Pentagon weighs eliminating civilian tenure at military academies, draft memo says

CBS News ^ | Jul 31, 2026 | James LaPorta

[where's_the_Outrage?]

Washington — The Defense Department is considering its most sweeping remake of military higher education, according to an unreleased draft memorandum obtained by CBS News that would abolish civilian tenure and overhaul course offerings at the military service academies and senior war colleges that educate future military officers.

The memorandum, labeled "Refocusing the Military Service Academies and Senior Service College on Warfighter Education," would direct institutions like the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to eliminate the granting of tenure to civilian faculty. It would also launch a comprehensive review of the curriculum taught at all service academies and war colleges.

The memorandum has not yet been approved by top Pentagon officials, and it's unclear when it could be finalized and distributed or how it would be implemented.

It would apply to West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, along with institutions like the Naval War College in Rhode Island and the Army War College in Pennsylvania. More than 10,000 people are enrolled in those institutions......

The majority of faculty at the Army's West Point academy are active-duty officers, with civilians representing a minority of the staff members. In 1992, Congress enacted a federal law directing the service academies and senior war colleges to boost their civilian academic ranks.....

But the new memorandum, if adopted, seems to reject that balance as it argues that every aspect of military education should be judged by one standard: whether it directly contributes to "tactical, operational, and strategic combat leadership."

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TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: annapolis; military; westpoint

[where's_the_Outrage?]

My 1st thought was why are there civilians at the military academies? Which the article says because of congress.

But I think some civilians could be beneficial, provided they're former military, especially qualified wounded warriors.

[Equine1952]

Good point. Are we talking former military, retirees, or just regular civilians with no background. If the later want jobs? Put them through basic, SERE school and deploy them for 6 months.

[Jonty30]

Unless their skillset is rather specialized, most of those working at miltary academies should be military.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

“Defense Department?”

It’s called the Department of War, SeeBS.

[No name given]

Agreed.

[Terry L Smith]

Ah, yes....civilian employees, eh?

A Clinton Congressional decision. Federal workplace employees translates to a union local. Tenure defense would mean union reps suing the federal government.

I agree that civilian employees and educators in postings at any military college be veterans.

In my positions held within the federal government, the ‘non-vet, college deferred” and “veteran” were so you cut it with a butter knife.