Military parents seek help from Congress in the midst of diversity purge in base schools, the next mass shots

The parents of the Department of Defense in Europe have been asking the Congress to intervene as the military children’s school system fights to implement the orders of President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to scrub anything that promotes the diversity.

Last week, the European Association of Master’s students, which includes some 3,000 members in the schools of education activities of the Department of Defense in Europe, sent letters to the Armed Services Subcommittees of the Chamber and the Senate that exceed schools , saying that the vague guide has led to an exaggeration broad error of materials.

Since the letter was sent, Dodea has responded to the parents ‘concerns and corrected some problems in themselves, said a parents’ group official to Military.com on Monday. Because of that, the group no longer asks the Congress to make DODEA stop its implementation. But you are still planning to meet some Congress offices this week to impress the importance of not undermining the capacity of the school system to provide quality education to military students, even ensuring that school staff is not part of a Next massive shot in the Department of Defense.

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“We communicated with all these people in essentially a SOS,” said Kristen Smith, vice president of legislation in the European PSSA and a military spouse that has a child in primary school and another in high school in the Ramstein Air Base area.

“We are at a point in our country where both parties have a different idea of how diversity looks, but I hope and pray that they are willing to sit and have that conversation and ensure that diversity is a positive word in the future.” Smith added. “It’s not bad.”

Since his first day in office, Trump has issued a list of executive orders that require federal agencies to terminate any program related to diversity, as well as to prohibit any recognition of transgender people. The orders were poorly defined, which led to a wholesale erase of minorities and women who in some cases They have been reversed after the public protest.

In line with Trump’s anti-diversity order, Hegseth also sent a memorandum declaring that the celebrations of the Department of Defense in honor of the months of “identity” and holidays, such as the month of black history, were “dead.”

In Dodea, orders have resulted in schools Pull the books on the library shelves while officials check if they comply with the executive order.

It has also resulted in generalized confusion and interpretations that are too broad about what symbols and decorations could come into conflict of orders, said Smith. For example, some infant garden teachers eliminated arcs, a symbol associated with LGBTQ+ rights, although the decorations were not LGBTQ+ Pride Rainbows, while other schools demolished posters of civil rights icons such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks to fearing that they can be interpreted as celebrating the month of black history, he said Smith

Actions such as the one that caused the letter from last week to Congress, which argued “the lack of time allowed to carefully implement these policies is to put the excellent education that our military children receive at great risk.”

“They need continuous access to various perspectives and resources that allow them to navigate the difficulties of life with grace and compassion,” said the letter. “The hurried implementation threatens to eliminate these essential tools, undermining the basis of their education.”

The letter was sent to the subcommittees for personnel and preparation in the Armed Services Committees of the Chamber and Senate. Smith said he received recognition from Senator Dan Sullivan, Republican of Alaska, president of the Senate Armed Services Preparation Subcommittee, who received the letter, but did not get any response beyond that.

Sullivan spokesman; Rep. Pat Fallon, Republican of Texas, President of the Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee of the House of Representatives; and the representative Jack Bergman, Republican of Mich., President of the Subcommittee of Armed Services Preparation of the House of Representatives, did not respond to the requests for Comments from Military.com on the letter on Monday.

Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., President of the Senate Armed Services personnel, denounced “progressive Democrats, progressive Democrats who politicized our military” when asked about the letter.

“We need our army to be a combat machine, not a recess patio for the Cultural War of Democrats,” he said in an email statement. “Fortunately, the change is here. President Trump and Secretary Hegseth will promote preparation, restore lethality and generate confidence in our armed forces. With President Trump and Secretary Hegseth to the helm, our army will focus once again on protecting Our country. And put the United States first on the world stage. “

Since he sent the letter, the European PSSA has had conversations with DODEA officials who made clear rainbows and posters of black historical figures do not need to be removed, and those materials are beginning to be placed again, Smith said.

“I’m not going to say that everything is perfect,” he said, but officials are “doing everything they can at this point to make corrections.”

In addition to parents’ concerns, students have also fought against executive orders and effects on their education. Earlier this month, when Hegseth visited US military bases in Germany, several dozen students left Patch Middle School in Stuttgart in protest of orders. And last week, Stars and Stripes reported That around 150 students in Nile C. Kinnick High School in Japan also organized a strike.

While the presidents of the Subcommittee have not responded to Smith’s letter, Smith said that the parents had meetings with employees of five congress officials last week and have three more scheduled meetings this week.

Although they are no longer asking Congress to force Dodea to stop their implementation of executive orders, they want to ensure that legislators are aware of the “incredible staff” in DODEA as the military community. Shots of about 5,400 civilianssaid.

“One of our concerns for most of our parents is, are we going to keep our teachers now?” She said. “At this point, he reiterates the fact that we need our Dodea staff to make sure we stay ready for the mission, which are extremely important.”

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