06-18-2025

250th Anniversary of the Founding of the United States Army

ProclamationView the Original .pdf
View the Original .pdf

The 1-Minute Brief

What: A Presidential Proclamation commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army's founding. It also highlights and affirms several significant shifts in military personnel policy implemented by the administration, including the elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, the revision of standards for transgender service members, and the reinstatement of personnel dismissed for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.

Money: The proclamation mandates full back pay and benefits for service members who were dismissed for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and are reinstated. While a precise government cost is not stated, it involves calculating lost pay and allowances for over 8,000 discharged individuals, offset by earnings they made in the civilian sector during their separation.

Your Impact: For most Americans, the impact is indirect, relating to national security and the operational focus of the U.S. military. However, the direct and immediate impact is on active and former service members, particularly those reinstated after vaccine refusal, transgender personnel, and those whose work involved DEI initiatives.

Status: The proclamation was signed on June 13, 2025, and scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on June 18, 2025, making it an official executive action.

What's Actually in the Proclamation

This proclamation uses the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army's founding on June 14, 1775, to honor its history and to frame a series of executive actions affecting the military's culture and personnel policies. The document ties the historical legacy of the Army to the administration's current vision for the armed forces.

Core Provisions:

  • Formally proclaims June 14, 2025, as a day to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army's founding.
  • States that the President has purged the "sinister ideology" of "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" from the military.
  • Announces that the Department of Defense was directed to update its guidance on transgender medical standards to ensure lethality.
  • Confirms the reinstatement of American service members dismissed for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, with full back pay and benefits.
  • Asserts that as a result of these policies and a foreign policy of "peace through strength," military recruitment is soaring to historic highs.

Stated Purpose (from the Sponsors):

The proclamation's stated purpose is to honor the U.S. Army's 250-year legacy of defending the nation and to highlight the administration's actions designed to strengthen the force.

  1. To pay tribute to every soldier who has sacrificed to keep America "safe, sovereign, and free."
  2. To ensure the Army's legacy continues by restoring a focus on warfighting, removing "distractions," and implementing policies that prioritize military readiness and lethality.

Key Facts:

Affected Sectors: U.S. Department of Defense, specifically the U.S. Army and other armed forces branches.
Timeline: The commemorative date is June 14, 2025. The policy changes mentioned were implemented via executive orders and DoD memos in early 2025.
Scope: The policies outlined affect all military personnel, with specific consequences for transgender individuals, those dismissed over vaccine refusal, and personnel previously working in DEI-related roles.

The Backstory: How We Got Here

Timeline of Events:

The Era of Shifting Personnel Policies (2010s-2020s):

  • 2011: The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which barred openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals from serving, was officially repealed, allowing their open service.
  • June 2016: The Obama administration lifted the ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the military.
  • July 2017: President Trump announced via Twitter his intent to reinstate the ban on transgender service members. A formal ban was implemented in April 2019, with some exceptions.
  • January 2021: President Biden signed an executive order reversing the ban, again allowing transgender individuals to serve openly.
  • August 2021: The Biden administration's Secretary of Defense mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for all service members. Over the next two years, over 8,400 troops were discharged for refusal.
  • January 2023: As part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023, the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the military was rescinded by Congress, though it did not require the reinstatement of discharged members.
  • January-February 2025: President Trump, upon returning to office, signed executive orders to eliminate DEI programs in the federal government and military and directed the reinstatement of service members discharged over the vaccine mandate. This led to a Department of Defense memo in February 2025 establishing a policy that disqualifies service members with gender dysphoria from military service, effectively banning transgender individuals again.

Why Now? The Political Calculus:

  • The 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army provides a symbolic and patriotic backdrop to announce and defend controversial policy changes.
  • The administration is fulfilling campaign promises to its political base, which largely supported ending "woke" military policies and redressing actions taken against service members who refused the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • The policy changes are framed as necessary corrections to restore the military's warfighting focus and improve readiness, which the administration claims were degraded by the previous administration's social policies.

Your Real-World Impact

The Direct Answer: This proclamation directly affects thousands of current and former U.S. military service members, while for most Americans, the impact is indirect and ideological.

What Could Change for You:

Potential Benefits:

  • Reinstated Service Members: Over 8,000 service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine are now eligible to be reinstated with full back pay, restoring their careers and financial standing.
  • A More Focused Military: Supporters argue these changes will create a more unified, merit-based, and combat-focused military, free from what they term "divisive" social initiatives, which could enhance national security.

Possible Disruptions or Costs:

Short-term (1-2 years):

  • Transgender Service Members: Transgender personnel currently serving face discharge or are barred from serving according to their gender identity, creating career uncertainty and loss of medical care.
  • Financial Cost: The payment of back pay to thousands of reinstated service members will represent a significant, unbudgeted cost to the Department of Defense.
  • Recruitment Challenges: While the proclamation claims recruitment is soaring, critics argue that eliminating DEI initiatives and banning transgender service members could narrow the recruiting pool and harm retention by making the military seem less welcoming to minorities and LGBTQ+ individuals.

Long-term:

  • The changes could fundamentally reshape the culture of the U.S. military, prioritizing a traditional command structure over modern diversity and inclusion efforts.
  • Ongoing legal battles over these policies are likely, creating instability and consuming government resources.

Who's Most Affected:

Primary Groups: Transgender service members, service members discharged for vaccine refusal, and military personnel who were employed in DEI-related roles.
Secondary Groups: Military families, veterans groups, and all active-duty personnel who will operate under these revised cultural and personnel policies.
Regional Impact: No specific regional impact, as this is a federal policy affecting all U.S. military installations.

Bottom Line: The policies affirmed in this proclamation restore the careers of one group of service members while ending or disrupting the careers of another, reflecting a significant shift in the military's approach to personnel and readiness.

Where the Parties Stand

Republican Position: "Peace Through Strength"

Core Stance: The military should be overwhelmingly powerful and focused exclusively on warfighting, and personnel policies should reflect merit and readiness above social considerations.

Their Arguments:

  • ✓ Support ending DEI programs, which they often describe as "woke" and divisive.
  • ✓ Strongly support reinstating service members who refused the COVID-19 vaccine, viewing the original mandate as an overreach.
  • ✓ Believe that standards for transgender service should be based on biological sex to ensure cohesion and deployability.
  • ✗ Oppose using the military to advance social policies they see as detrimental to its core mission.

Legislative Strategy: Use executive authority to enact changes and codify them through the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), blocking funding for programs they oppose and directing policy changes.

Democratic Position: "A Force that Reflects the Nation"

Core Stance: The military is strongest when it is inclusive, reflects the diversity of the American people, and provides comprehensive care and support for all its members.

Their Arguments:

  • ✓ Support DEI programs as essential for ensuring equal opportunity and leveraging the talent of a diverse force.
  • ✓ Support the rights of transgender individuals to serve openly, arguing it has no negative impact on readiness.
  • ✓ Generally supported the COVID-19 vaccine mandate as a necessary measure to protect the health and readiness of the force.
  • ✗ Oppose policies that discriminate against specific groups of service members, viewing them as harmful to morale and recruitment.

Legislative Strategy: Push to repeal the current administration's policies through legislation, use congressional oversight to scrutinize the impact of these changes, and build coalitions to support inclusive military policies.

Constitutional Check

The Verdict: ✓ Constitutional

Basis of Authority:

The President's actions are rooted in their authority as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution: "The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States..."

Constitutional Implications:

[Commander-in-Chief Power]: The Supreme Court has historically granted the executive branch broad deference in setting military personnel policies, considering them essential to managing the armed forces and ensuring national security.
[Precedent]: Courts have generally been reluctant to intervene in military personnel matters, although they have heard cases challenging policies on equal protection and due process grounds. The back-and-forth on transgender service from 2016 to the present has been tested in federal courts with mixed initial results, but the President's authority has largely been upheld.
[Federalism]: This is a federal matter, and these policies do not overstep into powers reserved for the states.

Potential Legal Challenges:

The policies mentioned in the proclamation, particularly the ban on transgender service, are highly likely to face legal challenges from civil rights organizations and affected service members. Lawsuits would likely argue that the policy is discriminatory and violates the equal protection principles of the Constitution. However, these challenges face the high legal standard of overcoming the deference courts typically give to the executive on military matters.

Your Action Options

TO SUPPORT THESE POLICIES

5-Minute Actions:

  • Call Your Rep/Senators: Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121. "I'm a constituent from [Your City/Town] and I urge [Rep./Sen. Name] to support the President's military policies that prioritize readiness and end divisive DEI programs."

30-Minute Deep Dive:

  • Write a Detailed Email: Contact members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to express support for maintaining these policies in the next National Defense Authorization Act.
  • Join an Organization: Consider supporting groups that advocate for veterans' rights and a focus on traditional military values.

TO OPPOSE THESE POLICIES

5-Minute Actions:

  • Call Your Rep/Senators: Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121. "I'm a constituent from [Your City/Town] and I urge [Rep./Sen. Name] to oppose the administration's discriminatory military policies and to vote to protect transgender service members and restore DEI initiatives."

30-Minute Deep Dive:

  • Write a Letter to the Editor: Submit a letter to your local newspaper arguing that military strength comes from inclusion and that these policies harm recruitment and morale.
  • Join an Organization: Join or donate to advocacy groups that support LGBTQ+ rights and diversity in the military, such as the VFW, Wounded Warrior Project, or Military-Veterans Advocacy. Organizations like the Military Spouse Advocacy Network also provide support for affected families.