Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s battle against all things DEI continues, with the Pentagon today ordering all military leaders and commands to pull and review any and all library books that address diversity, anti-racism, or gender issues.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the memo signed by Timothy Dill, who is performing the duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense. The outlet described it as the “broadest and most detailed” directive of Hegseth’s crusade against diversity and equity in the military.
The memo states that materials “promoting divisive concepts and gender ideology are incompatible with the Department’s core mission,” and gives military libraries until May 21 to comply with the order and sequester any applicable books.
It also states that additional guidance will be provided at that time by a temporary Academic Libraries Committee on how to cull the initial list and determine what should be permanently removed, though it does not state whether removed materials will be stored or destroyed.
Some of the search terms that will result in a book being flagged for potential removal include: affirmative action, anti-racism, critical race theory, discrimination, diversity, gender dysphoria, gender identity and transition, transgender, transsexual, and white privilege.
Some libraries have already removed literature that “promotes DEI,” including one at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, which last month removed nearly 400 books after being instructed to do so by Hegseth’s office. The purge resulted in books on the Holocaust and the history of feminism and civil rights being removed. Two weeks later, Army and Air Force libraries were given the same order.
MEMO to: @WestPoint_USMA @NavalAcademy & @af_academyALL FUTURE ADMISSIONS will be “exclusively on merit.”“Race, ethnicity, or sex” can NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED.Our officers will be the best of the best—full stop. pic.twitter.com/XAE0QzxLHP
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) May 9, 2025
Another memo released by Hegseth on Friday ordered military academies to ensure they are only admitting students based on merit, with “no consideration of race, ethnicity or sex,” although schools are permitted to consider ”unique athletic talent,” prior military service, and attendance at military prep schools.
Since Trump’s inauguration and Hegseth’s appointment as Defense Secretary, the latter has been working to implement the administration’s anti-DEI policies across the Pentagon.
One of his first moves as secretary was directing military academies to remove from their curriculum ideologies that were “divisive,” ”un-American,” and ”irrational,” which led to a school-wide push at West Point to remove readings that focused on gender, race, or unsavory moments in American history, The New York Times reported.
Hegseth’s efforts have resulted in numerous flubs, including the banning of images of the Enola Gay, a famous WWII bomber, as well as serious revisions to the historical record, including the removal of several mentions of Black, Hispanic and female veterans from the Arlington National Cemetery‘s website.
In April, as part of his crusade, Hegseth axed a program aimed at ensuring the meaningful participation of women in the military, taking to social media to brag about the move—only for commenters to quickly point out that the Women, Peace and Security Act was passed during the first Trump administration with substantial Republican support. In response, Hegseth pivoted to attempting to argue that the Biden administration “distorted and weaponized” the otherwise “straightforward” and “security-focused” initiative.
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