[Senate Hearing 119-159]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                        S. Hrg. 119-159

                THE STATUS OF MILITARY SERVICE ACADEMIES

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                            SUBCOMMITTEE ON
                               PERSONNEL

                                 OF THE

                      COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                    ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                               __________

                             MARCH 26, 2025

                               __________

         Printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services
         
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]         


                 Available via: http://www.govinfo.gov
                 
                                __________

                   U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
61-564 PDF                  WASHINGTON : 2025                  
          
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------     
 
                      COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES

          	ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi, Chairman
   			
 DEB FISCHER, Nebraska			JACK REED, Rhode Island
 TOM COTTON, Arkansas			JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire
 MIKE ROUNDS, South Dakota		KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York
 JONI ERNST, Iowa			RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
 DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska			MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii
 KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota		TIM KAINE, Virginia
 RICK SCOTT, Florida			ANGUS S. KING, Jr., Maine
 TOMMY TUBERVILLE, Alabama		ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts
 MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma	        GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
 TED BUDD, North Carolina		TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
 ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri			JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
 JIM BANKS, INDIANA			MARK KELLY, Arizona
 TIM SHEEHY, MONTANA                  	ELISSA SLOTKIN, MICHIGAN                                     
                                   
 
 		   John P. Keast, Staff Director
 		Elizabeth L. King, Minority Staff Director
 

_________________________________________________________________

                       Subcommittee on Personnel

    TOMMY TUBERVILLE, Alabama, 
             Chairman
JONI K. ERNST, Iowa		ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts     
RICK SCOTT, Florida		RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut	
TED BUDD, North Carolina 	MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii   
                                TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois  
                                     
                                     

                                  (ii)
                                  
                            C O N T E N T S

_________________________________________________________________

                             march 26, 2025

                                                                   Page

The Status of Military Service Academies.........................     1

                           Members Statements

Statement of Senator Tommy Tuberville............................     1

Statement of Senator Elizabeth Warren............................     2

                           Witness Statements

Gilland, Lieutenant General Steven W., USA, Superintendent of the     5
  United States Military Academy, United States Army.

Davids, Vice Admiral Yvette M., USN, Superintendent of the United    15
  States Naval Academy, United States Navy.

Bauernfeind, Lieutenant General Tony D., USAF, Superintendent of     32
  the United States Air Force Academy, United States Air Force.

Appendix.........................................................    76

                                 (iii)

 
                THE STATUS OF MILITARY SERVICE ACADEMIES

                              ----------                              


                       WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2025

                      United States Senate,
                         Subcommittee on Personnel,
                               Committee on Armed Services,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:30 p.m., in 
room SR-222, Russell Senate Office Building, Senator Tommy 
Tuberville (Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding.
    Committee Members present: Tuberville, Scott, Budd, Warren, 
Reed, Blumenthal, and Hirono.
    Also present: Senator Sullivan.

         OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR TOMMY TUBERVILLE

    Senator Tuberville. I would like to call this Committee 
hearing in session. The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on 
Personnel meets this afternoon to conduct oversight and receive 
testimony on the status of the Military Service Academies. 
Thank you for being here.
    The last time this body conducted a hearing on this topic 
with these witnesses, or with any witnesses with the academies, 
was more than 30 years ago. We are fortunate to have these 
three distinguished officers here today: Lieutenant General 
Steven Gilland, U.S. Military Academy; Vice Admiral Yvette 
Davids of the Naval Academy; and Lieutenant General Tony----
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Bauernfeind, sir.
    Senator Tuberville.----Bauernfeind. It is going to be a 
long day.
    As this is the first meeting of the Personnel Subcommittee 
in the 119th Congress let me begin by saying I look forward to 
working with you, Ranking Member Warren, thank you for being 
here, as we continue the bipartisan tradition of the Armed 
Services Committee in developing the National Defense 
Authorization Act. Nothing is more bipartisan than supporting 
our men and women in uniform and their families. This 
Subcommittee has a long history of prioritizing the well-being 
and morale of our servicemembers, and I am eager to continue 
that work as the new Chairman.
    The Military Service Academies are foundational to the 
success of the military officer corps. In many ways, the 
Service Academies establish the culture of their respected 
service. Moreover, the academies occupy an important position 
in our society. They are perhaps the last universities in the 
country that focus on building character and improving the 
morality of their student body.
    The American people often perceive the academies as being 
emblematic of the entire U.S. military, for better or for 
worse. Over the last several years, the academies have lost 
sight in some areas of the fundamental reason for their 
existence, which is to commission officers with the education 
required by the respective military branches.
    All three academies have been sued for engaging in race-
based affirmative action that is now prohibited at every other 
university in the country. We have repeatedly heard, over the 
last several years, that our diversity is our strength. It is 
not. Diversity can be an awesome advantage, but our unity of 
effort and shared benefits in our Constitution and common 
values are our strength. Diversity for the sake of diversity 
alone weakens us.
    A professor at the Air Force Academy proudly authored a 
Washington Post op-ed proclaiming that she teaches critical 
race theory to cadets. Both West Point and the Air Force 
Academy established diversity and inclusion minors which can be 
trendy in other university settings, but were so unpopular with 
cadets that when they were abruptly canceled by President Trump 
hardly anyone noticed.
    More importantly, any effort to teach our future leaders to 
judge or short people by immutable characteristics like race 
runs counter to the Constitution and is devastating to good 
order and discipline. Last fall, the Naval Academy 
appropriately canceled a lecture after it was revealed that the 
speaker planned to use the opportunity to make a partisan 
political speech. But one must ask, why was this speaker 
invited in the first place? The academies must always remember 
that they were created in the first place. The American people 
devote tremendous resources to maintaining all of these 
institutions. If the academies are not entirely focused on 
building officers' character and to lead our Nation's sons and 
daughters in combat, then what is the purpose?
    I hope our witnesses will address these criticisms but also 
tell us about the great things that are happening every day at 
the academies.
    The vast majority of the cadets and midshipmen, faculty and 
staff at the Service Academies are properly focused on the only 
mission that matters, which is defending our Constitution and 
the American people.
    I thank the witnesses for appearing here today, and I look 
forward to their testimony.
    Now I will turn the microphone over to Senator Warren.

             STATEMENT OF SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN

    Senator Warren. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am also looking 
forward to continuing the bipartisan tradition of this 
Subcommittee, and I hope to work with you and all of our 
members to make sure that we improve the lives of our 
servicemembers, their families, and our civilian workforce so 
that they can stay focused on the mission of keeping Americans 
safe.
    I want to start by extending my condolences to the four 
families that just lost loved ones during a training mission in 
Lithuania. They remind us, those who go into harm's way and 
their families are always at risk and put it on the line for 
the people of this United States of America. We are a deeply 
grateful Nation.
    I am glad that we are starting this year by focusing on how 
we recruit and retain the next generation of military leaders. 
Our Military Service Academies are among the top academic 
institutions in the Nation. West Point, the Air Force Academy, 
the Naval Academy provide a high-quality education, and they 
recruit and train almost 20 percent of our military officers.
    Currently, our Military Academies are very selective, 
almost as tough to get into as the top colleges in this 
country. But that knife cuts both ways. Every student admitted 
to the Military Academies has other options. Academy students 
are often highly recruited by other schools. The competition 
for talent for tomorrow's leaders is already fierce. Attacks on 
our Military Academies through policies that shrink the pool of 
young Americans who will consider applying for military service 
will cause lasting damage to our military and to our Nation.
    The latest U.S. census found that the youngest generation 
of Americans is more diverse than ever. That means we need our 
Military Academies to continue developing successful leaders 
from all walks of life, not push away strong recruits because 
they feel unwelcome or undervalued. Ham-fisted efforts to 
reshape the academies are bound to backfire. For example, a mix 
of military practitioners and civilian instructors have 
successfully worked together for decades to shape students at 
the Service Academies into a lethal fighting force.
    In a same way that competition for talent exists for 
academy students, the same competition is true for faculty. 
Well-respected professors have options, and many are 
aggressively recruited.
    When Secretary Hegseth seemed to suggest that academies 
should have fewer civilian professors, and when the Department 
of Defense (DOD) imposes a ban on travel by civilian personnel, 
it suggests that the military does not care about civilians 
supporting its mission and that it will make it harder to 
attract and keep top talent to teach tomorrow's military 
leaders.
    The foolishness of the travel ban was immediately apparent. 
Testing sites for military entrance exams were forced to close 
or reduce hours, so fewer young people could apply to the 
military. While DOD has begun to allow civilians to travel to 
these testing sites again, these attacks on civilian personnel 
who help to support our military are worrying, and civilian 
personnel are key to keeping our academies successful, as well.
    Our military students deserve the best teachers, people who 
are experts in their field. Tying the hands of the academies as 
they compete with other top universities for talented faculty 
will undercut the academies and, over time, undercut the 
leaders the academies are teaching.
    Students need to develop their skills both inside the 
classroom and outside, as well. I am sure many of us can think 
of sports teams and extracurricular activities that helped 
shape our experiences at school, that helped build our 
communities, and that made us better leaders. Surely, as a 
coach, Chairman Tuberville saw students' leadership skills 
develop and grow through out-of-classroom work.
    The executive orders attacks on clubs at academies that it 
considers Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is not 
creating more effective warfighters. It is cutting off students 
from opportunities to grow as leaders. When we are trying to 
maintain a military force that can deter China, we cannot 
afford to be shutting down engineering clubs. But under 
President Trump, West Point has already disbanded chapters of 
the National Society of Black Engineers and the National 
Society of Women Engineers. Both organizations have been 
praised repeatedly for helping recruit and retain more young 
engineers for military service. Closing those chapters at the 
Military Academies, while those chapters remain open at more 
than 600 other colleges and universities, does not help our 
military recruit top talent.
    This Committee held two hearings on recruiting last year, 
and both hearings made clear that the United States cannot meet 
its recruiting goals without women. The Army met its recruiting 
goals in 2024, primarily because of new female recruits. There 
was an 18 percent increase in women signing up for Active Duty, 
compared to an increase of just 8 percent for men. Let me be 
clear. These women are not looking for a preference or a 
handout. They just want a chance to compete straight up.
    But we will not be able to attract the women we need if 
they see a new glass ceiling on their opportunity to command. 
By removing women, like the Chief of Naval Operations Vice 
Admiral Franchetti, from leadership roles simply because they 
are women, and confirming a Secretary of Defense who has a long 
record of opposing women in combat, the Trump administration 
has already set a tone from the top that women are not welcome. 
We are already hearing concerns that women are hesitant to join 
certain military jobs because they believe they will not be 
welcome, solely due to their identity, not because of their 
qualifications.
    Black recruits face their own challenges. When a Black 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a man who served 
honorably for over 40 years and who outlined our most 
successful strategy to deal with foreign terrorists, is fired 
solely because President Trump cannot imagine that he earned 
the job on the merits, Black military recruits across the 
Nation get the message--your race makes you vulnerable.
    When national organizations to support Black college 
students who major in engineering are suddenly dropped at the 
Military Academies, while those organizations remain lively at 
600 other colleges and universities, the message that the 
Military Academies may not welcome you gets even louder.
    Recruiting and retaining talent, including Black and female 
talent, is a critical job for the future security of our 
Nation. Pushing away more than half our future leaders is 
wildly self-destructive.
    Mr. Chairman, 24 alumni from West Point and the Naval 
Academy have written to me, sharing their stories about what 
the academies mean to them and why they are concerned about the 
direction this Administration wants to take them. I would like 
to enter those into the record for their letters and testimony.
    Senator Tuberville. So entered.

    [The information referred to follows:]

    Please see Appendix beginning on page 76.

    Senator Warren. Let me read from just one of them, who 
wrote that these attacks on diversity are, quote, ``a direct 
affront to the principles upon which our military was built and 
a betrayal of the sacrifices made by generations of 
servicemembers.'' Let those words sink in--a betrayal. We owe 
them better than that.
    I look forward to this hearing and hearing the testimony of 
witnesses who are here today. I thank you for being with us.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you, Senator Warren.
    Now we will start with our witnesses and we will go to 
questions and answers. We will start with you, General Gilland.

    STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL STEVEN W. GILLAND, USA, 
 SUPERINTENDENT OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY, UNITED 
                          STATES ARMY

    Lieutenant General Gilland. Chairman Tuberville, Ranking 
Member Warren, distinguished members of the Subcommittee, thank 
you for your continued support of the United States Military 
Academy and Corps of Cadets. I am honored by the opportunity to 
share how your Military Academy is providing the Army and our 
Nation with disciplined, resilient warrior leaders of 
character, ready to fight and win on the 21st century 
battlefield.
    West Point produces the best-trained junior officers, 
dedicated to the Army values and ready for a lifetime of 
selfless service to the Nation. Starting on day one, our cadets 
are grounded in the ideals of duty, honor, country, and our 
Cadet Honor Code. Our rigorous leader development system 
ensures West Point graduates are prepared to lead American 
soldiers.
    West Point is not a traditional college or university. We 
equip our graduates with the skills required to lead small 
units on the battlefield. Furthermore, we develop and refine 
the high moral character necessary to lead America's sons and 
daughters to fight and win our Nation's wars.
    Through a robust corps curriculum that encompasses 
warfighting, scholarship, and physical training, underpinned by 
the United States Constitution, we instill both the warrior 
ethos and intellectual agility necessary to outthink and 
outmaneuver our adversaries. Our graduates serve as a testament 
to the effectiveness of our program, including 77 Medal of 
Honor recipients, over 100 Rhodes Scholars, 2 U.S. Presidents, 
and numerous Members of Congress, including 10 current members.
    Our team, many of whom are combat veterans, and from my 
professional experience in the 75th Ranger Regiment, as a 
former deputy commander of a special mission unit, and the 
Commander of the Warrior Division in the Republic of Korea, we 
know what it takes to fight and win in the most unforgiving 
conditions. That mindset and toughness is what West Point 
teaches, which is exactly the type of battlefield leader West 
Point produces.
    But what truly sets us apart is our comprehensive character 
development efforts integrated through all aspects of the cadet 
experience. I believe a cadet gets a degree in character 
development and leadership. We charge every member of our 
community, staff, faculty, and coaches to be developers of 
leadership and character. These extraordinary young men and 
women are among America's finest, hailing from our states, 
unified by shared commitment to selfless service, supporting 
and defending the Constitution, and living and leading 
honorably.
    We invite you to West Point to participate in the classroom 
and our training, sleep outside on the ground and in the rain 
with our cadets, and witness firsthand our exceptional future 
leaders in action. We know that you will be inspired.
    Thank you again, Senators, for the opportunity to discuss 
the United States Military Academy with you today.
    [The prepared statement of Lieutenant General Steven W. 
Gilland follows:]
      
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    Senator Tuberville. Thank you, General. Admiral Davids.

STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL YVETTE M. DAVIDS, USN, SUPERINTENDENT 
     OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY, UNITED STATES NAVY

    Vice Admiral Davids. Chairman Tuberville, Ranking Member 
Warren, distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you 
for the opportunity to appear before you today on behalf of the 
United States Naval Academy.
    The Naval Academy's mission is to develop midshipmen 
morally, mentally, and physically, and to imbue them with the 
highest ideals of duty, honor, and loyalty, in order to 
graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval 
service. We are developing our Navy and Marine Corps' next 
generation of resilient warfighters and ethical leaders of 
character who will preserve peace, and when called upon, 
prevail in conflict.
    I took command of the Naval Academy as Superintendent in 
January 2024, and I am pleased to report to you today that the 
Naval Academy is succeeding in its mission. Having graduated 
from the Naval Academy in 1989, as a Surface Warfare Officer, 
over the last 35 years I have had the privilege of serving on 
board 7 Navy ships, including command of a carrier strike crew. 
My husband Keith, a member of the Naval Academy class of 1990, 
honorably served as a Navy SEAL for 34 years before retiring 
this fall, after commanding Naval Special Warfare Command.
    I can attest that the Naval Academy has and continues to 
develop the type of stalwart leaders that our Navy and Marine 
Corps needs, both today and for a future fight. The Naval 
Academy graduates and commissions over 1,000 officers each 
year, ensigns, and second lieutenants to serve in our Navy and 
Marine Corps. Every member of the Naval Academy team, from 
company officers to professors to coaches is committed to 
developing these young men and women to meet and exceed the 
standards required, as evidenced by an average graduation rate 
of 89 percent, well above the DOD requirement of 75 percent, 
and the U.S. 4-year graduation rate of 27 percent.
    While we value our reputation in the various college 
rankings, they are important for our admission efforts. It is 
important to highlight that we are a Military Service Academy 
and not a college or a university. Our graduates must be 
prepared immediately upon commissioning to lead and fight.
    As a national institution, the Naval Academy draws 
applicants from across our great Nation. The Naval Academy uses 
a comprehensive process, a whole-person assessment, balancing 
objective factors, including each candidate's application such 
as grade point average (GPA), with subjective factors such as 
strength of a candidate's high school and course load. At no 
time are race, sex, or ethnicity considered in the admissions 
process. Despite recent challenges associated with COVID-19 
pandemic and drops in college enrollment nationally, the Naval 
Academy has experienced a nearly 47 percent increase in our 
number of applications over the past 20 years.
    Our outreach efforts have been successful in reaching 
across the country, delivering dedicated, quality, candidates. 
From the moment a midshipman swears their oath on Induction Day 
to the day they are commissioned, they undergo experiential 
leadership development, learning by doing, as an integral 
aspect of their education and training.
    While our core academic program includes required courses 
in English, history, and government, it also includes an 
immense focus on leadership development, and is heavily 
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) focused. Our 
graduates will serve on nuclear submarines, fly state-of-the-
art aircraft, and command advanced warships. This technical 
foundation is an imperative.
    Our philosophy of education stresses attention to 
individual students by highly qualified faculty and staff 
members, and our faculty is an integrated group of over 550 
military officers and civilian professionals, historically 
designed to be roughly equal in number. Officers typically 
rotate to the Naval Academy for 2-to 3-year assignments, 
bringing fresh ideas and experiences from the fleet. We also 
have a smaller contingent of permanent military instructors and 
professors, usually assigned for 5 to 8 years at a time.
    Our career civilian faculty members, all with doctoral 
degrees, bring continuity to the education program, the 
academic and subject matter expertise necessary for our 
advanced technical courses, and hone teaching skills. Working 
together, our military and civilian instructors form an 
exceptionally dedicated team.
    The Naval Academy offers 26 majors. Over 75 percent of our 
graduates major in a STEM discipline, and majors are added or 
removed in response to the needs of the fleet. Recent examples 
include the addition of majors in nuclear engineering, cyber 
operations, and data science. We integrate wargaming into each 
midshipman's professional development, preparing future 
officers who can outthink the enemy.
    Every midshipman also maintains a high level of physical 
fitness. They participate in classes and combatives as well as 
swimming, and must achieve physical fitness standards that far 
exceed Navy-wide standards. We have 36 varsity sports, among 
the most of any college or university in the Nation. Developing 
teamwork, grit, resiliency, and the will to win are all vital 
attributes for all Naval Academy graduates.
    Established by Congress in 1845, the Naval Academy has 
developed into a 4-year, total immersion program designed to 
instill professional, physical, and academic excellence 
required to develop warfighters and leaders of character for 
careers in our naval service.
    Thank you again for the opportunity to appear before you 
today, and I look forward to your questions.
    [The prepared statement of Vice Admiral Davids follows:]
   [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]    
      
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you, Admiral. General?

  STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL TONY D. BAUERNFEIND, USAF, 
 SUPERINTENDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY, UNITED 
                        STATES AIR FORCE

    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Chairman Tuberville, 
Ranking Member Warren, and other distinguished Members, good 
afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to address this 
Committee on behalf of the United States Air Force Academy 
(USAFA).
    At the Air Force Academy, we are exceptionally proud of our 
military, academic, and athletic heritage, where we have 
developed leaders who have served with honor since our first 
graduating class of 1959. With our 30 majors and our 19 minors, 
we are proud to be named amongst the top public colleges in 
this great Nation, alongside our teammates at this table.
    Additionally, our 30 intercollegiate athletic teams 
continue to showcase our warrior spirit and our athletic 
prowess with 248 national champions after last Friday night and 
928 All-Americans over our short history.
    But this is not enough. As a Nation, we are in a time of 
consequence with global geopolitical instability. Our 
adversaries have watched the American way of war, and they are 
challenging our capabilities in every warfighting domain. It is 
our responsibility to act now. At USAFA, that action is a 
transformation that starts with our updated mission in which we 
will forge leaders of character motivated to a lifetime of 
service and developed to lead our Air Force's Space Force as we 
fight and win our Nation's wars.
    With our mission in mind, and building upon the foundation 
of our service's core values, our priorities are that we will 
forge warfighters to win, we will inspire leaders of character 
and quality, and we will motivate critical thinkers to adapt.
    Our mission, our priorities, and our newly injected 
warfighter training are the bedrock of forging warfighters to 
win. The warrior ethos our Nation needs must focus on our 
readiness and driving us to be offensively minded, to be the 
masters of our craft, and team builders who overcome adversity. 
Our cadets will be ready for future battlefields with the 
foundational warfighting skills of shoot, move, communicate, 
medicate, and automate. These are the skills our joint force 
requires.
    Leaders of character and quality make the right decisions, 
the right way, even if unpopular. They value teamwork, hold 
each other accountable, maintain high standards, and build each 
other up to exceed those standards, and always uphold their 
honor.
    Finally, the dynamic strategic environment of our time 
demands critical thinkers to adapt. On a modern-day battlefield 
our leaders must innovate solutions to wicked-hard problems, 
while operating with limited information. By developing their 
skills to ensure military readiness, to make rapid decisions 
with limited data, manage operational risk, our cadets will be 
ready to face a challenging world.
    As a Military Service Academy, our priorities are the 
foundation of everything we do. Every military training 
session, every classroom, educational experience, and every 
athletic competition must support and reflect our priorities as 
we develop warfighters ready to lead on day one. Woven 
throughout that foundation is a shared responsibility for 
instilling a culture of warfighting excellence, team building, 
and respect to the entire team. To be clear, our training will 
always be demanding, but it will never be demeaning.
    To achieve our goals, our Academy is undergoing significant 
change. We have returned to the basics of military training and 
enforcing standards for all Academy personnel. While standards 
and accountability are critical to good order and discipline, 
more importantly they are vital to modern warfare, where 
precision, professionalism, and trust are the foundation of 
complex military activities.
    We are also implementing a four-class leadership 
development program. We are shifting away from an emphasis on 
stress-focused training during the freshman year to a 
comprehensive, military-focused progressive training at the 
individual, team, and unit levels that spans a cadet's entire 
47-month leadership and military development program.
    Through 4 years of rigorous military training, a nationally 
recognized academic program, and highly competitive academics, 
we will develop graduates who exemplify unwavering courage and 
integrity. They will be prepared to lead in our Air Force and 
our Space Force, and they will be ready to lead lethal 
warfighting teams to deter our adversaries, and should 
deterrence fail, fight and win our Nation's wars.
    Our path is clear. We must forge warfighters to win, we 
must inspire leaders of character and quality, and we must 
motivate critical thinkers to adapt, all to ensure that we 
deliver the decisive advantage over our adversaries. Our Nation 
deserves nothing less.
    I look forward to your questions and sharing more about the 
incredible Air Force Academy. Thank you.
    [The prepared statement of Lieutenant General Bauernfeind 
follows:]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]    
      
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you, General. We will start with 
a few questions. I would just like to say something. I coached 
for 40 years and recruited all over this country. I did lose 
recruits to each one of your academies, and it never bothered 
me because I knew the direction they were headed. They were 
going to a different team, and all three of you said something 
about team, and that is what you are. Your entire academy is a 
team. You are all together in one. When you are at a 
university, you have athletic teams and all that, but you are a 
unique situation. I want to thank you for what you all do, 
because you are the tip of the spear for the future of our 
country, the leadership that you are going to build.
    So thank you for those opening statements, and let's just 
talk about some of the inner workings of what you all do. In 
the last 30 years, the composition and the role of the 
faculties at each of your institutions has changed 
significantly. Everything changes. So I want to ask each one of 
you to answer these questions. How has the military-civilian 
mix of your faculties changed over that time? General, we will 
start with you.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Senator, our civilian faculty, 
we call it a blend of excellence. Our force structure has 
uniformed members 74 percent of the faculty, and then the force 
structure allows 26 percent for civilian faculty. What has 
changed over the past decade specifically is that the civilian 
faculty bring a depth of knowledge within disciplines that we 
are able to use for the benefit of the education of our cadets.
    Primarily the force structure I said of 26 percent 
civilian, about 55 percent of those civilian faculty work in 
the STEM fields--so as we think about our engineering, 
mathematics, and such--which has led us to be able to--we have 
got a cadet team that deals in hypersonics, that has been able 
to launch a rocket that has exceeded the Karman line. Sir, the 
Karman line is 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface. These 
are undergraduate students that are competing against graduate 
students that are able to do that.
    The reason they are able to do that is because when we 
think of the expertise that the civilian faculty, within 
physics, aerospace engineering, et cetera, they bring that 
expertise and that knowledge and continuity for our cadets to 
be able to build year after year, and able to do that.
    Also, our title 10 civilian instructors, just as our 
uniformed instructors, they swear an oath to the Constitution, 
to support and defend the Constitution also. They are charged, 
by me as the Superintendent, to be developers of character and 
leadership. As I mentioned in my opening statement, Senator, 
they are part of that community to teach character and 
leadership, not just physics or data science, but also the life 
lessons that come with being leader in their experiences.
    Senator Tuberville. Admiral?
    Vice Admiral Davids. Thank you, Senator. The Naval Academy, 
since 1845, has modeled a 50/50 civilian-to-military ratio, and 
we remain pretty close to that now, although we are off by a 
little bit, I would say, at the moment. Our civilians, very 
similar to the answer that you just got, bring such an 
incredible depth. They tend to stay for 30 years or longer. So 
they bring this longevity and continuity that we need at the 
Academy that balances the miliary personnel that either rotate 
in and out about 3 to 5 years or so, or complement our 
permanent military instructors and permanent military 
professors, that will stay a little bit longer, about 5 to 8 
years in time, until statutory retirement for some of them.
    But it is the military and the teamwork that they have got 
with the civilian group that really makes this robust, STEM-
heavy curriculum work. For us, similarly, they inspire our 
midshipmen. They provide that continuity. But more importantly, 
I think, the civilians, in particular, provide this technical 
expertise that allows us to change and develop in the STEM 
areas that we need to for the longevity of the time, and to 
keep up with these incredible midshipmen that are coming in and 
need to be more technically advanced.
    So the balance that they have is really important to us. We 
value them working together as this incredible team. It seems 
to have worked very well in our case, and we are making 
terrific officers because of this, and warfighters. I would say 
that every single one of them, if you are part of the Naval 
Academy, are very much a part of developing these midshipmen 
into the warfighters, into the leaders of character that they 
need to be, and thus we have this 50/50 mix.
    Senator Tuberville. General?
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Senator Tuberville, over 
time the Air Force Academy, from when I was a cadet in the 
early 1990's, was very few civilian, and we have now migrated 
to approximately 38 to 40 percent of civilian faculty is in our 
cadet-facing instruction that comes forward.
    In my first 7 months I have assessed is the two most 
important things that we provide our future leaders are two 
things. One is subject matter expertise to challenge them, to 
educate them, to help them develop those critical thinking 
skills, but also operationally relevant experience. So as we 
develop them as future warrior leaders, being able to connect 
with them, to teach them what it means to serve inside our 
military as that goes forward. We benefit from that capability 
from our military instructors as that moves forward as well as 
a good portion of our civilian instructors, many of which are 
veterans themselves, before they have become civilian 
instructors and faculty members, as that develops. Thank you.
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you. Senator Warren.
    Senator Warren. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am going to pick 
up on where you were. We have been talking about the Military 
Academies are charged with training the next generation of 
leaders, and together the three of you train about 1 out of 
every 5 of our military officers. The military spends millions 
of dollars, many, many years to train our helicopter pilots and 
our combat leaders, and for a few, the chiefs of staff that we 
end up with.
    But the Trump administration is undermining those 
investments by tilting at windmills named DEI. In less than 3 
months, the Administration has canceled student engineering 
clubs and purged curricula based on clumsy keyword searches. 
The Administration sends a strong signal that not everyone is 
welcome in our military.
    So today I want to dig in on how you all think about your 
mission to develop the leaders who will keep our military 
strong. Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, do you consider 
academic and leadership potential in the admissions process, so 
that we can develop the next generation military officers who 
will take on the toughest jobs?
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Senator Warren, yes, we do, 
absolutely, in our admissions process consider leadership and 
through their 47-month leadership development program.
    Senator Warren. Good.
    Senator Blumenthal. Make sure your mic is on.
    Senator Warren. Yes. Make sure it is on. We are not getting 
much sound here.
    General Gilland, same answer? Yes?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Yes, ma'am.
    Senator Warren. Admiral Davids?
    Vice Admiral Davids. Yes, ma'am, considered in the 
admissions process.
    Senator Warren. Good. So you all admit cadets and 
midshipmen based on their academic and their leadership 
potential. Then it is your job to turn that potential into 
reality.
    So let's talk about where students develop those skills. 
One place, obviously, is the classroom. That is one of the 
reasons, as you have already described, that students learn 
from both academic experts and practitioners in the field. 
Military practitioners obviously have valuable experiences to 
share with students. But the academies also need the best 
teachers for physics and cybersecurity and electrical 
engineering and much, much more.
    The Department of Defense has recognized this, including in 
a 1993 report, calling on the Service Academies to ingrate more 
civilian faculty so that, quote, ``the faculties can act in 
unity but not identically a blend of excellence.''
    Vice Admiral Davids, does learning from both military and 
civilian instructors help your students develop the skills they 
need to become part of a lethal fighting force?
    Vice Admiral Davids. Thank you, Senator. Absolutely, they 
learn from both, our military and our civilian. It is one team 
to be able to develop these midshipmen, and they are all in on 
doing that. So I am really impressed.
    Senator Warren. Good. General Bauernfeind?
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Bauernfeind, ma'am.
    Senator Warren. Bauernfeind.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Yes, Senator Warren. Yes, 
we value our facility as it comes forward, as it brings forward 
for the two aspects, as mentioned before, bringing forward that 
subject matter expertise and that operationally relevant 
experience to both educate and develop future leaders.
    Senator Warren. General Gilland, are you in agreement with 
your colleagues here?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Yes, Senator.
    Senator Warren. Good. But leadership is obviously about 
what you lean in the classroom, but it is also what happens 
outside the classroom. So I want to talk for just a minute 
about engineering clubs. They certainly encourage students to 
learn hard skills, to support each other, and that undertaking 
can be really difficult. But an engineering club also gives the 
student an opportunity to take on leadership roles and 
responsibilities, like being the treasurer, or being the 
president. That is true of other clubs, too.
    One cadet who helped found the Vietnamese-American Cadet 
Association at West Point said that it helped to make him a 
better officer and that, quote, ``West Point was probably the 
first place where I had a supportive environment for my 
identity and who I am.''
    So Lieutenant General Gilland, do cadets grow as leaders by 
taking initiative and contributing to their communities, and 
are clubs a significant part of that?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Yes, Senator. All of our clubs, 
and I would consider all of West Point as a living, breathing, 
leadership laboratory.
    Senator Warren. I like that. I like that. Vice Admiral 
Davids?
    Vice Admiral Davids. I would agree completely, Senator.
    Senator Warren. General Bauernfeind?
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Senator Warren, I do agree, 
as well, that our clubs provide opportunities.
    Senator Warren. So I am concerned, because currently the 
Administration is rolling out Executive orders that have led to 
dismantling clubs that have been around for decades, and that 
have successfully supported students at the Service Academies. 
Those leadership opportunities remain available in more than 
600 colleges and universities around the country. Banning those 
clubs just at our Military Academies does not make it easier to 
recruit the best and the brightest.
    The Trump administration's ham-fisted attacks on the 
Service Academies undermine our ability to recruit and to train 
talented young people who will become a critical part of our 
lethal fighting force. I think that is bad for our cadets and 
it is bad for our national security.
    Thank you for being here, and we apologize for moving in 
and out. We have got votes going on at the same time. So this 
is not a comment on what anyone has to say. We just have to 
play a little bit of tag here.
    Senator Reed, I understand--yes, he hasn't even sat down 
yet. Senator Reed, you are up next.
    Senator Reed. Well, thank you all for your testimony and 
for your service. My experience, which has some connection to 
the academies, is that there are places which build character 
and also critical thinking. The character is understanding that 
you must do the harder right rather than the easier wrong. But 
the critical thinking is absolutely important, because today we 
are in a multidimensional scheme of warfare. We have 
accelerated technology. We have contested supply lines. The 
young graduates are going into a much more complicated world 
than I went into.
    Admiral Davids, can you talk about the process that your 
faculty and dean go through when determining the curriculum for 
your students?
    Vice Admiral Davids. Thank you, Senator. We have a really 
robust curriculum. It includes everything that you might need 
to make a great officer, and having just come from the fleet, I 
can attest to that. It has got English. It has got government. 
It has got leadership. It has got STEM-heavy to help develop 
them and ready them in order to be ready to be these incredible 
officers out in the fleet on day one, sir.
    Senator Reed. Thank you, ma'am. General Gilland, please.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Senator Reed, our curriculum, 
which spans across not only the academic program but also our 
physical and military program, is designed to develop critical 
thinkers, as I stated in the opening statement, to be able to 
outthink and outmaneuver our adversaries. That is built into 
everything that we do at the United States Military Academy.
    Senator Reed. Thank you, sir. General Bauernfeind.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Senator Reed, thank you 
very much. We have a robust course of instruction that not only 
includes our academic curriculum but our physical education and 
our commissioning education, all designed to meet the three 
priorities that I laid out in the opening statement, as it 
moves forward, and we have a very dynamic curriculum for all, 
because in our connection with our Air Force major commands and 
our Space Force field coms we are responsive to not only the 
requirements of the fielded forces but also the direction we 
receive from the Secretary of the Air Force, as an example, to 
graduate more of our future leaders focused on STEM degrees, as 
the way of future warfare is going to rely heavily on that STEM 
education as it moves forward. Through our integrated 
curriculum review process, as well as great faculty support, we 
are able to ebb and flow our curriculum to meet the dynamic 
requirements of the force.
    Senator Reed. Sir, can I followup with another question, 
which is can you tell us a vignette of your own personal 
experience that you have tried to infuse into the wing at the 
Air Force Academy?
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. So as an example, as we 
look forward to curriculum review we see an opportunity, as 
looking to the future of our corps, is a need for understanding 
that all of our future leaders must not only be air-minded but 
they also must be space-minded and cyber-minded, to understand 
how to deliver and understand the organizations that deliver 
those effects for the joint warfighting campaign.
    So right now our faculty are looking through our process to 
how to ensure that all 1,000 graduates every year come out with 
that full appreciation of air, space, and cyber, to be 
effective as joint operators.
    Senator Reed. Thank you. Admiral Davids, your comments?
    Vice Admiral Davids. Thank you, Senator. I think it is my 
enthusiasm for the curriculum and for the trust I have got in 
the faculty that inspires them all to do incredible things.
    You asked what we do individually to support. I think one 
of my big focus areas this year has definitely been wargaming, 
and it is sort of at a nascent level, but I think we do have 
one of the largest undergraduate wargaming efforts at one time 
for our midshipmen fourth class at the end of each year. It is 
really extraordinary. It is also to support the midshipmen 
first class as they develop their capstone projects, and this 
is why it is so exciting, because it is tied completely with 
the fleet, with our labs, with our research projects that 
occur, that the midshipmen are incorporating to include in some 
real-world operational support.
    Not to mention we have some incredible extracurricular 
activities that we talked about before, and one that I just 
used as an example is something we call SWAT-C but imagine it 
is a competitive drone group that goes out and competes against 
these two here but also other schools in the real-world 
terrain, on understanding how to use that technology in the 
future. It is about really infusing support to the faculty and 
staff.
    Senator Reed. Thank you, and General Gilland.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Senator Reed, our curriculum is 
under continuous assessment, and it evolves to meet the 
requirements of the United States Army. From a personal 
vignette perspective, at West Point we have what is called MX-
400, which is the officer capstone course. It is a 
superintendent's course. Our first class, our seniors, take 
that course one semester during their senior year. I address 
them in specifically the underpinnings of the Constitution of 
the United States and what it means to be a commissioned 
officer in the United States Army. Then the vignettes 
associated with experiences that I have had through almost 35 
years of service in our Army.
    Senator Reed. Just let me make two final points. One of the 
advantages you have now is a very established and experienced 
noncommissioned officers corps, who are integrated within the 
cadet companies and squadrons, et cetera, which is a plus. 
Second, I have some prejudices among the academies, but Admiral 
Davids, I think Navy really began to turn in the right 
direction when in the 1860's you moved to Newport, Rhode Island 
for a few years. I think that is the key point. Thank you.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Thank you, sir.
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you, Senator Reed. Senator 
Sullivan.
    Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is good to 
see you at the helm here, and also as a member of the U.S. Air 
Force Academy board. I think that is great. Congratulations to 
Senator Tuberville on both.
    I want to just kind of have an honest assessment here, 
because I think one of the biggest concerns we have in the 
Congress, certainly the American people have, is our so-called 
elite universities in our country, the Ivy League, for example, 
that they have become bastions of anti-Americanism, anti-
military institutions, antisemitic institutions, the top 
universities in the country. I think this is a charge that is 
not some kind of fake charge. My alma mater, Harvard 
University, has led the way on being anti-military for decades. 
They still are, in my view, in many ways. They do not respect 
the service of people in our military.
    I had an experience that I wrote about in The Wall Street 
Journal just last year when I visited Harvard. I mean, you 
could not believe it, a giant anti-Israel, antisemitic protest 
put on by a radical group, in Harvard Library's Widener Reading 
Room, during finals. It was ridiculous. I mean, it was stunning 
how out-of-touch these universities are. Americans across the 
country are like, ``Wait, these are the universities teaching 
our leaders?'' It is a real shame, and there is a lot of 
concern, with good reason.
    In that Wall Street Journal op-ed I talked about the 
experience I saw there recently at Harvard. I was shocked at 
the lack of leadership, particularly Claudine Gay, who 
subsequently got fired after my Wall Street Journal op-ed. I 
wrote, ``Not all university leadership is so craven, morally 
bankrupt, and afraid of the most vocal, radical sects of their 
own student bodies.''
    I serve on the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Naval Academy, 
which--no offense, Senator Reed--is rated the number one public 
university in America. The contract could not be starker 
between the Service Academies and the Ivy League on issues like 
civil discourse, so-called space spaces, trigger warning, 
American history, and yes, our unique and exceptional place in 
the world.
    So Admiral, I have seen a lot of what the Naval Academy has 
done. I think for the most part it is outstanding. But we have 
concerns that some of this DEI, Critical Race Theory (CRT), 
anti-Americanism, anti-militarism kind of is going to seep over 
to our Service Academies, which I think is the point of this 
hearing, and I really appreciate the Chairman for calling it.
    We want our Service Academies focused on warfighting, 
lethality, patriotism, and I think they are still, all three of 
you, still are at the helm of the top universities in the 
country. But there can be improvements, and I think everybody 
would agree with that.
    So let me just ask, very quickly, General Bauernfeind, 
there was a civilian professor at the Air Force Academy named 
Dr. Lynne Chandler Garcia, published an op-ed in The Washington 
Post where she stated, quote, ``She teaches critical race 
theories to our Nation's military leaders because it is vital 
to cadets to understand history of racism that have shaped both 
foreign policy and domestic policy.'' Do you think CRT is vital 
for future military Air Force officers, General?
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Senator Sullivan, thank 
you. What we are focused on is developing those warfighters, 
those leaders of character and quality, and those critical 
thinkers to adapt. In accordance with law, on the Fiscal Year 
2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), we no longer 
teach critical race theory at the United States Air Force 
Academy.
    Senator Sullivan. Okay.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. To focus on those critical 
thinkers, we are delving in hard on teaching our future leaders 
how to think and not what to think.
    Senator Sullivan. Good. That is a great answer.
    Admiral, you and I have gotten to know each other well. I 
appreciate your leadership at the Naval Academy. One of the big 
challenges--we just had a hearing yesterday on it--
shipbuilding, and do you think having our future naval officers 
fully understand naval architecture programs is something that 
should be, even though it is not a major for everybody, is that 
in the core curriculum at the Naval Academy now?
    Vice Admiral Davids. It is part of the core curriculum. I 
might offer also we have the second-largest wave tank in the 
Nation, which is a backup to Carderock, which could be helpful 
in the future when we are talking shipbuilding. It is 
exceptionally important to us. We do have a cadre of midshipmen 
who really focus and enjoy naval architecture, sir, and I am so 
pleased that we offer it.
    Senator Sullivan. Are there ways to encourage midshipmen, 
more midshipmen to take up naval architecture as a major? I 
think it is one of our challenges on shipbuilding right now. If 
there is going to be a source of military leaders who 
understand naval architecture to help get us out of this 
challenge on shipbuilding, it is going to be from the academy 
you lead. Are there ways to do that?
    Vice Admiral Davids. There are ways to relook at this. We 
are looking at our curriculum right now, just to ensure that 
not only do we follow the executive orders but also that we are 
completely aligned with warfighting of the future. This is 
warfighting of the future. This is a hot button right now. It 
would be appropriate to reconsider what we do with naval 
architecture. What I do know is we do have a lot of wonderful 
midshipmen focused on it right now.
    Senator Sullivan. Great. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. 
Chairman.
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you, Senator Sullivan. Just to 
followup, General, is that professor still employed at the Air 
Force Academy?
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Yes, sir.
    Senator Tuberville. Senator Reed, would you like to 
rebuttal on----
    Senator Reed. You are very generous, Mr. Chairman, but I 
think that history speaks for itself.
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Tuberville. Senator Hirono.
    Senator Hirono. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I welcome all of 
our superintendents.
    I want to be absolutely clear. The Trump administration's 
attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion in our military and 
our Military Service Academies are not just misguided, they are 
dangerous. These efforts weaken our armed forces, ignore our 
history, and undermine the very principles that make our 
military the most capable in the world.
    The claim that DEI initiatives somehow detract from combat 
readiness is not only false but flies in the face of decades of 
evidence. Diversity is not a distraction. It is our strategic 
advantage. The Department of Defense itself has repeatedly 
affirmed that a diverse force is a stronger force. Even the 
conservative Supreme Court, in its disastrous ruling on 
affirmative action, recognized that Military Academies have, 
quote, ``potentially distinct interests,'' end quote, in 
maintaining a diverse officer corps.
    A Federal district court recently, in Maryland, said just 
that ruling, that the Naval Academy's limited use of race in 
admissions was constitutional, citing a compelling national 
security interest in officer diversity. The court emphasized 
that unlike civilian institutions, Military Academies must 
account for how their admissions policies directly affect 
national defense. Why is that? Because diversity in leadership 
is not an ideological preference. It is a strategic imperative. 
Because the ability to lead diverse units, work with 
international allies, and maintain cohesion within the ranks is 
not an optional skill, it is a necessity.
    In other words, having an officer corps that represents the 
country it protects and the people it leads is a force 
multiplier--a force multiplier--which gives our armed forces an 
advantage over our adversaries.
    Yet, instead of embracing this reality, we see efforts to 
erase and dismantle the very programs that help us build this 
capability. West Point has disbanded a dozen cadet clubs that 
supported women, Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, and Transgender 
(LGBTQ+) students, and racial minorities. The Air Force removed 
a documentary in their basic military training curriculum on 
the Tuskegee Airmen, Black pilots who had to fight two wars, 
one against the Axis powers and one against the racism in their 
own country. The Army, in a so-called, quote, ``digital content 
refresh,'' end quote, accidentally erased the history of the 
442d Regimental Combat team, the most decorated unit in U.S. 
military history, composed entirely of Japanese-Americans who 
fought bravely while their families, 120,000 Japanese-
Americans, were incarcerated in internment camps back home. 
This is unacceptable and disrespectful to our brave veterans.
    I will say that again. The Army took down a page honoring a 
unit that fought valiantly to prove their loyalty to a country 
that had imprisoned their families back at home, reinstating 
the page only after public outcry.
    In Secretary Hegseth's message to the forces, he claims to 
be committed to warfighters, he claims to care about 
warfighting ethos and lethality. If Secretary Hegseth and 
President Trump are proud of our warfighters, then why are they 
erasing their legacy?
    This hypocrisy is not just offensive. It is a betrayal of 
our servicemembers and their sacrifices. It is no coincidence 
that the same voices attacking DEI today are the ones who stood 
silent when women in the military were fighting for equal 
opportunities, when LGBTQ+ servicemembers were forced to hide 
who they were, and when racial minorities were systematically 
denied leadership opportunities.
    This is not about merit. It is about rolling back progress 
under the guise of readiness and lethality. Our Military 
Academies are supposed to be developing leaders of character--
you all testified to that--leaders who can navigate the complex 
global challenges of the 21st century, not just fire weapons or 
fly a plane. Leaders who can foster trust and cohesion with 
diverse unit, who can engage with international allies, and who 
can uphold the values of democracy and equality that we send 
them to defend. The Department of Defense itself has argued 
that diverse leadership is a, quote, ``national security 
imperative,'' end quote. Yet we are watching as this 
Administration systematically dismantles every effort to ensure 
that our officer corps reflects the America it serves. This is 
not just a political talking point. It is a strategic failure 
in the making.
    To the superintendents and leaders here today, you oversee 
the comprehensive training and education of our future military 
leaders. You are responsible for ensuring that our armed forces 
remain the best in the world, not just in combat effectiveness 
but in leadership, character, cohesion. I urge you to stand 
firm. Do not allow anti-DEI policies to undermine the very 
fabric of our national security. Do not allow President Trump 
and Secretary Hegseth to erase history by dividing what we know 
to be facially true. The strength and future of our military 
depends on it.
    Mr. Chairman, I would like to include in the record of this 
hearing this list of words that The New York Times printed as 
words that are disappearing in the new Trump administration. 
They are words like biases, diverse groups, equal opportunity, 
immigrants, injustice, victims, women, females, Blacks--three 
pages' worth of words that are no longer welcome in this 
Administration. I would like this list to be included in the 
record of this hearing.
    Senator Tuberville. So entered.
    Senator Hirono. Thank you.
    [The information referred to follows:]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]    
      
    Senator Hirono. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you, Senator Hirono. Senator 
Scott.
    Senator Scott. General Gilland, is the Army-Navy game 
important?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Senator Scott, it is great to 
see you again. The Army-Navy game is important. Absolutely, 
sir.
    Senator Scott. It would be really disappointing if you ever 
lost, right?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. We are disappointed, but we 
will also come back.
    Senator Scott. Did you go to the game?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Yes, sir.
    Senator Scott. Do you remember the score?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. I do, sir.
    Senator Scott. What was it?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Well, I try to put that behind 
me, sir, but yes.
    Senator Scott. Okay. But to Navy, you think it is really, 
really, really important game, isn't it.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Exceptionally, especially this year, 
sir.
    Senator Scott. Go Navy. Thank you guys for what you are 
doing. I thank each of you for what you are doing.
    So, first off, who is responsible for your faculty? I mean, 
who is responsible for the mission?
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Senator Scott, I am.
    Senator Scott. Okay. Admiral?
    Vice Admiral Davids. I am, as well, sir.
    Senator Scott. So you are responsible for your faculty, 
right?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Yes, Senator.
    Senator Scott. How is your faculty chosen?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Senator, our faculty at West 
Point is chosen through different hiring processes, as we think 
about those departments, and department heads lead the 
respective hiring process. So for both uniformed and civilian 
faculty, going through the process to identify those people 
that have the skills, particularly knowledge and experience in 
whatever the discipline is that we are looking for.
    Senator Scott. So do you hire them or does the faculty hire 
themselves, hire new faculty?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Sir, through the hiring process 
it is brought to the Dean of the Academic Board and to myself 
for approval.
    Senator Scott. Admiral?
    Vice Admiral Davids. Very similar. We are looking for 
individuals that have the expertise in the fields that we need, 
going forward have the commitment to the Naval Academy and buy-
in for exactly our mission set, sir.
    Senator Scott. Who makes the final decision?
    Vice Admiral Davids. Everything. I am responsible for 
everything, but it is recommended by panel, sir.
    Senator Scott. General.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Sir, we have similar 
processes as our colleagues at the table, and especially our 
Dean of Faculty has great authority, under my responsibility, 
to canvas for the best and brightest military and civilian 
faculty instructors as we move forward.
    Senator Scott. So ultimately each of you have the ability 
to pick your faculty.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Senator, yes, we do, but I 
think that what is important to clarify is that through 
authorities that have been delegated, depending on the 
instructor, the level, I am not personally canvassing captains 
across the operational force to come teach in a department. I 
have very capable department heads who execute that.
    Senator Scott. All right. Do any of you have tenure or are 
you looking at having tenure.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Yes, sir, we have both. We 
have civilian tenure for a small number of our civilian faculty 
as well as our military permanent professors and senior 
military faculty that have longer duration at the Air Force 
Academy.
    Vice Admiral Davids. We too have a process of tenure for 
our civilians, sir.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. We do too also, Senator.
    Senator Scott. So why do you have tenure?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Well, Senator, I think that 
tenure offers our civilian faculty, specifically, opportunities 
to advance within their discipline at the United States 
Military Academy.
    Vice Admiral Davids. I think it is a wonderful recruiting 
tool to get in the best and the brightest that we can. They 
could go to so many other places, but we draw in these 
incredible talents that want to stay. Sir, I also think it is 
an incentive to stay, which we want these individuals to buy 
into the program and be able to learn and advance their skills 
so that we can benefit from them, sir.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Sir, I would say that is 
the process at the Air Force Academy, as well, as part of the 
academic progression for our civilian faculty.
    Senator Scott. So did each of you come through a tenure 
system.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. We came up through a 
professional military system, sir.
    Senator Scott. You don't have tenure, do you?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. No. Well, I have got 35 years 
in the Army, sir. Some would probably call that tenure.
    Senator Scott. Yes, but you had to perform, and if you did 
not perform you were out.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. That is correct. But tenure 
within our civilian faculty, Senator, has to be earned. It is 
not given. It has to be demonstrated that a faculty member 
qualifies to meet the tenets of earning that tenure.
    Senator Scott. On any of your areas as a tenured professor 
ever lost their job while you have been there?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Not during my time, Senator.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Not during my time either, sir.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Neither for me, sir, for my 
short period.
    Senator Scott. Thank you.
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you. Just to followup on that, 
can you fire a civilian, tenured teacher, professor? General, 
can you fire one?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Yes, Senator.
    Senator Tuberville. You can?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Yes, through the process we 
have the ability to fire them.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Sir, there is an Human Resources (HR) 
process in which we can do that.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Absolutely, Senator, there 
is a process for all civilian and military personnel that do 
not meet our standards.
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you.
    Senator Blumenthal. How about your coaches?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. All the time.
    Senator Tuberville. I guarantee you they do not have 
tenure.
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Blumenthal. I asked that question because----
    Senator Tuberville. We might have to work on that, though. 
I am kind of partial to the coaches.
    Senator Blumenthal. I have some serious questions. You can 
disregard that one.
    I think you have some of the most important jobs in our 
military, maybe in our country, which is educating our future 
leaders. They are leaders not only in the military but 
eventually in their communities, as well. I think your job has 
been made more difficult by some of the recent talk about a 
woke military and some of the recent orders that you have had 
to implement, like the DEI executive orders, eliminating DEI 
content from your curriculum and campuses, which I think has a 
chilling effect on the discourse that takes place on campuses, 
which is really part of the educational experience. What young 
people say to each other, what they learn from each other I 
think is as important as maybe some of the courses that they 
take.
    I trust that you have faithfully executed the orders from 
your commander in chief to eliminate all the DEI content from 
your campuses and curriculum. I understand in the case of West 
Point, sir, you reviewed over 600 courses and you eliminated 
just 2 that come into compliance, which says to me there was 
not a lot of this extraneous DEI, woke content in your courses. 
Is that a fair conclusion on my part?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Senator, the review is still 
ongoing, given the timeframe. We are in the validation frame. 
But of over 600 courses that were reviewed, 2 were determined 
to not be compliant with the executive order, and thus we 
eliminated those two courses. They were higher-level electives 
that had a fairly small population of cadets that were enrolled 
in that.
    Senator Blumenthal. What were the two courses?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Sir, one was a history course 
and the other was an English course. Respectively, the 
population impacted about 25 cadets in one course and 13 in 
another.
    Senator Blumenthal. What was the title of the----
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Oh, yes sir. The title for the 
history course was, it was HI 463, ``Race, Ethnicity, and 
Nation,'' and our English course, which was English 352, was 
``Power and Difference,'' sir, and like I said, 25 cadets 
impacted in the history course, 12 cadets impacted in the 
English course.
    Senator Blumenthal. Could you give me, for the Navy, 
Admiral Davids, the equivalent information, and maybe for the 
Air Force, as well.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Certainly, sir. Thank you for the 
question. Out of 870 courses that we reviewed, only 2 of them 
were canceled. They were NL 445, ``Gender Matters,''--that is a 
leadership course, sir--and an English course, HE 374, ``Gender 
Sexuality Studies.'' We had a total of 18 other classes that we 
either needed to modify, very minorly, or make some subtle 
adjustments to bring it to compliance with the executive 
orders.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Senator Blumenthal, we are 
in the middle of our course review. We are conducting a review 
of our 735, and we are doing two sets of eyes on the review as 
we go forward. Of the 735, we have assessed that right now 
there are 55 courses that we have identified for further-on 
analysis. Of those numbers, right now our initial assessment is 
40 percent will require no change, 53 percent will require 
minor admin or reading change, and only 3 of the courses 
potentially for suspension. I have not made that decision yet, 
and once I do, sir, I will followup on the record with the 
names of those courses.
    Senator Blumenthal. If all of you could followup. I know 
that this review may be ongoing, as you said, General. I would 
appreciate knowing.
    You know, the reason it is a somewhat impossible position, 
in order to teach about tyranny you have to read books on 
Nazism, right. Some of the bad stuff has to be learned in order 
to avoid mistakes that have been made in the past. The military 
has an extraordinary and proud record of leading our Nation on 
desegregation. It literally led the Nation, and we should be 
teaching that history so that our military can be not only 
proud but continue to lead the Nation in its values and 
principles, let me just say, of diversity, which is what you 
do--you are diverse and you need to teach people how to deal 
with diverse groups that they will command--and inclusion, 
because you want to include people from different backgrounds 
and races and religions, and be able to lead them, as well, and 
do it equitably.
    So I am very sympathetic to your dilemma right now, and I 
hope that the Congress can help you rather than hinder you with 
the kind of rhetoric that has become all too popular about woke 
military and all that stuff. I want to thank you for the great 
job that you are doing.
    I nominate, every year, people to go to your great 
institutions. I wish all of them could be admitted. But I must 
say, one of the most satisfying and fulfilling tasks I have is 
to do those nominations, because they are extraordinary, just 
exemplary young men and women. Thank you for helping to educate 
them.
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you, Senator Blumenthal. Senator 
Budd.
    Senator Budd. Chairman, thank you. Thanks for hosting this. 
Thank you all for being here, as well, and I would echo those 
comments. It is one of our highlights. It gives us great hope 
in our country, every December, when we gather as a large 
panel, somewhere in North Carolina, to review applicants and 
candidates. It is one of the highlights from my time in the 
House and also here in the Senate.
    Let me ask about the concept of the military being a great 
leveler, and I believe that it is. For decades, the U.S. 
military has been the strongest representation of the very best 
of our country. Americans from all backgrounds must continue to 
be evaluated and promoted based on their merit, encompassing 
their character, their commitment, their ability, and their 
courage.
    General Gilland--and if I could ask all of you, as I ask 
the questions, to keep your answers concise--you said that all 
appointees to West Point are fully qualified, based on your 
scoring methodology, the whole candidate score. So what is the 
lowest that an applicant can score and still be deemed highly 
qualified?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Sir, the whole candidate model, 
which is based on academic, physical, and then character and 
service, that is one component of the admissions process, of 
which we use the whole candidate score and then the measure of 
the tangibles, and then there are the intangibles, such as grit 
and tenacity, desire to serve our Nation, that are also 
assessed by our recruitment officers, through our Admissions 
Department.
    When we look at the whole person concept for the cadet 
candidates that exist across our Nation, and within your State 
specifically, sir, we look at both the tangibles and the 
intangibles.
    Senator Budd. It would seem those additional qualifiers of 
grit, tenacity, and desire to serve, would that not be part of 
the whole candidate score?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Well, sir, with regards to the 
whole candidate score, as I said, broken down, there's academic 
which is 60 percent----
    Senator Budd. Physical----
    General Gilland.--Thirty percent, which is the character 
and extracurricular activities, and then 10 percent physical, 
and then there is the assessment of the intangibles as we have 
seen through letters of evaluation that come in from coaches 
and teachers, respectively, the interview process, the 
interviews that go through our field force members that are out 
within the respective locales. So there are these intangibles 
that are also considered in the development of a candidate and 
determining admissions to the Military Academy.
    Senator Budd. General, is there a different minimum score 
for any particular demographic?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. No, sir.
    Senator Budd. General, roughly 25 to 30 percent of an 
incoming class at West Point is not required to be appointed 
based on their order of merit. Do you oppose legislation that 
would require you to appoint more applicants based on their 
whole candidate score, and if so, why is that?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Sir, admissions model is 
compliant with the provision of Title 10, which has been 
codified into law, as has been stated, sir. If there is a 
change to any legislation we absolutely look forward to working 
with you on what that would mean and what it would entail with 
any modifications.
    We continuously assess our admissions process, and, for 
instance, as we talk about the whole candidate score, each of 
the academies have different whole person scoring models, and 
we are looking at ours also at this time.
    Senator Budd. General Bauernfeind, I understand you are 
looking at some of the Air Force Academy's admissions 
processes. You mentioned that earlier. Do you have any specific 
concerns, and if so, what are they? Would you oppose 
legislation that would require you to adhere to your order of 
merit in admissions?
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Sir, first of all, our 
admissions process, to go back to the fully qualified, it 
requires two aspects, a highly competitive application process 
that goes into not only the academic ability to succeed at one 
of our Military Service Academies but extracurricular 
activities, focused on leadership abilities and depth of 
service. Then, as discussed before, athletic capabilities, an 
air liaison interview, but then finally a committee score that 
looks deeper into the letters of recommendation, the 
interviews, that starts to understand alignment to our service 
core values, integrity, determination, grit, as that comes 
forward as we dig into it. So I am very content with our 
current admissions process for understanding how we are getting 
the best and brightest.
    The second aspect is also the nominations that we get form 
our congressional leadership, to ensure that we are getting the 
best and brightest from all the districts in our great Nation 
as it moves forward. If our elected leaders choose to provide 
additional guidance, we look forward to working with our 
elected leaders to comply with that.
    Senator Budd. Thank you. I have additional questions for 
the record, unless you have other time.
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you, Senator Budd. I have got one 
question. I apologize for people in and out. We have votes. We 
have other hearings going on. But we do really appreciate you 
coming. We have learned a lot here.
    Permanent military faculty are Senate confirmed. Should we 
have any input toward civilian professors? General, on your 
recommendation.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Sir, I think that when we look 
at the confirmation of our permanent faculty, which is a fairly 
small number, we make that recommendation to you, as Congress. 
With regards to our civilian faculty, I think even with their 
swearing to an oath to the Constitution of the United States, I 
would have to go back and ask about from a civilian hiring 
practice, because the civilian hiring practices and regulations 
that govern that are different than from our uniformed members.
    Senator Tuberville. Admiral?
    Vice Admiral Davids. Very similar, except that I would say 
that at the Naval Academy we have a proven formula that works, 
sir, and that includes these incredible civilian faculty that 
are charged to support everything that we do there. They are 
completely in on our mission, and they complement the military 
aspect of our faculty, as well, sir. So when I say proven, I 
say that 89 percent graduation rate at the United States Naval 
Academy, and a great deal of that is because of the incredible 
coaches, mentors, faculty, and staff that we have there, all 
focused on that mission set, sir.
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you. General?
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Sir, I am very comfortable 
under my authorities picking the civilian faculty for our force 
as we go forward. But if our elected leaders want to have a 
voice in that, I am also very comfortable working with our 
elected leaders to detail a process that enables us to move 
through that process quickly.
    Senator Tuberville. Senator Budd, we have got time for one 
more question, if you want to throw it out.
    Senator Budd. Admiral Davids, how often does the U.S. Naval 
Academy deviate from the order of merit list when you are 
permitted to do so?
    Vice Admiral Davids. Sir, we have an incredible system, 
tried and true. No race, sex, or ethnicity goals associated 
with this. No race, sex, or ethnicity whatsoever governed in 
the acceptance of who we actually take in. We have 
congressional nominations, as you know, and the qualified 
alternates list, which is by order of merit. Then, once we have 
offered up the ability to provide opportunities to every 
district, then we can include our military nominations process, 
as well.
    Then what you are talking about, sir, is the additional 
qualified individuals there. It comes to about 250 individuals 
or so. Those individuals are identified also by a whole person 
multiple and an incredibly active and robust admissions staff 
of 22 members that go through, similar to them, both objective 
and subjective insights into each individual record. In some 
cases individuals do not score very well in an imperfect 
system, which is the whole person multiple, and they are able 
to offer up some certain individuals, and that would be in that 
particular area that you are talking about.
    We are looking for leaders of character. We are looking for 
gems out there that are going to be proven to not only can they 
succeed at the Naval Academy but they have a propensity to 
serve their Nation, for the Navy or the Marine Corps. That is 
what we are looking for, sir.
    Senator Budd. Thank you very much. If this Subcommittee 
reached out for data on the class of 2028, I guess 
matriculating in 2024, would you be willing to provide that for 
the Subcommittee?
    Vice Admiral Davids. Certainly, sir.
    Senator Budd. Thank you very much. Chairman.
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you, Senator Budd. I would be 
remiss if I did not bring up something about sports, and I 
would like one of you's thoughts about this. I have always felt 
that playing sports was invaluable to leadership development. 
Many of the cadets and midshipmen at your institutions are 
athletes participating on the various academy sports teams. 
They represent the best of your institutions and our country.
    Occasionally--occasionally--some of these athletes develop 
to an elite level and are forced to forego living out their 
dreams of playing the sport they love at a professional level 
because of outdated, to me outdated, regulations governing 
their service obligations. I would like to see this year's NDAA 
reflect a serious commitment to these outstanding individuals. 
When appropriate, these cadets and midshipmen should graduate 
and commission with their classes, and defer their service 
obligation until their professional sports-playing careers are 
complete. These would be commissioned officers in our armed 
services subject to the same rules and regulations as their 
peers, while at the same time providing valuable exposure and 
increased visibility to the academics, while they play sports 
at the highest level.
    I know that is not protocol for what we do as we speak. But 
General, I would like to get your thoughts on that. With an 
all-volunteer military now, we are looking for possible ways to 
get more and more young men and women involved in our 
academies.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Senator, the Army is a team 
contact sport. That is how I view the Army, and those men and 
women that are coming into the Army, regardless of their 
background and upbringing, better be prepared to get involved 
in a team contact sport, because that is what you all, as the 
citizens of our Nation, ask of us.
    As a result, when we think through the development of 
leaders of character, I am looking for, it may not be the best 
player, because numbers do not always define somebody's 
potential. I am looking for the best player for the team, and 
for those individuals that have the elite capability to pursue 
professional sports, I absolutely support, and I think we have 
to look at measures, as you outlined, from a commissioning 
perspective, that would allow those individuals to go into that 
professional sport of whatever their talent is in, execute 
that, and then have them serve in the Army.
    I think there are combinations of ways to do that, though 
not only Active service concurrent with their respective 
playing for a team. Of course, there are different things that 
have to go with that, with moving them around and such if they 
are traded. Or there is the deferral of the respective Active 
Duty service obligation that they have.
    But I think that it results in multiple benefits, not only 
to each of our academies but I think it benefits our services 
also, through deliberate outreach and engagement that we would 
ask of those talented individuals.
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you. Admiral?
    Vice Admiral Davids. Sir, when I was a midshipman fourth 
class, Napoleon McCallum was in my upper class. The original 
admiral, David Robinson, was also in upper class. They were 
heroes of mine. I saw how brilliant they did in their careers 
to not only bring in incredible talent to the Navy, to the 
Naval Academy, as well as supporting our Nation. There are many 
ways to serve, sir, and they did brilliantly in that.
    So I am a huge fan of it. I appreciate that we may look at 
this. I think that the return on investment is incredible, and 
I fully support it, sir.
    Senator Tuberville. Thank you. General?
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Senator Tuberville, I also, 
as a freshman, looked up to one Chad Hennings, a monster of a 
football player.
    Senator Tuberville. A big old boy.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Yes, sir, and benefited 
greatly. He also, during that time, his value was not only was 
he an amazing football player but he also went out and served 
and flew combat operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom Desert 
Storm during that time, bringing both the recruiting values to 
bear, the service and the professional capabilities.
    I believe where the NDAA is now, by giving us an 
opportunity of three per year is a great opportunity for us to 
pick those truly elite athletes that can go on to that next 
level. As a data point, over the last 5 years we have had 22 
Air Force Academy cadets that have moved forward into 
professional sports. Thirteen met their first seasons, and 
unfortunately were not able to continue, and they came back to 
Active Duty, and nine are continuing, and over that time, that 
two to three is, I think, an opportunity for us to continue to 
go forward.
    I would also ask, sir, as we have this conversation for pro 
sports, to have a fulsome conversation of the impact of the 
transfer portal on our Military Service Academies and how that 
is taking young men and women away from service to the Nation 
until they have had an opportunity to blossom as leaders.
    Senator Tuberville. Yes. Well, that is a great point, and I 
look forward to visiting with all three of you about this 
before our NDAA is put together this June. I know it is a huge 
problem, and I can understand it is a huge problem for you 
also. Again, I want to sit down with all three of you before we 
get to that point in June, and hopefully we can work something 
out. Because I think it would be a great tool for all of you, 
for recruiting, because you all take our best and brightest. 
All of us, all the Senators, and Congressmen, we have an 
opportunity to send the best young men and women we possibly 
have in our states, and you do a great job with them.
    I want to thank you for coming today. This a fact-finding 
mission. We have not done it in 30 years. We will do it again 
next year, and hopefully we will make it bigger and brighter. 
We just want to enlighten people about what you do, because 
leadership, discipline, teamwork is everything that goes along 
with what our country is about. Again, it is so, so, important.
    We cannot really do this enough, but thanks again for what 
you do, how you do it, and tell all of your cadets and 
midshipmen that we are for them, and I look forward to being on 
the Board of Visitors at the Air Force Academy this year and 
visiting with you. Again, you are our future, and we hope you 
use our young people at your convenience but also give them the 
best and brightest future they can possibly get. Because we are 
going to go as a country as how they go.
    Thanks again. This has been a good hearing, and this 
hearing is adjourned. Thank you.
    [Whereupon, at 3:57 p.m., the Committee adjourned.]

                            APPENDIX
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    [Questions for the record with answers supplied follow:]

                Questions Submitted by Senator Ted Budd
                   service academy admissions process
    1. Senator Budd. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral Davids, 
and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, during the admissions process, how 
often does your respective military service academy deviate from the 
order of merit list when you are permitted to do so, and would you 
agree to provide this data to the Personnel Subcommittee for the class 
of 2028?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. USMA conducts its admissions process in 
accordance with statute (10 USC Sec.  7442). All candidates must be 
nominated by law. The nomination requirement drives almost all order of 
merit (OML) deviations.
    OML at USMA is measured by Whole Candidate Score (WCS), a 
quantification that accounts for scholarship, leadership and physical 
fitness aspects of a candidate's file. We admit candidates outside of a 
strict OML in the following ways:

      Nominees from Members of Congress (MoC): A cadet 
candidate from any Senator's State or Congressman's district, may have 
a lower WCS than a candidate from another MoC's State or district who 
is denied admission.

      MoC Slating of Own Nominees: USMA is bound by the 
prioritization of any nominating MoC (assuming minimum standards for 
admission are satisfied). If a MoC identifies a particular candidate 
with a lower WCS than another in his State or district as his primary 
nominee, the lower WCS candidate would displace a higher one. MoCs can 
also choose to enumerate nominees from within their State or district 
without regard to OML.

      Children of Members of Armed Forces: Those candidates 
satisfying the nomination requirement by being the children of Armed 
Forces members who were KIA, MIA, 100 percent disabled veterans, or a 
Medal of Honor recipient, may result in an overall OML deviation. There 
is no OML deviation permitted, however, from within this nomination 
category. Additionally, candidates satisfying the nomination 
requirement through the President's authority to nominate up to 100 
children of Active Duty and Retired Armed may result in an overall OML 
deviation. There is no OML deviation permitted, however, from within 
this nomination category.

      Enlisted Soldiers: Those candidates satisfying the 
nomination requirement through the Secretary of the Army's authority to 
nominate enlisted members of the Regular Army, Army Reserve, and from 
ROTC, may result in an overall OML deviation. There is no OML deviation 
permitted, however, from within this nomination category.

    For those candidates satisfying the nomination requirement through 
the Secretary of the Army's Qualified Alternate basis (10 USC Sec.  
7442(b)(5) permits 200 Qualified Alternates per year), there is no 
deviation from the OML within the nomination category. Qualified 
Alternates come from the nominees presented by MoCs, but who do not win 
the statutorily limited number of cadets from any MoC's State or 
district.
    Vice Admiral Davids. When making offers of appointment to 
candidates who may be charged as additional appointees (10 USC 
Sec. 8456(b)), the Naval Academy may deviate from the Whole Person 
Multiple (WPM), USNA's version of order of merit. For the Class of 
2029, there will likely be 150-175 additional appointees (the vast 
majority with congressional nominations), most of whom are well-
qualified recruited athletes whose WPMs were affected by their 
participation in their high school sports activities, which often 
precluded other activities. Other additional appointees often include 
Naval Academy Preparatory School candidates who were precluded from 
being charged against another nomination source, as they are counted as 
members of the Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve limited to 85 
under 10 U.S.C. Sec. 8454(b)(3). The Personnel Subcommittee is welcome 
to review our appointee data for the Class of 2028. The Department of 
the Navy additionally provides an annual briefing on the number of 
appointees in each appointment category as requested in House Report 
118-301, the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the National 
Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2024.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA is in compliance with 10 USC 
Sec. 9442 and 9443. As we ensure the best and brightest across the 
United States of America are selected to attend USAFA, we rely on three 
critical aspects:

    1)  Congressional Nominations

    2)  Selection Composite Score

    3)  Unique Skill Sets valued and required by DAF and USAFA

    Our first charge is to address the congressional nomination slates 
to include both Principal and Competitive nominations. USAFA selects 
all Principal nominations if they meet standards. Principal nominations 
comprise approximately 30 percent of all nominations. USAFA leverages 
our Selection Composite Score to select from congressional Competitive 
nomination slates. Congressional Competitive nominations comprise 
approximately 40 percent of all nominations. Thus, approximately 70 
percent of USAFA nominations come from congressional sources.
    Our next priority is to select the Top 200 qualified alternates in 
accordance with 10 USC Sec. 9443. We use the Selection Composite Score 
in this process.
    We also value those unique skills provided by our prior enlisted 
who have demonstrated leadership in service, and recruited Division 1 
athletes who have demonstrated athletic, leadership, and teamwork 
skills (grit, tenacity and communication).
    We will work with the DAF and OSD to provide the requested data.

    2. Senator Budd. Vice Admiral Davids, in 2020, the Institute for 
Defense Analyses issued a report on the academy attrition. The report 
said, ``SAT/ACT scores are significantly associated with higher 
graduation probabilities at USMA [United States Military Academy] based 
on research conducted by the RAND Corporation in 2015. In a subsequent 
report, SAT scores were a significant predictor of success at USAFA 
[United States Air Force Academy], with higher scores associated with a 
higher likelihood of graduation. The researchers recommended increasing 
the academic composite weighting of academy applicants, since these 
increased the likelihood of graduation.'' Has the Naval Academy 
increased the academic composite weighting since 2020? If not, why not?
    Vice Admiral Davids. Yes, the Naval Academy increased the academic 
composite in the Whole Person Multiple commencing with the Class of 
2029.

                               __________
            Questions Submitted by Senator Elizabeth Warren
                   transgender cadets and midshipmen
    3. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral Davids, 
and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, the Trump administration and 
Secretary Hegseth have taken several actions to attempt to ban 
transgender servicemembers from serving in the military. What actions 
have you taken to implement these executive orders and directives at 
the service academies, and on what dates?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. None. USMA has no transgender cadets.
    Vice Admiral Davids. In response to executive orders and 
directives, I have taken the following action:

      On March 17, 2025, via email I informed all USNA 
midshipmen and service members of voluntary separation procedures for 
those with a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibiting symptoms 
consistent with, gender dysphoria. I also explained that voluntary 
separation requests must be submitted no later than March 28, 2025. I 
provided links to the associated ALNAV and NAVADMIN messages and 
encouraged individuals with questions to engage with a medical 
provider, legal office, and/or their chain of command. Finally, I 
provided the contact information of a Navy Judge Advocate who is 
available to provide confidential legal advice to midshipmen and staff 
on the matter.

      On April 3, 2025, via email I informed all USNA 
midshipmen and servicemembers that, due to court order, the Department 
of the Navy is currently prohibited from implementing policy recently 
directed through Executive Orders and Department of Defense directives. 
I also provided a link to the associated ALNAV message and encouraged 
individuals with questions to engage with a medical provider, legal 
office, and/or their chain of command. Furthermore, I provided the 
contact information of a Navy Judge Advocate who is available to 
provide confidential legal advice to midshipmen and staff on the 
matter.

    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind.

      On 4 Feb 2025, USAFA received and complied with the 
Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve 
Affairs (SAF/MR) guidance.

      On 2 Apr 2025, USAFA received and complied with SAF/MR 
Memorandum, Additional Guidance for Executive Order 14183, 
``Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,'' 2 April 2025, to 
pause until further notice all actions directed by Executive Orders 
related to transgender personnel.

      On 8 May 2025, USAFA received the Secretary of Defense 
memo, ``Implementing Policy on Prioritizing Military Excellence and 
Readiness,'' 8 May 2025, and on 9 May 2025, the DAF received SAF/MR 
initial guidance on this policy.

    4. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral Davids, 
and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, do you anticipate that transgender 
cadets or midshipmen at each of your respective academies will be 
permitted to graduate?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. USMA has no transgender cadets.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Midshipmen who satisfactorily meet all 
graduation requirements in accordance with USNA Instruction 1531.49C 
will be permitted to graduate.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Yes. USAFA's transgender cadets 
received their degrees.

    5. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral Davids, 
and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, have you removed, temporarily 
suspended, or taken any other action to pause the ability for 
transgender cadets or midshipmen to be enrolled in or participate, in 
the same location and manner as non-transgender cadets or midshipmen, 
in programs, courses, and extracurricular activities at each of your 
respective academies? If so, please provide details on these actions.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. N/A.
    Vice Admiral Davids. No.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. In compliance with initial 
executive orders and to ensure our transgender cadets could continue to 
meet their academic requirements, USAFA temporarily paused Military 
Training activities for our transgender cadets. After receiving the 
SAF/MR Memorandum, Additional Guidance for Executive Order 14183, 
``Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,'' cadets returned to 
all Military Training activities.

    6. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral Davids, 
and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, do you anticipate that transgender 
cadets or midshipmen at each of your respective academies will be 
permitted to commission after graduating?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. N/A
    Vice Admiral Davids. Midshipmen who satisfactorily meet all 
graduation requirements in accordance with USNA Instruction 1531.49C 
and meet medical accession standards are eligible to be commissioned by 
the President upon graduation.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA received guidance from DOD 
and the DAF on the commissioning of our transgender cadets. Graduating 
transgender cadets will not be commissioned.

    7. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral Davids, 
and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, have you required or do you plan to 
require any transgender cadets or midshipmen to attend classes 
virtually that non-transgender cadets or midshipmen attend in person?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. N/A
    Vice Admiral Davids. No. I have not required, and am not currently 
planning to require, any midshipmen to attend classes virtually.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. In compliance with the initial 
Executive Orders and to ensure cadets could continue to meet their 
academic requirements, we provided the voluntary opportunity for our 
transgender cadets to attend classes virtually. One cadet attended 
classes virtually. After the 2 Apr guidance, all transgender cadets 
attended in-person classes.

    8. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral Davids, 
and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, have you required or are you 
planning to require any transgender cadets or midshipmen to move to 
living quarters corresponding to their birth sex?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. N/A
    Vice Admiral Davids. No. I have not required, and am not currently 
planning to require, any impacted midshipmen to move to living quarters 
corresponding to their birth sex.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Since the beginning of the academic 
year, all three of our transgender cadets have been in single-person 
rooms, as is typical with some senior cadets. Note, not all senior 
cadets have their own rooms, as there is insufficient space to 
accommodate this. Between the time of OSD/DAF guidance and the 
injunction, we made single-rooms available close to single-occupancy 
hygiene facilities. After the injunction, cadets returned to their 
original single-rooms.

    9. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral Davids, 
and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, have you required or are you 
planning to require any transgender cadets or midshipmen to stay in 
separate or isolated living quarters?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. N/A
    Vice Admiral Davids. No. I have not required, and am not currently 
planning to require, any impacted midshipmen to stay in separate or 
isolated living quarters.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Since the beginning of the academic 
year, all three of our transgender cadets have been in single-person 
rooms, as is typical with some senior cadets. Note, not all senior 
cadets have their own rooms, as there is insufficient space to 
accommodate this.

    10. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, please describe actions you 
have taken regarding treatment of transgender cadets or midshipmen to 
comply with orders issued by U.S. District Courts in applicable 
litigation, including Talbott v. Trump and Shilling v. Trump.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. N/A
    Vice Admiral Davids. In response to the litigation, on April 3, 
2025, via email, I informed all USNA midshipmen and service members 
that, due to court order, the Department of the Navy is currently 
prohibited from implementing policy recently directed through Executive 
Orders and Department of Defense directives. I also provided a link to 
the associated ALNAV message and encouraged individuals with questions 
to engage with a medical provider, legal office, and/or their chain of 
command. Furthermore, I provided the contact information of a Navy 
Judge Advocate who is available to provide confidential legal advice to 
midshipmen and staff on the matter.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA has complied with all court-
ordered preliminary injunctions. Throughout this process we have 
supported our transgender cadets including access to health 
professionals, legal advisors, our alumni support network, and academic 
counselors.

    11. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, how many transgender cadets 
or midshipmen are enrolled in each of your academies? Please provide a 
breakdown of the number of cadets or midshipmen enrolled by class year.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. None.
    Vice Admiral Davids. I am currently aware of one transgender 
midshipman who is a member of the Class of 2026 (junior).
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. We are aware of three (3) cadets 
(Class of 2025).
                     sexual assault and harassment
    12. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, should cadets or midshipmen 
who report sexual assault be prosecuted if their report does not result 
in a successful conviction?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. No.
    Vice Admiral Davids. No, a midshipman should not be prosecuted on 
the basis of whether a sexual assault report results in a successful 
conviction.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. No. Lack of a successful conviction 
only proves the complaint was not able to meet the burden of proof. Any 
minor collateral misconduct discovered is also not eligible for 
prosecution under DOD's ``Safe to Report'' policy.

    13. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, how should cadets or 
midshipmen who report sexual assault be treated if their report does 
not result in a successful conviction?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Fairly and with dignity and respect.
    Vice Admiral Davids. The Department of Defense encourages greater 
sexual assault reporting to connect victims with care and services 
needed to recover, as well as to have the opportunity to hold alleged 
offenders appropriately accountable. For that purpose, we have both 
Restricted and Unrestricted reporting options. When making Unrestricted 
sexual assault reports, midshipmen should be treated with respect 
throughout the entirety of the reporting, investigation, and resolution 
process--regardless of whether their report leads to a conviction. 
There are many protections, services, and resources available to help 
victims recover after both kinds of sexual assault reports. Some of the 
resources that support midshipmen who experienced sexual assault 
include access to confidential counseling with a staff psychologist, 
regular check-ins with their victim advocate and SAPR office, and the 
ability to apply to the Naval Academy's On Ramp Program so they can 
receive extra time and accommodations with school assignments. We also 
support victims of sexual assault through our physical separation 
policies, which include the ability to request class and/or company 
reassignments, request a leave of absence away from the Naval Academy, 
or expedited transfer to another Service Academy if the victim filed an 
Unrestricted Report.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Regardless of conviction results, 
USAFA's first priority is to ensure cadets who report a sexual assault 
receive Advocacy and Support Services such as health professionals, 
legal advisors, support networks and counselors. USAFA recognized the 
complexity of proving sexual assault cases. Regardless of a successful 
or unsuccessful conviction, our priority is the care of the cadet and 
providing a pathway of healing and support. While every unrestricted 
report is investigated by the Office of Special Investigations and 
assessed by the Office of Special Trial Council, our first concern is 
always advocacy, support and healing.

    14. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, do you support allowing 
women who have become pregnant or started families to return to each of 
your respective academies?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Yes. We have a process for when this 
situation arises that is in accordance with law, DOD, and Army policy.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Yes, USNA follows DOD Instruction 1322.22--
Military Service Academies, which allows for midshipmen (both men and 
women) to request a leave of absence for the delivery and care of their 
dependent child, and then, after establishing a family care plan (just 
as single active duty parents provide before deployments), return to 
the Academy.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA supports the CADET Act to 
enable cadets to retain their parental rights. The CADET Act allows 
cadets who become parents administrative time off to focus on 
themselves and their families until they can return to meet the 
military, academic, and athletic demands at USAFA (utilizing a 
validated Family Care Plan).

    15. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, do you support allowing men 
who have started families to return to each of your respective 
academies?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Yes. We have a process for when this 
situation arises that is in accordance with law, DOD, and Army policy.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Yes, USNA follows DOD Instruction 1322.22--
Military Service Academies, which allows for midshipmen (both men and 
women) to request a leave of absence for the delivery and care of their 
dependent child, and then, after establishing a family care plan (just 
as single active duty parents provide before deployments), return to 
the Academy.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA supports the CADET Act to 
enable cadets to retain their parental rights. The CADET Act allows 
cadets who become parents administrative time off to focus on 
themselves and their families until they can return to meet the 
military, academic, and athletic demands at USAFA (utilizing a 
validated Family Care Plan).

    16. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, what steps have you taken 
at each of your academies to implement the requirements in the Fiscal 
Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act and the Department of 
Defense guidance in response to these requirements that, ``A cadet or 
midshipman who becomes pregnant may be granted a leave of absence for 
good cause by the [military service academy] superintendent?''
    Lieutenant General Gilland. We follow the law as implemented by DOD 
policy and have put cadets on a leave of absence following a 
notification of pregnancy.
    Vice Admiral Davids. The U.S. Naval Academy has implemented policy 
whereupon learning that a midshipman is to become a parent, they are 
counseled on their options: (1) request a transfer to the Senior 
Reserve Officer Training Corps; (2) request a leave of absence; (3) 
transfer parental rights to a legal guardian or caregiver (to include 
adoption); or (4) voluntarily resign. Midshipmen are able to seek legal 
advice through the local Navy legal assistance office, and are given 
resources to develop a family care plan, if applicable. They are also 
encouraged to speak with a chaplain and counselor.
    The Brigade has been briefed on this policy at the beginning of 
each of the last four semesters, and all staff members in Bancroft Hall 
(the USNA dormitory) know to inform Commandant's Legal when a 
midshipman reports pregnancy or parenthood, such that they can be 
informed of their options.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA complies with the Fiscal Year 
2022 National Defense Authorization Act and Department of Defense 
guidance regarding cadets who become pregnant. USAFA authorizes 
administrative time off for cadets who become parents to focus on 
themselves and their families until they can return to meet the 
military, academic, and athletic demands at USAFA (utilizing a 
validated Family Care Plan).

    17. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, in how many cases have you 
granted a leave of absence when requested by a cadet or midshipmen in 
accordance with this policy?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Since the policy's implementation, 
three Cadets have been offered a medical leave of absence. One pregnant 
cadet accepted. The other two refused and opted to stay at USMA as long 
as possible.
    Vice Admiral Davids. There have been no requests for a leave of 
absence during my 15 months as the Naval Academy Superintendent.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Since the Fiscal Year 2022 National 
Defense Authorization Act, USAFA has granted three requests for a leave 
of absence in accordance with this policy.

    18. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, in how many cases have you 
denied a leave of absence when requested by a cadet or midshipmen in 
accordance with this policy? Please provide the reason for these 
denials.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. None.
    Vice Admiral Davids. I have not denied any requests for a leave of 
absence.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. None.

    19. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, how do you consider the 
impact of experiences of sexual assault and harassment on cadets and 
midshipmen before discharging them from each of your respective 
academies?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Consistent with Army processes for 
enlisted and officer involuntary separations, the command reviews the 
circumstances and grounds for every involuntary separation which 
includes whether the cadet has made an unrestricted report of sexual 
assault.
    Vice Admiral Davids. All midshipmen separations are considered on a 
case-by-case basis, considering the facts surrounding the separation 
issue (academic, physical, aptitude, honor, conduct, resignation, 
etc.), mitigating and aggravating circumstances, in accordance with 
applicable policy and the midshipman's suitability for commissioning. 
Our processes take a ``whole person'' approach that considers all 
manner of factors impacting the individual. If a midshipman has 
disclosed an incident of sexual assault or harassment, that information 
will be considered in mitigation/extenuation, depending on the 
separation issue.
    Specific to disciplinary proceedings, USNA has fully implemented 
the DOD/DON Safe to Report Policies (DODI 6495.02, volume 1, and SECNAV 
memo of 29 Jun 22),
    which prohibit disciplinary action for an adult sexual assault 
victim's alleged minor collateral misconduct (e.g., underage drinking) 
that might be in time, place, or circumstance associated with the 
victim's sexual assault incident. These policies aim to eliminate 
barriers to victims reporting sexual assault and when such 
circumstances arise, where the Office of Special Trial Counsel has 
deferred jurisdiction concerning the issue of collateral conduct to the 
commander, my staff pauses disciplinary proceedings pending a decision 
from me, in consultation with legal, regarding whether the application 
of disciplinary action is warranted under case is the Safe to Report 
policy.
    Finally, if a midshipman is separated from the Naval Academy, I 
thoroughly review each case to determine the appropriate separation 
codes and characterization of service (e.g., Honorable, General). 
Similar to the above separation decision, I consider all mitigating and 
aggravating circumstances when assigning (or recommending to ASN (M&RA) 
for cases in which I am not the final separation authority) such 
designations.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. All cadet disenrollments are 
considered on a case-by-case basis, considering the facts surrounding 
the separation issue, all mitigating and aggravating circumstances, and 
the cadet's suitability for commissioning. A cadet's disclosure of 
sexual assault or sexual harassment is considered as a mitigating or 
extenuating factor prior to a disenrollment decision in alignment with 
DOD's ``Safe to Report'' Policy. This policy encourages reporting of 
sexual assault by not penalizing cadets for minor collateral misconduct 
when their report of sexual assault coincides with any alleged 
misconduct.
    USAFA procedures ensure all disenrolled cadets, both voluntary and 
involuntary, have access to resources. For cadets who have reported 
sexual assault and sexual harassment, victim advocacy services continue 
to be offered. USAFA assists with the transition of care to the local 
Veterans Administration (VA) via the VA Military Sexual Trauma (MST) 
coordinator and the VA medical/mental health care. In addition, USAFA 
provides contact information for local survivors' resources as well as 
local military sexual assault survivors' resources. In the event an 
Unrestricted Report is made at the time of out-processing, SAPR follows 
all processes as outlined in the Department of the Air Force and 
Department of Defense mandated policies.

    20. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, how many cadets or 
midshipmen who were discharged before graduation in the last 5 years 
alleged they had been sexually assaulted or harassed before they were 
discharged?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Of the 82 sexual assaults reported to 
the command in the last 5 years, 21 cadets were discharged. Fourteen 
were medical separations, five were Unqualified Resignations (UQR), and 
two were separated for honor or misconduct.
    Of the 32 formal sexual harassment complaints filed in the last 5 
years, four cadets were discharged. Two were medical separations, and 
two were UQRs.
    Not all reports and complaints were substantiated. Additionally, 
there are many reasons why a cadet may be separated that are 
independent and unrelated to an allegation of sexual assault or 
harassment. Finally, if a cadet has made a report of sexual assault or 
harassment, the command considers this fact when determining the 
appropriate outcome of the action.
    Vice Admiral Davids. USNA requires that all midshipmen who are 
voluntary or involuntarily discharged meet with the Sexual Assault 
Prevention and Response (SAPR) Response Office as part of the check-out 
process to receive last minute support and civilian resource 
information (if needed). In the event an Unrestricted Report is made at 
this time, the SAPR Victim Advocate immediately notifies the CoC as is 
standard practice. In the last 5 years, 31 discharged midshipmen 
reported a sexual assault or harassment.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. In the last 5 years, 7 cadets who 
reported being sexually assaulted or sexually harassed were 
involuntarily separated for misconduct unrelated to a sexual assault 
report or sexual harassment complaint. In the last 5 years, 14 cadets 
who reported being sexually assaulted or sexually harassed voluntarily 
separated from USAFA. In total, 21 cadets who reported being sexually 
assaulted or sexually harassed have departed USAFA over the last 5 
years.

    21. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, do you believe that there 
should be non-mandatory reporters for sexual assault and harassment at 
each of your academies? If not, why not?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Yes. Non-mandatory reporters play a 
vital role in supporting victims and advancing the goals of the SHARP 
program. They are often the first individuals a victim turns to during 
a crisis. Victims who feel heard and supported are more likely to seek 
help through official SHARP channels.
    USMA policy mandates that all non-mandatory reporters to contact 
the SHARP office if they become aware of a sexual assault or sexual 
harassment. West Point personnel receive specific training to prepare 
for these sensitive encounters because the initial response can shape a 
victim's recovery.
    Vice Admiral Davids. The decision to report a sexual assault is a 
deeply personal one. Should someone desire to make a report, the 
Department has provided the means and the resources to connect the 
victim with the support they need to recover. USNA values the 
importance in the flexibility that non-mandatory reporters provide to 
victims of sexual assault. Not only do our specialized support billets 
(Medical, Chaplains, SAPR Staff, etc.) have confidentiality, but our 
uniformed faculty and staff members outside the chain of command of the 
victim also maintain a ``non-mandatory reporter'' status. As non-
mandatory reporters, members outside the chain of command (to include 
all midshipman), are not required to report a disclosure of sexual 
assault but may do so as a matter of discretion. Allowing non-mandatory 
reporters to exist allows for honest conversations between peers and 
colleagues, allowing the victim space to consider their reporting 
options.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA values and leverages both 
mandatory and non-mandatory reporters. A dual system provides cadets 
with safe pathways to disclosure and support while ensuring 
accountability where required.
    Our non-mandatory reporters include specialized support billets 
(Medical, Chaplains, SAPR Staff, etc.) and select permanent party 
members outside the chain of command. Our non-mandatory reporters 
receive specific training on helping agencies so they can support and 
direct cadets to the appropriate resource or office.

    22. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, have you removed, 
eliminated, or decreased the scope of any programs, events, campaigns, 
observances, or other policies relating to sexual assault prevention 
and harassment since beginning your time as Superintendent at each of 
your respective academies? If so, please provide specific information 
on each of these changes and your justification for doing so.
    Lieutenant General Gilland. No.
    Vice Admiral Davids. USNA has made administrative edits (i.e., 
replacing ``gender'' with ``sex'') to the SHAPE peer-led curriculum and 
GUIDE training, but our critical work in the mission remains unchanged. 
USNA observed Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) in 
April 2025 as an opportunity to further expand on sexual assault 
awareness and prevention education and to show our support for the 
survivors among us. The events, displays, and speakers for SAAPM 2025 
have undergone rigorous evaluation to ensure that they are meeting the 
intent of SAAPM.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA has not removed, eliminated, 
or decreased the scope of any programs, events, campaigns, observances, 
or other policies relating to sexual assault and harassment prevention. 
We have enhanced our cadet-led helping and support liaison programs to 
mirror the operational Air Force and Space Force organizational 
structure. As such, USAFA transitioned the ``Teal Rope'' program into 
Cadet Wing Integrated Prevention and Response (IPR) Cadet Liaisons. 
Cadet IPR Liaisons support their cadet squadrons and advise their cadet 
leadership to foster a positive unit culture. IPRs act as a resource 
for cadets seeking information or support related to helping agencies 
and support services. Overall, USAFA adjusted aspects of certain events 
to align with uniform standards of the profession of arms.
    Furthermore, USAFA hosted the 2024 National Discussion on Sexual 
Assault and Harassment, held ``Take Back the Night'' events, and is in 
the final stages of offering an Interpersonal Foundations Course as 
part of the core curriculum for all cadets.
    USAFA is laser-focused on violence prevention actions, as 
demonstrated in our institutional efforts on the Climate Transformation 
Task Force (CTTF), which purposefully aligned the ``Let's Be Clear'' 
campaign with DOD and DAF efforts. CTTF is a USAFA-wide effort to adapt 
our organizational culture that produce warfighter-leaders who 
understand interpersonal leadership skills, ultimately leading to 
enduring change in how we reduce unit level risk factors associated 
with sexual assault.

    23. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, have you signed or do you 
intend to sign the Sexual Assault Awareness Prevention proclamation?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Yes.
    Vice Admiral Davids. USNA has not signed a formal proclamation for 
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) 2025. Instead, 
the Naval Academy internally shared a video featuring USNA leadership 
that introduces SAAPM and highlights the importance of sexual assault 
prevention and response.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA institutionally supports 
several Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention activities, such as the 
National Discussion on Sexual Assault and Harassment (USAFA hosted in 
2024), ``Take Back the Night'', and most recently, established the 
Interpersonal Foundations Course to be launched in the fall of 2025. 
Additionally, Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) 
events were executed the month of April. Greater emphasis for 
educational opportunities extends into the academic school year with 
the assistance of Cadet Wing Integrated Prevention and Response (IPR) 
Cadet Liaisons. IPRs act as a resource for cadets seeking information 
or support related to helping agencies and support services. They 
support their cadet squadrons and advise their cadet leadership to 
foster a positive unit climate. Finally, we are in the last stages of 
publishing our ``Leadership Imperative for Violence Prevention'' 
strategy.

    24. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, does your academy have a 
``teal rope'' program for peer liaisons for the Sexual Assault 
Prevention and Response (SAPR) office?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. In 2022, USMA created the ACT--
Addressing Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment, Creating Healthy Climates, 
Tackling Holistic Health--program. After undergoing dedicated 
prevention training, select upperclass cadets serve as company-level 
peer-educators and conduits to professional resources. Since its 
inception, more than 250 cadets have been assigned. While select cadets 
serve as ACT leaders, we emphasize that every cadet is an ACT cadet and 
has the responsibility to support their teammates, lead by example, and 
maintain a safe, professional climate built on trust and mutual 
respect.
    Vice Admiral Davids. USNA Teal Rope equivalent are the SHAPE and 
the GUIDE teams. The Sexual Harassment Assault Prevention Education 
(SHAPE) team consists of 90 Midshipmen peer educators who train the 
Brigade in small group sessions as part of the comprehensive 4 year/13-
hour SHAPE curriculum. The Guidance, Understanding, Information, 
Direction and Education (GUIDE) team consists of 105 Midshipman 
distributed throughout every company and provides Guidance, 
Understanding, Information, Direction and Education to members of 
Brigade who have experienced a sexual assault or who seek more 
information/resources on the topic. The GUIDEs wear a small teal pin on 
their uniforms to distinguish themselves as a resource in the Brigade. 
Both the SHAPE and GUIDE teams are a part of the infrastructure within 
the Brigade to ensure maximum integration amongst all midshipman 
support programs.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA transitioned from a ``Teal 
Rope'' program to a formal cadet squadron Special Staff program in 
order to enhance the support and better align with the operational Air 
Force and Space Force organizational structure. USAFA transitioned the 
``Teal Rope'' program into the Cadet Wing Integrated Prevention and 
Response (IPR) Cadet Liaisons. The Cadet IPR Liaisons serve as advisors 
to cadet leadership to foster a positive unit culture. IPRs also act as 
a resource for cadets seeking information or support related to helping 
agencies and support services.

    25. Senator Warren. Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, what is the 
status of the Air Force Academy's ``Let's Be Clear'' Campaign?
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. The USAFA ``Let's Be Clear'' (LBC) 
campaign was merged with the DOD-led Climate Transformation Task Force 
(CTTF), culminating in actions aimed at reducing the prevalence of 
sexual assault and sexual harassment at the military service academies. 
The actions targeted known unit climate risk factors associated with 
incidents of interpersonal violence, such as prolonged stressful 
training environments, barriers and stigma around seeking mental health 
support and integrating interpersonal violence prevention skills into 
cadet professional development curriculum. USAFA took 125 actions, 
transformed them into a unified effort across the whole USAFA 
installation, and executed 17 Lines of Effort to robust the initial LBC 
campaign. Examples of USAFA's efforts include addressing transparency 
of accountability, improving hiring practices of training staff, and 
fortifying interpersonal violence prevention training for cadets and 
permanent party members.
                               __________
             Questions Submitted by Senator Mazie K. Hirono
                  recruitment in minority communities
    26. Senator Hirono. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, having an officer corps 
that represents the diversity of the country it protects and the people 
it leads is a force multiplier which gives our Armed Forces an 
advantage over our adversaries. Given the restrictions imposed by 
recent executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion 
(DEI), are your admissions teams still able to focus recruiting efforts 
on underrepresented communities to ensure the officer corps becomes 
more reflective of the diversity of the country?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. The Corps of Cadets represents every 
part of America, and our goal is to ensure that it continues to do so. 
However, there are congressional districts that do not maximize their 
allocations of 15 candidates. To that end, our recruiting efforts are 
focused on identifying and recruiting candidates from those 
congressional districts that do not maximize their allocations.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Currently, we are not aware of any 
restrictions which would limit our ability to recruit any potential 
candidates from across the country.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA continues to direct our 
outreach and recruiting efforts to leadership, aviation, and STEM 
focused events where we are best positioned to find qualified 
candidates from a wide range of backgrounds who meet our USAFA 
priorities of Warfighters to Win, Leaders of Character and Quality, and 
Critical Thinkers to Adapt. This includes USAFA Admissions recruiting 
in ``Opportunity Districts'' where we can leverage congressional 
vacancies where there is an above average propensity to serve in the 
military, eligibility to serve in the military, and desire to attend a 
4-year college or university. USAFA seeks to conduct outreach where all 
potential candidates are informed of the opportunity.

    27. Senator Hirono. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, do you feel you still have 
clear guidance and sufficient flexibility to recruit the best and 
brightest cadets and midshipmen from every corner of this country?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Yes.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Yes.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Yes.
                       sexual assault/harassment
    28. Senator Hirono. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, according to the Department 
of Defense's 2023-2024 report, an estimated 457 women and 327 men at 
the service academies experienced unwanted sexual contact. The DOD 
reports that only 1 in 8 cadets or midshipmen who experience sexual 
assault choose to report it. Many survivors remain reluctant to report 
incidents due to fears of retaliation, lack of trust in leadership, or 
uncertainty about support services. How are each of your academies 
evolving sexual assault prevention training to better reflect cadet and 
midshipmen experiences, and what measures are in place to evaluate the 
effectiveness of those programs?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. While we recognize that the decision to 
report sexual assault is a personal one that takes courage, the command 
encourages 100 percent reporting to ensure accountability of actions. 
Regardless of a cadet's decision to report, we are committed to 
ensuring sexual assault victims get the help they need. We deliberately 
and proactively communicate the availability of these resources to 
cadets in various ways.
    USMA has rigorously worked to address the reluctance to report and 
concerns of retaliation. Our efforts include leader-driven SHARP 
training informed by our team of professionals and Corps-wide 
activities to promote a supportive climate. The command's intent is to 
foster an environment in which seeking support is seen as the enactment 
of strong character and engaged leadership--whether by leading yourself 
or leading a cohesive team where members feel equipped to perform at 
their best. Readiness is best achieved if these foundational conditions 
are met.
    Ultimately, this is about character. We believe and emphasize that 
character is prevention, and prevention is character. Our efforts and 
training focus on sustaining and strengthening the professional 
climate, built on trust, dignity, and respect that is necessary for 
Cadets to develop into leaders of character who live honorably, lead 
honorably, and demonstrate excellence as Army officers.
    Vice Admiral Davids. No midshipmen should have to fear retaliation 
for reporting a sexual assault or sexual harassment. USNA continues to 
educate about retaliation and offer support services through the 
Midshipman GUIDEs, in the supplemental SHAPE curriculum, and through 
leadership action. The SHAPE curriculum underwent a National Opinion 
Research Center (NORC) evaluation from the fall of 2021 to the spring 
2023 and the training itself has internal feedback methods and program 
metrics that contribute to curriculum updates. USNA has also taken 
great effort to comprehensively screen and train all Company Officers 
and Senior Enlisted leaders and utilizes leadership positions both 
within and outside the brigade to emphasize the importance of dignity 
and respect. USNA has created resources to equip midshipmen to engage 
in bystander intervention and has vastly expanded support services 
available to victims who file Restricted Reports. By providing 
additional support for victims who want to maintain confidentiality, 
USNA hopes to see a higher reporting rate in future reports.
    In the last 5 years, there has been 1 report of retaliation 
associated with a sexual assault case. DOD actively prohibits 
retaliation and requires the Services to report and investigate 
retaliation allegations Anyone who believes they are experiencing 
retaliation can go directly to the DOD Inspector General--or get more 
information about available help and reporting avenues from their SARC. 
Unrestricted Reporting allows victims of sexual assault to report 
retaliation in the SAPR program. USNA policy immediately escalates any 
retaliation report to Superintendent/Commandant level for immediate 
investigative action and appropriate recommendation from the Office of 
Special Trial Council (OSTC).
    The results of the 2024 survey of cadets and midshipmen at the 
Academies indicate USNA's efforts have increased midshipman trust in 
leadership. Specifically, as compared to the 2022 survey, trust that 
the Naval Academy will protect their privacy following a reported 
incident has increased 25 percent, trust in USNA to ensure a 
midshipman's safety following a reported incident has increased 29 
percent, and trust in USNA to treat a victim with dignity and respect 
following a reported incident has increased 25 percent.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA is continuously evolving our 
SAPR training and updating our program evaluation. We execute 
comprehensive training for both staff and cadets that emphasize 
regulatory policies and procedures. Additional training includes 
bystander intervention and helping agency options. Most recently, cadet 
access to helping agencies was improved by embedding support locations 
in the cadet area and aligning walk-in hours to our cadet schedules.
    USAFA conducts program evaluations using data from various sources 
to include course assessments, internal feedback and information from 
official DOD data collection tools such as the annual Defense 
Organizational Climate Survey (DEOCS) and the Service Academy 
Experiences Survey (SAES) of cadets and midshipmen at the Academies. 
The feedback is used to update curriculum, inform prevention efforts, 
adjust victim services, and improve processes.
    USAFA recently developed the Interpersonal Foundations Course: a 
graded academic core course focused on cultivating a comprehensive 
academic understanding of relationships across various contexts 
including self-awareness, peer-to-peer, professional, and romantic. The 
course integrates theoretical foundations, practical applications, and 
reflective components to provide cadets with a well-rounded and 
impactful learning experience.

    29. Senator Hirono. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, what concrete steps are you 
taking to challenge harmful cultural norms and build a climate of trust 
for survivors of sexual assault to come forward and report perpetrators 
without fear of retribution?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. USMA has made a concerted effort to 
build a professional climate of trust through formal and informal 
training; continual communication and engagement with Cadets, staff, 
faculty, and coaches; and proactive, committed leadership at all 
levels. USMA and the United States Army are values and standards-based 
organizations, and sexual assault and harassment are contrary to our 
values. We reinforce to all members of the USMA Team and West Point 
community the importance of knowing, adhering to, and enforcing 
standards; being role models and leading by example; holding ourselves 
and each other accountable for our actions and behaviors; and treating 
everyone professionally, with dignity and respect.
    We believe we are making progress in this space. For example, the 
results of the 2024 Service Academy Gender Relations (SAGR) survey show 
that nearly 70 percent of USMA women who chose to report any experience 
of unwanted sexual contact did so out of a sense of civic or military 
duty (nearly triple the number reported in the 2022 survey). We 
interpret this result as a promising sign that speaking up and seeking 
support is an embedded part of our military duties as current and 
future leaders.
    Additionally, every individual who reports harassment is protected 
in accordance with AR 600-52. No Army personnel may retaliate against a 
victim, a reported victim, or another member of the Armed Forces based 
on that individual's report of sexual assault and sexual harassment 
made under the purview of the SHARP Program. These provisions are 
punitive.
    Vice Admiral Davids. No midshipmen should have to fear retaliation 
for reporting a sexual assault or sexual harassment. In alignment with 
the OSD-mandated Climate Transformation Task Force (CTTF) mission, USNA 
has amplified and initiated multiple actions over the past 2 years to 
address unhealthy climates to further reduce harmful behaviors and 
reinforce a climate of trust and accountability for midshipmen. These 
include reviewing traditions and eliminating any that may be counter to 
our desired climate, requiring stand-downs for all sports teams and 
extracurricular activities each semester, providing mandatory training 
in healthy relationships for all freshmen, expanding training in 
bystander intervention skills, increasing substance misuse education, 
and providing the Brigade regular updates on accountability for sexual 
assault cases to increase midshipmen's trust in leadership to take 
action following reports.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Over the past 2 years, USAFA has 
initiated multiple actions to address cultural norms and traditions to 
further reduce harmful behaviors and reinforce a climate of dignity, 
respect, trust, and accountability for all cadets. These actions 
included identifying and eliminating traditions that run counter to 
honorable conduct, eliminating the harmful consequences brought forth 
by unhealthy power dynamics, and establishing the 4-class leadership 
development system. This approach provides mandatory training in 
healthy relationships and unhealthy power dynamics for all cadets, 
expands training in bystander intervention skills, increases substance 
misuse education, and informs the Cadet Wing via periodic discipline 
bulletins.

    30. Senator Hirono. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, what specific trauma-
informed resources are available to survivors on your campus, and how 
is their accessibility and confidentiality actively communicated to 
cadets and midshipmen?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Trauma-informed resources available at 
USMA include our Sexual Assault Response Coordinator and Victim 
Advocates; mental health services, such as our Center for Professional 
Development, military and family life counselors, behavioral health 
specialists, and the DOD SAFE Helpline; Chaplains; Family Advocacy 
Program; Special Victims Counsel; and Cadets' peer support network (the 
aforementioned ACT program). We actively communicate the accessibility 
and confidentiality of these resources through cadet and staff 
orientation and training; posters, QR codes, and digital signage; SHARP 
and resource websites and portals; and routine staff and faculty 
training.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Midshipmen have many protections, services, 
and resources to help them recover after a sexual assault. As part of 
the role and in accordance with annual training requirements, 
midshipman SAPR GUIDEs brief their companies and sports teams on all 
resources available and the confidentiality associated with each. This 
information is also disseminated throughout the SHAPE curriculum and by 
leadership in the form of leadership discussions, command briefings, 
midshipman handbooks and awareness months. USNA recently hired a trauma 
specialist at the Midshipman Development Center (MDC) who, in addition 
to working with victims of sexual assault, trains the GUIDEs, SHAPE 
peer educators and other support groups on trauma informed care as part 
of their extensive summer training curriculum.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA's command teams and helping 
agencies are focused on supporting survivors. Cadets have many 
protections, services, and resources to help them recover after 
reporting a sexual assault. USAFA leadership and a group of 
professional helping agencies engage in the monthly Case Management 
Group (CMG) focused on supporting the recovery of our survivors. Within 
the CMG, we receive input from Victim Advocates, Victims Counsel, 
health professionals, and chain of command in order to provide 
individualized trauma-informed care. Outside of the monthly CMG, SAPR 
and command frequently followup with survivors ensuring access to care. 
Finally, USAFA endorses an open-door policy at all echelons of 
leadership.

    31. Senator Hirono. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, how are you ensuring 
consistent enforcement of sexual misconduct policies, and what 
oversight mechanisms are in place to evaluate progress and maintain 
accountability?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. At USMA, we ensure consistent 
enforcement of sexual misconduct policies through a structured approach 
that combines standardized policy implementation, leader training, and 
rigorous oversight. The specific measures include the following.
      Command Training & Policy Alignment: To ensure our chain 
of command is fully aligned with enforcement expectations, all incoming 
TAC Officers (legal Company Commanders) receive mandatory onboarding 
and annual refresher training focused on SHARP, EO, and related 
policies. This ensures they are equipped to enforce standards, 
understand policy updates, and model appropriate leadership behaviors 
in line with DOD directives and academy-specific protocols. TACs also 
receive training specific to the management of sexual harassment and 
sexual assault. Additionally, they are subject to ``Positions of 
Significant Trust and Authority'' screening per Army policy.
      Standardized Enforcement across Cadet Companies: We apply 
consistent protocols across all companies, including uniform reporting 
procedures, command response timelines, and support resource 
engagement. This eliminates variability and ensures every cadet 
receives the same standard of care and response, regardless of unit.
      Oversight Mechanisms to Evaluate Progress and Maintain 
Accountability: These include our monthly Sexual Assault Review Board, 
quarterly Sexual Assault Response Team, the biennial SAGR survey and 
Sexual Assault and Violence at the Military Service Academies Report, 
the Defense Sexual Assault Incident Data base, and the Incident Case 
Reporting System.
    Vice Admiral Davids. All Naval Academy sexual assault and sexual 
harassment cases are investigated by Naval Criminal Investigative 
Service (NCIS) and reviewed by the Office of Special Trial Counsel. For 
lesser offenses, such as engaging in consensual sexual acts within 
berthing spaces, this type of sexual misconduct is handled internally 
at USNA and addressed through our Administrative Conduct System. The 
Conduct System affords alleged offenders multiple layers of due process 
and appellate rights. The military justice programs at the military 
service academies are in the midst of an audit by the U.S. Government 
Accountability Office and we await their findings and recommendations. 
Finally, Federal law requires that the Department of Defense to visit 
the Academies every 2 years to determine the effectiveness of policies 
and programs addressing sexual assault and sexual harassment at the 
Academies. The results of these oversight actions are regularly 
reported to Congress.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA sexual assault and sexual 
harassment cases, based on the form and substance of the allegation and 
in coordination with USAFA/JA, are appropriately addressed by either 
the Equal Opportunity Office, an independent investigator, Office of 
Special Investigations (OSI), or the Office of Special Trial Counsel 
(OSTC), as required by regulation. In addition, Federal law requires 
that the Department of Defense visit the Academies annually to 
determine the effectiveness of policies and programs addressing sexual 
assault and sexual harassment at the Academies. The results of these 
oversight actions are regularly reported to Congress.
  erasing history through diversity, equity, and inclusion executive 
                                 orders
    32. Senator Hirono. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, as we've seen with both the 
temporary removal of the brave 442d Regimental Combat Team history 
page--a primarily Japanese-American regiment--from a DOD website and 
the temporary suspension of a Tuskegee Airmen documentary from Air 
Force training, this Administration is trying to erase history. Will 
you commit to me that your curriculum will continue to teach the full 
truth of our military and national history--including not only the 
valor of these units, but also the shameful moments in our military's 
history, like the internment of Japanese Americans and racial 
segregation?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Our curriculum (academic, military, and 
physical) is designed to develop leaders of character for the Army and 
our Nation, ready to lead Army formations in our Nation's defense as 
they support and defend the Constitution. Our academic program equips 
cadets with the intellectual agility needed to make critical decisions. 
Cadets explore a wide breadth of subjects through a robust engineering, 
scientific, and liberal arts education that teaches cadets how to 
think, not what to think. Underpinned by the Constitution, the 
curriculum prepares graduates to outthink and outfight our adversaries 
on complex, multi-domain battlefields.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Yes, the Naval Academy will continue to teach 
the full truth of our military and national history. An understanding 
of history and the critical thinking skills developed through studying 
history are required to be effective leaders for our Navy and Marine 
Corps.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA will continue to teach our 
military and national history. USAFA is committed to delivering a 
world-class education--one that challenges cadets to think critically 
and engage with complex and difficult topics. We remain steadfast in 
our commitment to presenting a comprehensive view of American military 
history.
         curriculum changes as a result of the executive orders
    33. Senator Hirono. Vice Admiral Davids, I understand the Naval 
Academy's curriculum required extensive review after the President's 
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Executive Orders were signed. I 
suspect this was the case for all of the service academies. Given the 
overly broad nature of the recent executive orders targeting DEI, do 
you believe there is a risk to academic freedom and truthful 
instruction?
    Vice Admiral Davids. The Naval Academy conducted a thorough review 
of the 870 courses in our catalog and found that 20 were not aligned 
with recent Executive Orders and DOD guidance. There were only two (0.2 
percent) that required cancellation. Another nine required 
restructuring, such as the removal of a module, and nine required very 
minor modifications. We continue to work with Navy and DOD leadership 
to sharpen our understanding of the language in these orders so that we 
can meet their intent and continue to develop critical thinking skills 
in our students. At present, I do not believe there is a risk to 
academic freedom and truthful instruction.

    34. Senator Hirono. Vice Admiral Davids, how are you working with 
your faculty to ensure midshipmen are exposed to a broad diversity of 
perspectives?
    Vice Admiral Davids. I'm fortunate to have a professional faculty 
who are diverse in their disciplinary preparation and life experiences, 
while united in their dedication to our mission to develop leaders of 
character for the Navy and Marine Corps. We also invest in the 
development of our entire faculty throughout their careers to remain 
current in their respective disciplines and well-versed in the needs of 
today's military through collaboration with the Office of Naval 
Research, partnerships with other commands, and frequent opportunities 
for fleet exposure and service-relevant speakers.

    35. Senator Hirono. Vice Admiral Davids, will you commit to 
protecting your faculty's ability to teach cadets and midshipmen the 
great, the good, the bad, and the ugly of U.S. history--even if 
political directives suggest otherwise?
    Vice Admiral Davids. Yes, the Naval Academy will continue to teach 
the full truth of our military and national history. An understanding 
of history and the critical thinking skills developed through studying 
history are required to be effective leaders for our Navy and Marine 
Corps.
                               __________
             Questions Submitted by Senator Tammy Duckworth
                            command climate
    36. Senator Duckworth. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, can you provide insight 
into how your execution of the Executive Orders has impacted students 
and your assessment of the current command climate at the service 
academies?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. The Corps of Cadets is focused on 
becoming leaders of character and serving the Nation as officers in the 
United States Army.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Our midshipmen are young professionals. The 
Executive Orders have only affected a small fraction of the many 
activities that occupy the midshipman's busy day. While some students 
may have concerns about particular changes, as with any change, USNA 
makes room for feedback and provides leadership discussion and 
guidance. As a whole they appreciate the clarity of the focus on 
preparation for facing the national security challenges that are on our 
horizon. They have always discussed personal topics in their own rooms 
with their friends and fellow midshipmen. In professional settings, 
such as the classroom, in King Hall (dining facility), and in the 
public, they remain exemplars of the future military leadership of our 
Nation.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA cadets are members of the 
Profession of Arms. Within the Profession of Arms, service members 
follow all lawful orders, which include executive orders. When cadets 
have concerns with directed changes, they express those concerns both 
in command and helping agency channels, while remaining focused on 
their primary duty of becoming the next generation of Air Force and 
Space Force leaders, prepared to defend our great Nation.

    37. Senator Duckworth. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, how are you making it clear 
that all students have the potential to succeed as warfighters and 
contribute to the mission, when the Secretary of Defense, President and 
other senior leaders have suggested through both their words and 
actions that women and servicemembers of color have benefited from DEI 
policies and endanger readiness and lethality?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. The United States Military Academy 
develops leaders of character, committed to the Army Values and ready 
for a lifetime of service to the Army and Nation. The 4,400 members of 
the Corps of Cadets hail from all every corner of our Nation and from 
all backgrounds and walks of life. They are united by their common 
desire to serve as members of the Profession of Arms and by their 
shared commitment to supporting and defending the Constitution.
    Vice Admiral Davids. USNA leadership, faculty, staff, and the 
midshipmen themselves remain focused on developing leaders of character 
and the next generation of resilient warfighters for our Navy and 
Marine Corps. We continue to stress that each member of the Brigade and 
the entire USNA team is important to our mission.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA is focused on our mission of 
forging leaders of character, motivated to a lifetime of service, and 
developed to lead our Air Force and Space Force as we fight and win our 
Nation's wars.
                             affinity clubs
    38. Senator Duckworth. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, please describe the 
criteria used to determine which extracurricular and affinity groups 
remain and which are no longer permitted?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. The command disbanded any affinity 
group/club that was sponsored by the former USMA Office of Diversity, 
Inclusion and Equal Opportunity in accordance with executive orders and 
applicable DOD and Army guidance.
    Vice Admiral Davids. In support of its midshipmen and their 
personal and professional development, USNA has retained all of its 
midshipman activities and groups, but stratified each based on priority 
of mission.

      Brigade Support Activities are those organizations whose 
primary function is performing or supporting public-facing USNA events.

      Extracurricular Activities (ECAs) are those organizations 
with a focus on warfighting, physical activity, professional skills, 
academic groups, and shared recreational interests.

      Religious ECAs (RECAs) are those organizations which 
support the spiritual readiness of the Brigade.

      Midshipman Groups are those organizations that support 
connections between midshipmen and mentoring based on shared interests.

    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. All cadet club activities are in 
compliance with Executive Orders. USAFA has retained all clubs in 
support of cadet personal and professional development.

    39. Senator Duckworth. Lieutenant General Gilliland, though West 
Point has terminated affinity groups like the National Society of Black 
Engineers Club and the Society of Women Engineers Club, a number of 
clubs still remain at West Point, such as language clubs or religious 
clubs, acknowledging that there is still value in some unique groups 
providing support and community to one another based on shared cultural 
ties. Can you explain what guidance or justification you have received 
as to why academies should recognize the importance of students 
assembling based on religious affiliation but not other cultural ties?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. The decision to disband certain cadet 
affinity clubs was in accordance with Presidential Executive Orders 
(specifically, EO 14151 ``Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI 
Programs and Preferencing'' and EO 14185 ``Restoring America's Fighting 
Force''), as well as DOD and Army guidance. The disbanded clubs were 
sponsored by the former USMA Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal 
Opportunity. A review of the clubs' charters determined they were not 
in compliance.

    40. Senator Duckworth. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, please provide a list of 
affinity clubs that have been terminated or disbanded and which remain.
    Lieutenant General Gilland.
      Asian-Pacific Forum Club
      Contemporary Cultural Affair Seminar Club
      Corbin Forum
      Japanese Forum Club
      Korean-American Relations Seminar
      Latin Cultural Club
      National Society of Black Engineers Club
      Native American Heritage Forum
      Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers
      Society of Women Engineers Club
      Spectrum
      Vietnamese-American Cadet Association
    The list of remaining clubs is included as a separate attachment.
    USMA is currently undergoing a review process that permits the 
disbanded clubs to modify their charters and be reinstated in 
compliance with executive orders and DOD directives. USMA will seek 
Department of the Army concurrence before reinstating any club.
    Please see attachments below:
    
    
      
    
    
    Vice Admiral Davids. USNA has not disbanded any clubs or groups. 
USNA still hosts the following ``Midshipman Groups:''
      Alliance Club
      Arabic Club
      Chinese Culture Club
      Eastern European Studies
      Filipino-American Club
      French Club
      German Club
      Italian-American Midshipmen Club
      Japanese-American Club
      Joy Bright Hancock Organization
      Korean-American Midshipmen Association
      Latin American Studies Club
      Midshipmen Afro-Caribbean Heritage Club
      Midshipmen Black Studies Club
      National Society of Black Engineers
      Native American Heritage Club
      Naval Academy Pacific Islands Culture Club
      Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
      Society of Women Engineers
      South Asian Heritage Club
      Vietnamese Student Association
      Women in Cyber-Security and Computing
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA has not terminated or 
disbanded any cadet clubs.
                   transgender cadets and midshipmen
    41. Senator Duckworth. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, given the recent executive 
orders prohibiting transgender servicemembers from continuing their 
service, how are the academies supporting transgender cadets and 
midshipmen through their transition from service?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. We do not have any transgender cadets.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Based on the most recent guidance, no steps 
have been taken to separate any midshipmen from the service. However, 
we have a standard package of transition support services that are 
provided to all midshipmen, regardless of the reason for their 
transition from the Naval Academy.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. USAFA provides individualized 
support to any servicemember impacted by changes in military accession 
or service policies. This includes access to health professionals, 
legal advisors, alumni support network, and academic counselors. 
Servicemembers are supported through confidential care and coordination 
with service component leadership to ensure continuity of support 
during separation, in full alignment with Department of Defense policy 
and ethical obligations.

    42. Senator Duckworth. Lieutenant General Gilland, Vice Admiral 
Davids, and Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, will you all commit to 
following up with the Senate Armed Services Committee and the 
Subcommittee on Personnel to ensure we are kept informed of any changes 
in reporting trends and any concerns raised by students regarding 
climate, safety and their professional futures?
    Lieutenant General Gilland. Yes.
    Vice Admiral Davids. Yes, I will ensure that the Senate Armed 
Services Committee and the Subcommittee on Personnel are kept informed 
of any changes in reporting trends and concerns raised by students 
regarding climate, safety and their professional future.
    Lieutenant General Bauernfeind. Yes.

                                 [all]