Merchant Marines Complain That 'Woke Ideology' Has Infiltrated The Academy

’ The blame for worsening the woke mentality is being placed on the head of Transportation Secretary Peter Buttigieg.

Former and current U.S. Merchant Marine Academy midshipmen voiced their opinion to Fox News, saying the “woke” ideology that has seeped into the academy in recent years has accelerated since Buttigieg took over.

According to their website, the academy’s role is to educate leaders “who are inspired to serve the national security, marine transportation, and economic needs of the United States.”

March 05, 2023

In January, the academy was in the headlines because of a complaint about the “Christ on the Water” painting that has hung in the Elliot M. See conference room for 76 years. Due to the complaint, the painting was covered.

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A letter sent to U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Joanna M. Nunan and founder and MRFF President Michael Weinstein made an argument about the painting is on display, which violated the First Amendment’s clause that does not allow for the establishment of religion.

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Several members of Congress, including Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Jim Banks, were part of a petition and letters to Nunan. The result led to an announcement that the painting would be uncovered but rehoused in a location in the school’s chapel.

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While the painting was an issue, midshipman John Guettlein, who graduated from the academy in 2022, told Fox News Digital that his friends are frustrated because “there are bigger problems going on with the school.” He noted that woke-ism is “absolutely” seeping into the USMMA.

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Guettlein pointed out that the academy’s stand on COVID-19 vaccine policies was an issue that generated a hostile atmosphere in 2021 among the midshipmen. Guettlein said, “It was basically get the vaccine or get kicked out of the academy, and for an entire year, they were picking off one by one.” “A lot of the freshmen, a lot of my friends, just straight-up left because they didn’t want to get into a school that was threatening that. There was just no hope for them.”

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Multiple midshipmen currently enrolled at USMMA also told Fox News Digital that the school had become increasingly politicized recently.

One midshipman said, “We had no discussions on race; we had no discussions on diversity, equity, and inclusion.” “It was just us as merchant mariners getting together very well, and we have our own very individualistic culture.”