Senate Armed Services Committee Holds A Hearing On The Status Of Military Service Academies

2 days ago

During a Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing On The Status Of Military Service Academies On Wednesday, Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) led a conversation on what is and should be taught in United States Military Service Academies.

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Transcript

00:00:00I'd like to call this committee hearing in session.

00:00:05Armed Service Subcommittee on Personnel meets this afternoon to conduct oversight and receive

00:00:11testimony on the status of the military service academies.

00:00:15Thank you for being here.

00:00:16The last time this body conducted a hearing on this topic with these witnesses or with

00:00:22any witnesses with the academies was more than 30 years ago.

00:00:26We're fortunate to have these three distinguished officers here today.

00:00:30Lieutenant General Stephen Gillen, U.S. Military Academy, Vice Admiral Yvette Davids of the

00:00:35Naval Academy, and Lieutenant General Tony Barenfine, it's going to be a long day.

00:00:46As this is the first meeting of the Personnel Subcommittee in 119th Congress, let me begin

00:00:50by saying I look forward to working with you, Ranking Member Warren, thank you for being

00:00:54here.

00:00:55We continue the bipartisan tradition of the Armed Services Committee in developing the

00:00:59National Defense Authorization Act.

00:01:02Nothing is more bipartisan than supporting our men and women in uniform and their families.

00:01:07This subcommittee has a long history of prioritizing the well-being and morale of our service members,

00:01:13and I'm eager to continue that work as new chairman.

00:01:16The military service academies are foundational to the successes of the military officer court.

00:01:23In many ways, the service academies establish the culture of their respected service.

00:01:28Moreover, the academics occupy an important position, or the academies occupy an important

00:01:34position in our society.

00:01:35They are perhaps the last universities in the country that focus on building character

00:01:40and improving the morality of their student body.

00:01:44The American people often perceive the academies as being emblematic of the entire U.S. military,

00:01:51for better or for worse.

00:01:53Over the last several years, the academies have lost sight in some areas of the fundamental

00:01:57reason for their existence, which is the commission of officers with the education required by

00:02:05the respective military branches.

00:02:07All three academies have been sued for engaging in race-based affirmative action that is now

00:02:13prohibitive at every other university in the country.

00:02:17We have repeatedly heard over the last several years that our diversity is our strength.

00:02:21It is not.

00:02:22Diversity can be an awesome advantage, but our unity of effort and shared benefits in

00:02:27our Constitution and common values are our strength.

00:02:31Diversity for the sake of diversity alone weakens us.

00:02:33A professor at the Air Force Academy proudly authored a Washington Post op-ed proclaiming

00:02:39that she teaches critical race theory to cadets.

00:02:42Both West Point and the Air Force Academy establish diversity and inclusion minors,

00:02:47which can be trendy in other university settings, but were so unpopular with cadets that when

00:02:54they were abruptly canceled by President Trump, hardly anyone noticed.

00:02:58More importantly, any effort to teach our future leaders to judge or sort people by

00:03:02immutable characteristics like race runs counter to the Constitution and is devastating to

00:03:11good order and discipline.

00:03:13Last fall, the Naval Academy appropriately canceled a lecture after it was revealed that

00:03:18the speaker planned to use the opportunity to make a partisan political speech, but one

00:03:22must ask, why was this speaker invited in the first place?

00:03:26The academics must always remember, or the academies must always remember that they were

00:03:31created in the first place.

00:03:33The American people devote tremendous resources to maintaining all of these institutions.

00:03:39If the academics are not entirely focused on building officers' character and to lead

00:03:45our nation's sons and daughters in combat, then what is the purpose?

00:03:49I hope our witnesses will address these criticisms, but also tell us about the great things that

00:03:55are happening every day at the academies.

00:03:58The vast majority of the cadets and midshipmen, faculty, and staff at the service academies

00:04:02are properly focused on the only mission that matters, which is defending our Constitution

00:04:08and the American people.

00:04:09I thank the witness for appearing here today and I look forward to their testimony.

00:04:15Now I'll turn the microphone over to Senator Warren.

00:04:18So thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:04:20I'm also looking forward to continuing the bipartisan tradition of this subcommittee

00:04:26and I hope to work with you and all of our members to make sure that we improve the lives

00:04:32of our service members, their families, and our civilian workforce so that they can stay

00:04:37focused on the mission of keeping Americans safe.

00:04:41I want to start by extending my condolences to the four families that just lost loved

00:04:47ones during a training mission in Lithuania.

00:04:51They remind us those who go into harm's way and their families are always at risk and

00:04:58put it on the line for the people of the United States of America.

00:05:02We are a deeply grateful nation.

00:05:06I am glad that we are starting this year by focusing on how we recruit and retain the

00:05:12next generation of military leaders.

00:05:15Our military service academies are among the top academic institutions in the nation.

00:05:21West Point, the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy provide a high quality education and

00:05:28they recruit and train almost 20% of our military officers.

00:05:35Currently, our military academies are very selective, almost as tough to get into as

00:05:42the top colleges in this country.

00:05:45But that knife cuts both ways.

00:05:47Every student admitted to the military academies has other options.

00:05:53Academy students are often highly recruited by other schools.

00:05:56The competition for talent for tomorrow's leaders is already fierce.

00:06:02Strikes on our military academies or policies that shrink the pool of young Americans who

00:06:08will consider applying for military service will cause lasting damage to our military

00:06:15and to our nation.

00:06:17The latest U.S. census found that the youngest generation of Americans is more diverse than

00:06:23ever.

00:06:24That means we need our military academies to continue developing successful leaders

00:06:29from all walks of life, not push away strong recruits because they feel unwelcome or undervalued.

00:06:38Hand-fisted efforts to reshape the academies are bound to backfire.

00:06:43For example, a mix of military practitioners and civilian instructors have successfully

00:06:49worked together for decades to shape students at the service academies into a lethal fighting

00:06:56force.

00:06:57In the same way that competition for talent exists for academy students, the same competition

00:07:04is true for faculty.

00:07:06Well-respected professors have options and many are aggressively recruited.

00:07:12When Secretary Hegseth seemed to suggest that academies should have fewer civilian professors

00:07:18and when the Department of Defense imposes a ban on travel by civilian personnel, it

00:07:23suggests that the military does not care about civilians supporting its mission and

00:07:29that it will make it harder to attract and keep top talent to teach tomorrow's military

00:07:36leaders.

00:07:37The foolishness of the travel ban was immediately apparent.

00:07:42Testing sites for military entrance exams were forced to close or reduce hours so fewer

00:07:48young people could apply to the military.

00:07:52While DOD has begun to allow civilians to travel to these testing sites again, these

00:07:57attacks on civilian personnel who help to support our military are worrying and civilian

00:08:04personnel are key to keeping our academies successful as well.

00:08:11Our military students deserve the best teachers, people who are experts in their field, tying

00:08:17the hands of the academies as they compete with other top universities for talented faculty

00:08:22will undercut the academies and, over time, undercut the leaders the academies are teaching.

00:08:31Students need to develop their skills both inside the classroom and outside as well.

00:08:36I'm sure many of us can think of sports teams and extracurricular activities that help shape

00:08:42our experiences at school, that help build our communities, and that made us better leaders.

00:08:49Surely, as a coach, Chairman Tuberville saw students' leadership skills develop and grow

00:08:56throughout classroom work.

00:08:59The Executive Order's attacks on clubs at academies that it considers DEI isn't creating

00:09:07more effective war fighters, it's cutting off students from opportunities to grow as

00:09:13leaders.

00:09:14When we're trying to maintain a military force that can deter China, we can't afford to be

00:09:20shutting down engineering clubs.

00:09:23But under President Trump, West Point has already disbanded chapters of the National

00:09:28Society of Black Engineers and the National Society of Women Engineers.

00:09:34Both organizations have been praised repeatedly for helping recruit and retain more young

00:09:41engineers for military service.

00:09:44Closing those chapters at the military academies, while those chapters remain open at more than

00:09:50600 other colleges and universities, does not help our military recruit top talent.

00:09:59This committee held two hearings on recruiting last year, and both hearings made clear that

00:10:04the United States cannot meet its recruiting goals without women.

00:10:10The Army met its recruiting goals in 2024 primarily because of new female recruits.

00:10:17There was an 18% increase in women signing up for active duty compared to an increase

00:10:23of just 8% for men.

00:10:25Let me be clear, these women are not looking for a preference or a handout.

00:10:30They just want a chance to compete straight up.

00:10:34But we won't be able to attract the women we need if they see a new glass ceiling on

00:10:40their opportunity to command.

00:10:43By removing women, like the Chief of Naval Operations, Vice Admiral Franchetti, from

00:10:49leadership roles simply because they are women, and confirming a Secretary of Defense who

00:10:55has a long record of opposing women in combat, the Trump administration has already set a

00:11:01tone from the top that women are not welcome.

00:11:05We are already hearing concerns that women are hesitant to join certain military jobs

00:11:12because they believe they won't be welcome solely due to their identity, not because

00:11:18of their qualifications.

00:11:20Black recruits face their own challenges.

00:11:23When a black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a man who served honorably for over

00:11:2840 years and who outlined our most successful strategy to deal with foreign terrorists,

00:11:34is fired solely because President Trump cannot imagine that he earned the job on the merits,

00:11:41black military recruits across the nation get the message, your race makes you vulnerable.

00:11:47And when national organizations to support black college students who major in engineering

00:11:53are suddenly dropped at the military academies, while those organizations remain lively at

00:11:59600 other colleges and universities, the message that the military academies may not welcome

00:12:05you gets even louder.

00:12:08Recruiting and retaining talent, including black and female talent, is a critical job

00:12:14for the future security of our nation.

00:12:18Pushing away more than half our future leaders is wildly self-destructive.

00:12:24Mr. Chairman, 24 alumni from West Point and the Naval Academy have written to me sharing

00:12:29their stories about what the academies mean to them and why they are concerned about the

00:12:36direction this administration wants to take them.

00:12:39I would like to enter those into the record for their letters and their testimony.

00:12:45Let me read from just one of them who wrote that these attacks on diversity are, quote,

00:12:50a direct affront to the principles upon which our military was built and a betrayal of the

00:12:57sacrifices made by generations of service members.

00:13:01Let those words sink in, a betrayal.

00:13:04We owe them better than that.

00:13:06I look forward to this hearing and hearing the testimony of the witnesses who are here

00:13:11today.

00:13:12I thank you for being with us.

00:13:14Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:13:16Thank you, Senator Warren.

00:13:17Now, we'll start with our witnesses and we'll go to questions and answers.

00:13:22We'll start with you, General Gillen.

00:13:27Chairman Tuberville, Ranking Member Warren, distinguished members of the subcommittee,

00:13:31thank you for your continued support of the United States Military Academy and Corps of

00:13:35Cadets.

00:13:36I'm honored by the opportunity to share how your military academy is providing the Army

00:13:40and our nation with disciplined, resilient warrior leaders of character ready to fight

00:13:46and win on the 21st century battlefield.

00:13:49West Point produces the best trained junior officers dedicated to the Army values and

00:13:53ready for a lifetime of selfless service to the nation.

00:13:57Starting on day one, our cadets are grounded in the ideals of duty, honor, country, and

00:14:04our cadet honor code.

00:14:06Our rigorous leader development system ensures West Point graduates are prepared to lead

00:14:10American soldiers.

00:14:12West Point is not a traditional college or university.

00:14:16We equip our graduates with the skills required to lead small units on the battlefield.

00:14:21Furthermore, we develop and refine the high moral character necessary to lead America's

00:14:26sons and daughters to fight and win our nation's wars.

00:14:31Through a robust core curriculum that encompasses war fighting, scholarship, and physical training

00:14:37underpinned by the United States Constitution, we instill both the warrior ethos and intellectual

00:14:43agility necessary to outthink and outmaneuver our adversaries.

00:14:49Our graduates serve as a testament to the effectiveness of our program, including 77

00:14:55Medal of Honor recipients, over 100 Rhodes Scholars, two U.S. presidents, and numerous

00:15:00members of Congress, including 10 current members.

00:15:03Our team, many of whom are combat veterans, and from my professional experience in the

00:15:0975th Ranger Regiment as a former deputy commander of a special mission unit and the commander

00:15:15of the warrior division in the Republic of Korea, we know what it takes to fight and

00:15:20win in the most unforgiving conditions.

00:15:23That mindset and toughness is what West Point teaches, which is exactly the type of battlefield

00:15:30leader West Point produces.

00:15:34What truly sets us apart is our comprehensive character development efforts integrated through

00:15:39all aspects of the cadet experience.

00:15:42I believe a cadet gets a degree in character development and leadership.

00:15:47We charge every member of our community, staff, faculty, and coaches to be developers of

00:15:53leadership and character.

00:15:56These extraordinary young men and women are among America's finest, hailing from our states,

00:16:03unified by shared commitment to selfless service, supporting and defending the Constitution,

00:16:09and living and leading honorably.

00:16:12We invite you to West Point to participate in the classroom and our training, sleep outside

00:16:16on the ground and in the rain with our cadets, and witness firsthand our exceptional future

00:16:20leaders in action.

00:16:22We know that you will be inspired.

00:16:25Thank you again, Senators, for the opportunity to discuss the United States Military Academy

00:16:29with you today.

00:16:32Thank you, General.

00:16:33Admiral Davids.

00:16:34Chairman Tuberville, Ranking Member Warren, distinguished members of the subcommittee,

00:16:41thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today on behalf of the United States Naval

00:16:45Academy.

00:16:46The Naval Academy's mission is to develop midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically,

00:16:50and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor, and loyalty in order to graduate

00:16:55leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval service.

00:16:58We are developing our Navy and Marine Corps' next generation of resilient warfighters and

00:17:02ethical leaders of character who will preserve peace and, when called upon, prevail in conflict.

00:17:07I took command of the Naval Academy as superintendent in January of 2024, and I am pleased to report

00:17:13to you today that the Naval Academy is succeeding in its mission.

00:17:16Having graduated from the Naval Academy in 1989 as a surface warfare officer over the

00:17:20last 35 years, I have had the privilege of serving on board seven Navy ships, including

00:17:25command of a carrier strike crew.

00:17:28My husband, Keith, a member of the Naval Academy Class of 1990, honorably served as

00:17:32a Navy SEAL for 34 years before retiring this fall after commanding Naval Special Warfare

00:17:37Command.

00:17:38I can attest that the Naval Academy has and continues to develop the type of stalwart

00:17:42leaders that our Navy and Marine Corps needs both today and for a future fight.

00:17:46The Naval Academy graduates and commissions over 1,000 officers each year, ensigns, and

00:17:50second lieutenants to serve in our Navy and Marine Corps.

00:17:53Every member of the Naval Academy team, from company officers to professors to coaches,

00:17:57is committed to developing these young men and women to meet and exceed the standards

00:18:01required as evidenced by an average graduation rate of 89 percent, well above the DOD requirement

00:18:06of 75 percent, and the U.S. four-year graduation rate of 27 percent.

00:18:11While we value our reputation in the various college rankings, they are important for our

00:18:15admission efforts, it's important to highlight that we are a military service academy and

00:18:19not a college or a university.

00:18:21Our graduates must be prepared immediately upon commissioning to lead and fight as a

00:18:26national institution.

00:18:27The Naval Academy draws applicants from across our great nation.

00:18:31The Naval Academy uses a comprehensive process, a whole-person assessment, balancing objective

00:18:35factors, including each candidate's application, such as GPA, with subjective factors, such

00:18:40as strength of a candidate's high school and course load.

00:18:43At no time are race, sex, or ethnicity considered in the admissions process.

00:18:48And despite recent challenges associated with COVID-19 pandemic and drops in college enrollment

00:18:53nationally, the Naval Academy has experienced a nearly 47 percent increase in our number

00:18:58of applications over the past 20 years.

00:19:01Our outreach efforts have been successful in reaching across the country, delivering

00:19:04dedicated quality candidates.

00:19:06From the moment a midshipman swears their oath on induction day through the day they

00:19:09are commissioned, they undergo experiential leadership development, learning by doing,

00:19:14as an integral aspect of their education and training.

00:19:18While our core academic program includes required courses in English, history, and government,

00:19:23it also includes an immense focus on leadership development and is heavily STEM-focused.

00:19:28Our graduates will serve on nuclear submarines, fly state-of-the-art aircraft, and command

00:19:32advanced warships.

00:19:33This technical foundation is an imperative.

00:19:36Our philosophy of education stresses attention to individual students by highly qualified

00:19:40faculty and staff members, and our faculty is an integrated group of over 550 military

00:19:46officers and civilian professionals, historically designed to be roughly equal in number.

00:19:51Officers typically rotate to the Naval Academy for two- to three-year assignments, bringing

00:19:55fresh ideas and experiences from the fleet.

00:19:57We also have a smaller contingent of permanent military instructors and professors, usually

00:20:02assigned for five to eight years at a time.

00:20:05Our career civilian faculty members, all with doctoral degrees, bring continuity to the

00:20:10education program, the academic and subject matter expertise necessary for advanced technical

00:20:15courses and honed teaching skills.

00:20:18Working together, our military and civilian instructors form an exceptionally dedicated

00:20:22team.

00:20:23The Naval Academy offers 26 majors.

00:20:25Over 75% of our graduates major in a STEM discipline, and majors are added or removed

00:20:31in response to the needs of the fleet.

00:20:33Recent examples include the addition of majors in nuclear engineering, cyber operations,

00:20:38and data science.

00:20:39We integrate wargaming into each midshipman's professional development, preparing future

00:20:43officers who can outthink the enemy.

00:20:45Every midshipman also maintains a high level of physical fitness.

00:20:48They participate in classes, in combatives, as well as swimming, and must achieve physical

00:20:52fitness standards that far exceed Navy-wide standards.

00:20:55We have 36 varsity sports, among the most of any college or university in the nation,

00:21:00developing teamwork, grit, resiliency, and the will to win are vital attributes for all

00:21:04Naval Academy graduates.

00:21:07Established by Congress in 1845, the Naval Academy has developed into a four-year total

00:21:11immersion program designed to instill professional, physical, and academic excellence required

00:21:16to develop warfighters and leaders of character for careers in our Naval service.

00:21:21Thank you again for the opportunity to appear before you today, and I look forward to your

00:21:24questions.

00:21:25Thank you, Admiral.

00:21:26General?

00:21:27Chairman Tuberville, Ranking Member Warren, and other distinguished members, good afternoon,

00:21:32and thank you for the opportunity to address this committee on behalf of the United States

00:21:35Air Force Academy.

00:21:37At the Air Force Academy, we're exceptionally proud of our military, academic, and athletic

00:21:41heritage, where we've developed leaders who've served with honor since our first graduating

00:21:46class of 1959.

00:21:48With our 30 majors and our 19 minors, we are proud to be named amongst the top public colleges

00:21:54in this great nation, alongside our teammates at this table.

00:21:58Additionally, our 30 intercollegiate athletic teams continue to showcase our warrior spirit

00:22:03and our athletic prowess, with 248 national champions after last Friday night, and 928

00:22:10all-Americans over our short history.

00:22:13But this is not enough.

00:22:15As a nation, we are in a time of consequence with global geopolitical instability.

00:22:20Our adversaries have watched the American way of war, and they are challenging our capabilities

00:22:24in every warfighting domain.

00:22:26It is our responsibility to act now.

00:22:29At USAFA, that action is a transformation that starts with our updated mission, in which

00:22:34we will forge leaders of character, motivated to a lifetime of service, and develop to lead

00:22:40our Air Force and Space Force as we fight and win our nation's wars.

00:22:45With our mission in mind, and building upon the foundation of our service's core values,

00:22:50our priorities are that we will forge warfighters to win.

00:22:53We will inspire leaders of character and quality, and we will motivate critical thinkers to

00:22:58adapt.

00:23:00Our mission, our priorities, and our newly injected warfighter training are the bedrock

00:23:04of forging warfighters to win.

00:23:06The warrior ethos our nation needs must focus on our readiness, and driving us to be offensively

00:23:12minded, to be the masters of our craft, and team-builders who overcome adversity.

00:23:18Our cadets will be ready for future battlefields with the foundational warfighting skills of

00:23:23shoot, move, communicate, medicate, and automate.

00:23:26These are the skills our joint force requires.

00:23:29Leaders of character and quality make the right decision the right way, even if unpopular.

00:23:34They value teamwork, hold each other accountable, maintain high standards, and build each other

00:23:40up to exceed those standards, and always uphold their honor.

00:23:44Finally, the dynamic strategic environment of our time demands critical thinkers to adapt.

00:23:50On modern-day battlefields, our leaders must innovate solutions to wicked, hard problems

00:23:54while operating with limited information.

00:23:57By developing their skills to ensure military readiness, to make rapid decisions with limited

00:24:02data, manage operational risk, our cadets will be ready to face the challenging world.

00:24:08As a military service academy, our priorities are the foundation of everything we do.

00:24:13Every military training session, every classroom educational experience, and every athletic

00:24:18competition must support and reflect our priorities as we develop warfighters ready to lead on

00:24:24day one.

00:24:26Woven throughout that foundation is a shared responsibility for instilling a culture of

00:24:32warfighting excellence, team building, and respect to the entire team.

00:24:37To be clear, our training will always be demanding, but it will never be demeaning.

00:24:43To achieve our goals, our academy is undergoing significant change.

00:24:47We have returned to the basics of military training and enforcing standards for all academy

00:24:52personnel.

00:24:53While standards and accountability are critical to good order and discipline, more importantly,

00:24:57they are vital to modern warfare where precision, professionalism, and trust are the foundation

00:25:03of complex military activities.

00:25:06We are also implementing a four-class leadership development program.

00:25:10We are shifting away from an emphasis on stress-focused training during the freshman year to a comprehensive

00:25:16military-focused progressive training at the individual, team, and unit levels that spans

00:25:22a cadet's entire 47-month leadership and military development program.

00:25:27Through four years of rigorous military training, a nationally recognized academic program,

00:25:32and highly competitive academics, we will develop graduates who exemplify unwavering

00:25:37courage and integrity.

00:25:39They will be prepared to lead in our Air Force and our Space Force, and they will be ready

00:25:43to lead lethal warfighting teams to deter our adversaries and, should deterrence fail,

00:25:49fight and win our nation's wars.

00:25:51Our path is clear.

00:25:52We must forge warfighters to win.

00:25:55We must inspire leaders of character and quality.

00:25:58And we must motivate critical thinkers to adapt, all to ensure that we deliver the decisive

00:26:03advantage over our adversaries.

00:26:05Our nation deserves nothing less.

00:26:08I look forward to your questions and sharing more about the incredible Air Force Academy.

00:26:13Thank you, General.

00:26:14And we'll start with a few questions.

00:26:16And I'd just like to say something.

00:26:18I coached for 40 years and recruited all over this country, and I did lose recruits to each

00:26:26one of your academies.

00:26:28And it never bothered me, because I knew the direction they were headed.

00:26:32And they were going to a different team.

00:26:34And all three of you said something about team.

00:26:38And that's what you are.

00:26:39Your entire academy is a team.

00:26:42You're all together in one.

00:26:45When you're at a university, you have academic, athletic teams and all that, but you are a

00:26:50unique situation.

00:26:51And I want to thank you for what y'all do, because you're the tip of the spear for the

00:26:55future of our country, the leadership that you're going to build.

00:26:58So thank you for those opening statements.

00:27:01And let's just talk about some of the inner workings of what y'all do.

00:27:04In the last 30 years, the composition and the role of the faculties at each of your

00:27:11institutions has changed significantly.

00:27:13And we're seeing changes.

00:27:15So I want to ask each one of you to answer these questions.

00:27:18How has the military-civilian mix of your faculties changed over that time?

00:27:23General, we'll start with you.

00:27:26Senator, our civilian faculty, we call it a blend of excellence.

00:27:34Our force structure has uniform members, 74% of the faculty, and then the force structure

00:27:39allows 26% for civilian faculty.

00:27:43What has changed over the past decade specifically is that the civilian faculty bring a depth

00:27:50of knowledge within disciplines that we are able to use for the benefit of the education

00:27:58of our cadets.

00:28:00Primarily of that, the force structure I said of 26% civilian, about 55% of those civilian

00:28:09faculty work in the STEM fields.

00:28:12So as we think about our engineering, mathematics, and such.

00:28:17Which has led us to be able to, we've got a cadet team that has deals in hypersonics

00:28:23that's been able to launch a rocket that has exceeded the Karman line, sort of the Karman

00:28:29line is 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

00:28:34These are undergraduate students that are competing against graduate students that are

00:28:37able to do that.

00:28:39We also have, and the reason they're able to do that is because when we think of the

00:28:44expertise that the civilian faculty within physics, aerospace engineering, et cetera,

00:28:51they bring that expertise and that knowledge and continuity for our cadets to be able to

00:28:57build year after year and able to do that.

00:29:01Also, our Title X civilian instructors, just as our uniform instructors, they swear an

00:29:08oath to the Constitution to support and defend the Constitution also.

00:29:13And they are charged by me as a superintendent to be developers of character and leadership.

00:29:21They are, as I mentioned in my opening statement, Senator, they are part of that community to

00:29:26teach character and leadership.

00:29:29Not just physics or data science, but also the life lessons that come with being a leader

00:29:37and their specific experiences.

00:29:39Admiral?

00:29:42Thank you, Senator.

00:29:44The Naval Academy, since 1845, has modeled a 50-50 civilian to military ratio.

00:29:50And we remain pretty close to that now, although we're off by a little bit, I would say, at

00:29:55the moment.

00:29:57Our civilians, very similar to the answer that you just got, bring such an incredible

00:30:01depth.

00:30:02They bring, they tend to stay for 30 years or longer.

00:30:06So they bring this longevity and continuity that we need at the Academy that balances

00:30:10the military personnel that either rotate in and out about three to five years or so,

00:30:16or complement our permanent military instructors and permanent military professors that will

00:30:20stay for a little bit longer, about five to eight years in time, until statutory retirement

00:30:25for some of them.

00:30:27But it's the military and the teamwork that they've got with the civilian group that really

00:30:31makes this robust STEM-heavy curriculum work.

00:30:36For us, similarly, they inspire our midshipmen, they provide that continuity.

00:30:41But more importantly, I think, the civilians in particular provide this technical expertise

00:30:46that allows us to change and develop in the STEM areas that we need to for the longevity

00:30:52of the time and to keep up with these incredible midshipmen that are coming in and need to

00:30:55be more technically advanced.

00:30:57And so the balance that they have is really important to us.

00:31:00We value them working together as this incredible team.

00:31:03It seems to work very well in our case, and we're making terrific officers because of

00:31:07this, and warfighters.

00:31:09And I'd say that every single one of them, if you're part of the Naval Academy, are very

00:31:13much a part of developing these midshipmen into the warfighters, into the leaders of

00:31:18character that they need to be, and thus we have this 50-50 mix.

00:31:23General?

00:31:25Senator Tuberville, over time, the Air Force Academy, from when I was a cadet in the early

00:31:3090s, was very few civilian, and we have now migrated to approximately 38 to 40 percent

00:31:37of civilian faculty is in our cadet-facing instruction as it comes forward.

00:31:43And as I, in my first seven months, have I have assessed, is the two most important things

00:31:47that we provide our future leaders are two things.

00:31:50One is subject matter expertise to challenge them, to educate them, to develop those critical

00:31:55thinking skills, but also operationally relevant experience.

00:32:00So as we develop them as future warrior leaders, being able to connect with them, to teach

00:32:03them what it means to serve inside our military as that goes forward.

00:32:08And we benefit from that capability from our military instructors as that moves forward,

00:32:13as well as a good portion of our civilian instructors, many of which are veterans themselves

00:32:18before they have become civilian instructors and faculty members as that develops.

00:32:26Dr. Warren?

00:32:28Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:32:29I'm going to pick up on where you were.

00:32:33We've been talking about the military academies are charged with training the next generation

00:32:38of leaders, and together, the three of you train about one out of every five of our military

00:32:45officers.

00:32:46The military spends millions of dollars, many, many years, to train our helicopter

00:32:53pilots and our combat leaders, and for a few, the chiefs of staff that we end up with.

00:33:00But the Trump administration is undermining those investments by tilting at windmills

00:33:06named DEI.

00:33:08In less than three months, the administration has canceled student engineering clubs and

00:33:13purged curricula based on clumsy keyword searches.

00:33:18The administration sends a strong signal that not everyone is welcome in our military.

00:33:25So today, I want to dig in on how you all think about your mission to develop the leaders

00:33:30who will keep our military strong.

00:33:34Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, do you consider academic and leadership potential in the admissions

00:33:40process so that we can develop the next generation of military officers who will take on the

00:33:45toughest jobs?

00:33:49Senator Warren, yes, we do absolutely, in our admissions process, consider leadership

00:33:54in our admissions process and through their 47-month leadership development program.

00:33:59Good.

00:34:00Yeah, make sure it's on.

00:34:01It's just not — we're not getting much sound here.

00:34:04And General Gillen, same answer, yes?

00:34:07Yes, ma'am, I consider it in the admissions process.

00:34:10And Admiral Davids?

00:34:11Yes, ma'am, consider it in the admissions process.

00:34:12Good.

00:34:13So you all admit cadets and midshipmen based on their academic and their leadership potential.

00:34:19Then it's your job to turn that potential into reality.

00:34:23So let's talk about where students develop those skills.

00:34:26One place, obviously, is the classroom.

00:34:29That's one of the reasons, as you have already described, that students learn from both academic

00:34:34experts and practitioners in the field.

00:34:38Military practitioners obviously have valuable experiences to share with students, but the

00:34:44academies also need the best teachers for physics and cybersecurity and electrical engineering

00:34:50and much, much more.

00:34:52The Department of Defense has recognized this, including in a 1993 report calling on the

00:34:58service academies to integrate more civilian faculty so that, quote, the faculties can

00:35:04act in unity but not identically, a blend of excellence.

00:35:10Vice Admiral Davids, does learning from both military and civilian instructors help your

00:35:15students develop the skills they need to become part of a lethal fighting force?

00:35:22Thank you, Senator.

00:35:23Absolutely.

00:35:24They learn from both our military and our civilian.

00:35:27It is one team to be able to develop these midshipmen, and they are all in on doing that.

00:35:33So I'm really impressed.

00:35:34Good.

00:35:35General Bauernfeld?

00:35:36Fine.

00:35:37General Bauernfeind, ma'am.

00:35:38Bauernfeind.

00:35:39Yes, Senator Warren.

00:35:41Yes, we value our faculty as it comes forward, as it brings forward for the two aspects as

00:35:45mentioned before, bringing forward that subject matter expertise and that operational and

00:35:49relevant experience to both educate and develop future leaders.

00:35:54And General Gilland, are you in agreement with your colleagues here?

00:35:58Yes, Senator.

00:35:59Good.

00:36:00But leadership is obviously about what you learn in the classroom, but it's also what

00:36:04happens outside the classroom.

00:36:06So I want to talk for just a minute about engineering clubs.

00:36:10They certainly encourage students to learn hard skills, to support each other in that

00:36:14undertaking can be really difficult.

00:36:17But an engineering club also gives a student an opportunity to take on leadership roles

00:36:22and responsibilities, like being the treasurer or being the president.

00:36:27That's true of other clubs, too.

00:36:29One cadet who helped found the Vietnamese American Cadet Association at West Point said

00:36:36that it helped to make him a better officer and that, quote, West Point was probably the

00:36:42first place where I had a supportive environment for my identity and who I am.

00:36:49So Lieutenant General Gilland, do cadets grow as leaders by taking initiative and

00:36:55contributing to their communities?

00:36:57And are clubs a significant part of that?

00:37:00Yes, Senator.

00:37:02All of our clubs.

00:37:03And I would consider all of West Point as a living, breathing leadership laboratory.

00:37:09I like that.

00:37:10I like that.

00:37:11Vice Admiral Davids?

00:37:13I would agree completely, Senator.

00:37:14And General Bauernfeind?

00:37:17Senator Warren, I do agree as well that our clubs provide opportunities.

00:37:21So I'm concerned because currently the administration is rolling out executive orders that have

00:37:26led to dismantling clubs that have been around for decades and that have successfully supported

00:37:33students at the service academies.

00:37:36Those leadership opportunities remain available in more than 600 colleges and universities

00:37:42around the country.

00:37:43Banning those clubs just at our military academies does not make it easier to recruit the best

00:37:51and the brightest.

00:37:52The Trump administration's ham-fisted attacks on the service academies undermine our ability

00:37:58to recruit and to train talented young people who will become a critical part of our lethal

00:38:04fighting force.

00:38:06I think that is bad for our cadets and it is bad for our national security.

00:38:11Thank you for being here.

00:38:13We apologize for moving in and out.

00:38:15We've got votes going on at the same time.

00:38:17So this is not a comment on what anyone has to say.

00:38:20We just have to play a little bit of tag here.

00:38:22Senator Reid?

00:38:23I understand...

00:38:24Yeah, he hasn't even sat down yet.

00:38:29Senator Reid, you're up next.

00:38:31Well, thank you all for your testimony and for your service.

00:38:34And my experience, which has some connection to the academies, is that there are places

00:38:41which build character and also critical thinking.

00:38:44The character is understanding that you must do the harder right rather than the easier

00:38:49wrong.

00:38:50But the critical thinking is absolutely important because today we're in a multidimensional

00:38:55scheme of warfare.

00:38:57We have accelerating technology.

00:38:59We have contested flying lines.

00:39:01The young graduates are going into a much more complicated world than I went into.

00:39:06With Admiral Davids, can you talk about the process that your faculty and dean go through

00:39:12when determining the curriculum for your students?

00:39:18Thank you, Senator.

00:39:19We have a really robust curriculum.

00:39:22It includes everything that you might need to make a great officer.

00:39:25And having just come from the fleet, I can attest to that.

00:39:28It's got English.

00:39:29It's got government.

00:39:30It's got leadership.

00:39:31It's got STEM heavy to help develop them and ready them in order to be ready to be these

00:39:36incredible officers out in the fleet on day one, sir.

00:39:40General Gallan, please.

00:39:43Senator Reid, our curriculum, which spans across not only the academic program but also

00:39:48our physical and military program, is designed to develop critical thinkers, as I stated

00:39:54in the opening statement, to be able to outthink and outmaneuver our adversaries.

00:40:00It's built into everything that we do at the United States Military Academy.

00:40:03Thank you, sir.

00:40:05General Barn and Fiend.

00:40:09Senator Reid, thank you very much.

00:40:10We have a robust course of instruction that not only includes our academic curriculum

00:40:15but our physical education and our commissioning education, all designed to meet three priorities

00:40:19that I laid out in the opening statement as it moves forward.

00:40:23And we have a very dynamic curriculum for all because in our connection with our Air

00:40:26Force major commands and our Space Force field comms, we are responsive to not only

00:40:31the requirements of the fielded forces but also the direction we receive from the Secretary

00:40:35of the Air Force.

00:40:36As an example, to graduate more of our future leaders focused on STEM degrees as the way

00:40:42of future warfare is going to rely heavily on that STEM education as it moves forward.

00:40:47And through our integrated curriculum review process, as well as great faculty support,

00:40:52we're able to ebb and flow our curriculum to meet the dynamic requirements of the force.

00:40:58Sir, can I follow up with another question, which is, can you tell us a vignette of your

00:41:04own personal experiences that you've tried to infuse into the wing at the Air Force Academy?

00:41:12So as an example, as we look forward to a curriculum review, we see an opportunity as

00:41:18we look into the future of our core is a need for understanding that all of our future

00:41:23leaders must not only be air-minded, but they also must be space-minded and cyber-minded

00:41:29to understand how to deliver and understand the organizations that deliver those effects

00:41:35for the joint warfighting campaign.

00:41:37And so right now, our faculty are looking through our process to how to ensure that

00:41:41all 1,000 graduates every year come out with that full appreciation of air, space, and

00:41:47cyber to be effective as joint operators.

00:41:50Admiral David, your comments?

00:41:53Thank you, Senator.

00:41:54I think it's my enthusiasm for the curriculum and for the trust I've got in the faculty

00:41:58that inspires them all to do incredible things.

00:42:02And you asked what we do individually to support.

00:42:04And so I think one of my big focus areas this year has definitely been wargaming.

00:42:09And it's sort of at a nascent level, but I think we do have one of the largest undergraduate

00:42:13wargaming efforts at one time for our midshipmen fourth class at the end of each year.

00:42:17It's really extraordinary.

00:42:19It's also to support the midshipmen first class as they develop their capstone projects.

00:42:24And this is why it's so exciting, because it's tied completely with the fleet, with

00:42:27our labs, with our research projects that occur that the midshipmen are incorporated

00:42:32to include in some real-world operational support.

00:42:35And not to mention, we have some incredible extracurricular activities that we talked

00:42:39about before.

00:42:40And one that I just used as an example is something we called SWAT-C, but imagine it

00:42:44is a competitive drone group that goes out and competes against these two here, but also

00:42:49other schools in the real-world terrain on understanding how you use that technology

00:42:55in the future.

00:42:56It's about really infusing support to the faculty and staff.

00:43:00And General Gillen.

00:43:01Senator Reed, our curriculum is under continuous assessment, and it evolves to meet the requirements

00:43:07of the United States Army.

00:43:09From a personal vignette perspective, at West Point, we have what's called MX400, which

00:43:14is the officer capstone course.

00:43:16It's really, it's a superintendent's course.

00:43:20Our first class or seniors take that course one semester during their senior year.

00:43:25I address them in specifically the underpinnings of the Constitution of the United States and

00:43:32what it means to be a commissioned officer in the United States Army.

00:43:37And then the vignettes associated with experiences that I've had through almost 35 years of service

00:43:43in our Army.

00:43:44Just let me make two final points.

00:43:46One of the advantages you have now is a very established and experienced non-commissioned

00:43:52officer corps who are integrated within the cadet companies and squadrons, et cetera,

00:43:59which is a plus.

00:44:00And second, I have some prejudices among the academies, but Admiral Davis, I think Navy

00:44:06really began to turn in the right direction when in the 1860s you moved to Newport, Rhode

00:44:11Island for a few years, so I think that's the key point that should be made.

00:44:16Thank you, sir.

00:44:17Thanks, Senator Reed.

00:44:18Senator Sullivan.

00:44:19Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:44:21It's good to see you at the helm here and also as a member of the U.S. Air Force Academy

00:44:27Board.

00:44:28I think that's great.

00:44:29Congratulations, Senator Tuberville and both.

00:44:34I want to just kind of have an honest assessment here because I think one of the biggest concerns

00:44:40we have in the Congress, certainly the American people have, is our so-called elite universities

00:44:47in our country, the Ivy League, for example, that they have become bastions of anti-Americanism,

00:44:58anti-military institutions, anti-Semitic institutions, the top universities in the

00:45:06country.

00:45:08And I think this is a charge that's not some kind of fake charge.

00:45:13My alma mater, Harvard University, has led the way on being anti-military for decades.

00:45:21They still are, in my view, in many ways.

00:45:23They don't respect the service of people in our military.

00:45:32I had an experience that I wrote about in the Wall Street Journal just last year when

00:45:36I visited Harvard.

00:45:37I mean, you couldn't believe it, a giant anti-Israel, anti-Semitic protest put on by a radical group

00:45:44in Harvard Library's Widener Reading Room during finals.

00:45:48It was ridiculous.

00:45:50I mean, it was stunning how out of touch these universities are.

00:45:56And Americans across the country are like, wait, these are the universities teaching

00:46:00our leaders?

00:46:04It's a real shame, and there's a lot of concern with good reason.

00:46:08So in that Wall Street Journal op-ed, I talked about the experience I saw there recently

00:46:17at Harvard.

00:46:18I was shocked at the lack of leadership, particularly Claudine Gay, who subsequently got fired

00:46:24after my Wall Street Journal op-ed.

00:46:26And I wrote, not all university leadership is so craven, morally bankrupt, and afraid

00:46:30of the most vocal, radical sects of their own student bodies.

00:46:35I serve on the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Naval Academy, which, no offense, Senator

00:46:41Reid, is rated the number one public university in America.

00:46:44The contrast couldn't be starker between the service academies and the Ivy League

00:46:49on issues like civil discourse, so-called safe spaces, trigger warnings, American history,

00:46:57and yes, our unique and exceptional place in the world.

00:47:01So Admiral, I've seen a lot of what the Naval Academy has done.

00:47:06I think for the most part, it's outstanding.

00:47:09But we have concerns that some of this DEI, CRT, anti-Americanism, anti-militarism kind

00:47:18of is going to seep over to our service academies, which I think is the point of this hearing.

00:47:23And I really appreciate the chairman for calling it.

00:47:27We want our service academies focused on war fighting, lethality, patriotism.

00:47:35And I think there's still, all three of you still are at the helm of the top universities

00:47:41in the country, but there can be improvements.

00:47:44And I think everybody would agree with that.

00:47:46So let me just ask very quickly, General Berenfeind, there was a civilian professor at the Air

00:47:55Force Academy named Dr. Lynn Chandler-Garcia published an op-ed in the Washington Post

00:48:01where she stated, quote, she teaches critical race theories to our nation's military leaders

00:48:07because it is vital to cadets to understand history of racism that have shaped both foreign

00:48:12policy and domestic policy.

00:48:14Do you think CRT is vital for future military Air Force officers?

00:48:21General?

00:48:22Senator Sullivan, thank you.

00:48:24What we are focused on is developing those war fighters, Lynn, those leaders of character

00:48:28and quality, and those critical thinkers to adapt.

00:48:31In accordance with law on the 2024 NDAA, we no longer teach critical race theory at the

00:48:38United States Air Force Academy.

00:48:41But to focus on those critical thinkers, we're delving in hard on teaching our future leaders

00:48:47how to think and not what to think.

00:48:50Good.

00:48:51That's a great answer.

00:48:52Admiral, you and I have gotten to know each other well.

00:48:54I appreciate your leadership at the Naval Academy.

00:48:59One of the big challenges, we just had a hearing yesterday on it, shipbuilding.

00:49:07Do you think having our future naval officers fully understand naval architecture programs

00:49:15is something that should be, even though it's not a major for everybody, is that in the

00:49:19core curriculum at the Naval Academy now?

00:49:25It's part of the core curriculum.

00:49:27I might offer also we have the second largest wave tank in the nation, which is a backup

00:49:32to Carderock, which could be helpful in the future when we're talking shipbuilding.

00:49:37It's exceptionally important to us.

00:49:38We do have a cadre of midshipmen who really focus and enjoy naval architecture, sir, and

00:49:43I'm so pleased that we offer it.

00:49:44Are there ways to encourage midshipmen, more midshipmen to take up naval architecture as

00:49:51a major?

00:49:52I think it's one of our challenges on shipbuilding right now, and if there's going to be a source

00:49:57of military leaders who understand naval architecture to help us get us out of this challenge on

00:50:02shipbuilding, it's going to be from the academy you lead.

00:50:05Is there ways to do that?

00:50:07There are ways to relook at this.

00:50:08We're looking at our curriculum right now just to ensure that not only do we follow

00:50:12the executive orders, but also that we're completely aligned with warfighting of the

00:50:16future, and this is warfighting of the future.

00:50:18This is a hot button right now.

00:50:20It would be appropriate to reconsider what we do with the naval architecture.

00:50:24What I do know is we do have a lot of very wonderful midshipmen focused on it right now.

00:50:29Great.

00:50:31Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:50:32Thanks, Senator Sullivan.

00:50:33Just to follow up, General, is that professor still employed at the Air Force Academy?

00:50:39Yes, sir.

00:50:40Senator Reed, would you like a rebuttal on the...

00:50:47You're very generous, Mr. Chairman, but I think that history speaks for itself.

00:50:53Senator Orono.

00:50:54Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:50:56I welcome all of our superintendents.

00:50:58I want to be absolutely clear.

00:51:00The Trump administration's attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion in our military and

00:51:05our military service academies are not just misguided, they are dangerous.

00:51:10These efforts weaken our armed forces, ignore our history, and undermine the very principles

00:51:16that make our military the most capable in the world.

00:51:19The claim that DEI initiatives somehow detract from combat readiness is not only false, but

00:51:25flies in the face of decades of evidence.

00:51:29Diversity is not a distraction.

00:51:30It is our strategic advantage.

00:51:33The Department of Defense itself has repeatedly affirmed that a diverse force is a stronger

00:51:40force.

00:51:42Even the conservative Supreme Court, in its disastrous ruling on affirmative action, recognized

00:51:49that military academies have, quote, potentially distinct interests, end quote, in maintaining

00:51:56a diverse officer corps.

00:51:59And a federal district court recently in Maryland said just that, ruling that the Naval Academy's

00:52:05limited use of race in admissions was constitutional, citing a compelling national security interest

00:52:12in officer diversity.

00:52:15The court emphasized that unlike civilian institutions, military academies must account

00:52:20for how their admissions policies directly affect national defense, and why is that?

00:52:27Because diversity in leadership is not an ideological preference, it is a strategic

00:52:33imperative.

00:52:34Because the ability to lead diverse units, work with international allies, and maintain

00:52:39cohesion within the ranks is not an optional skill, it is a necessity.

00:52:44In other words, having an officer corps that represents the country it protects and the

00:52:49people it leads is a force multiplier, force multiplier, which gives our armed forces an

00:52:57advantage over our adversaries.

00:53:00Yet instead of embracing this reality, we see efforts to erase and dismantle the very

00:53:07programs that help us build this capability.

00:53:10West Point has disbanded a dozen cadet clubs that supported women, LGBTQ plus students,

00:53:17and racial minorities.

00:53:18The Air Force removed a documentary in their basic military training curriculum on the

00:53:24Tuskegee Airmen, black pilots who had to fight two wars, one against the Axis powers and

00:53:31one against the racism in their own country.

00:53:35And the Army, in a so-called, quote, digital content refresh, end quote, accidentally erased

00:53:42the history of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most decorated unit in U.S. military

00:53:48history composed entirely of Japanese Americans who fought bravely while their families, 120,000

00:53:56Japanese Americans, were incarcerated in internment camps back home.

00:54:01This is unacceptable and disrespectful to our brave veterans.

00:54:06I'll say that again.

00:54:07The Army took down a page honoring a unit that fought valiantly to prove their loyalty

00:54:13to a country that had imprisoned their families back at home, reinstating the page only after

00:54:21public outcry.

00:54:22If Secretary Hicks' message to the forces he claims to be committed to warfighters,

00:54:29he claims to care about warfighting ethos and lethality.

00:54:33If Secretary Hitzik and President Trump are proud of our warfighters, then why are they

00:54:39erasing their legacy?

00:54:42This hypocrisy is not just offensive, it is a betrayal of our service members and their

00:54:46sacrifices.

00:54:47It is no coincidence that the same voices attacking DEI today are the ones who stood

00:54:53silent when women in the military were fighting for equal opportunities, when LGBTQ plus service

00:54:59members were forced to hide who they were, and when racial minorities were systematically

00:55:05denied leadership opportunities.

00:55:08This is not about merit.

00:55:10It is about rolling back progress under the guise of readiness and lethality.

00:55:16Our military academies are supposed to be developing leaders of character.

00:55:20You all testified to that.

00:55:23Leaders who can navigate the complex global challenges of the 21st century, not just fire

00:55:29weapons or fly a plane.

00:55:31Leaders who can foster trust and cohesion with diverse units, who can engage with international

00:55:38allies, and who can uphold the values of democracy and equality that we send them to defend.

00:55:45The Department of Defense itself has argued that diverse leadership is a, quote, national

00:55:52security imperative, end quote.

00:55:54Yet we are watching as this administration systematically dismantles every effort to

00:55:59ensure that our officers, our officer corps reflect the America it serves.

00:56:05This is not just a political talking point, it is a strategic failure in the making.

00:56:11To the superintendents and leaders here today, you oversee the comprehensive training and

00:56:17education of our future military leaders.

00:56:19You are responsible for ensuring that our armed forces remain the best in the world,

00:56:24not just in combat effectiveness, but in leadership, character, cohesion.

00:56:30I urge you to stand firm.

00:56:31Do not allow anti-DEI policies to undermine the very fabric of our national security.

00:56:38Do not allow President Trump and Secretary Hicks to erase history by dividing what we

00:56:48know to be facially true.

00:56:53The strength and future of our military depends on it.

00:56:55Mr. Chairman, I would like to include in the record of this hearing this list of words

00:57:02that the New York Times printed as words that are disappearing in the new Trump administration.

00:57:12There are words like biases, diverse groups, equal opportunity, immigrants, injustice,

00:57:17victims, women, females, blacks, three pages worth of words that are no longer welcome

00:57:25in this administration.

00:57:26I would like this list to be included in the record of this hearing.

00:57:29So entered.

00:57:31Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:57:32Thank you, Senator Orono.

00:57:33Senator Scott.

00:57:35General Gellin, is the Army-Navy game important?

00:57:43Senator Scott, it's great to see you again.

00:57:46The Army-Navy game is important.

00:57:47Absolutely, sir.

00:57:48It would be really disappointing if you ever lost, right?

00:57:52We are disappointed, but we will also come back.

00:57:57Did you go to the game?

00:57:58Yes, sir.

00:57:59Do you remember the score?

00:58:00I do, sir.

00:58:01What was it?

00:58:02Well, I tried to put that behind me, sir, but yes.

00:58:07But the Navy, you think it's a really, really, really important game, isn't it?

00:58:11Exceptionally, especially this year, sir.

00:58:14Go Navy.

00:58:18Thank you guys for what you're doing.

00:58:19Thank each of you for what you're doing.

00:58:21So first off, who's responsible for your faculty?

00:58:25I mean, who's responsible for the mission?

00:58:28Start with the General.

00:58:30Senator Scott, I am.

00:58:32Okay.

00:58:33I'm as well, sir.

00:58:34So you're responsible for your faculty, right?

00:58:37Yes, Senator.

00:58:38Okay.

00:58:39How is your faculty chosen?

00:58:40Senator, our faculty at West Point is chosen through different hiring processes.

00:58:46As we think about those departments and department heads lead the respective hiring process.

00:58:55And so for both uniformed and civilian faculty, going through the process to identify those

00:59:02people that have the skills, particularly in knowledge and experience in whatever the

00:59:08discipline is that we're looking for.

00:59:11Do you hire them or does the faculty hire themselves?

00:59:14Hire new faculty?

00:59:15Sir, through the hiring process, it is brought to the dean of the academic board and to myself

00:59:23for approval.

00:59:24Admiral?

00:59:25Very similar.

00:59:26We are looking for individuals that have the expertise in the fields that we need.

00:59:33Going forward, have the commitment to the Naval Academy and the buy-in for exactly our

00:59:36mission set, sir.

00:59:37Who makes the final decision?

00:59:39The final, it's everything.

00:59:41I am responsible for everything.

00:59:43But it is recommended by a panel, sir.

00:59:46General?

00:59:47Sir, we have similar processes as our colleagues at the table.

00:59:50And especially our dean of faculty has great authority under my responsibility to canvas

00:59:58for the best and brightest military and civilian faculty instructors as we move forward.

01:00:04So ultimately, each of you have the ability to pick your faculty?

01:00:07Senator, yes, we do.

01:00:10But I think that what is important to clarify is that through authorities that have been

01:00:17delegated, depending on the instructor, the level, I am not personally canvassing captains

01:00:28across the operational force to come teach in a department.

01:00:33I have very capable department heads who execute that.

01:00:38Do any of you have tenure?

01:00:40Are you looking at having tenure?

01:00:42Yes, sir.

01:00:44We have both.

01:00:45We have civilian tenure for a small number of our civilian faculty as well as our military

01:00:50permanent professors and senior military faculty that have longer duration at the Air Force Academy.

01:00:57We too have a process of tenure for our civilians, sir.

01:01:00We do too also, Senator.

01:01:02So why do you have tenure?

01:01:06Well, Senator, I think that tenure offers our civilian faculty specifically opportunities

01:01:17to advance within their discipline at the United States Military Academy.

01:01:24I think it's a wonderful recruiting tool to get in the best and brightest that we can.

01:01:28They could go to so many other places, but that we draw in these incredible talent that

01:01:32want to stay.

01:01:33Sir, I also think it's an incentive to stay, which we want these individuals to buy into

01:01:37the program and be able to learn and advance their skills so that we can benefit from them,

01:01:42sir.

01:01:43And, sir, I would say that's the process of the Air Force Academy as well as part of the

01:01:47academic progression for our civilian faculty.

01:01:50So did each of you come up through a tenure system?

01:01:56We came up through a professional military system, sir.

01:01:59You don't have tenure, do you?

01:02:01No.

01:02:03I spent 35 years in the Army, sir.

01:02:06Some would probably call that tenure.

01:02:07Yeah, but you had to perform, and if you didn't perform, you're out.

01:02:10That's correct.

01:02:12But tenure within our civilian faculty, Senator, has to be earned.

01:02:16It's not given.

01:02:17It has to be demonstrated that a faculty member qualifies to meet the tenets of earning that

01:02:25tenure.

01:02:26Have you, on any of your areas, has a tenured professor ever lost their job while you've

01:02:32been there?

01:02:34Not during my time, Senator.

01:02:37Not during my time either, sir.

01:02:39Neither for me, sir, for my short period.

01:02:45Just to follow up on that, can you fire a civilian tenured teacher, professor, general?

01:02:50Can you fire one?

01:02:51Yes, Senator.

01:02:52You can't?

01:02:53Yes.

01:02:54Through the process, we have the ability to fire them.

01:02:57Sir, there's an HR process in which we can do that.

01:03:00Absolutely, sir.

01:03:01It's a process for all civilian and military personnel that don't meet our standards.

01:03:05How about your coaches?

01:03:09All the time.

01:03:10I guarantee you they don't have tenure.

01:03:15I asked that question.

01:03:16We might have to work on that, though.

01:03:17I'm kind of partial to the coaches.

01:03:19I have some serious questions.

01:03:21You can disregard that one.

01:03:23I think you have some of the most important jobs in our military, maybe in our country,

01:03:31which is educating our future leaders.

01:03:35They are leaders not only in the military, but eventually in their communities as well.

01:03:40I think your job has been made more difficult by some of the recent talk about a woke military

01:03:49and some of the recent orders that you've had to implement, like the DEI executive orders

01:03:57eliminating DEI content from your curriculum and campuses, which I think has a chilling

01:04:06effect on the discourse that takes place on campuses, which is really part of the educational

01:04:13experience.

01:04:14What young people say to each other, what they learn from each other, I think is as

01:04:20important as maybe some of the courses that they take.

01:04:25I trust that you have faithfully executed the orders from your commander in chief to

01:04:31eliminate all the DEI content from your campuses and curriculum.

01:04:36I understand in the case of West Point, sir, you reviewed over 600 courses and you eliminated

01:04:45just two to come into compliance, which says to me there was not a lot of this extraneous

01:04:55DEI woke content in your courses.

01:05:00Is that a fair conclusion on my part?

01:05:03Senator, and the review is still ongoing given the time frame.

01:05:08We're actually, we're in the validation frame, but of over 600 courses that were reviewed,

01:05:14two were determined to not be compliant with the executive order, and thus we eliminated

01:05:20those two courses.

01:05:21They were higher level electives that had a fairly small population of cadets that were

01:05:28enrolled in that.

01:05:29Excuse me, sir?

01:05:30What were the two courses?

01:05:31Sir, one was a history course and the other was an English course.

01:05:35The, respectively, the population impacted about 25 cadets in one course and 13 in another.

01:05:43What was the title of the ... Yes, sir.

01:05:46The title for the history course was, it was HI 463, Race, Ethnicity, and Nation, and our

01:05:54English course, which was English 352, was Power and Difference, sir.

01:05:59And like I said, 25 cadets impacted in the history course, 12 cadets impacted in the

01:06:05English course.

01:06:08Could you give me, for the Navy, Admiral Davis, the equivalent information, and maybe for

01:06:13the Air Force as well?

01:06:14Certainly, sir.

01:06:15Thank you for the question.

01:06:16Out of 870 courses that we reviewed, only two of them were canceled.

01:06:22They were NL 445, Gender Matters, and that's a leadership course, sir, and an English course,

01:06:28374, Gender Sexuality Studies.

01:06:31We had a total of 18 other classes that we either needed to modify, very minorly, or

01:06:38make some subtle adjustments to bring it to compliance with the executive orders.

01:06:43Senator Blumenthal, we're in the middle of our course review, so we've conducted a review

01:06:50of our 735 and we're doing two sets of eyes on the review as we go forward.

01:06:56Of the 735, we have assessed that right now there are 55 courses that we've identified

01:07:05for further on analysis.

01:07:07Of those numbers, right now our initial assessment is 40% will require no change, 53% will require

01:07:14minor admin or reading change, and only three of the courses potentially for suspension.

01:07:21I have not made that decision yet, and once I do, sir, I'll follow up on the record with

01:07:25the names of those courses.

01:07:26If all of you could follow up, I know that this review may be ongoing.

01:07:30As you've said, General, I would appreciate knowing.

01:07:33You know, the reason why it's a somewhat impossible position, in order to teach about tyranny,

01:07:39you have to read books on Nazism, right?

01:07:42Some of the bad stuff has to be learned in order to avoid mistakes that have been made

01:07:47in the past.

01:07:48The military has an extraordinary and proud record of leading our nation on desegregation.

01:07:58It literally led the nation.

01:08:03We should be teaching that history so that our military can be not only proud, but continue

01:08:08to lead the nation in its values and principles, let me just say it, of diversity, which is

01:08:19what you do.

01:08:20You are diverse, and you need to teach people how to deal with diverse groups that they

01:08:26will command, and inclusion, because you want to include people from different backgrounds

01:08:33and races and religions, and be able to lead them as well, and do it equitably.

01:08:41So I'm very sympathetic to your dilemma right now, and I hope that the Congress can help

01:08:50you rather than hinder you with the kind of rhetoric that has become all too popular about

01:08:58woke military and all that stuff.

01:09:01I want to thank you for the great job that you are doing.

01:09:04I nominate, every year, people to go to your great institution.

01:09:12I wish all of them could be admitted, but I must say, one of the most satisfying and

01:09:18fulfilling tasks I have is to do those nominations, because they are extraordinary, just exemplary

01:09:24young men and women, and thank you for helping to educate them.

01:09:32Thank you, Senator Blumenthal.

01:09:33Senator Butt.

01:09:34Chairman, thank you.

01:09:35Thanks for hosting this.

01:09:37Thank you all for being here as well, and I would echo those comments.

01:09:40It's one of our highlights.

01:09:42It gives us great hope in our country every December when we gather as a large panel somewhere

01:09:48in North Carolina to review applicants and candidates.

01:09:53It's one of the highlights from my time in the House and also here in the Senate.

01:09:58Let me ask about the concept of the military being a great leveler, and I believe that

01:10:06it is.

01:10:07So, for decades, the U.S. military has been the strongest representation of the very best

01:10:11of our country.

01:10:13Americans from all backgrounds must continue to be evaluated and promoted based on their

01:10:18merit, encompassing their character, their commitment, their ability, and their courage.

01:10:23Senator Gillen, and if I could ask all of you when I ask you the questions just to keep

01:10:27your answers concise, you've said that all appointees to West Point are fully qualified

01:10:34based on your scoring methodology, the whole candidate score.

01:10:37So, what's the lowest that an applicant can score and still be deemed highly qualified?

01:10:45Sir, the whole candidate model, which is based on academic, physical, and then character

01:10:54and service, that is one component of the admissions process, of which when we have

01:11:02the, we use the whole candidate score and then to measure the tangibles, and then there

01:11:06are the intangibles, such as grit and tenacity, desire to serve our nation, that are also

01:11:17are assessed by our recruitment officers through our admissions department.

01:11:24When we look at the whole person concept for the candidates that exist across our nation

01:11:32and within your state specifically, sir, we look at both the tangibles and the intangibles.

01:11:39General, it would seem those additional qualifiers of grit, tenacity, and desire to serve, would

01:11:45that not be part of the whole candidate score?

01:11:47Well, sir, with regards to the whole candidate score, as I said, broken down, there's academic,

01:11:53which is 60 percent, 30 percent, which is the character and extracurricular activities,

01:12:00and then 10 percent physical.

01:12:03And then there is the assessment of the intangibles, as we've seen through letters of evaluation

01:12:09that come in from coaches and teachers, respectively.

01:12:13The interview process, the interviews that go through our field force members that are

01:12:20out within their respective locales, and so there's these intangibles that are also considered

01:12:27in the development of a candidate and determining admissions to the military academy.

01:12:34General, is there a different minimum score for any particular demographic?

01:12:40No, sir.

01:12:42General, roughly 25 to 30 percent of an incoming class at West Point is not required to be

01:12:49appointed based on their order of merit.

01:12:51Do you oppose legislation that would require you to appoint more applicants based on their

01:12:56whole candidate score?

01:12:58And if so, why is that?

01:13:00Sir, our admissions model is compliant with the Title 10, the provisions of Title 10,

01:13:07which has been codified in law, as has been stated, sir.

01:13:12If there is a change to any legislation, we absolutely look forward to working with you

01:13:18on what that would mean and what it would entail with any modifications.

01:13:24We continuously assess our admissions process, and for instance, as we talk about the whole

01:13:30candidate score, each of us, each of the academies have different whole person scoring models,

01:13:41and we are looking at ours also at this time.

01:13:45General Bauernfeind, I understand you're looking at some of the Air Force Academy's admissions

01:13:49processes.

01:13:50You mentioned that earlier.

01:13:51Do you have any specific concerns, and if so, what are they?

01:13:54And would you oppose legislation that would require you to adhere to your order of merit

01:13:58in admissions?

01:13:59Sir, first of all, our admissions process, to go back to the fully qualified, it requires

01:14:07two aspects, a highly competitive application process that goes into not only the academic

01:14:13ability to succeed at one of our military service academies, but extracurricular activities

01:14:18focused on leadership abilities and depth of service, and then, as discussed before,

01:14:24athletic capabilities and air liaison interview, but then finally a committee score that looks

01:14:29in deeper into the letters of recommendation, the interviews that starts to understand alignment

01:14:33to our service core values, integrity, determination, grit, as that comes forward as we dig into

01:14:40it.

01:14:41We're also very content with our current admissions process for understanding how we're getting

01:14:49the best and brightest.

01:14:51The second aspect is also the nomination that we get from our congressional leadership to

01:14:55ensure that we're getting the best and brightest from all the districts in our great nation

01:15:00as it moves forward.

01:15:01And if our elected leaders choose to provide additional guidance, we look forward to working

01:15:05with our elected leaders to comply with that.

01:15:10Any questions for the record, unless you have other time?

01:15:15Senator Budd, I've got one question.

01:15:17I apologize for people in and out.

01:15:19We have votes.

01:15:20We have other hearings going on.

01:15:21But we do really appreciate you coming.

01:15:23We've learned a lot here.

01:15:24But I'd like, you know, permanent military faculty are Senate-confirmed.

01:15:29Should we have any input towards civilian professors, General?

01:15:41On your recommendation?

01:15:43Sir, I think that when we look at the confirmation of our permanent faculty, which is a fairly

01:15:51small number, I would have to, you know, we make that recommendation to you as Congress.

01:16:02With regards to our civilian faculty, I think it, just even with their swearing to the oath,

01:16:15an oath to the Constitution of the United States, I would ask, I'd have to go back and

01:16:19ask about from a civilian hiring practices, because civilian are, you know, the civilian

01:16:24hiring practices and regulations that govern that are different than from our uniformed

01:16:30members.

01:16:31Admiral?

01:16:32Very similar, except that I would say that at the Naval Academy, we have a proven formula

01:16:37that works, sir.

01:16:38And that includes these incredible civilian faculty that are charged to support everything

01:16:44that we do there.

01:16:45They're completely in in our mission, and they complement the military aspect of our

01:16:50faculty as well, sir.

01:16:51So when I say proven, I say that 89% graduation rate at the United States Naval Academy, and

01:16:57a great deal of that is because the incredible coaches, mentors, faculty, and staff that

01:17:02we have there all focused on that mission set, sir.

01:17:06General?

01:17:07Sir, I'm very comfortable under my authorities picking the civilian faculty for our force

01:17:14as we go forward, but if our elected leaders want to have a voice in that, I'm also very

01:17:18comfortable working with our elected leaders to detail a process that enables us to move

01:17:23through that process quickly.

01:17:25Senator Budd, we've got time for one more question if you want to throw it out.

01:17:31Admiral Davids, how often does the U.S. Naval Academy deviate from the order of merit list

01:17:36when you're permitted to do so?

01:17:39Sir, we have an incredible system, tried and true.

01:17:44No race, sex, or ethnicity goals associated with this.

01:17:47No race, sex, or ethnicity whatsoever governed in the acceptance of who we actually take

01:17:53in.

01:17:54So we have congressional nominations, as you know, and the qualified alternates list, which

01:17:59is by order of merit, and then once we have offered up the ability to provide opportunities

01:18:06to every district, then we can include our military nominations process as well.

01:18:10And then what you're talking about, sir, is the additional individuals there.

01:18:15Comes to about 250 individuals or so.

01:18:17Those individuals are identified also by a whole person multiple and an incredibly active

01:18:24and robust admission staff of 22 members that go through both, similar to them, both objective

01:18:32and subjective insights into each individual record, and in some cases, individuals don't

01:18:39score very well on an imperfect system, which is the whole person multiple, and they're

01:18:43able to offer up some certain individuals, and that would be in that particular area

01:18:48you're talking about.

01:18:49We're looking for leaders of character.

01:18:50We're looking for gems out there that are going to be proven to not only can they succeed

01:18:54at the Naval Academy, but they have a propensity to serve for their nation, for the Navy or

01:19:01the Marine Corps.

01:19:02That's what we're looking for, sir.

01:19:03Well, thank you very much.

01:19:05If the subcommittee reached out for data on the class of 2028, I guess matriculating

01:19:10in 2024, would you be willing to provide that for the subcommittee?

01:19:14Certainly, sir.

01:19:15Thank you very much.

01:19:16Chairman?

01:19:17Thank you, Senator Budd.

01:19:18I'd be remiss if I didn't bring something up about sports, and I'd like to get each

01:19:24one of your thoughts about this.

01:19:26I've always felt that playing sports was invaluable to leadership development.

01:19:32Many of the cadets and midshipmen at your institutions are athletes participating on

01:19:36the various academy sports teams.

01:19:39They represent the best of your institutions and our country.

01:19:44Occasionally, some of these athletes develop to an elite level and are forced to forego

01:19:49living out their dreams of playing the sport they love at a professional level because

01:19:55of outdated, to me, outdated regulations governing their service obligations.

01:20:01I'd like to see this year's NDAA reflect a serious commitment to these outstanding

01:20:07individuals.

01:20:08When appropriate, these cadets and midshipmen should graduate and commission with their

01:20:14classes and defer their service obligation until their professional sports playing careers

01:20:21are complete.

01:20:23These would be commissioned officers in our armed services, subject to the same rules

01:20:27and regulations as their peers, while at the same time providing valuable exposure

01:20:32and increased visibility to the academics while they play sports at the highest level.

01:20:37I know that's not protocol for what we do as we speak, but General, I'd like to get

01:20:42your thoughts on that.

01:20:44With an all-volunteer military now, we are looking for possible ways to get more and

01:20:48more young men and women involved in our academies.

01:20:53Senator, the Army is a team contact sport.

01:20:58That's how I view the Army.

01:21:00And those young men and women that are coming into the Army, regardless of their background

01:21:05and upbringing, better be prepared to get involved in a team contact sport because that's

01:21:11what you all as the citizens of our nation ask of us.

01:21:15As a result, when we think through the development of leaders of character, I'm looking for the

01:21:22I may not be the best player, because numbers don't always define somebody's potential.

01:21:29I'm looking for the best player for the team.

01:21:32And for those individuals that have the elite capability to pursue professional sports,

01:21:39I absolutely support.

01:21:41And I think that we have to look at measures, as you outlined, from a commissioning perspective,

01:21:48that would allow those individuals to go into that professional sport of whatever their

01:21:55talent is in, execute that, and then have them serve in the Army.

01:22:01And I think there are combinations of ways to do that through not only active service

01:22:08concurrent with their respective playing for a team.

01:22:14Of course, there are different things that have to go with that with moving them around

01:22:18and such if they're traded, or there's the deferral of the respective active duty service

01:22:24obligation that they have.

01:22:25But I think that it results in multiple benefits, not only to each of our academies, but I think

01:22:33it benefits our services also through deliberate outreach and engagement that we would ask

01:22:39of those talented individuals.

01:22:43Admiral?

01:22:44Sir, when I was a Midshipman, fourth class, Napoleon McCallum was my upper class.

01:22:49The original Admiral, David Robinson, was also an upper class.

01:22:53They were heroes of mine.

01:22:54I saw how brilliant they did in their careers to not only bring in incredible talent to

01:23:00the Navy, to the Naval Academy, as well to supporting our nation.

01:23:05There are many ways to serve, sir, and they did brilliantly in that.

01:23:08So I'm a huge fan of it.

01:23:09I appreciate that we may look at this.

01:23:12I think that the return on investment is incredible, and I fully support it, sir.

01:23:18General?

01:23:19Senator Tuberville, I also, as a freshman, looked up to one Chad Hennings, a monster

01:23:24of a football player.

01:23:25Big old boy.

01:23:26Yes, sir.

01:23:27Yeah.

01:23:28And benefited greatly.

01:23:29He also, during that time, his value was not only was he an amazing football player, but

01:23:35he also went out and served and flew combat operations in Desert Storm during that time,

01:23:40bringing both of that media value, that recruiting value to bear, the service and the professional

01:23:46capabilities.

01:23:48And I believe where the NDAA is now, by giving us an opportunity for three per year, is a

01:23:52great opportunity for us to pick those truly elite athletes that can go on to that next

01:23:58level.

01:23:59As a data point, over the last five years, we've had 20 Air Force Academy cadets, or

01:24:05excuse me, 22, that have moved forward into professional sports.

01:24:0813 met their first seasons and unfortunately were not able to continue, and they came back

01:24:13to active duty, and nine are continuing.

01:24:16And over that time, that two to three is, I think, an opportunity for us to continue

01:24:19to go forward.

01:24:20I would also ask, sir, as we have this conversation for pro sports, to have a fulsome conversation

01:24:25of the impact of the transfer portal on our military service academies and how that is

01:24:31taking young men and women away from service to the nation until they've had an opportunity

01:24:36to blossom as leaders.

01:24:39Well, that's a great point.

01:24:40And I look forward to visiting with all three of you about this before our NDAA is put together

01:24:45this June.

01:24:46NIL is a huge problem, and I understand it's a huge problem for you also.

01:24:50So again, we'll sit down, I want to sit down with all three of you before we get to that

01:24:54point in June, and hopefully we can work something out.

01:24:58Because I think it'd be a great tool for all of you for recruiting, because you all take

01:25:02our best and brightest, and all of us in here, all the senators and congressmen, we have

01:25:08an opportunity to send the best young men and women we possibly have in our states,

01:25:12and you do a great job with them.

01:25:14So I want to thank you for coming today.

01:25:17This is a fact-finding mission.

01:25:19We haven't done it in 30 years.

01:25:20We'll do it again next year.

01:25:22And hopefully we'll make it bigger and brighter.

01:25:24We just want to enlighten people about what you do, because leadership, discipline, teamwork

01:25:31is everything that goes along with what our country is about.

01:25:34And again, it's so, so important.

01:25:37We can't really do this enough.

01:25:39But thanks again for what you do, how you do it, and tell all of your cadets and midshipmen

01:25:45that we're for them.

01:25:46And I look forward to being on the Board of Visitors at the Air Force Academy this year

01:25:50and visiting with you.

01:25:52And again, you're our future, and we hope you use our young people at your convenience,

01:26:00but also give them the best and brightest future they can possibly get.

01:26:03Because we're going to go as a country is how they go.

01:26:06So thanks again, and this has been a good hearing, and this hearing is adjourned.

Senate Armed Services Committee Holds A Hearing On The Status Of Military Service Academies

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