The Division of Protection (DOD) is halting the participation of its officers in analysis and suppose tank occasions, for now, in keeping with a brand new directive issued this week.
The Pentagon will vet each occasion the place nationwide safety officers are invited to talk to make sure the gathering is aligned with the values of the division.
“As a way to make sure the Division of Protection is just not lending its title and credibility to organizations, boards and occasions that run counter to the values of this administration, the Division’s Workplace of Public Affairs shall be conducting a radical vetting of each occasion the place Protection officers are invited to take part,” the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson Sean Parnell mentioned in an emailed assertion to The Hill.
The order, which went into impact on Tuesday, got here simply over every week after the Pentagon decided to pull senior DOD officers from the annual Aspen Safety Discussion board, a four-day summit in Colorado, saying the nationwide safety gathering “promotes the evil of globalism, disdain for our nice nation and hatred for the President of the US.”
Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson said in a Thursday post on the social media platform X that “going ahead, no DOD official will attend occasions by America Final organizations” that promote “globalism” and “hate” President Trump.
The DOD has banned officers from taking part within the Halifax Worldwide Safety Discussion board, an annual gathering of navy and international officers slated to happen in November, and it’s analyzing whether or not the Pentagon ought to be a part of different safety summits, in keeping with Politico, which first reported on the decision.
The order applies to civil servants, navy officers and senior leaders, who shall be requested to offer speaking factors for his or her speeches earlier than occurring stage, Politico reported, citing an inner e mail despatched to DOD personnel.
Former high-ranking DOD officers, together with ex-Protection secretaries, have participated in nationwide safety conferences the place they’ve given speeches, outlined facets of U.S. protection coverage, and met with their counterparts.
“The times of ‘enterprise as traditional’ are OVER,” Wilson, the DOD spokesperson, wrote on X.