Nationwide — Under President Donald Trump’s administration, U.S. military branches have decided to end recruitment at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) as part of its broader removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across federal agencies.
The move is part of broader reforms spearheaded by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who recently called for the removal of DEI initiatives and adopt “merit-based, color-blind policies.” The Pentagon also ended heritage and identity recognition months like Black History Month and Women’s History Month.
BEYA has long served as a key platform for recruiting top STEM talent and awarding ROTC scholarships, with senior military leaders regularly attending. Defense officials indicated that other minority-focused recruiting events might also be abandoned.
Many within the Army have criticized the move, calling it detrimental to attracting diverse talent. An Army recruiter highlighted BEYA “has always been significant” and is “one of the most talent-dense events we do.”
Another active-duty U.S. Army general said, “It’s f—ing racist. For the Army now, it’s ‘Blacks need not apply,’ and it breaks my heart.”
The Navy, Air Force, and Space Force also ended official participation in BEYA, though the Marines’ stance remains unclear. Black applicants made up over 24% of new Army enlistments in 2022, according to Military.com.
Hegseth, who was formerly a Fox News host, defended the changes, emphasizing unity and merit, not over diversity, strengthen the military. He said in a recent address to Pentagon staff, “Our strength is our shared purpose, regardless of our background, regardless of how we grew up, regardless of our gender, regardless of our race.”
“In this department, we will treat everyone equally,” he added. “We will treat everyone with fairness. 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.”