By John Hughes, MD, USMA ’96

Here we go again…

Last week national news outlets reported that ProPublica tried to publish an erroneous piece alleging that SECDEF nominee Pete Hegseth lied about applying to West Point. ProPublica allegedly contacted the West Point administration.

One of the employees initially stated that there were no records of Hegseth ever applying to West Point. Hegseth responded by showing his acceptance certificate to the West Point Class of 2003.

In response to Hegseth’s proof that he had indeed applied and been accepted to USMA, West Point Directorate of Communications released this statement:

“A review of our records indicates Peter Hegseth was offered admission to West Point in 1999 but did not attend. An incorrect statement involving Hegseth’s admission to the U.S. Military Academy was released by an employee on Dec. 10, 2024,” West Point Directorate of Communications said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “Upon further review of an archived database, employees realized this statement was in error. Hegseth was offered acceptance to West Point as a prospective member of the Class of 2003. The academy takes this situation seriously and apologizes for this administrative error.”1

The Superintendent of West Point, LTG Steven W. Gilland, now must reply to Congressman Jim Banks (R-IN) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR).2

This is not new. In fact, this is yet another controversy that LTG Gilland finds himself in involving demands for information/explanation to elected Congressmen and/or Senators.

This instance brings up a few concerning possibilities for how this event happened.

Careless (or Rogue) West Point Official

Humans make mistakes. It is possible a new or inexperienced employee could have responded in haste to the ProPublica query and given incorrect information.

It is also possible there could have been a West Point records employee with a bias against Hegseth and/or Republicans and may have tried to add to the lie to damage Hegseth’s reputation.

An employee at this level is echelons below LTG Gilland, but…the Supe is still responsible for everything that happens in his command.

One would think that after the numerous high-profile controversies LTG Gilland has become embroiled in he would have standing orders to the head of public relations to ensure all potentially sensitive media queries get screened by him personally before replies are given.

That being said, one would also think that at this point in his tenure LTG Gilland would want to get ahead of a story and defuse any negative theories with a press release from his own hand stating the error and the specific remedies he would implement ASAP to ensure that such events don’t occur again.

Not surprisingly, LTG Gilland has been yet again publicly silent on the matter.

LTG Gilland’s Potential Political Bias

LTG Gilland and/or his command hid DEI and COVID policy from the public and from Congress. It took lawsuits and Congressional testimony to tease out the specifics.

Gilland’s motive for protecting DEI and his errant COVID policy is unclear, but given that both have homes in the Democrat platform and there is a Democrat in the White House, it is possible that Gilland is biased against President Elect Trump and/or SECDEF nominee Hegseth.

On the surface, an employee under his command giving false info that could harm a Republican nominee’s reputation especially after the Supe’s contentious relationship with Congress and Republicans makes the possibility of a “political general” at West Point plausible.

Naturally, this is not good for Gilland’s career or West Point and must be rectified immediately if this is the case. Again, a public statement from Gilland himself apologizing directly to Hegseth and stating explicitly that he is not political would be helpful.

LTG Gilland Arrogance

LTG Gilland, like the Supe’s preceding him, seem to make a habit of withholding truth and stubbornly defying demands from the public and elected officials alike to explain scandalous events at West Point.

West Point belongs to the American People and as a steward of this national treasure, he has not treated concerned citizens, graduates, and lawmakers with respect or even common courtesy. He has even been openly hostile to graduate groups such as the MacArthur Society.

The Way Ahead

The exact cause of the latest controversy doesn’t matter. What is becoming abundantly clear is that LTG Gilland’s command style and fitness to lead should be questioned.

If this particular story had happened during Gilland’s first month as Superintendent, he could be forgiven for the event and afforded time to investigate, clean house, and publish effective policy.

However, this is far from the case. Gilland assumed duties as USMA Superintendent June 27, 2022. This is also far from the only time he has had to explain his actions.

Worse, this is far from the first time he has chosen to be silent like an Ostrich with his head in the sand and hope that this one too blows over. It is time to pry the Ostrich’s head from the sand and make him face the music.

Perhaps the next testimony he needs to give after this one is the one that he provides to justify why he shouldn’t be fired.

Humility and integrity are vital characteristics of general officers, particularly ones charged with shaping the next generation of military officers.

This cannot be lost on LTG Gilland or his cadets that he is not modeling good behavior for cadets.

1 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/west-point-apologizes-fearing%20while%20driving%20imageor-sharing-inaccurate-pete-hegseth-information/ar-AA1vGuLV
2 https://macarthursociety.org/incompetence-bad-judgment-banks-cotton-letters-rip-west-point/

John Hughes: Emergency Physician. United States Military Academy Class of 1996. #1 graduate. 3rd Generation West Pointer. 4 combat tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. STARRS member. www.americandoctor.org.

First published on Armed Forces Press

John Hughes Articles

Open Letter to 61st Superintendent, From a ’96 Grad