Commentary: DEI Destroys Excellence, Military Cohesion at Service Academies

Military

Applicants who self-identified as a member of a race the Academy wished to privilege—at the time I was on the Admissions Board it was African American, Hispanic, and Native American—were briefed separately to the committee not by a white member but by a minority Navy lieutenant. Briefings (a minute and forty seconds per applicant, no more) ran through a number of factors quite quickly and offered a recommendation that we had been told was appropriate: “qualified” for USNA if grades A/B for white applicants (but not minorities, who needed only C grades), 600 score in each part of the SAT for white applicants (but about 550 for minorities who come to USNA without remediation), and Whole Person Multiple (points given for grades/tests, school leadership positions, and sports) of at least 55,000 for whites, no bottom for minorities.

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Judge Declines to Block Race-Based Admissions at U.S. Naval Academy

Naval Academy

A federal judge ruled Thursday against an injunction that would have temporarily halted the Naval Academy’s race-based admissions policies, according to Reuters.

Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) filed a lawsuit against West Point in September and launched a second against the Naval Academy in October after winning two cases involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina on the same issue at the Supreme Court in June. U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett, however, ruled against SFFA’s request for an injunction, claiming that he felt the group had not proven the military’s use of race-based admissions for its academies was discriminatory, according to Reuters.

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Air Force Academy Directs Questions on Firing Trump Advisors Back to White House

A day after the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the United States Naval Academy (USNA) refused to comment on whether they will enforce President Joe Biden’s directive to fire all of former President Donald J. Trump’s appointed advisors, the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) did the same. 

“[W]e’re going to have to refer you to the White House on this query,” USAFA’s Chief of Media Relations Dean Miller told The Tennessee Star by email.

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Biden Attempts to Kick Trump Appointees Off Service-Academy Boards; Pennsylvania GOP Silent So Far

President Joe Biden’s decision to fire 18 of his predecessor Donald Trump’s appointees to the advisory boards of U.S. service academies has so far elicited no comment from Pennsylvania’s Republican Party.

On Thursday, The Star News Network contacted the Pennsylvania GOP, the office of Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) and the offices of each Republican member of Congress from Pennsylvania asking for their response to the action the White House took the day before. At this writing, none have provided comment.

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Rep. Green Accepting Applications for Nominations to U.S. Military Service Academies

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green announced Tuesday that he has begun accepting applications for nominations to U.S. military service academies. Later in the fall of 2019, members of Green’s staff will host information sessions across the state for high school students and recent graduates who are interested in applying to enter an academy, Green’s office said in a press release. Four of the five service academies — the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy — require a congressional, vice presidential or service-connected nomination as part of the application process. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not require a nomination. Representatives from Green’s office, the Tennessee congressional delegation and the military service academies will be available at the upcoming information fall sessions to field questions from prospective applicants and parents. Green tweeted, “I have the privilege of nominating some of the best and brightest young people from across Tennessee to our nation’s military service academies. These nominees are the future leaders of our military.” I have the privilege of nominating some of the best and brightest young people from across Tennessee to our nation's military service academies. These nominees are the future leaders of our military. https://t.co/mbbqsDVQH1 — Rep. Mark…

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