One noncommissioned officer said he was directed to tell his troops that Trump was “anointed by Jesus” and that war with Iran was “all part of God’s divine plan” to bring about Armageddon.
Within just a few days, the conflict initiated by the US and Israel has inflicted immense devastation on the Iranian population. More than 180 girls and school staff lost their lives in a brutal attack over the weekend, while numerous medical facilities have reportedly been targeted amid an array of other civilian assaults.
Nonetheless, some American soldiers have been told that this violence fits within a divine blueprint.
During a Monday briefing, as President Donald Trump launched what has been described as a “carpet bombing” of Tehran, a commander reportedly informed noncommissioned officers (NCOs) that the president was “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.”
The message was relayed by an NCO, one among at least 110 similar reports received by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) since the strikes began on Saturday.
Respecting the First Amendment, the Department of Defense has traditionally enforced prohibitions against religious proselytizing within its ranks. However, under the leadership of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, an evangelical Christian who has advocated for a “crusade” against Islam, displays of Christian nationalist rhetoric have surged in the military.
Mikey Weinstein, MRFF’s president and founder and an Air Force veteran who once served in the White House under former President Ronald Reagan, told journalist Jonathan Larsen that since Saturday, the organization has been “flooded” with NCO grievances, all sharing “one damn thing in freaking common.”
“Our MRFF clients report the unrestricted euphoria of their commanders and command chains as to how this new ‘biblically-sanctioned’ war is clearly the undeniable sign of the expeditious approach of the fundamentalist Christian ‘End Times’ as vividly described in the New Testament Book of Revelation,” Weinstein said.
He added, “Many of their commanders are particularly enthusiastic about how graphic this conflict will be, focusing on the necessary bloodshed to fulfill fundamentalist Christian eschatology 100%.”
Larsen, who originally covered the MRFF’s findings on Monday, noted that this message has circulated extensively as US forces launched missile strikes against Iran.
The complaints reportedly emerged from over 40 separate units across no fewer than 30 military bases, involving leaders from all branches of the US armed forces.
An anonymous NCO explained that his commander “encouraged us to inform our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan,’ citing several passages from the Book of Revelation about Armageddon and the Christ’s imminent return.”
He observed that the commander “wore a broad smile while delivering this, which made the message seem even more unsettling.”
“Our commander is likely a ‘Christian First’ advocate,” the NCO added. “He has held these beliefs for years and expects everyone under his command to adopt the same Christian identity. Yet what he said during the ops readiness briefing this morning crossed a line and shocked many present.”
Though identifying as a Christian himself, the NCO reported the issue to MRFF on behalf of 15 soldiers under his command, including at least one Muslim and one Jewish individual.
He asserted that the commanders’ statements “undermine morale and unit solidarity and violate our oaths to uphold the Constitution.”
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