The Department of Defense (DoD) has launched a new task force aimed at eliminating all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the military, according to a memo issued on Jan. 29.
At the same time, a separate memo from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is aiming to pause “special event programs” for a variety of remembrances including Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which has been a Federal government holiday since 1994.
Named the “Restoring America’s Fighting Force Task Force,” the DoD initiative is part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s broader plan to establish “merit-based, color-blind, equal opportunities” for U.S. service members, while emphasizing that the goal of the effort is not to guarantee or strive for equal outcomes.
“A foundational tenet of the DoD must always be that the most qualified individuals are placed in positions of responsibility in accordance with merit-based, color-blind policies,” Hegseth wrote. “DEI policies are incompatible with the values of DoD.”
Housed under the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)), the task force is charged with overseeing the department’s efforts to dismantle DEI offices and any remnants of such programs.
The task force is required to submit an initial report to the USD(P&R) by March 1 detailing the actions taken by DoD to terminate DEI initiatives, with a final report due no later than June 1. The memo also gives the task force authority to direct the military services and DoD components to provide necessary information for the report and establish deadlines for compliance.
This memo follows up on President Trump’s executive order aimed at eliminating DEI programs from the military, part of a broader set of directives released by the White House on Jan. 27 to reshape the armed forces.
DEI-specific programs make up only a small fraction of the DoD’s overall mission, but there are several programs that could find themselves in the crosshairs of the task force’s anti-DEI efforts.
One of the programs which could sunset is the department’s Board on Diversity and Inclusion, established in 2020 during President Trump’s first term. Mark Esper, who was DoD secretary at that time, ordered a three-pronged strategy to eliminate discrimination and bias and improve diversity.
In response to the latest EO, some DoD components and military services have already begun to pause overall “diversity-related practices” to review their compliance with the president’s order.
For instance, the Defense Intelligence Agency’s (DIA) has paused special event programs and related events for Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance, and Pride Month, according to a memo obtained by MeriTalk.
“The Defense Intelligence Agency is working with the Department of Defense to fully implement all Executive Orders and Administration guidance in a timely manner,” Lt. Cmdr. Seth Clarke, DIA spokesman, told MeriTalk in a statement confirming the memo. “As we receive additional guidance, we will continue to update our internal guidance.”
Some changes prompted by the Trump order have already received political backlash, including from Republican lawmakers, which have led to policy reversals. For example, the U.S. Air Force restored training materials featuring the Tuskegee Airmen after initially removing content on both the segregated airmen and the all-white Women’s Airforce Service Pilots.
As the department continues its review, it remains uncertain which programs will be impacted. According to a DoD spokesperson the department has no specific announcements yet on potential eliminations.
