Letter from Richard Kline ’67 to Superintendent Gilland regarding the July 2025 USMA Board of Visitors meeting:

Lieutenant General Steven W. Gilland
Superintendent, United States Military Academy
606 Thayer Road
United States Military Academy
West Point, NY 10996

LTG Gilland,

I attended the WP-BOV meeting at Camp Buckner on July 11. You are to be congratulated for hosting this important meeting where substantive issues surfaced and received lively debate.

In particular, the introduction of DEI into the academy curriculum received positive comments from Board of Visitors member Congressman Bishop from Georgia. As you know, LTG (Ret) Michael Flynn countered the Congressman’s advocacy of DEI by pointing out that DEI is an anathema to the cohesiveness and performance of a fighting unit and has its basis in Marxism.

This kind of “point-counter point” produces healthy discussions. There will, no doubt, be many other issues that will surface and warrant such debate. You and your staff are to be congratulated for facilitating a forum for airing differing views.

Heretofore, the reports on WP-BOV meetings have reflected very little lively debate about the impacts that social engineering can have on America’s military.

Many in attendance have characterized past WP-BOV meetings as non-substantive social events in the vein of “HAIL FELLOW WELL MET”. Worse, some meetings were cancelled and others were only scantily reported. By opening this latest meeting to thoughtful discussion of truly critical subject matters, you have broken new ground and set future WP-BOV meetings on the course intended.

As you know, the President has issued an Executive Order banning all CRT/DEI activities and resources. Similarly, the SECDEF has given orders in total support of the President’s E.O.

While I wholeheartedly support the President’s E.O. and the SECDEF mandate regarding ending the DEI indoctrination in the services, it was refreshing to hear learned opinions on both sides of the subject.

As further evidence of the impact this latest WP-BOV meeting had upon the attendees, several articles, some by MacArthur Society members, have appeared in a number of blogs and websites touting how refreshing the discussions were. The work of the WP-BOV is certainly making the rounds.

I hope to attend future WP-BOV meetings and witness more open and forthright debate. Until then, thank you!

Respectfully,
Richard Kline
SES (Ret)
USMA Class of 1967

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General Flynn Challenges DEI, Champions Warrior Ethos and Honor at West Point Board Meeting