President of the United States, Donald Trump, has enacted a number of executive orders aimed at eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the military, reinstating thousands of troops discharged for refusing Covid-19 vaccinations during the pandemic, and targeting transgender service members.
Pete Hegseth, who narrowly gained enough support to become the Secretary of Defense, mentioned the names of Confederate generals that were previously associated with two prominent military bases during his comments to reporters upon entering the Pentagon on his first full day in office.
Mr. Trump signed these executive orders while en route back from Miami to Washington DC.
One of the signed executive orders stated that expressing a “gender identity” that differs from an individual’s sex at birth does not align with military standards.
Mr. Trump’s initiatives have faced significant backlash from advocacy groups, which argue that his actions may be unlawful.
“President Trump has made it clear that a primary objective of his administration is to push transgender individuals back into obscurity and out of the public arena entirely,” stated Joshua Block from the ACLU.
During his initial term, Mr. Trump declared that he would prohibit transgender individuals from serving in the military. However, he did not fully enforce this ban; his administration halted recruitment for transgender personnel but allowed those already serving to remain.
President Biden reversed this decision upon taking office in 2021.
The military comprises approximately 1.3 million active-duty personnel, according to data from the U.S. Department of Defense. While transgender rights advocates estimate that up to 15,000 transgender service members are present, officials contend that the actual number is in the low thousands.
When Mr. Trump announced his initial ban in 2017, he asserted that the military should prioritize “decisive and overwhelming victory” without the added burden of “tremendous medical costs and disruption” associated with having transgender personnel.
Pete Hegseth was narrowly confirmed as the new Secretary of Defense.
Mr. Hegseth has committed to implementing significant changes at the Pentagon, with the elimination of DEI from the military being a primary focus.
The executive order signed by Mr. Trump regarding the cessation of DEI in the military mandates that service academies teach “that America and its founding documents remain the most powerful force for good in human history.”
The Air Force announced on Sunday that it will resume training with a video highlighting the first black airmen in the U.S. military, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, ensuring compliance with Mr. Trump’s DEI ban.
Mr. Hegseth received a warm welcome on the steps of the Pentagon from the top U.S. military officer, Air Force General CQ Brown, despite Mr. Hegseth having criticized him in his latest book. When questioned about the possibility of dismissing General Brown, Mr. Hegseth humorously remarked that he was standing right next to him.
“I’m standing with him right now. I look forward to working with him,” he said, patting the General on the back.
Previously, Reuters reported on the potential for mass firings among high-ranking officials, something Mr. Hegseth consistently declined to rule out during his confirmation process.
He referred to Fort Moore and Fort Liberty by their former names, Fort Benning and Fort Bragg, during his interactions with reporters.
The names honoring Confederate officers were altered under President Biden as part of a movement to reassess U.S. history and the legacy of the Confederacy.
“I’m thinking about the guys and gals in Guam, Germany, Fort Benning, and Fort Bragg,” Mr. Hegseth stated.
Pete Hegseth was seen alongside Air Force General CQ Brown.
Much of Mr. Hegseth’s attention at the Pentagon may be directed internally, particularly towards fulfilling Mr. Trump’s executive order to reinstate troops discharged for refusing Covid-19 vaccinations.
Thousands of service members were discharged following the Pentagon’s mandatory vaccine policy in 2021.
Mr. Trump also signed an executive order that “mandated a process to develop an ‘American Iron Dome.’
The short-range Iron Dome air defense system was developed by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with U.S. support and is designed to intercept rockets launched by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas from Gaza toward Israel.
Each truck-towed unit fires radar-guided missiles to destroy short-range threats such as rockets, mortars, and drones in midair.
The system assesses whether a rocket is likely to strike a populated area; if not, the rocket is disregarded and allowed to land safely.
Any such initiative would take years to implement in the United States.
