Subscribe our newsletter and get notifications to stay update
WASHINGTON — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is fuming over the Army’s decision to withdraw new academic standards for college students in the ROTC program — including requiring a score of at least 1000 on the SAT — to ensure that “stupid people” are not becoming military officers.The new standards were announced on Aug.5 in an internal memo issued by then-assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs Jules Hurst, whom the Senate confirmed as Pentagon comptroller two days later.“The Army must cultivate intelligent and adaptive officers to build a lethal and ready Army prepared to deter, fight, and win our nation’s wars.
The strength of our Officer Corps is the strength of our Army,” Hurst wrote.The requirement, which would have taken effect in January, was rescinded on Aug.12 in a memo signed by under secretary of the Army Mike Obadal, who cited a need for “further staffing and analysis.” Pentagon sources told The Post the pivot demonstrated dysfunction within the Army, whose Secretary Dan Driscoll has clashed with Hegseth over the past year, including over personnel decisions — with the men hardly on speaking terms despite the ongoing Iran war.
The memos did not reach Driscoll’s desk before being issued, one source told The Post.A different source confirmed that the Army secretary was not included in an internal email chain containing the initial memo.Military sources said new academic benchmarks are desperately needed and that they align with Hegseth’s broader emphasis on tightening officer standards.
“I have friends that taught ROTC.They literally deal with some cadets that can’t put together a coherent sentence or write correctly,” a senior Pentagon official told The Post.“A modest policy like this is a move in the right direction.
Especially in an environment where the quality of a formal college education is less than what it was.1000 on the SAT is nothing.
If you can’t hit that you probably shouldn�...