10-05-2025
Hegseth escalates targeting of race, gender in military's academic settings
The Pentagon on Friday directed the nation's prestigious military academies to end consideration of race, gender and ethnicity in their admissions processes, and begin a purge — along with other Defense Department academic institutions — of educational materials focused on those 'divisive concepts.'
Beginning with the service academies' next admission cycle, prospective students will be evaluated for acceptance based 'exclusively on merit,' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in one of two policy memos released by the Pentagon. The document emphasizes that 'no consideration' be given to candidates' race, gender or ethnicity, but factors such as 'unique athletic talent' and previous military service may be taken into account.
