Pete Hegseth has long championed the infusion of patriotic principles and Christian theology into American education. If confirmed to lead the Defense Department, he stands poised to enact this vision for thousands of military families.
Within the Pentagon’s extensive $900 billion-per-year framework lies a network of 161 schools across 11 countries, seven states, Guam, and Puerto Rico. The Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) serves approximately 67,000 children of active-duty military and civilian personnel. Unlike public school systems, which largely adhere to state and local governance, DODEA exemplifies a federally managed educational initiative that conservatives have sought to reshape.
Should Hegseth navigate the allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking successfully, his confirmation could allow him to reshape a significant component of the educational landscape. This move could revive the “patriotic education” agenda advanced by former President Trump during his initial term, creating a model for Republican-led states to emulate.
“The federal government does have control over one major school district’s curriculum — that can be a model for our nation,” remarked Max Eden, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, influential among conservatives advocating for a revamp of the Defense Department’s educational framework.
“It could be huge. It could change the character of American education beyond DODEA, but for half the country,” Eden added.
For Hegseth, the Defense Department schools would represent a new battleground in his ongoing campaign regarding American education. In his 2022 book, “Battle for the American Mind,” co-authored with David Goodwin, president of the Association of Classical Christian Schools, Hegseth argues for a departure from conventional educational models.
Representatives for Hegseth declined to comment, as did Goodwin, who, in a recent Substack post, expressed, “I believe he’s a good man. I believe God will use him,” in response to the allegations against Hegseth.
The nominee has characterized the nation’s public and private education systems as pervaded by leftist ideologies. He has called for the eradication of critical race theory, alongside diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, from military educational institutions.
Moreover, Hegseth has encouraged families to consider alternatives to traditional schooling, advocating for classical education infused with significant literary works, as well as the study of Greek, Latin, and Christian principles intertwined with American history.
“Get your kids out of government school systems right now if you can,” Hegseth advised in a November interview with Shawn Ryan, a former Navy SEAL and conservative media figure. “Save money. Move. Get a second job. Don’t take the vacation. Sell the boat. Whatever. Drive for Uber. … Because it’s about saving your kid right now.”
A new defense secretary would wield the authority to establish a new governance structure over the military education system and leverage federal contracts to enlist consultants for the development of new curricula, testing protocols, and teacher training standards.
As an Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hegseth could operationalize the principles of the 1776 Commission, initiated by Trump to advocate for “patriotic education” and counter narratives that he argues divide Americans on issues of race and slavery.
In his 2022 publication, Hegseth elaborates on the political and policy dimensions of a conservative campaign against public education, advocating for enhanced instruction in Christian theology.
“Marxist teachers colleges pump out ideological teachers, left-wing teachers unions reign supreme, PTAs are neutered, school boards scared fully ‘woke.’ Almost no school — public or private — seems safe. Conservatives and Christians are surrounded,” Hegseth and Goodwin contend.
However, Hegseth would be targeting a well-regarded educational system, DODEA, which boasts students outperforming their peers nationwide on federal standardized assessments.
This year, an education think tank referred to DODEA as “The Relentless Improver” in a report highlighting the school system’s robust historical foundations and praising its “extraordinarily disciplined, patient, and systematic approach to school improvement.”
The system has also served as a federal testing ground for universal pre-kindergarten initiatives championed by the Biden administration, yet it remains a focal point for conservative critique.
This month, the House passed an $895 billion defense bill prohibiting the Pentagon from endorsing critical race theory in its educational institutions. Previous congressional proposals have sought to prevent funding from being allocated to enforce COVID-19 mask mandates or require vaccinations for attendance at Defense Department schools.
Conservative lawmakers and institutions like the Claremont Institute have accused DODEA of promoting a “left-wing” agenda to students.
“At the end of the day, regardless of anything that happens externally to our schools, we will continue to remain focused on providing a world-class education and supporting our military families,” asserted DODEA spokesperson Will Griffin.
“We continue to remain focused on serving military connected students and their families. Military connected students are at the heart of everything we do,” he emphasized.
The agency refrained from commenting on potential cabinet appointments, policy changes, or the influence of conservative politics.
“If I were advising Hegseth, I would say let’s transform DODEA into a classical school network and let’s get away from the DEI, get away from the gender stuff,” Eden suggested. “And let’s give our military service members a world-class education that American parents are scrambling to get into but they can’t because we’re not there yet as a country.”
Such ideas could potentially resonate across the nation.
“What I could see unfolding politically is a patriotic curriculum inspired by Trump’s 1776 Commission — when it’s fully fleshed out and developed — being implemented in DODEA schools,” Eden speculated. “And spreading state by state until half of American states, because I don’t expect blue states to like this very much, adopt a patriotic curriculum.”
