Sean Parnell, Chief Pentagon Spokesman and Senior Advisor; Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs | official twitter
The Department of Defense has issued new guidance for senior leaders to review library materials at military educational institutions. The aim is to identify content that may conflict with the department's core mission. According to a statement by Chief Pentagon Spokesman and Senior Advisor Sean Parnell, "The Department's instructional materials should be mission-focused and not promote divisive concepts and gender ideology."
Institutions such as War Colleges and Military Service Academies are tasked with initially identifying relevant content by May 21, 2025. A thorough review will follow to determine the final status of these materials. An Academic Libraries Committee, composed of leaders, educators, and library professionals from across the department, will assist in this process.
A preliminary review using criteria developed by the committee will highlight materials needing further evaluation. The entire process will adhere to a "viewpoint-neutral" approach based on definitions from Executive Order 14168, "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," and Executive Order 13950, "Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping."
"The Secretary has been clear: We are building a colorblind, merit-based culture that promotes and rewards individual initiative, excellence, and hard work," stated Parnell.
The memo detailing this guidance is available for public access.
