War Department Launches Patriotic Officer Cadet Program with Five Universities

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth used his State of the Force speech to introduce a new cadet program called America’s Corps of Cadets, which will be run in partnership with five selected universities. The participating institutions—Louisiana State University, Liberty University, Tuskegee University, Mississippi State University and Hillsdale College—will be designated as Distinguished Military Colleges and will earn an "Honor School" label that grants their graduates priority when commissioning as officers.

Hegseth argued that many higher-education campuses have become hostile to traditional American values, citing “political correctness” and “social justice” as replacements for grit and courage. He positioned the initiative as a way to embed continuous military discipline and leadership training in these schools, thereby increasing the number of officers he described as loyal to the Republic. Existing military colleges such as Texas A&M and the Citadel were cited as models of patriotic service. The program is slated to begin on Monday, according to a memo.