Pete Hegseth Announces End to Race, Sex Preferences in Military Academy Admissions
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has announced a major overhaul to the 2026 US military admissions process, declaring that race and sex-based preferences will no longer be considered in evaluating applicants to the nation’s Military Service Academies.
“The Military Service Academies (MSA) are elite warfighting institutions with long histories of producing world class military officers,” Hegseth said in a memo, first reported by The Daily Wire. “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.”
The new directive is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the Department of Defense, shifting the focus to merit-based hiring and admissions. Hegseth emphasized that “only the most qualified candidates are admitted, trained, and ultimately” chosen to lead “the finest fighting force in history.”
“The Military Service Academies (MSA) are elite warfighting institutions with long histories of producing world class military officers,” Hegseth said. “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.”
“Selecting anyone but the best erodes lethality, our warfighting readiness, and undercuts the culture of excellence in our Armed Forces,” Hegseth added.
The memo instructs the secretaries of the military departments to certify within 30 days that their academy admissions offices will not factor in race, ethnicity, or sex, and will admit candidates based solely on merit.
In a statement to The Daily Wire, Acting Defense Department Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said, “Unlike the previous administration — whose policies put immutable characteristics before ability – Secretary Hegseth is requiring our Military Service Academies to base their admissions exclusively on merit, rewarding individual initiative, excellence, and hard work.”
