Hegseth Orders End to Race Consideration in Admissions at Military Service Academies

But they're not. Admissions to the military academies or anywhere are NOT based "exclusively on merit." IF they were, none of this would have been necessary, because the resulting admissions would look (statistically) like all Americans. But they don't, in the absence of intervention. And that's the real issue, isn't it?

When Chief Justice John Roberts wrote his majority opinion striking down the ability to use race in university admissions in 2023, he noted the Army's Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy may have "potentially distinct interests" when it comes to admissions and that diversity in the armed forces may be a national security issue.

In December, another judge again ruled the Naval Academy could continue to consider race in its admissions, finding "the academy has tied its use of race to the realization of an officer corps that represents the country it protects and the people it leads."

EXACTLY. And that IMHO, ought to be the standard EVERYWHERE, not just a USNA - both in our all-volunteer force, and in our government writ large.