Pentagon Draft Calls for End of Civilian Tenure and Full Curriculum Overhaul at Service Academies

An unreleased Pentagon draft titled “Refocusing the Military Service Academies and Senior Service College on Warfighter Education” recommends abolishing tenure for civilian instructors at the United States Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and the senior war colleges. It also mandates a comprehensive, line-by-line review of every class to determine whether each course advances tactical, operational or strategic combat leadership, with any deemed non-essential or ideologically motivated slated for removal.

The initiative is being pushed by Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Tim Dill and would require implementation guidance from Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata within 60 days, as well as final sign-off from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Department declined to comment, and the memo states that tenure “contributes to curriculum that drifts from the mission of educating our warfighters.” This move follows earlier actions by Hegseth to curb diversity training, limit faculty appointments and sever ties with certain civilian graduate programs.