Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Friday a new program allowing eligible active duty service members to pursue graduate theological education without first leaving military service. The initiative creates a pathway for troops who want to become military chaplains.

The Chaplain In-Service Procurement Program is intended to develop chaplains from within the military’s existing ranks. Hegseth encouraged service members who feel called to ministry to consider the opportunity.

Congress authorized the program under Section 504 of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. That provision added 10 U.S.C. § 2004c and established the legal framework governing eligibility, education funding and subsequent service obligations.

Officers applying for the program must have between two and eight years of active duty service. They also must hold the rank of O-3 or below when their chaplaincy training begins.

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Enlisted applicants must have between four and 10 years of active duty service and hold at least the rank of E-5. They must also satisfy all requirements for accepting a commission as a military officer.

Selection will be competitive and determined according to the needs of the relevant military department. Under the law, selections must be made without regard to the length of ordination or seminary requirements connected to an applicant’s chosen chaplaincy training.

Military departments are authorized to pay participants’ educational expenses. However, no more than 25 officers and enlisted personnel from each military department may begin government funded training during a single fiscal year.

For applicants from the Navy and Marine Corps, the cap applies collectively to the Department of the Navy rather than separately to each service. Additional service members may be chosen without government funding, and those participants will not count toward the cap of 25.

The opportunity comes with a substantial service commitment. Participants must agree to complete two years of active duty service for every year or portion of a year spent in chaplaincy training, with the total obligation capped at six years.

Program agreements may permit participants to fulfill part of that obligation in the Selected Reserve. Any obligation not completed before leaving active duty may be served at a rate of three years in the Selected Reserve for each year or portion of a year of training.

Service members removed from the program because of academic deficiencies, conduct or other reasons may face additional requirements. They may be ordered to perform more active duty service or repay expenses incurred through their participation.

The additional active duty obligation imposed after removal cannot exceed one year for each year or portion of a year that the service member participated in the program. The statutory framework therefore ties both the benefits and potential consequences directly to the length of participation.

The Navy announced its implementation of the program through an Oct. 30 administrative message released by Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao. Its version is called the Navy Chaplain Corps In-Service Procurement Program.

The Navy program is open to qualified active duty Navy and Marine Corps officers and enlisted personnel. Eligibility also includes Navy Training and Administration of the Reserve personnel and members of the Marine Corps Active Reserve.

Applicants may represent any faith tradition that is endorsed to provide chaplain ministry in the Armed Forces. Following completion of graduate education, selected participants may use the Career Intermission Program to move temporarily into inactive status.

That temporary transition can provide participants time to obtain the religious ministry experience required for commissioning as active duty Navy chaplains. The Navy has not yet released application dates or a schedule for selection boards.

Cao said forthcoming Navy and Marine Corps administrative messages will contain application requirements, administrative timelines and selection board schedules. Service members interested in the program can review available documentation through the Navy Chaplain Corps portal.

The new pathway gives qualified troops an opportunity to pursue chaplaincy from within the force while remaining subject to competitive selection and military needs. It also establishes firm eligibility standards, training limits and service commitments for those selected.

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