The Pentagon is launching a new task force to root out neo-Marxist ideology plaguing America’s war colleges, War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday.
“We want military leaders who are critical thinkers; that have studied the principles upon which our Founding Fathers established this republic; and that are educated and prepared to win wars,” Hegseth said in a video message. “After the wokeness and weakness of Joe Biden’s administration, our warfighters deserve training with integrity; where the focus is on the warrior ethos, on deterrence, and on strength.”
Hegseth said that he has instructed Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata to establish a task force to “evaluate” America’s senior service colleges, where “our senior officers go to continue their education.” These institutions include the Army War College, Naval War College, National Defense University, and others.
Per the secretary, Tata’s task force will seek to “ensure that the professors, administrators, and curriculum of those institutions are focused on national security, strategy, history, and overall excellence.” It will also look to “confirm that high standards and meritocracy are forefront and make sure that what we’ve seen in our civilian institutions never surface in our military education institutions.”
“Trust me, I’ve heard the stories. I know some of our own senior service colleges … have similar courses and similar ideologies. We need to rip ’em out, and we’re going to,” Hegseth said. “This task force will have 90 days to assess whether our senior service colleges … are actually effective. They’re going to identify any deficiencies and make sure they’re focused on core national security issues.”
Like their civilian counterparts, the promotion of DEI and other left-wing ideologies by America’s war colleges has become a pertinent issue in recent years.
In June 2024, for example, the Naval War College hosted an event co-headlined by Col. Bree Fram, a trans-identifying male who uses “she/her” pronouns and boasts a history of left-wing activism while in uniform. During his remarks, the former Space Force official attempted to normalize gender dysphoria and proclaimed the importance of so-called “inclusion” in the military.
As noted by Federalist Executive Editor Joy Pullmann in her book, False Flag: Why Queer Politics Mean the End of America, Fram had been promoted since coming out in 2016 and most of his military service took place when trans-identifying troops were supposed to be discharged from the armed forces.
Fram was effectively removed from the military last year following the Pentagon’s prohibition on gender dysphoric individuals serving. He has since launched a bid for Congress as a Democrat in Virginia ahead of a state special election that will determine whether commonwealth Democrats can gerrymander the state’s congressional map in their favor.
Restoration of America’s “Restore the Military” project and Restoration News’ Victoria Manning have also documented such Marxist infiltration at the Naval War College and other senior service institutions.
Hegseth’s new directive is the latest in a series he has issued that seek to restore the military’s focus towards warfighting and meritocracy. Since becoming war secretary, he has signed memoranda prohibiting affirmative action policies at the military academies and executing President Trump’s orders to ban DEI throughout the service, among others.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
