(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) It’s a new day at West Point.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday that admissions at the military academy will now be based “exclusively” on merit—not race, ethnicity or sex.
Hegseth published the change in a memo shared on X, effectively reversing the Biden administration’s forced inclusion policies.
In the memo, Hegseth orders all Military Service Academies to certify that their 2026 incoming class follows the new merit-only criteria.
MEMO to: @WestPoint_USMA @NavalAcademy & @af_academy
ALL FUTURE ADMISSIONS will be “exclusively on merit.”
“Race, ethnicity, or sex” can NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED.
Our officers will be the best of the best—full stop. pic.twitter.com/XAE0QzxLHP
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) May 9, 2025
Each service secretary has 30 days to ensure no consideration of race, ethnicity or sex in admissions decisions.
“Our officers will be the best of the best—full stop,” Hegseth wrote, tagging West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy.
Echoing these remarks, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell called the service academies 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.”
He affirmed this shift will “develop strong officer corps, foster a culture of excellence, and achieve the mission, now and in the future.”
The memo also directs Jules W. Hurst, the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, to certify compliance after the 2026 cycle.
Hegseth emphasized, “The Department must remain steadfast in its pursuit of excellence and never compromise the high standards at our MSAs. A strong officer corps is essential to ensuring the United States military remains the most lethal the world has ever known.”
This move follows President Trump’s executive order instructing his cabinet to roll back so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies across the federal government.
Read the memo below.
Pete Hegseth’s Memo Undoing DEI Practices at West Point by Luis Cornelio
