The U.S. Military Academy at West Point has disbanded cultural clubs in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order last week to abolish programs and initiatives that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion across the Defense Department and the Coast Guard.
A memo dated Tuesday by Col. Chad R. Foster, the deputy commandant of West Point, said the academy was issuing changes “in accordance with recent Presidential executive orders.”
The memo listed sanctioned clubs that were disbanded including the Asian-Pacific Forum Club, Japanese Forum Club, Latin Cultural Club, National Society of Black Engineers Cub, Native American Heritage Forum, and Society of Women Engineers Club, among others.
“This directive cancels all trip sections, meetings, events and other activities associated with these clubs. Moreover, these clubs are no authorized to continue informal activities using Government time, resource, or facilities,” the memo said.
The clubs were directed to “permanently cease all activities” and remove or deactivate all public facing content, but records of them could be kept.
The academy’s Directorate of Cadet Activities was further told to review and revalidate all other sanctioned clubs not listed in the memo “to ensure they are aligned with applicable Presidential Executive orders.”
Trump signed four executive order pertaining to the military last Monday. Those orders reinstated members of the military who were terminated or forced to separate due to vaccination mandates, established a process to develop an “American Iron Dome — a comprehensive missile defense shield, eliminated “gender radicalism” within the military and eliminated DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) services and offices within the military.
Trump had focused heavily on ending DEI programs during his campaign.
Earlier this month — just days before the start of Black History Month —the Defense Intelligence Agency ordered a pause on all activities and events related to 11 “special observances” to comply with the anti-DEI initiative. That meant all activities related to Black History Month being banned as well as events marking Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, National American Indian Heritage Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, Women’s History Month, Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, who now oversees the Pentagon, issued a memo last week announcing the creation of a task force that will focus on abolishing diversity initiatives across the department. He said such DEI efforts “are incompatible with the values of the DoD.”
Allison Detzel contributed.
