United States
Australia
United Kingdom
Europe
New Zealand
Canada
The Department of the Air Force has begun overhauling its personnel data systems to use a standardized set of Religious Affiliation Codes aligned with the Department of War, moving away from legacy “Faith and Belief Codes” as of Sept. 25.
Airmen and Guardians are required to log into the Virtual Military Personnel Flight to update their Religious Affiliation Code and certify that their Record of Emergency Data is correct. The deadline is Oct. 16 for active-duty members and Nov. 9 for the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. Those who do not act by the cutoff will have their records realigned automatically under an approved transition plan.
“Our commitment to the spiritual readiness and religious freedom of every Airman and Guardian remains steadfast,” said Richard Anderson, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. “Transitioning to these standardized codes ensures our Chaplain Corps has the accurate demographic data they need to provide tailored resources and support to our Service members, while continuing to respect their individual convictions.”
The change is described as an administrative update intended to improve demographic awareness and resource planning for the Chaplain Corps. Officials emphasized that the shift in data codes will not reduce or alter chaplain services or religious support.
Service members choosing a religious preference for identification tags are not limited to the standardized options displayed in vMPF and can specify their preference for ID tags as they see fit.
