On February 27, 2025, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the removal of so-called “DEI” content from military websites and schools. This purge has already taken down tributes to the Navajo Code Talkers, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and countless Black, Brown, women, immigrant, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ service members who defended our nation. Some pages were restored after public outcry—but only some.

Nearly six months later, the directive continues to damage morale, weaken recruitment, and dishonor those who fought and died for the freedoms our military is sworn to protect.

It has even spread into DoD schools, where hundreds of books—including To Kill a Mockingbird, The Color Purple, and The Kite Runner—have been pulled from libraries. That is censorship, not readiness.