Washington, DC In reference to the US Coast Guard, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to abolish Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices and programs throughout the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The action seeks to outlaw sex and race-based preferences in the Armed Forces and reinstate merit-based regulations.
In addition to directing the elimination of DEI offices, the Restoring America’s Fighting Force presidential order requires an internal examination of any sex- or race-based activities that were supported by previous rules. The Trump administration contended that DEI programs diminish military readiness and force lethality by undermining meritocracy, unit cohesion, and promoting controversial ideas.
The directive emphasizes a commitment to ending discrimination in military hiring and promotion processes by stating that no individual or group within our Armed Forces should be given preference or disadvantage on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, color, or creed.
Additionally, the order forbids military educational institutions and the Armed Forces from promoting courses that characterize America’s founding documents as racist or sexist, or that advocate gender ideology or other ideas the administration deems contentious. In order to guarantee compliance with the directive, the decree also mandates a review of military academies’ leadership and curriculum.
It has been mandated that the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Defense provide progress updates within 180 days and issue implementation recommendations within 30 days.
