The US Military Academy in West Point last week eliminated cultural clubs in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order to eliminate programs and initiatives focusing on diversity, equality and inclusion in the Defense and Coast Guard.
On Tuesday, West Point Deputy Commandant Colonel Chad R. Foster said that the academy is “releasing changes in accordance with recent presidential executive orders.”
The memo registered clubs that included the Asian Pacific Forum Club, the Japanese Forum Club, the Latin Cultural Club, the National Society of Black Engineers, the ancestral American Heritage Forum, and the Society of Women Engineers Club.
“This directive cancels all trip sections, meetings, events and other activities associated with these clubs. Moreover, these clubs have no authority to continue informal activities using the government’s time, resources or facilities.
The clubs were instructed to “stop all activities permanently” and remove or disable all public -facing content, but their records could be kept.
The Academy’s Directorate of Cadet activities were further said to review all other approved clubs not listed in the memo and review them to “make sure they are associated with applicable presidential executive orders.”
Trump signed four military executive orders last Monday. These orders restored military members who were forced to abolish or separate due to the vaccination mandate, “American Iron Dome – set a process to develop a comprehensive missile defensive shield, which of the military. Eliminated “gender fundamentalism” inside and services and offices within the military.
During his campaign, Trump focused heavily on the elimination of DEI programs.
Earlier this month, just before the beginning of the month, the Defense Intelligence Agency ordered a stand on all activities and events related to 11 “special observations” to comply with the anti-DEI move. This meant that all activities related to the month of Black History were being banned, as well as the Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the National American Indian Heritage Month, LGBT Q proud month, the month of women’s history, Jonistth, Martin Luther King Junior Day and the Holocaust Memorial Day.
Secretary Defense, Pete Hegseth, who is now overseeing the Pentagon, released a memo last week announced the establishment of a task force that would focus on eliminating diversity measures in the department. They said such a DE efforts “DOD is not consistent with the values.”
