New FALCONS Act Bans DEI and CRT Training at West Point, Naval, and Air Force Academies

The newly introduced FALCONS Act—officially the Focusing Academies on Leadership and Cultivating Officers for National Security Act—is short, punchy, and zeroes in on military education funding. This bill, specifically Section 2, prohibits the use of any federal funds to create or deliver training or education that is “based on critical race theory” (CRT) or “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) concepts at the five major federal service academies.

The Curriculum Cut: Who’s Affected?

This isn’t a suggestion; it’s a hard stop on spending. If enacted, this ban would immediately apply to the United States Military Academy (West Point), the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, the Coast Guard Academy, and the Merchant Marine Academy. For the thousands of cadets and midshipmen currently training to become the next generation of military leaders, this means their curriculum will be explicitly scrubbed of any coursework or training that falls under the broad umbrella of CRT or DEI. This could impact everything from leadership seminars focused on managing diverse units to history courses that discuss systemic issues within the military or society at large.

The Vague Language Problem

One of the most significant real-world challenges here is the vagueness of the terms being banned. The law prohibits training “based on” critical race theory or DEI, but neither concept has a precise, universally accepted legal definition. This leaves academy administrators and instructors in a tough spot: how do they know if a mandatory course on cultural competency—vital for officers deployed around the globe—is now technically illegal because it touches on themes of equity or inclusion? This ambiguity could lead to a chilling effect, where instructors simply avoid any topic that might be remotely related to these concepts, just to avoid losing federal funding.

Impact on Military Readiness

For the military branches themselves, this bill creates a potential conflict. Modern military operations require officers who can lead highly diverse teams, navigate complex international environments, and understand the cultural nuances of the populations they serve. Many military leaders view training related to diversity and inclusion as essential for mission readiness, unit cohesion, and recruiting. By prohibiting federal funding for this specific type of training at the foundational level—the service academies—the FALCONS Act could force the military to choose between complying with the funding ban and providing what they consider necessary leadership development for future officers. Essentially, the bill dictates what future officers won’t be taught about managing the human element of the military.