U.S. Armed Forces Retreats from STEM Recruitment Event Due to 'Progressive' Misgivings
The U.S. military is waving goodbye to a 40-year-old STEM extravaganza in Baltimore, a move that lines up with their plans to distance themselves from DEI programs and challenge what they perceive as an overabundance of "wokeness" within their ranks. The event, known as the Becoming Everything You Are Conference (BEYA), formerly recognized as the Black Engineer of the Year Award Conference, has been a bastion for encouraging students pursuing STEM degrees and offering them an opportunity to rub shoulders with educators and employers.
As organizers proudly announce, the Pentagon netted around 300 recruits from the event last year. Sadly, those numbers will be zero from here on out, as bluntly shared by Tyrone Taborn to Stripes. Rumors had it that the military was poised to shell out a cool $1.5 million to participate in the event. However, on the eve of the conference, cancellations started pouring in, with various military branches pointing to a January 31st memo titled "Identity Months Dead at DoD" as the official reason for their parting ways with the event.
Taborn, understandably, expressed confusion. "BEYA is the primary recruiting ground for everyone and they've invested heavily in this. It's such an ecosystem," he said, leaving both the organizers and Military contractors, such as Booz Allen Hamilton, the Naval Nuclear Laboratory, and even Elon Musk's SpaceX scratching their heads.
The U.S. Army seems to be weathering their recruitment crisis fairly well, having achieved their 2024 recruitment targets and staying on track in 2025, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Yet, he attributes these accomplishments to the arrival of President Donald Trump, asserting that concerns about the military being "too woke" have driven young Americans away from signing up. However, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth refutes this notion, insisting that the real reasons behind the recruitment crisis are far more multifaceted.
To address these issues, the Army has introduced initiatives like the Future Soldier Prep Course, a 90-day intensive training regimen aimed at preparing recruits academically and physically. The results have been encouraging, with the Army meeting its 2024 targets in September of that year, with a smidgen of the candidates having participated in this program. Interestingly, women have played a significant role in the Army's recruitment surge, with more than 10,000 recruits joining in 2024, a 20% increase from the previous year.
On the flip side, the military's withdrawal from the BEYA conference will undoubtedly limit their access to a diverse pool of STEM-focused candidates. Some military leaders have voiced their discontent, labeling the decision as "fucking racist" and arguing that it sends a clear message that the Army has no interest in recruiting from diverse backgrounds. The ramifications of this decision extend far beyond the confines of the conference, sparking conversation about the military's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The military's decision to withdraw from the BEYA conference might hinder their access to a wide range of tech-savvy and STEM-focused talent from diverse backgrounds, as the conference has been a prominent platform for such connections. The absence of the military in events like BEYA could potentially impact their futuristic tech-related initiatives, as these conferences often provide opportunities for collaboration with innovative tech companies and engineers.
