The offices at the Pentagon have received a memo from the intelligence section asking them to pause on various activities associated with “special observances” such as Holocaust Remembrance Day, LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Black History Month, Juneteenth, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
An official defense source who verified the memo stated that employees are now prohibited from celebrating and holding internal events for 11 activities listed in the directive.
The memo comes as part of broader efforts to comply with President Trump’s executive orders aimed at terminating federal programs associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Last week, the President signed an order calling for the elimination of all “discriminatory programs” in the federal government, with a specific follow-up order targeting DEI activities within the military.
A Defense Intelligence Agency spokesperson stated that the agency is “working with the Department of Defense to fully implement all executive orders and administration guidance promptly” and promised to update internal guidance as further instructions are received. The memo’s contents were first circulated on X (formerly Twitter) by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein.
The move follows similar actions across parts of the Pentagon. Last weekend, the Air Force revised a basic training course on diversity, which briefly resulted in the removal of videos honoring the Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots, a decision later reversed after public backlash. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also established a “Restoring America’s Fighting Force Task Force” to eliminate DEI efforts, with an initial report expected in March.
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