On Friday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered a return to merit at all military service academies ordering that the instittutions no longer consider race, ethnicity or sex for admissions.
The DOD memo, the “Certification of Merit-Based Military Service Academy Admissions,” notes, “The Military Service Academies (MSA) are elite warfighting institutions with long histories of producing world class military officers.”
“The Department owes it to our Nation, our Service members, and the young Americans applying to the MSAs to ensure admissions to these prestigious institutions are based exclusively on merit. This ensures only the most qualified candidates are admitted, trained, and ultimately commissioned to lead the finest fighting force in history.”
“Selecting anyone but the best erodes lethality, our warfighting readiness, and undercuts the culture of excellence in our Armed Forces.”
The memo outlined that the Secretaries of the Military Departments will need to certify, within 30 days, that, for the upcoming 2026 MSA admissions cycle, as well as all subsequent admissions cycles, will:
1) Apply no consideration of race, ethnicity, or sex; and
2) Offer admission based exclusively on merit.
The move effectively ends affirmative action efforts at all three military service academies.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman and Senior Advisor, Sean Parnell remarked, “Today the Secretary of Defense directed the Secretaries of the Military Departments to certify their admissions are race-, ethnicity-, and sex-blind.”
“Within 30 days, the Military Service Academies (MSAs) must confirm that admission will be based exclusively on merit for the 2026 admissions cycle and beyond. The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness will oversee compliance with this guidance.”
“The MSAs are the cornerstone of the Department’s efforts to produce the world-class military officers required to lead a ready, lethal fighting force that is prepared to deter war and defend our nation. Policies like this enable the Department to develop a strong officer corps, foster a culture of excellence, and achieve the mission, now and in the future.”
In January, The Gateway Pundit reported that President Donald Trump signed Executive Orders to root out leftist ideology from the military and prioritize lethality.
On January 27, the President signed four executive orders focused on the military, including the “Restoring America’s Fighting Force” Executive Order and the “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” Executive Order.
These orders direct every element of the U.S. military to “operate free from any preference based on race or sex” and root out gender insanity and made-up pronoun usage, respectively.
In February, the United States Naval Academy announced the closure of the institution’s DEI offices to fall in line with President Trump’s Executive Orders.
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