In Washington, the newly instated Trump administration is pushing for increased military effectiveness, yet the Pentagon finds itself mired in administrative tasks. Military personnel and civilian employees are now tasked with a significant overhaul of the department’s social media, following a directive to eliminate content that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion.
On Wednesday, the top public affairs officer issued a memo mandating that all military branches review extensive archives of online content—ranging from images and articles to videos—and expunge any material fostering diversity themes. If services cannot meet the deadline of March 5, they are instructed to temporarily remove all content from the Biden administration’s term, as outlined in the memo.
This directive coincides with the Pentagon’s efforts to identify provisional employees who are being considered for termination as part of a broader government workforce reduction initiative. The process includes determining the number of civilian employees opting for voluntary buyouts.
Recently, several senior military leaders, including Gen. CQ Brown Jr. and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, were dismissed as part of efforts to eliminate ‘woke’ leadership. However, the dismissal of legal officers seems unrelated to these criteria.
Meanwhile, the department has also issued reminders to military branches to maintain apolitical standards and uphold their neutral duty execution. The memo further reinforces the priority of public trust amid sweeping departmental adjustments.
The social media directive is linked to President Trump’s executive order terminating federal diversity programs, although Trump’s acknowledgment of Black History Month at a White House event has led to some confusion within federal circles.
Military officials were initially given a tight deadline to review decades worth of stories celebrating contributions by women and minorities. Finding the task overwhelming, they were eventually permitted to remove all Biden-era posts if necessary, which could effectively erase that period’s history from public digital records. Internal discussions about the feasibility of this task remain confidential.
Sean Parnell, the department’s new spokesperson, elaborates on the directive concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion dismantling, as mandated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Services and department divisions are now racing against time to allocate resources for this labor-intensive project.
Officials express concern that the directive is diverting attention from Trump’s wider mission to enhance military lethality. The need to strip years of web content distracts from critical operations related to warfighting and security.
The memo vaguely defines “DEI-related” content as any promoting critical race theory, gender ideology, or preferential treatment based on demographic characteristics, making the removal process complex and subjective.
Curiously, the directive persists despite Trump’s recent celebration of Black History Month, ordering the removal of material promoting cultural awareness months. The earlier memorandum from Hegseth expresses concern that focus on diversity undermines military unit cohesion.
With official resources banned from supporting cultural awareness initiatives, the units are encouraged to commemorate the achievements of military personnel from all backgrounds as part of sustaining a warrior culture.
The directive also raises concerns about the criteria for content removal, and there is apprehension about potential overzealous reactions. Overreach has already led to situations like the Air Force removing—and then reinstating—training course videos featuring notable figures such as the Tuskegee Airmen, an action viewed by some as “malicious compliance.”
