Military Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs
(DEI Programs)
Department of DefenseMilitary and civilian DEI offices; cultural awareness programming; climate change portfolio
Summary
This proposed FY2027 change eliminates all Department of Defense diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and the department's climate change portfolio, cutting $1,600 million (100%) from these programs. The administration says this follows an executive order and redirects the savings toward weapons procurement.
Who Is Affected
The cut affects Pentagon civilian and military staff who worked on DEI policy, training, and cultural-awareness programming, as well as staff and initiatives tied to the department's climate change work. A GAO review found DOD had already abolished or restructured all 41 remaining civilian and military positions with DEI-related duties and disbanded its DEI advisory committee as it carried out related executive orders.
What this cut would actually mean
In practice, DEI offices, cultural-awareness training programs, and climate-related planning units within DOD would close entirely, and the roughly $1.6 billion would instead go toward buying weapons and equipment. The White House's own budget materials describe this as building on more than $1.6 billion in DEI-related reductions the administration says it has already made, meaning this action mostly finalizes cuts already underway rather than launching a brand-new reduction.
Sources
- U.S. GAO - Department of Defense: DEI Workforce Reductions — GAO report describing how DOD abolished or restructured all 41 remaining civilian and military DEI positions and disbanded its DEI advisory committee following 2025 executive orders.
- Task Force Validates Successful DEI Elimination Throughout DOD - U.S. Department of War — Defense Department news article confirming a task force validated the department-wide elimination of DEI offices and initiatives ordered by the Defense Secretary.
- Rebuilding Our Military Fact Sheet - The White House — White House FY2027 budget fact sheet stating the budget sustains more than $1.6 billion in DEI-related spending reductions already identified by the administration.
Administration's Stated Rationale
“All DEI offices and climate change portfolio eliminated per executive order; savings redirected to weapons procurement.”