put non-lawyers in charge of the JAG Corps, 41 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:02,280 or non-doctors in charge of military surgeons. 42 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,460 Yet for decades, we let people with no expertise in faith 43 00:02:05,460 --> 00:02:09,393 or religion dictate the spiritual life of our warriors. 44 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,660 The people who actually practice faith and religion, 45 00:02:12,660 --> 00:02:16,470 our chaplains, were buried echelons deep, 46 00:02:16,470 --> 00:02:17,620 waiting for permission. 47 00:02:18,540 --> 00:02:20,700 We asked chaplains to serve and sacrifice 48 00:02:20,700 --> 00:02:23,940 and then sideline them with paperwork and process. 49 00:02:23,940 --> 00:02:25,173 And that ends now. 50 00:02:26,190 --> 00:02:27,210 Today at my direction, 51 00:02:27,210 --> 00:02:30,063 I'm establishing the Office of Religious Affairs. 52 00:02:31,230 --> 00:02:33,570 Starting today and for secretaries of war after me, 53 00:02:33,570 --> 00:02:35,430 the Office of Religious Affairs 54 00:02:35,430 --> 00:02:37,233 will report straight to the top. 55 00:02:38,100 --> 00:02:41,430 No staff filters, no bureaucratic dilution, 56 00:02:41,430 --> 00:02:43,203 a direct line to the secretary. 57 00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:46,650 This is not going to be a paper pushing shop. 58 00:02:46,650 --> 00:02:48,360 It's going to have real teeth. 59 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:49,290 It'll protect budgets, 60 00:02:49,290 --> 00:02:52,260 demand infrastructure and strengthen religious support. 61 00:02:52,260 --> 00:02:55,290 The experts, our chaplains, 62 00:02:55,290 --> 00:02:57,900 will finally have an advocate at the highest levels. 63 00:02:57,900 --> 00:03:01,200 Policy and resources will serve the mission, 64 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:03,273 not smother the mission. 65 00:03:04,590 --> 00:03:08,317 As Psalm 33:12 extols us, 66 00:03:08,317 --> 00:03:12,177 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." 67 00:03:13,410 --> 00:03:18,410 250 years ago, we rejected an earthly king, an ocean away, 68 00:03:18,990 --> 00:03:22,683 appealing instead to a heavenly king above. 69 00:03:23,790 --> 00:03:27,330 George Washington made sure that the continental army, 70 00:03:27,330 --> 00:03:32,330 had chaplains back at the beginning, back in 1775. 71 00:03:32,460 --> 00:03:36,333 That force appealed to heaven and we still do today. 72 00:03:37,740 --> 00:03:42,423 Our national motto is, after all, in God we trust. 73 00:03:43,770 --> 00:03:46,083 Today we reaffirm that trust. 74 00:03:47,070 --> 00:03:48,420 We're placing spiritual health 75 00:03:48,420 --> 00:03:51,660 at the same level as physical health. 76 00:03:51,660 --> 00:03:54,510 Our department is, you might say, putting on the full armor 77 00:03:54,510 --> 00:03:58,173 of God because while we wage physical war, 78 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,773 we all know the real battle is spiritual. 79 00:04:03,060 --> 00:04:06,333 God is good, evil is not, 80 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,773 and America's military must understand the difference. 81 00:04:11,970 --> 00:04:14,820 To our incredible chaplains and religious support teams, 82 00:04:14,820 --> 00:04:17,970 live your calling, stand firm, preach truth, 83 00:04:17,970 --> 00:04:20,823 minister to the flock, fear no man. 84 00:04:21,690 --> 00:04:25,860 Or as the psalmist put it, the Lord is on my side. 85 00:04:25,860 --> 00:04:30,393 I will not fear. What can man do unto me? 86 00:04:31,260 --> 00:04:32,103 Amen to that.