The US Department of War has decided to cancel 93 Senior Service College fellowships at 22 prestigious academic institutions, including Harvard University and other Ivy League schools. This move is part of an effort to realign military education with “American values” and the “warrior ethos.” The decision, outlined in a memorandum titled “Aligning Senior Service College Opportunities with American Values,” aims to ensure that senior officer education focuses on critical thinking and remains free of bias and influence.
The strategic refocus of senior officer education, set to begin in the 2026–2027 academic year, involves eliminating certain fellowship programs and creating a revised list of elite institutions offering equivalent programs. The Secretary of War emphasized the importance of investing in institutions that enhance leaders’ warfighting capabilities and uphold the values they are sworn to defend. Notably, the cancelled fellowships include placements at renowned universities like Harvard, MIT, Tufts, Georgetown, Columbia, Yale, and Princeton, among others.
This decision is part of the Department’s broader initiative to review military standards and ensure educational excellence for military leaders. The goal is to prepare senior officers to think critically, plan multi-domain joint operations, and operate at the strategic level in modern warfare. The policy, effective from the 2026–2027 academic year, will be overseen by the Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness.
In a previous memorandum titled “Rebuilding the Warrior Ethos in Professional Military Education,” concerns were raised about the lack of critical thinking in top universities. The Secretary highlighted Harvard’s alleged negative bias towards military actions and limited critical thinking. As a result, all graduate-level Professional Military Education programs between Harvard and the Department of War for active-duty Service members will be discontinued starting in the 2026–2027 school year. The memorandum also identifies potential new partner institutions that meet specific criteria for intellectual freedom and national security programs.
