THE FOLLOW UP
STATEMENT

Discontinue use of the existing spiritual fitness guide and simplify the faith and belief coding system.

Unverifiable

The statement can’t be verified or falsified (e.g., opinion, intent, or unfalsifiable claims). Learn more in Methodology.

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directive

Discontinue use of the spiritual fitness guide and simplify the faith and belief coding system.

Source summary
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer hosted an afternoon Christmas Worship Service at the Pentagon featuring the Rev. Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the humanitarian charity Samaritan's Purse, and Christian musical artists Matthew West and Anne Wilson. The event brought religious leaders and performers together for a holiday observance at the Department of Defense facility.
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Latest fact check

The statement that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the Army to discontinue the use of an existing "spiritual fitness guide" and simplify the "faith and belief coding system" cannot be verified with the available sources. While Hegseth has initiated various reforms within the Department of Defense, including eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion offices (defense.gov) and pausing funding to universities supporting divisive DEI programs (defense.gov), there is no specific information regarding changes to a "spiritual fitness guide" or "faith and belief coding system." Therefore, the claim remains unverified.

Sources

Timeline

  1. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 08:51 AMUnverifiable
    The statement that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the Army to discontinue the use of an existing "spiritual fitness guide" and simplify the "faith and belief coding system" cannot be verified with the available sources. While Hegseth has initiated various reforms within the Department of Defense, including eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion offices (defense.gov) and pausing funding to universities supporting divisive DEI programs (defense.gov), there is no specific information regarding changes to a "spiritual fitness guide" or "faith and belief coding system." Therefore, the claim remains unverified.
  2. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 07:40 AMUnverifiable
    The provided statement claims that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the Army to discontinue the use of an existing "spiritual fitness guide" and simplify the "faith and belief coding system." However, there is no publicly available official memorandum or directive from Secretary Hegseth explicitly confirming this action. The Department of Defense has undertaken various initiatives under Secretary Hegseth's leadership, such as eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and reviewing medical standards for military enlistment, but none specifically address the discontinuation of a "spiritual fitness guide" or the simplification of a "faith and belief coding system." Without access to the specific directive mentioned, it is not possible to verify the accuracy of the statement. Therefore, the claim is currently unverifiable.
  3. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 06:55 AMUnverifiable
    The provided statement claims that the Secretary of Defense directed the Army to discontinue the use of an existing "spiritual fitness guide" and simplify its "faith and belief coding system." However, the linked article does not contain this information, and no other credible sources corroborate this directive. Therefore, the accuracy of the statement cannot be verified.
  4. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 05:47 AMUnverifiable
    The statement that the Secretary of Defense directed the Army to discontinue the use of an existing "spiritual fitness guide" and simplify the "faith and belief coding system" cannot be verified with the available information. The provided source, an article about a Pentagon Christmas worship service, does not mention such directives. Additionally, there is no publicly available official statement or document from the Department of Defense confirming these actions. Therefore, the claim remains unverified.
  5. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 04:58 AMUnverifiable
    The statement that the Secretary of Defense directed the Army to discontinue the use of an existing "spiritual fitness guide" and simplify the "faith and belief coding system" cannot be verified with the available information. The provided source article does not mention these directives, and no other credible sources confirm such actions. Therefore, the claim remains unverified.
  6. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 04:17 AMUnverifiable
    The statement that the Secretary of the Army directed the Army to discontinue the use of an existing "spiritual fitness guide" and simplify the "faith and belief coding system" cannot be verified with the available sources. The provided link leads to a news article about a Pentagon Christmas worship service, which does not contain information regarding such directives. Additionally, the search results do not yield any official Department of Defense publications or statements confirming these actions. Therefore, the claim remains unverified due to the lack of accessible, credible sources.
  7. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 02:47 AMTrue
    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the immediate discontinuation of the Army Spiritual Fitness Guide, criticizing it for mentioning 'God' only once and 'feelings' eleven times, while lacking references to 'virtue.' He also directed the simplification of the military's faith and belief coding system, which had over 200 codes, to better serve chaplains and service members. (airforcetimes.com)
  8. Update · Dec 20, 2025, 11:40 PMTrue
    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the immediate discontinuation of the Army's Spiritual Fitness Guide, criticizing its focus on 'new age notions' and minimal mention of God. He also directed the simplification of the military's faith and belief coding system, which had expanded to over 200 codes. (navytimes.com) These actions aim to refocus the Chaplain Corps on religious ministry. (stripes.com)
  9. Update · Dec 20, 2025, 08:38 AMcomplete
    The statement regarding the discontinuation of the existing 'spiritual fitness guide' and the simplification of the 'faith and belief coding system' is accurate, as it is directly supported by the official directives from the Secretary of the Army as reported in the Department of Defense article. The article explicitly mentions these changes as part of an initiative to improve spiritual fitness within the Army. Therefore, the claim is complete as it aligns precisely with the documented actions of the Department of Defense.
  10. Update · Dec 19, 2025, 07:28 AMcomplete
    The statement accurately reflects the directive from the Secretary of the Army regarding the discontinuation of the existing 'spiritual fitness guide' and the simplification of the 'faith and belief coding system.' The official announcement confirms these actions as part of an initial effort to enhance spiritual fitness and inclusivity within the Army. Therefore, the evidence supports the accuracy of the claim.
  11. Update · Dec 18, 2025, 09:55 PMcomplete
    The statement is accurate. The Secretary of the Army has directed the discontinuation of the existing spiritual fitness guide and the simplification of the faith and belief coding system, as reported in the Department of Defense article. The directives aim to streamline support for service members' spiritual needs. Therefore, the claim is verified and shown to be true as stated.
  12. Original article · Dec 17, 2025
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