Restoring America's Fighting Force
This executive order, titled Restoring America's Fighting Force (Executive Order 14185), issued by President Donald J. Trump and signed in late January 2025, directs the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with regard to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices and to remove race-based and sex-based preferences within the Armed Forces. The order frames DEI programs as undermining merit, unit cohesion, lethality, and readiness, and it prohibits promoting or teaching certain theories described as “divisive concepts” and “gender ideology.” It requires internal reviews of past DEI actions, mandates implementation guidance within 30 days, and calls for progress reporting within 180 days. It also directs service academies and defense-related educational institutions to align their leadership and curricula with the order’s stated view of America’s founding and its documents. In short, the order aims to remove DEI infrastructure from the defense and homeland security enterprise, ban certain taught theories and concepts, and establish oversight and reporting mechanisms to ensure compliance and progress toward a merit-based, non-discriminatory force. It also asserts that the order will not create legal rights or benefits outside existing law and appropriations.
Key Points
- 1Abolish DEI offices and eliminate race-based and sex-based preferences within the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security with regard to the USCG, including any sub-offices or programs promoting race-based advantages.
- 2Prohibit promoting or inculcating “divisive concepts,” race/sex stereotyping, or “gender ideology” within DoD, DHS, and armed forces, and restrict hiring or contracting to teach those theories.
- 3Define key terms (DEI office, gender ideology, divisive concepts) and require that leadership and curricula at defense educational institutions (including service academies) align with the order’s view that America and its founding documents remain a positive force.
- 4Require internal action: DoD to conduct an internal review of past DEI actions within 90 days, and to issue implementation guidance within 30 days.
- 5Require progress reporting within 180 days to document implementation, assess progress, and provide recommendations for further action.