Hegseth Targets Military Academy Bureaucracy Accused Of Undermining Military Readiness

Pete Hegseth announced a 33-point overhaul of professional military education, saying military colleges had allowed bureaucracy and progressive ideas to distract from preparing officers to win wars. The changes matter because they would reshape how military educators are hired and assessed, and reduce the role of civilian accreditation standards in setting military curricula.

Announced at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, on 9 November, the proposals include ending lifetime tenure for newly hired civilian faculty, replacing traditional theses with AI-assisted wargaming and evaluating instructors on performance. Hegseth cited institutional resistance to reform; around 30 to 40 protesters attended during his visit. The article also notes earlier examples of gender and race-related courses and policies at US military academies.