Making sure cadets can articulate and feel in their soul American Exceptionalism

Air Force Academy Board of Visitors member Charlie Kirk’s end remarks at the meeting today:

“The importance of this institution goes back to one other thing I know this board wants to focus on is that when we’re educating them, we need to educate them towards “being something”, towards being a warrior, but for what?

It’s one thing to strip away the DEI and Critical Race Theory– of which we’re going to be continually, politely bothering you on with questions.

But also we want to make sure that the cadets over the course of four years can articulate and they can feel in their soul American Exceptionalism, what they’re willing to die for. What is that Constitution that they’re swearing an oath to?

It shouldn’t just be here’s American history. We want them to be on fire because good leaders can articulate “The Why”.

Of course, there’s a self-selection, they’re coming here for a reason, because they love the country. But we want them to understand at a deeper, more fundamental level, American Exceptionalism.

If I could submit a recommendation in the curriculum education department: what does success look like when they throw their cap up in the air after four years?

That they are an advocate for the Exceptionalism of this project, not just a tool for the military, but they are able to articulate it, that they’re able to tell the people that they’re going to be leading in those tough days: here’s why we’re fighting so hard, here’s why we’re sacrificing.

It’s not enough just to say we want them to be good at programing AI and flying drones and being able to lead. But what are they leading towards?

Well, we want America to dominate this century and in order to dominate, we have to know what we are and who we are. It’s imperative that these cadets know that we are the greatest nation ever, and those roots. Not any sort of question about that.

That’s what makes this institution different. This is not Harvard. This is not Dartmouth, where they can spread anti-American ideas. If you don’t want to defend the country, that’s fine, you can go to University of Colorado Boulder. There’s plenty of people that don’t want to do that.

But Air Force cadets are here to understand the beauty of this country. I want to see even more of that. And I know that’s there.”