An active-duty Army general slammed the Defense Department’s decision to stop recruiting at a prestigious Black engineering event amid Donald Trump’s anti-DEI push.
The Black Engineer of the Year Awards, or BEYA, was a key event for the Pentagon to recruit high-caliber STEM talent.
But, the Army Recruiting Command’s long-standing partnership with BEYA ended last week due to concerns that participation in the predominantly Black event could run afoul of Trump’s orders and the Pentagon’s efforts to erase diversity efforts in the military, according to Military.com.
“In compliance with Department of Defense and Headquarters Department of the Army guidance, U.S. Army Recruiting Command will not participate in the upcoming BEYA event,” Madison Bonzo, a service spokesperson, said in a statement.
At least one active-duty army general is slamming the decision as “racist.”
It’s f—ing racist,” the Army general told Military.com on the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation. “For the Army now, it’s ‘Blacks need not apply’ and it breaks my heart.”
Other branches of the military including the Navy, Air Force and Space Force are also pulling out of the event and forbidding officials from attending in an official capacity or in uniform, according to the outlet.
“This is one of the most talent-dense events we do. Our footprint there has always been significant. We need the talent,” one Army recruiter said.
Military.com noted that the same Army recruiting unit that would have attended BEYA participated in a predominantly white National Rifle Association-sponsored event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania instead.
Future recruiting events linked to specific racial and gender groups will also be scrapped.
This comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is doubling down on Trump’s efforts to oppose diversity in the military.
“I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is our diversity is our strength,” he said during a Pentagon town hall last week.
“I think our strength is our unity. Our strength is our shared purpose, regardless of our background, regardless of how we grew up, regardless of our gender, regardless of our race,” he continued. “In this department, we will treat everyone equally….We will treat everyone with respect. And we will judge you as an individual by your merit and by your commitment to the team and the mission.”
