Pentagon Orders Scrubbing of Diversity Content from Army Platforms

Following a Pentagon order to remove online materials linked to race, gender, and diversity initiatives, the U.S. Army has started a large-scale cleanup of digital content featuring women and minority troops.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed the order. It is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to roll back diversity policies. An internal Army memo says that people in charge of public affairs have been told to get rid of any references to Black History Month, Women's History Month, affirmative action, and similar topics.

The words "justice," "dignity," "racism," "culture," and even "respect," which is one of the Army's seven core values, have been marked to be taken out. This move worries military leaders; one public affairs officer described it as "ethically compromising."

The purge has already erased historic events. The Army's official media record no longer lists Kristen Geist as a graduate of Ranger School, the first woman to do so. Also, any references to the Army's "People First" effort have been removed. This program, created after the Fort Hood investigation, focused on the health and safety of soldiers.

Also, attempts to hire women and people of color are being cut back. The Army is no longer involved in the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) and no longer visiting all-girls' high schools.

Following the firings of Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy's first female chief, and Gen. Charles Brown, the Joint Chiefs' first Black chairman, the order was issued.

A public affairs officer told Military.com, "This changes the way we fundamentally tell the Army's story." "That's the only way I can understand it."

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